Healing Dr. Fortune (11 page)

“If Max is going to be working at the ranch during the day and going to school at nights, he's going to be hard-pressed to convince social services workers that he'd make a good foster parent.”

The truth of Jeremy's statement stung. She wanted to tell him that she'd offer to be the foster parent, then. That she'd take the baby. But she bit back a response.

“And on top of that,” Jeremy added, “she claimed that she doesn't have a birth certificate. Why is that?”

Kirsten didn't know why. Maybe she lost it. Or she moved before one could be mailed to her. Courtney had always been impulsive.

“It's anyone's guess,” she said, although she couldn't
shake the feeling that her relationship with Jeremy had just turned south—or that it could easily go in that direction.

I find that a little weird,
he'd said.
Don't you?

Whose
story was weird?

Courtney's? Or Kirsten's?

She reached for a muffin and carefully peeled back the paper, focusing on what was going into her mouth and not what was going on inside her heart.

In spite of what she'd thought, Jeremy wasn't a hundred percent supportive, when she'd really wanted him to be. When she'd really needed him to be.

And that put a damper on both the relationship and on the future.

Maybe she'd been wrong to think that she and Jeremy were having more than a brief affair. Instead he might only be looking for something temporary to fill his days before he headed back to California.

Besides, long-distance relationships didn't work very well, even if he was open to one. And if he asked her to relocate, she couldn't leave Anthony.

Not when she was the only one really looking out for him.

 

Jeremy spent the next night back at the Double Crown Ranch. His biggest reason for doing so was because he hated to leave Lily alone for a second day in a row. But he was also trying to decide how deep he wanted things to go with Kirsten, and he hoped that some time away from her might help him think.

So that was just what he'd done. But hell, she'd been on his mind constantly, and he was beginning to think that he was falling in love with her.

What else could it be?

As much as he'd told himself that he didn't believe in love at first sight, he would have to reconsider that belief because it sure seemed as if he'd started falling the moment he'd spotted her outside the clinic.

And after what they'd shared last night…

He ought to be concerned about the fact that she might have gotten pregnant, but for the life of him, it didn't seem like that big of a deal. Not if she wasn't worried about it.

They'd work through it, he supposed.

He had no idea what the future would bring. He was going to stay in Red Rock until he got word from—or
about
—his dad.

For the time being, he was settling in at the clinic and enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would.

He'd even considered getting hospital privileges at the various medical centers in the area, although he hadn't done anything about it yet.

So much still hinged on his dad.

And on Kirsten, too—now that they'd struck up a relationship.

Ever since he'd checked them out of the hotel, he'd found himself wanting to be with her on a daily basis.

And the drive back and forth from the Double Crown was a bit tiring.

Maybe he ought to get a place in town, just to be closer to her. But if he did, what about Lily?

Would she be okay without him to keep her company at night?

Dilemmas, he thought.

He glanced out the kitchen window, saw the morning sun peering over the eastern horizon. He was ready for a shot of caffeine to help him face the day, so he poured himself a cup of coffee.

While he pondered the situation with Kirsten and tried to connect all the dots, the housekeeper entered the kitchen.

“Excuse me, Dr. Fortune. But one of the ranch hands is at the front door. He'd like to talk to you.”

“He wants to talk to
me?
” Had someone been injured? Jeremy tossed out the coffee in the sink. “Did he say what he wanted to see me about?”

“No, he didn't. But he did say that his name is Max. And that he's a friend of yours.”

Uh-oh. What was wrong? Was the baby sick? Was something up with Kirsten?

Jeremy left his mug on the counter and headed for the back door, where he found Max waiting at the steps, holding his weathered hat in his hands.

His expression spelled trouble. “I'm sorry to bother you, but do you have a minute? I got here early, hoping I could talk to you before I have to check in with Ruben.”

“Sure, I've got time to talk. Is something wrong?”

