Читать книгу The Baby Barter - Patty Smith Hall - Страница 10

Chapter One

Marietta, Georgia

Fall, 1945

Sheriff Mack Worthington made it his business to notice people.

And the woman standing in the shadows of the massive oak tree at the edge of Merrilee Davenport’s backyard had sent his senses on high alert. Not that he could see her all that well. The brim of her felt hat covered most of her face, leaving him at a distinct disadvantage.

But it was the little things that made him question her reasons for being there. In the tan skirt and white blouse she wore, she looked more prepared for a trip to the market than attendance at a wedding. And why did her fingers unconsciously dig into the sides of her purse as if she were holding on to it for dear life? Tension held her ramrod straight, reminding him of a soldier ready for battle.

What fight did this woman expect to face here?

“What’s got you twisting around in your chair like a kite in a tornado?”

Mack glanced at the older lady to his right and felt the knots in his stomach relax. Ms. Aurora’s tone had just the right combination of chastisement and concern that came from years of caring for other people’s children. He straightened in his seat. “Nothing, Ms. Aurora.”

She studied him a long moment until he felt himself start to squirm again. “It don’t look like nothing to me.”

Billy Warner, the oldest of Aurora’s current batch of foster children at twelve years old, pushed himself out of his chair, his cane anchored against his side as he stretched up to get a better look down the rows of chairs that lined the makeshift aisle. “Is Claire up to something? I knew she’d get bored with all this wishy-washy romantic stuff.”

Mack’s lips twitched as he put his free hand on the boy’s shoulder and gently pushed him back into his seat. “Claire is on her best behavior today. That girl’s been looking forward to seeing her parents get remarried since her daddy showed up back in town.” John and Merrilee had a troubled past—filled with misunderstandings and manipulations by her family meant to keep them apart. But they’d triumphed over it all, as this wedding proved. And their twelve-year-old daughter couldn’t be happier.

“Maybe.” Billy blew out a snort. “But the ceremony’s been over for a good five minutes, and we’re still sitting here when we could be eating some of that spread Miss Merrilee has been cooking for the last week. I’m starving.”

Mack shook his head. The boy had a lot to learn about the female of the species over the next few years, particularly when it came to things like romance and marriage. Not that Mack was any kind of expert. His few attempts at romance had been shot down in flames. Maybe women and the workings of their hearts were the only mystery he wouldn’t ever solve.

A faint whimper drew his gaze, and Mack found himself staring into a pair of pale blue eyes wide with just a slight hint of irritation, plump baby fingers reaching for him, her tiny body squirming in Ms. Aurora’s arms. Technically, little Sarah was in Ms. Aurora’s care until the adoption was approved, but both Mack and the baby knew the truth—he was the one who had been there for her, loving her since she was dropped into his arms on the day she was born. He was her father in every way that mattered. If only he could push Judge Wakefield to make it legal.

Ms. Aurora shifted the child in her arms and held her out to Mack. “Looks like someone wants to see her daddy.”

“Come here, doodlebug.” Mack scooped up the baby, her warm little body instantly nestling against his chest. She reached up and Mack caught the tips of her fingers between his lips, nibbling gently, enjoying this new game Sarah had discovered in the past day or two. Her lips turned up in a gaping smile, the jagged pink line just under her nose the only evidence of her most recent surgery to fix the cleft palate she’d been born with. A wave of love like nothing he’d ever known speared through him.

“Really, Sheriff,” Ms. Aurora whispered as she caught the baby’s hands and wiped her tiny fingers dry with a billowy cotton cloth. “You need to teach her to keep her hands to herself.”

“It’s just a game we play.” Mack held out a finger to the baby, who eyed it for a moment before grasping it between her palms and drawing it to her gaping mouth. “Besides, I think she’s teething. At least, that’s what it sounds like from all the books I’ve read.”

The elderly woman shook her head as she extracted his finger from the little girl’s grip. “You’re spoiling her silly, Mack.”

“I can’t help it.” He lifted her up, brushed a quick kiss against Sarah’s silky hair, then smiled. “And what girl doesn’t deserve a little bit of spoiling?”

