Tina Leonard - A Father's Vow

Carolyn closed her eyes. “Oh, Emily. What a mess.”

“All right. I think you should have the test and pray for a miracle, for Lucy’s sake. But if you’re not a match, all you can do is talk to Dylan and Lily about the case. They’re the ones who’ll steer you right.”

She opened her eyes again. “Emily? Do you remember when we first met each other, when we were working at the adoption center? And there were all those kids who needed families, and we always wanted to scoop them into our hearts and love them?”

“We tried to be pragmatic, though,” Emily said. “If you can’t help Lucy and Ben, you can’t, hon. There’s only so much one person can do.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself. Only this time, that knowledge doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“The fact that you’re personally involved is what Ben was counting on, Caro, or he wouldn’t have specifically sought you out. He’s hoping that because you cared about him and Eileen, you’ll do your damnedest to help his daughter. But you can’t save her, Caro. All you can really do is save him by being his friend.”

Friend. Could she be his friend? Sure. She could do that.

“Thanks, Em. I feel much better now.”

“Good. Go get your arm stuck, and let me know what you find out. It’s too easy to work out this neatly, you know. The ex-girlfriend having the one thing the hero desperately needs. It’s too romance novel, but I admire you terribly for trying.”

Carolyn snorted. “You said I was looking for a cop-out to keep myself from having to fail if I couldn’t solve the case in a satisfactory manner.”

“I didn’t say that,” Emily told her, “you just did.”

Carolyn was silent.

“Besides, what does motivation matter? The cold fact is Lucy needs a donor. So go get tested, and see if you can escape from the past that easily.”

“Thanks, Em—I think.” She wrinkled her nose and hung up the phone.

The thought of Ben alone in the world made her open the car door and get out, locking it behind her. On the surface, taking the test seemed like a brave thing to do, but what made her even more afraid was not being able to give Ben what he wanted most.

Again.

CHAPTER THREE

SUPPRESSING ANY lingering reservations, Carolyn called Dylan Garrett on his cell phone the following morning. “There’s a case which has been brought to Finders Keepers,” she told him. “Ben Mulholland wants us to see if there’s any chance he had a twin who was taken from his mother at birth. His mother became suspicious because of the Austin baby ring which was broken. She was also convinced she heard two children crying when she gave birth.”

“She’s waited all this time to mention that?”

“Ben believes medication may have jogged his mother’s memory. She was dying of breast cancer and heavily medicated, which he believes helped unlock her memory of Ben’s birth.”

“Or it could be the confused dream of a seriously ill woman.”

“Right. But I knew Eileen Mulholland, and she was firmly based in reality. I tend to believe the story’s credible, mainly because of that.”

“And Mr. Mulholland wants this twin found to make his mother rest easier on her deathbed.”

“Actually, his mother has already passed away,” she said with a lump in her throat. “It’s his daughter he’s concerned about now.”

“Because?”

She sighed. “She has leukemia, and she needs a donor match.”

“There’s no guarantee the twin could provide one.”

“Right.”

“But a missing twin might provide what the bone marrow database hasn’t been able to,” he mused. “Hope.”

“Ben gave his mother’s story some credence once the shock wore off,” Carolyn said. “If I didn’t know the people involved, I wouldn’t think it very likely. It’s your agency, and your decision to accept or refuse the case—”

“This is what Finders Keepers does,” Dylan interrupted. “Find the impossible. Start the preliminary search, and let me know what you find out. Lily’s pretty swamped with wedding details, but this is more my area anyway. The first thing I’d do is get on the phone with Jennifer Rodriguez, and pick her brain as to what kinds of files are best and most available for this kind of search. Bounce it off her, and keep in touch.”

“Thanks, Dylan,” Carolyn said softly.

“No need to thank me. I know you can handle it, or I wouldn’t have hired you to oversee the office.”

That wasn’t what she meant. She was grateful he wanted Finders Keepers to take the case. But there was no need to correct his assumption. It meant a lot that he had that kind of faith in her abilities.

“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. You’re tenacious when you get into something, Carolyn.”

“That’s the same word someone else used to describe me.”

“Well, it’s a good trait in our business. Best of luck. Call me if you hit a pothole.”

“I will.” She hung up the phone, jumping when the door swung open. Ben walked inside, his little daughter at his side. Lucy headed straight for the candy dish, and Ben headed straight for Carolyn.

Her heart seemed to plummet downward like a fainting bird as his hazel eyes met hers.

“I’m glad you stopped by, Ben,” Carolyn said, her voice friendly yet not more than that. “I just talked to Dylan Garrett about your case, and he believes Finders Keepers should try to obtain as much information for you as we can.”

With those words, she steered them onto a business-like track. Immediately Ben realized Carolyn wasn’t comfortable with what he’d asked of her. Taking this case went against her wishes to keep him at arm’s length, which is what she’d tried to do from the moment he’d walked into the office. He’d insisted she be the one to help him, but he also respected the wall she’d erected to protect herself.

Okay. He didn’t want to upset her. The fact was, she was doing him a hell of a favor, and he wouldn’t have come to Carolyn if his mother hadn’t insisted. But Eileen had been correct. Carolyn of the soft heart would put her utmost into finding the truth of a twin, for Lucy’s sake.

It had nothing to do with Ben.

“I appreciate that,” he said briskly. “I feel better knowing that Lucy and I are in capable hands.”

Carolyn looked at him evenly. “I’ll need preliminary information, such as your place of birth. Also, I think we should be prepared for the consequences of what happens should we succeed with our search.”

“Hopefully there’s a match and…” His voice trailed off.

“There’s always the possibility this twin won’t want to have his or her life changed by the revelation of an unknown family.”

Ben considered her. “I’ve thought of that. Selfish as it may seem, I’m not focusing on that right now.”

“Donor matches are generally done anonymously,” Carolyn said crisply. “In this case, we’re counting on the family tie to secure the compliance of this person. But we have to be prepared that if you do have a missing twin, he may not be all that welcoming. It’s a bridge we can cross when we come to it, but I feel we should take it into consideration at this point.”

Ben bowed his head. “It must seem cold-blooded of me, but I’d be willing to turn someone else’s life upside down to save my daughter’s.”

She shook her head. “We just need to be prepared for the fact that this search is going to be very emotional. For everyone involved.”

He looked at her narrowly. “I’d sell my soul to save my child. I swear I would.”

“You can discuss the retainer with us later,” she said dryly. “I doubt Finders Keepers wants your soul, exactly. However, we don’t come cheaply, so let’s get to work. Is Lucy going to be all right while we talk? There’s a small TV in the reception area, and we could turn on ‘Sesame Street,’ or whatever it is kids watch these days.”