“Yeah. No.” He lifted his battered Stetson, raked his
hair with his fingers, then returned the hat to his head. “Heck, I'm not sure. I've got a problem, and I didn't want to share it with Kirsten. We've been getting along a lot better lately, and I don't want her to get all weird on me.”

“So you came to see me?”

“Yeah. I hope you don't mind.”

“No problem.” Actually, Jeremy thought it was a good sign that Max was seeking wise counsel—assuming that was what he'd come for.

“That's good, because I really need a man's perspective on this. Kirsten gets way too emotionally involved in this kind of stuff.”

“Women tend to be that way,” Jeremy said. “But I think it might make for a good balance.”

“Maybe.”

“Want to take a walk?”

Max nodded. “Yeah, that might help.”

Jeremy closed the door, then followed Max down the steps and out into the yard.

“You know,” Max said, “if my old man was still around, I'd talk to him. But he bailed out on me a long time ago.”

“I'm glad you came to me, then. Sometimes it helps to talk it out.”

Max didn't speak right away, but Jeremy kept quiet, biding his time until Max was ready to open up.

Finally, he said, “I'm not sure how much you know about all of this, but my old girlfriend Courtney showed up at the house, telling me that Anthony was mine.”

“Kirsten mentioned it.”

“She wanted me to take care of him because she couldn't.”

“Does she want him back?” Jeremy asked.

“No, that's not the problem.”

Jeremy wanted to press for more details, but continued to hold back, waiting for Max to explain in his own time.

“Even when Courtney brought Anthony to me,” he finally said, “I had my doubts about whether I was his father or not. But how could I tell her I wouldn't take the poor little guy? I mean, he's just a baby. And I knew he'd be better off with me and Kirsten.”

Jeremy assumed he was right about that.

“Courtney and I had a thing going for a while, but we split up for a good reason. She's a real flake.”

Jeremy wasn't about to comment on that. Especially when he had no reason to doubt Max.

“I talked to her last night, after Kirsten went to bed. And it seems that I was right. I'm not Anthony's father.”

So she was messing around on Max? And then she had the gall to dump her kid on him?

Flakey didn't seem to describe her as well as a few other choice adjectives might. But Jeremy kept that to himself as well, choosing to let Max continue.

“It seems that his father is some guy named Charlie,” Max said. “And apparently, he's bad news. Somehow, he found out that Anthony is with me, although he has no idea where to find me.”

Maybe not yet. But if he ever did locate Max, Kirsten would be in danger, which sent every one of Jeremy's instincts on high alert.

An almost overwhelming urge to drive into Red Rock and protect her slammed into him.

“What kind of ‘bad news' is this guy?” Jeremy asked.

“She wouldn't tell me. She just begged me to keep Anthony safe. And she seemed to think that he would be, as long as we had him.”

“We,” of course, meant Kirsten and Max.

“Did you tell your sister any of this?”

“Not yet. I thought it would be best if I talked to you about it first. All I need is for Kirsten to come unglued. And she would. She's a real mother hen. And she's gotten pretty attached to Anthony.”

Jeremy had noticed that, too. But he didn't want to see Kirsten in any trouble—or in danger—if that Charlie guy came looking for his son.

“So what should I do?” Max asked.

“I think it's time for you to go to the police. Now that you know you're not his father, you have no legal right to keep him. And you could actually end up in trouble for harboring a child who isn't yours.”

“Dang.” Max bit his lip. “I don't want any problems like that.”

Jeremy glanced at his wristwatch. “What time do you need to start work?”

“I can't stick around here. I've got to tell Kirsten what's going on. And then I need to talk to the police.”

Ruben would probably understand, but Jeremy thought it would be best if Max stayed on the job and put in an honest day's work, especially since Jeremy could handle the rest.

He could also make sure that Kirsten was safe.

“You stay here. I'll give Kirsten the news and let her know what you've decided.”

“You don't mind?”

