Thea closed her eyes and relaxed into a cushioned chair in the hospital waiting room, her mind drifting aimlessly as fatigue settled into her bones. Sleep had been elusive these past few nights. She’d been on edge, too worried by thoughts of Eileen, of losing her last link with her sister, to find any rest. It didn’t help that Momma had taken to pacing the halls at night. Each morning Thea got up with the same questions. Would this be the day she’d finally bring Eileen’s baby home? Or would she and her mother be coping with another loss soon?
She drew a deep breath in through her nose, her body relaxing even further. Once she brought Eileen’s baby home, everything would get better. Her mother would become alert and engaged again. Guilt would ease its weight off of Thea’s shoulders. They’d all be happy. At least, that’s what she hoped. How in the world would she take care of Sarah and work an eight-hour-a-day shift if her mother didn’t snap out of this fog of sadness and confusion?
Thea forced her eyes open and glanced around the hospital’s waiting area. Maybe she could work part-time for a little while, at least until they figured out a routine at home. Maybe they’d be able to hire in a teenage girl to help when Thea couldn’t be at home. There might not be any extra money for a lawyer if she needed one, but she’d figure that out when it came down to it.
She would manage. She didn’t have much choice. Thea’s eyes slid closed again. Just a few more minutes, a cat nap, and she could face her interview with the head nurse alert and fresh.
“Thea?”
She snuggled deeper into the chair, the rumbled whisper settling over her like a comfortable blanket. What was it about this deeply masculine voice that set her mind at ease? Familiar, with warm undertones, deep, almost dreamlike. She’d clung to the thought of that dark, manly voice throughout the long nights of the war, let it lull her as bombs burst in the distance. She hadn’t been able to place it at first, but then she remembered the boy who’d once been her friend. Thea drew in a deep breath, felt a smile form on her lips.
Mack.
“Do you usually take naps in the hospital waiting room?”
There was a gentle sternness to his voice that caused her eyelids to flutter open to find the man standing in front of her. Tall and broad-shouldered, this Mack was the quintessential lawman, though she’d confess she’d never met an officer quite so handsome. “What happened?”
The cockeyed grin he gave her as he pushed back his hat had her sitting up in her chair. “You fell asleep.”
Thea drew in a deep breath and blew it out, her fuzzy world coming into focus. “Old habits, I guess.” At his confused look, she explained. “When you work the mobile surgical unit, you either learn to grab a nap anywhere you can or never sleep. Standing up in the corner. Sitting in mess hall.” She smiled. “One of the girls in my unit got caught napping in the latrine.”
“That must have been...interesting.” Mack’s voice deepened with mirth, his lips curved up into a slight smile. Then, as if he remembered who she was, he straightened, any evidence of a smile gone. “What are you doing here?”
Needing something to do with her hands, Thea opened her purse and pulled out her compact. “Interviewing for a position.”
“A job?”
For some odd reason, the way he said it irritated her. She opened the lid and studied her reflection in the tiny mirror. Anything to keep from looking at him. “I have to put food on our table and keep a roof over our heads. Momma’s income is really only enough for one person.”
The space between them suddenly grew smaller as he pulled off his hat and sat down next to her. “And what about Sarah?”
“What about her?”
The clean tang of his aftershave swirled around her, making her head spin in a pleasant sort of way as he leaned closer. “How do you plan on taking care of Sarah if you’re working?”
She leaned back and drew in a cleansing breath. It wasn’t any of his business how she handled Sarah’s care. “If I’m given custody of Eileen’s baby, I’ll work something out.”
“Sarah is going to need special care, at least until she’s old enough to have her second corrective surgery.” He crossed his arms over his broad chest, glaring at Thea, looking every inch the protective father, the kind of daddy any girl would have been blessed to have.
Just not Sarah’s daddy. Didn’t he understand the little girl was the only link she had to the sister she’d lost? Mack could make gaining custody of the child difficult, there was no doubt about it. Well, she’d lived through one war. If Mack wanted to battle it out, she was ready. “What about you?”
He blinked. “Me?”
Ah, she’d caught him by surprise. Well, good! “You have a job. How do you plan to care for Sarah while you’re off catching the bad guys?”
His blue eyes pierced her all the way to the depths of her soul. “Ms. Aurora has volunteered to take care of her during the day, but I’ll have her at night. Plus, I’m turning one of the rooms in my house into an office so I can do most of my paperwork at home.”
“So it’s okay for you to have someone care for Sarah while you’re at work, but not me.” She slammed her compact shut and cocked her head to the side. “Why is that?”
