Dawn Stewardson - His Child Or Hers?

“But getting back to how Robbie ended up in an orphanage, the quake literally devastated the area. Half the population was either killed or injured, so a lot of people were left without anyone to care for them. And with Natalie in the hospital…I guess it made sense, given the situation.”

“Oh, Hank,” Celeste said, “this is really awful. What are you going to do?”

“Well, I’ve just been to see a lawyer. That’s why I’m in the city. Natalie had already gotten legal advice, so I figured I’d better do the same.”

“And?” Travis prompted.

Briefly he filled them in on what Doris had told him. “Her final advice,” he concluded, “was to play things cool, to wait until Natalie comes right out and tells me exactly what she wants—then use that as the starting position to negotiate her down.”

“I don’t believe this,” Celeste said, shaking her head. “You’re being forced to negotiate because a judge might rule in her favor? Even though you’ve had Robbie since he was a baby?”

He shrugged, doubting the casual gesture would fool either of them for a second. They were like family; Robbie even called them Uncle Travis and Aunt Celeste. So they certainly knew how much his son meant to him.

“Oh, man,” Travis muttered. “And we complain about the criminal justice system.”

“Yeah, well, that’s how things stand. So I have to let Natalie get to know Robbie while we try to work out an agreement.”

Travis eyed him for a moment, then said, “You’ll be careful, huh?”

Hank nodded, knowing exactly what his partner meant. He didn’t intend to give Natalie the slightest opportunity to take off with Robbie.

“I’ll be with them every minute they’re together,” he said. “I’d trust Audrey to supervise, but since she’ll be leaving any day now—”

“Where’s she going?” Celeste interrupted.

“Oh, I thought I told you,” Travis said. “Her daughter’s having a baby, so she’s heading out west for a couple of weeks. Idaho, isn’t it?” he added to Hank.

“Right. She’s just waiting until Valerie goes into labor, then she’ll be on a plane.”

“And what about Robbie?” Celeste asked.

“We’ve got that covered. One of her friends is going to fill in. A woman he knows.”

Travis nodded, then turned their conversation back to the problem, saying, “So Natalie is here for how long? I mean, if her clinic is so important to her…”

“I asked about a time frame,” Hank said, “but she hedged on answering. This American Physicians Abroad sent a doctor to fill in for her, though, and I have a feeling she intends to stay here until the situation is completely resolved.”

They were all silent for a minute, then Celeste slowly said, “Do you think the two of you will be able to work something out? Does she seem like a reasonable woman?”

“She seems…” He raked his fingers through his hair, not entirely sure how to answer that.

His life would never again be the way it was before Natalie Lawson came knocking on his door. And part of him hated her for that—the same part that was itching to tell her she could see how happy Robbie was, so she should just go home and leave them alone. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from considering things from her point of view.

If his son had gone missing, he’d have done exactly what she had. Turned the earth upside down if that was what it took to find him. But why did her child have to be his child?

“Hank?” Celeste murmured.

He tried to recall what she’d just asked.

“She doesn’t seem unreasonable,” he said, once he had. “She just wants her son.

“Just,” he repeated, wearily shaking his head. All she wanted was what had been stolen from her, yet if she got him back…

“Take it easy,” Travis said.

“Yeah, I know. I’m not in the greatest shape. I lay awake all last night, thinking, and the more I thought the less I could see how any sort of sharing arrangement would be even remotely feasible.”

He paused and took a long, slow breath, then continued. “In any event, Doris said that if Natalie and I can’t work things out on our own she’ll recommend someone for us to meet with. Some sort of counselor or mediator. But there’d still be no guarantee we could agree on a plan.”

“And in the meantime?” Celeste said. “While Natalie’s getting to know Robbie? Are you going to tell him she’s his mother?”

Hank looked at her, only then realizing he and Natalie hadn’t discussed that. But since she was intent on being part of his life, they’d have to tell him sooner or later. And after they did…

He ran his fingers through his hair once more, the sense that his son was already beginning to slip away from him gnawing at his insides.

“HANK?” AUDREY SAID GENTLY. “You might as well get it over with.”

He glanced across the kitchen table at her and nodded. But then, instead of making the call, he pushed back his chair and headed for the living room—where Robbie was playing with his friend Gary, whose mother routinely left him here while she did her grocery shopping.

When he walked into the room, Robbie shot him a grin and said, “We’re playin’ trucks.”

“Yeah, I can see that.”

As if Robbie didn’t have enough trucks for half a dozen kids, Gary had brought his own backpackful. The floor was wall-to-wall with them.

“Wanna play with us, Dad?”

“Thanks, but not right now.”

“You can have my fire engine,” Gary offered. He was almost a year older than Robbie, and had gotten much more into the idea of sharing.

“Hey, that’s really tempting,” Hank told him, “but I just wanted to make sure you guys were having fun.”

He watched them for a minute or two. Well, actually, he watched Robbie. Then he backtracked to the kitchen, where the number of that lab in Englewood was sitting next to the phone.

“It’s past ten,” Audrey said.

“Uh-huh.” And the lab people had told him he could call any time after nine-thirty.

Fleetingly he wondered if Natalie had phoned them yet. Then he told himself she didn’t really need to. She was positive that Robbie was her child.

Glancing at Audrey again, he thought she looked as if she’d aged overnight. Her hair seemed to have more gray mixed with the brown than it had only yesterday, and she was clearly tired. Of course, she probably hadn’t slept any better than he had the past couple of nights.

After procrastinating for a few more seconds, he forced himself to pick up the phone and punch in the number.

“This is Hank Ballantyne,” he told the woman who answered. “My son, Robbie, was tested there yesterday. As was a Dr. Natalie Lawson. I’m calling for the results.”

“Just a minute, sir.”

Audrey eyed him while he waited, her expression anxious.

The woman at the lab finally picked up again. “Mr. Ballantyne?”

“Yes.”

“There’s a positive match.”

She said more, something about his getting written documentation in the mail, but he only half heard the rest of her words because “there’s a positive match” kept repeating in his ear.

“Thank you,” he said when she stopped speaking. Then he clicked the phone off and numbly told Audrey the news.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Hank, I’m so, so, sorry,” she murmured.

“Yeah,” he managed. “Me, too.”

NATALIE HAD BARELY LEFT her motel room since she’d driven back from the lab in Englewood yesterday. She’d been sitting by the phone, waiting for Hank Ballantyne to call. And worrying about what he’d say when he did.

Or should that be if he did?

He’d promised he would, as soon as he’d done some thinking about letting her spend time with Robbie. But maybe he’d changed his mind.