“Not a bit. Thanks for trusting me.”

“How could I not do that? You've always been straight with me. And you've been looking out for my best interests, even though you don't know me all that well.”

No, but Jeremy knew his sister. And that had been good enough for him.

He just hoped that Courtney hadn't involved Max and Kirsten in a dangerous situation.

M
aking love with Jeremy the night before last had been both unimaginable and spellbinding.

Yet Kirsten couldn't help thinking that he was pulling away from her. After all, he'd taken her home after they'd stayed in San Antonio, then had gone to the clinic to work. But instead of stopping by her house when he was done, he'd gone to the ranch.

He'd said that he needed to check on Lily, and that was probably true—and admirable, of course. Still, Kirsten couldn't help thinking that he might be having second thoughts.

So last night, when she'd pulled back the covers and slid into her bed alone, she'd closed her eyes and tried to imagine his smiling face, the way the sun picked up strands of gold in his hair.

The image she liked most, though, was the one of him stretched out on the bed beside her, his hand resting on her hip, his mouth trailing down her neck and pausing to kiss her breasts.

She'd wanted to sleep the night away just so she could remain in a dream world.

The phone rang at eight the next morning, finally jarring her back to reality.

She squinted as she reached for the receiver on the nightstand, then cleared her throat before answering. “Hello?”

“Kirsten Allen?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

“Yes.”

“This is Stacy Grabowski, with the Fortune Foundation. We're looking for an accountant, and I was wondering if you'd like to come in for a job interview.”

She'd never applied there, although she wouldn't mind working for the organization. Her first thought was that Jeremy must have had something to do with it. Yet instead of shooting a pleasant thrill through her, the idea left her uneasy.

Did that mean taking her to California was out of the question?

Sadly, it seemed to be the only logical explanation, yet she still felt compelled to ask. “How did you get my name?”

“Fred Nettles, who works in human resources for Alliance Plumbing, is one of our board members. He received the job application and résumé you sent to his company a few weeks back. They were in the process of
hiring someone else, but he knew we were looking for someone, too. Since he was impressed with your qualifications, he suggested we interview you.”

So her name coming up for that particular position had been a coincidence? Something that came about without Jeremy's recommendation?

Stacy went on to give Kirsten more details and provide a job description, all of which would utilize the skills she'd acquired. In fact, it was right up her alley.

To top it off, the benefits were in line with what she'd been hoping to get, and the starting salary was better yet.

So it sounded as though the position would be perfect for her.

She wasn't sure how she'd juggle things, though. Max was going to need a lot of help with Anthony. But if they both had jobs, day care would be affordable.

Part of her insisted that she stay home with the baby until he was older, but how could she tell the Fortune Foundation no? She might never get another chance to work for them again.

There was, of course, the hope that her relationship with Jeremy would work out and become much more involved. But there were no guarantees there, either.

So why put her job search on hold indefinitely?

Besides, she might not even land the position.

And to make matters worse, she had to admit that some of the things Jeremy had said while they'd been at the hotel had been true. If Max wasn't Anthony's legal guardian, Courtney could show up at anytime, wanting
him back. And unless Kirsten was prepared for a big legal battle, she'd have to give him up.

Again, she worried about letting him go, but even
that
was still up in the air. So she told Stacy, “Sure, I'd like to come in for an interview.”

They'd no more than agreed to a date and a time when Anthony woke up—cranky and hungry, no doubt. So she hung up the phone and went to get the baby out of his Portacrib.

“I'm here, honey. Let me get your bottle.” With Anthony resting in the crook of her arms, she padded into the kitchen to mix his powdered formula with water.

Then she carried him into the living room, where she sat in the recliner and placed the nipple in his mouth.

As he ate, she watched him gulp and swallow. Every once in a while, he'd look at her, release his hold on the nipple and grin, which sent a dribble of milk down his chin. It was so sweet. And it let her know that he recognized her, that they were connected in some special way.