Mack glared at her for a long moment, then much to her surprise, he gave a regretful chuckle. “Stuck my foot in it, didn’t I?”
Thea’s heart did a sudden flip at his crooked smile. Mack had always been a charmer. It would be best if she remembered that. “I’d say so.”
“Sorry.” He leaned back, leaving Thea suddenly bereft of his warmth. “Just had a rotten morning.”
“Please say it’s not the baby. She’s not sick or something, is she?”
He shook his head, twirled his hat between nervous fingers. “Doodlebug is doing fine.”
Now it was her turn to gawk. “You call her doodlebug?”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Is something wrong with that?”
No, quite the opposite. It was endearing, the sort of sweet name a man would give his baby girl. Thea shook her head. “It suits her.”
He seemed glad she agreed with him, at least on his pet name for Sarah. “The first couple of days after I took her to Ms. Aurora, the kids fought over what to call her.”
“I thought she’d always been Sarah.”
He shook his head, the ghost of a memory playing along his smile. “That was Merrilee’s idea. Ms. Aurora generally lets the kids decide what to call any new additions to their family.”
The older woman let the children name the baby? “Isn’t that like the prisoners running the jailhouse?”
Her heart fluttered when he turned the full effect of his smile on her. “Ms. Aurora wants them to feel like they have a say in their family. She gave them a few suggestions, and they voted for the baby to be named Sarah, though Ellie wasn’t too happy about the choice.”
Was Ellie one of Ms. Aurora’s children? Or had Mack adopted other children? “Ellie?”
“A little six-year-old spitfire who has lived with Ms. Aurora since she was barely two weeks old.” He sat down beside Thea then leaned toward her as if to whisper a secret. “They’d just gone to see a matinee of The Wizard of Oz and Ellie wanted the baby to be named after one of the characters.”
“But Dorothy is a nice—”
He shook his head again. “Scarecrow.”
Thea choked back a giggle. “You’re serious.”
“I had to bribe her with a day at the park to get her to agree to the name Sarah.”
Oh, dear. If Mack succeeded in his adoption plans, little Sarah would have him wrapped around her pinky finger. Lucky kid. “The sheriff bribing small children. Isn’t there a law against that?”
“Not yet. Besides, I like pushing the kids on the swing set in the park. Takes my mind off of work.”
Thea studied him as he stared out over the empty room. This was the Mack she remembered, the guy who loved being outdoors, who found joy in simple pleasures like helping his neighbor or pushing a little girl on a swing. She was glad that growing up hadn’t taken that away from him. But what about all his plans for adulthood? Why hadn’t he followed through on his dream of playing football in college, becoming a lawyer like his father? Why had he never left Marietta?
She swallowed the questions burning on the tip of her tongue. It would only complicate the situation more if she learned who Mack had become, what had driven him to stay here, to abandon his dreams. For some unknown reason, she felt disappointed at the loss. “I never intended to hurt you, you know.”
He stiffened, the pleasure of the last few minutes fading. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s just...” She hesitated, not sure how much to reveal. Maybe if she could make him understand, make him realize how important it was to her to raise Eileen’s baby, it would be easier for him to let Sarah go. “I know you love Sarah, but I love her, too.”
“You don’t even know her.”
“She’s a part of Eileen. She’s my family, Mack.”
“You don’t know that for certain,” Mack said, her words obviously falling on deaf ears. “You’re going to have to produce some proof to get a judge to listen to your claim.”
Thea figured as much. She’d searched through Eileen’s room, through her personal mail, even the journal she kept, but had found nothing except a brief entry a few days after her baby was born. Nothing to prove Thea’s claim to Sarah. “I’d planned on visiting the courthouse after I finished my interview today.”
“No sense wasting your time.”
She glanced up at him. “Why would you say that?”
“Because if Mrs. Williams delivered Eileen’s baby like you say, it wouldn’t have been filed with the county and state yet.” A look of frustration clouded his expression. “As I told you before, Mrs. Williams went up to Tennessee to take care of her sister shortly after Sarah was born. Sarah’s birth certificate still hasn’t been filed. If you’re able to find a certificate on record for Eileen’s baby, then that would be proof that she’s not Sarah.”
That wasn’t the news Thea had expected to hear. She’d need a birth certificate to petition the court to stop the adoption. But if she needed one to prove Sarah’s parentage, wouldn’t Mack need one to get final approval for her adoption? “You can’t adopt Sarah without a certificate, can you?”
His jaw tightened, and for a brief moment, Thea thought she’d have to pull an answer out of him. Then just as quickly, he relaxed—though only a bit. “No,” he agreed, “I can’t.”
