Surprise Package

“Big and beautiful. At least that’s what Cole said this morning when I needed help tying my shoes. It’s no wonder I love that man. What’s up with you?”

“I have a question.”

“You, miss career woman, have a question for me. Can you wait while I circle the date on the calendar?”

“What are you talking about? I ask you questions all the time? Anyway, this question is way out of my area of expertise. It’s about babies, or about one in particular.”

“Whose baby?”

“It belongs to one of my neighbors.”

“The woman with the cat is too old to have a baby. You’re not talking about that hunk across the hall, are you?”

“Actually, it does belong to Kyle Blackstone. It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you one day when you have absolutely nothing to do.”

“So, what’s the question?”

She could hear the suspicion in her sister’s voice, but a little suspicion was better than telling the whole story and providing her family with entertainment at her expense. “The baby in question spit up some milk after she took her morning bottle. Is that normal?”

“Absolutely, especially if it’s just a small amount.”

A direct answer without questions. So far, so good. “What do babies eat besides formula?”

“How old is this mystery baby?”

“I’m guessing three or four months.”

“That’s pretty vague. Can’t you just ask Kyle how old she is?”

“He’s not sure.”

“And I have the distinct feeling that wool is being pulled over my eyes. Spill it, sister. I’m not getting off the phone until you tell me the true story.”

She sighed and stared at Kyle. He probably wouldn’t like it, but if he was going to keep this baby while he searched for the mother, he had to know how to take care of her. “Okay, Lily. The truth is that someone left a baby in a basket in front of Kyle’s door last night.” Lily listened, interrupting occasionally to ask questions while Ashley gave her the briefest of details.

“I think I better have a look at this baby. I’ll get dressed and be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, try to talk some sense into your neighbor. He needs DNA testing—pronto. Deserting a baby is a crime, and if the child isn’t his, he should turn it over to the Department of Social Services and the police immediately so they can search for the mother.”

“I’ve already suggested he call the authorities. He’s a very hardheaded man.”

“Too bad that isn’t the only thing he has that’s hard. If it were, he wouldn’t be wondering if this baby were his.”

“I’ve already pointed that out to him, too.”

By the time she hung up the phone, Kyle had quit pacing and moved to stand at her elbow. “You squealed on an innocent baby. How could you do that?”

“I didn’t squeal.”

“Tell her that to her face.” He held the infant so she was practically nose to nose with Ashley. “Tell her that you want me to call the cops and have her picked up on vagrancy charges for loitering in our hall.”

She patted the baby’s cheek. “Your father is a little unbalanced, sweetie. But don’t worry. His kind of weirdness only affects males. You’re immune.”

“So what’s the verdict? Is she sick or not?”

“Spitting up is perfectly normal. And my sister isn’t going to alert the authorities or anyone else about your predicament. In fact, she offered to come over. I’m not sure why, but I know she’ll give you some advice on tending the baby. And she thinks you should call immediately and get an appointment to go in for DNA testing.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“What is there to think about? You have to find out if she’s your daughter. You can’t just keep her if she isn’t. A baby’s not like a stray puppy that followed you home.”

“You make it sound like I kidnapped her. I doubt very seriously that she’s my daughter, but someone reached out to me for help, and I’m trying to oblige.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Yeah. Frankly, it does. I never pictured you as having a heart, much less a bleeding one.”

“It’s not like I’m planning to raise her to adulthood. I’ll track down Tessa and find out what’s going on. If I can’t find her, I’ll take the next step. If that makes me a bleeding heart, so be it.”

“In that case you better make a long list of questions for Lily, because after today you’ll be on your own unless you get one of your lady friends to come help you. This is it for me.”

He studied her floor. “I don’t know. As dirty as that grout is, you may want to keep me on retainer.”

“Today only, Kyle. I’m not kidding.”

“Fine. Now how about watching her while I grab a shower.” He handed her the baby, then put his mouth close to the baby’s ear. “Be a good girl for Miss Ashley, and feel free to do any pooping you think is necessary or any further spitting up while I’m gone.”

The darling snuggled against Ashley, resting her head over Ashley’s heart. It felt strange to hold her, kind of warm and satisfying. And once again, all Ashley could think of was what terrible thing could have driven a woman to desert this child.

“Tell me about Tessa, Kyle.”

He had already started toward the door but he turned back at her request. “Why?”

“Because I need to understand how she could walk away from her own flesh and blood.”

* * *

KYLE FELT HIS muscles tense as old memories surfaced. What caused any woman to put her own needs above the needs of her child? It was a question as old as time, or at least one as old as he was. But it wouldn’t do to fall back into the shadows of his past. He’d worked too hard to put them away.

“I don’t know that much about Tessa,” he answered, realizing how little he really did know about a woman who had shared two years of his life. “She was a very private person.”

“Were you in love with her?”

“I liked making love with her. Does that qualify?”

“Not even close.”

“Then I probably wasn’t in love with her, but I liked her a lot. We had fun together. She laughed at my jokes. I brought her coffee in bed. It worked for us—for a while.”