The Baby Bargain (11 page)

“Megan.”

His voice was soft, wrapping around her and compelling her to turn.
Whoa!

Adam wore nothing but shorts and running shoes. He’d taken off his shirt and had it
looped around his neck like a towel. His hair was damp and curled slightly like Cole’s
did after a bath.

But Adam was all man. “You’ve been running?” she asked.

“Yeah. Sometimes it helps.” He walked closer. Stopped. His gaze dropped to her left
arm.

“It’s fine.” Lifting her arm, she added, “No marks, no bruising.”

He shook his head, his gaze rising to hers. Full of dark torment. “What if it had
been Cole who woke me? What if I had hurt our son, Megan?”

The thought made her queasy. She hadn’t been afraid when he had grabbed her—she’d
just woken him up. But she was a grown woman. “Adam, what were you dreaming about?”

He looked away. “It’s just nightmares.”

“About what?”

He shook his head. “I can’t, Megan. Don’t ask me, I can’t.” He sucked in a breath,
his chest expanding, his stomach pulling in, and misery coating him just like the
blanket of sweat. “Just believe me when I say I’m sorry.” He turned away from her.

“Wait, damn it! Stop walking away from me!” She was so tired of it.

“I have to. For you and Cole. I have to.” He vanished into the bathroom.

Chapter Thirteen

Saturdays were usually Megan’s busiest day at her clinic. Today, however, she only
had eight clients. Eight. Unbelievable. Her stomach twisted in anxiety as she walked
out of the last exam room. Her waiting room was empty. She looked over at Jillian.

Her receptionist frowned, her dark eyes clouding with concern. “That’s it for the
day, Doctor. I’m sorry, we had a lot of cancellations.”

Megan opened her mouth, but she forgot what she was going to say when she felt a cold
nose in her hand. Looking down at Missy, a charming boxer mix, she smiled. “Did you
lose your human again, Missy?”

Mr. Campbell walked out, his cane tapping on the tile floors. “She knows you have
treats.”

He was her last client of the day. Missy and Mr. Campbell were among her favorites.
Reaching into her lab coat, Megan pulled out a treat and gave it to the dog, who happily
ate it and then went over to sit by her owner. “She’s a good girl, Mr. Campbell. And
doing very well.”

“Because you saved her life. I don’t believe that rubbish in the newspaper. Just wanted
to say that. ’Bye now.” He turned to the dog. “Leash, Missy.” The dog picked up the
end of her leash and held it up. Mr. Campbell took it and they headed toward the door.

Megan walked over and held the door open. As he passed her, she touched his arm. “Thank
you. It means a lot to me.”

He smiled and headed out to his car.

She spotted her own car pulling into the parking lot. Just in time. Trina had used
the car to take a stray dog, a puppy one of her clients had brought in, to one of
the foster homes the Animal Rescue League had set up. As Trina parked and got out,
Megan was grateful the volunteers cared more about animals than her legal situation.
“Any problems?” she asked as Trina handed the keys back to Megan.

The girl shook her head. “Nope. The woman, Lori, was happy to have the little guy.”

One less thing to worry about
, Megan thought as she let the door close and faced her staff. Jillian, Dara, and
Trina all hovered around the reception desk. “Clock out and go home. Enjoy your weekend.”

As they all left, Megan went to her office, closed the door, and changed into the
clean jeans and T-shirt she’d brought with her. Using a brush, she secured her hair
in a fresh ponytail. Then she locked up the office and headed to Raven’s Pond Park.
Her mom and Hayden had brought Cole with them, so all she had to do was show up.

Her stomach knotted as she parked her car. Sitting there, she could see the canopies
draped with the banners that read
Catherine Sullivan for Mayor!
It looked like much of the town had turned out. She could see folks playing volleyball,
and there was also a small carnival games section. She spotted a large food area from
the grill smoke billowing up that was surrounded by tables and chairs.

Megan hesitated, feeling uneasy about getting out, walking into the crowd alone. Most
of the people here would have at least heard of her arrest, probably seen the photo
of her in handcuffs. She knew she’d get more looks, whispers…

“Stop it.” She pulled her keys out of the ignition. Once she’d been insecure, afraid,
and desperate for love, but she had grown up and made her place in the town.

Just as she would prove her innocence.

In the meantime, she refused to hide. Her mom wanted her there, so she’d be there.
She tucked her car keys and cell phone in her pockets and walked toward the party.

“Cole, there’s Mommy!”

Recognizing the voice of her best friend, Bridget, she looked over to see the petite
blonde heading toward her, holding Cole’s hand. Then Bridget let go, and the little
boy ran toward Megan.

