Yuletide Baby Bargain. Allison Leigh

      She rounded the foyer table, for some reason wanting to keep it between them. “Nothing important. This looks like the same table that your grandmother had when my mother and I were here. My mom used to let me dust the base because I was always begging to help.” Until she’d learned cleaning was really a chore and not a game.

      “It is the same table. No reason to change it.”

      She chewed the inside of her cheek when silence fell and she had no brilliant ideas of how to fill it.

      Fortunately, her cell phone rang just as she could feel a blush starting to rise in her cheeks. “It’s Archer already.” She didn’t expect such a quick response to bode well, and considering the way Linc’s lips thinned, she suspected he had the same feeling.

      She managed to hold both Layla and the bottle with one hand as she pressed a key and held the phone to her ear. “Any luck?”

      “Depends on who’s asking,” Archer said. She could hear music in the background. “Not surprisingly, Stokes isn’t inclined to depart from usual procedure, kiddo. File a report with the sheriff and turn the baby over to the hospital until an emergency placement can be made.”

      She sighed, shaking her head slightly when Linc’s eyes captured hers. “Well, thanks for trying. I’ll get the ball rolling with the sheriff—”

      “No.” Linc’s voice was adamant in her one ear, and Archer’s “Hold on, kiddo,” was cautionary in the other.

      She ignored Linc for her brother. “What?”

      “Being the weekend and all, Stokes suggested that you could personally take the child into protective custody until the hearing can be scheduled about Swift’s petition. If you agree, that is.”

      Linc was standing still, watching her intently. She wished that he’d at least pace. Then he’d be doing something else with all that pent-up frustration besides shooting it all at her from his eyes. And maybe she’d be able to breathe more normally.

      It was galling that even after all these years, just being near him made her...edgy.

      Layla had drained the bottle, so Maddie set it on the table, repositioning the baby once more against her shoulder as she considered Archer’s words. The hearing had to be scheduled within forty-eight hours, excluding the weekend. “At the latest, we’re looking at midweek, then.” At which time the judge would likely order the baby be placed into shelter care while the prosecutor’s office investigated. They’d start by determining whether Layla was already reported as a missing child, and then try to locate her mother.

      But to locate her, they’d need to identify her.

      In the meantime, Linc would get a head start on reaching Jax. And maybe he could succeed before Ray even found out about Maddie’s involvement.

      “Stokes said to call his clerk Monday morning first thing,” Archer told her. “The judge’ll make room earlier in the schedule if it’s humanly possible. It’s that or emergency foster care for the next several days,” he concluded.

      “I’m aware of that.” It wasn’t as if Braden had an overabundance of qualified providers willing to take an infant on a moment’s notice. The last baby she’d had to place in emergency care ended up more than fifty miles away. If a caregiver couldn’t be found, the baby would be assigned to the hospital, which wasn’t ideal, either. For now, Maddie did have time on her hands. And she was perfectly qualified to take care of Layla for a few days, so long as she didn’t have Linc breathing down her neck the whole while.

      “So? What’ll it be, Maddie? He’s waiting for me to call him back to confirm.”

      Layla burped again and then turned her head against Maddie’s throat, letting out a shuddering sigh.

      Maddie sighed, too. She’d always been able to keep an emotional distance when it came to children—at least professionally.

      But none of the children who’d ever passed through her casework had been a relative of a friend.

      Linc finally moved, but only to plant his hands flat on the foyer table while he bowed his head.

      Or a former friend.

      She looked away. When Ray did discover what she was doing, he would just have to understand. She might be on vacation because of him, but what she did on that vacation was entirely up to her. “Tell Judge Stokes that I agree.”

      “You don’t sound too happy about it, kiddo.”

      She didn’t look back at Linc. “It’ll be fine.” The trick would be to maintain her usual professionalism. Forget the past. Forget everything but the baby. “I appreciate the help. Sorry to interrupt your evening.”

      “No harm. I’ll catch you Monday.”

      “Thanks, Archer.” She ended the call.

      “What hearing? What did you agree to?”

      There was a mirror on one wall and she could see in it that Layla’s eyes were at half-mast. She also could see that Linc had lifted his head and his eyes were dark and intense.

      Professionalism. She took a quick breath and turned to him. “The judge is willing to let me take Layla into protective custody. There will be a hearing scheduled by the middle of the week, at the latest, when he’ll probably order her into foster care.”

      “But he could leave her in my care.”

      “She’s not in your care, Linc. She’s in mine. Temporarily. What happens after that depends greatly on Judge Stokes. If he decides that placing Layla with you is in her best interests, then that’s what he’ll do.”

      “But if my DNA proves she’s my niece—”

      She lifted her hand. “That’s going to take at least a week. Maybe more. Until then, I’m telling you not to put all your eggs in that particular basket. Because it’s beyond unlikely that you’ll be granted temporary custody as a foster-care provider. You’re not qualified, and I know Judge Stokes. He’s never done that before. He’s not likely to do it now just because you want him to.”

      His lips twisted. “You’re enjoying this.”

      She had enough experience under her belt dealing with families in turmoil to keep from losing her patience.

      “There is nothing enjoyable about an abandoned child, I promise you. And maybe none of it will be necessary. Maybe you’ll reach Jax. He’ll come back and offer proof that he knew nothing about this situation at all. He’ll claim her and everyone will be happy.” Maddie turned the car seat around on the table and carefully lowered Layla into it.

      Linc looked alarmed. “Where are you taking her?”

      “Nowhere.” Yet. “She’s falling asleep and the seat is as good a place as any.” She shook out the pink blanket and gently spread it over the baby before picking up her phone again.

      “Now who are you calling?”

      “My uncle.” Because that was one thing she would not neglect.

      “It’s too late.”

      She shook her head, already finished dialing. “He’s had late calls like this before. Uncle David! Hi.” He’d answered on the first ring. “It’s Maddie. Sorry for the late call but I have an abandoned baby—”

      “She’s not abandoned,” Linc interjected.

      She turned her back on him. “I don’t know how long she was left alone outside, but I didn’t see any signs of frostbite or other injury. I’m guessing somewhere between eight and twelve weeks old. But she’s in my care at least through the weekend, and you know how we’ll ultimately need a medical eval for her case—”

      * * *

      Unable to stand listening to Maddie’s one-sided conversation, Linc picked up the baby—car