The Unclaimed Baby (6 page)

When was the last time anyone outside of a few family members had seen through the facade she'd been putting on since shortly after Kyle's death? Everyone was constantly talking about how brave she was, how strong. Cord instinctively seemed to know better. Somehow that kind of intuitive understanding was scarier than the stirrings of desire he'd sparked in her.

Moreover, he'd just announced that he was going to stay the night. A sexy, virile man was going to be sleeping under her roof, albeit for the most innocent of reasons. Even so, that certainly hadn't happened in a very long time.

Anticipation, something she hadn't felt in months, stirred deep inside her. She was actually looking forward to going home, looking forward to the evening
stretching out ahead of her. It felt a lot like a miracle. Her steps, which normally slowed as she neared that empty, lonely house, picked up a little.

She glanced at Cord as they walked up the front walk. He turned toward her and smiled, that easy, crooked smile that could charm a saint.

It would be so easy—too easy—to get used to this, she warned herself. This, too, was temporary. The baby was their link. When she was gone, the bond would be broken. The realization was a harsh reminder not to let herself care too much for either of them, to bask in the warmth of having a thoughtful, attentive man beside her, to seize tonight and look for nothing more.

Ashley had fallen asleep on the walk. Cord put her into the portable crib, then turned to Sharon Lynn.

“Go take your bath. I'll see what I can rustle up in the kitchen.”

“I'll help,” she said automatically.

He shook his head and turned her toward her bedroom. “Go, before I have to strip you out of those clothes myself.”

She tilted her head and studied him consideringly. “You'd do it, too, wouldn't you?”

He grinned. “With pleasure.”

“Maybe a quick shower,” she decided.

“It won't be the same.”

This time she grinned. “For you or me? I have a feeling your imagination's been working overtime conjuring up images of that bubble bath.”

“That's exactly right,” he admitted, surveying her
boldly. “Give me something here. Take the bubble bath.”

He sounded as if the images alone would be enough to torment him. That was enough to convince her. It had been a long time since she'd stirred a man's fantasies. “Maybe I will.”

She left him staring after her, felt his intense gaze following her. In the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes as the water ran into the tub, turning it into a froth of lilac-scented bubbles. When it was filled almost to overflowing, she stepped in and sank down to her chin. It was sheer bliss.

She rested her head against the back of the tub and closed her eyes, as the warm water lapped gently over her.

It was the last thing she remembered, until she felt herself being scooped out of the water, the air cold against her damp skin.

“Cord?” she murmured sleepily.

“Yes, darlin'.”

“What happened?”

“You fell asleep in your bath,” he said as he briskly toweled her dry and tucked her robe around her.

She was too out of it to feel embarrassment, though something told her she should. Instead she just snuggled against him and let him pick her up and carry her into the bedroom. He'd already turned down the sheet and spread. He set her gently on the bed, then pulled the covers over her, his movements quick and decisive.

“Weren't we going to have dinner?” she murmured, struggling to sit up.

He pushed her right back down. “You need sleep more. If you wake up and you're hungry, call me. I'll bring you a tray.”

“Okay.”

“Sleep tight, darlin',” he whispered and then he turned out the light.

He didn't leave the room at once, though. She sensed him standing over her. It was odd, she thought groggily. She hadn't felt this cared for, this cherished in years. Not even with Kyle.

On that thought, she fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

It was daylight before she awoke. The pale, wintry sun was filtering into the room. She hadn't felt this rested in ages, she thought, stretching languidly. No nightmares about the accident. Not a one.

She was still indulging in the wonder of that when she remembered. “Oh, my God, the baby.”

Ashley must be starving by now. As Sharon Lynn tightened the belt on her robe, she listened intently for Ashley's cries, but there was only silence.

Then the rest of the memories flooded back—falling asleep in the tub, Cord rescuing her and putting her to bed. The thought of him touching her made her skin tingle. Blast, she thought with a touch of regret. She'd had a man's hands all over her last night and she barely recalled a second of it. What a waste!

She crept into the living room, then came to an abrupt stop, the beginnings of a smile on her lips.

Cord was sprawled awkwardly on the sofa, one arm outflung, the other curved tightly around the baby resting stomach-down on his chest. They were both sound asleep.

Now there was an image to steal a woman's heart, she thought, watching them.

Even as Sharon Lynn stared, Ashley began to squirm. Sharon Lynn reached down to pick her up, but before she could, Cord snagged her wrist with his free hand.

“Why don't you come on down here and join us?” he inquired lazily.

