Книга - A Father’s Vow

A Father's Vow
Tina Leonard


Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the goal remains the same.LostOne twin. Ben Mulholland desperately needs a bone marrow donor to save his little girl, Lucy. The brother Ben never knew he had is Lucy's best, maybe only, chance. If he can just track him down…FoundThe miracle of hope. Caroline St. Clair has loved Ben forever and she'll do whatever it takes to ensure he doesn't lose his precious daughter. In the process, old wounds are healed and flames of passion reignited. But the future is far from secure.Finders Keepers: bringing families together







Isabella Trueblood made history reuniting people torn apart by war and an epidemic. Now, generations later, Lily and Dylan Garrett carry on her work with their agency, Finders Keepers. Circumstances may have changed, but the goal remains the same.

Lost

One twin. Ben Mulholland desperately needs a bone marrow donor to save his little girl, Lucy. The brother Ben never knew he had is Lucy’s best, maybe only, chance. If he can just track him down...

Found

The miracle of hope. Caroline St. Clair has loved Ben forever and she’ll do whatever it takes to ensure he doesn’t lose his precious daughter. In the process, old wounds are healed and flames of passion reignited. But the future is far from secure.

Finders Keepers: bringing families together


“I can’t wait any longer to dance with you,” Ben murmured.

Carolyn drifted into his arms. Pressing her face against his shoulder, she said, “How many times have you called to check on Lucy?”

He laughed, and they moved to the music, a seamless union of man and woman. “Only once, thank you. She wants me to bring her a flower from the bride’s bouquet.”

“I’ll go snatch one before Lily tosses it to the crowd.”

Ben framed her face with his hands and looked into her eyes. “Don’t go away, Carolyn. I have a confession to make.”

She stared, lost in his suddenly serious expression. “I’m listening.”

“The thought occurred to me that this could have been us if we’d gotten married.” He leaned to brush his lips against hers. “I guess what I’m trying to say is, you’ll always be part of my soul.”

“Ben, don’t,” she said quickly, “because I—I’m—”

He put his chin against her forehead, holding her close. “Only putting up a brave front?”


Dear Reader,

I was immediately intrigued when I was asked to participate in the TRUEBLOOD, TEXAS series, because A Father’s Vow deals with the issue of how much a father is willing to do for his child.

And isn’t that a central theme that plays through most of our lives? I love the guardian aspect of a father’s role in his child’s life. In this romance we get to see Ben Mulholland’s strengths—and even get a peek at his desperation and fragility—as he takes the role of front-and-center player in his daughter’s life.

As readers, we love to meet and read about big, strong men who fight so hard for their kids! Ben Mulholland is based on real-life fathers I have seen. There’s the dad who shows up in his suit after work, holding a younger baby in his arms, while he coaches soccer. Or the one who works two jobs so that the bills are paid. The dad who mentors and takes the time to lay his hands across another child’s shoulders to say, “I’m here for you.”

Hopefully, I’ve captured the meaning that a father has in his child’s life in this book. I hope you enjoy it. Please visit me at www.tinaleonard.com and let me know!

Love,

Tina Leonard




A Father’s Vow

Tina Leonard







www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)


THE TRUEBLOOD LEGACY

THE YEAR WAS 1918, and the Great War in Europe still raged, but Esau Porter was heading home to Texas.

The young sergeant arrived at his parents’ ranch northwest of San Antonio on a Sunday night, only the celebration didn’t go off as planned. Most of the townsfolk of Carmelita had come out to welcome Esau home, but when they saw the sorry condition of the boy, they gave their respects quickly and left.

The fever got so bad so fast that Mrs. Porter hardly knew what to do. By Monday night, before the doctor from San Antonio made it into town, Esau was dead.

The Porter family grieved. How could their son have survived the German peril, only to burn up and die in his own bed? It wasn’t much of a surprise when Mrs. Porter took to her bed on Wednesday. But it was a hell of a shock when half the residents of Carmelita came down with the horrible illness. House after house was hit by death, and all the townspeople could do was pray for salvation.

None came. By the end of the year, over one hundred souls had perished. The influenza virus took those in the prime of life, leaving behind an unprecedented number of orphans. And the virus knew no boundaries. By the time the threat had passed, more than thirty-seven million people had succumbed worldwide.

But in one house, there was still hope.

Isabella Trueblood had come to Carmelita in the late 1800s with her father, blacksmith Saul Trueblood, and her mother, Teresa Collier Trueblood. The family had traveled from Indiana, leaving their Quaker roots behind.

Young Isabella grew up to be an intelligent woman who had a gift for healing and storytelling. Her dreams centered on the boy next door, Foster Carter, the son of Chester and Grace.

Just before the bad times came in 1918, Foster asked Isabella to be his wife, and the future of the Carter spread was secured. It was a happy union, and the future looked bright for the young couple.

Two years later, not one of their relatives was alive. How the young couple had survived was a miracle. And during the epidemic, Isabella and Foster had taken in more than twenty-two orphaned children from all over the county. They fed them, clothed them, taught them as if they were blood kin.

Then Isabella became pregnant, but there were complications. Love for her handsome son, Josiah, born in 1920, wasn’t enough to stop her from grow-ing weaker by the day. Knowing she couldn’t leave her husband to tend to all the children if she died, she set out to find families for each one of her orphaned charges.

And so the Trueblood Foundation was born. Named in memory of Isabella’s parents, it would become famous all over Texas. Some of the orphaned children went to strangers, but many were reunited with their families. After reading notices in newspapers and church bulletins, aunts, uncles, cousins and grand-parents rushed to Carmelita to find the young ones they’d given up for dead.

Toward the end of Isabella’s life, she’d brought together more than thirty families, and not just her orphans. Many others, old and young, made their way to her doorstep, and Isabella turned no one away.

At her death, the town’s name was changed to Trueblood, in her honor. For years to come, her simple grave was adorned with flowers on the anniversary of her death, grateful tokens of appreciation from the families she had brought together.

Isabella’s son, Josiah, grew into a fine rancher and married Rebecca Montgomery in 1938. They had a daughter, Elizabeth Trueblood Carter, in 1940. Elizabeth married her neighbor William Garrett in 1965, and gave birth to twins Lily and Dylan in 1971, and daughter Ashley a few years later. Home was the Double G ranch, about ten miles from Trueblood proper, and the Garrett children grew up listening to stories of their famous great-grandmother, Isabella. Because they were Truebloods, they knew that they, too, had a sacred duty to carry on the tradition passed down to them: finding lost souls and reuniting loved ones.


Tina Leonard is acknowledged as the author of this work.

Many thanks to Marsha Zinberg and Susan Sheppard, who helped me make this book the best I could make it.

Also, my sincere thanks to Peggy Hoffmann (aka Kate Hoffmann), without whom I’m pretty sure I would never have been able to write this story. Thanks, Peggy—it was fun!

And to my kids, Lisa and Dean, who are patient with their never-Betty-Crocker mom. I love you.


Contents

CHAPTER ONE (#u6f9a5e17-8dee-5a0e-9395-7f9e2b3d66b6)

CHAPTER TWO (#uc583ab13-c732-52c8-802c-17e800f7465b)

CHAPTER THREE (#uc6f799fe-4364-5923-a625-d1c569bc0961)

CHAPTER FOUR (#u89d2e324-8f96-51d1-8b5d-00d388c8b00e)

CHAPTER FIVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIX (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHT (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER NINE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER ELEVEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER TWELVE (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER THIRTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FOURTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN (#litres_trial_promo)


CHAPTER ONE

CAROLYN ST. CLAIR wasn’t having the best day to begin with, but when the doors to Finders Keepers opened to reveal Ben Mulholland—her long-lost love—things went to heck in a handbasket.

Never mind that her pulse jumped erratically and a thrill set every one of her nerve endings on high alert.

