Adopted Son (9 page)

“You wanted to see me?” Chuck asked.

“Yes. Please have a seat.”

He complied, sitting on the edge of a chintz chair. Chuck reminded her of a man always ready for action. He was never relaxed.

“I would like a job done, very discreetly, very professionally,” she told him.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And this is between you and me. No one else is to know, not even Byron or your father.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She pushed a file toward him. “I want to know what’s not in here.”

He picked up the file and flipped through it. “Very impressive,” he commented.

“Yes. It’s too impressive. I want to know everything about Derek Mann, his grades in high school and college, how he got all those distinguished jobs and why he wasn’t satisfied with them. I want to know what that résumé is not telling me.”

Chuck stood. “Yes, ma’am, I’m on it.”

“And, Chuck…”

“I know.” He held up a hand. “You can trust me.”

“Thank you.”

T
HE GUYS HORSED AROUND
on the old asphalt basketball court until they were short of breath.

Eli jumped and made his famous three-pointer, then put his hands on his knees. “You know what?” he said in between deep breaths. “Running around on asphalt in cowboy boots isn’t as much fun as it used to be.”

Jake sank to the pavement with a groan. “I think we’re getting older.”

They gathered on the court in a circle.

“Y’all might be, but I’m not. I’m the youngest,” Caleb said with a smirk.

Jake playfully pushed Caleb into Beau. Beau pushed Caleb back into Jake. After going back and forth a couple of times, Caleb stuck out both hands to ward off his brothers. “Okay, okay. Age is just a state of mind.”

“Yeah.” Eli nodded. “In your case it might be a state of good health.”

They all laughed.

Tuck had the ball and he twisted it around in his hands, feeling its firmness.

“Are you okay?” Caleb asked in a concerned voice.

Tuck looked at his friends. “Yes. I’m fine.” And he was. How could he not be with friends around him?

“I think it infringes on your civil rights to be denied custody because you’re single.” Beau still wasn’t convinced. “I might do some research just to make sure some lines haven’t been crossed.”

“No,” Tuck said. “I want Brady to have this chance at a life.”

“I’m not convinced that the Templetons are the better people to raise him,” Beau kept on.

“I’m not, either,” Eli said. “No one should have the right to say a man can’t raise a child because he’s single or has a high-risk job.”

“Well, I don’t want to get beat up here.” Jake drew up his knees. “But I’ve been through this. I thought I could raise Ben alone and I was fully prepared to. Once Elise entered the picture Ben just blossomed under her nurturing and care. I could see it happening. It made me feel good and bad at the same time. I wanted to do it all for my son, but I’m telling you a baby needs a mother. I’m not saying the Templetons are better for Brady. I know Tuck would have made the better parent, single or not.”

“In my opinion Tuck is the better parent. He just got penalized for his life and that sucks.” Caleb spoke his views. “I admire any man who wants to raise a child alone. That takes courage. Me, I guess I’m a wimp because I want to do everything with Josie.”

Beau punched Caleb on the shoulder. “Youth and rose-colored glasses.”

“Really, brother Beau?” Caleb squinted at Beau. “I seem to see a pair perched on your nose. It wasn’t always like that, though. About a year ago we were sitting on another basketball court when you were going through a midlife crisis.”

“Mmm,” Beau murmured. They sat silent as they remembered the trials and heartaches they’d been through together. “I still believe Tuck is the better parent to raise Brady,” Beau finally added.

“Me, too,” Eli said. “And nothing will change my mind about that—not even my beautiful wife.”

“I’m not giving up on this case.” Beau made his position very clear.

“Beau…”

Tuck didn’t get to finish his objection. Caleb threw his arm over his brother’s shoulders. “We’re gonna nominate ol’ Beau for sainthood one of these days.”

“Hear, hear,” Jake said as they rose to their feet.

Eli patted Tuck on the back. “Let’s buy Tuck the biggest Texas steak we can find. Maybe a gorgeous motherly type will wait on us, and how does that country song go? ‘I woke up married.’ Maybe Tuck will wake up married and solve all his problems.”

“Or create more,” Tuck replied, laughing as they made their way to their vehicles.

Climbing into his car, he felt so much better. His friends’ support had done the trick. He’d learned a lot today. Maybe he needed to make some changes in his plans, his life. Maybe he couldn’t do everything on his own. Maybe, like his friends, he needed a woman to complete him.

