BEVERLY BARTON – Wanted: Father for Her Baby: Keeping Baby Secret / Five Brothers and a Baby / Expecting Brand's Baby (страница 19)

Frank grabbed Moran’s shoulder. “Damn it, I’m interested in one child. My son. Where the hell are those babies? Is one of them Andrew?”

“Dr. Tomlin’s office hasn’t called?” Moran asked as he eased out from under Frank’s tenacious grasp.

“Who’s—is he the pediatrician in charge of the babies? If so, then no, he hasn’t called. Or if he has no one has bothered to tell me.”

“The agents who went into this morning’s meeting as adoptive parents weren’t able to positively ID either child they were shown, but one of the babies fit Andrew’s description to a tee.” Moran walked over to his desk and picked up the telephone. “I’ll make arrangements to take you to Dr. Tomlin’s office. Both babies are being kept there for the time being. If one of them is positively identified as Andrew, I’ll see to it that you can take him home to his mother this evening.”

“What the hell are you waiting for? Make the call. Now!”

The telephone rang. Kate and Leenie jumped simultaneously. They exchanged quick glances, then Kate shot up off the sofa and grabbed the receiver. Before she could even say hello, Frank spoke.

“I’ve got him,” Frank said. “All fourteen pounds of him. Can you hear him squalling. He’s not sure whether or not he likes his old man.”

Kate smiled. She’d never heard Frank Latimer enthusiastic about anything, never heard such pure joy in his voice. “Calm down and tell me what’s going on.”

“Is it Frank?” Leenie asked as she came toward Kate.

Kate nodded and mouthed the word yes.

“Look, I’ve got to change his diaper and I’m not sure I even know how. Just tell Leenie that I’m bringing Andrew home to her tonight. And tell her he’s fine.”

“Wait!” Kate barely had the word out of her mouth when the dial tone buzzed.

“Does he have Andrew?” Leenie asked.

“He said to tell you that he has Andrew and—”

“Oh, God!” Leenie grabbed Kate, who still held the telephone in her hand. “Thank you, God.”

Kate eased the phone back on the hook and wrapped her arms around Leenie. “Frank said that Andrew is fine. He’s bringing your son home to you tonight.”

“I wanted to talk to him, to ask him a dozen questions. Why did he hang up so quickly?”

“I believe Andrew needed an immediate diaper change and Frank was feeling a little overwhelmed by the daunting task. I don’t think he’s ever changed a diaper before.”

Leenie’s joyous laughter was contagious and within seconds she and Kate were giggling and hugging and dancing around the room like a couple of adolescents. And when they’d exhausted themselves, they fell onto the sofa, all smiles and giddiness.

“I’ll never ask for anything again as long as I live,” Leenie said. “All my prayers have been answered.”

“You’re very lucky,” Kate told her. “You’re getting your son back and I have a feeling it’s only a matter of time before Frank realizes that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you and Andrew. You should have heard him on the phone. The guy was delirious with fatherly pride.”

Leenie sighed. “Loving Andrew and loving me are two different things. I can’t expect Frank to want me on a permanent basis just because he wants to be a father to Andrew.”

“Ready for some more unsolicited advice?”

“Sure. Advise away.”

“Don’t put any pressure on Frank. Let him do things his way, in his own time. When he brings Andrew home, just enjoy the time y’all have together and don’t worry too much about the future.”

“Kate, I wish…well, I know you must be thinking about Mary Kate and wondering why I’m getting my son back so quickly and your little girl has been missing for eleven years.”

Kate shrugged. “Life’s a mystery. Why I haven’t found Mary Kate after over a decade of searching and why your Andrew is being returned to you only days after losing him is one of those mysteries.” Kate patted Leenie’s hand. “Somehow, someway, someday, I’ll find out what happened to my daughter. But for now, for tonight, you just concentrate on celebrating Andrew’s return.”

Frank hadn’t had a clue that he’d go ga-ga over a two-month-old kid. But the minute Dr. Tomlin’s nurse put Andrew in his arms, Frank had melted like ice in the July sun. His little boy had looked at him with Leenie’s big blue eyes and he’d been a goner on the spot.

“Is this Andrew Patton?” Dante Moran had asked, pointing to the child Dr. Tomlin’s nurse held.

