whole room broke out in cheers. He looked back to where Lana was comforting the new mom and saw big smiles on both their faces.
“Sounds like she has a good set of lungs to me,” he said.
He waited for the nurses to bundle her up, then brought the squalling baby to its mother and introduced himself.
“She’s a little early, so I’d like to take her up to the nursery to observe her a little closer, but I’ll get her back to you as soon as possible.”
“But she’s going to be okay?” the new mother asked.
“Her color looks good...she’s going to get a seven and an eight on her Apgar. She was a bit slow starting up, but she’s got the hang of it now, I’d say.”
“As soon as you’re ready I’ll take you up to her,” Lana told Taylor.
Trent laid the baby in the transport crib—she had calmed down some once she had been swaddled into a striped pink blanket—and followed the assigned nurse up to the nursery.
Considering everything that might have happened, he and Lana had managed to keep their personal issues out their jobs, thought Trent. He’d consider that a win for now.
He had no explanation for the way he responded to this woman. Since their first meeting thoughts of her had filled his mind, along with a deep pang of guilt at being the one who would to separate her from the little girl he could see she loved very much. But his agenda was set and nothing could change it now. He’d take care of his niece, just as his brother had asked him to, and he’d find a way to work with this midwife without everything around them exploding, while at the same time using the opportunity to find out everything he might be able to use in the custody battle.
He had to stop this adoption from going through. He wouldn’t let his father ruin his niece’s life the way he had ruined his brother’s and mother’s. He would protect her from his father no matter what it took, and once he had custody of his niece his brother’s will would make sure his old man never had the power to hurt anyone again.
* * *
Lana took her place at Ms. Nelson’s desk and waited for the social worker to finish her phone call. For once she had made it early for an appointment, and she planned on taking advantage of the time she had before Trent arrived.
Why the social worker felt it necessary for the two of them to meet together with her she didn’t understand. The man rubbed her the wrong way, and she had spent the last few days doing her best to avoid him at the hospital, but there had been no way to get out of this meeting.
She would have to keep control of her temper, no matter how hard it was to stay in control when Trent Montgomery was in the room. Making a good impression with the social worker was too important. And, while her lawyer had given her his opinion of Trent’s case for custody, she knew that a lot of the custody decision would be based on the social worker’s investigation.
“Sorry about that, Lana,” said Karen Nelson as she hung up the phone. “It’s been a busy day today. I know this might sound cold, with your situation, but I just wish every child had two adults like you and Mr. Montgomery wanting them.”
“That bad?” Lana asked.
She knew that there were a lot of children in foster homes who would never be adopted. She had seen it in her practice as a midwife, when one of her patients might give birth to a child she couldn’t take care of and the child would go into the system. Then the mother wouldn’t agree to give up her rights to the child, making it impossible for the child to be adopted, so they just continued to stay in the foster system year after year.
Thankfully Chloe had made it clear in her notarized letter, and later in her correspondence with the court, that she wanted Maggie to be adopted. If only more mothers like her could see that they wouldn’t be letting their children down but instead opening up a better option for them.
“Yeah,” the social worker said as she finger-combed the back of her hair, took a deep breath and then seemed to reset herself back into work mode as she started going through the files on her desk.
Not for the first time Lana wondered why someone would ever go into social work—especially in Children and Families. The pressure to ensure the safety of all the children they were responsible for must be mind-boggling.
“While we wait for Dr. Montgomery to arrive let’s talk about how you’re doing. I know this isn’t easy for you. Are you hanging in there okay?”
“I know you’re right about Maggie being a lucky little girl. I get that,” Lana said, “but how much harm will come to her if she’s taken away from the only home she’s ever known and placed with a stranger? She’s been through so much already.”
“I’m her uncle—not a stranger. And surely you can see the advantages of a child being raised among her biological family?” Trent said as he stared down at Lana.
“She’s not even two. She’s not really interested in your stock portfolio,” Lana said.
How had she let him sneak up on her like that?
“Dr. Montgomery—” the social worker started.
“Ma’am,” Trent said as he tipped his big cowboy hat before sitting down beside her. “Please, call me Trent.”
Lana watched as he gave the woman what she had overheard one of the nurses call his “killer” smile. He was such a suck-up.
“Trent, please take a seat.”
The social worker’s smile beamed back at Trent, causing Lana to knot her hands into fists in her lap when what she really wanted to do was wrap them around the man’s neck.
“I was just telling Lana that I know this is not easy for her. It must be hard for you too, having just lost your brother and now moving to Miami on such short notice. I was surprised when your lawyer notified me that you were relocating temporarily. I’m sure this has disrupted your life. You must have been very close to your brother to be willing to make these changes.”
Lana saw the smile on his face tighten. She didn’t have any doubt that there was a story there. Had there been trouble between the brothers? Was there something she could use?
“With my brother gone, I feel that it is my responsibility to make sure his daughter is taken care of,” Trent said, and then he turned in his chair toward Lana. “That’s what families are for. Wouldn’t you agree, Lana?”
Lana looked into Trent’s eyes. Somehow he had managed to turn the tables on her, making any protest she might come up with seem heartless and uncaring. Well, two could play that game.
“Yes, families are important. That’s why I’ve decided to agree to you spending some time with Maggie,” Lana said, and she watched Trent to see his reaction to this piece of news.
She’d thought her lawyer crazy when he’d advised her to consider the visitation, but after he had explained that it would be a way to show the courts that she was willing to allow Maggie to see her biological family after the adoption it had made sense. She was willing to do whatever was necessary to keep her little girl—even if it meant spending time with an irritating cowboy.
“That sounds great, Lana.
