Surprise Package

“Why didn’t you mention that before?”

“I didn’t think of it until I saw the doll. Something in the doll’s expression reminded me of the woman. Kyle, the baby was left at your door. That makes you morally responsible. You have to help that woman.”

“Hold on, Ashley. Your reasoning is faulty.” But the fear in her voice caught him off guard. Tending a baby for one night was one thing. Getting involved in the mystery of who she was and how she’d come to be left by his door was a different ball game altogether.

“Just give this a little time,” he said. “If it’s a joke, someone will show up any minute. If it’s a mistake, the mother will surely realize it soon and come back for the baby.”

“Can’t you at least consider the fact that this may be your child?”

“No.”

“Think about it. She’s not very old. She can’t sit up by herself, but she’s not a newborn, either.”

“Should this have some significance to me?”

She nodded. “If I had to make a guess, I’d say the baby’s three, maybe four months old. Who were you dating twelve or thirteen months ago?”

“Thirteen months ago, I was—” Damn. He blew out a slow stream of air, suddenly feeling as if he’d boarded a runaway train and they were approaching a cliff. His gaze went from Ashley to the sleeping baby in the center of the bed. Dark hair. Big, expressive eyes. Hispanic mother.

Ashley stepped closer, staring at him as if she could read his mind. “You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“Worse.” The room closed in around him, making the air so stifling it seemed to cut off his breath. He rose and planted his feet squarely on the floor. “I need a breath of fresh air. If you need me, I’ll be on the balcony.”

“Don’t jump,” she said, her voice softer, gentler than it had been all evening. “It could be a lot worse.”

“Yeah. She could have been twins.”

* * *

ASHLEY EYED Kyle’s stooped shoulders as he walked from the room. Anxiety looked strange on him, destroyed the air of cocky self-confidence that before tonight she’d accepted as the sum total of who he was. Seeing this different side of him made her uncomfortable, made her fear that they would never go back to the impersonal level of playful sparring that had characterized their relationship.

They’d been neighbors for nearly a year, but she seldom ran into him in the apartment building. Most of their encounters had been at the health club. Something about sweating together two or three nights a week worked wonders at breaking down the barriers empty apartment halls raised.

She flirted, he teased. He tried to talk her into going out with him; she came back with witty put-downs. It was harmless fun for both of them, especially when she’d had no intention of ever letting the devastatingly handsome man into her life. Now she was in his apartment. In his bed. Fretting over a baby that might or might not be his, though the look on his face a few minutes ago made her think it was.

The baby squirmed in her sleep, lifting her hand to her mouth and inserting a chubby thumb. Poor darling, deserted by her mother—though Ashley had the distinct feeling the mother must have had a very good reason for what she’d done. Now everything was up to Kyle.

Like it or not, if he was the father, he’d have to take care of her and he definitely couldn’t depend on Ashley to play nursemaid. She had the biggest opportunity of her career staring her in the face. Tomorrow she’d be facing it with bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She tugged a fallen slip strap into place and eased from the bed so as not to wake the baby. She’d fulfilled her part of the bargain and it was past time she went back to her own bed.

A few seconds later she stepped out the French doors and onto the balcony. Kyle was standing near the railing, staring into the moonless night. “The baby’s asleep, and I’m going now. You should be able to handle her the rest of the night on your own.”

He turned toward her, and even in the dim glow from the streetlights below them, she could see the strain that had settled into the muscles of his face. “I wish you wouldn’t go.”

“I don’t know what else I can do to help.”

“Suppose she wakes up crying.”

“Then you feed her. There’s enough formula left for a couple more bottles.”

“I can’t feed her. I can’t change her diapers.” He threw up his hands. “I have no idea how to care for her.”

“But you’re no longer insisting that she’s not yours.”

He shrugged his shoulders and ran his hands deep into his pockets. “I still don’t think I’m the father, but I could be. I was dating a woman named Tessa Ortiz about the time the baby would have been conceived.”

“You’re always dating a woman, Kyle. One after the other. You had to know something like this would happen sooner or later.”

“If she’s mine, I’ll take care of her—somehow.”

