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Eli caught Astor’s eyes in the rearview mirror Thursday afternoon. “Did you have fun baby girl?” Her jabbered response made him smile. He’d had a few errands to run and had opted to leave Astor at Tiny Tikes for a couple of hours. He was pleased. Terri Evans was an angel, truly involved in the care of the kids in her charge, and Astor, even at just a year old, seemed to enjoy her time with the other toddlers. He drew in a deep breath as another piece of the world shifted from his shoulders. Randy had agreed to try out their new reality, and Astor wouldn’t feel abandoned in day care.
The ringing of his cell phone sounded through the speaker system in the Blazer. He didn’t recognize the number that flashed on the screen. Eli stabbed the button on the steering wheel and connected the call.
“Hello.”
The only response was silence.
“Hello,” he repeated.
“Dad?”
“Celeste!”
“Mama.”
The three words hung in space for several seconds.
“Mama. Ma...ma...”
Eli glanced in the mirror a second time and saw Astor’s face crumple into tears. He pulled to the side of the road. This conversation needed his full attention.
“Are you all right? I’ve been worried sick.”
“I’m fine, more than fine, I—”
“Do you hear that?” The crying from the backseat increased in volume. “What were you thinking, Celeste? You have responsibilities. Your daughter is heartbroken. You can’t just pick up and leave on a whim. Where are you? When are you coming home?”
“Dad, I need—”
“Money, I’ll bet. Whoever you took off with left you stranded, didn’t he? When are you going to grow up and take some responsibility for yourself?” He sighed loudly. “How much do you need and where should I send it? I’ll get a transfer started this afternoon. Astor needs her mother back.”
“If you’ll let me get a word in.” Celeste huffed into the phone. “Nothing ever changes with you does it? I’m not five years old, and you don’t know anything about my life.”
“I know—”
“I’m hanging up if you don’t let me talk.”
Eli clamped his lips together and waited.
“I don’t need money. I’m not coming home.”
“But...” He sputtered, took the phone off speaker, and held the device to his ear. “Now you listen to me, young lady—”
“No, Dad, you listen. I called to let you know I was OK, because I didn’t want you to be worried. I’m a married woman now—”
“Married? Oh, Celeste what have you done?”
Silence stretched again, but he heard another voice in the background.
“I have to go now,” Celeste said.
Eli frowned at the strange voice, then hurried ahead before he lost this opportunity. “Honey, wait. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have lost my temper, but you’re right. I’ve been worried...out of my mind with worry. Sweetheart, look, we can fix this. Tell me where you are. I’ll come to you. I’ll bring Astor with me. I know you must miss her. We’ll sit down, the...four of us. We’ll work this out.”
“There’s nothing to work out and nothing to fix.” Her words shook with suppressed emotion. “I’m married, and for the first time in my life, I’m happy. I hoped you could be happy for me.”
“You abandoned your child.”
“Trust me, she’s better off with you.”
“You can’t possibly mean that. Now tell me—” The phone went dead in his hand.
“Mama?”
Eli twisted in his seat and looked at the tearful toddler and stabbed redial. “Don’t worry, baby, we’ll get her back.” Long after the baby quit crying and twenty redials later he had yet to make good on that promise. The phone rang until an automated voice informed him that the party he was trying to call was not accepting calls at this time.
He hung up and dialed again. “Of all the irresponsible, childish behavior.” He stopped when the call started to ring. “Pick up the phone, Celeste!” The order went unheeded, and he jabbed the disconnect button. His finger hovered over the buttons, ready to try again. Instead, he yanked his wallet out of his pocket and fished out Harrison Lake’s number. The lawyer had mentioned a private investigator yesterday. A phone number wasn’t much to go on, but it was more than he’d had a day ago. That and the fact that she’s married. Eli shuddered as he entered the number. God only knew what sort of trouble she’d gotten herself into.
“Law office. How may I help you?”
The perky voice of Harrison Lake’s secretary was almost enough to make Eli smile...almost. “Good morning. This is Eli Page. I spoke with Mr. Lake yesterday, and I have a new development for him. Is he available?”
“If I may place you on a brief hold, I’ll check to see if he’s free.”
“Perfect, thanks.” The phone clicked, and soft instrumental music filtered through the connection. Eli drummed his fingers on the steering wheel while he waited.
“Eli, this is Harrison. What’s up?”
“I heard from Celeste.”
“That’s wonderful news. It’s got to be a relief.”
“Not as much as you’d think.” Eli relayed the high points of the conversation. “She didn’t give me any clue about where she was, but I have the phone number she called from.” Eli paused and rubbed a hand over his face. “Were you able to contact the private investigator you mentioned?”
“My friend is supposed to call me back this afternoon. I’ll share the information just as soon as I have it. But I might have a less expensive idea if you’re game.”
“What did you have in mind?”
“My wife, Pam, is one of the best computer researchers I know. Getting an address to go with that number would be right up her alley, and her services won’t cost you a couple of hundred dollars an hour.”
“She wouldn’t mind?”
“She does stuff like this for me all the time. You’re a client, so...”
Eli recited the number and listened as Harrison read it back. “That’s it. Thanks. She says she isn’t coming home, but I think she’ll have a harder time saying that to my face.” Eli stopped, forced to clear emotion from his throat. “Part of me knew that Celeste might opt to stay gone for good, but I’d hoped I was wrong. I can’t imagine... How can a woman just walk away from her child?”
