Nanny Makes Three. Cat Schield

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СКАЧАТЬ parked and turned off the engine. A sense of foreboding raised the hair on his arms, and he wondered at his reluctance to get out of the truck. He’d enjoyed how peaceful the last year had been. A strange woman showing up at the crack of dawn could only mean trouble.

      Slipping from behind the wheel, Liam trotted across the drought-dry lawn and up the five steps that led to the wraparound porch. The stained glass windows set into the double doors allowed light to filter into the wide entry hall, but prevented him from seeing inside. Thus, it wasn’t until Liam pushed open the door that he saw the infant car seat off to one side of the hall. As that was registering, a baby began to wail from the direction of the living room.

      The tableau awaiting him in the high-ceilinged room was definitely the last thing he’d expected. Candace, his housekeeper, held a squalling infant and was obviously trying to block the departure of a stylish woman in her late fifties.

      “Liam will be here any second,” Candace was saying. With her focus split between the child and the blonde woman in the plum wool coat, his housekeeper hadn’t noticed his arrival.

      “What’s going on?” Liam questioned, raising his voice slightly to be heard above the unhappy baby.

      The relief on Candace’s face was clear. “This is Diane Garner. She’s here about her granddaughter.”

      “You’re Liam Wade?” the woman demanded, her tone an accusation.

      “Yes.” Liam was completely bewildered by her hostility. He didn’t recognize her name or her face.

      “My daughter is dead.”

      “I’m very sorry to hear that.”

      “She was on her way to see you when she went into labor and lost control of her car. The doctors were unable to save her.”

      “That’s very tragic.” Liam wasn’t sure what else to say. The name Garner rang no bells. “Did she and I have an appointment about something?”

      Diane stiffened. “An appointment?”

      “What was your daughter’s name?”

      “Margaret Garner. You met her in San Antonio.” Diane grew more agitated with each word she uttered. “You can’t expect me to believe you don’t remember.”

      “I’m sorry,” Liam said, pitching his voice to calm the woman. She reminded him of a high-strung mare. “It’s been a while since I’ve been there.”

      “It’s been eight months,” Diane said. “Surely you couldn’t have forgotten my daughter in such a short period of time.”

      Liam opened his mouth to explain that he wasn’t anywhere near San Antonio eight months ago when it hit him what the woman was implying. He turned and stared at the baby Candace held.

      “You think the baby’s mine?”

      “Her name is Maggie and I know she’s yours.”

      Liam almost laughed. This was one child he knew without question wasn’t his. He’d been celibate since last New Year’s Eve. “I assure you that’s not true.”

      Diane pursed her lips. “I came here thinking you’d do the right thing by Maggie. She’s your child. There’s no question that you had an affair with my daughter.”

      He wasn’t proud of the fact that during his twenties, he’d probably slept with a few women without knowing their last name or much more about them other than that they were sexy and willing. But he’d been careful, and not one of them had shown up on his doorstep pregnant.

      “If I had an affair with your daughter, it was a long time ago, and this child is not mine.”

      “I have pictures that prove otherwise.” Diane pulled a phone out of her purse and swiped at the screen. “These are you and my daughter. The date stamp puts them at eight months ago in San Antonio. Are you going to deny that’s you?”

      The screen showed a very pretty woman with blond hair and bright blue eyes, laughing as she kissed the cheek of a very familiar-looking face. Kyle’s. A baseball cap hid his short hair, but the lack of a scar on his chin left no doubt it was Kyle and not Liam in the picture.

      “I realize that looks like me, but I have a twin brother.” Liam was still grappling with seeing his brother looking so happy when Diane Garner slipped past him and headed toward the entry. “But even so, that doesn’t mean the baby is a Wade.”

      Diane paused with her hand on the front doorknob. Her eyes blazed. “Margaret dated very infrequently, and she certainly didn’t sleep around. I can tell from the pictures that she really fell for you.”

      Either Diane hadn’t heard Liam when he explained that he had a twin or she saw this as an excuse. While he grappled for a way to get through to the woman, she yanked the door open and exited the house.

      Stunned, Liam stared after her. He was ready to concede that the child might be a Wade. A DNA test would confirm that quickly enough, but then what? Kyle was on active duty in the military and not in a position to take on the responsibility of an infant.

      The baby’s cries escalated, interrupting his train of thought. He turned to where Candace rocked the baby in an effort to calm her and realized Diane Garner intended to leave her granddaughter behind. Liam chased after the older woman and caught her car door before she could close it.

      “Are you leaving the baby?”

      “Margaret was on her way to see you. I think she meant to either give you Maggie or get your permission to give her up. There were blank forms to that effect in her car.”

      “Why?”

      “She never wanted to have children of her own.” Diane’s voice shook. “And I know she wouldn’t have been able to raise one by herself.”

      “What happens if I refuse?”

      “I’ll turn her over to child services.”

      “But you’re the child’s grandmother. Couldn’t you just take care of her until we can get a DNA test performed and...”

      “Because of health issues, I’m not in a position to take care of her. You’re Maggie’s father,” Diane insisted. “She belongs with you.”

      She belonged with her father. Unfortunately, with Kyle on active duty, could he care for a baby? Did he even want to? Liam had no idea—it had been two years since he’d last spoken with Kyle. But if the child was a Wade—and Liam wasn’t going to turn the child out until he knew one way or another—that meant she belonged here.

      “How do I get in contact with you?” Liam asked. Surely the woman would want some news of her grandchild?

      “I gave my contact info to your housekeeper.” The older woman looked both shaken and determined. “Take good care of Maggie. She’s all I have left.” And with more haste than grace, Diane pulled her car door shut and started the engine.

      As the gray car backed down the driveway, Liam considered the decision his own mother had made, leaving him and Kyle with her father to raise СКАЧАТЬ