The Baby Barter Read online

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

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

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

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

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

  “Thea Miller?”

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

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

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

  “Family name?”

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

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

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

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

  “Where were you stationed?”

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

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

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

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

  “I was so sorry to hear about Eileen.”

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

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

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

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

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

  “Your momma must treasure that time now.”

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

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

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

  “They’re ready to cut the cake!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Chapter Two

  “Look who I found wondering around the yard.”

  Mack turned at Maggie’s exclamation, his heart picking up tempo as he raked a glance over Thea, startled to find blue eyes the color of a summer storm staring back at him, causing the muscles in his shoulders to bunch and tighten. An uneasiness gathered in the pit of his stomach. Why was Thea here?

  And why had she been nosing around Ms. Aurora’s place?

  “Can you believe it, Mack? Thea’s finally come home!” Maggie pulled Thea closer. Had the two of them been good friends in school? He couldn’t remember. Thea had pretty much kept to herself between classes. He’d only gotten to know her during her junior year when they’d both worked at the movie house in town.

  Maggie was right. No one, especially not him, had ever expected Thea to come back to Marietta. What had brought her back home now? Settling his hand against the baby’s back, he took a step back to put some breathing room between them. “Theodora.”

  Thea stiffened, her delicate chin lifting at a stubborn angle. “Sheriff Worthington.”

  He didn’t know why but the sound of his professional title on her lips felt like more of a dig than a proper show of respect. Maybe she’d done it because he’d used her proper name rather than the nickname she preferred. He’d have to tread lightly, then. No sense starting a war with the woman, not until he had some idea as to why she’d been snooping around Aurora’s. Mack forced what he hoped was a relaxed smile against his lips. “Welcome home.”

  She gave him a curt nod that reminded him of the pretty teacher he’d had a crush on back in fourth grade. “Thank you. I just wish I was here under better circumstances.”

  “That’s an odd statement seeing how we’re at a wedding.”

  Her fingers clamped down on her purse like a vise. “I mean...”

  Thea still had that same little habit of nibbling at her lower lip when she was uncertain about how to act or what to say. Whatever had brought her here made her uncomfortable.

  “Always suspicious, aren’t you, Mack?” Maggie tilted her head slightly toward Thea as if to share a well-kept secret. “I guess that’s a good trait for a sheriff to have. Probably why the town council hired him in the first place.”

  That, and the fact he’d been about the only man left after Pearl Harbor was bombed and men shipped out to serve in the war. Mack turned to Thea. “Sorry about that. Occupational hazard.”

  She nodded, then turned her attention to Sarah, the tension he’d noted in her earlier softening as the little girl reached out for the slender finger Thea held up for her. “How old is she?”

  Mack studied her for a long second. Most people chose to ignore Sarah, or worse, asked questions about the bright pink scar that had connected her nose to her mouth. Why hadn’t Thea fallen into that pattern? “Five months. She was born on Victory in Europe Day.”

  A gentle smile bloomed across Thea’s face as the baby grasped her finger and gave a playful squeal. “She’s so beautiful.”

  “Thank you.” Mack narrowed his gaze. Sarah had been called many things in her short life, but never anything close to beautiful—at least, not by anyone but him.

  “We were just talking about what happened to Eileen,” Maggie said, patting the baby’s back. “Maybe you could answer some of her questions about that night.”

  “You were there?”

  “Yes.” Mack’s gut tightened at the note of sadness in Thea’s voice. As the top law enforcement agent in the county, he’d seen his share of car accidents, most fender benders, others deadly. But the scene he came upon the night Eileen died had haunted him for weeks after the accident. Two people just a couple of years younger than he lost in the blink of an eye, so close to the happiness they both spent most of their lives in search of, only to lose it in one unthinkable instant.

  Of all the losses the town had suffered during the war, watching Eileen Miller die was the one that had driven him to his knees.

  “Why don’t I take Sarah while you two talk?” Maggie slipped her hands beneath the baby’s arms and lifted her away from Mack’s shoulder. “I need the practice, anyway.”

  They stood in awkward silence as Maggie shifted the child. Oddly enough, Thea seemed to drink in even the slightest movement Sarah made until the child was nestled against Maggie’s shoulder.

  “Goodbye, sweet pea. See you again soon,” Thea whispered as Maggie carried Sarah down the stairs and out into the yard. Soft strands of blond curls fell against Thea’s shoulders as she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. “So you’re a...daddy?”

  The words brought a smile to Mack’s face despite himself. “Not yet, but I will be soon.”

  A tiny line of confusion creased the smooth area between Thea’s brows. “How...?”

  “I’m adopting her.”

  Thea’s pleasant chuckle felt good to his ears. “You make it sound like your wife doesn’t have anything to say about it.”

  Was she fishing to find out if he was married? The thought sparked a warmth in his chest that he immediately tamped down. It had been years since he was a smitten teenager who cared what Thea Miller thought of him—he wouldn’t make that mistake again. “Considering I don’t have one, she doesn’t.”

  Thea stared wide-eyed at him as if she were searching for answers and coming up short. How could he have forgotten the soft silver sparks that rimmed the deepest blue around her irises, turning the color from indigo to violet? He found himself noticing the tiny dimple in her right cheek, the different facets of pink that colored her bottom lip, the pale scar high on her forehead.

  “What about the baby’s family? Shouldn’t they have a say in the matter?”

  Mack blinked at the unexpected questions. Most people had wondered why he wanted to take on the responsibility of raising a child, especially a baby with special needs, not worried about the family who’d abandoned her before she’d barely taken her first breath. “Sarah’s mother gave her up when she was just a few minutes old.”

  The mouth he’d been fascinated with just seconds before went taut. “Poor woman. Probably didn’t know what to think after what she’d gone through.”

  Mack’s throat tightened. Was Thea implying the woman had been coerced into letting the baby go? “Sarah’s mother could have kept her.”

  Thea leveled pleading blue eyes at him. “Maybe she thought she didn’t have a choice.”

  O
h, people had choices. Mack saw it in his work all the time. And when they got caught making the wrong one, they had to face the consequences. Thea had never understood that, especially where her wayward sister was concerned. Mack straightened and crossed his arms over his chest, his suit coat pulled uncomfortably tight. “Why have you been nosing around Ms. Aurora’s the last two days?”

  Her brows drew together slightly. “How did you know about that?”

  At least she had the good sense not to deny it. “It’s my business to know what’s going on in this county.”

  “Ms. Adair reported me.”

  If he hadn’t been so annoyed, he would have laughed. Thea had always been quick to call things as they were, except in the case of her sister. “You still haven’t answered the question.”

  She closed her eyes, her fingers tightening around the straps of her purse. Her words were a soft whisper, as if in prayer. “Lord, I don’t know where to begin.”

  Unease knotted in Mack’s stomach. Thea had never been one to cry uncle, not even when the burdens her family placed on her fragile shoulders seemed to be too much to carry. What could have happened that would shake her this badly? Lord, give me the wisdom to handle this situation with Thea. Help me treat her fairly no matter what happened in the past. Mack rested a hand against the small of her back and gently pushed her toward a row of empty chairs. “Why don’t we go over here and sit down?”

  Faint color gathered in her cheeks as he held out a chair for her then took the place beside her. “The bad guys don’t stand a chance with you, do they, Sheriff?”

  A stall tactic, but he remained quiet, ready to listen. Thea would open up about whatever was bothering her when she was ready.

  She cleared her throat. “It has to do with what was going on with my sister the last few months of her life.”