The Baby Bargain (6 page)

Chapter Eight

Adam woke as Meg tried to move away from him. He tightened his arms around her. “Cold?”

“I have to leave.”

“Stay.” Rising on an elbow he looked over her to the clock. “It’s just after two.”

She rolled to her back. “I need to get home.”

He looked down at her in the soft glow of the alarm clock. “Tomorrow’s Sunday.” He
splayed his hand on her stomach. He liked touching her, needed it even more as he
felt her emotionally withdrawing from him. “Tell me why you didn’t want me at the
country club tonight.”

“We agreed—”

“Cut the shit, Meg. You had a deer in the headlights expression when you saw me. And
later when I asked you to dance, you nearly panicked at something Lawrence was saying
to you.” He hadn’t missed that; he just needed Meg too much to focus on it then. “What
are you hiding from me?” He didn’t think it was her mentor. Yeah, the guy wanted Megan,
but Adam believed her when she said she wasn’t interested.

She pulled her mouth tight. “Tell me why you hate Raven’s Cove.”

That…what? He snatched his hand off her. “Don’t change the subject.”

“This is how it always was. I was good enough for a movie, going dancing, playing
a game of tennis, and of course, sex. But you never
talked
to me. I guess in college I was too romantic to get it.”

“I talked to you. I told you I wanted to be a Marine.”

She glanced at his right biceps. “But not why. You even tattooed the emblem on your
arm, your only tattoo. That’s a serious commitment.”

“My dad was a Marine. I told you that.” That was enough for everyone else. Should
be for her, too.

“The parents whose house you want to sell, to sever ties with their memories? That’s
not what drove you to be a Marine.”

Adam’s guts churned. She’d seen a hell of a lot more than he’d realized. Too much,
including her observation about that tattoo. It made his skin itch with the need to
get away. “I’m not talking about this.” His voice was too sharp. Like orders given
on the battlefield.

She jerked away, sitting up on the edge of the bed. With her hands gripping the mattress,
she said, “You never really wanted me around your house or parents. And the few times
I was there, you were tense, withdrawn.”

“Let it go.” He stared at her rigid back, willing her to just leave it alone.

Her shoulders slumped for a second, then she found her panties and pulled them on,
stepped into her dress and zipped it. Finally she faced him. “I’m not letting it go.
I can’t. This,” she waved at the bed, “it’s over. You’re right, the sex is great,
but that’s all it is. All I ever was to you.”

He jackknifed off the bed. “Damn it.” He found his pants, yanked them on. “Don’t do
this, don’t make this ugly. Another ugly memory.” He had enough shit haunting him.

She froze like someone had slapped her. Then without a word, she walked out.

Fuck. Adam caught her at the door and saw the sheen of tears in her eyes. They didn’t
fall, but she was hurting. He’d hurt her. Again. In that moment, he hated himself
like never before. He should have stayed away from her. But he couldn’t bear her pain.

He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her, desperately trying to make this
better somehow. “God, baby, I’m sorry. You don’t know, can’t know…” He trailed off,
burying his face in her hair. The scent of her, sweet pear binding with the musky
scent of their lovemaking burned through him. Not a sexual burn, but pure pain.

“Know what?” she asked softly.

He hadn’t talked about Brady in all these years. Not once. His throat locked up at
just the thought of it. He couldn’t. Instead, he lifted his head, and gave her the
only truth he could. “I’m not capable of being the man you want me to be.”

Sadness emanated from her, but only one single tear rolled down her face. “What about
the man you want to be, Adam? Maybe that’s what you should figure out.”

He had no words for that. Couldn’t even remember what he’d wanted to be before Brady
died.

“I have to go.” She pulled from his arms.

He nodded. It was better for both of them and he knew it. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
He caught her arm. “Don’t argue. I might be broken in a lot of ways, but I will make
sure you get into your car with the doors locked.”

And then he’d be alone. The way it had to be. No matter how hard he tried, he kept
hurting Meg. Even if he managed to tell Megan how he had failed his brother…how could
she continue to care about him?

His own parents hadn’t been able to love him or forgive him.

…

Megan’s head ached. Too little sleep, too many tears, and too much heartbreak.

“You have to tell Adam about Cole,” her mother said.

