Formula: Father

She wondered how long it would take for it to become the Taylor house. Certainly all the people she’d grown up with wouldn’t be able to call it that. But her daughter’s friends… Or her son’s. She wasn’t picky.

Mitch caught her eye as he leaned forward again. “What does your mother have to say about this, uh, plan?”

“I guess you haven’t heard. My mother died eight months ago.”

Again, she’d managed to shock him. “What? I would have heard.”

Darcy shook her head. “She was in a nursing home in New York. She’d been sick for a long time.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Yeah, me, too.”

“So it’s just you, now, huh?”

Darcy nodded. It was just her now, but not for long. Not if she could help it. Not if Mitch would cooperate. He looked as if he wanted to ask her something. Something awkward, if the doodles on his desk blotter were any indication. “Go on,” she said.

“Pardon?”

“Go on and ask me whatever it is. It’s all right.”

He grinned his acknowledgment at being caught. “I was just wondering…. Is there a donor?”

“No. There isn’t.”

“What about that veterinarian?”

“You knew about that?”

He nodded, somewhat guiltily. “It was kind of hard to miss.”

“Swell. I just love having my personal tragedies broadcast on national news. But no. We’re not together anymore. We got divorced almost two years ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. It’s much better this way.”

“What— Never mind.”

“What happened is that he was more interested in using my connections to make himself a movie star than he was in being my husband.”

“Ouch.”

“Damn straight, ouch. But one good thing came out of it. This decision.”

Mitch nodded. “I understand. But I’m still not sure I’m the guy to help you.”

“Why not? And don’t stutter around it. Just say what you’re thinking.”

“Same old Taylor.”

“Same old Maitland.”

His expression turned serious. “Darcy, this isn’t going to be easy. There’s only a twenty-five-percent chance that it’s going to work. Even if we do everything right.”

“I understand.”

“No, I’m not sure you do. We’ll be a team, you and I. I’ll have to know very personal things. Like when you’re ovulating. And I’ll be the one examining you.”

She bit her lip to hide her smile. “You’re embarrassed.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m thinking about you.”

“No, you’re not. I can read you like a book. You’re thinking how weird it’s going to be if I’m your patient.”

“Aren’t you?”

She nodded. “Sure. It’s going to be weird, but only for a little while. Then you’ll get involved in the work, and I’ll be just another patient.”

“You’ll never be just another patient.”

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

“I’m not so sure about that, either.”

“Come on, Maitland. This is the scariest thing I’ve ever done. I’m leaving everything I know behind me and starting a completely new life. It would mean a lot to me to have a friend there to help. I’ll go to a stranger if you want me to, but I’ve thought long and hard about this. I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted another human being. Despite…” She didn’t want to go there. Not now. “We have a lot of history together. We’re the brain patrol, remember? Who else is going to care more?”

He stared at her for a long while, his face expressionless. All she could do was wait, prepared for either answer. If it was yes, she’d have some work ahead of her. Not with the baby, but with Mitch. They’d need to talk about what had happened all those years ago. Clear the air. If he said no, then she’d leave him be. She’d find a good doctor and go on with her life. She’d still have Beth’s friendship to bolster her. And perhaps, in time, she and Mitch would be able to talk. She sure didn’t want to open that time capsule by herself.

“Can you give me some time?” he asked finally. “There’s a lot to consider.”

“Sure. Of course. Take all the time you need. As long as it’s in the next few days.”

“Gee, how generous.”

“Not to get too personal or anything, but remember that ovulation we talked about?”

He held up his hand to stop her. “I get it.”

“Good. Oh, and Mitch?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you keep this under your hat? I don’t want the press getting wind of any of this.”

“You know I’d never say a word.”

She nodded. “Yes, I do know that.” She stood, took a step toward the door, then turned to him. “I was wondering if you had time to give me a little tour of the place before I go?”

He shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve got a patient waiting. But maybe tomorrow….”

“No, it’s okay. Really.”

