Patricia Johns - His Unexpected Family

Greg made a noncommittal sound. Yes, he remembered Steve well. He’d been both snide and condescending in high school, too. He’d never been cruel on the level of Richard Pike, but he’d made a couple of junior guys pretty miserable senior year, and Greg had taken it upon himself to stand up for them. Steve was a bully, and if there was one thing Greg could not abide, it was a bully.

“Do you want to raise Cora?” Greg asked, changing the subject.

“More than anything. I know this seems strange because I’m not exactly in a position to be taking children into my home, but I do. I’ve fallen in love with her. I don’t want to give her up.”

He nodded silently. Of course she didn’t. Who wouldn’t fall in love with that baby? The entire department here in Haggerston had fallen in love with her.

“Have you seen these sorts of cases before?” she asked, her full attention focused on his face.

He nodded slowly. “Yes, a few times.”

“What normally happens?”

“Well, normally, the parents have named the godparents in their will and nothing changes.”

She nodded, visibly relaxing. “Have you ever seen a will contested?”

Greg sighed. “It’s probably best not to worry about this sort of thing unless you have to.”

“Maybe so, but I’m worried now.” She didn’t look the least bit daunted. “What happens when the will gets contested?”

“It gets ugly,” he admitted. “Everyone loves the baby and wants to raise it. Everyone has a reason why the other people are a terrible choice. People say things they can’t take back and close-knit, loving families end up fractured. It can get really bad.”

“That’s what I was afraid of.” Her voice softened, and he had to lean forward with a creak of his chair to catch her words.

“That doesn’t mean that will happen to you,” he added. “You’re her legal guardian, okay? That hasn’t been contested.”

She nodded. “I know. Thanks.” She slipped his jacket off her shoulders and rose to her feet. “I appreciate this.”

Greg stood up, too, and he came around his desk, then sat on the edge of it. “I’m not a father,” he said. “But I deal with a lot of parents in this job.”

“Me, too.” She chuckled.

“Yeah, that’s true.” He shot her a grin. “Then you’ve probably been told the same things I’ve been told. Parents start worrying from birth. They worry about all sorts of worst-case scenarios, most of which never happen.”

“So don’t be silly?” she asked.

“Not at all.” He chuckled. “I was going to say that worrying is part of the package when you’re a parent. Maybe just realize that you’re not alone in your worries. Consider it more a welcome to the club.”

Emily’s warm gaze met his, and her eyes crinkled up into a smile. “That’s the sweetest thing I’ve heard all day.”

Greg felt a sudden wave of satisfaction. “Anytime.” He meant it more than she realized, he was sure.

Just then, Cora began to fuss, and Emily rocked the car seat gently. “I’d better get her home,” she said quietly. “I don’t have another bottle with me.”

“Take care.”

Emily turned toward the door and opened it.

“Oh, and Emily—”

She turned back, those deep brown eyes meeting his once more.

“Come by anytime, okay? I mean that.”

“Thanks.” She flashed him a smile. “I appreciate it.”

With that, she slipped out, and he listened to the sound of her heels clicking as she made her way through the station, the rhythm blending into the hustle and bustle of police activity. With a smile to himself, he turned back to his paperwork.

Chapter Four

A couple of days later, on a warm summer evening, Emily sat on the couch across from her two friends, Nina and Beth. Beth sat with her legs tucked up underneath her, her pregnant belly protruding out in front of her. She was only about six months along, but she was all tummy, as she put it. She had a mop of curly mouse-brown hair and two swollen bare feet that were normally swathed in Birkenstocks. She rubbed her stomach absently, looking over at Cora, who lay nestled in Nina’s arms.

Nina sat next to Beth, looking down at the tiny infant with a wistful look on her face. Her blond hair was cut short in a pixie cut, and her makeup was impeccable. With legs a mile long, Nina had pretty much everything that Emily envied.

“She’s beautiful.” Beth looked over at Emily and shook her head in wonder. “I can’t believe that you have a baby.”

“Me, neither.” Emily grinned over at her. “You’re not far behind, you know.”

“Three months.” Beth leaned her head back against the couch. “I’m going to be the size of a house!”

“But a cute house.” Nina shot Beth a teasing look. “Oh, stop worrying. You’ll be fine. You’re blissfully married to Howard. He’ll love you, anyway.”

Emily looked over at her two best friends. They’d been there for each other since their idealistic days when Beth was a feminist with a loudspeaker, and Nina was plotting her financial empire. Emily had been the boring one—taking early childhood education and going to bed at sensible hours. In the meantime, life had unfurled in that way it always seemed to, in the very last way any of them expected.

Nina looked up with a glint in her eye. “What about this Chief Taylor, Em?”

“What about him?” Emily pasted on her most innocent look.

“Well, you’ve dropped his name often enough,” Beth pointed out.

“There’s nothing to tell.” Emily shrugged. “He was the one who dropped Cora off, so it stands to reason that we’d talk from time to time.”

Nina and Beth exchanged a look.

“Actually, it doesn’t stand to reason at all,” Nina quipped with a grin.

“He knew my cousin, so we’re acquainted with some of the same people.” There was no use trying to explain this to Nina and Beth when they had that look on their faces. She laughed and shook her head.

“So what’s he like?” Beth asked.

“Nice,” Emily said.

“Cute?” Nina prodded.

“Yeah, he’s a good-looking guy.” Emily tried to keep her tone neutral.

“Huh.” Beth nodded. “And you manage to keep conversation going between the two of you.”

“Oh, stop it.” Emily laughed. “He’s the chief of police and nothing more. In fact, if anything, he seems really uncomfortable and serious around me. So don’t be getting your hopes up.”

“You sure?” Nina pressed. “We’re a little worried about how long you’ve stayed single.”

“Look who’s talking!” Emily laughed.

“This baby needs a change.” Nina lifted Cora out of her lap and deposited her with Emily. Just then, the phone rang.

“Would you mind getting that?” Emily asked.

Beth leaned over to grab the handset and picked it up.

“Hello?”

Cora kicked her legs happily as Emily set to work on the diaper.

“Just a minute.” Beth pushed herself out of her seat and brought the phone to Emily.

“A lawyer?” she whispered, passing the handset over.

Emily felt her heart speed up as she took the phone from her friend’s hand. Beth took over with Cora as Emily answered the phone.

“This is Emily Shaw.”

“Hello, Miss Shaw, this is Paul Hanson.”

“Mr. Hanson. How are you?” It was her lawyer who had been dealing with the paperwork for her guardianship.

“I’m sorry to call so late, but I thought you’d want to know.”

“What’s going on?” Emily’s voice sounded breathless in her own ears.

“Someone is contesting your guardianship.” His voice was quiet and professional. “A Mr. Steven Shaw.”

“My cousin...”

“He’s filed the paperwork.”