So he knew her frustration. “Have you been in touch with Mrs. Williams?”
He shrugged. “I’ve tried. I sent a letter when I learned she hadn’t filed Sarah’s birth certificate but she’s a ways outside of the city limits so I figured it would take a while before I heard from her. I checked on sending her a telegram this morning but they don’t deliver that far up into those mountains.”
“I take it her sister doesn’t have a phone.” Thea didn’t wait for an answer. She was thinking again what it must have been like for Eileen, delivering her baby all those months ago. “Do you think Mrs. Williams tried to talk any of those girls who gave up their children into keeping them?”
She felt his gaze shift to her. Could he see the pain that had consumed her in the days since she’d returned home, the fear that her only chance at a real family had died with Eileen? Or was he too centered on what losing Sarah would mean for him? His answer was to cover her hand with his, warmth to her cool skin, and she relaxed. “This thing with Eileen has really thrown you for a loop.”
“I just...” She leaned her head back against the wall, her fingers threading automatically through his as if hanging on to him for dear life. “I don’t understand why my sister would do such a thing. We weren’t in touch for these past few years, but I’ve read her journal. She talked about how much she wanted a yard full of kids, babies she could love on.” And who would love Eileen back, Thea suspected. “I can’t see her giving her baby away.”
“Maybe she realized she wasn’t ready for that kind of responsibility. Maybe she did it out of love.” Mack gently squeezed her hand.
She’d like to think her sister was that unselfish, but Eileen had spent her short life desperate for the affection she never got from their mother. Thea’s love had never been enough for her—she had wanted more. Giving up her baby, a child who would grow to love her unconditionally, wasn’t something Thea could see her sister doing. “She could have left the baby with Momma. I could have asked for an emergency discharge and come home...”
“And cleaned up the mess your sister made just like you always did?” Mack pulled his hand away as if he’d touched his fingers to a hot furnace.
“You don’t understand.” How could he? Mack had always had parents who loved him, who thought the sun and the stars rose in his every movement. How could he begin to fathom what she and Eileen had endured, living with a mother who always found fault, who only made time for them when it was convenient for her? “I’m not saying Eileen didn’t make mistakes. I know she did, but I did, too, and when I messed up, Eileen tried to be there for me. Sisters help each other out.”
“You were too easy on her. Eileen took advantage of your sweet nature. She always did.”
Thea grimaced. Yes, she probably had. But she had let Eileen down, too, at the time when her sister needed her the most. “You don’t understand.”
“I understand more than you think, Thea.” Mack leaned a hair closer to her, just enough to see his blue eyes darken to a stormy indigo, pinning her in place.
Thea shook her head then caught herself. How could she explain her sister’s behavior without Mack learning the whole truth, that this baby was not Eileen’s first? That her own mother had been in cahoots with the likes of Georgia Tann, a woman who had browbeaten and threatened countless scores of women into give up their babies so that she, under the front of a charitable institution, could go on to sell those babies to the highest bidder.
To admit what her mother had done, and the circumstances leading to it, would betray the little good that was left of her sister’s memory while revealing Thea’s own failures. She shouldn’t have taken the extra shift at work that night eight years ago, but she’d wanted to see Mack, work with him one more time before she quit to leave for college. If she had stayed home, she could have stopped her mother from ever going to the train station, before the exchange had been made with Georgia Tann.
Instead, she’d made a promise to her sister that she’d bring the baby home. And then the only option Thea’d had was to jump on that train and follow Miss Tann to the ends of the earth if need be. But it had been for nothing, and Eileen had lost whatever hope she’d held on to with the disappearance of her son, a baby boy their mother had sold to keep scandal away from their doorstep. The baby boy Thea had failed to retrieve, breaking her promise to her sister for the first time in her life—leaving her too ashamed to come home for eight long years.
Thea pushed away the awful memory. No. No matter how much Mack thought he understood her family’s situation, he couldn’t.
Not in a million years.
* * *
Finding Thea here at the hospital hadn’t been what Mack had expected when he’d agreed to meet Beau for lunch. But these few moments he’d spent with her had given him time to get a read on her, to try to figure out what had brought her home after an eight-year absence. Only her reaction to his questions had confused him more. The woman held secrets close to the chest but her blue eyes revealed a storm of emotions that unsettled him, made him want to protect her from the pain and regret he’d found hidden in their depths. Why he felt this way, after the mess she’d left behind when she’d hopped that train out of town, after the damage she’d caused him, the loss of everything he’d ever hoped for, he couldn’t explain.
