Читать книгу Whose Baby Is This? - Patricia Thayer - Страница 10

Late the next afternoon, Matt checked his rearview mirror to see Tara’s white compact following him. It took a lot of convincing, but she’d finally agreed to speak with the PI.

Matt settled in his seat as he drove through town. He liked this long, peaceful drive home. Heading up the Coast Highway, he caught a glimpse of the magnificent sunset over the Pacific Ocean. Only in California could you get such a beautiful view.

After medical school he’d applied to hospitals on the west coast. He ended up doing his internship and surgical residency at the University of San Francisco Hospital. He had been raised in Ohio and had been immediately seduced by the warmer year-round climate, but the ocean was his true love. After paying off his school loans and accepting a job at Riverhaven, he bought a condo with an ocean view. A few years back, he decided he wanted a house. His own private strip of beach. A home that would be far away from his demanding career—a place where he could find peace and solitude.

But there’d been very little peace for the past two days.

Just twenty-four hours ago he and little Erin had given blood and saliva samples. It wasn’t going to help. Of course, his lawyer had advised that a little insurance was imperative to keep him out of a paternity suit.

Matt recalled Tara’s words from last night. “I’ll never contact you again,” she’d said convincingly. But Matt knew he was in a vulnerable position. Just the fact of his being a much publicized surgeon in the community made him an easy target.

But he’d gotten a reprieve when Tara agreed to stay in town awhile. Matt wasn’t completely confident that she wouldn’t cause trouble. And now Tara and Erin were going to be closer than ever, invading his private territory, coming to his home.

Checking in his rearview mirror, he saw that Tara was still in his sights. He put on his turn signal and pulled off the highway onto a narrow winding road. He passed a few of his neighbors, their homes secluded from view of the road by trees and overgrown shrubs and vines. That was the reason people bought here—the solitude.

He reached the end of the road and the wrought-iron gate with the fuchsia-colored bougainvillea woven through the bars, nearly hiding the one-story brick and stucco structure behind it. He pressed the button overhead, and the electronic gate opened. Driving up the brick driveway, he hit another button. The garage door raised, and he parked his car in one of the three spots.

Matt climbed out, and the compact pulled up in the driveway. He waited as Tara got out, then went to help her with the baby. Their hands touched accidentally as he reached for the diaper bag, and she jumped. His skin tingled.

“Sorry, I wanted to help.”

“Thank you. I’m used to doing for myself.”

He couldn’t help but sense her uneasiness. He didn’t blame her. She must feel like she was being kidnapped. But he had to clear his name.

After she gathered the baby, Matt escorted her through the garage and into the house. They went through a spacious utility room, then continued into the large kitchen. The cabinets were whitewashed and the tiled countertops were Wedgwood blue. The spicy aroma of enchiladas baking in the oven teased his nose and made him smile. Juanita had made his favorite. His housekeeper for the past three years probably had gone all out when he’d called her earlier and announced he was bringing home a female guest for dinner.

“Juanita,” he summoned. “Where are you?”

“Just hold your horses,” the housekeeper exclaimed as she entered the kitchen. “So, you finally made it.”

Matt smiled at the woman in her late fifties. She had salt and pepper hair pulled into a bun. Still trim, she wore dark slacks and a white blouse.

Juanita only had eyes for the guests. “Welcome.” She went to Tara and shook her hand, then glanced at the baby. “Oh, my goodness, isn’t she adorable?” As if she understood, Erin began kicking her legs, waving her arms and making cooing sounds.

Tara set the carrier on the kitchen table and allowed the two to get to know each other.

“If you’d like, Juanita can watch Erin while you talk with the investigator.”

Tara’s green eyes darted from the baby to him. She was unable to hide her apprehension.

Matt went to the table and picked up the carrier. “Erin can go with us. Juanita, you can spoil her later.” Matt handed the carrier to Tara.

After a moment’s hesitation, Tara set Erin on the table. “I’m sorry, I guess I’m a little overprotective.”

“You can’t be too careful these days,” the housekeeper announced. “I have three grandchildren myself. I worry all the time.”

“Just don’t spoil her too much,” Tara warned.

The older woman grinned brightly. Matt knew the request would be ignored.