Ben’s intense hazel eyes settled on her with unyielding focus, and Carolyn managed the most difficult smile she’d ever forced to her face.

“Hello, Ben,” she said.

“Carolyn.” He shoved his hands into the pockets of his well-worn jeans and stared at her, clearly uncomfortable.

Time had made strangers of them. She reached for the platitude. “You’re looking well.”

His eyes flickered. “You are, too.”

The response was too automatic to be a genuine compliment, so she decided to skip the small talk and say what she really wanted to say, no matter how awkward. “I was sorry to hear about your mom, Ben.” She swallowed, hoping her stilted tone conveyed the sympathy she felt. But was it more sympathy than he’d welcome from an old girlfriend?

When nodded in appreciation, Carolyn relaxed slightly.

“Thanks. Mom really liked you.”

Eileen Mulholland had been certain Carolyn and Ben were perfect for each other. When Carolyn broke off the relationship, Eileen had personally called to tell her how sorry she was, and that she’d hoped Carolyn would one day become her daughter-in-law. Eileen never asked why Carolyn was breaking the engagement. She’d merely expressed her love.

Carolyn had felt so guilty.

Another woman had become Eileen’s daughter-in-law, not too many months later. Sadly, she’d also become her ex-daughter-in-law, shortly before Eileen passed away.

“I saw the pot of daisies in Mom’s hospital room,” Ben said. “She told me you’d been by.” He cleared his throat. “It was nice of you to visit her, Carolyn.”

How could she not? She’d loved Eileen. She’d loved Ben. They were part of the family to which she had desperately wanted to belong; a family she’d always dreamed of.

She’d known for some time she would never have that family of her dreams.

“I hated to see her go, Ben. She had so much love of life.”

“Thanks, Carolyn.” His lips flattened for a moment, before he said, “Mom told me you were working here. I came by to ask a favor of you.”

Carolyn’s eyebrows rose. “A favor?”

“Actually, I’d like to hire Finders Keepers for a personal reason.” He sighed. “I suppose nobody walks in the agency door unless it’s a personal reason.”

She tried to offer him a reassuring smile. He was obviously on edge, but she didn’t feel it was because of her. On the other hand, she had tensed the moment their eyes met, despite the years since she’d last seen him. Now she needed to call on her professionalism to keep a wedge between the feelings she still had for Ben and the knowledge that those buried emotions would always be doomed to disappointment. “Please sit down.” She gestured to a chair near the desk. “Can I get you something to drink? Coffee? A soda?”

He shook his head, drumming his fingers on the desk after he sat. One hand riffled absently through sandy hair that needed a trim. He looked tired Carolyn noted, or perhaps worried. Something other than happiness had etched itself into the sun lines around his eyes; the easy smile he’d once possessed hadn’t surfaced since he’d walked in the door.

“How can Finders Keepers help you, Ben?”

“By taking my case.”

“We’ll certainly review whether our expertise is a match for your needs, but—”

“It’s important to me that you be the one handling it,” he stressed.

Startled, she shook her head. “I don’t know if that would be in your best interest, Ben. Dylan and Lily Garrett really hired me to run the office. They’re the experienced—”

“You haven’t even heard the details,” he reminded her. “Don’t tell me no just yet, Carolyn. Please.”

He hadn’t missed her reluctance to agree to his request. She shifted in her chair, unable to meet his eyes for a moment. “I’m willing to listen, of course. And Finders Keepers will do the best they can to help you.”

He frowned, furrowing the skin between his sandy brows. “You’re uncomfortable.”

She hesitated. “Perhaps a little.”

Nodding, he said, “I understand that. I wouldn’t be here if this wasn’t a matter of urgency.”

When he stared at her, those large hazel eyes pleading for her acquiescence, Carolyn wanted to close her own eyes and sigh. The memory of having to say no to him on another matter—marriage—crystallized painfully in her mind. She pushed the memory into a place she wouldn’t let it escape from again today. “Do you mind if I tape you?” she asked. “I’ll take notes, but it’s better if I have a tape to go back over later, just in case I should miss anything.”

He blinked at her sudden take-charge tone. “Does that mean you’ll handle my case?”

She extinguished the pleasure she felt at the relief in his voice. “It means I need to get the particulars and discuss them with the Garretts, who run Finders Keepers. It’s Dylan and Lily who do all the investigative work.” She raised a hand to quell his instant protest. “I’ll do my best to underscore your wishes that I handle this for you, Ben. I give you my word.”

He nodded. “Your word was always good, Carolyn. I’ll take it.”

She set out a tape recorder on the desk, fitted it with a new cassette. The agency door opened, and a tall, beautiful blonde walked in, her stride graceful, but almost too long for the little girl beside her. Carolyn’s heart stopped in her chest.

Marissa. Ben’s ex-wife. The woman he’d married very quickly after Carolyn had turned down his marriage proposal. She made herself smile, girding her heart against the pain.

“This is Marissa,” Ben said, not knowing that Carolyn had devoured the pictures of him and his new bride in the newspaper six years ago. Nor had she been able to keep from looking at the photos of Marissa in magazines over the years. Marissa in swimsuits, evening gowns, lingerie—it had hurt. For some reason, every photo of his glamorous wife had stung, maybe because Carolyn knew that beside Marissa’s bright light, she was a nondescript shadow.

“Hello, Marissa,” Carolyn said. “I’m Carolyn St. Clair.”

“I know who you are,” Marissa returned, her tone not warm, but not cool, either. Matter-of-fact. They assessed each other wordlessly, then the little girl Marissa held by the hand leaped into Ben’s lap and they broke eye contact.

Carolyn was dead certain she’d be taking a hiatus from doughnuts with her hot tea from now on. And maybe she’d make an appointment for some highlights, start running on the track at the high school in the evenings…

“Carolyn,” Ben said, his voice gentle, “this is my daughter, Lucy.”

And his daughter’s bright smile sent all the misgivings she’d been nursing right out of her head. “Hello, Lucy. You sure are pretty.”

“I know.” She grinned at Carolyn. “Everyone says I look like Mommy.”

Carolyn smiled. “You do.”

“But I’m going to look like my daddy when I grow up.” She turned in her father’s lap to brush the hair from his eyes. Then she kissed him on the nose and patted his cheek with a soft, pudgy hand. “I’m going to marry my daddy when I grow up.”

Ben’s laugh was quiet and proud. Marissa looked at her designer fingernails. Well, that makes three of us in the same room who have considered marrying Ben Mulholland at one time, Carolyn thought wryly. Lucy’s childish wish was the most impractical, but it was obvious she had every centimeter of Ben’s heart, and was guaranteed to keep it that way.

“I need a half hour or so,” Ben said over Lucy’s shoulder as he looked up at Marissa.

“Oh, Daddy!” Lucy protested, clearly unwilling to detach herself from her big, strong father.

Marissa nodded. Her gaze flicked to Carolyn as she reached to take Lucy’s hand and guide her off her father’s lap. “It was nice meeting you, Carolyn.”

“You, too.”

“Ben has a lot of faith in you,” Marissa murmured. “I hope you can help us.”

Help us. The plural caught Carolyn off guard. This was, then, a family situation that had brought Ben to her. Nothing she needed to fear. The past was not going to jump out at her with painful memories. “I’ll do my best,” she told Marissa sincerely. “Although I have yet to hear the situation, I certainly hope Finders Keepers can resolve it.”

Marissa nodded, her eyes dark with something Carolyn couldn’t define before she turned back to her husband. “Ben, my plane leaves in a few hours.”

“I’ll have you at the airport on time. Bye, honey.” He kissed Lucy on the side of the cheek. She patted his face and then walked to the door with her elegant mother.

Carolyn glanced down as the door closing behind them. The pain she’d so determinedly avoided suddenly flayed her. “She’s beautiful, Ben,” she said automatically, meaning Lucy but knowing the word encompassed his wife, as well.

