Verdict: Daddy

Ever since his unknown mother had deserted him at age three on a park bench at the marina, he’d been lucky enough to remain in foster homes in Dolphin Bay, instead of being bounced from town to town like a lot of other kids who were never adopted. Even if he had no relatives here, he’d found a permanence of place and had put down roots. He belonged in Dolphin Bay, and now he had a satisfying job, a home of his own and plenty of good friends to round out the package.

Those facts strengthened his sense of purpose, and he strode back into Marissa’s office, determined to carry out his plan, crazy or not.

The receptionist looked up when he walked in. “Ms. Mason will see you now.”

Blake hurried into the office, then stopped in surprise. The attractive woman standing in a wash of sunlight streaming through the tall window wasn’t the freckle-faced, ponytailed girl he’d remembered. Her smile was the same, with the fetching dimples exactly as he recalled. And her eyes, a sparkling hazel, more green than brown, held the same warm welcome they always had. The ponytail had been replaced by a sleek shoulder-length cut that framed her face, and the sun streaks in her honey-blond hair were still there, though whether supplied now by sun or a skilled beautician, he couldn’t tell.

Instead of the shorts and T-shirt that had been her childhood uniform, Marissa wore a stylish camel-colored suit that complemented her hair, accented her tiny waist and small breasts, and showcased long, slender legs, clad in shimmering stockings in a matching hue. The gawky, skinny girl had matured into a stunning woman. Just the sight of her made his mouth go dry, and he was glad when she spoke first, giving him a chance to regain his bearings.

“Hello, Blake. It’s been a long time.” Her voice had changed, too, its pitch lowered to a sultry timbre that caressed his ears.

“Hey, Marissa. Thanks for seeing me on such short notice.”

She motioned him to a chair in front of her desk, then sat behind the mahogany monstrosity, as big as the boat they had sailed when they were kids. He figured in her business, the huge piece of furniture kept her at a safe distance from the felons she represented.

“How’s your dad?” Blake asked.

Her affection for her father was evident in her smile. “He’s in California now, representing Brad Tyler.”

“The movie star who shot his wife?”

“Who allegedly shot his wife,” she corrected with a grin.

“And your mom?”

“Same as always.” Her love for her mother tempered her voice, reminding Blake how, in his solitary existence as a child, he’d envied the closely knit Mason family. “Except now she has grandkids, as well as the four of us to keep up with.”

“Any of them yours?”

At the pained expression that flitted across her face, he wished he could snatch the question back, but Marissa recovered quickly. “Suze has two boys, Wally has twin girls, and Jake and his wife are expecting in the spring.” She leaned forward, lessening the distance between them. “You’ll have to come to dinner one night. Mom would love to see you.”

“You’re living at home?”

“Hard to find a place of my own during tourist season. Besides, I want to make sure Dad and I are compatible working together before I make a permanent move.”

A wave of disappointment washed over him at the possibility of her leaving Dolphin Bay again. “So how’s it working out?”

“Better than I thought. I was afraid he’d treat me as if I were still a child, but he’s pretty much given me free rein. I choose my own cases, although we consult with each other often.”

She raised one feathery eyebrow and skewered him with a searching, green-eyed glance. “You didn’t terrorize my receptionist just to catch up on my family. Besides, at what I charge for an hour’s consultation, you’ll want to cut to the chase.”

He spread his hands palms upward in a gesture of apology. “I’m sorry if I frightened your receptionist, but I’m desperate, Marissa. You’re the only one I could think of who can help me.”

She leaned back in her chair, her laser gaze still locked on his face. “You’re in trouble with the law? Have you been arrested?”

Blake shook his head. “No—at least not yet.”

Only the slightest flicker of surprise etched her features before she regained her composure. “You’ve committed a crime?”

“Not exactly.”

Her puzzled expression created a tiny line crinkling the smooth skin between her eyebrows, and his fingers itched with an unexpected urge to reach over and smooth it away.

“Then what do you want from me?” she asked.

A crazy idea, he thought again, but he was committed now. He might as well tell her. “I want you to help me with a baby.”

Chapter Two

Marissa’s hazel eyes widened in shock, and a deep flaming crimson worked its way from the deep vee of her white silk blouse to her cheeks.

“Help you with a baby?” Her voice had a strange, strangled quality.

Oh, God, he thought with a groan, she’s taken this all wrong.

“It’s not like it sounds,” he insisted.

Marissa took a deep breath, and her weak smile seemed forced. “If it is, it’s the most bizarre proposition I’ve ever received.”

“I already have a baby,” he blurted.

“You’re married?”

He couldn’t tell if her expression showed more surprise or disappointment. “No.”

This time her frown was unmistakable. “I see.”

He shifted in his chair in frustration. His clumsy explanations were only muddying the waters. “Agnes Whitcomb has the baby.”

This time Marissa’s face reflected shocked disbelief. Her eyes grew rounder and her jaw dropped. “You had a baby with Agnes Whitcomb?”

“No! Agnes is taking care of the baby while I’m here.” The absurdity of her assumption made him bite back the urge to laugh. Dear sweet Agnes, a spinster who had baby-sat almost every kid in town, was approaching fifty-nine, long past childbearing age. “Maybe I’d better start at the beginning.”

Marissa looked skeptical. “I don’t need the details of your affair.”

“I didn’t have an affair—”

“Your love life, then.”

“I don’t have a love life, either.” Damn. He shouldn’t have admitted that, but she’d caught him by surprise.

She cocked that feathery eyebrow again in a manner that made him realize anew how attractive she’d become. “Then how did you end up with a baby?”

He squirmed as if he were on the witness seat. Marissa had certainly learned how to grill someone effectively with pointed questions. He was glad she was on his side—or, at least, he hoped she would be when she learned the whole story.

“Someone left the baby on my front porch,” he explained. “This morning.”

Marissa reeled back in her chair as if she’d been slapped. “Someone deserted a baby? On your doorstep? You’re kidding!”