The Baby Barter. Patty Smith Hall

were you stationed?”

      “Stateside at first, then I was sent to Sheffield, England.”

      “Really?” Her friend’s green eyes warmed. “My husband’s grandfather owned an airfield outside York for many years but he’s been in the States for a while now.”

      “It must have been lovely then.” Before the army barracks and field hospitals had filled the lush green fields surrounding the quaint buildings that formed the town’s center. Thea closed her eyes. So much damage to that lovely land and the people who lived there. So many families torn apart, extinguished, never to be together again in this life. The need to see her own family had driven her these last few weeks, across the Atlantic then down the East Coast.

      But where was home now, and who could she count as family since her baby sister was gone and her mother seemed to be a shell of herself? But then look at what Momma had lost in the past few months, her daughter and grandchild. Who could blame her for being quiet and withdrawn?

      “I was so sorry to hear about Eileen.”

      Thea swallowed against the lump in her throat. Condolences weren’t easy to hear. “Me, too.”

      “I didn’t even know she was in town until I heard about the accident.”

      That little piece of news surprised Thea. “Where else would she be?”

      Maggie frowned in confusion. “Didn’t you know? She left for Atlanta right about the time you took off for school. This past summer was the first time she’d been back since then.”

      What had Eileen been doing in Atlanta? Why had she come back here to have her baby? “She must have been visiting Momma.”

      “Your momma must treasure that time now.”

      Thea drew in a deep sigh. “She doesn’t talk about it much.”

      “I couldn’t imagine, losing my child like that. It must be hard to talk about it with the pain still fresh.” Maggie rubbed her hand over her swollen middle as if holding her unborn child close.

      “Maybe.” Or maybe not. Momma had never shown much emotion or warmth toward either her or her sister, especially after their father had died in a farming accident when she’d been only four and Eileen no more than three. Thea had taken over mothering Eileen then, rocking her back to sleep when she woke up from a bad dream, making sure Eileen was fed before she’d head off to school in the morning. As she grew older, Eileen and their mother had started to fight. When Eileen’s wild ways blossomed in her early teens and proved to be embarrassing, the arguments had grown worse. Thea could only imagine how bad things had gotten after Momma had given Eileen’s baby away. Maybe it wasn’t that surprising that Eileen had decided to leave town. Why had she come home to deliver her second baby? Maybe she and Momma had made things right between them.

      “They’re ready to cut the cake!”

      Both women turned to where a boy of about twelve stood on the porch at the top of the stairs, a wooden cane bearing the weight of his lean frame. Scowling, he fidgeted with his tie, leaving it slightly off center. His dark coat sat precariously on his shoulders, as if the boy hadn’t decided whether to fling it off or not.

      “He looks happy to be here,” Thea commented.

      Maggie’s warm laughter coaxed another rare smile from her. “Billy’s not quite sure about this wedding stuff, but give him a plate of Aunt Merrilee’s cooking and he’s happier than a puppy with two tails.”

      Thea relaxed a bit. She’d always liked Maggie, liked her plain talk and friendly way of treating everyone the same, no matter their social status. “Please tell your aunt congratulations from me.”

      “You can tell her yourself.” Before Thea had a chance to respond, Maggie tucked her hand into Thea’s arm and pulled her out of the shadows.

      Thea glanced around, praying no one else would notice her. “I’m not exactly dressed for a wedding.”

      “You look fine, and I refuse to let a woman who served our boys overseas get away without a piece of Merrilee’s wedding cake. It’s the first time she’s baked anything since they stopped rationing sugar and eggs.”

      The thought of such a sweet delight after four long years was almost too much for Thea to bear. But staying for the reception felt too awkward. She’d approach Ms. Aurora another time, maybe get up the nerve to go to her door and ask about Eileen’s baby. She may not know the woman personally, but she’d heard enough about her kindness and generosity to the children she’d taken in to her home, disabled children who’d been abandoned, to hope that this had all been a simple misunderstanding. One they could resolve easily...after which, she’d be able to bring Eileen’s baby home.

      A screen door slapped shut in front of her, and she found herself staring into the dark wool of a man’s suit coat. She lifted her gaze and admired the taut muscles of the man’s broad shoulders, his tanned neck, the thick mop of dark hair that reminded Thea of walnuts ready to be shaken from the tree. He turned slightly, and a soft gasp rose in her throat, just as it had when she’d caught sight of Mack early today. The young boy she’d admired as a teenager had grown into an amazingly handsome man.

      Who was more than likely married, Thea reminded herself. A faint sense of disappointment settled over her. Best if she kept her distance. No sense giving folks around here any more reason to talk about the Miller girls if she could help it.

      A soft sound, something between a coo and a whimper, drew her attention to a tiny bundle of pale pink ribbons and ivory lace squirming in his arms. A baby? Well, of course, he’d have a child if he were married. Even in high school he’d talked of settling down and having a large family. But wait, she’d seen this child before—recognized the ribbons and lace of her outfit. Yet it hadn’t been Mack holding the little girl when Thea had seen her before. She was certain of that. So who had it been?

      There was something distinctly familiar about this child, about the sunny blond curls that hugged her head like a Sunday bonnet. Mack lifted the baby to his shoulder and the little girl staring out at the small crowd, her piercing blue eyes watchful, absorbing everything around her. Recognition caused Thea’s lungs to constrict in her chest, a joy so overwhelming, it threatened to shoot out of her fingertips and her toes.

      She recognized the outfit from seeing that precious baby with Aurora Adair. The baby in Mack’s arms was the mirror imagine of her sister, Eileen.

Chapter Two

      “Look who I found wondering around the yard.”

      Mack turned at Maggie’s exclamation, his heart picking up tempo as he raked a glance over Thea, startled to find blue eyes the color of a summer storm staring back at him, causing the muscles in his shoulders to bunch and tighten. An uneasiness gathered in the pit of his stomach. Why was Thea here?

      And why had she been nosing around Ms. Aurora’s place?

      “Can you believe it, Mack? Thea’s finally come home!” Maggie pulled Thea closer. Had the two of them been good friends in school? He couldn’t remember. Thea had pretty much kept to herself between classes. He’d only gotten to know her during her junior year when they’d both worked at the movie house in town.

      Maggie was right. No one, especially not him, had ever expected Thea to come back to Marietta. What had brought her back home now? Settling his hand against the baby’s back, he took a step back to put some breathing room between them. “Theodora.”

      Thea stiffened, her delicate chin lifting at a stubborn angle. “Sheriff Worthington.”

      He didn’t know why but the sound of his professional title on her lips felt like more of a dig than a proper show of respect. Maybe she’d done it because he’d used her proper name rather than the nickname she preferred. He’d have to tread lightly, then. No sense starting a war with the woman, not until he had some idea as to why she’d