William snuggled up to Thad every bit as easily as he had snuggled up to her. Then she frowned. “My mom and dad both died of stress-related illnesses a few years ago. Their health problems spurred me to reevaluate my own life. I decided I didn’t want to continue to live in the big city, so I began saving money and looking around for a place to live a quieter life.”
“I know what you mean. I went to medical school and did my E.R. residency in Houston. By the time I’d finished, I’d had enough of rush-hour traffic and crowds. When there was an opening at the Summit hospital, I jumped at it.”
William’s lashes shut. His breathing grew deep and even once again.
“But we digress,” Michelle said.
Thad cast a loving glance at the infant in his arms. “Yes,” he said softly. “We do.”
Forcing herself to pull back emotionally, before she got in way over her head, Michelle said, “You need to get this situation with William sorted out as soon as possible.”
Before either of them fell even more in love with this abandoned little boy.
THE FIRST ORDER of business, they both decided, after they had resettled the sleeping William in his bed, was to get the addresses and phone numbers of the people involved. That turned out to be easy enough. An Internet search quickly gave them contact information for Candace Wright, as well as Brice and Beatrix Johnson.
Aware he was so far out of his depth it wasn’t funny, Thad asked, “Any advice on how I should handle this?”
Michelle glanced sideways at him, reminding him, “I’m not going to represent you.”
Thad wondered if she had any idea how beautiful she looked in the soft light of her elegantly decorated living room, feet propped up on the coffee table, laptop computer settled on her jean-clad thighs. He propped up his feet on the coffee table, too, next to hers. “You could still advise me as a friend.”
Her eyes remained on the screen as she studied the information there. She typed in the print command. “Are we friends?”
Somewhere in the too-quiet depths of her house, he heard a laser printer start up. “I think we’re getting there.” As she put her laptop aside and moved to stand, he inhaled the orange-blossom fragrance of her shampoo.
He stood, too. “Why? Does that bother you?”
He followed her down the hall to the kitchen. A home-office space had been built into one wall, with floor-to-ceiling kitchen cabinets on either side. The printer was on the shelf above the desk. She plucked several pages out of the tray and gave him a look of lawyerly calm. “These are highly unusual circumstances.”
No argument there. Thad shrugged, aware he hadn’t been this affected by a woman in a long time. If ever. “What better way to get to know each other?”
Her lips curved cynically. “I hope you’re not hitting on me.”
Was he? “Wouldn’t think of it.” Thad matched her semiamused tone.
Silence fell between them. Knowing this would all go a lot easier if Michelle were there to help him and their tiny charge, Thad walked back to the living room with her. “Just help me get through the rest of the weekend,” he proposed.
In his bed, William pushed out his lower lip in indignation and began to whimper once again.
“Then if I need to hire someone, I’ll do it on Monday morning.” He picked up William and cradled him in his arms. The little guy couldn’t have weighed more than eight pounds and still had the faint redness of skin all newborns had. Yet he already had so much personality. “I don’t want to screw this up. This little guy has already been through enough.” Thad fought the unexpected tightness in his throat, continued in a voice that sounded rusty, even to him. “And since my brother is not acting responsibly…”
Michelle turned away, but not before Thad thought he saw a glint of empathetic tears in her green eyes. She cleared her throat. “Speaking of Russell, maybe you should try to find whatever it is he signed and make sure those papers state what he thinks they do.”
“Good point.” Legal jargon could be as confusing as medical terminology. “You want to come over with us, help me search?”
Surprise mingled briefly with disappointment in her eyes. “You’re taking the baby tonight, then?”
“I figured I’d keep William at my place tonight since you had him all day.” Thad gazed at Michelle. She looked like she’d just lost her best friend. “You can stay over, too.” The invitation was out before he could think.
She took it completely the wrong way. The droll expression was back on her face. “Uh, thanks, but…no.”
He held up one palm. “I’ll be the perfect gentleman.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure you would be.”
She fit the crocheted cap on William’s head and helped Thad bundle him up in a blanket. When that was done, she picked up the diaper bag and Moses basket, while he held the door for both of them.
Together, they strolled down the front walk and across the street. Thad led the way up his front porch, wishing he’d thought to turn on the lights before he’d gone over to Michelle’s home.
“So, my rep is that bad?” Thad shifted William to one arm while he unlocked the door and hit the lights.
“Or good.” Michelle preceded Thad inside in another drift of orange blossom. For the first time he realized how disorderly his home was.
“Excuse me?” he asked in confusion.
“It all depends on how you look at it,” she explained.
Thad switched on more lamps, wishing he’d thought to vacuum or dust in the past month, instead of sitting around reading medical journals and working out at the hospital fitness center in his spare time.
“Please continue,” he prodded her.
She looked him straight in the eye. “You’ve got a reputation for dating around, not sleeping around.”
“Good to know,” he said.
The sparkle was back in her eyes. “Isn’t it?”
Thad figured it wouldn’t hurt to flirt. Especially since she’d started it. “As long as we’re on the subject, want to know what your rep in the community is?”
DID SHE WANT to know?
His goading look was all the provocation she needed. “Well, I guess now I have to know.”
Thad put William over his shoulder and gently patted his back, then turned his attention back to her. “Ice princess.”
Okay, that hurt. A little. Especially since she’d done nothing to deserve it.
She made her eyes go wide. “Really?”
“Mm-hm.” Thad stepped closer, still patting William on the back. “Word is, you’ve been asked out by at least twenty
