Wanted: Father for Her Baby: Keeping Baby Secret / Five Brothers and a Baby / Expecting Brand's Baby. BEVERLY BARTON

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СКАЧАТЬ thinks a message from me might actually influence his abductor to return him.”

      “Since Moran has given you the okay to make a public statement, I see no reason why you shouldn’t,” Frank said.

      “Just so long as you don’t mention the infant abduction ring,” Kate reminded her. “You don’t want to do anything that might alert them that the feds are on to them.”

      Leenie sighed. “God, I hope Andrew was taken by those damn people. It’s the one sure chance we have of getting him back, isn’t it?”

      Frank put his arm around Leenie’s shoulders. “Come on, Slim, let’s go see Mrs. Schmale, then I’ll take you out for lunch. I’m in the mood for…a greasy hamburger and fries. And maybe a chocolate milkshake.”

      Leenie smiled. “Just thinking about that kind of food has already put five pounds on me, mostly on my hips.”

      Frank’s arm slipped down her back and encircled her waist. One hand slid down to cup her hip. “Five pounds won’t hurt you. Hell, ten pounds wouldn’t.”

      “Frank Latimer, you know just what to say to a girl to make her happy, don’t you?”

      “I try,” he said, sincerity and a touch of sadness in his voice.

      Frank liked Debra Schmale and could see why Leenie had hired her as Andrew’s nanny. She possessed a kind disposition and maternal love oozed from her pores. The woman’s hospital room looked like a florist. Floral arrangements of every size and kind filled the small private room and four balloon bouquets floated in the air, held in place by ribbon streamers tied to both chairs in the room and to the knobs on the closet doors.

      Leenie hugged Debra, careful not to squeeze too hard and hurt the healing patient. “It’s good to see you looking so well. I’ve been worried about you.”

      “I’ll be just fine…once we get Andrew back. I feel so guilty for—”

      “Hush that kind of talk,” Leenie said. “You have nothing to feel guilty about.”

      “If only I could have stopped that woman from taking Andrew.”

      “Mrs. Schmale, you had no way of knowing that the woman had deliberately crashed into your car so that she could kidnap Andrew. You did exactly what anyone would have done,” Frank told her as he walked over and stood directly behind Leenie.

      “Please, call me Debra.” She offered him a warm, genuine smile. “I’m so glad that you’re here with Leenie. She needs you, now, more than ever.”

      Leenie gasped softly. Frank realized that Mrs. Schmale—Debra—knew he was Andrew’s father, which made him wonder just how much Leenie had told her about him.

      “In case you’re wondering, Leenie told me very little about you, not even your name,” Debra said, as if reading his mind. “She didn’t offer the information and I didn’t pry.

      “Then how did you know—?” Leenie asked.

      “Haley told me about Mr. Latimer. She’s been a frequent visitor. And she is as pleased as I am that Andrew’s father is by your side during this terrible ordeal.”

      When Debra looked at Frank, she smiled, but he felt her disapproval and understood she was wondering why he had gotten Leenie pregnant and walked out of her life. Women of Debra Schmale’s generation expected a man to do the right thing, to make an honest woman of his child’s mother.

      “You and Haley are a couple of busybodies,” Leenie said jokingly. “And just so you won’t badger Frank, you should know that he plans to be a part of Andrew’s life…once we have him back with us.”

      “There’s no news, then?” Debra asked.

      Leenie shook her head.

      Frank put his arm around Leenie’s waist and pulled her close. “We have every reason to hope that no news is good news, at least for now. The FBI thinks Andrew will be found unharmed. Leenie and I are clinging to that hope.”

      Debra eyed Frank’s arm around Leenie.

      The telephone on Debra’s bedside table rang. She reached out for it, but Leenie grabbed it to save Debra the effort.

      “I’ve gotten a dozen calls already today,” Debra told Frank. “Everyone in Maysville must know I’m out of ICU and in a private room now.”

      “Debra Schmale’s room,” Leenie said.

      Frank glanced at Leenie, who paled instantly.

      Leenie looked at Frank and said, “It’s Kate and she wants to speak to you.”

      The muscles in Frank’s belly knotted painfully. He reached out and took the receiver from Leenie.

      “Yeah, Kate, what’s up?”

      “Moran just called,” Kate said.

      “Tell me it’s good news.”

      Leenie grasped Frank’s arm.

      “It could be,” Kate told him. “Two new infants have come up for adoption. Both fit Andrew’s description.”

      “When is he sending in a couple of agents?” Frank asked.

      “What is it?” Leenie demanded, tugging on Frank’s arm. “Is it news about Andrew?”

      “Everything is set up for tomorrow,” Kate said. “Moran wanted me to tell you something. He made me repeat it twice.”

      “What?”

      “He said to tell you that it’s sooner rather than later.”

      “God!” The FBI operation that had been in the works for several years was coming together. Sooner rather than later. Possibly tomorrow? Was that what Moran was trying to tell him? Was it all going to happen tomorrow, right when Andrew—if he was one of the two infants—would be smack dab in the middle of everything? What if when the feds made their arrests, the two babies were whisked away before being rescued? What if they lost Andrew? What if there was gunplay?

      “I’ll bring Leenie home right away,” Frank told Kate. “We’ll skip going to WJMM today.”

      “Moran knows you’ll come back to Memphis.”

      “Damn straight about that.” Frank replaced the receiver and turned to Leenie, who was squeezing the life out of his arm. “Good news. A couple of infants have been found and it’s possible one of them is Andrew.” He glanced at Debra Schmale and smiled, then gave Leenie a sharp glare, hoping she’d understand why he couldn’t be totally forthcoming with Debra.

      “This is wonderful news,” Debra said.

      “Keep it to yourself for now, okay?” Frank smiled at her.

      “Absolutely.” Debra folded her hands together in a prayerlike gesture.

      “We need to go,” Frank told Leenie.

      She СКАЧАТЬ