“Come with me, please,” he said.

Tara nodded and wondered what had possessed her to agree to come here. Despite Dr. Landers’s glowing reputation at the hospital, she didn’t really know the man. One thing was for sure, they both needed answers to this puzzle. Maybe together they could locate the mystery man who had taken over Dr. Matthew Landers’s name…and fathered Erin.

Tara followed Matt into a large dining room. The walls were painted light cream, and the sand-colored plush carpeting was soft under her feet, a beautiful contrast to the mahogany table and chairs polished to a high gloss. A hutch with cut-glass doors was filled with china and crystal. She glanced toward the living-room area. A sectional sofa sat in front of the fireplace along with a glass-topped coffee table on which expensive-looking figurines rested. But it didn’t look like anyone spent much time in here. What a shame not to enjoy the incredible view of the ocean through the huge picture window.

Tara turned to Matt. His piercing brown gaze was on her. His unspeaking eyes prolonged the moment just enough to spark an awareness. Finally she looked away and drew a breath. When she turned back, Matt had started down the hall. She hurried and caught up with him at a set of double doors. He pulled them open and walked into the den.

Tara’s gaze moved to the bookcases that took up one wall. Besides tons of medical books, there was a high-tech stereo system that probably required a degree in electronics to operate. Next to the bookcase sat a camel-colored leather sofa. On the opposite wall was a huge stone fireplace with a pair of very old golf clubs mounted on the face.

She walked to a set of French doors that led outside to a weathered deck and the backyard. Beyond a rise she could hear the ocean surf.

“You have a beautiful home.”

He stepped behind the desk. “Thank you. I spend most of my time in this room when I’m home.”

“I can understand why,” she said, imagining a blazing fire on a cold evening, soft music in the background and Matt sipping a glass of wine.

The doorbell rang, and Matt went to answer it.

Tara looked through the French doors. The lawn was a lush green and well cared for. About fifty yards across the grass toward the ocean, perched close to the bluff, was a pewter-colored cottage with burgundy trim. She smiled. It looked like a little gingerbread house.

She wandered to the mantel and glanced at the photographs, one of an elderly couple and a blond-haired boy. The towheaded Matt Landers looked to be about fourteen. He was tall and gangly and wore glasses. Who would have thought he’d turn out to be so handsome? Tara quickly turned her focus to other pictures of Dr. Landers and children. Who were they? Nieces, nephews, maybe patients?

She heard voices and returned to the sofa as a man followed Matt into the room.

“Tara, this is Jim Sloan, the investigator I told you about,” Matt said.

The investigator was in his mid-thirties and dressed in a sport shirt and dark trousers. He had brown hair that was a little long but neatly combed.

“Hello, Mr. Sloan,” Tara said.

“Please call me Jim. And may I call you Tara?” he asked as he pulled a chair toward the sofa. “I want to apologize for not being here sooner. I was delayed down south.”

She nodded.

“Well, Tara, as the doctor must have told you, I need to ask you some questions. So the sooner we get on with this, the faster we may be able to find this man.” He pulled a notebook from his pocket. “Can you tell me where your sister, Briana, met her Dr. Landers?”

Tara exchanged a nervous glance with Matt. “She just said she met him in Mexico when she went there on vacation with a friend.”

“Did she call the man she met by name?”

“She told me his name was Matt Landers and he was a heart surgeon.”

Jim took some notes. “What friend went with her?”

Tara shrugged. “I’m not sure. Bri and I hadn’t been in touch much the past year. I didn’t know she was pregnant until she called two days before she delivered Erin. No one else came to visit Bri in the hospital.”

Matt watched sadness veil Tara’s features and knew this situation had to be hard on her. “Maybe the friend moved away,” he said.

“L.A. is a big city,” Jim said. “A person could get lost there. Do you have any idea who this friend is?”

“I can only tell you she moved to L.A. with Cathy Guthrie. I remember Bri telling me that Cathy got married to a Marine her first year here in Los Angeles. Then she and her husband moved to San Diego.”

“Do you think she and your sister kept in touch?”

“I don’t know.”

Matt watched as Tara brushed wisps of auburn bangs from her forehead, her eyes showing deep concentration. He knew she was trying hard to remember.

