by Judith Keim
I nodded and punched in the numbers for Brad’s cell. As I recited the news to him, I couldn’t help the tears that stung my eyes. My emotions were on a merry-go-round of self-doubt and concern for the baby.
Brad listened to me, then he spoke calmly. “The authorities will have to be notified, but my understanding of the law indicates Becky is right. You can place her with Dr. Storey, who would be considered a safe haven provider. He would then have to make the proper notification to the Department of Children and Families. He might even be willing to press upon the authorities the need for an immediate placement and ask for you to be made the temporary custodian of the child.”
Hearing the cold, professional words, my heart sank. The mother, whoever she was, didn’t want the baby placed in the system, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to take on the responsibility of this child either, even for a short time.
Henry returned from the store loaded down with diapers, all the fixings for bottle-feeding, clothes, blankets, lotions, and even a small pink stuffed lamb. When he saw the baby, his features softened. He approached Summer on tiptoes.
Becky pulled the towel away from Summer’s face so Henry could see.
“Sure is a little mite,” Henry said. “A pretty one at that.” He turned to me. “You gonna keep her?”
“I’m hoping to find the baby’s mother. Her mother must have loved her. The note said she’d been watching Brad and me for some time before choosing us to take her.” Not for the first time, the thought of being spied upon sent a shiver dancing across my shoulders.
“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Becky said briskly. “We’ll get her dressed and fed, and then we’re taking her to see Dr. Storey. From there, who knows. But I, for one, don’t want to see the authorities take her away, don’tcha know.” There was a maternal warning in Becky’s tone I envied.
I left Becky and Henry in the kitchen and walked out onto the porch. Placing the basket on the white wooden railing, I lifted out the small mattress, searching for clues. But the plain white mattress cover told me nothing, and the empty basket was generic. My thoughts flew to the girl running down the beach. Was she the mother? If so, finding her would be like finding a needle in a haystack. There were at least three dozen young girls with long, blond-streaked hair in New Hope alone. During the summer, even more.
###
Dr. Storey was a short, stocky man who, with his shaggy brown hair, button dark eyes, and wide smile, reminded me of a friendly teddy bear. Watching him gently examine Summer, I was glad we’d brought her to him first.
“She’s a fine, healthy baby girl,” he said, handing the baby to me.
“Have you seen her before? We’re trying to find the mother,” I said.
He shook his head. “She’s not been a patient of mine.” He studied me a moment. “Your husband called me. In light of the note the mother left you, he’s thinking the baby should be placed with you until her situation is settled. How do you feel about that?”
I gulped, wondering if I should be honest and tell him the baby might be better off with someone else.
“That’s a very good idea, Dr. Storey,” Becky said before I could respond. “We’ll see to it that she has the best of care. Won’t we, Marissa?”
I nodded. With Becky’s help, maybe I could do it. But that didn’t mean I’d stop looking for the baby’s mother. Something must be terribly wrong for a mother to give up a beautiful child like this, especially when she cared enough to make sure her baby was placed in a nice home.
About the Author
Judith Keim was born and raised in Elmira, New York, and now makes her home in Idaho with her husband, her long-haired dachshund, Winston, and other members of her family.
“Growing up, books were always present—being read, ready to go back to the library, or about to be discovered. Information from the books was shared in general conversation, giving all of us in the family a wealth of knowledge and a lot of imagination. Perhaps that is why I was drawn to the idea of writing stories early on. I particularly love to write novels about women who deal with the unexpected with strength and open their hearts to finding love, because no matter what our circumstances, we all need to love and be loved in return.
“I hope you’ve enjoyed this book. If you have, please help other readers discover it by leaving a review on Goodreads or the site of your choice. And please check out the Hartwell Women Series, the Fat Fridays Group, and the other Beach House Hotel books. ALL THE BOOKS ARE NOW available IN AUDIO! So fun to have these characters come alive!”
Ms. Keim can be reached at www.judithkeim.com And to like her author page on Facebook and keep up with the news, go to: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Judith-Keim/184013771644484?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
To receive notices about new books, follow her on Book Bub - http://bit.ly/2pZBDXq
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She is also on twitter: @judithkeim, LinkedIn and Goodreads.
BOOKS BY JUDITH KEIM
The Talking Tree (The Hartwell Women –1)
Sweet Talk (The Hartwell Women – 2)
Straight Talk (The Hartwell Women – 3)
Baby Talk (The Hartwell Women – 4)
The Hartwell Women Series – (Boxed Set)
Breakfast at The Beach House Hotel –1
Lunch at The Beach House Hotel – 2
Dinner at The Beach House Hotel – 3
Christmas at The Beach House Hotel – 4
Fat Fridays (Fat Fridays Group – 1)
Sassy Saturdays (Fat Fridays Group – 2)
Secret Sundays (Fat Fridays Group – 3 – (Coming soon!)
Finding Me – A Salty Key Inn Book – 1
Finding My Way – A Salty Key Inn Book – 2)
Finding Love – A Salty Key Inn Book – 3 (Winter 2018)
Finding Family – A Salty Key Inn Book – 4 (Autumn 2018)
Winning BIG – a little love story for all ages
For more information: www.judithkeim.com
CHILDREN’S BOOKS BY J. S. KEIM
The Hidden Moon (The Hidden Moon Series – 1)
Return to the Hidden Moon (The Hidden Moon Series – 2)
Trouble on the Hidden Moon (The Hidden Moon Series – 3)
Kermit Greene’s World
For more information: www.judithkeim.com