She was on solid ground with her accusations, but still the desperation in his voice weakened her resolve. At least he wasn’t screaming that it was the woman’s fault, or blindly denying his responsibility in the matter.

“You’ll need to have DNA testing done.”

“I will—when the time comes.”

“Why not now? It’s quick, simple and the only way you can be sure.”

“If I do, I’d be undergoing the tests to prove that she isn’t my daughter, not that she is. It just doesn’t seem right.”

“Right or not, the authorities will insist upon it.”

“Not if I don’t call them.”

“You said yourself you have no idea how to take care of a baby. Besides, it’s illegal to keep a baby that’s not yours.”

“Let’s not get into this tonight. If I don’t hear from the baby’s mother by morning, I’ll locate Tessa and find out what’s going on. If I can’t find her, I’ll take the baby and go in for DNA testing.”

She stared at him, amazed by his decision. Her expectations were that he would either call the authorities at once or have paternity testing done as soon as possible. But it seemed as if he really cared about what happened to this baby. He got to her, weakened her resolve.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but if you’re going to take care of the baby tonight, I’ll stay and help. I just need to go home and change into a sweatsuit.”

“Oh, no!” He grabbed her hand. “If you walk out that door, you’ll never come back.”

He had a point. “Then I’ll need to borrow a pair of pajamas.

His face finally split into a grin. “You’re on.”

He took her hand and led her back to the bedroom, and she had the strange feeling that she might have just been had. Still, a promise was a promise. “Remember, this is only for tonight, Kyle. After that, you’re on your own with this project.”

“One night at a time. That’s all I’m asking. There is one slight problem, though.”

“I’ll bite.”

“I don’t own any pajamas and I only have one bed.”

“Then I hope you have a very comfortable couch. Otherwise you may wake up with a stiff back.”

“If you want stiff, I can give you stiff. All you have to do is ask.”

“While you’re waiting, why don’t you hold your breath and count to infinity.”

He nodded. “I’ll take the couch.”

CHAPTER THREE

“NO, I’M NOT sick, Ellen. I just have a personal emergency that I have to tend to.” Ashley stared at the phone and wondered how she’d gotten herself into this mess. All the work she had waiting for her at the office, and here she was trying to explain to her secretary why she wouldn’t be in today. But there was no telling what would happen to that poor baby if she just walked off and left her in Kyle’s care.

“I hope there’s not anything wrong with your sister Lily’s pregnancy,” Ellen said.

“Lily’s fine. Just look at my calendar and see if there’s anything that can’t be postponed.”

“You have that shoot of the TV ad scheduled for ten. Do you want me to cancel it?”

“No, I called Mark Beall over in Media about that. He’s agreed to handle it for me.” And if he screwed it up, she’d kill him. “Remind him that if he has any concerns, no matter how small, he should page me. That’s one of my most persnickety clients.”

“I’ll tell him, Ashley. And what about Mr. McAllister?”

“What about him?”

“Should I give him your pager number if he calls here for you?”

“Give it to him if, and only if, he says it’s important that he talk to me today or if he pushes for it.” Yesterday she wouldn’t have hesitated to say yes. What a difference a day made—or in this case, a dinner for two. But the RA account was too important to risk getting him all worked up over minor technicalities.

“I’ll take care of everything, Ashley. I just hope there’s nothing seriously wrong.”

“Nothing that won’t be handled in one day. That, I can promise you. If you need me for anything, page me or call me on my cell phone. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll call you this afternoon to see how things are going.”

Once she’d hung up the phone, Ashley crossed her sunlit kitchen, walked to her coffeepot and poured another cup of the strong brew. She usually used cream and a sprinkling of sugar substitute, but this morning she needed a full-strength blast of caffeine. She’d slept very little, stirring with every movement of the baby sleeping beside her. Then she’d gotten up at five to give her another bottle.

In all fairness, Kyle had untangled himself from the sheets on the sofa and padded to the kitchen after her. She’d turned down his offer of help. Not so much that she didn’t need it, but it was incredibly awkward sharing early morning with him, especially with him in his boxers and her in an oversize cotton shirt that she’d confiscated from his closet.

