The Unclaimed Baby (15 page)

His gaze caught hers as he slowly shook his head. “To be honest, it could.”

There were a zillion single moms in the world. “But—”

He cut off her protest. “Just wait. I have a better plan. You and I will ask for custody.”

“Together? But how…?” Her voice trailed off as understanding dawned. “You and I…” She couldn't seem to make herself complete the thought.

Cord had no such hesitation. “We'll get married,” he said as if it were no more than a date for coffee. “We'll show the court that we can offer Ashley the kind of stable, two-parent home she deserves. It's the perfect solution.”

She waited for the shock of the outrageous suggestion to sink in, waited for her stomach to rebel at the mere thought of taking another risk on marriage, at going through another ceremony that could end in
tragedy, but it didn't happen. This wasn't a real marriage he was proposing, after all. It was a strategic alliance, a way to prevent Ashley from going home with that awful woman. And this was Cord, a man she'd come to trust. Her heart wouldn't be on the line, nor would his.

As she heard herself ticking off rationalizations, she realized that she was going to consider saying yes. If it could keep the baby safe, she would consider it.

She knew what it would mean to her, what it could mean to Ashley to agree to such a marriage, but Cord's motives were less certain and that troubled her. Of course, he cared about the baby. There wasn't any doubt about that, but this was a huge step to take to protect a child who wasn't even his own.

She studied him intently, but his expression was unreadable as he awaited her answer. “Why would you agree to something like that?” she asked eventually.

He grinned. “You seem to forget I'm not agreeing to it. I'm suggesting it.”

She shrugged off the distinction. “Why, though?”

“Because I've thought long and hard about this and it's the only thing that makes sense. It would be the right thing for the baby, to keep her with you.” He shrugged and admitted, “And with me. I've fallen for her, too, you know. I want to go on being a part of her life. I want to be a dad, a different kind of dad from the one I had, different from the one biologically responsible for Ashley.”

He cupped her cheek in his palm and the graze of his fingers sent heat flaring through her.

“You're a strong woman, Sharon Lynn. I have no doubt a court would take your petition for custody seriously, but weighed against a willing blood relation, I don't know. It could go either way. Even Justin concedes that. Together, though, we'd be an indomitable force to reckon with.”

He made the case passionately. Convincingly. Sharon Lynn's hand shook as she reached for her cup of coffee to buy herself some time to think it through, to analyze the pitfalls.

There were a million of them, most of them for Cord. She would be getting what she wanted most in this world, a chance to be a mother to a little girl she had already come to think of as her own.

She tried to look at the proposal from Cord's perspective. He claimed that a chance to be a father would be enough for him, but would it, really? Could any man be satisfied with so little in a marriage, even a temporary one?

“For how long?” she asked eventually. She swallowed hard, then cleared her throat. “How long exactly would we have to stay married?”

For once he couldn't seem to look directly at her and he hesitated for a very long time before answering. Finally he lifted his eyes to fix a steady gaze on her. “As long as it takes.”

“And you would make that kind of a commitment, just like that?”

He nodded slowly. “I already have.”

She believed him. How could she not? He was willing to put months, maybe even years of his life on the line for her and Ashley. How many men would do that and ask nothing in return? That was what he was saying, wasn't it? She faced him squarely, determined to get every detail spelled out, no matter how embarrassing.

“This would be a marriage in name only, right? That is what you're suggesting.”

He stirred uneasily at that, but then his gaze locked with hers, held it until the blood seemed to pool low in her body, sending waves of warmth flooding through her. The sensation—the pull—was strong enough to make her wonder if
she
could live with that.

“If that's the way you honestly want it,” he said.

Did she? Did she want nothing more than a marriage of convenience? She thought of all the kisses they'd shared, of the one time when it had almost gone beyond that. She would have to be a fool or a liar to say that there wasn't a powerful attraction between them. If they married, if they were living in close proximity day after day, would it be possible not to act on that attraction? Would willpower and resolve be enough to keep things from getting wildly complicated?

“Sleeping together would be dangerous,” she said in a choked whisper.

He gave her a knowing look. “Make it harder to walk away when the time came? Is that what you mean?”

She nodded.

Cord regarded her with a rueful grin. “Would that be so awful then?”

