His Hired Baby

by Jacqueline Diamond

  “I’m so used to it, I hardly notice. It’s going to feel strange, having just one person inside my body again.”

  He studied her intently. “I’m sorry I haven’t been around more during the pregnancy. It’s such a miracle, I hate having missed any part of it.”

  “Well, obviously, you had to miss the first part.” Now, why had she blurted that? Kate could tell from his heightened color that he was picturing them making love…and so was she.

  She did her best to release the image, but the warmth of his hand remained pressed to her abdomen. The day Tara was conceived, she’d lain on a cold examining table in the doctor’s office, trying not to equate this clinical procedure with anything beyond a contractual arrangement.

  What if Tony had been there—not in the doctor’s office, but with her at home, conceiving a baby? He’d have kissed and stroked her, teasing her with his mouth and his body. She could feel him moving against her, and then deep inside her….

  “What are you thinking?” he murmured.

  The words sprang out before she could stop them. “I wish we’d made Tara the old-fashioned way.”

  He tensed, and removed his hand.

  Kate’s eyes flew wide open. “I don’t know why I said that. Forgive me.”

  Tony blew out a sharp breath. “You and I are opposites, you know.”

  “Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out,” she answered. “But what do you mean, exactly?”

  “When you think something, you share it,” he explained. “I’m less open. A lot less.”

  “Holding everything inside must be exhausting.”

  “I’m trying to communicate more openly, now that I’m about to become a dad.” He tilted his lounger to match the angle of hers, bringing them face-to-face. “You’ve helped tremendously with breaking down the walls, but it’s hard. My family wasn’t warm like yours. Not that I’m criticizing. They had to be strict to protect us.”

  “Why?”

  “Because of our sister. I accused them of being over-protective, but I discovered the hard way that they were right.” He shook his head. “Old business.”

  “Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?” Whatever he was referring to, it obviously still bothered him.

  “I don’t want the past to make me too rigid with Tara,” he admitted. “Kate, it’s important to me to celebrate the holiday here, this once. To change the way I feel about this house. Already, just having you and Brady here today, it feels more like a home.”

  “I wish I could say yes, but it isn’t up to me.”

  “I need to fill my home with people other than colleagues and associates,” he went on, talking as much to himself as to her. “People who never wear tuxedos except to weddings. People who bring their favorite dishes without worrying about whether they fit into some prearranged menu. Kids who see boring empty cabinets as caves.”

  She, too, loved the idea of entertaining everyone here. Still, she’d promised. “I can’t disappoint my sister.”

  He smacked the chair arms. “I’ve got it!”

  “What?”

  “As soon as Brady wakes up, we’ll drive over to your sister’s and I’ll present my case. If I can’t persuade her, I’m a darn poor lawyer.”

  He had no idea what he’d be walking into. “Compared to my sister, the toughest judge you ever faced was a wimp.”

  “Please let me try.”

  For the two of them to meet before turkey day might ease the tension on the actual holiday, Kate supposed. Or it could backfire. “If you two fight, it’ll wreck everything.”

  He considered for a beat. “If I see that I’m losing, I’ll yield graciously.”

  “I suppose it’s all right, then, if Mary Beth agrees.”

  Bristling with eagerness, Tony sprang to his feet and retrieved a yellow pad. Kate watched him rapidly fill the page with notes. Marshaling arguments tapped into a special part of him, she mused. He was in his natural zone.

  But he was about to step into her sister’s zone. Kate wouldn’t want to take bets on the winner.

  WHEN TONY WAS PREPARING to present his argument to Mary Beth Mulligan Ellroy—he’d learned his judge’s full name, always a good idea—he’d imagined them sitting or standing face-to-face, focusing on the issue at hand. That had been his first mistake.

  But not his last.

  In the yard of the Ellroys’ one-story home, two boys were weeding a flowerbed while a man in scruffy jeans pruned a large bush. As soon as they spotted their aunt and cousin, the boys dropped their spades and raced over.

  “Hey, Brady!” called the younger one.

