Jacqueline Diamond - Excuse Me? Whose Baby? - Excuse Me? Whose Baby? / Follow That Baby!

Glancing back, he drank in the appearance of the two bristle-haired females, their lively faces so much alike. He hated to admit it, but the more time he spent around his daughter, the more resemblance he saw to her mother.

Maybe fifty percent, he was willing to concede. At maximum.

Annie beamed at Grace and clapped her hands. “More!” she said.

The room went utterly still. Even Rocky, staggering in through the double doors, paused in mid-stride.

“That was her first word!” Dex crowed. “Wasn’t it? Did she say anything today while I was gone?”

“Just ga ga da da,” said Jim.

“Ba ba,” replied Annie, as if they were carrying on a conversation.

Rocky’s face glowed like a Christmas candle. Grace blinked several times rapidly.

As far as Jim was concerned, the moment was worth more than a hundred million dollars.

A WARM GLOW enveloped Dex. Annie’s first word!

True, she’d apparently been requesting more violence, which wasn’t desirable, but she’d spoken. The person inside the cute little shape had communicated directly with them.

It was only a small step to more words, then short sentences. Soon a torrent of speech would spew forth insight into her daughter’s mind and emerging personality.

It’s a miracle.

Dex hugged the baby. How could she give her up?

Her throat clogged as she regarded the three faces watching her or, rather, watching Annie. Rocky’s, pale but delighted. Grace’s, sternly protective. And Jim’s, the handsome features transformed by tenderness.

Was he right? Did their daughter belong here rather than with some adoptive family?

But if Annie were here, Dex wouldn’t be able to stay away. She’d be underfoot, watching from close by as Jim married and as his new wife, no doubt a shining example of all that was nurturing, gave Annie the love and support that Dex couldn’t.

It would break her heart. Dex yearned to be that perfect woman, but she didn’t have it in her. Her fumbling attempts might fool other adults, but they would leave Annie’s needs unmet. And Jim’s, too.

Dex knew even less about relationships than about mothering. None of her boyfriends had lasted long, for reasons that eluded her.

In addition to not understanding men, she didn’t understand herself. She didn’t know, for instance, why Jim had scared her so much on their terrific night together that she’d lied to him about moving away.

She also didn’t understand why he’d forgotten her so quickly and proposed to someone else. It was all too confusing, a swamp into which she would sink forever if she weren’t careful.

Life for Dex was safest alone. And Annie would be safest with a new family. No matter how perfect Jim’s bride-to-be was, surely she would resent being forced to raise another woman’s child.

“I’ll keep a journal about her first words,” Dex said. “So her adoptive parents will have a record of them.”

“Adoptive parents?” said Grace.

“Dex and I disagree on the subject,” Jim told her. He gave no hint that it was out of place for a maid to question her employer’s child-rearing plans.

“They could live here,” Rocky suggested. “It’s big enough.”

“Live here?” Grace echoed in amazement. “What, a pair of adoptive parents move into the baby’s father’s mansion? You’ve been watching too many daytime talk shows!”

“I never watch daytime talk shows,” Rocky replied stiffly. “And I refuse to be taunted into another fight.”

“Because you’d lose,” said Grace.

Jim held up his hands. “Rocky, how’s dinner coming along? Grace, I believe you’ve got liberty call.”

The maid stood her ground for a moment, then nodded. “Thank you, sir. See you at Colors on Monday, if not before.”

“Good night, Grace.”

Dex watched the maid depart through the French doors. After she was gone, Rocky headed for the kitchen.

“What’s liberty call?” Dex shifted the baby onto her hip.

“Free time. It means she’s off duty,” Jim explained.

“And what’s Colors?”

“That’s when we raise the flag. Eight a.m. on weekdays,” he said.

Dex wondered how the future Mrs. Bonderoff would enjoy living on a Marine base. On the other hand, maybe the future Mrs. Bonderoff was a Marine.

“Make yourself comfortable. Dinner should be ready soon.” Jim gestured toward a couch.

“Thanks.” Dex placed Annie on the floor and sat down. The baby crawled to a bookcase and examined the book spines.

“I think you mentioned that you’re a doctoral candidate?” Jim relaxed into an armchair.

“Working on my dissertation,” she said.

“Feel free to bring your materials here,” he said. “I’ve got several computers in the house. You’re welcome to use one.”

“I’m working on my dissertation slowly,” she clarified.

Annie crawled toward the open French doors. Outside, a man’s slim figure materialized, closed the doors and vanished. Dex couldn’t see his features clearly, but got the impression of a sensitive mouth and large, sad eyes. “Who’s that?”

“Kip, the gardener,” Jim said. “He used to be full of bravado, a real rock-’em-sock-’em type. Then he nearly died in a helicopter accident. The brain injuries changed his personality.”

“How come your whole staff is Marines?” Dex asked.

“They’re my buddies.” Leaning back, Jim laced his fingers behind his head. “I was a real rabble-rouser when I got out of high school. Surfing wasn’t enough of an adventure for me, so I enlisted.”

“You postponed college?” Dex asked.

“Not exactly. I took some courses while I was in the service, in the computer field, but I never got a degree,” Jim said. “Not unless you count my honorary Ph.D.”

Dex supposed that wasn’t unusual in his field. She’d heard that Bill Gates had dropped out of Harvard. “So when you left the service, your friends came with you?”

“Not right away,” Jim said. “I mustered out ten years ago, when I was twenty-four. When I was twenty-eight, Rocky lost a leg in an amphibious assault. He wasn’t adjusting well to civilian life, so a year later, when I was planning to build this house, I asked if he would manage it for me.”

Come to think of it, Rocky did have a slight limp. No wonder Grace kept besting him.

“What about Grace?” she asked.

“She left the service four years ago, suffering from clinical depression,” Jim said. “It’s a chemical disorder. Under my employee health plan, she got the right treatment, and now she’s fine.”

“How long has Kip been here?”

“He came right after Grace,” Jim said. “His doctors thought gardening would provide a stress-free environment, and it seems to be working. I think he’s lonely, though.”

It was an unusual household. Dex approved of Jim’s loyalty to his friends, but she wasn’t certain how this eccentric crew might affect Annie. She wanted her daughter to have the perfect home.

Rocky appeared in the doorway. “Dinner is served,” he announced.

Dex and Jim went into the formal dining room. In one corner, a playpen filled with toys awaited Annie, and she slipped happily into place.

The long table was set with white linen, bone china and silver service. In the center, candles had been lit. Serving dishes lined a sideboard, offering T-bone steaks, glazed carrots, parsleyed potatoes and Caesar salad.

“Great!” Dex said. “Rocky, you’re a gem.”

The large man blushed. “I like cooking.”

Dex was about to ask who the third place setting was for when Rocky helped himself to a plate and got into line first. Obviously, he was in the habit of dining with Jim.

“What about Kip and Grace?” she asked, falling into place behind him.