“What?”

“To not walk away. To make it a real marriage.” Before she could reply, he pressed a finger to her lips. “Don't answer that. It's not something we need to decide right now. We can take this one step at a time. Go as slow…” He grinned. “Or as fast, as you want.”

The gentle teasing should have reminded her of how easily he was capable of setting off sparks in the pit of her stomach, but instead she found it oddly reassuring. If they could talk like this—and joke—wouldn't they be able to get through anything? Wouldn't they be able to make this work for as long as they needed to?

Her hands felt icy. She picked up her mug of coffee again and clung to it for the warmth it provided. She felt steadier then, as well, and filled with resolve. She lifted her gaze and met Cord's anxious glance.

“I'll do it,” she said quietly. “For the baby.”

“For the baby,” he agreed softly.

The air around them seemed suddenly charged with electricity. There was a new awareness, a new, but thrilling tension between them.

“So, what do we do next?” she asked at last.

For an instant, he seemed stymied. She found that oddly reassuring, too, for some reason. Even though he'd had longer to consider this option, he obviously hadn't taken her reply for granted. He'd known there
were doubts and uncertainties she would have to overcome.

“Buy an engagement ring,” he suggested finally. “Tell your family.”

“Oh, boy,” she murmured as she thought of the chaos likely to ensue. “Maybe I should break the news first, by myself.”

“No way, darlin'. From this moment on, we're in this together. I'm going to be right there by your side, every bit the proud fiancé.”

“Cord, we won't…we don't have to tell them about the arrangement, do we?”

“Absolutely not. That's why we need a ring. We're going to do this by the book.”

She thought of another wedding not even a year before. She couldn't go through another fancy ceremony, another lavish reception. Besides, there was no time for that.

“Couldn't we just elope?” she asked wistfully.

He tucked a finger under her chin and turned her head until they were facing each other. “I promised I won't ask more of you than you're ready to give, but I will ask this. We are not going to slip away as if we're doing something wrong. I'll agree to a quiet ceremony with just family there, because there's not time for more, but we want this to be believable. We don't want anyone thinking for an instant that we're not ecstatic about this marriage. It wouldn't look good to the judge.”

She considered that. “Yes, I see what you mean.” She could also see that to do otherwise would hurt
his pride. He might not say it, but no man would want the world thinking that he was marrying for anything other than love. Come to think of it, she didn't want that, either.

He held out a hand, waited until she'd placed hers in it, then said, “Let's go jewelry shopping.”

“Here? In Los Piños?”

“Why not?”

“You realize everyone in town will know before nightfall.”

An irrepressible grin spread across his face. “Then that'll pretty much solve our other problem, won't it? It ought to bring the whole darn family running to us.”

For the first time in hours, she actually laughed. “You know, this could be fun. It's been a long time since I've done anything to shock that crowd.”

“Then I'd say it's way past time.”

They bundled up the baby, closed Dolan's for the night and walked down the block to the jewelry store. It wasn't big or fancy, but it did have a nice collection of expensive rings. Faced with the selection and the curious glances of Michael Trent, who owned the place, Sharon Lynn told herself it was perfectly natural that she felt jittery. Surely it wasn't actual anticipation, not when this was all essentially make-believe.

Cord gestured toward a modest, but elegantly set solitaire diamond. “That one,” he said.

Sharon Lynn didn't know a lot about jewels, but she knew that the one he'd chosen would be way too
expensive given the circumstances. She smiled at Michael Trent.

“Excuse us a minute, would you?” She tugged Cord away from the counter for privacy. “You can't spend that kind of money on a ring.”

He faced her defiantly. “Why can't I?”

“You can't use the money you've been saving for a ranch like this.”

“Darlin', if we're going to make this believable, then you have to have a ring that's suitable. Now stop arguing and tell me if you like that one I picked out.”

“It's beautiful, but—”

He gestured to the owner. “She'll try that one.”

“Cord, simple wedding bands would do.”

“No,” he said succinctly and took the ring from Michael Trent. “Hold out your hand.” When she did, he slid the ring on her finger, then smiled, looking inordinately pleased. “Perfect fit. It was made for you.”

“Cord—”

Her protest was lost as he turned his back on her, chose matching wedding bands and concluded the transaction, practically before she could blink.