“Lucy is my soul’s joy.” He leaned forward and Carolyn’s gaze involuntarily rose to his face. “She means the world to me. I can’t even tell you how much I love my daughter.” It seemed that the earnestness left his eyes for a moment as he focused inward. Then he said slowly, “She has leukemia, Carolyn.”

Denial sprang into Carolyn’s mind. “Oh, Ben!”

She didn’t know what else to say. I’m sorry wouldn’t cut it. How terrifying! was all wrong. Why Lucy? Why Ben? Why his mother and his child?

He put his head down, a slow surrender to pain, and sheltered his face with splayed fingers.

But she’d seen the tear. She heard his heart breaking. She’d seen the panic in his eyes, in Marissa’s eyes.

Once again, Ben wanted a yes from her. This time, there was no way she could deny him. She took a deep, steadying breath and reached out her hand to cover the clenched fist he’d braced on his knee.

“I’m going to get you a soda from the kitchen,” she said softly, knowing he needed a moment to pull himself back together. “And then you and I will get to work on whatever it is that brought you to Finders Keepers.”

“I need to find a miracle,” Ben said, his voice rasping with raw emotion.

She squeezed his hand briefly and rose from her seat, not at all certain she was the one he should have come to for a miracle.

* * *

“WHEN MOM WAS in the hospital, she was doing a lot of walking down memory lane.” Ben had enjoyed hearing about his mother’s childhood. He’d already known a lot about her past life, but it had brought them closer together to share the walk she needed to take. “In the final days, she focused on Lucy, and I probably don’t have to tell you that Mom was intense. Lucy was…special.” He smiled, somehow self-deprecatingly. “She’s special to me, too, of course, but Lucy and Mom were really connected.”

“Grandparents occupy a magical place in children’s lives,” Carolyn murmured.

He frowned, realizing he’d heard her say that a long time ago. It had been six years since they’d broken up, yet there was so much he could still remember about Carolyn. She’d been important to him in a way no one else had ever been. Maybe the innocence of youth had deepened the level of understanding between them. Tightened their connection.

It had been difficult to come here today, to face the woman he’d loved so deeply. No man willingly sought out a woman who’d rejected him. Avoiding pain was what a man did best. He would never have married Marissa if he hadn’t been running from his shattered emotions. But his mother seemed to think Carolyn could help Lucy. Heaven only knew, what he was going to ask of her was impossible. Unthinkable.

Carolyn was a woman, not a savior.

“In the hospital, Mom revealed to me that I’d had a twin. She gave birth to two children, both boys.” He swallowed. It still felt strange to repeat his mother’s incredible words. “The other child—“ he couldn’t say my brother “-was stillborn, according to the nurse who attended her.”

Carolyn’s hand flew to make a notation, then her gaze met his again. He saw calm in her eyes, none of the raging fear and panic he felt. Her acceptance of his pronouncement allowed him to continue.

“At the time Mom delivered, apparently a black market baby ring was in operation in Texas, ghastly as that sounds. Newborns have always fetched top dollar. Mom had two, and she believes that one of them may have been…stolen.”

“But if one was stillborn, then why would the baby have been stolen?”

“Mom believes she heard the cry of another infant in the room. Two babies crying, but only for a few seconds. She was groggy from medication—even then women were often put to sleep to have children.”

“I know. My mother said it was wonderful to wake up and be handed a baby.”

He nodded. “Mom says she was already coming out of the anaesthesia when she heard the crying. But when she was told that one of her children had been stillborn, she didn’t suspect that anyone would lie to her about it. She was young, seventeen, and my father was away at a farmer’s market in Fort Worth, and…”

“She was overwhelmed and frightened. And too young to question what she’d heard.”

“Right.” A sigh escaped him. “I won’t tell you that I embraced this story of hers when she told me. I know Mom was desperate to find a bone marrow match for Lucy, and at a success rate of one in three million, we’d need an angel to guide us in finding one.”

Carolyn made no comment, didn’t raise an eyebrow in disbelief. He’d gotten past the hard parts without rejection. She seemed to take in every word he said with complete empathy.

“Mom was rambling at the end somewhat, and this could easily be the wishful thinking of a dying woman. I know wishful thinking is more my companion every day, but even I know how implausible this sounds.”

“I’m sure you and Marissa have run through both sides of your family tree for possibilities?”

“Of course.”

Carolyn held his gaze for a second before looking at her notes. He had the feeling she was deep in thought. Her green eyes were alert, her posture erect. She’d always had a curvaceous, knock-out body, but the coral suit she wore gave her a professional demeanor. He liked the fact that the body he remembered so well was hidden beneath a jacket, knee-length skirt and gauzy blouse—a secret he would have preferred to keep his alone.

Pushing back auburn-tinted, rich brown hair, Carolyn met his gaze again. His heart stilled as he realized she was about to pronounce the time, dollars and energy this search would require.

“Ben, there are records which can be searched easily enough to get us started. It is true that long-lost relatives have been found as a result of searches by loved ones who suspect exactly what your mother did. But the outcome is a long shot, and I’m sure you know that.”

He nodded.

“Still, it’s not unthinkable.”

“You’ll do it, then?” The relief that swept through him was a crashing ocean wave flinging him onto a beach of hope.

“I’ll present your case file to Lily and Dylan Garrett. They’re better equipped to assist you. Lily has experience as a forensics expert for the FBI, and Dylan worked as an undercover detective. Actually, he was instrumental in breaking that baby-selling ring last spring. We’ve also started to refer cases to Budnicki-Morales Private Investigations in Midland-Odessa. Jennifer Rodriguez works there, and she is top-notch at locating missing persons.”

“While I appreciate your advice to put my case in experienced hands, you said yourself that records could be easily searched to start the ball rolling. That’s something you can do yourself, isn’t it?”

She nodded. “Yes, but—”

“Where are the Garretts right now?”

Her expressive emerald eyes widened. “Lily is getting married, so she’s tied up with wedding details, and Dylan is out of town handling some of her caseload.”

“So, they’re otherwise occupied and not likely to give top priority to this case.”

“The Garretts are thorough in their attention—”

“I know. My point is that my daughter is very ill with acute lymphocytic leukemia. I don’t have the luxury of time. You said yourself the research process could easily be started. In fact, I’m here because of Carolyn St. Clair, not the Garretts. I trust you, and I know you well enough to know that you’ll use all your energy to tear into the facts like a tenacious bull, Carolyn.”

“Thanks, I think,” she murmured.

He reached to touch her chin with his finger, so that she’d meet his eyes. “I need you for this, Carolyn. Mom sent me here with her last breath, to find you and ask you for your help. She knew you loved her…knew you’d fall in love with Lucy.”

Knew you’d loved me. He didn’t say it, but the words hung between them, implied and poignant. For whatever reason she’d left him—and that was a mystery he’d never unlock now—he knew in his heart that when Carolyn St. Clair loved someone, she loved with all her soul.

He was counting on that for Lucy.


CHAPTER TWO

WHEN BEN LOOKED at her like that, with his eyes full of hope that she’d say yes, Carolyn put her personal reservations aside for the moment. “Tell me everything your mother told you. Anything you can remember she said before she died.”

“The doctor who delivered me was Douglas Benton. He worked with his wife, Vivian—she assisted him in a midwife capacity.”

“Your mother didn’t go to a hospital?”

“No. For one thing, she was from tough country stock. Her mother’s children were born at home, and Mom didn’t know there was another way to do it. Also, she and Dad simply didn’t have the cash to go to a hospital. Remember, back then a person paid medical bills out of their own pocket. Ironically, Dad had gone to market to sell some crops, hoping to have enough money for whatever they needed when I was born.” He withdrew a photo from his wallet of a smiling family: a tall man in an ill-fitting suit, a woman holding a blanket-wrapped baby in her arms.

