His Brother's Fiancee. Jasmine Cresswell

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СКАЧАТЬ in Emily’s stomach and she leaned against the banister, afraid she might pass out if she didn’t grab on to some solid support.

       “Come into my office and we’ll get started,” Dylan said, taking the decision of what to do next out of her hands. “I know how busy you must be, and I’ll try to do this as fast as we can.” He held the door, standing back so that she could pass him.

       He would never know what an effort of will it required to straighten her shoulders, move away from the support of the stair rail, and follow him into his office, Emily thought.

       “What a pleasant room,” she said as Dylan closed the door behind them. Her reaction was mechanical, but as she spoke, she realized she had instinctively responded to the simple, masculine comfort of the room. As a trained interior designer, it was second nature for her to notice the settings people chose to live and work in, and she heartily approved Dylan’s taste.

       The office had walls of natural stone and rough-hewn timber, contrasted with sections of whitewashed plaster that gave the whole room an airy feel that was simultaneously timeless and fashionably rustic. The furniture was obviously custom-designed to fit the niches and contours of the room, and the natural clutter of a working office was cleverly contained within several purpose-designed cabinets and open tray systems.

       “You have wonderful natural light, and you’ve made the most of the available space,” she said, looking around. “You must enjoy working here.”

       “I sure do. It’s turned out well, hasn’t it?” Dylan sat down behind an oversize desk and gestured for her to take the comfortable armchair that faced him. “It’s hard to imagine that this second floor has been part of the ranch for a hundred years, but it wasn’t much more than wasted space until my sister and I decided to convert the area into our offices.”

       “With Carolyn to keep the administration running smoothly, and this great setting to impress your clients, I’m sure Finders Keepers will soon be the most successful investigative firm in the state.”

       Dylan grinned. “We can only hope. But let’s get down to business. I know this is a very busy day for you and I’m sorry we couldn’t arrange to get together any earlier. You’re the only person I know whose schedule is more full than mine right now.”

       Emily managed a sickly smile. If only he realized just how empty her schedule was about to become.

       Dylan gave her an intent look, then leaned back in his chair, deliberately casual. “Tell me what you would like Finders Keepers to investigate for you, Ms. Sutton. Carolyn said that it was a family matter, but that’s all she told me.”

       “Call me Emily, please.” She had agonized over her decision for weeks before coming to consult with Dylan Garrett. Ironically, now that she was here, her emotions were so numb that it didn’t seem such a big deal after all. “I’m here because I need you to find my birth mother,” she said.

       “Need?” Dylan asked mildly. “Do you really need to find your birth mother for something like medical reasons, or was that just a figure of speech?”

       “A figure of speech. At least I think it was.” Emily smiled wryly. “I don’t have any hereditary diseases as far as I know, and psychologically I’m sure I’ll survive if I never find out who my birth mother was, but I guess I’ve grown more and more curious about my origins as I’ve gotten older. Don’t get me wrong. My parents, Sam and Raelene Sutton, are wonderful people. They’ve given me a great education, a secure home, and lots of material possessions. Most of all, they’ve loved me more than any child could possibly hope for. In fact, they were such terrific parents I made it all through the teenage years without ever once being tempted to run away to search for my ‘real’ mom. So I guess it kind of took me by surprise a couple of months ago when I found myself wondering about my birth mother.”

       “You never thought about her before? That’s unusual for an adopted child.”

       “I thought about her occasionally, but not with any real intensity. On my birthdays, I would wonder if she remembered the day I was born, and if she missed me. But suddenly, after twenty-seven years, I have this nagging sense of urgency, and I’ve even started to dream about her at night. It’s as if time’s running out for me to find her. When I’m awake, the feeling of urgency isn’t so strong, but I keep asking myself how she’d feel if she knew her daughter was about to get married—“ Emily stopped abruptly.

       Fortunately, Dylan misinterpreted the reason for her sudden silence. “It’s not surprising that you should start questioning the circumstances of your birth now you’ve reached the point in your life when you might have children of your own. Even so, before I agree to proceed with the investigation, I’d like to reassure myself that you’re aware of the risks involved.”

       “Risks?”

       “Emotional risks, chiefly. Although sometimes there are practical risks, too.”

       “I’ve considered the risks,” Emily said. “I realize this search will impact my adoptive parents as well as me. Obviously, I don’t want to hurt them—”

       “Have you told them what you’re planning to do?”

       Emily shook her head. “No, not yet.”

       Dylan sent her a quizzical look and she acknowledged his tacit question with a rueful smile. “I’m not chickening out. Honest. I don’t think they’ll be hurt by the idea that I’ve chosen to look for my birth mother, but they’ll be…anxious. Why worry them needlessly? Carolyn says your success rate in finding missing family members is very high, but even you must have the occasional failure. I didn’t want to get everyone worked up over something that might fizzle out into nothing.”

       “You have a point. But we’re proud of our record, even though we’ve only been in business a short time, so I’m optimistic that we can find your mother. However, there are still a couple of warnings I need to run by you before we start the investigation. Until quite recently adoptions were governed more by custom than by law. Nowadays, most states insist on full disclosure, and open adoptions are the norm, with all the important facts on the table. But thirty years ago, case workers figured birth records were closed forever, and nobody was going to be hurt if they polished the truth to make it more palatable to adoptive parents.”

       “I just want to know who my mother is and why she chose to give me up for adoption,” Emily said. “I’m prepared to face whatever you find.”

       “Are you certain? Even if it turns out that you were born while your mother was in prison? Or maybe she had so many sexual partners nobody has any idea who your father is? Or how about if she’s a married woman, living in the suburbs with a second family and children she chose not to give up for adoption? How badly is that going to hurt you? Then there are the practical risks I talked about. You’re a successful professional woman, with wealthy parents. What if your adoptive mother hits you up for money?”

       “Actually, I’ve thought about all those possibilities, and I’ve decided I want to know the truth, whatever it is,” Emily answered without hesitation. Surprisingly, a fierce desire to find her birth mother was one of the few emotions she could still feel through the numbness induced by Michael’s rejection.

       She realized she was gripping the edge of the desk, and she uncurled her tense fingers. “I appreciate the warnings, Dylan, and I’m prepared to face the worst, but I don’t think I’ll have to. The adoption agency provided some pretty specific details about my background. They said my birth mother was a nineteen-year-old student СКАЧАТЬ