“What about in your sister’s apartment?” Jim continued writing. “Did she have anything belonging to Matt Landers?”

Tara didn’t want to go through this—airing private family matters in front of strangers. She and Bri hadn’t had the best relationship over the years, and it hurt to share how badly she’d failed her sister. “I didn’t find much, just her clothes, a little jewelry…” She suddenly remembered something. “Wait, there was a ring. Bri wore an emerald ring. It was rather pretty, but she kept twisting it around her finger whenever she talked about Matt.”

Matt’s expression never wavered.

“Did she say where she’d gotten it?” the investigator asked.

Tara shrugged. “No, but when packing up her things, I found a velvet box. I saved it…for Erin.” She wanted to give her something of her mother’s.

“Was there a name on the box?”

She sighed. “I’m not sure. Why is this important?” She looked at Matt. His dark eyes were intense. One brow was arched.

“Because, Tara, if we have the jeweler’s name maybe he’ll remember who bought the ring and what the person looked like. It’s a long shot, but it’s all we have right now.”

She nodded. “My neighbor has my house key. I could have her look for me.”

Matt rewarded her with a smile, and an odd feeling gripped Tara’s stomach. “That would be great,” he said.

“Could she look for an address book, too?” Sloan said. “Maybe this Cathy Guthrie is in there, or other friends who might have gone with her to Mexico.”

“Okay. Anything else?” She wanted the interrogation over.

“What was your sister’s last address?”

It had been nothing more than a small room in a house in a graffiti-filled neighborhood, but Tara gave it to him. “But Bri had lived other places. She must have moved there when she had to quit working because of complications with the pregnancy. She had to stay in bed the last three months.”

“Why didn’t she go home to Phoenix?” Jim asked.

Guilt and shame filled Tara. Her throat tightened, making it difficult to speak. “Bri and I hadn’t been close…in a long time, not since our mother died….” She looked away, not wanting to see a judgmental look.

“How long did Bri live in L.A.?”

“Over three years.”

“So you didn’t know about her life? Her job…the men…”

“Look, my sister and I may not have seen eye to eye on everything, but I loved her. And pregnant or not, Bri was family. And when she told me Matt Landers was Erin’s father, I took it as the truth.” She could feel the tears building, but she wouldn’t cry in front of strangers. That she’d do in private.

Matt reached out and covered her hand with his. “I’m sorry, Tara.” He glared at Sloan. “We have no right—”

No matter how comforting his touch was, she pulled away. “That’s right, you don’t.”

Jim wasn’t apologetic at all. He forged ahead. “Okay. I have one more question, then we’ll stop. When was Bri in Mexico?”

“Bri said she went to Acapulco the last week of May a year ago. She met a man named Matt Landers the next day by the hotel pool.” Tara tried to control the heat creeping up her neck, recalling her sister’s all-too-vivid description of the good doctor and their heated sexual affair.

She studied Matt. Although he hadn’t been her sister’s lover, Tara couldn’t stop the images of this man’s probable sexual prowess. She jerked her head toward Jim. “They had a two-week affair that was supposed to continue after returning home.”

“How old was your sister?”

“Twenty-three.”

“My God, that would make me fifteen years her senior.” Matt’s expression became angry as he stood and paced. “She was hardly more than a child.”

“Bri could make herself look a lot older,” Tara said, remembering in high school how Bri and her friends would dress up. With her shapely body, people couldn’t believe she was only seventeen.

“Do you have a picture?” the investigator asked.

Tara opened her purse and pulled out her wallet. She flipped through the photos until she came up with the last one Bri sent their mother. “It’s one of those glamour shots. My sister was naturally pretty, though.”

Matt took the picture and examined the striking blue-eyed blonde closely.

“Bri was given the looks in the family. She’s the image of our mother,” Tara said.

“She’s beautiful,” Matt said, then glanced at Tara. “You look alike. Only your coloring is different.”

Tara blushed, knowing there had been several differences. Body type, for one. Bri was shapely where Tara was thin. Bri’s eyes were sparkling blue to Tara’s hazel green. Bri was outgoing and could draw any man’s attention. Tara was shy and wasn’t comfortable in crowds.