That thought had always annoyed him before.

Tonight, though, he saw green eyes.

And again, he wondered why.

F
IVE WOMEN SAT
around the kitchen table eating hot double-fudge brownies with vanilla ice cream melting over the decadent treat. Talk of babies filled the room—babies, husbands and marriage. Grace swirled her spoon through her scoop of ice cream, trying not to be annoyed, trying to fit in. But she couldn’t stop the mental notebook forming in her mind. Two moms with children, one mother with a child expecting another, one woman expecting her first baby and one single, uptight, almost virgin.

Grace licked ice cream from the spoon. Was there such a thing as an almost virgin? Maybe she was a slightly used virgin. Either way, she was totally frustrated with her life. Caroline, Elise, Josie and Macy were all happy and in love with the men of their dreams while Grace was the powerful, single career woman. For her, that didn’t compute anymore. She wanted to feel that crazy-in-love sensation, talk about diaper changing, breast-feeding and a man who made her life complete. She wanted a life, not just a career.

She shifted uneasily. Being around this much happiness was making her head spin. It had been a rough day. No matter what she was doing, thoughts of Tuck kept intruding. She hadn’t planned on going to the hearing today, but found she couldn’t stay away.

“Grace, I love your T-shirt.” Elise’s voice reached her.

“Oh. Thank you.” She swallowed a mouthful of brownie and looked down at the front of her shirt. “Caroline said for me not to wear a suit and I found this in my dresser. I can’t remember where I bought it or why. I think someone gave it to me.” On the front of her white T-shirt was written in red letters I’m a Good Kisser.

Caroline gave a long, put-out sigh. “I gave it to you. And, Grace, when I said no suit, I didn’t mean starched jeans and an ironed T-shirt. Nobody irons a T-shirt.”

“Next time you’ll have to be more specific.” Grace didn’t bat an eye at her sister’s teasing.

“Don’t pick on Grace,” Macy said. “She always looks wonderful and I think we should all have ironed T-shirts just like Grace’s. We can wear them on nights like this when we’re just being women. On the back we could put That’s How I Got My Man.

“I love the idea.” Josie swallowed a mouthful of chocolate.

“We’d have to leave the back of mine blank,” Grace said.

“Poor, poor pitiful Grace,” Caroline chided. “This isn’t like you. Where’s that strong, professional sister of mine?”

“I’m not sure.” With her spoon, she made more trails in the ice cream.

She could feel Caroline’s eyes on her. “Grace, it’s not your fault that Tuck didn’t win custody today.”

Grace laid her spoon on her plate. “Then why do I feel like it is?” She did. That was the problem. She couldn’t shake that feeling.

“Listen to me,” Caroline continued. “You stayed out of the proceedings. You didn’t have to do that, but you did. There was no way Tuck could have won this, especially since there’s a woman involved who can stay at home with Brady. Lisa and Keith were just the better choice.” Caroline took a drink of milk. “Now don’t get me wrong. I love Tuck like a brother but in this case, Brady needed more than Tuck could give him. He needed a mother.”

“I tried to tell Jake the same thing.” Elise brushed back her champagne-colored hair. A professor of American Literature, Elise was as beautiful as she was brilliant. “I reminded him how he thought he could raise Ben alone and how much easier it was when we worked together as husband and wife. But he was very adamant that in this case Tuck was the better choice. We agreed to disagree.”

“Caleb and I had the same conversation.” Josie’s dark eyes flashed. Grace often thought that Josie with her Spanish and American ancestry was one of the most stunning women she’d ever met. “I had to remind him of the difference in a mother’s role and a father’s role. He agreed up to a point, but he stuck to his belief that Tuck was best for Brady.”

“In our house we don’t have that discussion anymore.” Macy joined in. A strawberry blonde with naturally curly hair, Macy epitomized kindness and goodness. As a nurse, she cared for people with all her heart, and that caring extended to animals, as well. “Beau is one of those men who can do both roles effortlessly. What can I say? He’s special.” She smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. “But sometimes he can be just plain stubborn. He believes Tuck is the better parent and nothing will change his mind, not even me.”

“Maybe because he’s right.” Grace heard the words and realized she’d spoken them out loud. Everyone watched her closely. In that moment, she made a decision. She wasn’t going to defend herself. It was the way she felt.