“We’ve matched his footprint to Andrew Patton’s footprint taken at birth and they’re a perfect match,” Dr. Tomlin had said. “This young man is definitely Andrew.”

Yes, he certainly was. Andrew. His son. Frank had inspected the kid from top to bottom and seen himself or Leenie in every feature. Odd how he loved the child instantly, and not just because Andrew was his, but because Andrew was Leenie’s.

Glancing in the rearview mirror of the rental car he was driving, Frank caught a shadowy glimpse of his son asleep in the carseat Dr. Tomlin had provided. Poor little guy, Frank thought. He’d worn himself out bellowing. Apparently Andrew hadn’t inherited Leenie’s sunny disposition. Of course, Andrew had been through a traumatic experience, being snatched away from the security of his mother’s arms and the loving care of Debra Schmale.

“It’s okay, kid,” Frank said to the sleeping child, “I’m taking you home to your mama. We should be there in a few minutes. And as for your inheriting my grumpy disposition, don’t worry about it. Women seem to go for surly, brooding men.”

When Leenie’s house came into view, Frank’s gut tightened. Because of the bad weather—rain mixed with sleet—he’d driven much slower than his usual speed, so it had taken longer than it should have to make the drive from Memphis to Maysville. But he didn’t want to take any chances with Andrew onboard. From now on, his top priority was going to be keeping his son safe. He didn’t want Leenie to ever again have to endure the anguish she’d suffered these past few days.

The minute he pulled into the driveway, the front door flew open and Leenie ran outside, off the porch and into the yard. By the time he stopped the car, she was yanking on the back door handle. Frank unlocked the doors, undid his seat belt and got out, but before he could even say hello, Leenie was removing a sleeping Andrew from the carseat. She wrapped him in the blanket she’d brought with her and took him out of the car. She turned to Frank then and smiled as tears streamed down her cheeks. He put his hand on the small of her back and together they hurried into the house. Kate stood just inside the foyer, a warm smile on her face.

Suddenly Andrew let out a loud yowl. Leenie flung the damp blanket to the floor and crushed her baby to her chest. That one yowl turned into a screaming fit. Leenie held him away from her and looked at him, then spoke to him softly, a mother’s tender rambling words to soothe her fretful child. Andrew didn’t respond immediately, but Leenie kept talking to him and caressing him. Within minutes his crying diminished and soon stopped altogether. He focused his big blue eyes on his mother.

“Hello, my darling,” Leenie said, then covered his little face with kisses.

Andrew whimpered, then cooed.

Frank thought he’d lose it right then and there. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d cried. After his father’s funeral? Yeah, that had been the last time. When he’d been alone. But seeing his son safe in Leenie’s arms was enough to bring a grown man to his knees. She had a magic touch, the ability to soothe Andrew’s surly Latimer disposition. Why should that surprise him? Hadn’t she been able to work that same magic on him?

“I’m so happy that everything turned out this way,” Kate said. “I’m going to make myself scarce so y’all can have this time alone with your son.”

Cuddling Andrew close, Leenie said, “No, Kate, you don’t have to—”

“This is family time—mother, father and baby time.” Kate headed toward the guest bedroom. “I’ll see y’all in the morning.”

Frank followed Leenie into the living room and sat down beside her on the sofa. He lifted his arm and put it around her shoulders, encompassing her in his embrace as she did Andrew. They sat there together, the three of them, Andrew secure in his mother’s arms. Frank couldn’t remember ever feeling so good.

“You brought him home to me, just the way you said you would.” Leenie kissed the top of Andrew’s head. The baby’s eyelids drooped.

“He’s a beautiful child,” Frank told her. “Just perfect. And that’s amazing considering I’m his father.”

Leenie laughed. And dear God, how strongly her laughter affected him. He’d never heard a sweeter sound.

“Has he been fed? Did you give him a bottle or—”

“I’ve changed his diaper twice and given him a bottle. Dr. Tomlin, the pediatrician the FBI used in Memphis, gave me three bottles of formula.”

“I breast-fed him, you know. I’d just weaned him onto a bottle when the wreck happened and he was taken…” Leenie gulped down a sob.

Frank hugged her closer. “He’s home. He’s safe. The nightmare is over.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever let him out of my sight again as long as I live.”

Frank chuckled. “Yeah, I know the feeling, but I think Andrew will object when you start going out on his dates with him.”