No, she wasn’t directly responsible for the car accident that had had such devastating consequences in his life. But he wouldn’t have been out in his car that night—driving too fast to get home after dropping her off at the train station, trying to beat the curfew the coach insisted on so he’d be able to play in that weekend’s big game—if she hadn’t come to him, desperate, needing a ride.
If it hadn’t been for her, he’d have been safely at home rather than out on the road. He’d have played in the big game instead of spending that weekend in the hospital. He’d have gone on to college, instead of losing his scholarship after the doctors said the partial deafness in one ear was permanent. He’d have lived the life he’d always planned instead of giving up his dreams.
He’d lost everything, all because he’d chosen to do a favor for a girl he’d thought was his friend. But what kind of friend would have left him behind so completely? He hadn’t heard from her the entire time she was gone, even though she must have known about his accident. Not one call, or card, or even apology in eight years. Those years of silence should have been more than long enough for him to harden his heart against her.
But he couldn’t deny that he still had a soft spot for Thea, maybe because he knew how tough she’d always had it at home. Probably just being overprotective, the same way he felt when he’d sworn to protect the citizens of Marietta.
And maybe President Truman plans to dance a jig in Marietta Square!
Mack stood and paced to the opposite side of the waiting room, needing to put some distance between them. Hadn’t Thea taken enough from him? He touched the puckered skin just under the hairline at his ear. Nobody wanted a man who could barely hear, not even the armed services during the war, and they’d been desperate.
And now Thea was back, and this time she might cost him his child. The woman owed him a straight answer as to why she’d come home, and this time she couldn’t run away.
Before he could get the question out, Thea spoke. “I’m sorry I snapped at you like that.” She gave him a watery smile. “It’s just...with finding out about Eileen, and well, everything, it’s been a lot to deal with this last week.”
Mack felt himself weaken. Poor woman. No doubt this was not quite the homecoming she’d hoped for. This situation with Eileen’s baby couldn’t be easy for her, either. “It’s understandable. This whole thing with Sarah has got me walking around on pins and needles. I’m as grouchy as an old black bear.”
“Well, maybe not that bad.” Her lips twitched into a slight grin. “But almost.”
He snorted out a short chuckle. That’s one thing he could say for the woman. She always knew how to stop him from taking himself so seriously. But this was a serious situation. All his hopes for the future, a future that included raising Sarah, were at stake. “I love that little girl, you know.”
“I know. You feel like she’s your daughter.”
Mack drew in a deep breath and waited. Surely she’d remind him that Sarah might be her niece and Thea intended to raise her as her own. But Thea remained quiet, as if acknowledging his love for the baby had taken what little energy she had left. He shouldn’t be surprised. Thea had always been sensitive to everyone’s feelings, especially her family’s.
And now to his feelings, it seemed. It was a pity she couldn’t have been bothered to show more care eight years ago, when he really could have used a friend. He watched her as she fidgeted with the clasp on her purse. The dark blue suit dress she wore gave her an air of dependability and professionalism while the black velvet hat turned her skin a luminous pink that matched the tiny pearls at her ears. Her brownish-blond hair had been pulled back into a loose knot at her nape, tiny tendrils caressed the smooth skin of her neck making his fingertips tingle. Would the silky strands feel as soft they looked?
Mack shook off the feeling. This was Thea, his old friend, the girl who’d robbed him of his future, and who had run away without a single glance back to the people who might need her. The woman who planned to steal his daughter.
“Why did you come back?”
Clutching tight to her purse, Thea lifted her head. “Excuse me?”
Mack took a step toward her, then stopped. He’d get no answers out of her if he intimidated her. “You’ve been gone for eight years, Thea. In all that time, you never came home, not once. So why now? What brought you back here after all this time?”
She gave a quick glance at her wristwatch as she bit her lower lip, pushed a tiny strand of hair behind her ear. Signs he took to mean Thea was nervous. She stood. “I must have misunderstood the head nurse about my appointment time. Or maybe she wanted to meet me in her office. That would make more sense.”
The woman was going to make a run for it. How typical. Mack blocked her path to the exit. “Why is it so difficult for you to answer my question?”
“Why is it so important that you know?”
Why was it so important to him? For the sake of the baby, of course, but he knew that wasn’t the entire reason he’d pushed her for an answer. Maybe if he opened up a little, Thea would feel comfortable enough to answer in return. “You left without a word to anyone except for maybe Eileen, and if she knew where you’d gone she didn’t stick around long enough to tell anyone. I was surprised not to hear from you. I guess I thought we were friends back then.”