Now she was missing a day of work. This wasn’t her problem, but how could she ignore the needs of a helpless baby? Tessa had to be desperate to leave her daughter with Kyle. Maybe she was dying of some horrible illness or perhaps she was in imminent danger.

Ashley took a long sip of the coffee and tried to remember the face of the woman she’d glimpsed at the elevator last night. She had looked upset. And she had the same dark hair and eyes as the baby. But if she was Tessa Ortiz, and if the baby was Kyle’s daughter, why had the woman waited until now to tell him?

Jumping at the sound of battering knuckles on her door, she set her coffee mug on the table with such force that the hot liquid sloshed from the cup. She grabbed a napkin and wiped the spill from the counter and from her fingers as the pounding started again, this time louder than before. No surprise that when she unlatched the door and swung it open, Kyle was standing outside with the baby in his arms.

“I told you I needed an hour to shower and dress. I have ten more minutes,” she announced.

He gave her a quick once-over. “You look dressed to me.”

“I haven’t put on my makeup.”

“Forget it. You look fine. Besides, we have a problem.”

“There you go with the ‘we’ again.”

“I think the baby is sick,” he said, ignoring her comment.

Ashley studied the baby, a sense of panic stewing inside her. “What makes you think so?”

“This.” Kyle pointed at a disgusting spot on the shoulder of his T-shirt. “She started crying, so I picked her up. I held her on my shoulder the way you did this morning, and she spit milk all over me. Stinky milk!”

“Good going, sweetie!”

“This isn’t funny, Ashley. I think we should take her to a doctor.”

Ashley doubted it, though in all honesty, she couldn’t be sure. What she knew about babies would make a book about as thick as one on Women Who Long to Be Poor and Ugly. “I’ll call my sister Lily. She’s pregnant. She’ll know if spitting up is normal or if it’s serious.”

“How much do you plan on telling her?”

“Just the basics. I won’t even mention that the baby in question came by special delivery. But you might want to tell her more.”

“Why would I?

“When she’s not about to have a baby, she and my brother Dylan operate Finders Keepers, a private detective agency that specializes in locating missing persons. They could help you find Tessa.”

“I’d prefer to handle the search myself.” He paced the floor, still holding the baby, his hair mussed and his chin darkened by whiskers. She couldn’t help but notice how appealing he looked, but then any man with a baby would effuse a certain amount of charm.

She turned away and dialed Lily’s number. Thankfully it was her sister and not her husband, Cole, who answered the phone. The fewer people Ashley had to talk to, the better it would be.

“Lily, how are you?”

“Big and beautiful. At least that’s what Cole said this morning when I needed help tying my shoes. It’s no wonder I love that man. What’s up with you?”

“I have a question.”

“You, miss career woman, have a question for me. Can you wait while I circle the date on the calendar?”

“What are you talking about? I ask you questions all the time? Anyway, this question is way out of my area of expertise. It’s about babies, or about one in particular.”

“Whose baby?”

“It belongs to one of my neighbors.”

“The woman with the cat is too old to have a baby. You’re not talking about that hunk across the hall, are you?”

“Actually, it does belong to Kyle Blackstone. It’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you one day when you have absolutely nothing to do.”

“So, what’s the question?”

She could hear the suspicion in her sister’s voice, but a little suspicion was better than telling the whole story and providing her family with entertainment at her expense. “The baby in question spit up some milk after she took her morning bottle. Is that normal?”

“Absolutely, especially if it’s just a small amount.”

A direct answer without questions. So far, so good. “What do babies eat besides formula?”

“How old is this mystery baby?”

“I’m guessing three or four months.”

“That’s pretty vague. Can’t you just ask Kyle how old she is?”

“He’s not sure.”

“And I have the distinct feeling that wool is being pulled over my eyes. Spill it, sister. I’m not getting off the phone until you tell me the true story.”

She sighed and stared at Kyle. He probably wouldn’t like it, but if he was going to keep this baby while he searched for the mother, he had to know how to take care of her. “Okay, Lily. The truth is that someone left a baby in a basket in front of Kyle’s door last night.” Lily listened, interrupting occasionally to ask questions while Ashley gave her the briefest of details.