In just over a week, she'd really grown attached to the little guy. She'd love to keep him, to adopt him, to become a mother to him legally. Yet she also knew that she might have to give him up. But as long as she handed him over to parents who were kind and loving, she'd be okay with that.

She just couldn't stand the idea of letting Courtney take him back.

Kirstin had made a promise to herself—and to
the baby. She would do whatever she could to protect Anthony.

No matter what.

 

Thanks to another long-distance consultation with a colleague in his Sacramento medical group that tied him up for an hour, Jeremy wasn't able to get to Kirsten's house until just after eight. As concerned as he was for her safety, Max had convinced him that it wouldn't be easy for Charlie to find Anthony in Red Rock.

So he parked at the curb, then rang the bell.

When the door swung open, Kirsten was wearing a pale blue bathrobe and holding Anthony in her arms.

“I'm sorry to stop by so early,” he said, “but I wanted to talk to you.”

“I was just going to make some coffee,” she said, stepping aside to let him into her cozy living room. “Can I get you a cup?”

“No, thanks. As much as I'd like to, I can't stay long. I need to get to the clinic, but I have to talk to you about something important.”

She looked a little pale, a little uneasy. “What is it?”

“Max talked to me this morning.”

Her brow furrowed. “He called
you?
Whatever for?”

“He didn't call. He showed up early at the ranch and asked for my advice about a problem he has.”

“Is he feeling okay?” she asked.

He supposed it was only natural that she'd think his
reason to talk to a doctor would be a medical issue. “No, he isn't sick.”

“Then what did he want to talk to you about?”

“About the latest call he got from Courtney.” Jeremy filled her in on the details, adding, “According to her, she lied about Max being Anthony's father. Instead, it's a guy named Charlie.”

“I don't understand,” Kirsten said. “Why would she lie about that? And who is Charlie? Was she seeing him before she and my brother broke up?”

“I'm not sure. But from what Courtney told your brother, Charlie isn't a nice guy.”

“Oh, God.” Kirsten drew the baby closer to her chest, then slowly dropped into an overstuffed chair. “Are you sure about that?”

“No, that's just it. Courtney's stories aren't consistent. And she's repeatedly lied. So Max can't tell what's true and what's fabricated.”

Kirsten looked down at the baby she held, the child who was totally dependent on her. It didn't take a mind reader to know what she was thinking. She was worried about little Anthony, and she had good reason to be. His mother was unstable, and his father was of questionable character.

As far as Jeremy was concerned, there was only one thing to do. They had to contact the police.

“According to Courtney,” Jeremy added, “Charlie knows the baby is with Max. So it's just a matter of time before he finds him and Anthony.”

And
before he found Kirsten, too. Jeremy's chest
tightened at the thought that she might be in the thick of it all.

What if Charlie proved to be unpredictable? Courtney certainly was.

Kirsten furrowed her brow, apparently trying to sort through the news she'd been given, then looked up. “Maybe Max should stay out on the ranch for a while. Is that possible?”

“If Charlie comes around, he won't be looking for your brother. He'll be looking for his son.”

“Then I'll keep Anthony under the radar,” she said. “And if Charlie doesn't know to look for him here…”

“Be reasonable, Kirsten. If Charlie comes looking for Max and the baby here, you might not be safe.” And for that reason, Jeremy had packed his clothes with the intention of staying with her until things could be sorted out, although he'd left them in the car.

“Then maybe I ought to leave for a while.”

“And go where?” he said.

“I don't know. A hotel. Someplace.”

Jeremy blew out a sigh. Why couldn't she wrap her mind around the situation? “You
can't
keep Anthony,” he explained. “He's not your baby, and you don't have any legal claim to him.”

Her eyes flashed, challenging him. “I don't care about that. I won't give him up to someone who won't take care of him, someone who can't give him the love that he deserves.”

