Taken: A Kept Novella (6 page)

Oh this couldn’t be good. Not after what Anna had done, calling Sophie’s bio parents. “She could be better,” he answered, mouth tight. His whole body tensed. “This guy—what’d he look like?”

Candace shrugged. “Mid-forties, dark hair—although it was thinning a bit. Seemed friendly enough. Why? Is something wrong?”

Yes, everything. Was this just a coincidence? Or did it mean Anna would have to run again? Change her name again?

Only she couldn’t. Not this time. Not with Sophie in the hospital.

Jordan’s shoulder bumped his as she leaned toward Candace, and only then did he realize Jordan had answered for him. And he’d missed it.

But whatever she’d said seemed to satisfy Candace. “We’re all hoping she gets that transplant soon,” Candace said. “She’s such a little sweetheart. Well, I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. Jordan, very nice to meet you.”

“You too, Candace.”

His neighbor wasn’t even off his driveway before Cam was on his feet. “We need to tell Anna.” He stood on the top step and scanned the street. All the faces he recognized. The cars—no, there were two he didn’t know. Both looked empty, but could one of them belong to this man looking for a little girl with Down Syndrome? Looking for his Sophie?

How had this perfect evening gone downhill so fast?

God, why can’t Anna just live her life?
Cam was sick to death of her always looking over her shoulder. Could she stand to face all those fears again?

Anger rose up, taunting him at how far he still had to go in forgiving all the wrongs done to him. To his sister. To Sophie.

In the kitchen, Anna was just ending her phone call. She faced Cam and Jordan, her face pale.

Wait until she heard the latest. “My neighbor said some guy came by today, looking for a girl with Down Syndrome.”

He expected her to seem shocked by the news—to gasp or react in fear. Instead, she leaned against the island, her hand over her forehead as if she were weary.

“Did you
know
?” How could she? She’d been at the hospital all day.

“Cameron.” She sent him a look that begged him to… to what? Understand? “Joelle just called.”

Joelle Peterson? Cam swallowed. Why had Anna ever agreed to be a surrogate? Why hadn’t God stopped her from getting tangled up in this mess?

“I’ll let you guys talk.”

Cam reached for Jordan.

At the same time, Anna spoke. “No. I’d like you to hear this, Jordan. If it’s okay, Cameron.”

He gripped Jordan’s hand and nodded for his sister to continue.

“Joelle just found out she’s not a match for Sophie. At all.”

What? Cam squinted at his sister. He couldn’t have heard that right. That didn’t make any sense. “That’s got to be a mistake.”

“I know, but Joelle’s sure. She’s not a match.”

“But she’s her biological mother—”

No.

No, Joelle wasn’t.

Not if she wasn’t a partial match.

“This means you’ll have to keep looking for a match for Sophie, right?” Jordan asked. “Do you think Joelle’s husband has been tested?”

“Jordan.” Cam faced her, hating the path his words were going to take him, Anna, and Sophie down. If only the night had ended with the stranger in the neighborhood. But now this. “They test people for matching HLA markers. Proteins. And a biological parent is a guaranteed fifty-percent match because the child gets half her HLA genes from each parent.”

Cam watched understanding register on Jordan’s face. “But if she isn’t even a fifty-percent match…”

Anna wrapped her arms tightly across her chest. “Then we’re all wondering who really is Sophie’s biological mother.”

Jordan shook her head. This didn’t make any sense. “How can Joelle not be the biological mother? She’s sure she wasn’t given wrong information? That happens.”

Cam swung his gaze back to Anna, fierceness in his eyes.

But Anna shook her head. “I asked her that. Over and over. She doesn’t understand it either. She’s made sure. She’s positive the results are right. Somehow she is
not
Sophie’s bio mom.”

Cam wrapped his linked hands around the back of his neck, strain radiating through his arms and chest. “Who is then?”

“Joelle wondered if I got the wrong embryos.”

“How possible is that?”

“I don’t know!” Anna took a desperate step in one direction, then another. “Cameron, this had to be what that nurse wanted to talk about. She
knew
Joelle wasn’t the mother.”

“Then whatever embryo they gave you wasn’t an accident.”