Matt handed the picture back to Tara. “I might have been in Mexico City during that time, but I never met this woman.”

Jim Sloan studied his notes, then turned to Matt. “I’m beginning to think this is personal, that this guy is out to intentionally ruin you and your reputation.”

Matt sat in the den and stared out the window at the roaring surf. He took a drink from his long-neck bottle of beer. He’d made an attempt to eat, but after Tara refused to stay he didn’t feel much like food. Not even Juanita’s enchiladas.

“Dammit. Why does everything have to be so complicated?”

“If you’re talking about a woman, it comes with the territory.”

Matt swung around to find Nick Malone standing in the doorway. “Nick.” Matt walked across the room to welcome his friend. They shook hands.

“Juanita let us in.” He held up a beer. “She’s even taken care of us with a selection from the bar.”

“Us?”

Nick’s wife, Cari, peeked in. “You guys talking about me?” she asked with a smile that lit up her bright blue eyes.

Matt smiled as the petite blond woman came over and hugged him. Dressed in jeans and an ivory sweater, she looked about sixteen.

“This is a pleasant surprise,” he said.

“Sure. Everyone loves people to just drop in,” she said.

Matt never minded the Malones dropping by. He’d always considered Nick and Cari close friends. Nick knew nearly everything about him, from his childhood to his disastrous relationship with his ex-fiancée. And Cari had worked for him at the hospital for a short while until she found Nick. Matt had watched the two fall in love, had even helped the relationship a little.

“What’s the occasion that’s brought you two out of the house without the kids?” Matt asked.

Nick took a drink of his beer, then said, “I thought my wife needed a night out. I kidnapped her for a quiet dinner at the Sandy Cove Restaurant down the road. But if we’d known Juanita was making her enchiladas, we would have come here instead.”

“You know you don’t need an invitation.”

“Even when you have a woman over?” Nick said as he came up behind his wife, slipped his arms around her waist and locked his fingers together. After being married for nearly five years, they still couldn’t keep their hands off each other.

Matt felt the heat rise in his face. “I take it Juanita just happened to mention Tara to you.”

“Well, not all the details,” Cari said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. “I was hoping you would fill us in.” She held up her hand. “Or you can just tell us that it’s none of our business.”

Matt saw the eager look on Cari’s face and had to smile. He knew for certain that whatever he said to them would never go any further.

“Is this the same woman who’s accused you of being her niece’s father?” Nick asked.

Matt had no doubt that his friend would have told his wife the whole story. “Her name is Tara McNeal, and now thanks to Detective Warren, she finally believes that I never had an affair with her sister. This afternoon we met with Jim Sloan, the investigator I’ve had working on this case.”

“Could she help with any information?” Nick asked.

“Some. But it seems like the guy who’s doing this knows my every move. He was in Mexico seducing Briana McNeal when I was there teaching my surgical procedures.”

The Malones exchanged a look, then Cari spoke. “Maybe there’s someone who wants to cause you trouble.”

“I can’t imagine who,” Matt said, trying to think of anyone he’d alienated enough to want to destroy his life.

Nick and Cari sat on the edge of the sofa, and Cari looked up expectantly. “It’s hard to believe that someone fathered a child just to get back at you.”

Matt had to agree with her. “I think this guy just found it convenient to seduce a woman using my name.”

“Can we do anything?” Cari asked. “I could tell Tara all your good qualities.”

Nick stood. “No, Matt should stay clear of the woman and let his lawyer handle it.”

Matt didn’t say anything. He didn’t want to tell them that he’d already ignored his lawyer’s advice. “I can’t. Tara might be able to help me find the man impersonating me.”

“All this has got to be hard on her, too,” Cari said, “Especially after losing her sister so recently and now having the responsibility of a baby.”

A pain tore at Matt’s chest. No one ever thought about how this affected the child. “The baby isn’t mine.”

Cari smiled. “I know you would never walk away from your child, Matt. I take it you’re running a blood test?”

Matt nodded again. “Since we’re both O positive, my lawyer suggested a DNA test, just for insurance.” He sighed tiredly, thinking about the hospital administrator. “If Harry finds out he won’t be too happy about the news.”