“Da-da, Da-da.” Zoë came running, chanting her favorite word and saving the moment. Zoë looked up at Macy. “Da-da.”

Macy lifted Zoë into her lap. “The second she hears Beau’s name she thinks its time for her daddy to come home.”

“Da-da,” Zoë repeated, reaching for Macy’s spoon. Macy fed her the rest of the ice cream then pushed the plate out of harm’s way.

Macy kissed one fat cheek. “Sweetie, can you tell everyone how old you are?”

Zoë held up one finger, smiling. “Un.”

“Whose girl are you?”

“Da-da, Da-da, Da-da.”

Grace watched the little girl’s animated expression. She clearly loved her daddy. Her big blue eyes sparkled and the strawberry-blonde ringlets bounced on her head. She sat in Macy’s lap, her head beneath Macy’s chin; it was hard to believe that Zoë wasn’t Macy’s biological daughter. They looked so much alike. But a bond had been formed that had nothing to do with biology, even though Zoë was Macy’s niece. Their bond had to do with the heart and the many facets of love.

A cry punctured the silence. Ben and Katie came running. At five, Katie was an absolute doll with blond hair and brown eyes. “Caroline, Jesse is crying,” Katie informed Caroline.

“Thank you, sweetie,” Caroline replied, getting to her feet.

Ben leaned against his mother and Elise kissed the top of his head. “Would you like some ice cream?”

Ben shook his head. “We…we…” As Ben struggled to find the words, Elise stroked his hair. “We have popcorn.” With dark hair and eyes, Ben favored his father. Grace watched the love on Elise’s face and it had nothing to do with biology, either. It came from the heart.

“Ben, let’s go watch the rest of the movie.” Katie raced back to the den.

Caroline cradled a fussy Jesse as he rubbed his face against her blouse. “Okay, big boy, give mommy a chance to get her blouse open.”

Grace was always amazed at how fast Caroline could lift her blouse and unsnap her bra cup. In a split second, Jesse latched onto a nipple. They all watched as if it were one of the wonders of the world.

“I can’t wait,” Josie said in a breathless voice.

Macy locked her arms around Zoë. “That’s what it’s all about—life-giving nourishment. Nurturing. That’s a woman’s role.”

Caroline kissed her son. “We’ll never get our husbands to believe that.”

“Yeah, but that’s okay,” Macy said. “We love them anyway.”

“Hey, buster.” Caroline jumped. “No chewing, please.” She lifted Jesse to her shoulder and patted his back. “He always does that when he’s had enough, but since he’s teething he’s started chewing sooner and sooner. I hope he’s getting enough milk.”

“Look at his size,” Macy said. “I think he’s getting enough. If he isn’t, he’ll let you know real soon.”

“About two o’clock in the morning,” Elise remarked.

“Let me have him.” Grace got to her feet. “I’ll put him down for the night.”

“Ah, sisters are wonderful, even if they wear ironed T-shirts.” Caroline handed over her son.

“Thank you very much.” Grace gathered her nephew in her arms, glad to escape to Jesse’s room. All the marital bliss was about to suffocate her.

She gave Jesse a bath and Katie and Ben had to help. Clean and dry, Jesse drifted off to dreamland.

“I wish we had a baby at our house, don’t you, Ben?” Katie asked, watching Jesse.

“Yeah,” Ben answered, also watching Jesse.

Grace touched Katie’s cheek. “Then you wouldn’t be the baby anymore.”

“Oh.”

Grace took Katie’s and Ben’s hands and they walked back to the breakfast room. Clearly, Katie was giving the baby idea more thought. Grace knew that she was Jake’s baby girl and obviously Katie had second thoughts about giving up that title.

For the first time Grace realized she liked kids and she liked being around them. For years she’d thought just the opposite. Facing thirty-five was changing everything about her.

Or maybe it was something else.

A man she couldn’t stop thinking about.

T
HE MEN ARRIVED HOME
. Grace said goodbye and quickly left, having had all of the marital happiness she could handle for one night.

Driving by Tuck’s she saw his lights were on. Without a second thought, she pulled into his drive way. His ranger car and his silver truck were parked under the carport. Knocking on his door, she waited with her breath lodged in her throat like a cube of ice.

The door swung open and Tuck stood there in his slacks, socks and a T-shirt pulled out of his pants. Her heart rate accelerated.

“Grace,” he said in surprise, and the warmth in his voice melted the blockage in her throat.