He’d said too much, but once he’d started, the words had seemed to flow out of him before he could call a stop to them. What would Thea do now? Turn and walk away, or was she brave enough to answer his honesty with her own?
“I missed my family.”
“After eight years?” All right, so that had been kind of mean, throwing that fact out there, but if Thea had wanted to see her family, why had she waited all this time to come back home? “You could have come to Marietta anytime.”
“No, I couldn’t,” she snapped, then she jerked back as if the words had stung her. “I didn’t mean...”
The guilt in her expression tugged at him. What had he expected? Even puppies snarl when you back them into a corner. But her answer had intrigued him. What was this great sin she had committed that made her think she wouldn’t be welcomed back home?
The door behind Mack opened. “Miss, have you seen...” The man paused. “There you are, Mack. I’ve been looking all over for you.”
Beau. Sparring with Thea had made Mack forget all about his lunch plans. “You must not have been looking too hard.”
The man had the decency to smile at the good-humored ribbing. Beau turned to Thea. “I’m sorry about that, Miss. Mack here is a great sheriff but he’s no Bob Hope.”
“I don’t know.” Thea lifted her chin a notch higher, their gazes tangling as her eyes met his. “He can certainly hold your attention when he wants to.”
The breathlessness in her response made Mack’s palms sweat. This Thea was wiser, more confident. Yet, there was still a vulnerability about her that made him want to protect her, be her shelter in the storms that raged around her.
“You seem to know our sheriff rather well.” Beau gave him a sly grin. “You ashamed of your old friends or did you want to keep your beautiful lady all to yourself?”
Mack rolled his eyes. Of course Beau would jump to conclusions. The man knew Mack had been searching for a wife, had even considered courting Edie Michaels until Beau had made it plain he wanted Edie for himself. But this woman? Mack had to set the record straight. “Thea is just a friend.”
“Thea Miller?” Beau turned to study the woman in question with a more in-depth look. “Oh, my, it is you.”
If Thea felt insulted, she didn’t look it. “I know I didn’t make much of a splash in high school, but I can’t believe you don’t recognize the girl who hung out with your cousin, Beau Daniels.”
Beau squinted slightly then smiled, his eyes alight with recognition. “Maggie mentioned something about you being back in town. Of course, she forgot to mention how lovely you are.”
Thea’s cheeks turned a delicate pink. “That’s mighty nice of you to say.”
“I always believe in telling the truth.”
Mack bit back a frown, an uncomfortable knot tightening in his gut. Beau didn’t have to be quite so charming. “How’s Edie doing? Still having problems this morning?”
Beau nodded, his smile dimmed somewhat, concern shadowing his eyes. “As long as we keep her in saltine crackers, she seems to be okay. I’ve told her to stay at home and not worry about work for right now, but my wife can be as stubborn as a mule. I’ll be glad when she’s a little bit further along.”
Thea stepped forward and laid a hand on Beau’s shoulder in a comforting gesture Mack had seen a million times from other nurses calming patients. Then why did the thought of her touching his friend, no matter how innocently, bother him to no end?
“Maggie mentioned your wife was having a rough time,” Thea replied. “What is she? About two or three months along?”
“The baby’s due at the end of April.” Beau gave her a hesitant smile. “I just hate that I can’t do anything to make her feel better right now.”
“And being in medical school, you think you should be more prepared than most men?” She waited until Beau gave her a reluctant nod. “What you’re feeling is what every other man with an expectant wife has felt, and it’s okay. You know what you can do for her right now? Be there for her. Hug her when she’s not quite sure why her emotions are all over the place. Tell her how much you love her. And pray for her, and for the family the two of you are making together.”
“Thank you, Thea.” The worry that had been in Beau’s expression since the day they’d announced Edie’s pregnancy eased slightly. “It’s easy to see that you’re very good at being a nurse.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Mack could tell by the color deepening in her cheeks that Thea wasn’t accustomed to much praise. Why was that? She’d always been one of the smartest people he’d known, her nose always in a book, her acceptance into the finest nursing school in the Southeast proof of all her hard work. Why did she seem surprised when someone complimented her?
“Would you like to join us for lunch, Thea?”
Mack blinked at the invitation. Great, he’d hoped to talk, get some information out of Beau, maybe question him about the town council’s decision to beef up the police department and where the decision might leave Mack. Now, with Thea tagging along, the conversation would be limited.