Carolyn felt chills sweep her. “So if your mom hadn’t come out of the anesthetic early, she might never have thought there was another living child.”

He shook his head. “If I really do have a brother, it’s a miracle that we know to start looking for him. At the same time, I don’t want to get my hopes up. Why did Mom never remember this before? That’s what I keep coming back to.”

“I had surgery once for something minor,” she said, not meeting his eyes and not about to tell him her deepest, darkest secret, “and I was very groggy when I awakened. I was also more nauseated than I’d ever been in my life. To be honest, I was focused on the pain I’d begun to feel and not my surroundings.”

“Maybe that’s what Mom experienced. Anyway, being in the hospital seemed to make Mom want to talk about her life. I never knew as much about my mother as I did during those days before she died. I wish I’d tape-recorded it for Lucy’s sake, because I can’t possibly remember everything she said.”

Carolyn smiled. “You sound like it was a good experience for you.”

“It was. I could tell she’d made her peace with her situation, and that she wasn’t afraid of—“ He took a deep breath. “And that made me not afraid. But then all of a sudden, she became noticeably weaker. She began talking about my brother, and it was as if she couldn’t…let herself die until she’d relived those moments of her delivery. I saw her turn into a frightened young girl who was upset that her baby was coming when her husband, her most trusted friend and provider, was out of town. Her parents weren’t close enough to make it in time. She was young, alone, afraid.”

“Possibly a ripe target for a baby ring, if that is indeed what happened.”

“Maybe so. She was vulnerable, that’s for sure. And there were no witnesses, except for the doctor’s wife, and she’s not going to want to tell us anything, if there is something to tell.”

“Did you happen to look through Eileen’s records when she was in the hospital? Usually they’re close at hand with the nurses.”

He shook his head. “I never even thought to look at her chart. How would that have helped?”

“Probably it wouldn’t have. But I would have been curious to know if your mother continued to see Dr. Benton after your birth.”

“I don’t think she did. Otherwise I would have remembered him. Her oncologist is Dr. Tristan Collins. I can’t say I liked him very well. He was overconfident and young. Perhaps if I’d met him under different circumstances… Actually, I believe I was put off by the fact that he was so young. The nurses were smitten with him, and so was Mom. She kind of glowed whenever he came into the room.” He smiled wryly. “I wanted a grizzled, mature doctor like the ones you see on television to miraculously heal my mother.”

Carolyn lowered her eyes for a second. “I’m so sorry, Ben.”

“Oh, I was just mad at the world, I guess. Dr. Collins has an excellent medical record, and he made my mom happy because he didn’t treat her as if she were sickly and fragile, which she was. He treated her as if she were still vibrant and beautiful, which was exactly what she needed at the time.” He stared at his hands. “Dr. Collins is how we discovered Lucy was ill.”

“What do you mean?”

“Mom was taking care of Lucy for me one day about six months ago. She went by Dr. Collins’s office to get some paperwork, and he happened to walk through the waiting room. He stopped to chat to Lucy—she’s quite a chatterbox-and he noticed a bruise on her arm. He asked Mom about it. Mom was astonished and assured Dr. Collins that the bruise hadn’t been there when she’d helped Lucy dress. She couldn’t remember Lucy bumping into anything, or getting knocked down by one of the dogs. Dr. Collins suggested Mom walk Lucy down the hall to one of his colleagues, a pediatrician. He called himself to have the doctor take a look at the bruise, which was ugly and big and greenish-blue.”

He stopped, and Carolyn pinned her gaze on him, not wanting to hear the rest and yet knowing she had to. She gave Ben time to assemble his thoughts.

“And that,” Ben said softly, “is how we came to have Lucy tested for leukemia. I don’t have to tell you that my whole world came undone.”

Carolyn sat very still.

“Perversely, I don’t like Dr. Collins, when I know very well he is the only person who gave us a fighting chance with Lucy’s life.”

She put a hand on his briefly. “Ben, no one is going to blame you for wanting to shoot the messenger. You’ve lost your mom and your daughter is ill. You can have all the skewed emotions you want. I’m sure Dr. Collins would understand.”

“Lucy has tremendous regard for him. When she had her first round of chemotherapy, Dr. Collins came to visit her in the hospital.”

“I see.”

“With a giant teddy bear.”

She made a note on her pad. “I should talk to Dr. Collins and see if he has anything he can share about your mother that isn’t restricted to doctor-patient confidentiality.”

Ben remained silent.

“Ben?”

His gaze traveled over her, ever so slowly, and a strange sensation swept through her as he assessed her businesslike suit, her chin-length auburn hair, even her fingernails, which were short and coated with clear polish. Suddenly, she longed for sexy red polish and long, elegant nails.

“You haven’t changed at all, Carolyn,” Ben told her.

She didn’t know if that was a compliment or just a general observation.

“Only you would understand that I was mad at that doctor for being the one to figure out Lucy was ill and for not being able to cure Mom. I wanted the impossible from him, and no matter how irrational that is, you just sit there and nod your head. Like you understand everything I’m feeling, even if I can’t understand it very well myself.” He paused for a moment before saying, “It feels great to talk to you again, Carolyn.”

Searching around for something to say amid the morass of emotions that engulfed her, Carolyn found herself spared by the opening of the agency door. Marissa strode in, and Lucy sprang into her daddy’s lap.

Marissa looked at Carolyn, a question mark in her eyes.

Carolyn stared at the beautiful woman who seemed on the surface to have everything, and then at the man holding the little girl who meant the world to him. “This is as good a place to start as any,” she said to Ben. “Let me call a few people, and then we’ll talk again.”

They watched her, and Carolyn had the distinct feeling she was the point on a triangle the other two sides needed to retain their shape. She stood, arming herself with professional courtesy.

“I know you have to get to the airport, Marissa, so I won’t keep you further. Lucy, I’ll be seeing you soon.”

She smiled at the family as they walked in front of her to the door.

Ben turned back to stare at her, and she met his gaze as evenly as she could.

Then he left. She closed the door behind them, walked through the main reception area and into her own office.

She sat in the silence for a few moments, quietly thinking about Ben and everything he’d been through. Examining the feelings she’d once had for him.

Strangely enough, it had not been difficult to see him with Marissa. Not the way she’d always imagined it would be.

Breath stole back into her body. She was okay—her emotions surprisingly unscathed.

If Lily and Dylan wanted her to begin the initial casework, she could handle it. Eileen’s faith in her gave her the backbone and desire to make certain everything in her power was done to find a miracle for Lucy.

The first thing she was going to do was put in a call to the hospital to find out how she herself could be tested as a donor match for Lucy. She knew the initial step was a simple blood test, but maybe, just maybe, she could justify Eileen’s faith in her. Even if the missing brother turned out to be nothing but the wistful hallucination of a dying woman, Carolyn herself might be able to provide the miracle Lucy needed.

Ben would never have to know.

* * *

DR. COLLINS smiled at her when he met her in his office, and Carolyn recognized immediately that they shared a common interest.

“Thank you for seeing me, Doctor.”

“My pleasure. I, too, fell under Lucy Mulholland’s spell.” He smiled at Carolyn. “She is a very sweet little girl. And she’s going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up. Not of her own doing, of course. She’s like her grandmother and father. A gentle species.”

Carolyn blinked. “I couldn’t agree more.”

The doctor nodded, his blue eyes dark and serious now. “Eileen was a favorite patient of mine. We’re not supposed to have favorites, I guess. All patients should be regarded equally. But Eileen had sparkle. She was a real trooper.”

Carolyn cleared her throat, sensing the doctor’s sadness. This was not the time to pry about Eileen, so she stuck with her basic question. “You were going to tell me about the blood testing process.”

“The first stage is simple. You’ll get a blood test, which we can do here at the hospital, and the results will be analyzed.” He smiled, his eyes bright with humor. “I will admit to having been caught in Lucy’s spell myself, and rendered up my own arm for a test.”