Megan dropped down to her knees in the grass, opening her arms. Cole slammed into
her, wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. “Mommy!”

She lifted him up and looked him over. His cheeks were red, but she knew that had
to be from exertion. Catherine always put sunscreen on Cole. “You been playing, little
man? Having fun?”

He nodded. “Want puppy!”

“Max?” Maybe he wanted to go home and play with their dog?

He shook his head. “Water, Mommy!”

Confused, she looked at Bridget for help.

“Dunk tank. If you sink the person, you get your choice of prizes. One prize is a
big stuffed puppy with long ears. Cole wants him.”

“Ah.” Hugging her boy, she said, “You can show me after we say hi to Grandma.”

He wiggled. “Down.”

She slid him down to the grass and caught hold of his hand. The three of them walked
toward the groups of people. She looked over at Bridget. “Love the new haircut.” Her
friend been threatening to cut her long, unruly blond hair forever. It looked really
good on her. She had that California girl thing going.

Bridget shrugged. “Too busy to fuss with it. Work’s crazy, but I wanted to take a
couple hours off and be here. It’s great to see you. You look good for a felon. The
picture didn’t do you justice.”

“Shut up.” But Megan laughed.

“I can’t believe this nightmare, Megan. Who in their right mind would believe you’re
a criminal?”

Megan spotted her mom chatting with a group of people. Catherine saw her and waved,
then went back to talking. “Roughly half my patients.”

Bridget stopped walking. “No way.”

Snarling outrage colored her friend’s face and changed her eyes to liquid dark chocolate.
“’Fraid so.”

“Those bast—” The blonde cut off what she was going to say, glancing at Cole. Then
she muttered, “Jerks!”

Megan hugged Bridget with her free arm. “Thank you for that. Just thank you.” Some
of the day’s stress, the helpless feeling of being a victim, melted away.

Bridget scooped Cole up and grabbed Megan’s hand. “I know what you need. Come on.”

They passed the face painting and caricature stations. There was a photo station that
had silly props of shark, dolphin, and mermaid bodies. At the very end was the big
attraction—the dunk tank.

“Puppy!” Cole cried, pointing to the wall of prizes set up by the dunk tank.

But Megan’s gaze was riveted on the tank. Sitting inside, wearing a pair of board
shorts and a taunting grin, was Adam. His bare arms, shoulders, and chest gleamed
in the sunlight, his muscles flexing as he moved around, teasing the person throwing
the baseballs at the target.

The ball dinged the target but slid off. Adam threw back his head and laughed.

She was transfixed. Gone was the tortured man she’d seen last night and this morning.
This was charming Adam, playing around and having fun. She could tell from the way
his hair curled that he’d already been dunked. Exactly as Cole’s did after a bath.

He obviously didn’t care, but instead was enjoying himself. She noticed a lot of women
standing around soaking up the view.

“He volunteered,” Megan’s mom said, coming up next to her. “And he brought other volunteers.
All ex-Marines. War heroes here to support my campaign and to show the town that they
support you.”

Megan couldn’t tear her gaze away.

“Puppy, Mommy! Please!” Cole said, tugging on her hand.

Somehow, Adam must have heard him, because he turned, his gaze locking in on Megan.
Then he smiled, slow and wicked.

He was daring her.

Megan answered him with a smile of her own. “You want that puppy, Cole?”

He bounced in Bridget’s arms. “Puppy!”

“Then let’s go dunk Adam.”

She pulled out some money, bought one ball, and strode to the line.

Three people tried and failed to dunk Adam. He was bursting with cocky attitude by
the time she got to the front.

“Megan, darling,” Adam called out, “whatcha doing?”

“I’m winning a puppy for my son.”

Both his eyebrows went up. “With one ball? That’s only one try.”

“I only need one.” She tossed the ball straight up but missed it. The ball hit the
ground and rolled.

Adam snorted.

Her mom picked up the ball and handed it back to her, hiding her grin.

Adam leaned forward on the bench. “You do realize you’ll have to hit the target with
the ball?”

She frowned. “Really? That target?” She pointed to the lever that had the target painted
on it.

“Don’t worry, little vet. I’ll win our son a puppy later.”

She heard him claim Cole, loudly and clearly. Around them, conversations erupted in
waves. Megan remembered those whispers. The pity at father–daughter events, the entire
town knowing her father wanted nothing to do with her. The hot shame and sickness.
When Adam left, how would she protect Cole from that?

Adam was watching her, and in his eyes, she saw a glimpse of the tortured man. Yet
here he was, stepping up to make sure she and Cole were safe. And he wasn’t too proud
to sit in a dunk tank.

Adam wasn’t her father.