She pulled away. “I thought you were asleep.”

“Just resting my eyes.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I was. How much sleep do you think I could get with this little one demanding food every fifteen seconds?”

“She's not that bad.”

“Seemed like it. No wonder you fell asleep during your bath last night.”

The mention of that brought color flooding into her cheeks. She could feel the heat of it. “About that…”

He grinned, obviously enjoying her discomfort. “You gonna thank me for saving you from drowning?”

“How long was I actually in there?”

“Long enough for the water and dinner to get
cold. I finally got scared that you'd slipped in, so I tapped on the door. When you didn't answer, I decided it was time to invade your privacy.”

“The water was cold?”

“Like ice.”

“Any bubbles left?” she inquired hopefully.

His grin broadened. “Not a one.”

“Oh,” she said faintly.

“Not to worry, darlin'. I would have seen all there was to see when I scooped you out of there, anyway. Besides, it was purely a professional rescue operation.” He solemnly sketched a cross across his heart. “You were just a lady in distress.”

“Uh-huh,” she murmured, amused by the vehement defense. “Somehow it sounds like you're protesting a little too much.”

“Would you rather I tell you that I thoroughly enjoyed myself?”

She told herself to let it drop, to let the incident rest, but she couldn't seem to do it. “Did you?”

“Not half as much as I would have if you'd been awake and willing.”

Her face burned at that. Okay, she'd asked for it and now she knew. The man had wanted her. That should terrify her, right? But it didn't. For the first time in ages, she felt like a whole woman again.

She felt alive.

“W
hat's on the agenda for today?” Cord asked as he flipped pancakes, while Sharon Lynn sat at the kitchen table feeding the baby.

“I haven't even thought about it,” she admitted.

“It's too cold to do anything outdoors. I suppose we'll just stick close to home.”

He was shaking his head even as she spoke. “I don't think so. We're going shopping.”

She stared at him in astonishment. Men hated to shop. She knew. With the possible exception of her uncle Jordan, who always dressed impeccably, not a single Adams male ever set foot in a store unless he had to. Then they bought jeans, underwear, socks and shirts by the dozens, so they wouldn't have to repeat the traumatic experience for another year. When it
came to gifts, they were top-of-the-line catalog shoppers.

“Shopping for what?” she asked.

“Baby supplies.”

“We have plenty of formula and diapers,” she argued. “Lizzy and Justin's wife have passed along some hand-me-down baby clothes.”

“They're all blue,” he noted. “That's all wrong for our girl. She needs, I don't know, maybe something pink and frilly.”

Unwilling to admit just how tempted she was, Sharon Lynn regarded him with amusement. “You want to go shopping for pink and frilly girl clothes?”

He turned and scowled as if she'd questioned his manhood. “You have a problem with that?”

She swallowed the laugh that was threatening to bubble up and shook her head. “I'm just surprised, that's all.”

“I thought women loved to shop,” he grumbled.

“We do. It's men who get all antsy at the mention of spending more than ten minutes in anything other than a sporting goods store.”

“Where's the nearest mall?” he asked, as if the question alone were proof that he wasn't like other men.

“Garden City.”

“How far?”

“Thirty miles.”

“Close enough.” He shoved a plate piled high with pancakes in front of her. “You game?”

He sounded so grimly determined to challenge her,
she couldn't help nodding her acquiescence. “Sure.” She hesitated, then added, “We can't go overboard.”

“I'm not talking about buying out the stores, just getting a few things she really needs.”

“Okay, then.”

By four o'clock, with the baby ensconced in her new top-of-the-line stroller and Cord weighed down with more packages than Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve, Sharon Lynn insisted enough was enough.

“I have to rest. There is not a single store left in this mall that we haven't been in,” she complained. “I need something to drink. I need food. I need to get off my feet.”

Cord grinned at her. “Can't take it, huh?”

“The only person I know who shops with more enthusiasm and endurance is my aunt Jenny, but she got her start as a kid in New York. Bloomingdale's was her idea of a corner market. That was before she and her mom moved here and Janet married Grandpa Harlan. Jenny could keep up with you. I can't.”

“Next time, maybe I'll invite her.”

He sounded serious enough that Sharon Lynn felt a sharp pang of jealousy, before reminding herself that Jenny was happily married and therefore completely unavailable for anything more than shopping with Cord Branson. She glanced over to find Cord grinning broadly as if he'd read her mind.

“Don't even go there,” she muttered.

