The Baby Project. Grace Green

point, you broke down so I didn’t press you for details.”

      “I’d told you everything I knew. But…didn’t you get the message I left for you at the camp the following day?”

      “No.” He frowned. “I didn’t get any message.”

      “Jordan, the police turned up at my apartment, hours after they’d notified me about Tom and Janine. They told me the baby had been found in the wreckage, miraculously alive and unhurt. I phoned the camp a second time but you weren’t there so I left a message.” Tears welled up and she blinked them back. “I can’t believe you didn’t get it.”

      He struggled to get his thoughts in order. “Why were Janine and Tom traveling by train with a new baby?”

      “They were on their way home from L.A.—they’d gone down there for a friend’s wedding. Matthew was born there.”

      “Was he premature?”

      “No, he was a full-term baby—Janine had made a mistake with her dates. Anyway, Matthew decided during the wedding reception that he was ready to make his way into the world! After they got him out of hospital, Tom and Janine stayed on in their friends’ apartment for ten days. Then they bought a car seat to transport Matthew home.” Mallory’s voice trembled. “The police said it saved his little life.”

      For a long moment, she and Jordan looked at each other in silence. Without taking her eyes from him, she wiped a tear away with a fingertip. And then another.

      “So,” she whispered finally, “where do we go from here?”

      “Janine’s baby. It’s…hard to take this in.”

      She smiled wanly through her tears. “He looks like Janine, except for the fair hair.” As she spoke, she moved over to him. “Isn’t he adorable?”

      Dazedly, he looked at the infant but as soon as Matthew saw him, the child emitted a scream of terror.

      “Honey!” Mallory’s tone was startled. “What’s wrong?”

      The baby wrenched himself around and grabbing her shirt, buried his face against her bosom. But even that didn’t altogether muffle his screams.

      “Sweetie, what’s the matter?” asked Mallory urgently. “What is it?”

      The child twisted his head around, eyes flooded with tears, but the mere sight of Jordan sent him off into a renewed session of frantic screaming.

      “It would seem,” Jordan said in an ironic tone, “that my nephew doesn’t like me.”

      “Hush, Matthew, hush, sweetheart.” Mallory held the baby against her shoulder and rubbed his back soothingly. To Jordan, she said, “It must be your beard.”

      “He’s never seen a beard before?”

      “He’s not used to men—bearded or clean-shaven. Through the week, Elsa has been looking after him—”

      “Elsa?”

      “Elsa Carradine. She lives a few doors along from here. She’s been baby-sitting Matthew during the week. Matthew’s used to being with her, and with her boarders—the three Barnley sisters.”

      The baby’s screams had been replaced by convulsive sobs. Mallory went on hurriedly, “I’m going to take him through to the bedroom and settle him, then I’ll put him down for his nap. When I come back, we’ll talk.”

      She added, as she left, “And I hope you’ll rethink your decision to sell the house, now that you know the reason for my present financial situation.”

      Worn out after his crying bout, Matthew fell asleep as soon as Mallory tucked him into his crib.

      Glad to have a quiet moment to herself, she crossed to the bedroom window and looked out. What a shock it had been to discover that Jordan owned the house—and that he was the one who had set the incredibly low rent. She could hardly believe he’d behaved so generously, considering how adamantly he’d opposed the marriage.

      How the two of them had fought about it!

      She sighed as she remembered the first time they’d spoken. He’d phoned her from somewhere in South America after Janine had told him she was pregnant and planning to marry. He’d called Tom every name under the sun. Unable to fly home immediately as he was under contract to finish a mining job, he’d demanded that Mallory talk the couple out of getting married. She had refused.

      He’d been furious. He’d phoned her several times over the next few days, but she’d remained firm. Tom wanted to marry Janine and as far as she was concerned, that was the end of it. Her brother had always had a good head on his shoulders and she had the utmost faith in both him and his good judgment of people.

      She hadn’t actually met Jordan Caine till the day of the wedding. She’d been dreading that first meeting, but to her surprise, his attitude had been nonconfrontational.

      Only later had he revealed his true colours.

      The reception had been held at a lakeside hotel outside Seattle, and after Tom and Janine had left for their honeymoon, Mallory had been feeling weepy. She’d stolen away from the party, and had walked down to the beach.

      The evening was late but the summer air was still warm. She’d thought herself totally alone as she’d stood gazing out over the moonlit waters—until she’d heard Jordan Caine’s voice come harshly from behind her.

      “I’ll never forgive you.”

      She’d turned, her heart thumping wildly against her ribs. He was standing a few feet away, his tux jacket shoved back by hands fisted on his hips as he glared at her.

      She blinked away the tears that had been blurring her gaze, and tried to gather herself together. But before she could respond, he went on,

      “Your brother should be locked up! My sister’s only eighteen—for heaven’s sake, she’s just finished high school! He took advantage of her, got her pregnant, it’s an absolute disgrace—”

      “They’re married now. Can’t you just accept that?”

      “She’s just a baby herself! She could have had the child adopted—”

      “Janine desperately wanted to keep her baby—”

      “She’s immature! She’s hardly able to look after herself—”

      “Tom will look after them both.” Mallory kept her voice steady despite a spurt of anger. “You need have no worries about Janine…or the baby.”

      “Dammit, you’re every bit as stubborn and irresponsible as he is! If you’d backed me up, this wedding would never have taken place. My sister could have had the baby adopted and then gone on with her life—”

      “She is getting on with her life. And it’s going to be a good life. Tom starts work in Seashore when they come back from their honeymoon, and they’ve rented a lovely house there, for next to nothing. They were lucky, I admit. If it hadn’t been available, they’d have had to settle for a basement suite…but still, they’d have been happy, because they’re in love—”

      A seagull suddenly swooped by the bedroom window, snapping Mallory back to the present.

      She could hear footsteps in the room above. Was Jordan packing his things? Getting ready to leave? She hoped so. But she also prayed that before he left, he’d reassure her that he wasn’t going to sell the house. At least, not yet.

      He must see things differently, now that he knew the baby was Janine’s. No way would he want to be responsible for throwing his own sister’s child out on the street.

      With her heart in her mouth, Mallory went out into the front hall and as she heard his steps approach the landing, she breathlessly waited for Matthew’s uncle to come down.

      CHAPTER