Carolyn stared at him.

“Unfortunately, I’m not a match for her. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.”

“She’s had the leukemia for a while, hasn’t she?”

“I think she must have had it for a year before she was tested,” the doctor said quietly. “Her leukemia is fairly advanced, which is creating greater havoc in finding a donor, as more selective matches must be created.”

Carolyn felt Dr. Collins’s intense gaze. Instinctively she knew that he missed nothing. If she had any outward symptoms of ill health, he would have seen them by now. She got up, told herself she was being irrational, but did her best to suck in her scarred abdomen anyway. “Thank you for your assistance, Dr. Collins. I appreciate your taking the time to see me.”

“We’ll keep our fingers crossed that you get better news than I did.” He walked her to the office door. “Tell Mr. Mulholland hello if you see him.”

“I will. Thank you.” She forced a smile and hurried from the office. Once in her car, she dropped her purse into the front seat and let down the windows. September heat was stifling in Texas, but her breathlessness came from a different source. She turned on the car and hit the air conditioner button.

Hot air blasted her. She put her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

Control. Ben felt out of control—that’s why he resented Dr. Collins. Ben wasn’t confident these days of his own ability to protect his family.

Carolyn took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. In one hour, she would have the preliminary test that could prove her a match possibility for Lucy. She didn’t feel in control, either.

She dialed a number on her cell phone. “Hi,” she said when her best friend, Emily, answered.

“Hey, Caro.”

“What would you say if I told you that Ben Mulholland came to see me yesterday?”

“That it was an interesting turn of events. How did he look?”

Carolyn smiled at the teasing tone in Emily’s voice. “He hasn’t changed much in the looks department.”

“So your heart went pitty-pat?”

She rolled her eyes. “I met his daughter, and his wife. Ex-wife.”

“And?”

“His daughter is sick with leukemia.”

“Oh, no!”

“She’s five, Em, and she’s adorable. Precious. Demanding. Wants as much of her daddy as she can get.”

“Ahem. And your heart…”

“Went right out the window. I’m waiting to have a blood test right now to see if I’m a preliminary match.”

“Oh, God, Caro,” Emily said on a sigh. “You were born a trouper.”

“Don’t tell anyone.”

“Of course not. But I love you for being brave.”

Carolyn thought about the lines of anxiety around Ben’s eyes, the tightness around Marissa’s million-dollar lips. “I’m not brave. I’m so afraid I’m looking for an easy way out.”

“Meaning?”

“Ben came to me with a case request, and I’m not sure I’m the one to handle it.”

“And you’re calling me to get the green light.”

“I’m calling you for a healthy dose of common sense.”

Emily cleared her throat. “Let me see if I have the picture right. Ben wants you to help him with something, but already you feel the tugging of little heartstrings not just for him, but for his too cute daughter who is very ill. And you’re not sure you can keep your heart from getting steamrolled flat again. So you’re having the blood test done on the improbable chance that you’re a match, so you could give him what his daughter needs and duck out on him.”

“Without sparing me, you seem to have outlined my dilemma pretty well,” Carolyn muttered.

“You’re still in love with him.”

“Would that shock you?”

“Would it shock me? No. Would it astound me that you finally admitted it? Yes. Beyond words, actually.”

Carolyn closed her eyes. “Oh, Emily. What a mess.”

“All right. I think you should have the test and pray for a miracle, for Lucy’s sake. But if you’re not a match, all you can do is talk to Dylan and Lily about the case. They’re the ones who’ll steer you right.”

She opened her eyes again. “Emily? Do you remember when we first met each other, when we were working at the adoption center? And there were all those kids who needed families, and we always wanted to scoop them into our hearts and love them?”

“We tried to be pragmatic, though,” Emily said. “If you can’t help Lucy and Ben, you can’t, hon. There’s only so much one person can do.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself. Only this time, that knowledge doesn’t make me feel any better.”

“The fact that you’re personally involved is what Ben was counting on, Caro, or he wouldn’t have specifically sought you out. He’s hoping that because you cared about him and Eileen, you’ll do your damnedest to help his daughter. But you can’t save her, Caro. All you can really do is save him by being his friend.”

Friend. Could she be his friend? Sure. She could do that.

“Thanks, Em. I feel much better now.”

“Good. Go get your arm stuck, and let me know what you find out. It’s too easy to work out this neatly, you know. The ex-girlfriend having the one thing the hero desperately needs. It’s too romance novel, but I admire you terribly for trying.”

Carolyn snorted. “You said I was looking for a cop-out to keep myself from having to fail if I couldn’t solve the case in a satisfactory manner.”

“I didn’t say that,” Emily told her, “you just did.”

Carolyn was silent.

“Besides, what does motivation matter? The cold fact is Lucy needs a donor. So go get tested, and see if you can escape from the past that easily.”

“Thanks, Em—I think.” She wrinkled her nose and hung up the phone.

The thought of Ben alone in the world made her open the car door and get out, locking it behind her. On the surface, taking the test seemed like a brave thing to do, but what made her even more afraid was not being able to give Ben what he wanted most.

Again.


CHAPTER THREE

SUPPRESSING ANY lingering reservations, Carolyn called Dylan Garrett on his cell phone the following morning. “There’s a case which has been brought to Finders Keepers,” she told him. “Ben Mulholland wants us to see if there’s any chance he had a twin who was taken from his mother at birth. His mother became suspicious because of the Austin baby ring which was broken. She was also convinced she heard two children crying when she gave birth.”

“She’s waited all this time to mention that?”

“Ben believes medication may have jogged his mother’s memory. She was dying of breast cancer and heavily medicated, which he believes helped unlock her memory of Ben’s birth.”

“Or it could be the confused dream of a seriously ill woman.”

“Right. But I knew Eileen Mulholland, and she was firmly based in reality. I tend to believe the story’s credible, mainly because of that.”

“And Mr. Mulholland wants this twin found to make his mother rest easier on her deathbed.”

“Actually, his mother has already passed away,” she said with a lump in her throat. “It’s his daughter he’s concerned about now.”

“Because?”

She sighed. “She has leukemia, and she needs a donor match.”

“There’s no guarantee the twin could provide one.”

“Right.”

“But a missing twin might provide what the bone marrow database hasn’t been able to,” he mused. “Hope.”

“Ben gave his mother’s story some credence once the shock wore off,” Carolyn said. “If I didn’t know the people involved, I wouldn’t think it very likely. It’s your agency, and your decision to accept or refuse the case—”

“This is what Finders Keepers does,” Dylan interrupted. “Find the impossible. Start the preliminary search, and let me know what you find out. Lily’s pretty swamped with wedding details, but this is more my area anyway. The first thing I’d do is get on the phone with Jennifer Rodriguez, and pick her brain as to what kinds of files are best and most available for this kind of search. Bounce it off her, and keep in touch.”

“Thanks, Dylan,” Carolyn said softly.

“No need to thank me. I know you can handle it, or I wouldn’t have hired you to oversee the office.”

That wasn’t what she meant. She was grateful he wanted Finders Keepers to take the case. But there was no need to correct his assumption. It meant a lot that he had that kind of faith in her abilities.

“Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. You’re tenacious when you get into something, Carolyn.”

“That’s the same word someone else used to describe me.”

“Well, it’s a good trait in our business. Best of luck. Call me if you hit a pothole.”

“I will.” She hung up the phone, jumping when the door swung open. Ben walked inside, his little daughter at his side. Lucy headed straight for the candy dish, and Ben headed straight for Carolyn.

Her heart seemed to plummet downward like a fainting bird as his hazel eyes met hers.

“I’m glad you stopped by, Ben,” Carolyn said, her voice friendly yet not more than that. “I just talked to Dylan Garrett about your case, and he believes Finders Keepers should try to obtain as much information for you as we can.”

