Joanna Wayne - Surprise Package

“I think I better have a look at this baby. I’ll get dressed and be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, try to talk some sense into your neighbor. He needs DNA testing—pronto. Deserting a baby is a crime, and if the child isn’t his, he should turn it over to the Department of Social Services and the police immediately so they can search for the mother.”

“I’ve already suggested he call the authorities. He’s a very hardheaded man.”

“Too bad that isn’t the only thing he has that’s hard. If it were, he wouldn’t be wondering if this baby were his.”

“I’ve already pointed that out to him, too.”

By the time she hung up the phone, Kyle had quit pacing and moved to stand at her elbow. “You squealed on an innocent baby. How could you do that?”

“I didn’t squeal.”

“Tell her that to her face.” He held the infant so she was practically nose to nose with Ashley. “Tell her that you want me to call the cops and have her picked up on vagrancy charges for loitering in our hall.”

She patted the baby’s cheek. “Your father is a little unbalanced, sweetie. But don’t worry. His kind of weirdness only affects males. You’re immune.”

“So what’s the verdict? Is she sick or not?”

“Spitting up is perfectly normal. And my sister isn’t going to alert the authorities or anyone else about your predicament. In fact, she offered to come over. I’m not sure why, but I know she’ll give you some advice on tending the baby. And she thinks you should call immediately and get an appointment to go in for DNA testing.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“What is there to think about? You have to find out if she’s your daughter. You can’t just keep her if she isn’t. A baby’s not like a stray puppy that followed you home.”

“You make it sound like I kidnapped her. I doubt very seriously that she’s my daughter, but someone reached out to me for help, and I’m trying to oblige.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Yeah. Frankly, it does. I never pictured you as having a heart, much less a bleeding one.”

“It’s not like I’m planning to raise her to adulthood. I’ll track down Tessa and find out what’s going on. If I can’t find her, I’ll take the next step. If that makes me a bleeding heart, so be it.”

“In that case you better make a long list of questions for Lily, because after today you’ll be on your own unless you get one of your lady friends to come help you. This is it for me.”

He studied her floor. “I don’t know. As dirty as that grout is, you may want to keep me on retainer.”

“Today only, Kyle. I’m not kidding.”

“Fine. Now how about watching her while I grab a shower.” He handed her the baby, then put his mouth close to the baby’s ear. “Be a good girl for Miss Ashley, and feel free to do any pooping you think is necessary or any further spitting up while I’m gone.”

The darling snuggled against Ashley, resting her head over Ashley’s heart. It felt strange to hold her, kind of warm and satisfying. And once again, all Ashley could think of was what terrible thing could have driven a woman to desert this child.

“Tell me about Tessa, Kyle.”

He had already started toward the door but he turned back at her request. “Why?”

“Because I need to understand how she could walk away from her own flesh and blood.”

* * *

KYLE FELT HIS muscles tense as old memories surfaced. What caused any woman to put her own needs above the needs of her child? It was a question as old as time, or at least one as old as he was. But it wouldn’t do to fall back into the shadows of his past. He’d worked too hard to put them away.

“I don’t know that much about Tessa,” he answered, realizing how little he really did know about a woman who had shared two years of his life. “She was a very private person.”

“Were you in love with her?”

“I liked making love with her. Does that qualify?”

“Not even close.”

“Then I probably wasn’t in love with her, but I liked her a lot. We had fun together. She laughed at my jokes. I brought her coffee in bed. It worked for us—for a while.”

“And she never called you to tell you she was pregnant?”

“Not a word.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Even if she didn’t tell you when she had the baby, why wouldn’t she have come to you when she was in trouble instead of just dropping the baby at your door?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I like women. I never claimed to understand them.” He didn’t wait for more questions. Tessa Ortiz was the one with the answers. More to the point, she had the answers if this baby was his. He still didn’t believe that she was.

But then he’d been wrong before.

* * *

LILY GARRETT BISHOP moved to the back of the elevator as two men stepped inside after her. They turned and let their gaze settle on her bulging stomach. Both of them nodded and smiled. It was always interesting to watch strange men’s reactions to her condition.

Some looked away, as if anything associated with the birds and bees embarrassed them. Others smiled or started talking about their own kids, treating the fact that she was pregnant like the miracle of life it was. She felt much more comfortable around the latter.

The younger man was at least six feet tall and close to two hundred pounds, most of it muscle, judging from the way he filled out his jeans and the arms that protruded from the rolled sleeves of his plaid shirt. Dark hair, piercing blue eyes, probably in his mid to late thirties. Slight limp. Handsome but not a pretty boy. More of a man’s man. Could be a construction worker, a truck driver, maybe a cop.

She smiled as the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and the two men stepped off. Before starting Finders Keepers with her brother Dylan, she’d worked in forensics for the FBI, and she prided herself on her observation skills. Very little ever got by her. Another floor or two and she’d have had the guy’s facial features down, maybe even some of his expressions. Little things were all important when you were searching for missing persons. That and the ability to get leads from thin air.

When the elevator jiggled to a stop on the eighth floor, she stepped out and headed to Ashley’s apartment. She’d planned to spend the day writing thank-you notes for the baby gifts she’d already received, but nothing short of labor pains would have kept her from coming into San Antonio today.

The reality of her career-minded little sister tending to and fretting over a baby that belonged to her amorous neighbor was too good to miss. She’d always suspected Ashley had the hots for the man. Once she saw them together, she’d know for sure.

She knocked on the door and waited. Ashley opened it with a finger to her lips. “Shhh. The baby just fell asleep.”

Lily stepped inside and gave Ashley a quick hug. “So where is this mystery baby?”

“I made a pallet for her in my bedroom. That way she won’t roll onto the floor if I don’t hear her the minute she wakes up. You can take a peek, but don’t wake her. I’m already exhausted and it’s not even 9:00 a.m. But then I was up past midnight with her and back up before daybreak this morning.”

Lily patted her stomach. “And this is the life I can’t wait to start. Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No. You’re very lucky. You have a wonderful husband who loves you. I, on the other hand, am playing nursemaid to the baby of a man who drives me to distraction.”

“So why are you doing it?”

“Go ahead and peek into the bedroom. You’ll see.”

Lily did as she was instructed. The baby was lying on her side, sucking her right thumb for all she was worth. Cute as a bug—what baby wasn’t—but still she couldn’t imagine that Ashley had actually missed a day of work to baby-sit.