The Family Plan

The headache was rapidly intensifying. Nathan rubbed harder at his temples, which had absolutely no effect against the pounding. “I need time to think about this.”

“I understand. But our time is limited, I’m afraid.”

Picturing the pleasant-faced, kind-eyed woman he’d met at his father’s funeral, Nathan was aware of a wave of sadness on her behalf. Barbara Houston had seemed like a very nice woman, only in her mid-fifties. He hated to think of her suffering so terribly. “Can you give me a few hours to process this, Mr. Curtis? Isabelle’s okay for now, isn’t she?”

“Mrs. Houston was hospitalized several days ago, but the child is fine for now. She’s staying with Mrs. Houston’s pastor and his wife. Mrs. Houston called me from the hospital, and I visited her there. Frankly, she looks terrible. Worrying about her great-niece isn’t making her any more comfortable.”

Nathan got the message. Time was running out, fast. “Give me until tomorrow morning. I’ll call you first thing,” he promised, glancing up as Caitlin reentered her office. “Don’t do anything until I talk to you, okay?”

“I’ll be expecting your call.”

Nathan hung up the phone, then buried his face in his hands and groaned.

“Nathan?” He heard Caitlin’s footsteps as she moved closer. “Are you okay?”

Slowly lowering his hands, he looked up at her, taking some comfort from the genuine concern reflected in her warm gray eyes. “How do you think I’d stack up as a father?”

She lifted both her eyebrows. “This is a rhetorical question, I hope.”

“Not exactly. I have to decide whether to take my father’s three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and try to raise her myself or to let her disappear into the California child services system and hope she’s quickly adopted by a decent family.”

Caitlin knew a little of his family history. Of course, no one could live for long in this town without hearing the details of the juiciest scandal to rock this area in decades. She had already joined his firm when his father died, and she’d run the office during the few days Nathan was in California for the funeral. So she wasn’t surprised by his reference to his half sister, but she certainly appeared flabbergasted by everything else he’d said. “There’s no one else to take her?”

“Not a soul. The great-aunt who’s been raising her is very ill. I have to make a decision very quickly—by tomorrow morning.”

“I’m sorry. No wonder you look so upset.”

“Yeah. Hell of a choice I’ve got here. Take in a three-year-old and completely alienate my already-screwed-up family or farm the kid out to strangers and give up the right to ever see her again.” The final words were gruff as he forced them through his suddenly tight throat.

Caitlin only looked at him.

On an impulse he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He didn’t carry many photographs, only two. An old family photo of his parents, himself and his two younger siblings taken when Nathan was sixteen. And a snapshot of a little blond princess with enormous blue eyes and several deep dimples. He held that one out to Caitlin.

She studied it with her lower lip caught between her teeth. And then she looked up at him again, her smoky gray eyes almost black now. “Oh, Nathan.”

He swallowed, nodded and slipped the photo back into its place opposite the old family portrait.

The desk speaker buzzed. “Ms. Briley? Is Mr. McCloud still in there?”

“I’m here, Irene.”

“Your appointment has arrived, Mr. McCloud. She seems quite nervous. You probably shouldn’t keep her waiting long.”

“Right. Give me five minutes, then show her to my office.”

“Yes, sir.”

Stuffing his wallet back into his pocket, Nathan pushed a hand through his tumbled hair. “I’d better go to my office and get ready for Mrs. Danoff.”

“Nathan?”

Caitlin’s voice made him pause in the doorway. “Yes?”

“What are you going to do?”

He pushed his hand through his hair again. How could he even consider taking in a three-year-old? He had never even committed to a pet. He did pretty well just taking care of himself. It would shatter his mother’s already-broken heart, and his siblings would probably never speak to him again—not that they said much to him these days, anyway.

But could he sign her away? Turn her over to strangers with no guarantees that she would be treated well, never to see her again or know what had happened to her? She was his sister, damn it.

Realizing that Caitlin was still waiting for an answer, he sighed. “Beats the hell out of me.”

Chapter Two

C aitlin had little chance to talk with Nathan again that afternoon. Both of them were busy with back-to-back appointments, and then she had to leave early for a dental appointment.