“Go where?” he inquired innocently. “I thought we were going to the food court.”

She weighed another sharp retort, then wisely
swallowed it. Cord followed along as she steered the stroller to the cluster of fast-food outlets where she collapsed into the first available chair. Cord deposited the packages beside her.

“Okay, sweetheart, what can I get you to put some color back in your cheeks and wipe that scowl off your face?”

“A transfusion, maybe.”

“Sorry, this place is a little short on those. How about a burger, fries and a soda?”

“Sounds too much like what I could fix for myself at Dolan's. I think maybe a dozen tacos, some guacamole, the hottest salsa they have and a chocolate milk shake.”

Cord stared at her and shuddered. “Mexican food and a milk shake?”

“I don't see why not.”

“It's your call. You serious about that dozen tacos?”

She considered the question, then said, “I suppose two would do for a start. We'll see how I feel after that.”

When he was gone, she glanced into the stroller and grinned at the baby, who was wearing her new frilly pink bonnet that was about as practical on a cold winter day as sandals would be. Her little fists clutched the brim as if she couldn't quite decide whether to tug it on tighter or rip it off.

Every single passerby gazed into the stroller and grinned at the sight. More than a few stopped to comment on her beautiful baby girl. Rather than correct
them, Sharon Lynn merely murmured her thanks, but her reaction was worrisome. She felt a maternal stirring of pride, along with a deepening of the wistfulness that was constantly with her these days.

When Cord came back with the food, he studied her intently. “Something wrong? I mean something other than low blood sugar?”

“No, not really.”

Just then another woman bent down to smile at Ashley, then turned to Cord. “Your daughter is just precious. My granddaughter's just about the same age. She's in Oklahoma. Oh, how I miss her.”

Cord flashed a sympathetic look of understanding at Sharon Lynn, then smiled at the woman. “I can just imagine.”

“You two count your lucky stars. You've been given one of God's greatest blessings,” the woman said, then turned and walked on.

Cord sighed as she left. “That happen a lot while I was gone?”

Sharon Lynn nodded.

He reached over and took her hand in his. “I know it's hard, darlin', but she is our blessing for now.”

“But what happens when…” She couldn't even say the words.

“When she has to go?” Cord finished for her. “We'll get by. We'll have to.”

Sharon Lynn didn't think that was going to be nearly as easy as he was pretending. Not for either one of them. One thing was clear to her now, Cord was every bit as caught up in this world of make
believe parenting as she was. She might not totally understand his motives, but she knew they were as deep and sincere as her own.

She reached for a taco and bit into it, but her appetite had vanished. She put it back on the tray and gazed bleakly at Cord.

“I'm ready to go if you are.”

“Not yet. Finish your food. You'll feel better. There's not much that can't be fixed with the kick of a little salsa.” He picked up the taco and held it for her. “One more bite.”

She dutifully took that bite and then, with his gaze locked on hers, she took one more. Before she knew it, she'd finished one taco and was reaching for the second.

“Better?” be asked.

“Okay, yes. You're a very wise man.”

“I do have my moments,” he agreed with a twinkle in his eyes.

“So, smarty, tell me again why a baby who's not yet one needs a saddle.”

His cheeks flushed a dull red. “Okay, maybe that was going a little overboard, but she'll be able to ride a rocking horse soon. After that she'll graduate to the real thing.”

“Do you realize how long that will be?” she protested.

His expression sobered. “I know.”

A tear escaped and began to slide slowly down her cheek. He reached over and brushed it away with a gentle caress.

“Don't think about that, Sharon Lynn. Concentrate on the here and now. It's all any of us ever have, anyway.”

 

Cord was getting to be a mighty fast talker. He managed to convince Sharon Lynn to let him spend another night on her sofa so he could take the middle-of-the-night feedings. He made it sound like a generous and unselfish gesture, but he knew it was anything but that. As long as he was in that house, spending time with Sharon Lynn and the baby, he could pretend that that was the way it would always be. A fine one he was to be telling her to concentrate on the present and not to look too far ahead, when he was already gazing years into the future.

Sunday morning he awoke to see a vision standing over him. Used to seeing Sharon Lynn in jeans and cotton blouses or sweaters, he was stunned to see her all dressed up in a dress made of soft blue wool in a shade the exact color of her eyes. She'd let her hair fall to her shoulders and had brushed it to a shine.

“Going someplace?”

“I thought I'd go to church, if you don't mind staying here with Ashley a little longer. Do you need to get back to White Pines?”

“Not right away.”