“I appreciate the offer, but I’m supposed to meet with the head nurse in a few minutes, then I have a few errands to do before I go home. It was nice to see you again, Beau, and I hope your wife gets to feeling better soon.” Thea’s gaze shifted to Mack. “Sheriff.”
Mack was grateful for Beau’s silence as Thea walked across the room, the sharp clip of her heels against the tile floor receding as she proceeded down the hall. It was only after he drew in a deep breath that Mack realized Beau was watching him. “What?”
“I could ask you the same question, my friend. There was so much tension between the two of you when I came in, you could have cut it with a scalpel.”
Irritation slithered up Mack’s neck. “Leave it alone.”
But his friend wasn’t one for listening. “You’ve been looking for marriage material and from what I could tell, Thea seems like a really nice girl.”
Mack could hear the blood pulsing in his ears. “You’re out of line.”
Beau droned on. “Pretty, smart and she has a career to fall back on.”
“Would you shut your pie hole?”
“And I happen to know you kind of had a thing for her back in high school.”
That stopped Mack dead in his tracks. He jerked around toward his oldest friend in the world. “I never told you that.”
“You didn’t have to. You made it plain every time another guy thought about asking her out. How many did you threaten to pound if they so much as got near her? Five? Six?” Beau’s mouth cocked up into a sly smile. “And here I thought you’d stayed friends because...well, a guy like you didn’t date a girl with Thea’s kind of background.”
Mack had had enough. “Thea was and still is the complete opposite of what her sister was like. As you said, she’s a nice girl—and I’ll have words with anyone who says otherwise. I didn’t date her because we were good friends, nothing more. Okay?”
“Okay. All I’m saying is she seems to be someone who would have the kind of caring nature that would be good for...say, the mother of a young girl.”
Mack sighed. Almost the exact statement his lawyer had made a few days before. “You’ve talked to Red.”
Beau nodded, his expression suddenly somber. “He did drop by. Said you might need someone to talk to about the adoption and the mess with the town council. But something else came up this morning, and I think we need to talk about it first. Back in my office.”
Whatever it was had Beau worried. Mack couldn’t take much more bad news, not now. “Why don’t you just spit it out?”
Beau glanced around the empty room, then motioned to a group of chairs in the far corner. Once Mack sat down, Beau seemed to transform from friend to one of the white-coated med students he’d seen around the hospital. Beau gathered his thoughts for a moment, then began. “Dr. Adams got a call from Dr. Medcalf over at the children’s hospital this morning.”
Mack’s stomach churned. Winston Medcalf? The doctor who’d performed surgery on Sarah? When she’d almost died? “What did he have to say?”
“Dr. Adams mailed copies of Sarah’s medical records over to Dr. Medcalf to keep him updated on Sarah’s progress.”
“He’s keeping tabs on her?”
Beau’s mouth twitched. “It’s not like one of your undercover sting operations. Doctors need to exchange information on patients under our care.”
Mack guessed that made sense. “What did Dr. Medcalf have to say?”
Beau leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “He feels Sarah has matured enough to give the surgery another try.”
“No.”
“Come on, Mack. Sarah was barely three months old the last time Medcalf had her in the operating room. She’s put on some weight, her lungs have matured a little bit.” He steepled his fingers together. “She needs this surgery. Putting it off will just complicate the situation later.”
An ache radiated through Mack’s left jaw, and he unclenched his teeth. “She had a bad reaction to the anesthesia last time, and we almost lost her. What makes Medcalf think things will be different now?”
“I don’t know. And that’s not to say Sarah couldn’t have another problem. But we’re racing against the clock now, Mack. If she doesn’t have the corrective surgery before her first birthday, the bones in her face will begin to set and make for a more complicated procedure in her future.”
This was not what Mack needed to hear today. “But she’s still such a tiny little thing. Couldn’t we put the surgery off for at least another month or two? Give her a little bit more time to grow.”
Beau dropped his chin to his chest, his fingers tightening into a knot. Whatever it was he had to say was hard on him, as if he had no other choices. When he finally lifted his head, he met Mack’s gaze with an honesty that came from years of friendship. “You don’t have a say in the matter, Mack. You’re not Sarah’s guardian.”
No say in matters pertaining to Sarah? “But I’m in the middle of adopting Sarah, and Ms. Aurora, she’s her guardian. She won’t agree to this.”
Beau shook his head. “She’s not officially Sarah’s guardian, not in the eyes of the law, and you...” He hesitated, as if the words hurt him to say. “We don’t know how long it will be before Judge Wakefield signs those adoption papers—or if he ever will.”
Mack fell back against the chair, his body numb from the news. A thought occurred to him. “Someone has to give the okay for the surgery. They can’t operate without it.”