Megan sipped her coffee, thankful that utter fatigue blanketed her emotions. She glanced
out the sliding glass door. Cole was outside playing with Hayden. The man had only
been married to her mom a few years, but he acted like a real grandfather to Cole.

“You make it sound so easy.” Meeting her mom’s gaze, she asked, “If you could go back
and never have Dad in our lives, keep us from that pain, would you?”

Catherine reached out and put her hand on Megan’s leg. “Oh, honey. Would you really
want to go through your life being told a lie?”

“Maybe.” She was acting like a child and she knew it. She just couldn’t seem to stop
it.

“I tried to shield you when you were little, but even then, you wouldn’t have it.
You had to find out for yourself what your father was made of.”

Even now, Megan cringed at that. And the times she’d found his checks with the notes…
She shut down that line of thinking. This wasn’t about her, it was about her son.
“I’m trying to do what’s best for Cole.”

Catherine squeezed her thigh gently. “Are you, Megan?”

She lowered her coffee cup. “Yes. What else would I be doing?”

“Protecting yourself. You obviously slept with Adam last night.”

Megan opened her mouth.

“Don’t bother. I, and about a hundred and fifty guests, saw you and Adam on the dance
floor. Many of them saw you kissing on the patio before the two of you disappeared
across the golf course. Given that you haven’t dated in nearly three years, that caused
quite a stir.”

“I’ve dated.” Of all that things she could have said, that was what came out of her
mouth?

Her mom rolled her eyes. “Two lunch dates with different men. That doesn’t count.
My point is that you care for Adam. You’re not the type to have indiscriminate sex.”

Megan leaned her head back on the couch. “It doesn’t matter. He told me he can’t be
a family man. Ever.” She glanced out the window, watching as Cole tried to throw the
ball to Max. The ball went about two feet. Hayden was crouched next to Cole and helped
him throw it again.

She could picture Adam there, his and Cole’s dark heads touching as he taught their
son to throw a ball.

She turned back to her mom. “But I didn’t give him the full truth.”

“No. You didn’t.”

She stood up and pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call him.” With her heart pounding,
she left Adam a message to call her back. She was scared, but she had to stop avoiding
the truth. It was time for her full confession. She prayed it wouldn’t scar them all.

Somehow, Megan’s obligations went on just the same as she waited for Adam to return
her call. She went to work, then spent her lunch hour giving the deposition for Celtic
Fire’s custody battle. Finished with that, she walked with Debbie McCray to the parking
lot. “I’m so glad to have that over with,” Megan said.

“Thank you for doing it, Dr. Young.”

She smiled at the other woman. “It was the truth, Debbie. I know you love Celtic Fire.”
Standing in the parking lot by her car after the hearing, Megan’s thoughts wandered
to Adam. She’d left him the message yesterday and he still hadn’t called her back.
Was he really being that childish? Or busy? Now that she was out of the courthouse,
she pulled her phone out.

Missed message. Adam?

“I’m still worried. Nathan is vindictive.”

She pulled her attention from the phone to Debbie. She was thirty-something, childless,
and lines of worry bracketed her mouth. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t know. His public image is everything to him. First I left him, and he only
wants Celtic Fire to get back at me. Then making him look bad in court…” She shook
her head. “I don’t know.”

“He won’t hurt you, will he?”

Debbie frowned. “I don’t think so. But he has Celtic Fire. I tried to take her when
I left.” She broke off, compressing her lips. “He grabbed her from me, not caring
if he hurt the dog. She was scared.” She looked up into the cloudless sky. “If the
judge decides in my favor, he won’t like being forced to let me take her.”

“He tried to bribe me. That didn’t work,” Megan said. “He’s going to have to accept
the judge’s decision.”

“I know. I just want her back.”

Meg squeezed her arm. “The judge should decide soon. I have to get back for my afternoon
appointments.”

“Thanks again,” Debbie said and headed toward her car.

Megan jumped in her own car, and accessed her voice mail. Adam’s voice said, “Megan,
got your call, but I’m out of town on business until Tuesday or Wednesday. And I have
a friend staying at the house with Ellie, in case you were wondering.”

Well, she had a day or two to figure out how to tell Adam about his son.