If Joelle wasn’t the mother, she would have no say in Anna getting an abortion. Only the birth mother would have the right to make that choice. Wasn’t that what the pro-choice movement said? A woman’s right to choose?

Who was that woman?

And why was someone now almost on Cam’s doorstep, looking for a little girl with Downs?

Jordan laid a hand on Cam’s arm. “What about the man Candace mentioned?”

“What man?” Anna asked.

Of course Cam’s earlier words hadn’t registered, not with the news Anna had been processing. “Cam’s neighbor said a man knocked on her door today, looking for a lost little girl with Down Syndrome and wondering if she’d seen anyone like that in the neighborhood.”

Cam’s quiet voice belied the bomb he was about to drop. “Anna, Candace mentioned Sophie to him.”

Anna buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook.

And on the other side of the island Jordan struggled with what to do. How quickly Anna’s world was falling apart.

Again.

Cam went to his sister and held her in his arms, her still-covered face buried in his shoulder.

Only then did her silence give way to muffled sobs.

God, please. Help them. What can we do?
Jordan wiped moisture from the corner of her eyes.

Cam ran a hand over Anna’s shuddering back. “We need to get you out of here, Anna. All of you.”

Anna pulled back. “I won’t leave Sophie.”

“That’s fine, but he knows you’re here.
Here
. You can’t be
here
anymore. We’ve got to find some safe place.”

Panic filled her voice. “But where?”

Jordan raised a hand. “I can take them somewhere.”

Cam and Anna searched her face.

“Can we find her a hotel? Somewhere near the hospital? I can take her in my car.”

Cam shook his head. “I don’t want you involved.”

“I
am
involved. You’ve told me everything that’s happened.”

“No—”

“All of this new stuff happened while I was here. Why is that? Because maybe you need my help.”

Her words closed his mouth.

She understood his struggle. She did. And how awesome was he for wanting to protect her too.

But it was clear now that being a part of Cam’s life meant being involved in this drama that affected everything they did. He couldn’t keep her out of this
and
in his life.

“Okay.” He nodded as if convincing himself. “Okay. We can do this. Anna, get the kids inside and start packing. Jordan and I will figure out the details.”

Tears rolled down Anna’s cheeks. “Cameron, I hate this.”

“We all do. But until we know better what’s going on, we need to move you guys. If this man was looking for Sophie, we’ll run into him again.” His face darkened. “I look forward to that.”

The plan took little time to work out. Cam found a hotel near Sophie’s hospital and booked a room for Anna and the kids. Jordan convinced him to let her pull her car into the empty side of his garage so she could hide Anna, her kids, and their belongings in her car, then take them to their hotel. Cam would watch to see if anyone followed her.

She half-hoped someone would. Then they might get a visual on who they were dealing with.

“What about Dillan?” Cam asked suddenly.

“What about him?”

“Can he meet you there? At the hotel? I don’t like you four alone, without someone to protect you.”

“You want me to see what he’s doing? He’s probably with Miska.”

Cam hesitated.

“Are you ready to tell him about this?”

His eyes searched hers. “He and Miska still have their own issues with that trial they’re involved in. I hate to put more on him.”

“Cam, he’s your friend. You’re in his wedding. Let him help.”

He pressed his fingertips against closed eyelids, as if the weight of so many lay on his shoulders. “I envy you all, Jordan. I envy your parents’ love, the way you take care of each other…” His shoulders shook once—twice.

The motion jerked tears to her own eyes. She pulled her chair next to his and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

How long had he been carrying this alone? And none of them had even known. “Call Dillan,” she whispered. “Let him help, Cam. Please don’t deal with this by yourself.”

He sniffed deeply and pulled himself out of her embrace. “Sorry.”

“What do you have to be sorry for? All I see is how tough you are. How strong and dependable.”

He cast a heartbroken gaze her way.

“Seriously, Cam. I think I’ve fallen more in love with you these last few minutes than in the whole month before.”

He closed the inches between them and planted a firm kiss on her lips.

Jordan closed her eyes.

He kissed her again, his lips slow and gentle this time, saying everything she’d hoped he felt about her. His hand caressed her cheek a moment before he pulled back. “Jordan.” His eyes searched hers. “Can we get married?”

She laughed.