“I think I better have a look at this baby. I’ll get dressed and be there as soon as I can. In the meantime, try to talk some sense into your neighbor. He needs DNA testing—pronto. Deserting a baby is a crime, and if the child isn’t his, he should turn it over to the Department of Social Services and the police immediately so they can search for the mother.”

“I’ve already suggested he call the authorities. He’s a very hardheaded man.”

“Too bad that isn’t the only thing he has that’s hard. If it were, he wouldn’t be wondering if this baby were his.”

“I’ve already pointed that out to him, too.”

By the time she hung up the phone, Kyle had quit pacing and moved to stand at her elbow. “You squealed on an innocent baby. How could you do that?”

“I didn’t squeal.”

“Tell her that to her face.” He held the infant so she was practically nose to nose with Ashley. “Tell her that you want me to call the cops and have her picked up on vagrancy charges for loitering in our hall.”

She patted the baby’s cheek. “Your father is a little unbalanced, sweetie. But don’t worry. His kind of weirdness only affects males. You’re immune.”

“So what’s the verdict? Is she sick or not?”

“Spitting up is perfectly normal. And my sister isn’t going to alert the authorities or anyone else about your predicament. In fact, she offered to come over. I’m not sure why, but I know she’ll give you some advice on tending the baby. And she thinks you should call immediately and get an appointment to go in for DNA testing.”

“I’m thinking about it.”

“What is there to think about? You have to find out if she’s your daughter. You can’t just keep her if she isn’t. A baby’s not like a stray puppy that followed you home.”

“You make it sound like I kidnapped her. I doubt very seriously that she’s my daughter, but someone reached out to me for help, and I’m trying to oblige.”

“You’re serious about this, aren’t you?”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Yeah. Frankly, it does. I never pictured you as having a heart, much less a bleeding one.”

“It’s not like I’m planning to raise her to adulthood. I’ll track down Tessa and find out what’s going on. If I can’t find her, I’ll take the next step. If that makes me a bleeding heart, so be it.”

“In that case you better make a long list of questions for Lily, because after today you’ll be on your own unless you get one of your lady friends to come help you. This is it for me.”

He studied her floor. “I don’t know. As dirty as that grout is, you may want to keep me on retainer.”

“Today only, Kyle. I’m not kidding.”

“Fine. Now how about watching her while I grab a shower.” He handed her the baby, then put his mouth close to the baby’s ear. “Be a good girl for Miss Ashley, and feel free to do any pooping you think is necessary or any further spitting up while I’m gone.”

The darling snuggled against Ashley, resting her head over Ashley’s heart. It felt strange to hold her, kind of warm and satisfying. And once again, all Ashley could think of was what terrible thing could have driven a woman to desert this child.

“Tell me about Tessa, Kyle.”

He had already started toward the door but he turned back at her request. “Why?”

“Because I need to understand how she could walk away from her own flesh and blood.”

* * *

KYLE FELT HIS muscles tense as old memories surfaced. What caused any woman to put her own needs above the needs of her child? It was a question as old as time, or at least one as old as he was. But it wouldn’t do to fall back into the shadows of his past. He’d worked too hard to put them away.

“I don’t know that much about Tessa,” he answered, realizing how little he really did know about a woman who had shared two years of his life. “She was a very private person.”

“Were you in love with her?”

“I liked making love with her. Does that qualify?”

“Not even close.”

“Then I probably wasn’t in love with her, but I liked her a lot. We had fun together. She laughed at my jokes. I brought her coffee in bed. It worked for us—for a while.”

“And she never called you to tell you she was pregnant?”

“Not a word.”

“It doesn’t make sense. Even if she didn’t tell you when she had the baby, why wouldn’t she have come to you when she was in trouble instead of just dropping the baby at your door?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. I like women. I never claimed to understand them.” He didn’t wait for more questions. Tessa Ortiz was the one with the answers. More to the point, she had the answers if this baby was his. He still didn’t believe that she was.

But then he’d been wrong before.

* * *

LILY GARRETT BISHOP moved to the back of the elevator as two men stepped inside after her. They turned and let their gaze settle on her bulging stomach. Both of them nodded and smiled. It was always interesting to watch strange men’s reactions to her condition.