Tired from a long, busy week, she wasn’t really in the mood to socialize that evening, but she had little choice. Once a year, the Honesty Chamber of Commerce held a reception to recognize the community’s prominent volunteers, and all the local business and society leaders attended. There was no way Caitlin would miss such a chance to mingle with influential neighbors. It was simply too good an opportunity to increase the visibility of the McCloud and Briley Law Firm.

She knew Nathan would be in attendance, though this was hardly his preferred choice of entertainment. His mother was one of the five volunteers being honored that evening for her active role in local children’s charities. Nathan wouldn’t dare skip the event.

As she dressed in a suitably conservative yet sophisticated black cocktail sheath, she wondered if he had made a decision about his little sister’s future. Surely he would come to the conclusion that adoption was the only alternative. She couldn’t imagine Nathan trying to raise a three-year-old on his own. Heck, she couldn’t picture herself raising a toddler, and she was a hundred times more organized than Nathan!

And then the image of the golden-haired little girl in the photograph popped into her mind. She knew Nathan had met the child on several occasions during the past three years. During those visits with his father’s new family, he had accumulated several amusing stories about his cute-as-a-button, incredibly bright-for-her-age little sister—stories he had shared with Caitlin during the months they’d worked together because no one in his family had wanted to hear them.

She could see both sides of his family’s conflict. While she admired Nathan for maintaining some ties with his father, his mother and siblings still bitterly resented Stuart McCloud for publicly abandoning his family in favor of a woman half his age.

Caitlin hadn’t lived here four years ago, and hadn’t yet met Nathan, but she had certainly heard plenty about the scandal. The gossip columns and TV newscasts had been filled with talk of the gubernatorial candidate’s affair with a young campaign volunteer and the subsequent pregnancy that ended his thirty-year marriage…and his political career. The press had been vicious, camping outside the homes of the betrayed wife and adult offspring, hoping for juicy quotes and photos. She remembered how sorry she had felt for the McCloud family then, and how much she had admired the poise and restraint Stuart’s wronged wife, Lenore, had shown in the wake of the debacle.

She had met Lenore several times during the past nine months. Nathan’s mother dropped in frequently at the law offices and had been unfailingly gracious to Caitlin. She knew the woman was much admired in Honesty—hence, the recognition from the Chamber of Commerce later this evening. Yet Caitlin also knew that Lenore had never forgiven her ex-husband for his betrayal. And while Lenore and Nathan maintained a good relationship, she had resented his refusal to sever communication with his father.

If Nathan were to bring his father’s late-life child into his family’s midst, his mother and siblings would consider the gesture a slap in the face. A betrayal almost as cutting as his father’s. Knowing how much his family meant to him and how hard he had worked to repair the rifts that had developed between them during the past few years, she understood how reluctant he would be to further widen the chasms. And yet, because family was so important to him, and because Nathan had loved his father despite his flaws, she knew how hard it would be for Nathan to turn his back on his baby sister.

She certainly didn’t envy him the decision he faced during the next few hours.

Nathan was beginning to worry that his head was in danger of exploding. So many thoughts were ricocheting through his mind that he wouldn’t be surprised if he developed dents in his skull.

He knew he hadn’t been his usual charming, personable self during the chamber of commerce event. He’d been aware of the puzzled and concerned looks he’d received all evening as he’d responded to conversational gambits with absentminded and sometimes monosyllabic replies. People were used to his brother, Gideon, sitting in a corner and glowering during social events, since Gideon would rather sacrifice nonessential body parts than to attend functions like this. But Nathan enjoyed social gatherings, usually staying right in the middle of the activities and generally being the life of the party.

“Nathan, are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” his mother asked as the evening drew to a close. “You’ve been so distracted all evening.”

He managed a smile for her. “Sorry, Mom. I hope I haven’t spoiled your big party.”

“Of course not.” She raised a hand to touch the rose corsage she had been given earlier to designate her as one of the special honorees of the event. “I’ve had a lovely evening. I’m simply concerned about you.”