He was Cole’s father. And it was Megan he didn’t want a real relationship with, Megan
that he couldn’t trust with his secrets or heart. But she believed he’d find a way
to forge a bond with Cole.

Shaking it off, she forced a smile. “You’re a big talker for a man sitting in a dunk
tank. I’ll win our son the puppy.”

“Did I mention that I signed you up for a turn in the dunk tank?”

“You did not.”

“He kind of did,” her mom whispered. Then she burst out laughing. “I brought a suit
and shorts for you.”

Adam upped the wattage of his grin. “Maybe you should let Cole throw the ball. He’d
probably have a better chance.”

She turned to Cole and winked. “Think of names for your new puppy.”

“Meg, don’t tease our boy.”

She took a breath. “Adam?”

“What?”

“You might want to hold your breath.” She fired off her very best softball pitch.
Hit the lever. The bench released and Adam dropped.

The splash was awesome. She scooped up Cole and danced around, while saying, “Daddy’s
all wet and we won!”

The boy giggled in her arms and repeated, “Daddy all wet!”

“Okay, folks,” an announcer said. “We’re taking a fifteen-minute break, then the dunk
tank will be reopened.”

She carried Cole over to the prize wall, where the same announcer gave him his coveted
puppy. He clutched the huge dog, grinning. Then Cole burst out, “Aria!”

Megan spotted the little girl from story time at the library, her mom Bella, and a
few others. Smiling, she took Cole over. “Hi,” she said, setting Cole down to play
with the kids.

Payton scooped up her son, Levi. “What are you doing here? You were arrested. I can’t
believe you have the nerve to show your face after blackmailing Nathan McCray and
stealing his dog. You should still be in jail. If not for that, then for what you
did to Adam.”

Turn and walk away,
Megan told herself. For years, she had studiously avoided the topic of Cole’s father.
She just refused to answer people’s questions and the matter eventually dropped.

But instead, she heard herself say, “What about Adam?”

“He’s the hometown hero. And you hid his son from him. Then when you’re in trouble,
you go crawling to him for money. You make me sick.” She said to the others, “Let’s
take the kids to get their faces painted.” She stormed off.

Some moms followed, but a few lingered, looking extremely uncomfortable. Finally,
Aria’s mom, Bella, said, “I’m sorry, Megan. You know how Payton is.”

“Is that what you all think, too? Is that what everyone believes?”

Bella rocked from one foot to the other. “It’s the rumor going around. Everyone’s
been talking about it today. I mean, you were arrested, that dog was found in your
office…no one knows what to think.”

“I’ll tell you what to think,” Bridget interrupted, her dark eyes furious. “Megan
is innocent, someone in this town is framing her, and people like Payton? They are
helping whoever it is destroy a woman you have all known for years. Think about that.”

Bella turned red while the other moms mumbled excuses and made their escape.

Cole stood next to Megan, his new toy clutched under his arm, staring as his friends
left.

Bridget crouched down. “Hey, Cole, how about we take your puppy for a little walk?”

Megan watched as the two of them set off, with Cole chattering about what to name
the stuffed animal. She knew Bridget needed to walk off her residual anger. In five
minutes, she’d be good as new.

“Be prepared for paybacks, Meg. I’ve got you signed up for after dinner.”

The voice was right behind her, sliding down her back like a caress. Adam. She shivered,
unable to keep up with her wildly shifting emotions. She turned and looked into his
amused eyes. “You sure about that? While you were slumming it and traveling the world,
I might have been playing a little softball.” She was the pitcher on the Animal Rescue
Team.

A few snorts caused Megan to look past Adam. She had been so caught up in him, she
hadn’t noticed his entourage. “Oh, I see you brought some real men to help you.”

He laughed. “These guys? Please, they throw like girls. You’ve already met Logan.”

The tall, dark man with startling light green eyes smiled. “Pleasure to see you again.”

“This is Hunter Reece.”

The wiry man with dark blue eyes held out his hand and grinned. “Nice to meet the
woman creating havoc in Adam’s world order.”

Megan stared at him. “Uh, thanks?” They had to know about Cole, about her keeping
him a secret from Adam. Was that what he meant?

“And this is Griff Rankin,” Adam said just as his phone rang. He pulled it out, looked
at the screen. “I need to take this.” Answering it, he walked away.

Hunter took over the introductions. “Griff’s got a fancy diploma. Feel free to indulge
his ego and call him ‘Dr. Rankin.’ ”

Griff turned his gaze on Hunter. “I think I saw a Play-Doh station. Why don’t you
go mold yourself some manners.” Then he reached out and took her hand. “Nice to meet
you, Megan. May I say your mother is a lovely woman. I wish her the best of luck in
her endeavor to win the seat of mayor.”