With those words, she steered them onto a business-like track. Immediately Ben realized Carolyn wasn’t comfortable with what he’d asked of her. Taking this case went against her wishes to keep him at arm’s length, which is what she’d tried to do from the moment he’d walked into the office. He’d insisted she be the one to help him, but he also respected the wall she’d erected to protect herself.

Okay. He didn’t want to upset her. The fact was, she was doing him a hell of a favor, and he wouldn’t have come to Carolyn if his mother hadn’t insisted. But Eileen had been correct. Carolyn of the soft heart would put her utmost into finding the truth of a twin, for Lucy’s sake.

It had nothing to do with Ben.

“I appreciate that,” he said briskly. “I feel better knowing that Lucy and I are in capable hands.”

Carolyn looked at him evenly. “I’ll need preliminary information, such as your place of birth. Also, I think we should be prepared for the consequences of what happens should we succeed with our search.”

“Hopefully there’s a match and…” His voice trailed off.

“There’s always the possibility this twin won’t want to have his or her life changed by the revelation of an unknown family.”

Ben considered her. “I’ve thought of that. Selfish as it may seem, I’m not focusing on that right now.”

“Donor matches are generally done anonymously,” Carolyn said crisply. “In this case, we’re counting on the family tie to secure the compliance of this person. But we have to be prepared that if you do have a missing twin, he may not be all that welcoming. It’s a bridge we can cross when we come to it, but I feel we should take it into consideration at this point.”

Ben bowed his head. “It must seem cold-blooded of me, but I’d be willing to turn someone else’s life upside down to save my daughter’s.”

She shook her head. “We just need to be prepared for the fact that this search is going to be very emotional. For everyone involved.”

He looked at her narrowly. “I’d sell my soul to save my child. I swear I would.”

“You can discuss the retainer with us later,” she said dryly. “I doubt Finders Keepers wants your soul, exactly. However, we don’t come cheaply, so let’s get to work. Is Lucy going to be all right while we talk? There’s a small TV in the reception area, and we could turn on ‘Sesame Street,’ or whatever it is kids watch these days.”

“‘Sesame Street’ would be perfect, but I warn you, she won’t let me far out of her sight.”

“I had noticed that.” They stood, and the three of them walked into the reception area outside Carolyn’s office. It contained a sofa, two chairs, walls of books, a TV and a gum ball machine. “This is sort of the lounge.” She flipped on the TV, and Lucy bounced onto the sofa.

“Sit by me, Daddy,” she commanded.

“I can’t right now. I have to talk to Miss Carolyn.” He glanced at Carolyn with his brows knit. “Miss Carolyn?”

The blush that stole over her features was endearing, he thought. At twenty-seven, not many woman blushed. But Carolyn was not like any other woman he knew.

She would not get on a plane to go to a fashion shoot if her daughter was ill. Of course, he couldn’t totally blame Marissa for running away. Sometimes he wanted to run as fast and as far as he could to get away from Lucy’s illness.

The trouble was, his little girl had to be the one to outrun it. He couldn’t do it for her.

“It is ‘Miss,’“ Carolyn said, her tone almost frosty to remind him to stay on his side of the wall.

“Miss St. Clair and I will be over here in her office,” he said in the same crisp tone so she’d know he’d got the message. “Call me if you need anything, Lucy.”

“Miss Carolyn is fine,” she told Ben as they walked behind the stone half wall that separated Carolyn’s office from the reception area. “Actually Carolyn is fine with me, if you don’t mind Lucy calling me that.” She motioned Ben to take a seat across from her.

“We prefer Miss or Mrs. or Mr.,” Ben said firmly. “Lucy is a handful, and we’re trying to teach her proper manners from the start. It’s easier than undoing bad ones, and believe me, she appears angelic, but she’ll try the patience of the saints. Once we found out she was ill, it was more difficult to be strict, but—“ He stopped, realizing he sounded as if he were lecturing. As if he’d gone into teacher mode, stressing the explanation to a rebellious student.

Carolyn didn’t seem to notice. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a folder marked with his name and inserted a new tape into her ever present recorder. “Let’s start with your birth certificate, of course. You were born on the outskirts of Austin, correct? A record of birth would have had to be filed at the county courthouse, and one with the state. We’ll need to compare them.”

He stared at her, realizing she was asking for more than the rote repetition of what was on his insurance.

“Whatever you can’t remember, we need to make notes so that we can look up this information.”

“Jeez, I wish Mom was alive,” he said slowly. “I’m not sure I can remember all of it, and she could rattle family details like a professor.”

“Well, we’ll have to do this without her,” Carolyn said, her voice gentle. “Ben, we have to determine the best way to begin searching for the existence of this person. We’ve got a good start but these are the things we have to know. Whatever you can remember will be crucial in saving us time.”

He let her crisp, straightforward manner wash over him. She was right, of course. He had to rely upon himself now.

And Carolyn. She had evidently gone to her superiors and asked for permission to handle his case. He wasn’t totally alone and defenseless in the world as long as he had her on his side.

* * *

“IT SEEMS TO ME that the first person we should speak to is this Dr. Benton.” Carolyn looked at Ben to see if he agreed. “Everything we’ve discussed leads back to the fact that the doctor is more than likely the only person who knows what really happened when your mother gave birth.”

He nodded. “How do we proceed on a matter like this? Do you think this falls under physician-patient privilege, even though Mom is gone?”

Caroline tightened her lips thoughtfully. “A patient’s records would still be confidential after death. However, talking to the doctor is a logical first step. I, for one, would be quite interested to hear what he has to say. First of all, he’s going to be quite surprised to have us show up out of the blue asking questions about the delivery.”

“What compelling excuse can we use to get him to pull Mom’s records from the file? After all these years, there’s a good possibility the records no longer even exist. How long are doctors obligated to keep a patient’s records?”

“Even after a patient is deceased, most doctors keep the files in what is known as a dead file or something along that line. Patients change doctors, and those histories have to be moved from an active file into another system. They’re somewhere. The question is, would he still have Eileen’s files in his office or would he have moved them into a storage facility?”

“I’ll go to Mom’s lockbox at the bank,” Ben suggested. “I know that’s where she kept my original birth certificate. It’s probably a good idea to look at that before we see Dr. Benton.”

Carolyn nodded, opening an appointment book. “I’ll call and schedule an appointment with Dr. Benton.”

Ben put his hand over hers, surprising her. The contact sent warmth shimmering through her, and she found it difficult to meet his eyes.

“Maybe an unannounced visit would be best.”

Carolyn held her breath until Ben removed his hand from hers. She exhaled, forcing herself to think about the words and not the man. “The element of surprise can’t hurt, but we shouldn’t assume Dr. Benton would be unhelpful,” she reminded him.

“Sorry.” He dipped his head somewhat sheepishly. “I don’t mean to sound combative. But Mom’s story has begun to be very real to me. That makes Dr. Benton a bad guy.”

Carolyn nodded slowly. “I can’t blame you for the way you feel.” Whether Douglas Benton was a bad guy or not remained to be seen, but she understood Ben’s need to hope that there was an enemy out there that could be defeated. It must be hellish to be fighting the enemy he was pitted against—his daughter’s disease—with no weapons to rely on.

The love for his daughter was strong in this father. She admired that he so desperately wanted to be able to ride up on a charger and save her. But it also broke her heart. What if he failed? “Leave Lucy with me, if you like, and see if you can locate your birth certificate. We can proceed from there.”

“You don’t mind Lucy staying?”

She shook her head. “Not at all.”

His eyes settled on her with some unidentifiable emotion. “Thanks, Carolyn. She could use a friend right now.”

Then he got up and walked out the door without saying another word, his shoulders stiff, his back straight. Carolyn bowed her head.

It wasn’t sympathy that made her see Ben in such a rose-colored light. She simply had never stopped loving him, and in the moment when he was suffering the most, she found herself tearing her own heart in two as she struggled not to let herself fall for him all over again.