“I, um, have a lot on my mind,” he said, stalling.

This was definitely not the time to bring up his father’s name, nor to remind his mother of little Isabelle’s existence. As much as he would have liked to discuss his dilemma with his mother, he was convinced that he already knew what her response would be. Lenore McCloud would not wish harm on any child, but she couldn’t be objective where this little girl was concerned. She would expect him to give the child up for adoption without a second thought. She would even try to convince him that he would be doing Isabelle a disservice if he were to prevent her from being placed in a two-parent home.

And maybe she would be right, Nathan mused. He was all too aware of his own shortcomings as parental material. Who was to say there wasn’t a perfectly wonderful couple waiting to give Isabelle a loving, supportive home?

A tall, somber, dark-haired man approached the relatively quiet corner where Nathan had sought refuge and where his mother had found him. “Just wanted to let you know I’m out of here,” the newcomer said to Lenore. “Congratulations on your award, Mom.”

Though her younger son had arrived barely twenty minutes earlier, Lenore didn’t protest the brevity of his appearance. Nathan knew Lenore was pleased that Gideon had shown up at all. She smiled at her younger son. “Thank you for coming, Gideon. I know this isn’t your sort of thing.”

Gideon’s firm mouth twisted in a wry half smile. “You got that right. But I knew you would be hurt if I didn’t make an appearance at this wingding in your honor.”

Though she couldn’t resist preening a bit, Lenore reminded him that there had been four other honorees that evening. Gideon shrugged off the others as unimportant.

“Hold on a minute, bro. I’ll walk you out,” Nathan said on an impulse.

His brother lifted an eyebrow. “I’m sure I can find my truck.”

“Yeah, but I want to talk to you about something.” Nathan moved aside as two of his mother’s friends approached her. “See you later, Mom.”

“Don’t leave without letting me know,” she admonished before turning to her friends.

Suspecting that she would try again to find out what had been on his mind all evening, Nathan nodded and vowed to take his leave of her when there were others around to prevent any personal conversation. Walking toward the exit, he spotted Caitlin working the crowd on the other side of the country club ballroom. He couldn’t help smiling at her earnest and eager expression. She certainly wasn’t missing the opportunity to promote the law firm.

It wasn’t the first time he’d thought that she should have gone into politics. She must have shaken the hand of everyone in attendance this evening; if there had been any babies in the room she would probably have kissed them.

Caitlin was most definitely destined for professional success. Whether she would find what she craved here in Honesty with him as her partner—well, that remained to be seen.

He and Gideon had just reached the door when their sister, Deborah, caught up with them. “You aren’t both leaving, are you?” she protested, blocking their way. “I have to stay until Mom’s ready to leave, since I drove her here.”

Deborah didn’t live in Honesty, but she had come to attend the reception for her mother. Like Gideon, she’d known it was important to Lenore for all her children to show their support for her tonight. Deborah was staying at her mother’s house for the weekend and would return to her apartment in Tampa Sunday evening.

“I’m not leaving yet,” Nathan assured her. “Just walking Gideon out. Actually, why don’t you come, too? There’s something I need to discuss with both of you—in private.”

“A private discussion in the parking lot?” Gideon inquired.

Nathan shrugged. “It’s one of the rare times we’re all together these days. And this concerns a decision I have to make by tomorrow morning, so this is as good a time as any.”

“Does this decision affect us?” Deborah, always the suspicious one, wanted to know.

“In a way, yes.”

“Then I want to hear about it. You know how I feel about anyone making decisions on my behalf.”

Nathan felt his mouth twist. “Trust me, I know exactly how you feel about that.”

She turned and led the way through the exit door to the covered portico for rainy-weather drop-offs. A uniformed police officer stood outside the door. Nathan recognized Dylan Smith even before Deborah stiffened at his side.

“Well, if it isn’t the Clan McCloud.” Dylan touched his hat in what would probably look like a friendly gesture to anyone who didn’t know the history behind his greeting.

“Your uncle the police chief put you on security detail tonight?” Gideon inquired blandly, sweeping the officer with a cool glance.