The lawyer harrumphed into the phone. “It happens more often than you’d think, even in our little town. Pam and I have discussed it many times. The only answer we’ve been able to come up with probably hasn’t been the subject of any real research, but for what it’s worth, ninety-eight percent of women in the world are hard-wired to nurture. But for the two percent who aren’t...” His sigh echoed across the air. “If your daughter is determined to stay gone, maybe the baby is better off with you and your fiancée in the long run.”
Eli absorbed the lawyer’s words. “Maybe.”
“Sorry, I know that’s not what you want to hear. I’ll be in touch with you later this afternoon.”
“I appreciate it.” Eli disconnected the call, tossed the phone onto the seat, and lowered his head to the steering wheel. He stayed there for several seconds, still and quiet, ordering his thoughts. Celeste hadn’t wanted Astor but he’d been so sure she’d come around. The lawyer’s words echoed. Ninety-eight percent of women in the world are hard wired to nurture. Was Astor better off with him and Randy? Eli didn’t have an answer, but he knew where to find one.
“Father, I don’t know what to do. Should I ask for strength for us or some revelation for Celeste that brings her to her senses? All I know is that I love that baby, and I want what’s best for her. Every shred of human wisdom I possess says that what’s best for Astor is to be with her mother. But You are the only one who can see the whole picture. Please help me see.”
* * *
RANDY PUSHED THROUGH the doors of the bank with thirty seconds of her lunch hour to spare. The print-it-while-you-wait option at the local drug store was convenient, but not necessarily speedy. Once in her office, she dug her new prize out of her bag and positioned it next to a five-by-seven photo of Eli. She gave it a nudge and stepped back. The image of a sleeping Astor snuggled against her chest, hair clutched in her fist, gave Randy a funny feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t unpleasant, but she still wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.
“What you got there?” Sydney asked from the doorway.
Randy motioned her in. “Just a new accessory for my desk.”
“Oh.” Sydney smiled at the picture. “That’s what I call a study in contentment.”
Contentment? Randy mulled the word. Was that what that odd little tug in her belly meant? She wanted to make this work for Eli and Astor, but was there a hidden benefit for her as well?
“Randy?”
Something in Sydney’s tone told her that her assistant had called her name more than once. “Sorry.” She shook her head. “I zoned out there for a second. There’s just too much in my head right now. It’s not processing.”
“Well then, the fact that your one o’clock appointment rescheduled is a good thing. You’ve got an hour. I’ll close your door. You sit back and catch your breath.”
Randy tried to do just that, but every time she pushed the issue of Astor out of her head, wedding plans demanded her attention. The wedding was just five weeks away tomorrow, and there was still so much to do. Lucky for her, Mac, Jesse, Alex, and Charley were coming to her house tonight for a strategy session. Maybe she could run this whole thing with Astor by them as well. She huffed and rubbed at the space between her eyes.
Sydney looked up when Randy opened her door a moment later. “That was fast.”
“I can’t settle.” She motioned to the crowded lobby of the bank. “I think I’ll do a walk through. Maybe interacting with our customers will distract me.”
Randy wandered through the spacious lobby. The line for teller assistance moved smoothly. She caught the eye of each teller and received five cheerful smiles in return. They didn’t need her.
A child’s cry sounded from behind her, and Randy turned to see a young mother standing at one of the tables the customers used to make out deposit slips and such. The woman wrestled with a baby girl, one close to Astor’s age, while a toddler danced by her side. Both children wore shiny black shoes with ruffled socks and frilly dresses. The older one tugged at the woman’s pant leg.
“Mama, we need to go.”
“In a minute, baby.” The woman tried to write, corral the youngster, and keep the baby from diving out of her arms, all at the same time.
“Looks like you have your hands full.”
The woman looked up with a weary smile. “You got that right. It’s picture day for the girls, and I thought I had everything ready for a quick stop, but I can’t find the deposit slip I know I filled out in the sanity of my kitchen.”
Randy tilted her head at the baby. “Will she let me hold her?”
The woman studied her. Randy nodded at the wall and the framed pictures of the management staff. “I’m Miranda Franklin.” She reached out her hands. “Let me help.”
The young mother surrendered her daughter. “Thanks. We’re going to be late if I don’t get this done.”
Randy nodded, but her attention was captivated by the baby’s dress. She’d never seen Astor in anything so nice...so incredibly beautiful. She fingered the delicate embroidery around the hem and imagined it on Astor. Maybe in a pale blue though, to match her eyes.
“Where did you find this dress? I love it.”
The other woman looked up. “Teddy Bear’s. Do you know it?”
Randy shook her head.
“It’s a clothing store for children. They have the best stuff. Pricy though.” She laughed. “My husband makes a face at me every time I mention going there, but there are times I just can’t resist. Do you have kids?”
Randy considered the question for a heartbeat. “Granddaughter,” she responded. She hefted the little one in her arms. “Just about this size.”
“Then you just have to give Teddy Bear’s a try.” She rattled off some directions, tossed the pen on the counter, and pulled a stack of currency from her bag. “Would you look at that.” She waved a piece of paper in Randy’s direction. “Here’s the original. Happens every time.” She held her arms out, and the baby lunged forward. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.”
The woman moved to the teller line. The response was automatic. Randy’s mind was focused on a pint-sized shopping trip and how much time she had to spare between the end of her work day and her friends’ arrival at her house.