Falling for Ben Mulholland had been the easiest thing she had ever done—getting over him had been impossible.

* * *

BEN’S BIRTH certificate appeared to be like any other she had seen. Carolyn wasn’t sure what she’d been expecting, but maybe she’d been hoping against hope that some clue would pop out from the stamped page and point her in the right direction.

But the slightly yellowed Texas state document lay on the desk before her, innocuous and ordinary. She blew out a breath.

“Nothing special there,” Ben said.

She smiled to herself at the tandem tracking of their minds and picked up her purse. “I’ll head to Dr. Benton’s now and see what I can find out.”

“I’m going with you.”

“You don’t need to do that, Ben. Investigating this case is what you’re paying Finders Keepers to do.”

“Trust me. I need to do this.”

Under the circumstances, she could understand how he felt—and she had to admit that she looked forward to his and Lucy’s company as well. “Will a long drive be too hard on Lucy?”

“I don’t think so. She can sleep in the car, and anyway, she enjoys small outings away from the house. She gets cabin fever.”

Carolyn smiled as Ben rose and went into the lounge, where Lucy was engrossed in a conversation with stuffed animals and a plastic tea set Carolyn had unearthed from the main house. She heard Lucy mildly protest at having to leave the new toys behind, before acquiescing to her father’s coaxing. Carolyn’s lungs seemed to squeeze tight inside her. Ben was the parent she’d known he would be. She’d made the right decision all those years ago, and if she’d paid for that choice with unimaginable emotional pain, then it had been the right thing to do. Ben and Lucy adored each other—Carolyn couldn’t imagine one without the other.

She started to call to Ben that Lucy was welcome to take the stuffed animals in the car with her, but then he appeared with Lucy riding on his back. “Someone had taken off their shoes and socks,” he said with a grin.

Carolyn smiled at Lucy. “That sounds like a good thing to do.”

“Mm-hm,” Lucy agreed. She squeezed her thin little arms around her daddy’s shoulders in a sweet hug.

It was like looking at a face full of sunshine. Those corners of Carolyn’s heart that had never known that sunshine absorbed the light wistfully. “Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s go see what we can find out.”

They drove approximately eighty miles north to the Austin address listed as Dr. Benton’s in the phone book. Parking the car, Carolyn didn’t allow herself to become apprehensive about the questions they would pose to Douglas Benton. Because of Lucy’s situation, she wouldn’t allow herself to feel anything but hope. She tapped on the front door of the house and gave Ben a smile that felt weak, though she meant it to be comforting.

The wooden inside door opened, and a woman peered through the screen door at them.

“Can I help you?”

“We’re looking for Douglas Benton,” Carolyn said.

“Why?” the woman asked, her tone suspicious.

Somewhat taken aback, Carolyn looked over the middle-aged woman more carefully. Her hair was unkempt, her figure rounded with lack of exercise. She wore orange polyester pants and a short-sleeved brown shirt. Somehow she didn’t look like the wife of a prominent local doctor. “I’m Carolyn St. Clair,” she said, forgoing introducing Ben for the moment, in case his name alerted the woman to the reason for their presence. “Would you be Mrs. Benton?”

The woman raised her eyebrows and studied the threesome, her gaze hovering on Lucy for a second before returning to Carolyn. “Luckily for me, no.”

Uncertain how to take that, Carolyn pressed forward. “This is the Benton home?”

“It is. But only Mrs. Benton lives here. Dr. Benton died the first week of August, so you’ve just missed him, you might say,” the woman said with a snort.


CHAPTER FOUR

BEN’S HEART contracted at the unwelcome news. He clutched Lucy’s hand tighter in his to calm himself. The unhelpful woman was clearly annoyed with their presence. He decided to allow Carolyn to continue on her course—after all, she was doing her job. He stood still on the porch, torn between giving in to despair and chewing the woman out for her dismissive attitude.

Of course, she had no way of knowing that their mission was one of life-and-death. He had too much invested in the situation, and his desperation was setting his emotions at flashpoint.

Carolyn’s calm voice pushed back the rush of disappointment swelling his heart. “I am sorry to hear of his passing. We were unaware that he was ill.”

The woman shrugged. “What is it you wanted with him, anyway?”

“Actually, it’s a private matter. Could you possibly direct us to Mrs. Benton?”

“I can, but it’ll do you as little good as Dr. Benton.”

To Ben’s surprise, the contrary woman opened the screen door. They stepped into the dark hallway, the musty smell of the house oppressive. A very unpleasant place to live, he thought suddenly. And this was the residence of the man who had helped his mother deliver him. He frowned. If this doctor had been guilty of baby smuggling, wouldn’t he have chosen somewhere better to live?

“Thank you for allowing us to see Mrs. Benton,” Carolyn said. “I realize this is something of an imposition, and I hope she won’t mind us coming without an appointment.”

The woman looked at them for a moment, her expression amused but not in a kind way. “Down the hall,” was all she said.

Ben followed Carolyn, deciding to scoop Lucy into his arms. Something about this house rattled him, though he couldn’t put his finger on it.

He moved into a large room, almost empty, it seemed, of personal effects. Only an overstuffed sofa and a television filled the space—and an old woman in a chair who sat watching “Hollywood Squares,” her back to them.

Carolyn went over to her. “Mrs. Benton?”

The elderly woman ignored her.

“Mrs. Benton?” she repeated. When there was no response, Carolyn glanced at Ben, concerned. “I don’t think she can hear me.”

“Sometimes she can, sometimes she can’t—depends on whether her mind’s fixed or not,” the woman informed them. “She’s got a rare form of brain cancer. Lately she’s more out than in, if you know what I mean. The doctor’s wife ain’t in, ain’t in her right mind.”

“Are you her caregiver?” Ben asked, his disgust growing with every word she uttered.

“As much as I can be. Heaven only knows I’m more of a guard most of the time.”

“A guard?” Carolyn asked.

“She’ll get it into her head that she’s going to drive her car, and if I so much as turn away for a second, she’s out there behind the wheel, angry at the car because she can’t get it to go. I hid the keys, but still she tries.”

Carolyn looked at Mrs. Benton for a few more seconds, her gaze searching the woman’s profile. After a moment, she said, “We’re looking for some records. Is there anyone in charge of the doctor’s records?”

“Just her,” the woman said. “She was his nurse, and his office manager, I suppose. They pretty much worked as a team. You’re not from around here, are ya, or you’d know that.”

“I’m not,” Carolyn said. “This is Ben Mulholland, and his daughter, Lucy. We think that Dr. Benton assisted Ben’s mother in her delivery. We’re looking for Eileen Mulholland’s records.”

“I can’t give you none of that,” the caregiver said, “even if I knew where they were.”

Mrs. Benton turned her head. “Eileen?” she asked in a quavering voice. “Eileen?”

“Eileen Mulholland,” Carolyn repeated softly. Ben’s heart seemed to pause.

Mrs. Benton frowned, obviously trying to sort through something in her mind. “Eileen.”

“Mulholland,” Carolyn said again.

The woman scratched at her hand. “Is she here?”

“No.” Carolyn’s voice was soft. “She died.”

“Oh, no,” Mrs. Benton said. “She didn’t die. She’s a healthy farm girl. I took her vital signs.”

Carolyn’s gaze met Ben’s in triumph, but all he felt was a keyed-up sense of fear. He wanted answers, but how were they going to get them out of this addled woman?

Mrs. Benton turned toward the television again, apparently finished.

“Won’t get much out of her,” the caregiver informed them. “You’re lucky you got that much. Say, if this Eileen Mulholland is dead, what are you wanting to see her records for?”

“Eileen Mulholland is not dead,” Mrs. Benton disagreed without taking her attention from “Hollywood Squares.” “I took her vital signs myself.”

“Her health history could help us determine whether little Lucy here is predisposed to any medical problems.”