“Not every moment of every day,” the older woman scolded.

Mack silently disagreed. They’d almost lost Sarah during her last surgery to correct the disfigurement to her mouth and nose, and there was still one more surgery to come. It would be a hard trial for anyone to face, particularly a baby who had already faced too much pain and rejection in her short life.

She’d been abandoned by her young mother just hours after she’d been born. Mack had gotten the call to pick up the baby that day—Victory in Europe Day—and deliver her to the only place that would take a child with such severe anomalies. In the short half-hour drive to Ms. Aurora’s, Mack had found his attention riveted to the tiny infant lying swaddled in a ragged blanket in a cardboard box fashioned into a makeshift crib. By the time they’d turned into the dirt driveway leading to the older woman’s home, he’d known he wanted to adopt this child and raise her as his own daughter.

As if she had a window into his worries, Ms. Aurora laid a comforting hand on his arm. “You heard anything from Judge Wakefield about when you can finally take Sarah home?”

Mack shook his head. “Not yet.”

“That’s Ethan for you. Taking his ever-loving sweet time about things.” The older woman gave a little huff. “I swear that man is as slow as molasses in the dead of winter.”

Mack couldn’t argue with her there. Judge Wakefield was known in town for his persnickety approach to his duties, but Mack had an inkling this situation was related more to the man’s personal dislike of him.

“Well, what’s Red doing to get the adoption finalized? I figured with all the money you’re paying that boy, he would have closed this case by now.”

Mack’s lips twitched. Red had never grown up from being “that boy” to Ms. Aurora, not since he’d filled up the town fountain with laundry soap when he was just ten years old. She didn’t seem to realize that he had become one of the leading attorneys in the state.

But Aurora did have a point. Red should have gotten everything resolved by now. Since taking this case, one thing after another had gotten in the way of finalizing the adoption. “He’s supposed to be here today. I thought I’d corner him with a piece of Merrilee’s juicy chocolate cake and see what the holdup is.”

“The way things are going, Sarah will be a woman fully grown before you take her home.” Ms. Aurora gently patted the baby’s back.

Billy turned to them, his finger pressed against his lips. “Claire’s giving us the eye.”

Mack glanced up to where the wedding party had gathered. Claire stood beside her mother, her lips drawn into a stern line. Boy, John and Merrilee would have their hands full with that one, especially when the boys began to come courting.

Mack leaned back in his chair, a smile threatening along the corners of his mouth. What would Sarah be like at that age? Full of sass and determination? A tomboy more interested in Atlanta Crackers baseball games than school dances? Or would she love frills and lace and girly stuff Mack didn’t know a thing about?

Mack’s gaze fell to the bundle of ribbons and bows perched on his lap. Was he being selfish, wanting to raise Sarah without the benefit of a mother, no feminine hand to lead her through those challenging years of becoming a woman? He shifted in his seat. It wasn’t that he hadn’t tried to find a wife. A number of nice women had moved into town since the bomber plant had opened. He’d even dated one or two, but things never seemed to work out.

He touched the scar just under the hairline next to his left ear. Probably for the best. If God wanted him to have a wife, He would have sent someone who could look beyond his limitations, one who would love him just as he was, deaf ear and all. Until then, he and Sarah would do just fine on their own.

A slight pressure against his right side jarred him away from his thought, and he turned to see Ms. Aurora’s worried expression. Her pale eyes darkened into stormy gray as she stole a glance over her shoulder, her body rigid.

Mack lifted Sarah and nestled her against his shoulder. “What is it, Ms. Aurora?”

“I’m probably just imagining things.”

Mack doubted it. Aurora Adair was one of the most sensible and down-to-earth people he knew. If she felt something was amiss, nine times out of ten she was right. “Let me be the judge of that.”

She pressed her lips together as if deciding whether to tell him or not. “Remember a couple of days ago when I told you I felt like someone was watching the house?”

His heart rate kicked up a notch. “Yes.”

“I didn’t worry much about it. I like to think some of the families of the children who were left with me might try to get a glimpse of them, just to make sure they’re all right. But this one...” The viselike grip she had on his arm put all Mack’s instincts on alert. “She’s been watching the house for the last two days, and now, she’s here.”

