Undercover Baby. Rebecca Winters

      “Don’t worry. We’ll be fast and thorough. I’m going out to her car for the box and blanket. One of the guys will be by later to drive the car back to your house. In the meantime, as soon as I discover anything, I’ll phone you on your cellular.”

      Cal nodded. He couldn’t ask for more than that. Right now as he stared at Roman’s departing back, he realized his friend’s level-headed thinking was the only thing keeping him from going right over the edge.

      CHAPTER TWO

      “NURSE?”

      “Yes, Mrs. Rawlins?”

      “Could you call me Diana, please?”

      “Of course. If you’ll call me Jane.”

      “All right. Jane? I overheard Dr. Fair say my baby is four days old. I don’t understand why I’m not sore and bleeding after my delivery. Why hasn’t my milk come in yet?”

      “That’s something to ask the doctor when be makes his rounds this evening. Don’t worry. The baby is being well taken care of in the nursery.”

      “How soon can I see him?”

      “He needs to stay under the lights until tomorrow, at least.”

      “Then will you help me to go to the nursery so I can sit with him?”

      “That’s against doctor’s orders, Diana. We’ve just settled you in your room. He left strict instructions for you to have rest and stay quiet. You want to get better, don’t you?

      “Your husband has gone home to bring you some of your things. When he returns, you can talk to him about it. But if you can wait until this evening, Dr. Harkness will make his rounds. Perhaps he’ll allow you and your husband to go to the nursery for a peek. Everything depends on how you and the baby are feeling by then.”

      “You don’t understand, Jane. I don’t remember him being my husband- All I want is my baby!”

      “I know. But you want him to get better, too, don’t . you?”

      “Of course.”

      “Then try to be patient. I know it’s hard. After that nasty fall, you need to give yourself a chance to heal. I’d also like to see that temperature go down. Tell you what I’ll look in on you again in a little while.”

      “Don’t go!”

      The nurse walked over to the side of the bed. “What’s frightening you the most?”

      Diana hid her face in her hands. “I don’t know. Everything.”

      “Of course it is. If I couldn’t remember anything of my past life, I’d be frightened, too. But this is a temporary situation. You remember having the baby with you when you fell. That means your memory is returning. Just give it a little more time.”

      She lifted her tear-drenched face. “That’s true, isn’t it? I remembered his name was Tyler.”

      “That’s right. And you’ll start remembering more and more.”

      “But that’s just it! I don’t remember anything else. Mr. Rawlins acts so hurt around me, I can hardly bear it.”

      “Naturally he has been affected by your fall. He says everything was wonderful between you when you left for work this morning, and then he gets a call saying that you’re in the hospital and can’t remember what happened.”

      “My work?” she blurted, scarcely listening to anything else. What kind of work?

      This was another revelation she couldn’t fathom because she had no memory of it. Why would she be going to work when she’d just had a baby?

      “That’s what I understand,” Jane informed her, “but I’ll leave that to your husband to explain. He should be back soon. I must say he loves you very much. It’s obvious to the staff that he would do anything for you.”

      “I don’t want his solicitation.”

      “Maybe not, but if you could put yourself in his place for a moment, you would understand-that he is as frightened as you are.”

      “What does he have to be frightened about? He knows me.”

      “That’s true, but he’s married to a woman who doesn’t know him. You’re treating him like you would anyone off the street because you can’t do anything else. How do you suppose you would feel if your positions were reversed and he wanted nothing to do with you?”

      Diana bit her lip and turned her head toward the wall. The movement hurt the spot on the back of her head where they’d bandaged it. She didn’t like Jane reminding her that Cal Rawlins was in pain.

      “If you want company, I’ll send one of the volunteers down to read to you or whatever you’d like.”

      “No. I think I want to be alone now.”

      “I’ll check on another couple of patients, then come back.”

      “Thank you.” She fought more tears. “I’m sorry I’m behaving so abominably.”

      “The fact that you can apologize for something that is beyond your control tells me that at heart you’re a very kind, sensitive woman who wouldn’t purposely hurt anyone.”

      But am I? How does Jane know that?

      When the door was shut, Diana reached under the bedsheet to feel her stomach. It was flat and smooth as silk. There were no pads covering a sore incision, which meant she hadn’t had a Cesarean section.

      While she lay there, it came to her that she hadn’t given birth to her baby. She couldn’t have, or there would be all the normal signs!

      Had she adopted it?

      Nobody had said a word about anything.

      Dear God. What was really going on?

      For the first time since coming into the hospital, she was anxious to talk to Mr. Rawlins. He appeared to be the only person who could give her the answers she needed.

      But would he be honest with her? How could she trust a perfect stranger?

      

      Cal had barely entered his house to pack a bag for Diana when his cellular phone rang. He reached in his pocket and put it to his ear.

      “Roman? I saw your name on the Caller ID.”

      “I told you I’d touch base when I had something. You and I were right on.”

      He gripped the phone tighter. “Go ahead. I’m listening.”

      “I found a note tucked in the pocket of Diana’s dress, the one folded in the hospital bag. The paper has been ripped from a steno pad. The typed message reads,

      “Dear Diana,

      My boyfriend and I talked it over and decided we had to give up the baby because we can’t take care of it. A friend told me about you and how much you’ve been wanting one, so I brought him to your work. She says that you and your husband are the nicest people in the world, and that you would make the perfect parents. She also said you have a nursery all ready for a baby boy, and I want my boy to have the best of everything, so I’m giving him to you and nobody else. I’ve asked God if I’m doing the right thing and I feel really good inside about this. Please take care of him and love him. I wish we could, but we can’t. I’ll ask one more favor. Please take him to church so he can learn about God. I always liked church and I know that if you do that for him, the three of you will have a perfect life. Thank you very much. And one more favor. When he gets older, tell him we loved him too much to try and keep him.”

      The simplicity, the poignancy, of the young mother’s words caused tears to prick Cal’s eyes. She loved her baby. It took amazing faith and courage to do what she did. What a hell of a situation. That note