A Precious Gift. Karen Smith Rose

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      Tears pricked in her eyes and Brian saw them. He squeezed her hand.

      Their interview went smoothly after that. After they signed more papers, Trina assured them they’d be in the system by noon. If a birth mother chose them, she’d notify them immediately.

      When Carrie emerged into the lobby again with Brian, her heart felt lighter than it had in years. She knew babies didn’t “fix” marriages, yet their only problem had been her inability to bear children. This morning she’d almost felt close to her husband again, and that was what a baby was going to do for them—bring them even closer.

      They stopped by the coatrack in the reception area and Carrie took her off-white winter coat from the wooden hanger. By her side, Brian lifted it from her hands and held it. When their gazes collided, she acknowledged again the one element that had drawn them together since the night they’d met—their attraction to each other. As she slipped one arm into the sleeve, Brian dipped his head and his lips were very close to her temple. His aftershave smelled of pine and woods, and a small tremble shimmered through her. She thought about tonight, holding each other, giving in to passion that never diminished between them no matter what else was happening.

      As he helped her with her other sleeve, she asked hopefully, “Will you be home for dinner?”

      Before Brian could answer, a lean man approached them. Everett Baker was an accountant for Children’s Connection. Carrie had seen him now and then in the halls of the adoption agency, which was an annex to Portland General. A nurse who worked in the emergency room, Nancy Allen, often visited the children in pediatrics when Carrie volunteered there, and they’d become friends. Nancy and Everett seemed to have a friendship, if not more than that. She’d introduced Everett to Carrie soon after he’d taken a job at Children’s Connection. While Nancy was warm, outgoing and definitely an extrovert, Everett was the opposite—reserved, almost shy. But he was good-looking with a square jaw, dark-brown hair and eyes. He’d never approached Carrie on his own before, though. He’d always hung back and let Nancy do the talking.

      Now he looked purposeful as he came up to them. “Mrs. Summers,” he said with a half smile.

      “It’s Carrie, Everett. I don’t think you’ve met my husband, Brian.”

      The two men shook hands. Afterward Everett shifted on his feet as if he were uncomfortable, but then he began, “I don’t want to hold you up. But Nancy told me you and your husband were thinking about adopting a child.”

      Their intentions to adopt weren’t a secret, and Carrie had told Nancy about them a few weeks ago.

      “We just finished with the final interview,” Brian said. In his voice, Carrie could tell there was curiosity as to why Everett Baker was interested in what they were doing.

      With a quick look over his shoulder to the adoption agency offices where no one was visible, Everett continued. “I know how long the adoption process can take. When Nancy told me you were seriously interested, I thought I might help out. I have a friend who knows a lawyer and he can make private adoptions happen faster. If you’re interested in adopting out of the system, it would be something to think about.”

      One look at Brian’s face and Carrie knew what he was thinking. Her husband was a by-the-book kind of guy and would have made a great police officer as he seemed to separate black from white easily, much more easily than she could.

      Speaking for both of them, Brian handled the offer casually. “Carrie and I will think about it. This is an important step in our lives. Thank you for trying to help us.”

      Although this discussion was serious, Carrie almost smiled. Brian was so good at handling delicate situations. He’d managed to give Everett Baker a don’t-callus, we’ll-call-you message without being rude.

      “I know adoption is serious,” Everett agreed. “Babies are serious.” He looked troubled, and then the shadows passed from his eyes as he handed Carrie a business card. “You can reach me any time at that number.”

      “Thank you.” Carrie tucked his card into her purse.

      As soon as Everett walked away, Brian shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of going outside of a reputable adoption center.”

      “I agree…for now. Let’s just see what happens in the next few months. If it goes a really long time and we haven’t heard anything or been chosen by a birth mother, maybe we’ll want to call Everett then.”

      When Brian turned to face her, Carrie could see he’d already dismissed the encounter with Everett as well as the idea of a private adoption. “You asked me if I’ll be home for dinner. I won’t be. I have a meeting at the Hilton.” Apparently she couldn’t hide her disappointment because he went on, “I’ll try to be home before midnight.”

      Carrie knew if Brian said he’d be home before midnight, he would be.

      Her husband looked as if he wanted to say more, maybe do more. Public displays of affection had gone the way of holding hands and kissing in the car at stoplights. But as if he needed some type of contact between them as much as she did, he slid his forefinger along a wave of her auburn hair that had gotten caught under her coat. Gently he pulled it free and then stepped away.

      “I’ll see you tonight.” His voice was low and husky, making her wonder if the pictures running through her head were running through his.

      “Tonight,” she murmured.

      A few moments later, Brian strode toward the parking garage, and she headed for the hospital. She loved reading stories to the children in pediatrics and today was her day to volunteer there. The time would pass quickly, and maybe at the end of the day she’d look at baby furniture before returning home to her big, beautiful empty house. Soon it wouldn’t be empty.

      Soon, she and Brian would have the family they’d always wanted.

      At eleven forty-five, Brian entered his kitchen after resetting the security system. Carrie was obsessive about it. If he slid into bed without waking her, he often heard her in the middle of the night going downstairs to check it. The few times he’d questioned her about it, she’d simply said she felt safer when she was sure it was on.

      Striding down a hall, Brian bypassed the first floor spare bedroom and stopped in his den. After he set his briefcase on his desk, he hit a button on the computer, saw that he had no pressing e-mails, and headed for the second floor.

      The house he’d bought after he and Carrie had married projected traditional charm. When he’d shown it to Carrie for the first time, she’d just kept saying, “It’s so big!”

      It wasn’t that big. The two-story foyer opened into a dining room on the right and a living room on the left. A corridor to the left of the stairs led to his den and a guest bedroom. Pocket doors separated the living room from a great room, and beyond the great room’s French doors, outdoor floodlights beamed along a path leading to a gazebo-enclosed hot tub. He’d always envisioned three or four kids playing in the family room and in the yard. His gut still twisted when he thought about not being able to have kids of their own. Yet watching those babies in the nursery today…

      He mounted the stairs, remembering the two-bed-room box house he’d grown up in. His father had lived there until he’d died two years ago, refusing to let Brian move him anywhere bigger. Carrie’s background had been even poorer than his own because her father had been disabled from a СКАЧАТЬ