Outside, she scowled at him. “It's a very good thing this marriage isn't for real, Cord Branson.”

“Why is that, darlin'?”

“You don't listen.”

“Not when you're talking foolishness,” he agreed easily. “Let's go buy some nonalcoholic champagne
so we can celebrate when your family starts turning up.”

“You're a blasted bulldozer, you know that, don't you?”

He grinned. “If you say so, dear.”

“Agreeing with me now won't get you off the hook. I'm going to remember the past few minutes for a very long time and I am going to make you pay.”

He actually had the audacity to laugh at that. “I'll look forward to it.”

For the first time since this incredible turn of events had begun, Sharon Lynn wondered if she had any idea at all of exactly what she was letting herself in for. Shaking Cord Branson when the time came just might not turn out to be the breeze she'd been anticipating.

C
ord had to work very hard not to appear triumphant as he and Sharon Lynn put together an assortment of appetizers for the visitors he had no doubt would be popping in before the evening was out. He had a hunch that rather than stuffed celery and carrot sticks, they could both use a couple of vitamin-enriched milk shakes and a thick, juicy steak for fortitude if they were going to withstand the intense scrutiny of her family.

“Want to take bets on who'll show up first?” he inquired to try to coax a smile from her. She'd been looking a little panicky for the past half hour.

She sighed and sank onto a chair at the kitchen table. “Does it really matter?” She regarded him worriedly. “What am I going to tell them?”

“The truth, that you and I are going to get married
just as soon as the necessary paperwork can be taken care of.”

“You know what they're going to think, don't you?”

“That it's a shotgun wedding,” he guessed. He wasn't about to tell her that her grandfather already knew otherwise. Harlan Adams might be proud of his matchmaking skills, but Cord knew for a fact that Sharon Lynn would rebel if she thought they'd conspired in any way.

He gave her hand a quick, reassuring squeeze. “Well, in a manner of speaking, it is. When it's over we're going to have a baby—Ashley.” When she didn't seem persuaded, he hunkered down in front of her and rested his hands on her thighs. “You're going to have to look happier about this. We need them to buy the idea that we're desperately in love.”

“How do you suggest we convince them of that?”

“Oh, I have a few ideas. Just try not to bolt for the door when I put them into action.”

If anything, she looked more worried than ever. “Cord, I don't think—”

Fortunately she was cut off by the ringing of the doorbell. “I'll get it,” he said, anxious to escape before she started analyzing their plan to death.

“You try to muster up one of those zillion-kilowatt smiles.”

“Yeah, right,” she muttered as if she had nothing in the world to smile about.

“Remember to show off your ring.” He shook his
head as she glanced down at her hand as if she'd never noticed the ring before.

“Oh, dear God,” she murmured.

He bent low and planted a kiss on her that brought the color back into her cheeks. He nodded with satisfaction. “Better. You're starting to look like a woman who's been in the kitchen messing around with her fiancé.”

Leaving her looking as if she'd been poleaxed, he went off to answer the door. He found Dani on the porch, her expression vaguely troubled. The frown lines deepened at the sight of him.

“You're here,” she said as if that confirmed her worst fears.

“Come on in. I figured you'd be the first one on the scene once the word started spreading. All you had to do was walk around the corner of the house. Come to think of it, I'm surprised you didn't bolt straight through the connecting doorway.”

She did not seem to find his remarks amusing. “Is it true?” she demanded, clearly prepared to defend her cousin's honor if necessary.

Cord regarded her innocently. “Is what true?”

“Did you buy my cousin an engagement ring earlier today?”

Interesting that she chose that, rather than the implications of the ring to focus on. “Is that some sort of a crime?”

She scowled at him. “Did you?”

“Why don't you go in the kitchen and ask Sharon
Lynn that? I'll pour you a glass of champagne. You look as if you could use it.”

She hesitated, her concern shifting quickly to shock. “Champagne?”

“Nonalcoholic, of course.”

She waved off his explanation. “No, I meant it sounded as if you were celebrating. Am I interrupting?”

“Dani, something tells me you're just the point man. I pretty much figure the entire clan will be here before the night's out. We're just prepared, that's all.”

