Found: One Baby

She probably thought he didn’t trust her to take care of William in his absence. Nothing could have been further from the truth. Like animals, children knew instinctively whom they could trust and draw comfort from. William had recognized Michelle for the maternal soul she was from the moment she picked him up and cradled him gently in her arms.

Still, the moment his shift was up, Thad headed out the door and drove the short distance home. He parked in his driveway, then headed across the street.

As he approached the front porch of her Arts and Crafts-style home, he noticed the windows were open. Mounting the front steps, he heard Michelle singing softly. He glanced through the window. She was sitting in an old-fashioned rocking chair he hadn’t seen earlier, William in her arms.

Thad couldn’t tell if the baby was awake or asleep—he couldn’t see William’s face—but the moment was so tender and loving it stopped him in his tracks. This, he thought, was what parenthood should be about. This was the kind of life he and his brother should have had as kids, even after their mother died.

But they hadn’t. And there was no going back. Only forward. To the family he wanted to create.

All he needed was a woman to love.

He rapped on the screen.

The lovely vocal rendition of “Brahms’ Lullaby” stopped. Michelle rose slowly and walked over to open the door and let him in. She had changed into vintage jeans and a pale blue knit shirt that clung to her curves. Her apparently just-shampooed hair had dried in a tangle of soft, strawberry-blond curls. He had never seen her wear it that way, but he liked it as much as the sleek, straight style she usually wore.

“William looks…happy,” Thad noted. And so did she.

A pretty pink blush lit Michelle’s cheeks. “He’s very happy,” she said, meeting Thad’s eyes, “as long as he’s being held.” She frowned in concern. “Every time I get him to sleep and put him down, he wakes up after about ten minutes and completely freaks out.”

“Probably remembering…”

“Waking up alone on your front porch?” Michelle asked. “That’s what I was thinking.”

Thad shook his head. His brother was very much like their father had been while he was alive. Neither held much regard for familial responsibility or blood ties. Their lives were all about the latest career challenge.

Thad shoved his hands through his hair in frustration. “Damn Russell,” he muttered.

Michelle exhaled softly. “Haven’t heard from him, I take it?”

“No. And I’ve left several messages.” Thad felt the vibration of his phone. He took it off his belt clip, looked at the caller ID. Speak of the devil. “Finally!” Scowling, Thad put the phone to his ear. “Where are you?” he barked.

“I’m on assignment in Thailand. What’s the emergency?” Russell demanded, sounding equally irritated.

“A baby was left on my porch this morning.” Briefly, Thad explained.

Russell swore like a sailor who’d just found out his shore leave was canceled. But typically, he offered no explanation or apology.

Thad pressed on. “Did you know you were having a baby with Candace when you left the country?”

“I assumed she was pregnant,” Russell retorted, surprisingly matter-of-fact. “I didn’t know for sure.”

And obviously hadn’t bothered to find out, Thad thought irritably. “Why didn’t you mention it to me?” he demanded.

“Because her pregnancy wasn’t relevant to my life,” Russell grumbled.

Figuring he was going to need legal advice sooner rather than later, Thad activated the speaker on his phone and motioned Michelle closer, so she could listen in on the conversation.

“What do you mean Candace’s pregnancy wasn’t relevant to your life?” Thad asked.

Russell exhaled. “It was a surrogate arrangement. I donated sperm for a couple of friends.”

Okay. That made slightly more sense. Thad withdrew the pen and notepad he habitually carried in his shirt pocket. He wrote “Help me out here” on a slip of paper and handed it to Michelle.

She edged closer, concern on her face. “According to the note left with baby William, Brice and Beatrix changed their minds about becoming parents,” Thad told his brother.

“You’ll have to ask Candace Wright about that,” Russell insisted.

Thad jotted down the last name of William’s birth mother. “Do you have a phone number?”

Another disgruntled sigh. “She lives in Big Spring. That’s all I know.”

“What about Brice and Beatrix, the adoptive couple?”

“The Johnsons live in San Angelo. Listen, I can’t do anything from here—you’re going to have to straighten it all out.”

“How?” Thad shot back, aggrieved his brother could be so cold. “I don’t have paternity.”

“Neither do I. I signed away all my rights at the fertility clinic before the surrogate was even impregnated.”

“We’re going to need a copy of those papers ASAP,” Michelle told Thad, switching into lawyer mode.

“Who is that?” Russell demanded.

“Michelle Anderson,” she introduced herself. “I’m a neighbor of your brother’s—I found the baby.”

“She’s also an attorney,” Thad interjected.

Michelle asked Russell, “Is there any way we can look at those papers you signed?”

Russell harrumphed. “They’re in one of the boxes I left in Thad’s attic. If you can find them, you can have ’em. Aside from that, I don’t want anything to do with this. Like Candace Wright, I’ve done my part.”

It wasn’t that simple, Thad knew. “If what Candace said is true…if Brice and Beatrix have changed their minds about taking William into their family…Genetically, the child is half yours.”

“Not to my way of thinking,” Russell snapped.

“He’s a Garner.” And that, Thad thought, should mean something.

Russell scoffed. “What would I do with a kid? I don’t have a home and I don’t want one.”

Every fiber of Thad’s being told him it would be a mistake just to walk away. Anger rising, he said, “You can’t just stand by and do nothing while this child you had a hand in creating is abandoned.”

“Sure I can,” Russell replied. “And you know why? Because it would be best. The kid doesn’t need a father like the one we had. And that’s what I am. However, if you think you can do better, if you want to jump in, Thad, be my guest. Just leave me out of it.”

The connection ended with a decisive click.

Thad locked gazes with Michelle, not sure whether he was sorry or glad she had heard all that. He swore. “What a mess.”

YES, MICHELLE THOUGHT. It was one heck of a mess.