Some looked away, as if anything associated with the birds and bees embarrassed them. Others smiled or started talking about their own kids, treating the fact that she was pregnant like the miracle of life it was. She felt much more comfortable around the latter.

The younger man was at least six feet tall and close to two hundred pounds, most of it muscle, judging from the way he filled out his jeans and the arms that protruded from the rolled sleeves of his plaid shirt. Dark hair, piercing blue eyes, probably in his mid to late thirties. Slight limp. Handsome but not a pretty boy. More of a man’s man. Could be a construction worker, a truck driver, maybe a cop.

She smiled as the elevator stopped on the fourth floor and the two men stepped off. Before starting Finders Keepers with her brother Dylan, she’d worked in forensics for the FBI, and she prided herself on her observation skills. Very little ever got by her. Another floor or two and she’d have had the guy’s facial features down, maybe even some of his expressions. Little things were all important when you were searching for missing persons. That and the ability to get leads from thin air.

When the elevator jiggled to a stop on the eighth floor, she stepped out and headed to Ashley’s apartment. She’d planned to spend the day writing thank-you notes for the baby gifts she’d already received, but nothing short of labor pains would have kept her from coming into San Antonio today.

The reality of her career-minded little sister tending to and fretting over a baby that belonged to her amorous neighbor was too good to miss. She’d always suspected Ashley had the hots for the man. Once she saw them together, she’d know for sure.

She knocked on the door and waited. Ashley opened it with a finger to her lips. “Shhh. The baby just fell asleep.”

Lily stepped inside and gave Ashley a quick hug. “So where is this mystery baby?”

“I made a pallet for her in my bedroom. That way she won’t roll onto the floor if I don’t hear her the minute she wakes up. You can take a peek, but don’t wake her. I’m already exhausted and it’s not even 9:00 a.m. But then I was up past midnight with her and back up before daybreak this morning.”

Lily patted her stomach. “And this is the life I can’t wait to start. Do you think I’m crazy?”

“No. You’re very lucky. You have a wonderful husband who loves you. I, on the other hand, am playing nursemaid to the baby of a man who drives me to distraction.”

“So why are you doing it?”

“Go ahead and peek into the bedroom. You’ll see.”

Lily did as she was instructed. The baby was lying on her side, sucking her right thumb for all she was worth. Cute as a bug—what baby wasn’t—but still she couldn’t imagine that Ashley had actually missed a day of work to baby-sit.

“Would you like some coffee?” Ashley asked when she joined her in the kitchen.

“No, I’ve already had my one cup limit. Too much caffeine isn’t good for the baby. I’ll take a glass of milk if you have one.”

Ashley opened the refrigerator door and stared at the meager contents while Lily peered over her shoulder. “No milk. I have Diet Coke.”

Lily walked to the cabinet and pulled out a glass. “Water’s good for me.” She filled the glass with cool bottled water and took a seat at the breakfast nook. “I think your assessment of the baby’s age is probably accurate.” She sipped her water. “Did you tell Kyle that I recommended immediate testing to determine if he’s the father?”

“I did.” Ashley took the seat opposite Lily. “He wants to try to locate Tessa Ortiz first. He seems sure that if he’s the father, Tessa is the mother.”

“Are you sure he’s not just putting off the inevitable, trying to delay finding out the truth about whether or not he’s the father?”

“I’m not sure of anything.”

“But you’re getting involved all the same.”

“No way. I offered to help out this one day, watch the baby while he tries to track down Tessa. Tomorrow I’m back on the job. The world needs beef, and it’s my job to convince them of the fact.”

“Well, if your hunky neighbor is going to keep this baby, he’ll have to find someone to watch her. Four-month-old babies require constant care.”

“Do me a favor. Never mention the word hunk in front of him. He takes it to heart.”

“I’ll watch my tongue.” Only she wasn’t going to watch it about everything. She’d driven all the way into town. She might as well say her piece. “Even if he only keeps the baby a few days, she’ll need clothes, toys, food, a crib. Babies don’t just camp out.”