“Yes, I can see why you would be.” She walked past him and went into the kitchen, her eyes widening at the sight of all the food on the table. Dismissing it, her gaze went at once to Sharon Lynn who was standing by the sink with her hands behind her back.

“I hear you've had an interesting day,” Dani said lightly. “Anything unusual happen?”

Sharon Lynn's gaze wavered, sought his, then she drew in a deep breath and held out her hand.

“Oh, my,” Dani murmured, taking her hand to examine the ring. “Then it's true? You two are engaged?”

As if she still couldn't quite manage to say the words aloud, Sharon Lynn merely nodded.

“This is a little fast, isn't it? Are you sure you're ready to take a step like this?” Dani asked, then turned to Cord. “No offense to you.”

He offered a wry smile. “None taken.”

“Sharon Lynn,” Dani persisted. “Are you sure?”

“I'm sure,” she said at last.

Her cousin seemed to accept that. “Well, of course, this is only an engagement ring,” she said thoughtfully. “You haven't set a date for the wedding yet, have you?”

“As soon as we can take care of the paperwork,” Cord told her, giving her a look that dared her to argue with the plan. He crossed the room to stand beside Sharon Lynn, sliding an arm around her waist. “We're anxious to get on with it, aren't we, darlin'?”

Dani looked shell-shocked. So did Sharon Lynn, if the truth were told. He figured another kiss ought to get that color back into her cheeks again. With a wink for Dani, he slowly lowered his head to touch his lips to Sharon Lynn's. The kiss lasted no more than an instant, but he knew if he had to put on the same display for every member of the family, the total—and the effects—were going to add up. He wasn't at all sure his poor body could take it.

“Aren't you going to congratulate us?” he asked quietly, forcing himself to focus on their guest. Maybe if they could convince her this was a love-match, she'd help with the others.

“Well, of course, I'm happy for you both,” Dani said, though it was evident from the semimechanical tone of her voice that her heart wasn't entirely in it. She kept searching Sharon Lynn's face as if looking for answers.

The rest of the family began turning up then, one
right after another, until the whole house was packed with Adamses and their spouses. Kids were racing around underfoot. They were the only ones who didn't seem to be giving the matter of this sudden engagement much thought. Doubts and confusion were evident with everyone else, though some were more polite than others about expressing it.

Cord would be forever grateful to Harlan Patrick, who gave his sister a fierce hug and said in Cord's hearing. “I knew it, sis. You picked a winner this time.”

She seemed startled by the statement. Even Cord wondered at the choice of words, until Harlan Patrick clarified them himself. “Cord's not the kind of man who'll let anything stand in the way of getting what he wants, and it's been obvious to me he's wanted you since the day he rode into town.”

The implied criticism of Kyle Mason's endless delays surprised Cord. He'd always been under the impression that everyone in the family had looked favorably on that union. It appeared that at least one Adams hadn't. He'd worried for some time now about competing with a saintly ghost, but perhaps Kyle had been only human after all. Of course, it wasn't Harlan Patrick's impression of the man that counted. It was Sharon Lynn's memories.

There was no time to think that through, though, because Justin came roaring in just then, still in uniform and looking as if he were anxious to put Cord under arrest for trying to steal his cousin.

“I don't know what you're up to, Branson, but I
don't like this,” he muttered after drawing Cord away from the others.

Cord kept a tight rein on his temper. This was exactly what he'd expected from Justin. The man was totally honorable and fiercely loyal. Cord wanted Justin on his side.

“I love your cousin,” he said quietly. “She's agreed to marry me. That's all you need to know.”

“If you hurt her, you'll answer to me.”

Cord met his defiant glare evenly. “Fair enough,” he agreed. “But I have no intention of hurting her. My goal is to see to it that all her dreams come true.”

It was easy enough to make the vow sound convincing because he meant every word. The marriage might be a sham on Sharon Lynn's part, but on Cord's, it was the answer to a prayer.

 

The engagement party was a fiasco. Sharon Lynn sensed that every single person crowded into her house—with the possible exception of her brother and her grandfather—suspected that this was not a love-match. Why Grandpa Harlan and Harlan Patrick thought otherwise was beyond her.