“You might not have a choice,” Jeremy countered. “Besides, you may not want to believe this, but there
are a lot of kids in this world who aren't loved and taken care of. I see them all the time at the clinic with sad eyes, broken arms, bruises—”

“Stop! I'm aware of that. It sickens me to think about kids being neglected and abused. And you're right. I can't save them from the brutal reality they live with day to day. But I
can
protect Anthony. And I will. I'm not going to let anything happen to him. If that means hiding out with him and not telling anyone I've got him, then that's fine.”

“You're being foolish, Kirsten. And you're also risking your own safety, not to mention the baby's.”

“Not if no one knows where to find him.”

“Oh, for Pete's sake. Courtney knows exactly where he is. And she can't be trusted.”

 

The truth of Jeremy's statement slammed into Kirsten, backing her into a corner, it seemed. But what else could she do?

Her heart sank, but not just out of fear for herself. “If Charlie proves to be dangerous, and if you think that I'm not safe, then how can I let Anthony go with him?”

“You're right. That's why we need to go to the police and let them deal with it.”

Kirsten cuddled the baby closer yet, unwilling to let law enforcement step in. Weren't they bound by law to hand Anthony over to his biological parents?

“What do you think your brother will have to say about this?” Jeremy asked.

“It really doesn't matter, does it? If Max isn't Anthony's father, then he can just stay out of it.”

“But Max is already involved.”

“How do you figure?”

“Come on. Open your eyes, Kirsten. Look beyond the child in your arms and face the larger picture. Max doesn't know any of the details surrounding that baby. What if Charlie
isn't
‘bad news'? What if, for some reason, he was granted legal custody, and Courtney took him away? After all, if she's as unstable as she seems to be, then who knows what's really going on?”

He was right, Kirsten realized. But she couldn't shake the feeling that Anthony wasn't safe unless he was with her. “I appreciate your concern, but I can't call the police. Not yet.”

Jeremy chuffed, then muttered, “What a convoluted mess. I can't believe I'm even involved in this.”

Kirsten had always been afraid that Jeremy would bail out if Max's drama ever got to be too much for him, so his comment crushed her. But how could she turn her back on the baby now?

Silence stretched between them. And as the minutes ticked by, she threw out the only argument she had left. “Apparently, you don't know what it means to love someone, Jeremy. To be committed to them.”

His eye twitched, and his mouth tensed. She'd clearly angered him, and while she hated to think that her love for Anthony had driven them apart, she couldn't help it. He was a helpless little baby, for goodness' sake.

“You're wrong,” Jeremy finally said. “I
do
know what
it means to love someone, to want them to be safe and happy. And it frustrates the hell out of me to see her refuse to see reason and to dig in her heels about the simplest thing.”

Was he talking about his feelings for
her?

She thought he might be, but she wasn't sure.

Taking a gamble, she said, “I love you, Jeremy. But you can't ask me to choose between my family and you.”

He threw up his hands, clearly frustrated with her, with the situation, with the stalemate they'd reached.

“Maybe you'd better go,” she said, wishing he'd have a change of heart, that he would soften with time. That he would be as supportive of her as he was when he found her awake and stewing over the nightmare she'd had—the nightmare about Anthony being in danger.

“Maybe I should.” He turned and let himself out of the house.

She wanted to stop him, to try to explain. But what more was there to say?

As she stood at the living-room window and watched him climb into his car, she prayed that he was the one who would see reason. That he'd come back to her.

And that he wouldn't go to the authorities himself.

 

Apparently, you don't know what it means to love someone.

When Jeremy left Kirsten's house, the words she'd thrown at him stung something fierce.

The hell he didn't know what it meant to love someone.
He loved
her.
And the thought of something happening to
her
was making him crazy.

In fact, he was fit to be tied. How could she be so irrational about all of this?

If he had any sense at all, he'd go to the clinic to work, then head back to the Double Crown and call it a day, but he couldn't do that. He was too caught up in the situation.