“No, he won’t,” Cari agreed. “Especially with the hospital’s charity auction coming up in a month.” Surprisingly, she laughed. “It would be fun just to see his face when he heard about—”

“No!” Matt almost shouted. “I don’t want any of this to get out. It’s bad enough my credit is in a shambles. My career is too important to me.” It was the only thing he had in his life.

Nick stepped in. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about Harry and your job at Riverhaven. Hell, Dad’s money nearly built the heart wing, and I can just as easily stop any future donations.”

Cari patted her husband’s arm. “Don’t worry, honey, Harry isn’t going to do anything crazy. He needs Matt more than Matt needs him.”

Right now, Matt had more to worry about than his own skin. “We have to think about the innocent baby in all this. She’s the one who’ll be hurt. Damn this jerk for causing these problems.” And for causing him to long for something he could never have.

“Then just sit tight for awhile,” Nick said. “You’ll be cleared of everything. And your life can get back to normal.”

Matt didn’t know if he wanted his life normal again. The memory of Tara McNeal’s face wasn’t going to go away easily, nor was the thought of having a child. Forgetting them might take a lifetime.

It was nearly ten o’clock when Matt knocked on Tara’s motel room door. He knew it was late, but he couldn’t take the chance and wait until tomorrow. She could be gone by then.

“Who is it?” Her voice was muffled through the door.

“It’s Matt…Matt Landers.”

The door opened slightly, and Tara’s face appeared, her short hair mussed. She was wearing an oversize T-shirt. Damn, she’d been asleep. He blinked away the picture of her curled up in bed.

“May I come inside and talk to you?”

Tara opened the door, and he stepped inside.

The first thing he saw was the bed. The sheets were rumpled, and the pillow had an imprint where Tara had lain her head.

“I’m sorry I woke you.” He turned to look at her. A big mistake. Her T-shirt might have been oversize, but there was plenty of leg revealed. Long, gorgeous leg. “But I…I wanted to make sure I saw you before you left. I wanted to thank you for talking with Jim Sloan.” He glanced around nervously. “And I was hoping to give it one more shot and try to convince you to stay.”

Having Matt in her room made Tara nervous. She grabbed her cotton robe from the end of the bed and slipped it on. “I told you earlier, I can’t. It’s best that I take Erin back to Phoenix.”

“And what? Wait?” he asked. “I thought you wanted to find her father.” He went to the baby’s bed and glanced at Erin. She was asleep on her side, her little mouth moving occasionally in a sucking motion. He moved away from the crib.

“She’s a beautiful child,” he said.

Tara nodded. She was confused by this man. He seemed to have everything. A successful career, money, a beautiful home. But she’d caught a twinge of loneliness in his eyes that mirrored hers. “You would think any man would want her.” Tara hadn’t realized she’d spoken until she saw Matt tense.

“Then don’t give up on finding her father.”

“I’m not giving up. I loved my sister,” she whispered tersely as she fought the tears flooding her eyes. “I would have done anything for her, and I’ll do anything for Erin. But I don’t have the time or the money to run around the country.”

“Stay in Santa Cruz, and we’ll find out the truth together,” he challenged.

She didn’t want to argue with this man, not anymore. Not to mention she was half-dressed. Nervously she tucked her hair behind her ear. “I can’t—”

“Yes, you can. What’s to stop you?”

Tara turned away. “I have a home, a job and a life, Dr. Landers. I can’t just drop everything.” Her biggest problem was the good-looking man standing too close. Making her want things that she only dreamed about. She couldn’t let herself depend on him, lean on him. He could hurt her and Erin with his good looks and easy charm. The type of man who made her feel things… She pushed away the thought. No, she was safer back home.

The phone rang, and Tara hurried to pick it up before it woke the baby. “Hello.”

“Tara.” The familiar voice of her Phoenix neighbor came across the line.

“Mrs. Lynch. Is there something wrong?” Tara asked as she turned away from Matt.

“No, child,” the sixty-year-old woman said. “I wanted to let you know that I sent off the things you asked for. Your sister’s things, the black address book and jewelry box.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Lynch. You’ve helped so much.”