He chuckled with her. “I’m halfway not kidding.”

“I know.” She eased back in her seat and held his hands in hers, hoping he could see how she felt about him too. “I love hearing you say that.”

“Yeah. But…”

“There’s no
but
. I like that you’re thinking that way.”

“Good.” He smiled, the heaviness gone from his eyes but his cheeks a bit pink. He sniffed again. “I’ll call Dillan.”

“I’ll see if Anna needs any help.”

Jordan headed up the stairs, past the spot where she’d seen that teddy bear and toy car two days earlier, which all made sense now.

Voices came from the first bedroom on the right.

Jordan knocked on the open door. “Need any help?”

Anna looked up from the open suitcase on the bed. Beside her, little Avery held purple pajamas and a stuffed blue beaver, her eyes somber. “I’m not sure,” Anna said. “What’s Cameron decided?”

Jordan entered the room and ruffled Avery’s fine brown hair. “I’m going to drive you guys to the hotel.”

“You are?”

“Cam’s going to follow. A little later.”

Anna nodded, clearly catching everything she hadn’t said. “Thank you, Jordan.”

“You’re very welcome.”

Avery watched her intently.

Jordan flashed her a smile. “Are you excited about staying in a hotel?”

Avery glanced at her mom, as if she didn’t know herself.

“You’re bringing your swimsuit, right? This one has a pool.”

Her eyes lit up. “Can we, Mommy?”

Anna laughed. “We’ll do it.”

Avery flew to her dresser, pulled out the bottom drawer, and rummaged through it.

The look Anna shot her was filled with gratitude. “I was a little nervous how you’d take all of this. But look at you. Rolling with the punches.”

Jordan shrugged. “You guys don’t have much of a choice, do you?”

“Well, I don’t.” Anna sighed. “I’m really sorry how all this affects Cameron. I know that means it’ll affect you too.”

“Don’t be sorry. You gave your little girl life. You fought for her when no one else would.”

“There wasn’t any other option. I knew Tony would have agreed. I had to defend her.” Anna lowered her voice. “I just wish I hadn’t been so naïve going into the whole thing. I never dreamed anything could make Dr. Peterson want to abort his own child.”

“Or whoever’s child she is.”

“Right.” Anna’s eyes widened. “I guess he wouldn’t be the father either. And here he’s demanding that I get an abortion.”

“It’s messed up, isn’t it?”

Anna glanced over her shoulder at Avery, who was closing her drawer, bright pink swimsuit in hand. “Avery, why don’t you and Logan pick out some movies to take with us?”

When Avery left, Anna turned to Jordan. “He’s hiding something, that’s for sure. Which has got to be why someone is canvassing this street, pretending to look for a little girl.”

“Joelle has no idea what that secret would be?”

“I don’t think so.”

“What did her husband say when she asked him whose egg he used?”

“I don’t think she’s confronted him yet.”

Oh no. Joelle was in trouble. Or about to be. “Anna—”

Her eyes widened. “I need to warn her.”

Jordan waited while Anna called, prayed the woman would answer, that she hadn’t said anything to her husband yet.

But Joelle didn’t answer.

Anna called again. Left a message telling her not to say anything to anyone—if she hadn’t already. And asking her, begging her, to call right back.

The silent cell phone shook in Anna’s hand.

“She really was my friend, Jordan. She celebrated with me the whole time I was pregnant with Avery, even though she still couldn’t have a baby. We talked about God, about family, about how hard life could be—” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her.”

“You can’t worry about that, Anna. Not right now. We need to take care of you and the kids.”

“And Sophie.”

Yes, Sophie. “Did you contact the hospital?”

Anna nodded. “I let them know that something was going on and to be extra careful about anyone who might try to get to her. The nurses there know me. They’ll take this seriously.”

Good. One less thing, maybe, to worry about. “What else can I do?”

“Pray. Pray that…” Anna stared at Avery’s bed, searching the covers as if for some thought or the right words. “Pray that this stops. For your sake. For Cameron’s. For all of ours. Cameron’s right. I can’t live like this forever.”

Anna and the kids were settling into the hotel room when Dillan called Jordan. “We’re here,” he said. “What do you want us to do?”

“Are you in the lobby?”