Cathy Thacker - Found - One Baby

Michelle didn’t think so. Which was why, she realized abruptly, she couldn’t let it continue. She’d be in way over her head.

She flattened her hands on the hard wall of his chest and tore her lips from his. “Stop!”

Just that swiftly, Thad did.

He drew back, loosening his hold on her, not letting go completely. “What’s wrong?”

She lifted her brow. “You even have to ask?”

This time, he did release her.

He stepped back and settled on the edge of his desk. Long legs stretched out in front of him, hands braced casually on either side of him, he met her gaze. “I have to admit…I’m confused,” he murmured, making no effort to hide his continuing desire, “since I thought we were getting along like a house on fire.”

They had been. She hitched in a breath and qualified, “For all the wrong reasons.”

His brow furrowed.

She held up her hands in a gesture that warded off further intimacy. “It’s not you and me, Thad. It’s the situation. Our emotions are heightened. Finding William this morning…well, it upset our whole world. So naturally we have a lot of extra adrenaline and emotional energy to burn off, and we did that by ending up in each other’s arms.”

The look he gave her was skeptical. One corner of his just-kissed mouth quirked up, reminding her of how great he tasted. “That all sounds very reasonable—except for one thing. I work in a hospital trauma center, Michelle. I’m used to a hell of a lot more upset and stress.”

She flushed with an embarrassment she could not contain. Held his eyes with effort. “So maybe I’m the only one with an excess of adrenaline and emotion.”

He sobered immediately. “Well, maybe—but we still haven’t figured out how we’re going to handle this situation with William.”

Trying hard not to focus on the we in his approach, Michelle decided more physical distance between them was needed. She sat down on the leather reading chair in the corner and went back to working on the lock. “First of all, William was left in your care, so it’s really your call how you want to proceed.”

He settled more comfortably on the edge of his desk. “I want your professional advice.”

Michelle slipped into the much more comfortable lawyer mode. “I suggest you speak to Candace Wright first—since she is the person who apparently left William in your care, and Beatrix and Brice Johnson next. Find out what went wrong with the surrogate arrangement and if the Johnsons really have changed their mind, or if this is all some sort of big misunderstanding.”

Thad paused, looking none too happy about the possibility someone might want William back. “You think it’s possible the surrogate and the Johnsons somehow got their signals crossed?”

Michelle had stepped into far worse adoption quagmires. She shrugged, admitting, “It happens.”

Another pause. “Does Candace Wright have any legal rights to William?”

Good question, Michelle thought. “Only if she is the egg donor, as well, and that’s not the case in ninety-eight percent of the surrogate arrangements these days.” Thad gave her a quizzical look, prompting her to continue explaining. “When the surrogate is also the biological mother, it’s literally her child, too, in a purely physical sense, and that mutual DNA complicates how she feels about giving the baby up at birth. So these days, a donor egg, as well as donor sperm, is generally used—the surrogate is simply a host. That makes it a lot easier for the surrogate to surrender the baby at birth.”

Thad took that in. “So if that was the arrangement…” he said eventually.

“Then Candace Wright has no legal right or responsibility to the child. The egg donor would also have terminated her legal rights to the baby before implantation, just as your brother did. However, she could be in a position now to reverse that and make a claim on William if no one else wants him.” Michelle sighed. “And right now we have no idea who the egg-donor-slash-William’s-biological-mother is. But either the Johnsons or Candace Wright will probably know that.”

“How do you know so much about surrogate arrangements?”

“Two reasons.” Michelle felt a give in the lock she was still trying to undo. “It’s now an essential part of family law. And I handled a contract for a client.”

Thad’s eyes lit with renewed interest. “Did it turn out all right?”

Michelle nodded. “That one went without a hitch. But it was a different situation. The surrogate was the wife’s sister. A medical condition prevented the wife from carrying a pregnancy to term, but they were able to use the egg and sperm of the husband and wife, so it was all pretty clear.”

Silence fell. Thad looked increasingly conflicted. Michelle’s heart went out to him. This was a very tough situation.

“One way or another, I am sure William will find a very good home with loving parents.” She would see to it.

Thad nodded, his handsome face a mask of sheer male determination. “Initially, I was going to try to track down Candace Wright by phone. Now, I’m thinking our conversation should be done face-to-face.”

“I agree,” Michelle said. “And you should probably take William—and someone else with you—to witness the events. Just in case there are any questions later about what was said and by whom. It also might be a good idea to get Candace to give you a copy of her original surrogate contract, as well as an affidavit relinquishing any claim to custody, under the current conditions of William’s abandonment, if that is still her desire.”

“We couldn’t just use the letter she left on my front porch?” Thad asked hopefully.

“We’ll produce it as evidence of course, but a judge is going to want to see more than that.”

“It’ll have to go to court?”

“Eventually, yes, because we’re talking about a change in whatever custody agreement was put in place prior to William’s birth.”

Thad exhaled. “This is getting complicated.”

Michelle offered a sympathetic smile. “Surrogate arrangements always are.” People were rarely prepared for the complexities involved.

“I’m beginning to think I should take legal counsel with us.”

Michelle felt another give in the lock. Almost there.

“It’s not a bad idea.”

From the other room, they heard a whimper, then a full-throated cry. Thad disappeared. When he returned, William was snuggled against his chest, quietly looking around. Michelle could see Thad was already getting his hopes up that the baby would end up staying a member of his family. She didn’t want to see him disappointed.

“Will you go with us?” Thad asked.

Aside from Michelle’s law partner, Glenn York, there was only one family-law attorney in Summit. Tucker James was a good guy, but not one inclined to work weekends or take on matters that were unusually complex. If this situation turned out to be as messed up as it appeared, Michelle knew Thad was going to need a top-notch attorney experienced in surrogate arrangements. That would be Glenn. Unfortunately Glenn was already working all weekend on a messy divorce-and-property-settlement case that would be in deposition next week. Reluctantly Michelle volunteered. “I can help you out temporarily. ”

Thad smiled his relief, putting far too much stock in her abilities. “That would be great!”

“One thing, though,” Michelle cautioned.

He waited, sandy eyebrows raised.

“No more kissing,” she said firmly.

“Agreed.” He grinned. “Unless you change your mind.”

Oh, how she wanted to, Michelle thought. It had been so long since she had felt so wanted. So long since her body had hummed with distinctly female satisfaction.