Ben admired Carolyn’s quick and logical answer. If nothing else, she was managing to squeeze some water from a very difficult stone. He’d have walked away with an empty cup if he’d been in charge of the questioning.

Carolyn took Lucy from Ben’s arms and brought her near to Mrs. Benton, as if to engender a bond between them. To his surprise, Mrs. Benton glanced at the child—then drew back as if she were afraid.

“Is there something wrong with her?” the caregiver asked bluntly, her voice hard as she stared at Lucy. “She looks sick to me.”

Ben took Lucy back from Carolyn and held her more tightly to his chest, willing his anger to burn itself out. Let Carolyn handle this, he reminded himself. If you give this old witch a righteous ass-chewing, you’re going to blow any chance of learning what you need to know.

“I think I’ll go for a drive,” Mrs. Benton said. “I need to drive.”

The caregiver sighed. “No, Mrs. Benton, no drive for you. But if you be quiet, I’ll push your wheelchair in the garden.” She brought a wheelchair over from a side room and helped her charge up, then glanced at the guests. “I think you’ve gotten all you’re going to out of her. Could you see yourselves out? If I leave her while she’s taken a notion to go driving, I’ll come back here and find her gone. One time she walked down the street and tried to get into someone’s house. She kept repeating over and over that she was an orphan and needed a home. Poor devil.”

“We can see ourselves out,” Carolyn assured her. “Thank you for your time.”

“But—“ Ben began, but Carolyn shook her head.

The wheelchair moved toward the back of the house, and they heard a door open and shut.

“I’ll bet she tells everyone she sees that she’s being kept prisoner. She’s probably ‘out’ a lot more of the time than she’s ‘in’ just to survive living with that battle-ax.”

“No,” Carolyn disagreed. “Mrs. Benton’s suffering is real. The interesting thing was, she totally clicked in when anything was mentioned about patients or nursing. Did you notice how that really caught her attention? I have a feeling she was a very competent nurse. It’s the part of her life she seemed very cognizant of. She remembered your mother had been a patient, and that she’d taken her vitals.”

“Great, so Nurse Ratched was a nurse down to her cuticles. How does that help us?”

“It’s something to go on.”

He followed Carolyn as she moved to the front of the house.

“Daddy, can we go yet?” Lucy asked.

“We’ll go, sweetie. I know you’re getting tired.” He was frustrated by the lack of information they’d found, but he injected his voice with kindness for Lucy’s sake. Inside, he cursed, hating the brick wall they’d hit.

Carolyn walked into another room off the hallway, her gaze on the steel filing cabinets lining one wall. “There’s probably a gold mine of information hidden in those steel drawers.”

“I think you need a search warrant or a request or something, Carolyn,” he said worriedly. He’d hired her for her tenacity, but he didn’t know if this much was a good thing. She had a determined gleam in her eye that hinted at her intentions. “Carolyn, if you go through those cabinets and the harpy catches you, she may call the police on us. I wouldn’t put it past her.”

“We don’t have a lot of time for legal dancing,” Carolyn said. She pointed to the garden, where they could see the wheelchair being pushed by the unenthusiastic caregiver. “Why don’t you go settle Lucy in the car? I’ll be right behind you.”

“Getting fired from your job isn’t something I want to have you do on my behalf,” Ben said, watching as she walked into the office.

Carolyn ignored him as she opened the first set of steel drawers. “I’m not doing this on your behalf,” she said, her voice preoccupied as she looked into some files. “These files are in a feminine hand, rather than masculine, which makes me think Mrs. Benton was far more than just a simple temperature taker. She was his partner.”

“Miss Carolyn,” Lucy said. “You’re not ‘posed to touch people’s things without asking.”

Ben patted his daughter’s back. “In our home, we teach that it’s not good to just take things we want, Carolyn.”

She glanced up at him, then at Lucy. “I always knew you’d be an excellent father, Ben.”

He frowned. “What does that mean? You make it sound so strange.”

She smiled at his harsh tone. “Sh. You two go outside—you’re wrecking my concentration. I think I’m onto something here.”

“You’d better be. The harpy’s on her way back inside.”

Carolyn flipped a page in a file. “There’s no way that’s possible,” she said.

“Oh, yes, it is. She sees our car hasn’t moved, and she knows exactly what we’re doing. Come on, Carolyn.”

“No, I mean, how could the good doctor have been on the outskirts of Austin to deliver you, then deliver a baby four hours away at the same time?”

“I don’t know, damn it! Come on, Carolyn!”

“Daddy! Don’t say damn it,” Lucy protested, but Ben held his daughter tighter and grabbed Carolyn’s arm with his free hand. She stuffed the file back into the cabinet and closed it just as they heard the wheelchair bumping the porch door.

“You are the most hardheaded, intractable, tenacious person I know,” he said between gritted teeth as he hauled her toward the car. He opened the driver side door for her, then went around to the passenger side, so he could strap Lucy in the back seat. Glancing over his shoulder, he was relieved to see that the caregiver wasn’t brandishing a broom or some other weapon at them.

“That’s what you hired me for,” Carolyn snapped. “It was the trait you were specifically looking for.”

“Buckle up,” he commanded. He slammed the door and hurried to the driver’s side, getting in and cranking the engine. The car pulled away from the curb, and he allowed himself a breath. “I don’t want you bending laws, Carolyn. I’m desperate, yeah, but not enough for you to put yourself at risk.”

She ignored him, her forehead creased in thought. “Your mother was about twenty years younger than Dr. Benton’s wife,” she mused.

“So?”

“For someone whose husband had so many patients, it’s odd that she remembered your mother. And her handwriting was clear in that file. She doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who allowed herself to make errors. We saw how quickly her memory snapped back into place when the nurse in her was called up. Kind of like a policeman or military personnel, who make it a habit to remember times, places, dates and other pertinent facts.”

“What are you getting at?” Ben demanded. “That precise Nurse Ratched made an incorrect entry? That she recorded the wrong time on one occasion?”

“I think she recorded exactly what she wanted to. The question is, why did she misrepresent the facts?”

“Can you know that she did?”

“I know a doctor doesn’t deliver two children at the same time in locations that are four hours apart. According to her daily notations for your birth date, that’s exactly what happened.”

“It could have been a simple error—”

“I don’t think so. She remembered your mother, she remembered that her status was healthy. I have the strangest feeling that she might have remembered more—she just didn’t feel like revealing it. Or maybe she couldn’t. The memory suppresses difficult things over time.”

“What difficult thing might she have been suppressing?”

Carolyn looked at him with clear eyes. “That her husband stole babies and sold them for a profit. And that she was an accessory.”

* * *

CAROLYN DROVE Ben back to Finders Keepers to pick up his car and, at his request, followed him out to the farmhouse where he lived on the outskirts of San Antonio so that he could feed Lucy and put her to bed. Then they needed to discuss what they’d learned and decide on the next course of action. At first she was nervous going to his house. She was afraid she’d see traces of Marissa everywhere. Then she was ashamed of herself for being so spiteful. For Lucy’s sake, she should hope that there was much of Marissa’s presence in evidence.

But to Carolyn’s surprise, the small house was devoid of pictures or anything else that spoke of the beautiful model. Instantly, the word that came to Carolyn’s mind was comfortable. Clean. Home. Ben.

She lowered her gaze, thinking that her heart had never been in the jeopardy it was in at this very moment. Ben was a protector, and she’d always sensed that with him, she would find warmth. Security.

To distract herself, she glanced around Ben’s home. Log cabin style, the small house welcomed her. The main room was decorated with a blue-and-red Mexican blanket on one wall and another on the rough floor. A brown leather sofa, well-worn and all the more inviting for it, sat directly across from a long picture window. In front of the sofa rested a scarred pine table. Small pillows and two lamps of an indeterminable metal adorned the room. Carolyn wanted to kick off her shoes, sink into the sofa and wrap herself in Ben.





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