“We’ll produce it as evidence of course, but a judge is going to want to see more than that.”
“It’ll have to go to court?”
“Eventually, yes, because we’re talking about a change in whatever custody agreement was put in place prior to William’s birth.”
Thad exhaled. “This is getting complicated.”
Michelle offered a sympathetic smile. “Surrogate arrangements always are.” People were rarely prepared for the complexities involved.
“I’m beginning to think I should take legal counsel with us.”
Michelle felt another give in the lock. Almost there.
“It’s not a bad idea.”
From the other room, they heard a whimper, then a full-throated cry. Thad disappeared. When he returned, William was snuggled against his chest, quietly looking around. Michelle could see Thad was already getting his hopes up that the baby would end up staying a member of his family. She didn’t want to see him disappointed.
“Will you go with us?” Thad asked.
Aside from Michelle’s law partner, Glenn York, there was only one family-law attorney in Summit. Tucker James was a good guy, but not one inclined to work weekends or take on matters that were unusually complex. If this situation turned out to be as messed up as it appeared, Michelle knew Thad was going to need a top-notch attorney experienced in surrogate arrangements. That would be Glenn. Unfortunately Glenn was already working all weekend on a messy divorce-and-property-settlement case that would be in deposition next week. Reluctantly Michelle volunteered. “I can help you out temporarily.”
Thad smiled his relief, putting far too much stock in her abilities. “That would be great!”
“One thing, though,” Michelle cautioned.
He waited, sandy eyebrows raised.
“No more kissing,” she said firmly.
“Agreed.” He grinned. “Unless you change your mind.”
Oh, how she wanted to, Michelle thought. It had been so long since she had felt so wanted. So long since her body had hummed with distinctly female satisfaction.
But Thad did not need to know that, she schooled herself sternly.
She looked him in the eye. “I won’t.”
He went very still. Looking disappointed, but no less determined, she noted.
“Because…?” His low voice sent shivers over her body.
Once again Michelle pushed away the desire welling up inside her. She called on her cool-as-ice courtroom demeanor. “We’re neighbors and we need to stay on good terms.”
He searched her eyes with daunting intimacy. “And you think we wouldn’t if we kissed again?”
I think I’d be devastated if I turned out to be one of your three-dates-and-it’s-over women. Hence, better safe than sorry, Michelle thought, as she gave the lock one more nudge. It opened with a click. She lifted the lid. Inside were several insurance policies on expensive camera equipment Russell Garner owned, an old driver’s license of his and a Summit High School class ring. There were no legal documents of any kind. Certainly nothing pertaining to a surrogate arrangement.
“I don’t know where else to look,” Thad said in frustration.
Michelle knew it wasn’t the end of the road for getting the information he needed. Far from it. “The attorney who prepared the documents will have copies. Maybe we can find out who that is tomorrow,” Michelle said.
Aware her reason for sticking around was gone, she stood. It was as difficult as she’d suspected it would be to leave the baby she had cared for all day. She forced herself to suppress her own deep longing for a child and look at Thad.
“What time did you want to leave tomorrow?” she asked casually.
“Seven in the morning okay with you?”
Michelle held Thad’s gaze a moment longer, then touched William’s cheek gently. “I’ll see you both then.”
MICHELLE HAD JUST changed into her pajamas and climbed into bed when the phone rang. Seeing it was Thad, she picked up the receiver and heard the loud, angry wails of an unhappy newborn.
“What’s going on?” she asked, aware William hadn’t cried that way when she’d been in charge.
More loud crying. “Help,” Thad said over the din.
Michelle was already reaching for her slippers. “I’ll be right there.”
Grabbing her light raincoat, she slipped it on against the chill of the spring evening and headed across the street. Thad was waiting for her, the wailing baby in his arms.
“What’s the matter?” Michelle asked, stepping inside.
The moment she spoke, the crying dimmed.
“You poor baby,” she soothed.
The wailing stopped altogether.
William studied her with his long-lashed, baby-blue eyes.
“Is it possible he just wanted to hear your voice?” Thad said.
Michelle scoffed and shook her head. “I only wish I were that wonderful. So what’s going on?”
“I was trying to give him his formula.” Thad pointed to the full bottle on the table next to the sofa.
Michelle walked over and picked it up. She frowned. “It’s cold, Thad.”
He looked even more clueless. “Yeah, so?”
“You’re supposed to heat it.”
He held up a hand in expert fashion. “Actually that’s an old wives’ tale. Infants are perfectly capable of taking their formula cold.”
Michelle narrowed her eyes at Thad. “Did they teach you that in medical school?”
“As a matter of fact,” he told her smugly, “they did.”
Unfortunately, Michelle thought, babies had individual quirks and preferences, just like adults. “Well, maybe that would be okay if he’d had it cold from the beginning. But he hasn’t. I gave him warm formula all day. The bottle you gave him earlier this evening was warmed, too.”
Thad appeared to think that over, but in the end refused to give ground. “Maybe he just missed you and wants you to give him his bottle again.”
Michelle’s ego liked the idea of that. Her maternal side had other ideas. “And maybe he just wants it warm.”
Thad shrugged. “One way to find out.” He handed William to Michelle.
She sat down in a chair, her raincoat still on.
His mouth quirked in barely suppressed amusement. “You can take off your coat and stay a while.”
No way, she thought. She was in her pj’s. No underwear. “I’m fine.” Michelle settled William in her arms and offered him the nipple. He looked at her with absolute trust, started to suck, then got a taste of the cold formula. He pushed it out with his tongue and kept looking at Michelle.
“He’s not crying,” Thad noted.
That was because he was busy snuggling against the softness of her breasts, the way he had all day. Michelle continued making eye contact with the little cutie. It was odd how much she had missed him, so quickly. It wasn’t as if he were her baby.
Perhaps she should remember that.
Aware Thad was still holding on to his med-school theory about not needing to warm baby formula, Michelle told him wryly,