“Point her out to me.”

Ms. Aurora gave him an annoyed look. “I can’t do that. That’s just plain rude.”

“Then how am I—”

“She’s toward the back, underneath that big old oak tree one of the children got stuck in last July. Remember?”

Yes, he remembered. Took him two hours to get that little firecracker Ellie off that high-hanging branch. “There’s a crowd over there, Ms. Aurora. Which lady are you talking about?”

“The girl in the plain tan skirt with a white blouse and a brown felt hat. Doesn’t look like she knew there was going to be a wedding today.”

Knots began to form in the pit of Mack’s stomach. He’d known the woman was trouble but just who was she? Mack shifted sideways to get a good long look at her. The brim of her hat still flopped over most of her face, but now he caught a glimpse of golden-brown curls clinging to the nape of her neck. She tilted her head back, casting a nervous glance at the crowd before her gaze fell on him. A dull ache settled in Mack’s left jaw, and he reached for the jagged scar once again.

Thea Miller had come home.

* * *

Thea’s palms grew moist inside her bleached cotton gloves, her gaze fixed on the impossibly handsome man glaring back at her. She immediately recognized Mack Worthington, football team captain, all-around good guy. And the only boy in high school she would have given a second glance. Or a third. Her heart hammered against her ribs just thinking about the crush she’d nursed for him her junior and senior years.

She didn’t have time to reminisce about the good old days, not with the trouble she’d found when she’d returned home from England three days ago. Thea drew in a slow breath, then released it, her heart settling back into a normal rhythm. That silly girl with a shameful family and a hopeless crush had made something of herself, serving her country as a nurse on the front lines in Europe. If she could face those dangers, then facing down a boy she used to like should be the least of her worries.

But maybe he could help her. Someone in town had mentioned Mack had taken Sheriff Clay’s place after the older man had enlisted. The news had shocked Thea at first. Knowing how protective Mack could be, she’d thought he’d enlist the day after Pearl Harbor was bombed. What had kept him in Marietta rather than serving his country overseas?

Thea shook her head. What did it matter? Mack was the town’s sheriff. Maybe it was time to get the police involved if Momma’s allegations were true.

Aurora Adair stole your sister’s baby.

Momma’s words twisted the knots in her stomach as tight as a tourniquet. The scenario sounded eerily familiar—her kid sister, Eileen, pregnant and unmarried, the child missing soon after birth, the frantic search that turned up nothing, a promise from Thea to find the baby and return it home. Her chest tightened. A promise she’d never been able to keep. Of course, she’d been little more than a child herself, barely seventeen. Eight unbearable years she’d waited to come home, thwarting the promise she’d made to her sister and had been unable to keep.

Not this time.

Besides, this was a completely different situation. Eight years ago, it had been their mother who had made the decision to give away Eileen’s baby, her pride unable to handle the prospect of the town discovering that her unwed, teenage daughter had become a mother. But this time, her mother said that she’d wanted the baby—that she’d helped Eileen prepare. And Thea herself had seen the evidence: tiny sweaters and booties recently knitted, a cupboard full of washed and sterilized baby bottles and all the makings for homemade formula.

This time, they could have made things work, truly pulled together as a family in a way they hadn’t done in years. But Eileen had died not long after, in a car accident. The baby had been taken from them. And Thea had returned home to find nothing left of her family but her mother—and even she was sadly changed.

All Thea could hope for now was to find her sister’s baby, take her home and raise the child herself. Have a real family again.

Which might be more difficult than she’d first thought. Aurora Adair hadn’t left her house once in the two days since Thea had started monitoring her movements, hoping for a chance to meet her on the street. She refused to knock on the woman’s front door to deliver her accusation. It had been an answer to prayer when she’d learned Ms. Adair would be at the Daniels’s place today. A public venue might give Thea her only opportunity to get this mess straightened out. She wanted badly to believe that this had all been some kind of misunderstanding, and that Ms. Aurora would be happy to return the baby to her loving family. Hopefully a quick conversation would be all it would take.