“Well, I want to help. I know this has been a rough time for you and the little one. Just don’t worry about the house, I’ll take care of things here.”

Tara smiled at the woman’s kindness. The small, two-bedroom house Tara rented was the same stucco structure she and Briana had lived in all their lives. And Mrs. Lynch had been her neighbor all that time. “I appreciate that so much. Erin and I will be home in a few days.”

She heard a deep sigh on the line. “Well, that is good news. I sure miss that little girl. How is she doing? I bet she’s grown.”

“I’ll let you measure her when we get back.” She glanced at Matt. “I better go. Thank you for all your help. Goodbye.” She hung up the phone.

She rose and crossed the room to where Matt was waiting. “That was my neighbor in Phoenix. She found the address book and jewelry box. She sent them off today. You should have them in a couple of days.”

“Good. After Jim goes over them, I’ll make sure he returns your property. Just give me your address.” He cocked an eyebrow. “Unless you’re going to take me up on my offer to stay until either we get this thing solved or you have to start back for the new school year.”

She studied him for awhile and fought taking him up on the offer. She shook her head. “I can’t.”

His look of disappointment surprised her. Tara knew she should just go home and call him with the information, but she had to admit she was curious, and that was dangerous. “Why do you want us to stay?”

Matt shrugged. “First, I want to find the man who stole my name. And you might remember something your sister told you that could help us. So, if you think I’m grasping at straws, maybe I am. I’m grasping at anything to get my life back.” He shot a glance at the crib. The longing in his eyes gripped her heart. “And for the baby’s sake, too. I know what it’s like to be abandoned.”

All the way home in the car, Matt cursed himself for revealing so much. Tara McNeal didn’t need to know about his past. No one did.

He’d always been a private person. He’d grown up an only child, adopted by an older couple who’d waited years for a baby. So he’d been on display all the time, something he hated. He’d been a shy kid, had trouble making friends. In high school, he tried sports but was growing so fast his coordination was almost nonexistent. So he spent his evenings at the library, studying. He strove to excel, to be as good as he could be. To be awarded a scholarship to a prestigious college and medical school.

But in the back of his mind, what had always driven him was the fact that his birth mother had rejected him. A familiar tremor surged through him, making him feel isolated and vulnerable. He’d never forget the questions that had haunted him as a child. What had been the imperfection in him that made his mother discard her newborn son in a bus station rest room? Matt gripped the steering wheel tighter and cursed. Why was he thinking about this now? He had come to terms with his past long ago. Immediately a picture of little Erin came into his head.

And along with the baby came the beautiful aunt. Was that the reason he wanted Tara McNeal to stay?

He groaned. He was doing exactly what Ed Podesta advised him not to do. Was he insane? Or just so lonely that he wanted to spend time with the woman? But why Tara McNeal? She wasn’t even his type. What was his type? Any woman who didn’t get too close or want a permanent relationship.

Matt’s demanding career always came first, and that didn’t leave him much time for a personal life, he thought as he drove his car off the highway onto the narrow road. That had been the choice he’d made years ago.

He thought back to when he’d been accepted as a surgical resident at San Francisco University Hospital, his first time on the West Coast and the first time he’d ever fallen in love.

Matt drove through the gate and parked in the garage. He got out but instead of going inside walked around to the back of the house. The cool breeze was refreshing but didn’t wash away the memories. Memories he’d pushed aside for years while he built his career as one of the best pediatric heart surgeons on the coast.

But after meeting Tara and Erin, he realized how vulnerable he was to his past…and to his own human flaws.

Would his life have taken a different turn if Julie, the woman he’d fallen in love with in medical residency, hadn’t left him?

He crossed the lawn to the bluff. The cool evening breeze brushed against his skin as he looked down the five-foot drop to the surf. The crashing waves were loud, but the rhythmic movement had always been soothing to him.

Matt shut his eyes and thought about the baby he’d seen in the crib tonight. Every time he picked up a child, held one, performed delicate surgery on their precious bodies, his pain only grew. The pain and loneliness in his heart never went away. He knew that being adopted added to his emotional inadequacies. The constant desire to know where he’d come from…and the knowledge that he would never leave a part of himself behind in a child.