  “Cool car,” said his brother. “It’s got computerized guidance, huh?”

  “Sure does.” As he helped Kate out, Tony acknowledged introductions, answered questions and tried to keep the names straight. Younger son, Johnnie, age eight. Older son, Junior, age ten. The dad, Ray, had a firm handshake and a sprinkling of gray in his brown hair.

  “I understand you’re taking daddy lessons,” he told Tony affably. “Here’s my contribution. You know how I got the boys to spend Saturday afternoon gardening? I promised them laser tag afterwards.”

  “Bribery. That works,” Tony conceded. “Not a good tactic in the legal world, but I guess families are different.”

  “Oh, hey, that’s merely the beginning,” Ray said. “Wish I could join you for Thanksgiving this year. I’ve got lots more tips. On the other hand, I’m staying out of this whole where-to-hold-the-dinner discussion. Which reminds me, I haven’t told Mary Beth about the laser tag outing yet.”

  “What laser tag outing?” demanded an irritable female voice.

  Everyone turned toward the woman who’d rounded the corner of the house. Taller and more angular than Kate, she folded her arms as she awaited a response.

  “Honey, this is Tony Franco,” Ray said.

  “I’ll get to him in a minute.” Mary Beth ignored Tony’s attempt to catch her eye and exchange polite greetings. “I was going to fix chicken and potatoes for you to grill. If you leave now, you’ll never get back in time.”

  “How about if I grill tomorrow?” Ray asked.

  “You’re working.”

  “Late shift. I’ll cook lunch, right after church.”

  “I suppose we can have pizza tonight. But check with me about this stuff next time!” Clearly, her mood bordered on truculent. Or maybe she’d crossed that border already.

  “Mary Beth,” Kate began, but halted as the front door opened to reveal a silver-haired woman.

  She favored Tony with a smile. “I’m Irene.”

  “Tony Franco.” They shook hands. “You must be Kate’s mother.” As if there could be any doubt, given the strong family resemblance. “Tara’s grandmother,” Mary Beth emphasized tightly.

  “I’m delighted to meet you,” Irene said. “Come on in. You, too, you little rascal.”

  “Hi, Grandma!” Brady gave her a hug, and then dashed inside. His cousins, after putting their tools away and removing their dirty shoes, slammed in through the back door and accompanied him down a hallway amid gleeful joking and jostling.

  Boys. Tony had to admit he’d have an easier time if Kate were carrying an Arthur instead of a Tara. But he could adjust.

  Time to steer the conversation on topic, he decided when Mary Beth marched inside. “You have a lovely home. I gather you normally hold Thanksgiving dinner here.” As he spoke, he glanced into the formal living and dining rooms. The crisp draperies, rumple-free couch and polished wood indicated these were reserved for special occasions.

  “It’s nowhere near as elegant as your house, I’m sure.” Mary Beth led the adults through the family room, where toys filled a large bin and books overflowed shelves. She ran a home day-care center, Tony recalled.

  “This isn’t simply a matter of my having a bigger house,” he said.

  “Sure it is,” she retorted. “You assume you can buy anything. Want a baby? Just write a check. Thanksgiving dinner? You’ve got more
bathrooms than anybody else, so you win by default.”

  “Mary Beth!” Kate looked shocked.

  Irene winced. “I’ll let you folks work this out,” she said, and took off down the hall. After casting a sympathetic glance at Tony, Ray did likewise.

  In the kitchen, Mary Beth shoved a roll of aluminum foil into a drawer and thrust several spice containers into a cabinet. Apparently she’d taken them out for the chicken and potatoes.

  “You’re angry because I have more money than most people?” There went Tony’s judiciously prepared case.

  The woman spun to face him. Dark circles and deep frown lines around her eyes emphasized her anger. “There are some things no one should be able to buy. And—” she glanced apologetically at Kate “—that no one should sell.”

  “I’m not selling Tara!” Kate flared. “She’d never have been conceived, never have had a chance to be born without the Francos.”

  “If you’re angry at me, fine,” Tony said. “But leave your sister out of it.”