He thought he knew why she was so anxious to go to Sunday services. There were prayers she needed to say in a place where she'd be sure God would hear her. He wouldn't mind offering up a few of those prayers himself.

“We could bundle up the baby and go together,” he suggested.

She shook her head. “That's okay. I'm running late as it is.”

“Then go,” he said. Something told him her words would be heard more readily than his own anyway. There were a few sins he probably needed to acknowledge before the Almighty would be interested in much else he had to say. He could start off with lust, which seemed to be slamming through him on a regular basis lately.

“We'll be right here when you get back,” he promised.

Sharon Lynn turned away, then hesitated before turning back. “If you don't have any plans for the rest of the day, Grandpa Harlan wants me to bring the baby to White Pines for Sunday dinner. You're welcome to join us.”

Much as he wanted to go along, Cord was hesitant. “Are you sure that's such a good idea? I'm a hired hand out there.”

A smile flickered then faded as she said wryly, “Believe me, no one will be happier to see you with us than Grandpa Harlan.”

“Am I supposed to understand what you mean by that?”

“Not yet, but when you figure it out, you might want to run like hell.”

He thought he was beginning to get the picture. It was definitely one that could work to his advantage. “Not to worry. I know how to hold my own with a
man like your granddaddy.” Especially when he suspected they had very similar goals in mind. It might be helpful to have an ally like Harlan Adams pushing Sharon Lynn his way.

“Well, just consider yourself warned.”

“Duly noted. Now scoot or you'll be late. The little one and I have to get all spiffed up for our debut at White Pines. She'll charm the socks off of them.”

“So will you,” Sharon Lynn murmured under her breath.

“What was that?” Cord asked, hoping she'd repeat it. His ego could use a few more encouraging slips of the tongue like that. Most of the time she kept a friendly, but frustratingly impersonal distance between them.

“Nothing,” she said and hurried off before he could pursue the point.

When Sharon Lynn returned a little over an hour later, she looked more at peace. Cord wished his own faith were strong enough to see him through whatever lay ahead. His had been tested a time or two too many with things turning out badly on each and every occasion.

Then, again, he reminded himself, the last time had led him to Texas and eventually to Sharon Lynn. Maybe he ought to be rethinking to whom he owed a debt of gratitude.

“So, do the kid and I pass muster?” he asked, holding up Ashley. She was wearing one of her new outfits, a snuggly little yellow romper with lace trim
and colorful ducks embroidered across the front. “She picked it out herself.”

“Oh, really? How did she do that?”

“I held up everything we bought until I got a smile out of her. This was the clear winner.”

“I see. Did you all discuss anything else while I was gone?”

“Just that we hoped that worried crease in your brow would be gone when you got back. It is.”

“I do feel better,” she conceded. “I'm certain everything is going to turn out the way it's supposed to.”

It had been days since they'd heard anything from her cousin about the investigation. Maybe today they would get more answers. “Will Justin be at dinner?” he asked.

“Everyone will be at dinner, except maybe my uncle Luke and Jessie. It's a long way from their place and they don't always make the trip. Then, again, I doubt Jessie will miss the chance to get a look at the baby. She's called every single day to ask about her.”

“All your cousins will be there, too?”

“Except for Angela, Luke and Jessie's daughter. She's living in Montana with her family. They get back for holidays or whenever a whim strikes her. Other than that, Sunday dinners are pretty well jam-packed with relatives. Don't panic, though. You've already met quite a few people. You know my dad and Harlan Patrick and Grandpa Harlan. You're working with them, so that'll be a high enough rec
ommendation for everybody else. You don't have a thing to be nervous about.”

But he was. He hadn't been this edgy going on his first date ever. Facing parental inquisitions had been nerve-racking then, but they hadn't really mattered in the long run. Though Sharon Lynn couldn't possibly realize it, this family gathering did matter. It was vital that he make a good impression. He needed the whole slew of Adamses on his side. Without that, he had a feeling he'd never win over Sharon Lynn.

“Let's do it, then,” he said finally.

“You sound like you're going to an execution,” she noted with amusement.

“Feels a lot like it, too.” He ran a finger around the inside of his collar, which felt as if it was cutting off breath. He scowled at her. “Don't you dare laugh.”

“Never,” she promised, though she looked as if she were having to fight doing just that. “You might try thinking about the fact that I'm walking into that house with a stranger beside me and a baby in my arms. You won't even be the center of attention. I'll be plagued with more questions than a politician caught up in the middle of a sex scandal.”