Lone Star Baby. Cathy Thacker Gillen

he lifted it off his belt. “Dr. Monroe.”

      “Hey, Gavin. It’s Mitzy Martin.”

      Laramie County’s premier social worker.

      “I have to talk to you,” the amiable thirtysomething went on, as direct as always. “Preferably in person. Where are you?”

      He watched Violet go back to carrying in belongings. “McCabe House.”

      He wandered out to lend a hand. “Is Violet McCabe there by chance?” Mitzy continued.

      With a smile he said, “She’s standing right in front of me,” and gestured for Violet to wait—that he’d carry the box of books she was contemplating.

      Violet’s brow furrowed.

      “Great!” Mitzy enthused. “I need to see her, too. I’ll be right there.” She hung up before he could ask anything else.

      Clipping his phone back on his belt, he reached out to relieve Violet of the box she had once again started to pick up. “Mitzy Martin wants to speak to us.”

      “Any idea why?”

      “She didn’t say.” But knowing Mitzy as well as he did, it had to be something important.

      * * *

      “LET’S ALL SIT DOWN, shall we?”

      Violet wasn’t surprised that Mitzy got right down to business. Nor did she mind.

      Spending too much time in close quarters with Gavin Monroe always left her feeling off-kilter. Frankly, she needed a chaperone where he was concerned, so she was glad for the extra company. Lest she find herself forgetting her usual reserve and acting on the innate restlessness she felt these days.

      As soon as the three of them were situated comfortably around the table, Mitzy turned on her laptop computer and clicked on the appropriate file. She turned the screen so everyone could see it. “You-all remember Tammy Barlowe and her husband, Jared?”

      Violet nodded. “They came into the ER last spring when Jared fell ill during a weekend trip to Lake Laramie. Gavin stabilized him. I was called in because he was a stage four cancer patient.” Having a last hurrah with his teenage wife.

      “You also know that Jared died last summer.”

      “Tammy wrote us, to let us know.” Violet struggled to contain the lump in her throat. “It wasn’t all bad news, though. She was pregnant. In fact, shouldn’t she be due to deliver in a couple of weeks?”

      “That’s what we need to talk about,” Mitzy said solemnly. “It wasn’t just Jared who was sick. Tammy had a heart condition that made carrying a baby unwise. She chose to ignore medical advice and get pregnant anyway. Although Ava was born a month early, she’s fine.”

      “And Tammy?” Gavin asked.

      Mitzy shook her head. “Her heart wasn’t strong enough. She died during childbirth.”

      Violet laid a hand over her heart. “Oh, no...”

      Gavin squeezed Violet’s hand.

      She relaxed into his grip, accepting the quiet comfort he offered.

      “Because she knew her death was a possibility, she left a videotaped will of her wishes.” Her expression still solemn, Mitzy clicked on the file.

      Tammy Barlowe appeared on the screen. She was clad in a hospital gown and robe. Her short brown bob looked lackluster, her freckles stood out beneath her pale skin, and there were pronounced dark circles beneath her eyes. And yet there was a serenity about her; a deep maternal happiness that seemed to shine through despite her physical difficulties. Hand protectively cupping her swollen belly, she looked straight into the camera and said, “Hey, Dr. McCabe, Dr. Monroe. If you’re seeing this, it means I’m not here anymore...but my baby girl, Ava, is. And that means she needs a home and family to watch over her.”

      Tammy swallowed. Lower lip trembling, she pushed on. “I wish Jared and I had relatives we could call on, but we don’t.” She paused to look long and hard at her audience. “And the last thing either of us ever wanted was to have a child of ours grow up the way we did, in the foster care system.”

      A soft sound of dissent was heard in the background.

      Tammy grinned and lifted a hand at her off-camera audience. “No offense to the social system that helped us, and the social workers and legal aid attorneys who are helping me now. But being a ward of the state is not the same as living with parents who love you and will make sure you grow up right.” Clearing her throat, she glanced toward the camera again. “Which is where you come in, Dr. McCabe. You’re not just a great lady doc, you’re everything I ever wanted in a mom. And, Dr. Monroe, you’re everything I ever wanted in a dad.”

      Violet could see that Gavin would make a wonderful father. Not that she’d ever heard him talk about wanting kids. Or not wanting them, either...

      Tammy continued with her trademark enthusiasm. “Both of you were so wonderful to me and Jared. And you work so well together when it comes to caring for people.” Another long pause. “And I also know, ’cause I did a little checking, that neither of you is married or has any other kids of your own...”

      She hitched in a bolstering breath. “So I’m asking you both to step in, in the event of my demise, and adopt my Ava together. You don’t have to be married or anything. Just be the mom and dad she needs.”

      Violet turned to Gavin, who looked as stunned as she was.

      “But if you both can’t do that, or if one of you wants to and the other doesn’t, that’s fine.” Tammy sighed, as if already having anticipated being disappointed on that score. “I’m okay with just one of you becoming her actual legal guardian, as long as she has extended family—like either the Monroe or the McCabe clans—to take care of her. So that no matter what, she will never end up in the system...” Tammy teared up. “And will always have family around to raise her.”

      That, really, Violet thought, her heart going out to her late patient, wasn’t too much to want.

      More murmurs could be heard prompting in the background.

      Tammy turned back to the camera. “It’s a big decision. You both will need time to think about it and discuss it with each other.”

      Quietly, she pleaded, “While you are doing that, I’m going to ask that you personally care for my little girl rather than put her in foster care. Until such time one of you but preferably both decide to raise Ava as your own—which is what I hope will happen—or can work with the social workers to find a suitable adoptive family. One with a lot of close relatives as backup to ensure she is loved, no matter what.”

      Again, Violet thought, realizing how much she counted on the extensive McCabe clan for love and support, it was not too much to ask for. Gavin had a big, loving family in the Monroe clan, too.

      “Ideally, I’d also like Ava to be raised in or around Laramie, Texas, so you can watch over her and if not be her parents, at least be her godparents as she grows up. What I want most for my daughter is for her to be cherished. And I know the two of you have hearts big enough to do just that. So—” Tammy swallowed hard, moisture glistening in her eyes “—thanks. For everything you did for me and Jared last summer and everything you’re going to do for my darling Ava.”

      Tammy wiped a tear from her cheek. A murmur could be heard in the background. She nodded and the video ended.

      “I realize this is a lot to hit you with, which is why I wanted to talk to you in person,” Mitzy said.

      No kidding, Violet thought. Her heart had been turned inside out just hearing about the situation. And she hadn’t even met the little darling yet.

      Gavin had to be equally thrown by the request, yet it was impossible for her to tell from his inscrutable expression.

      Still feeling