She swallowed. “May I come in?”

“Sure.” He held open the screen door and she walked in.

Sam reared up on her jeans, wagging his tail. She froze, but realized this was a pivotal moment. What she did now would set the tone of their future relationship. Taking a breath, she reached down, picked up Sam and held him in her arms, forcing herself to lightly stroke him. This wasn’t a normal reaction for her, but she wasn’t sure what normal was anymore.

Tuck’s eyes widened, but he didn’t say anything.

“I wanted to tell you again how sorry I am about today.”

“You know, Grace, you keep saying that and soon I’ll start to believe it.”

“Please do.” Her eyes held his. “We just had a lengthy conversation about this at Caroline’s.”

“And the women believe the right decision was made today?”

“Yes.”

He scratched his head. “Actually, the guys had the same conversation—all believing just the opposite.”

“Venus and Mars.” She managed a slight smile.

“Something like that.” His eyes narrowed. “Are you seceding from your planet, Grace?”

“Maybe.” They were flirting and she relaxed, enjoying his company.

“Before you make that momentous decision, how about a beer?”

“Sure.” She wasn’t fond of beer, but she’d probably drink quinine if he’d asked her. And that really wasn’t like her. She was used to saying no, making decisions based on her ideas and beliefs. This time she made the decision on how she felt about him, a purely feminine decision.

She placed Sam on the floor and resisted the urge to wipe her hands on her jeans.

Tuck turned from the refrigerator with two beers, his eyes on her hands. “Go ahead, wash your hands.”

She glanced up. “It’s okay. Jesse threw up on my shoulder then he got me thoroughly wet giving him his bath so washing my hands seems moot at this point.”

He set the beers on the table. “I get the feeling you’re going through some sort of metamorphosis. You can freeze water, but it’s still water.”

“I don’t know what that means.”

“It means you can’t suppress who you really are.

You’re a fastidious person. I am, too. So wash your hands and we’ll both be happy.”

She went to the sink and washed her hands, not having a clue what that bit of conversation was about. Maybe she couldn’t change who she was inside. She just wanted to be comfortable within herself again.

Drying her hands on a paper towel, she joined Tuck. He sipped his beer, forearms resting on the table, Sam at his feet.

She slipped into a chair. “Where’s Dee?”

“She’s mostly an outdoor cat. She comes in when she wants to.”

Grace took a swallow of beer and stared down at the names carved on the old oak table, a long rectangle that could easily seat ten people. She ran her fingers over a name. “What are these?” She’d noticed them before on her rare visits to his house, but she never had the courage to ask how the names had gotten there.

“Names of children my parents took in. If you stayed for any length of time, you got to carve your name in a place of honor. That’s what Pa said. Once your name was on the table, you always had a home.”

“Where’s yours?” She searched the table’s surface. John, James, Dan, April, Beth, Billy, Mike, Judd, Brian, Gail, Nancy, Jimmy, Frances, Hector, Maria, Will, Janis, Cari, Doris, Matt, and the list went on. But she didn’t see Tuck or Eli.

“I’m sitting in Pa’s place and Ma sat to his right. Eli sat next to Ma and my place was next to Pa, so my name is to your right.”

“Here it is,” she said excitedly, running her forefinger over his name.

“I remember the day we did that. I must have been about four. Pa held my hand and said, ‘This is forever, boy. Forever.’ And it was. I may not know my birth parents, but God gave me the best He had.”

She heard the love in his voice and she was spell bound, wanting to know more.

“Does it bother you that you don’t know who your parents are?”

He stared down at the table in silence and she wondered if she’d stepped over the line.

“Sometimes,” he finally answered. “I didn’t know there was a stigma attached to adopted kids until I was in my teens. Some parents didn’t want me dating their daughters because they didn’t know where I came from. They concluded that since I was abandoned, my parents had to be undesirables with low moral character.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” She wanted him to know that. “Everyone knows the type of man you are, selfless and giving.”

“Thank you,” he said, studying the beer can. “Some people don’t understand why I have this dream to help children.” He ran the palm of his hand over the table. “But when I look at these names, I know what I have to do. What I was meant to do.” He took a swallow of beer. “You probably don’t understand that.”

“I understand it perfectly.”

“Really?” His eyes caught hers. “That’s why your law firm represented the Templetons and believed in the nurturing ability of a two-parent family instead of a single male?”