Come Fly With Me...: English Girl in New York / Moonlight in Paris. Fiona Brand
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Название: Come Fly With Me...: English Girl in New York / Moonlight in Paris
Автор: Fiona Brand
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Современные любовные романы
isbn: 9781474062473
isbn:
She spun around. ‘You don’t know that, Dan. You don’t know anything. This could be an underage girl’s baby. She might have been terrified to tell anyone she was pregnant—afraid of the repercussions. What if she was abused? What if she lives with her abuser? Have you thought of that?’
He was trying not to get mad. He was trying not to shout. He took a long, slow breath, his eyes lifting to meet hers. ‘It could also be the baby of someone who wasn’t interested in prenatal care. Someone who wasn’t interested in making sure their baby was delivered safely. Someone who doesn’t really care what happens to their baby.’
There was a tremble in her voice. ‘You don’t know that, Dan.’ She looked down at the baby. ‘You don’t know anything. I just can’t imagine what would make someone dump their baby on a doorstep. But I’ve got to believe they were desperate and wanted their baby to get help.’ Her hand stroked the baby’s head. ‘A baby is a precious gift. I don’t know any mother who would give their baby up willingly.’
‘Then I guess our experiences of life are different.’ The words were out before he knew it. No hesitation. No regrets.
Her eyes met his. It was as if she was trying to take stock of what he’d just said. As if she was trying to see inside his head.
He gave himself a shake and walked over next to her. ‘I agree with you, Carrie. I think babies are precious and they should be treated with respect. So I think we should do something.’ He lifted his finger and touched the baby’s cheek.
‘What?’
‘I think we should give our baby a name.’
SHE LOOKED STUNNED.
As if he’d just suggested packing up the car and heading off into the sunset with a baby in tow.
‘What? We can’t keep calling him “the little guy”. You know what happens with abandoned babies. At some point somebody, somewhere gives them a name.’
‘But we don’t have any right. This isn’t our baby.’ She gave a little shake as if the thought was too alarming.
‘Actually, right now, he is our baby. And might continue to be so for the next few days. We have to call him something in the meantime. Calling him “baby”, “him” or “it”, it’s just not right. You know it isn’t.’
She’d started pacing now. Walking about the apartment. Her eyes refusing to meet with his. ‘Well, what’s your suggestion, genius? Do you want to call him Dan?’
She was mocking him. For some reason, she was uncomfortable with this.
‘I don’t want to call him Dan. That will just get confusing. I’m trying to make this less confusing, not more.’ He looked at her again; her pacing was slowing. ‘What kind of names do you like?’
‘I’m not naming him.’ The words snapped out of her mouth.
‘Why not?’
‘Because he’s not my baby.’
He shook his head. ‘We know this. That’s not the point. Let’s find something we can agree on. Do you like crazy names like Moonwind or Shooting Star? Do you like modern names, celebrity names or something more traditional?’
Her chin was on the floor. ‘Moonwind? Shooting Star? You’ve got to be kidding?’
He shook his head and rolled his eyes. ‘You forget. I’m a cop in New York. I’ve heard everything.’
‘Wow.’ She sat back down on the sofa and picked up the bottle of milk. ‘I’m going to try and give him a little more of this.’ She watched as his mouth closed around the teat and he started to suck. ‘I guess I like more traditional names,’ she finally said.
‘Plain? Like John or Joe or Bob?’
‘No. They are too plain. Something proud. Something that makes you sit up and take notice.’
‘I thought you’d ruled out Moonwind?’
There was a sparkle in her eyes as she turned to him. ‘How about really traditional? How about something biblical?’
‘Now you’re really testing me. I’ll need to think back to my Sunday school days.’
‘Then you do that. How about Joseph? Or Isaac, or Jeremiah?’
He grabbed the first names that sprang into his mind. ‘Noah, or David, or Goliath?’ he countered. He wanted to make her smile again. And it worked. She was sitting up a little straighter. Trying to beat him at this game.
He could see her start to rack her brains. ‘Peter, Paul or Matthew?’
‘Adam, Moses or Joshua?’
There was silence for a few seconds as they both concentrated hard.
‘Abraham.’
‘Abraham.’
Their voices intermingled. And a smile appeared across both their faces.
Carrie stared down at the baby. ‘Abraham,’ she whispered. ‘Now there’s a proud name. What do you think of that one?’
He sat down next to her. ‘Abraham, I like it. Also the name of one of our finest presidents. It’s perfect.’
‘It does seem perfect.’ She was staring down at the little face as he sucked at the bottle. She nodded. ‘You’re right. We do need to give him a name—even if it’s temporary. What a pity his mum didn’t leave a note with what she’d called him.’ There was a wistfulness in her voice. The sympathy vote that grated on him.
‘Might have been better if she’d actually left some clothes. Or some diapers. Or anything at all to show us she cared about her son.’
Carrie gave the tiniest shake of her head as she eased the bottle out of Abraham’s mouth, then sat him upright, putting her hand under his chin to support his head while she rubbed his back. ‘Let’s see if we can get a burp out of you this time.’
She turned to face him. ‘You’re really hard on people, Dan. And I find it really strange. You didn’t hesitate to try and help this baby. You weren’t even too upset when Shana told you that you’d need to keep him a while. We have no idea what’s happened here. Can you at least try to give his mother the benefit of the doubt?’
‘No.’
Just like that. Blunt and to the point.
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