But crashing a wedding had never been part of the plan.

Thea stole back into the cool shadows of the tree and waited until the wedding guests made their way toward the house. The festive atmosphere didn’t really agree with her. Not when she was still caught up in mourning for Eileen. It had been weeks since the fatal car accident, but Thea had only learned about it a few days before.

A fresh wave of sadness caught her by surprise, punching her in the midsection like a fist. It still didn’t seem real, her baby sister gone. Guilt warred with grief inside Thea’s heart. Maybe if she’d returned home, instead of staying away out of guilt over her broken promise, she could have kept an eye on Eileen. Maybe then she wouldn’t have jumped into that car with Eddie Huffman, wouldn’t have been killed when Eddie lost control.

An ache settled in the pit of Thea’s stomach. She might have let Eileen down but she’d make up for it, raise her sister’s baby as her own. Which meant getting the baby back.

Thea pushed away from the tree and scanned the Daniels’s front yard as people lingered along the makeshift aisle, following the path the newly remarried couple had taken just moments ago. She wobbled forward and instantly yearned for the sturdy comfort of her army boots, the new heels she’d bought this morning shifting on the unlevel ground. Omaha Beach hadn’t given her as much trouble as these silly shoes.

“Thea Miller?”

Thea felt her shoulders stiffen. Any hope of getting through the day unnoticed vanished. It had been a foolish hope, anyway. Nothing ever stayed hidden in Marietta. Her mother and sister had taught her that. Thea turned, her skirts whispering softly around her legs, making her long for the confidence she’d always felt in her army greens or nursing whites. An auburn-haired woman waddled toward her, the loose pleats of her dress floating over her swollen belly as she slowly moved down the row.

Thea’s mouth turned up in an unexpected smile. “Maggie Daniels?”

“I thought that was you! How are you?” Maggie smiled as if she was truly happy to see her. “It’s Maggie Hicks now.” She caressed a loving hand against the swell of her stomach. “This here’s Peanut.”

“Family name?”

Maggie’s smile widened. “On my husband’s side.”

The soft chuckles that rasped against her throat startled Thea. How long had it been since she’d truly laughed? Not since before the war, maybe even longer. “Congratulations, Maggie.”

“Thank you, but what about you? Last time I talked to your mother, you were in nursing school in Memphis.”

Thea nodded. So her mother hadn’t told anyone in town she’d joined the Army Nurse Corps. At least she’d read Thea’s letters and knew where her daughter had gone. She’d never written back, so Thea had wondered if the letters had been thrown away, her mother still holding a grudge about the way Thea had left home. Though, what had her mother expected after what she’d done, giving Eileen’s first baby to a total stranger? “I joined the Army Nurse Corps a year after graduation.”

“Where were you stationed?”

“Stateside at first, then I was sent to Sheffield, England.”

“Really?” Her friend’s green eyes warmed. “My husband’s grandfather owned an airfield outside York for many years but he’s been in the States for a while now.”

“It must have been lovely then.” Before the army barracks and field hospitals had filled the lush green fields surrounding the quaint buildings that formed the town’s center. Thea closed her eyes. So much damage to that lovely land and the people who lived there. So many families torn apart, extinguished, never to be together again in this life. The need to see her own family had driven her these last few weeks, across the Atlantic then down the East Coast.

But where was home now, and who could she count as family since her baby sister was gone and her mother seemed to be a shell of herself? But then look at what Momma had lost in the past few months, her daughter and grandchild. Who could blame her for being quiet and withdrawn?

“I was so sorry to hear about Eileen.”

Thea swallowed against the lump in her throat. Condolences weren’t easy to hear. “Me, too.”

“I didn’t even know she was in town until I heard about the accident.”

That little piece of news surprised Thea. “Where else would she be?”

Maggie frowned in confusion. “Didn’t you know? She left for Atlanta right about the time you took off for school. This past summer was the first time she’d been back since then.”

What had Eileen been doing in Atlanta? Why had she come back here to have her baby? “She must have been visiting Momma.”

“Your momma must treasure that time now.”