“True, which is why the hospital got permission from Judge Wakefield this morning.”
“Wakefield.” Why didn’t the news that the judge had gotten involved surprise him? Maybe because this mess smelled like something the judge would cook up. “Then I’ll go to court. Get an injunction to stop the surgery.”
“You think the judge is going to sign an injunction to stop a court order he signed himself?”
It did sound ridiculous when Beau said it like that. All Mack would do is poke the bear. And he couldn’t afford to make the judge angry with him, not with the adoption still up in the air. “What am I supposed to do then? What if something happens to Sarah? How would I live with myself if I sat back and did nothing?”
“Have faith.”
Why was it, when people don’t have the answers, they’d tell you to fall back on your faith? Lord, help me in my disbelief. Keep Sarah safe. Help her through this. “What you’re telling me is that there’s nothing I can do to stop this.”
Beau shook his head. “All you can do now is be there for your daughter. Love her through it, and pray.”
Mack drew in a steadying breath. “When have they scheduled the surgery?”
“A week from tomorrow. Sarah will be in the hospital at least a month, longer if there are any complications.”
Mack threw down his hat on the chair beside him and raked both hands through his hair. “You know I can’t afford to pay for that long a hospital stay, and I’d rather be skinned alive than allow someone else to foot the bill for my daughter.”
Beau shifted to the seat right beside him. “I’ve been thinking about that. You’ve already paid for the surgery, right?”
Mack gave him a quick nod.
“Then the only bill you’ve got to worry about is for Sarah’s convalescence, and that can be pretty much done at home under the right circumstances.”
Home. Back to Ms. Aurora’s. Why hadn’t he thought of that? It was the perfect solution. Ms. Aurora could handle taking care of the baby during the day while he settled in for the night shift. But what about the other children in Ms. Aurora’s care? They needed her almost as much as Sarah did now. Casting the extra work of caring for a recovering infant on the older lady wasn’t fair to any of them, and Mack couldn’t take time off to care for Sarah himself, not with his job already on the line.
“You’re going to need help,” Beau stated.
“I can’t ask Ms. Aurora. She’s got enough on her plate as it is.”
“You couldn’t take Sarah back there, anyway.” Beau crossed his arms over his chest and stretched his back. “No matter how clean the woman keeps her home, those kids are walking incubators, bringing in who knows what kind of sicknesses. Even something as simple as a cold would complicate Sarah’s recovery. We need to keep her well until the stitches in her mouth are somewhat healed.”
Then Ms. Aurora’s was out of the question. “My house, then?”
“It would be the best choice. She’d be isolated from other children there, and you can monitor who comes inside. The only problem now is finding a trained professional who can come in and take care of her during the day, while you’re working.”
“A trained professional? You mean like a nurse?”
“Exactly!” Beau nodded. “Sarah needs someone who can recognize any problems that could come up. Infection, busted sutures, stuff like that. A trained medical professional who would make herself available day or night.”
“Her?”
“You’ll have more of a chance at hiring a nurse, preferably one who’s had some experience dealing with pediatric patients.”
For some strange reason, Mack felt as if he’d just walked into a trap. “You have someone in mind?”
“As a matter of fact,” Beau said, reaching into an interior pocket of his jacket and pulling out a folded sheet of paper. “I ran across this résumé yesterday and thought she’d be perfect for the job.”
Mack unfolded the paper, glanced at the name at the top, then crumpled it into a ball. “You think I ought to consider hiring Thea as Sarah’s nurse.”
“Look, I know it’s an uncomfortable situation, but her credentials are excellent.”
Uncomfortable? Unbearable would be more like it. He tossed the wadded up sheet of paper back at Beau. “Then you know there is no way I’m letting her take care of my daughter.”
“Hear me out.” Beau unfolded the tight ball and pressed the paper against his thigh, rubbing out the creases with his hand. “This is a tough surgery, and Sarah already had enough problems the first time around. It would seem to me you’d want her to have the most experienced pediatric nurse available to care for her.”
“And that’s Thea.”
Beau waved the crumpled paper at him. “She graduated near the top of her class and worked almost exclusively in pediatrics before she joined the Army Nurse Corps four years ago.”
“And her references?”
Beau shook his head slowly, as if in disbelief. “She’s even got one in there from General Patton.”
Patton? It figured. Thea had never done anything halfway. When she’d decided to go to nursing school during her sophomore year of high school, she’d worked two jobs to stockpile money for school. But Thea living in his house? Taking care of the child they both wanted?