  Mary Beth formed fists, as if preparing for physical battle. “She isn’t thinking straight. She’s grieving for her husband, struggling to make ends meet, trying to raise her son alone. She was vulnerable and you took advantage, you and that— I don’t want to pollute this house by saying what I think of your wife!”

  “Where did all this come from?” Kate asked in astonishment.

  To Tony, the answer was painfully obvious. “From the heart,” he answered. Both women stared at him. “You love the baby, don’t you, Mary Beth?”

  “Of course! She’s my niece.”

  “I love her, too,” he said. “She’s my daughter.”

  Her chest heaved a couple of times before she answered. “I’m not saying you ought to give up all rights. But Kate should be the one to raise her.”

  Tony reflected once again that, until today, he hadn’t given much thought to the family that had loved Kate since childhood, that saw her practically every day. They’d helped pick up the pieces after her husband died and would be doing it again after she surrendered the baby.

  Still, this wasn’t their decision. “Unlike my wife, Kate’s a woman who keeps her word, and you should respect that.”

  “I do.” Mary Beth blinked blearily. “I apologize to my sister. But this is eating me alive.”

  Kate touched her shoulder. “You don’t look well.”

  “I threw up twice this morning.” Mary Beth brushed back a defiant lock of hair. “Guess my emotions are pretty close to the surface.”

  “I’m sorry if we hit you at a bad time,” Tony said.

  A shrug. “We need to get this over with. At least today I’m not surrounded by little kids.”

  “We’ll never agree about the surrogacy,” he conceded. “But this is a small town. We may run into each other, and when we do, I’d like us to be on pleasant terms. I’d also like to carry the memory of this one special holiday to share with my daughter when she’s older.”

  Kate rinsed out a cloth and dabbed her sister’s forehead. “It’ll be more convenient for all of us to meet at Tony’s. Double ovens. Lots of bathrooms, as you mentioned. And two dishwashers.”

  “Two?” Mary Beth asked.

  “There’s a special beverage refrigerator, a regular fridge and a freezer,” Kate added. “Plus an outdoor kitchen with a fireplace and a fantastic view. You should see for yourself.”

  “An outdoor fireplace? I’ve never seen one of those except in a magazine.”

  “The boys will love the heated swimming pool and spa. And the game system, if we let them use it,” Kate noted. “How’m I doing? Do we have a sale?”

  “Also, if it helps, I promise not to act like a rich jerk,” Tony put in.

  Mary Beth’s shoulders shook. For a moment, he feared he’d reduced her to tears. Then she burst out laughing. “That’s exactly what I expected from you!”

  “Happy to disappoint,” he said.

  Kate’s appreciative glance touched him. Regardless of the ultimate decision about where to host the dinner, he felt good about this meeting.

  Mary Beth leaned against the counter. “I don’t suppose it matters where we get together. It’s going to be the same group of people whether we’re at Kate’s cottage or your palace. I have to admit, my mad dashes to the bathroom will be a lot easier if I don’t have to wait in line.”

  “I hope you’ll feel better by then,” Tony told her.

  The woman studied him wryly. “If we’d met under other circumstances, I might like you.”

  “I take that as a high compliment.”

  “Did I mention his brother’s bringing pies?” Kate asked.

  “What about the rest of his family?” Mary Beth inquired.

  “Don’t have any.” He could see in her face that she was wondering about Tara’s future. And so was he.

  Maybe we should all gather every year. Then I wouldn’t have to describe a family Thanksgiving to my daughter as if it were a scene from a fairy tale.

  The notion shook Tony. He couldn’t bend the rules that far. But how would he avoid these people for years to come? As he’d said, Safe Harbor was a small town. From the start, he’d figured that occasional glimpses of the surrogate could be handled discreetly, but Mary Beth’s pregnancy raised the possibility of Tara attending school with her cousin.

  Perhaps if he drew careful guidelines… Tony decided to postpone any further consideration of the matter until after the holiday. While he didn’t expect the gathering to degenerate into a free-for-all like some dysfunctional families Leo had described, better safe than sorry.