Thea drew in a deep sigh. “She doesn’t talk about it much.”

“I couldn’t imagine, losing my child like that. It must be hard to talk about it with the pain still fresh.” Maggie rubbed her hand over her swollen middle as if holding her unborn child close.

“Maybe.” Or maybe not. Momma had never shown much emotion or warmth toward either her or her sister, especially after their father had died in a farming accident when she’d been only four and Eileen no more than three. Thea had taken over mothering Eileen then, rocking her back to sleep when she woke up from a bad dream, making sure Eileen was fed before she’d head off to school in the morning. As she grew older, Eileen and their mother had started to fight. When Eileen’s wild ways blossomed in her early teens and proved to be embarrassing, the arguments had grown worse. Thea could only imagine how bad things had gotten after Momma had given Eileen’s baby away. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising that Eileen had decided to leave town. Why had she come home to deliver her second baby? Maybe she and Momma had made things right between them.

“They’re ready to cut the cake!”

Both women turned to where a boy of about twelve stood on the porch at the top of the stairs, a wooden cane bearing the weight of his lean frame. Scowling, he fidgeted with his tie, leaving it slightly off center. His dark coat sat precariously on his shoulders, as if the boy hadn’t decided whether to fling it off or not.

“He looks happy to be here,” Thea commented.

Maggie’s warm laughter coaxed another rare smile from her. “Billy’s not quite sure about this wedding stuff, but give him a plate of Aunt Merrilee’s cooking and he’s happier than a puppy with two tails.”

Thea relaxed a bit. She’d always liked Maggie, liked her plain talk and friendly way of treating everyone the same, no matter their social status. “Please tell your aunt congratulations from me.”

“You can tell her yourself.” Before Thea had a chance to respond, Maggie tucked her hand into Thea’s arm and pulled her out of the shadows.

Thea glanced around, praying no one else would notice her. “I’m not exactly dressed for a wedding.”

“You look fine, and I refuse to let a woman who served our boys overseas get away without a piece of Merrilee’s wedding cake. It’s the first time she’s baked anything since they stopped rationing sugar and eggs.”

The thought of such a sweet delight after four long years was almost too much for Thea to bear. But staying for the reception felt too awkward. She’d approach Ms. Aurora another time, maybe get up the nerve to go to her door and ask about Eileen’s baby. She may not know the woman personally, but she’d heard enough about her kindness and generosity to the children she’d taken in to her home, disabled children who’d been abandoned, to hope that this had all been a simple misunderstanding. One they could resolve easily...after which, she’d be able to bring Eileen’s baby home.

A screen door slapped shut in front of her, and she found herself staring into the dark wool of a man’s suit coat. She lifted her gaze and admired the taut muscles of the man’s broad shoulders, his tanned neck, the thick mop of dark hair that reminded Thea of walnuts ready to be shaken from the tree. He turned slightly, and a soft gasp rose in her throat, just as it had when she’d caught sight of Mack early today. The young boy she’d admired as a teenager had grown into an amazingly handsome man.

Who was more than likely married, Thea reminded herself. A faint sense of disappointment settled over her. Best if she kept her distance. No sense giving folks around here any more reason to talk about the Miller girls if she could help it.

A soft sound, something between a coo and a whimper, drew her attention to a tiny bundle of pale pink ribbons and ivory lace squirming in his arms. A baby? Well, of course, he’d have a child if he were married. Even in high school he’d talked of settling down and having a large family. But wait, she’d seen this child before—recognized the ribbons and lace of her outfit. Yet it hadn’t been Mack holding the little girl when Thea had seen her before. She was certain of that. So who had it been?

There was something distinctly familiar about this child, about the sunny blond curls that hugged her head like a Sunday bonnet. Mack lifted the baby to his shoulder and the little girl staring out at the small crowd, her piercing blue eyes watchful, absorbing everything around her. Recognition caused Thea’s lungs to constrict in her chest, a joy so overwhelming, it threatened to shoot out of her fingertips and her toes.

She recognized the outfit from seeing that precious baby with Aurora Adair. The baby in Mack’s arms was the mirror imagine of her sister, Eileen.