Dylan was actually a year younger than thirty-year-old Gideon, but he didn’t look it. Experience had toughened his features and hardened his expression until there was nothing boyish left about him. Nathan doubted there were many who would be willing to pit their strength against this six-foot-one cop.

Yet Dylan spoke pleasantly enough when he responded to Gideon’s barely veiled gibe. “That’s right. My job is to keep all the riffraff away from the society crowd here tonight.”

“Well, keep up the good work. Maybe you’ll get promoted to traffic detail.” Gideon made no effort to hide the fact that he hadn’t forgotten several ugly confrontations between them in the past. One of those encounters had left Gideon with a black eye and a severely bruised ego.

To Dylan’s credit, the sudden tightening of his jaw was the only evidence that Gideon’s cutting words had angered him. Turning his back on Gideon, he spoke to Deborah, instead. “’Evening, Ms. McCloud. You’re looking extremely well tonight. Very sophisticated and successful.”

There was nothing polished about Deborah’s response. “Bite me, Dylan.”

Before the other man could reply to that suggestion, Nathan said quickly, “That’s enough, you guys. Isn’t it finally time to put the past behind us and let bygones be bygones?”

Three smoldering glares turned his way. “No,” they all said in unison.

He sighed, conceding that he had done all he could to settle that old conflict. “Whatever. Gideon, where’s your truck?”

Without answering, Gideon turned and headed toward the western side of the parking lot. Deborah followed him, though Nathan saw her throw one quick glance over her shoulder toward Dylan. Since Dylan was watching her walk away, Nathan saw their eyes lock—a moment of shared memories, perhaps? Deborah was the one who broke the connection, jerking her head around and hurrying after Gideon.

Nodding cordially to the officer who had once been a thorn in his own side, Nathan followed his siblings, bracing himself for the discussion to come.

Gideon had parked beneath a security lamp, his black-and-chrome pickup gleaming in the yellowish light. It was fully dark now. Though the early October days were still warm, they were growing shorter as winter crept closer. Several of the houses grouped around the golf course were already decorated with orange lights for Halloween.

“What’s so important that you had to talk to us tonight?” Gideon demanded, leaning back against his pickup with his arms crossed over his chest.

Unlike Nathan and Deborah, who had inherited their father’s blond hair and blue eyes, Gideon was dark-haired and green-eyed like their mother. And yet in some ways—a trick of facial expression, perhaps—Gideon looked very much like their father, though Nathan knew his brother would not appreciate the comparison.

Nathan drew a deep breath, faced his younger siblings squarely and told them about the call he had received that afternoon.

“Surely you aren’t even considering bringing that child here,” Deborah said flatly, holding up both hands as if to physically ward off a really bad idea.

Nathan studied his sister’s horrified expression. “You think she should be put up for adoption.”

“Of course. Face it, Nathan, it’s the best solution for everyone, the child included. In California she can be placed with a family who’ll raise her far away from the scandal here. People who might never know the circumstances of the child’s conception. You bring her here, where everyone knows what went on four years ago, and she’ll never live it down. Hell, it’s hard enough for us to deal with the looks we still get whenever that old gossip resurfaces.”

“I can’t imagine that anyone would hold the parents’ mistakes against an innocent child,” Nathan rebutted. He had never known Deborah to be deliberately cruel to anyone, but then again, none of the McClouds were rational when it came to the traumatic events of four years ago.

“It would kill Mother to have that kid shoved in her face every time she goes out in public in her own hometown. It would start the old gossip going again, have her friends tittering behind her back…”

“Some friends, if they would do that,” Nathan muttered.

Deborah ignored him. “If you were foolish enough to try to raise her, you would make it impossible for our family to get together for holidays or special occasions. You can’t seriously expect Mother to welcome her husband’s bastard into the home she shared with him for thirty years!”

“Dad and Kimberly were married by the time Isabelle arrived,” Nathan reminded her. “True, they had only been married a few weeks, but Isabelle was not born out of wedlock.”

“Surely you wouldn’t do this to Mother,” his sister insisted, her voice thick with the pain of a betrayal from which she had never fully recovered.