And it wasn’t just Thea. For propriety’s sake, he’d have to invite Mrs. Miller to move in, too. Though, come to think of it, it might be better to have the older woman living in town, where he and Thea could work together to keep an eye on her, and other people would be able to check on her. From what he’d heard and witnessed himself, the woman had been having trouble lately. She often seemed confused and somewhat dazed. It might just be loneliness and old age wearing at her, living alone as she had before Thea’s return. Or...it could be the first signs of a more serious condition. As the sworn protector of this community, he owed it to Mrs. Miller to make sure she was taken care of.
“Look, I know it’s none of my business.” Beau folded up the paper. “But you’re not still holding a grudge against her about the accident, are you?”
Mack’s chest tightened. “What are you talking about?”
“Maggie told me about the accident. About how you were out that night taking Thea to the train station before it happened, and that’s why you were out on the road so late.”
“That cousin of yours sure does like to shoot off her mouth a lot.”
“Now, wait a minute, don’t go blaming Maggie. I pestered the truth out of her. I wondered why you didn’t join up with the military like everyone else and she let it slip that you couldn’t because of your ear.” Beau sucked in a breath through his nostrils. “She only told me because we’re friends and she thought I could help.”
Phrased like that, it made Mack feel as petty and as immature as a seventeen-year-old kid. Mack glanced around the room, slightly ashamed of himself, though he wasn’t sure why. He’d done a nice thing to help Thea out and ended up losing his chance at a future. Surely he wasn’t to blame for any of that. “Help how? The doctors said there was nothing to be done to save my hearing in that ear.”
“No, but I could listen. I know how much being a lawyer like your dad meant to you. It must have hurt when the college pulled your scholarship.”
“Water under the bridge.” At least, that’s what Mack told himself. He’d made a good life since then, and though it wasn’t the one he’d planned on, he didn’t have a reason to complain. It didn’t matter if he was arguing a case in front of a jury or making an arrest. Keeping the town a safe haven in a rapidly changing world had always been his primary goal.
“What I want to know is why are you blaming this on Thea in the first place?”
Mack’s jaw tightened, dumbstruck by Beau’s question. “I wouldn’t have been speeding home, trying to beat curfew, if Thea hadn’t asked me to take her to the train station.”
“You could have told her no.”
He shook his head. “Thea didn’t have anybody she could depend on. That night, she was frantic. I couldn’t let her go by herself, even if she could have gotten a ride from someone else.”
“So you made a choice.”
Mack bristled at the smug look on his friend’s face. Yes, he’d made the choice to help Thea that night. It didn’t mean she shouldn’t take some responsibility for what happened, for the way she’d abandoned him afterward, leaving him to deal with the crumbling of his dreams without even a token of her friendship. “Just like I have a choice right now whether to hire her to take care of Sarah or not.”
Disappointment flashed in Beau’s eyes then, just as quickly, fled. “If it were me, I’d want the best available care for my daughter.”
Mack had never felt more between a rock and a hard place in his life. Of course he wanted what was best for Sarah, but why did that have to include Thea? He took the résumé from his friend. “If Thea’s so good, why isn’t the hospital hiring her?”
“Every nursing position is filled at the moment.” Beau hesitated. “If the town council would decide to build a new hospital that could accommodate our growth, we wouldn’t have to send good nurses like Thea away.”
But Thea wasn’t going away. She’d as much as told Mack that during their sparring match just a few minutes ago in this very room. She had a family to care for. But how would she keep a roof over their heads and food on their table if she didn’t find a job to support them?
“And there’s another good reason.”
“What’s that?”
“You could keep an eye on her. You know the old saying, hold your friends close and your enemies closer. If she’s serious about getting custody of Sarah, and you have her working for you, you’ll at least know what she’s up to.”
Beau had a point. He’d know every move Thea made, where she went and what evidence she’d collected to solidify her claim. Guilt flushed through him and just as quickly abated. What did he have to feel guilty about? The woman threatened his family. He had to do this, for Sarah’s sake.
And if he was going to muddle waist high in Thea’s affairs, he might as well go completely under. “Can I keep this résumé?”
“Sure, but what for?”
“I don’t hire anyone without checking out their references myself.”
Beau broke into a wide smile. “So you’re going to hire her?”
“Maybe.” If not, at least he might finally be able to find out more about what she’d been up to in the years since she left Marietta. Mack skimmed down the page, his gaze focused on the city where Thea had landed after leaving town, a bit startled by the answer he found. Why in the world would Thea go to Memphis when the nursing school she’d planned to attend was on the other side of the state?