A tap on her windshield made her heart stutter. She jerked her head around and laughed
when she saw it was her mentor. She rolled down her window. “Lawrence, what are you
doing here?”

Resting his forearm on her car door, he leaned in. “You don’t know? I’m giving a deposition
for Nathan.”

“What? But why? I mean…” She trailed off, studying his face. His eyebrows were pulled
in and his mouth tense. Angry. “Nathan pulled you into this?”

He sighed. “I thought you knew. Once the McCrays split, and after your recommendation
that Celtic Fire no longer show or breed, Nathan brought her to me for another opinion.”

A hot sense of betrayal began to burn in her gut. She kept her voice cool. “And what
is your opinion?”

He raised his eyebrows slightly. “Megan, are you in trouble? You know you can come
to me, right? If it’s money problems—”

“What are you talking about?” Her cool professionalism changed to confusion.

“I asked Nathan about the bribe. He said it didn’t happen. He told me you demanded
two thousand dollars in cash for your testimony. He refused, but he thinks Debbie
is paying you.”

A hot flash of rage blasted through her. She shoved the door open.

Lawrence jumped back.

Megan stood up. “You don’t believe him. You can’t.” This man was her mentor. She’d
interned with him in school, and gotten a job with him once she’d graduated.

He pulled his mouth into a grim line. “You’ve been walking a fine line of ethics for
a while now. I tried to warn you that you weren’t ready to go out on your own. But
you insisted. Okay, I could understand that. But poaching clients from me?”

“Are you accusing me of unethical business practices?” This couldn’t be happening.

His eyes were shadowed with sadness. “Your actions speak for themselves. Nathan told
me you took Debbie to dinner and convinced her to switch Celtic Fire’s care to you.
I overlooked it because, frankly, I care about you. And you’re still young, but refusing
to clear Celtic Fire for show, Megan?”

“Her heart is damaged from the infection!” What was happening here? She stared at
the man she’d known for a decade. The man she’d trusted. Her throat tightened. No,
she would not get emotional. Forcing herself to calm down, she took a breath. “I did
not poach Celtic Fire. You know I didn’t. I wouldn’t do that. And I do not shake down
my clients for money. I charge legitimate fees for my services.” Never before had
her ethics been questioned. She hadn’t done any of those things. What’s more, she
wouldn’t do them. She’d become a vet because she loved animals.

“Megan, you’re in over your head. Let me help you.” He reached out, touching her arm.
“I can say you made a legitimate error, an understandable one given your inexperience,
in your diagnosis of Celtic Fire. And I’ll claim no knowledge of you approaching Debbie
about moving Celtic Fire to your care.”

A sick, dizzy feeling made her want to crawl into bed and stay there. This testimony
could destroy her practice. How could she defend herself against a well-established
veterinarian like Lawrence? “How can you believe this?”

He dropped his hand. “Look at you, Megan. You’ve changed. Everyone saw the way you
behaved at your mother’s fund-raiser. What’s gotten into you?”

Disappointment and disgust bled through his voice. Pulling herself together, she slid
back into her car and pulled the door shut.

“Megan.” Lawrence leaned into the window. “I’ll help you. I’ve always been there for
you. You know that. We can fix this.”

She looked directly into his cold eyes. “I didn’t do anything wrong. If you believe
Nathan McCray over me, then there’s really nothing else to say.” She started the car,
put it in gear, and drove away.

Two days later, Megan was feeding Cole breakfast when there was a loud knock at the
door.

Max jumped up, barking.

Who was at her door so early? It was barely eight a.m.

Adam?

Her heart stuttered as she quickly wiped Cole’s hands and lifted him out of the high
chair. No, it couldn’t be Adam. This wasn’t how she wanted to tell him. What would
she do—just hand him Cole and say, “Congratulations, you’re a father”?

Another round of sharp knocking sent Max into a frenzy. He stood with his nose at
the door, his fur ruffling at the aggressiveness of the sound. Summoning her courage,
she went to the door and looked out the peephole.

Not Adam.

It was the police.

“Sit, Max.” The dog sat. With Cole on her hip, she opened the door. Two men stood
there, stern and official. She recognized one of the officers as a client of hers.
“John, what’s going on?”