Of course, her grandfather was a dyed-in-the-wool romantic. That would explain his quiet, beaming acceptance of her announcement. But Harlan Patrick had every reason in the world to have no faith in love at all these days, yet even he seemed to be overjoyed by her news. Maybe he and Cord had bonded in some totally male way on those trips they'd made to Garden City.

As the night wore on with its unceasing questions, her head began to throb. She was no good at this deception stuff. If anyone had thought to sit her down and cross-examine her, she would have cracked like an egg. As it was, despite the overt skepticism, everyone seemed to be going along with the claim that the two of them had fallen madly in love practically overnight. Each time someone actually tried to corner her, Cord stepped in with a kiss and moral support to lend credence to their impression and put an end to their questions.

Only Justin made no pretense of being convinced. He'd been scowling since he'd walked through the door. He'd hauled Cord off to a corner for a few obviously intense moments. Whatever Cord had said in response hadn't exactly reassured her cousin, but it had quieted him down. She could tell, though, that he was just biding his time until he could get a moment alone with her. She did everything in her power to preclude that from happening.

Unfortunately Justin was both patient and clever. He snared her coming out of the kitchen, whirled her around and half dragged her back inside. He all but pushed her into a chair and stood over her as if she were the chief suspect in a major crime and he were the bad-cop interrogator.

“Are you out of your mind?” he demanded.

She frowned at his tone and his attitude, but she knew better than to start a shouting match that would draw the whole family into the kitchen. “I don't think so,” she said blandly.

Justin looked incredulous. “Are you telling me you're in love with him?”

The point-blank question startled her. If she was at least half in love with Cord, it hadn't had time to register yet. Still, she raised her eyes to level a look at her cousin. “Why else would I be marrying him, if I weren't?”

“What about Kyle?”

She knew the question wasn't asked out of any deep-seated loyalty to her late husband. But Justin knew how devastated she'd been by Kyle's death. He'd been on the scene the night of the accident and there for her afterward. She supposed it was natural for him to wonder at her sudden leap into the arms of another man. Compared to Kyle's courtship, Cord's had set a stunning, record pace.

“Kyle is dead,” she reminded Justin quietly. “I can't change that.”

“But that relationship built up over time. The two of you didn't rush into marriage.”

“I'll say,” she murmured. She forced a smile.

“Justin, Kyle and I waited and waited and waited to get married. Look at all the time we wasted.”

“So that's it? You're rushing into this because you've suddenly concluded that life's too short and you have to grab on to it while you can?”

“Something like that.”

“Bull. That's not who you are.”

She regarded him with a touch of defiance. “Maybe it's not who I was, but maybe it's who I am now.”

“I don't believe it,” he insisted stubbornly.

“Whether you choose to accept it or not, I am marrying Cord. The sooner the better.”

“There's more to it. There has to be.”

“Such as?”

“I don't know, but I'll figure it out. I'm a cop and every instinct tells me this isn't the stars-in-your-eyes love-match you two are pretending it is.” Suddenly he looked as if he'd been struck by a bolt of lightning. “The baby. Of course. That's it, isn't it? This is about the baby.”

He searched her face, then moaned. “I knew it. Cord as much as asked me if you'd have a better chance at keeping her if you were married. Oh, sweetie, don't do it.”

She saw no point in trying to deny it, not when the truth was likely written all over her face. She reached up and touched his cheek. “I have to, Justin. It's the only way. In fact, you were the first one to mention that it would make a difference if I were married. Cord just picked up on that.”

“Dammit, Sharon Lynn. Use your head. It's not the only way. Grandpa Harlan has influence around here. He'll use it if he has to.”

She sighed heavily. “I know he would, but that's not what I'm going to do. Cord and I are in this together. He loves that little girl as much as I do. This marriage is what we want to do, Justin. Leave it be, please. Don't tell another soul. Promise me.”

He looked torn by her plea. “You're certain?

You're absolutely, positively certain you're willing to take such a drastic step?”

She was anything but. Still, she managed a smile.

“Absolutely.”

She had no choice. She had to believe that this crazy, impulsive marriage plan could work. Whatever Cord's motivations, it had to work. She couldn't bear to think of losing the baby she had come to think of as her own. She didn't allow herself to think about what marrying Cord and living with him would mean at all, because that would have stirred up too many things she wasn't prepared to deal with.