  Mary Beth asked a few more questions, but raised no further objections. After thanking her for changing her mind, Tony and Kate excused themselves, collected Brady and left.

  “Wow. She actually folded,” Kate murmured as they drove back to her house. “You were amazing.”

  “You’re the one who sold her on the idea,” he countered.

  “What idea?” Brady asked from behind them.

  “We’re going to have Thanksgiving dinner at Tony’s house,” Kate explained.

  “Wahoo!” he shouted. “Can I play in the cave?”

  “You bet.” To Kate, Tony said, “I’ll notify Leo. Will you tell Eve?”

  “Glad to.”

  For the rest of the ride, they discussed a schedule for shopping and cooking. Tony offered to hire a decorator to make the house festive, and was pleased that Kate acquiesced.

  He tried not to worry about whether this would be the last time he ever saw most of these people. For now, he’d won his case.

  He could hardly wait for the big day.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kate wasn’t sure exactly when she fell in love with Tony. It might have been while she watched him playing in the pool with Brady, his deep masculine laughter rumbling across the water as he swooped the boy into the air. Or perhaps when, instead of taking offense at Mary Beth’s remarks, he treated her with respect and turned the joke on himself.

  Most likely, she’d been falling in love with him for a long time, and denying it to herself. It was the craziest thing she’d ever done, short of the surrogacy arrangement.

  How ironic that he was training to coach her through childbirth, to feed her ice chips and share her breathing as she gave life, and then walk away. With their daughter.

  When she was younger, she used to live in the present. As the weeks passed, Kate devoutly wished she still had that knack. Please let nothing change. Let us stay right here, in the middle of November, forever.

  Things did change, of course. At the hospital, more young women gave birth, and some relinquished babies. Several pregnant girls arrived at the clinic for counseling, and Samantha raised additional funds, although no official opening had been set.

  Lori and Jared, unable to agree on having children, reluctantly called off their engagement. At Kate’s checkups, the nurse’s eyes appeared red-rimmed from crying.

  On a cheerier note, Eve reported that she and H
ilda were getting along much better and she’d been invited to stick around long-term.

  “You wouldn’t believe how badly she eats!” Eve confided during their last counseling session. “If I don’t crack down, she buys chips and cupcakes. I have to watch her like a hawk.”

  “You really are mothering her,” Kate observed with amusement.

  “Well, she’d better shape up, because she’s not feeding my baby that garbage. Did I tell you Hilda’s going to be my birthing partner? Isn’t that sweet?”

  “It’s like she’s having a grandchild,” Kate said.

  “That’s how I feel, too.”

  As for her own birthing coach, Tony arrived on time for the last three childbirth classes. Together they studied the second and third stages of labor, medications and complications. More importantly, he learned how to diaper, and what to do about the umbilical cord stump, and which symptoms in a newborn merited calling the doctor.

  The baby noticeably gained weight. If Kate had felt enormous before, now she wished for a wheelbarrow to trundle her bulge around.

  “It’s worth it, though, isn’t it?” Tina Torres enthused at the last class, and received a chorus of agreement.

  Kate barely managed a smile. Because not only would she be giving up her daughter, she’d be losing Tony, as well. While it seemed inevitable that they’d run into each other, they’d be strangers. Worse than strangers, because there’d be no possibility of any further acquaintance.

  One night she pounded her pillow and yelled—mentally, so as not to wake Brady—“Why can’t you love me? What do I have to do, earn a law degree? How can you put your hands all over me in class and not feel this connection?”

  At some level, he must. The day they went grocery shopping together, for instance, he made bad turkey puns until they nearly collapsed with laughter in the meat department at Ralph’s. Another day when she was exhausted, he left her home and took Brady swimming at his pool, just the two of them. Brady was ecstatic, and Tony couldn’t stop talking about what a great son she had.

  But she knew which line never to cross: the issue of their surrogacy agreement. On that subject, he showed no sign of yielding. Ahead, the mid-December due date loomed like a block wall.