A Baby by Christmas. Linda Warren

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СКАЧАТЬ That bothered him even more. Elise didn’t need Jake McCain; any man would have done. He’d just been crazy enough to go along with her wishes. That was the crux of his irritation. He didn’t like being used, but that was the way he’d begun to feel.

      “I’m not a machine,” he muttered.

      She turned so she could see him. “Is something wrong?”

      “Yes.”

      “If you have to get back to the farm, we can try tonight.”

      God, the woman had a one-track mind, and he wondered if she even saw him as a person. Was he nothing more than a sperm bank?

      “Elise…” The doorbell interrupted him. He looked at her. “Are you expecting anyone?”

      “No, I…oh, I forgot. A woman phoned earlier. A Ms. Woods. She said she had to speak with you and that she’d be by later.”

      “I don’t know any Ms. Woods. Did she say what she wanted?” He couldn’t imagine why anyone would try to reach him at Elise’s. Everyone called him at the farm. He only slept here—and had sex.

      “She said that your aunt had given her this number and it was important.”

      That explained it. It was probably some minor farm business Aunt Vin didn’t know how to handle. The doorbell rang again as he stuffed his shirt into his jeans. His boots were in the garage so he’d have to answer the door barefoot. He hurried to the foyer.

      A woman with short brown hair and light green eyes stood on the doorstep. She held a briefcase in one hand. She was pretty and somewhere in her thirties and Jake didn’t recognize her.

      “Jake McCain?” she asked politely.

      “Yes,” he answered.

      “I’m Carmen Woods.” She held out her hand and he shook it. A salesperson, he guessed. He had to get rid of her so he could talk to Elise.

      “May I come in?”

      “I’m kind of busy. Could we do this another time?”

      “It’s very important.”

      “Ms. Woods, I…”

      “I’m from the Harris County Children’s Protective Services, Mr. McCain, and it can’t wait.”

      Children’s Protective Services. What the hell did they want with him? They had to have the wrong person. He could clear this up easily, he was sure.

      He stepped aside and she entered the living area. Elise came out of the bedroom in a white robe and Jake introduced them.

      “I’m sorry if I’m interrupting,” Ms. Woods apologized as she took in Elise’s attire.

      “That’s okay,” Jake said. “But I believe you have me confused with someone else.”

      “I don’t think so, Mr. McCain. Just let me explain.”

      “Okay.” Jake still felt she had the wrong man, but he was willing to listen. “Have a seat.”

      Elise and Jake sat on the sofa and Ms. Woods took the Queen Anne chair. “I’m glad you’re here, Mrs. McCain. This concerns you, too.” She opened her briefcase and took out some papers.

      “Oh” was all Elise said.

      “Mr. McCain, do you know a Sherry Carr?”

      Jake frowned. “Sherry? Yeah, I met her about, gosh, maybe four years ago. I went to Texas A&M for a program on increasing cotton production and she worked at the hotel where I stayed. We dated, but it didn’t work out. I haven’t seen her since.”

      “Then you knew her…very well.”

      His frown deepened. “What are you getting at, Ms. Woods?”

      “Are you aware that Sherry has a son?”

      Jake shook his head. “No, she never mentioned a son.”

      She pulled a paper from the ones in her hand. “I’m not sure how to tell you this, but I’ve learned that it’s best just to come out with it. Your name is on his birth certificate.”

      “What!” Jake and Elise said simultaneously.

      Ms. Woods leaned over and handed him the paper. It was a copy of a birth certificate and there, in black and white, he was listed as the father. Elise moaned softly. Jake wanted to reassure her, but he kept staring at his name, trying to make sense of what he was reading.

      “This can’t be true,” he said in a low voice. “I was only with her for a week and we always used protection. And she said she was on the pill. Why she put my name on the birth certificate is beyond me unless…” His eyes narrowed. “Is she trying to extort child support from me?”

      “It’s nothing like that, Mr. McCain,” Ms. Woods said firmly.

      “Then what is it like, Ms. Wood, because you’d better tell me and fast.”

      “Ben’s grandmother passed away two weeks ago. By the way, his name is Benjamin, but everyone calls him Ben. He just turned three.”

      Jake had noticed that on the document. Benjamin Jake. Sherry had even named the boy after him. Why would she do that? They had not parted on amicable terms.

      “As I was saying, Ben lived with his grandmother. Sherry left him with her mother and she called a couple of times, but no one’s heard from her in years. The authorities have searched, and they can’t find a trace of her. Mrs. Carr was worried because Sherry’s boyfriend was involved with drugs.”

      “That’s why I stopped seeing her,” Jake said quietly. “I caught her doing cocaine in the bathroom and that was it for me.”

      There was silence for a moment, then Ms. Woods spoke, “Mr. McCain, this little boy is all alone and we’re trying to find his father.”

      Jake met her gaze. “I’m not him.”

      “Are you positive of that?”

      He stared at the brocade drapes and wished he could say with certainty that the boy wasn’t his, but he couldn’t. They’d used protection. Maybe it didn’t work. If it didn’t, then…

      “No,” he admitted reluctantly.

      Elise moaned again and Jake wanted to tell her it wasn’t true, but he really didn’t know.

      “There’s an easy way to find out,” Ms. Woods said.

      Through his confusion, Jake breathed one word, “How?”

      “A DNA test. It’s a simple blood test and it’ll tell us if you’re Ben’s biological father or not.”

      Jake didn’t say anything. This was so unreal, but he felt that if he had a son, surely he’d have some inkling, something…

      “Is СКАЧАТЬ