His Child Or Hers?. Dawn Stewardson

Celeste’s. What’s up?”

      “I’ve got a problem.”

      “A serious one?”

      “Yeah. And I’m only a few blocks away, so I thought if you weren’t in the middle of anything…”

      “No, come on over.”

      “Thanks, I’ll be there in five.”

      The city was practically in gridlock, making his trip to the West 74th brownstone actually take a lot longer—but he finally got there.

      Once he’d buzzed Celeste’s apartment and she released the lock, he headed up the stairs to the third floor. He’d barely started down the hall before Travis opened the door.

      Celeste’s cat, Snoops, peered warily out from behind his ankles, making Hank think about how badly his son wanted a pet.

      It was something he’d been holding off on until Robbie was older. But the way things stood now, he might be living in Guatemala before he was much older.

      As Travis gestured him inside, he told himself not to be a pessimist. One way or another, he’d insure that things turned out okay. But telling himself that and feeling confident of it were two different things.

      When they reached the living room, Celeste took one look at him and disappeared into the kitchen—to emerge a minute later with a couple of beers. She handed one to him and one to Travis, saying, “Is this problem just a guy thing? I’ve got some work I can go do if—”

      “No, I’d like your thoughts, too.”

      She smiled and he managed to smile back. He’d grown to like her after he’d realized the idea of her being a killer was ridiculous. And it was easy to understand why Travis had fallen so hard for her. Aside from being a terrific person, she was great-looking—even though she wasn’t Hank’s type.

      He’d never gone for blondes. Dark-haired women were the ones who always caught his eye.

      Women like Natalie, he thought, an unexpected image of her taking him by surprise.

      Women like Natalie, maybe, he silently repeated. But not her, specifically.

      Oh, he might initially have figured she was good-looking, but he sure didn’t think so at this stage of the game.

      Well, that wasn’t entirely true. He was objective enough to realize she hadn’t suddenly turned from a beautiful woman into a toad. His attraction to her, though, had done an instantaneous fizzle when he’d learned what she wanted.

      He focused on Celeste once more, as she perched on the end of the couch next to Travis and automatically reached for his hand.

      Seeing that made him feel a little…envious? Was that it?

      Probably, he admitted.

      If any woman had ever been as crazy about him as Celeste was about Travis, it had been a long, long time ago. And facing the risk of losing his son had made him very aware of how alone he’d be if that happened.

      “So?” Travis said. “What’s wrong?”

      “It’s about Robbie,” he began. Neither Travis nor Celeste interrupted as he told them how Natalie Lawson had shown up and dropped her little bombshell.

      When he was finished, Travis slowly shook his head, saying, “Talk about a shocker. But something doesn’t ring quite true. Why would her baby have ended up in an orphanage? Wasn’t there anyone who could have looked after him? No relatives or—”

      “Uh-uh. She mentioned she has virtually no relatives here, let alone in Guatemala.”

      “Here?” Celeste said.

      “In the U.S., I mean. She’s originally from Detroit. Did her medical degree at the University of Michigan.”

      “Then how did she end up in Guatemala?”

      “She got involved with…I think she said it’s called American Physicians Abroad—one of those organizations that provides health care in foreign countries.

      “At any rate, neither she nor her husband had any relatives down there. He was from Spain, an archaeologist working on a site near the town where her clinic is.

      “But getting back to how Robbie ended up in an orphanage, the quake literally devastated the area. Half the population was either killed or injured, so a lot of people were left without anyone to care for them. And with Natalie in the hospital…I guess it made sense, given the situation.”

      “Oh, Hank,” Celeste said, “this is really awful. What are you going to do?”

      “Well, I’ve just been to see a lawyer. That’s why I’m in the city. Natalie had already gotten legal advice, so I figured I’d better do the same.”

      “And?” Travis prompted.

      Briefly he filled them in on what Doris had told him. “Her final advice,” he concluded, “was to play things cool, to wait until Natalie comes right out and tells me exactly what she wants—then use that as the starting position to negotiate her down.”

      “I don’t believe this,” Celeste said, shaking her head. “You’re being forced to negotiate because a judge might rule in her favor? Even though you’ve had Robbie since he was a baby?”

      He shrugged, doubting the casual gesture would fool either of them for a second. They were like family; Robbie even called them Uncle Travis and Aunt Celeste. So they certainly knew how much his son meant to him.

      “Oh, man,” Travis muttered. “And we complain about the criminal justice system.”

      “Yeah, well, that’s how things stand. So I have to let Natalie get to know Robbie while we try to work out an agreement.”

      Travis eyed him for a moment, then said, “You’ll be careful, huh?”

      Hank nodded, knowing exactly what his partner meant. He didn’t intend to give Natalie the slightest opportunity to take off with Robbie.

      “I’ll be with them every minute they’re together,” he said. “I’d trust Audrey to supervise, but since she’ll be leaving any day now—”

      “Where’s she going?” Celeste interrupted.

      “Oh, I thought I told you,” Travis said. “Her daughter’s having a baby, so she’s heading out west for a couple of weeks. Idaho, isn’t it?” he added to Hank.

      “Right. She’s just waiting until Valerie goes into labor, then she’ll be on a plane.”

      “And what about Robbie?” Celeste asked.

      “We’ve got that covered. One of her friends is going to fill in. A woman he knows.”

      Travis nodded, then turned their conversation back to the problem, saying, “So Natalie is here for how long? I mean, if her clinic is so important to her…”

      “I asked about a time frame,” Hank said, “but she hedged on answering. This American Physicians Abroad sent a doctor to fill in for her, though, and I have a feeling she intends to stay here until the situation is completely resolved.”

      They were all silent for a minute, then Celeste slowly said, “Do you think the two of you will be able to work something out? Does she seem like a reasonable woman?”

      “She seems…” He raked his fingers through his hair, not entirely sure how to answer that.

      His life would never again be the way it was before Natalie Lawson came knocking on his door. And part of him hated her for that—the same part that was itching to tell her she could see how happy Robbie was, so she should just go home and leave them alone. Yet he couldn’t stop himself from considering things from her point of view.

      If his son had gone missing, he’d have done exactly what she had. Turned the