Drawing another deep breath, Nathan clung to his patience. He reminded himself that Deborah had been young, barely twenty-two, when she’d learned about her father’s affair and his young girlfriend’s pregnancy. A senior in a large university in another state, she’d had to face the media circus and the avid curiosity of her classmates on her own.

“I didn’t say I’m going to bring her here. It’s just hard for me to put her up for adoption without even considering all the other possibilities. She’s our sister, Deb.”

Deborah took a step backward, clearly rejecting that particular argument. “She’s the result of an affair between a middle-aged man and a twenty-five-year-old bimbo,” she stated angrily. “No one in this town would ever see her differently.”

She was probably right. Not only would it be unfair to bring the child into the household of a footloose bachelor who didn’t have a clue about raising kids, it would be wrong to subject her to the gossip that would probably always surround her here. “I guess I just needed confirmation that I’m doing the right thing.”

Deborah’s face softened, if only fractionally. “I know you’ve always had some misguided compulsion to take care of the family and to keep everyone happy and connected. Nathan the Peacemaker—you probably should have been a minister instead of a lawyer, but even when you went to law school it was to please Dad. You couldn’t even cut ties with him when he betrayed every value he’d ever stood for. I never agreed with you about that. I never believed he deserved to have even one of us in his life after he deserted us, but I knew you well enough to understand why you felt compelled to make the effort. Even though I still think you were wrong.”

She had never tried to hide her disapproval of Nathan’s visits with their father during the past four years. Like their mother, Deborah thought those visits were disloyal. They had wanted Nathan to choose a side—theirs—and never cross that line. “I didn’t approve of his choices any more than you did, Deb. But he was still our father.”

“He abdicated that position when he ran off with Kimberly.”

It was an old argument and a fruitless one. Even if he could change her mind, it was too late now. Stuart was dead.

She seemed to read his thoughts. “Dad’s gone now, and we’ve all managed to move on. Mother looked more content tonight than I’ve seen her in a long time. Don’t hurt her again, Nathan.”

His chest was starting to hurt—whether from heartburn or heartache, he couldn’t have said. He looked at Gideon, who had remained stoically silent throughout Nathan’s discussion with their sister. “I suppose you agree with everything Deborah said.”

Gideon shrugged. “You do whatever you want. Just leave me out of it.”

Nathan’s hand moved toward the inside pocket of his suit jacket, where his wallet now rested. “I don’t suppose you would like to see a photograph of little Isabelle. Neither of you has ever seen her.”

“No,” they said simultaneously—Gideon’s voice flat, Deborah’s more passionate.

He dropped his hand. “Fine. I just thought you had a right to know what’s going on with her.”

“You haven’t mentioned any of this to mother?”

He gave his sister a look. “I’m not a complete jerk, Deb.”

She merely shrugged.

“If the family meeting is over, I’m out of here,” Gideon said, pulling his keys from the pocket of the sport coat he’d worn as his only concession to the formality of the event.

“And I’m going back inside. I think I’d like a drink,” Deborah said, implicitly daring either of them to try and stop her.

Nathan moved out of her way. He would have offered to escort her back in, but he suspected she’d had enough of his company for now. She was safe enough in the parking lot. There wasn’t much crime in Honesty. And Officer Dylan Smith was still very much on duty at the entrance.

Nathan was watching Gideon’s truck leave the parking lot when he heard Caitlin’s voice behind him. “Are you all right?”

Deliberately blanking his expression, he turned to find her standing only a few feet away.

“I wasn’t eavesdropping,” she assured him quickly. “I was on my way to my car and I saw the three of you parting. I thought I should check on you when I realized you look…well, you look so tired.”

Tired was exactly what he felt. And old, even though he was barely thirty-one. And sad. He’d lost his father. His brother and sister seemed to be drifting farther from him—and each other—all the time, and now he was about to sever all ties with his baby half sister.

What had Stuart done to this family? And could the damage ever really be repaired?

Caitlin took a step closer. “Nathan?”

“I’m fine. As you guessed, I’m tired. I told Gideon and Deborah about the decision I’m facing tonight.”