“Hold on a sec.” He picked up his phone and hit two numbers. A few seconds passed, then he asked his sister Abby if she could take Darcy around.

Darcy remembered Abby from school. She’d been two years behind Mitch and her. Abby was a great choice to show her around. Even as a girl, Abby had had her finger on the pulse of the world. Darcy had never been terribly close to her, but they’d been friendly.

Mitch hung up the phone. “She’ll be up in a minute. I would have asked Beth, but I know she’s got a meeting this morning.”

“It’ll be good to see Abby again.”

“I just wish I was free.”

“Don’t worry about it, Maitland. We’ll talk. Real soon.”

He got up and walked around the desk. She could tell he wanted to put his arm around her, but he wasn’t sure if he should. She helped him out by hugging him first. A first-class major squeeze. It was impossible not to close her eyes when she felt his hands on her back. When he pulled her close. When she took a deep breath of his masculine scent.

If things had been different…

MITCH DIDN’T CALL IN his next patient right away. He took a moment, leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. It was important not to go crazy about this. What had happened to them was ancient history. Nothing to get all worked up about.

So why was his stomach churning? Why did he feel this crushing weight of disappointment?

Because he’d loved her, that’s why. He’d been young, yes, and he’d been naive, but the fact was he’d loved her, and he thought she loved him back. Now, once and for all, he knew he’d been mistaken. Darcy hadn’t loved him. If she had, she never would have asked him to be her doctor. Her emotions would have been too vulnerable. Yes, it had been years, but time could never diminish the pain of a first love gone wrong.

What shook him up most, however, was the awful realization that after all this time, even after Angela, he’d obviously still harbored hope that someday Darcy would come back. That she’d be his.

He was a first-class fool.

Darcy had left him without a second thought and gone on to a life he could hardly imagine. Of course she hadn’t thought about the kid who’d helped her with her science project. She was too busy with movie stars and politicians. Traveling all over the world. Smiling for the camera and her adoring public.

It was pure sentiment that had brought her here today. Some warm, fuzzy feeling about their childhood antics.

But what he was feeling was neither warm nor fuzzy. It hurt. It hurt as if she’d left him yesterday. It hurt because a dream had died. A dream he hadn’t even realized he’d had.

He couldn’t help her. He’d give her a referral, and that would be the end of it. Maybe it was a blessing. Maybe knowing the truth would set him free. He hadn’t been serious about a woman since Angela.

He looked at the clock, and that got him up and moving, but it didn’t stop his feverish thoughts. Why, of all the people in the world, did Darcy Taylor want artificial insemination? She could have any man she wanted. The best and the brightest would line up to father her child. But she’d asked about the donors at the clinic.

And why, at the peak of her career, had she quit? Something wasn’t right. It didn’t add up.

He went to examination room four and plucked the chart from the wall pocket. The minute he saw the name of his patient, he focused completely on her. Well, almost completely. Just before he knocked on the door, he closed his eyes and took a calming breath. An earthquake had hit Austin, and the epicenter was right here inside him. The world that had been steady and predictable this morning had been shaken so hard, he couldn’t get a foothold.

Darcy Taylor had come back.

DARCY SIPPED her coffee as she looked around the diner. It was a cheery place, with a regular clientele. She remembered the owner, Shelby Lord, as a spunky little girl with red hair, a friend of Beth and Ellie’s. She had obviously done well for herself with the restaurant. Darcy took another drink of the terrific coffee, then picked up her menu. As she tried to decide between the garden salad and a hot fudge sundae, Abby slipped into the seat across from her.

“The food here is great,” she said, picking up a menu. “Shelby will be surprised to see you.” Abby nodded toward the counter where a pretty blonde was serving a man in a business suit. “That’s Sara. What that poor thing has gone through…” Abby shook her head, then looked at the menu.

“Well?”

The dark-haired doctor, who looked so much like Mitchell only softer and prettier, seemed surprised at her tone. “What?”

“Well, come on. Spill.”

“Oh,” Abby said, glancing toward the counter. “It’s been a three-ring circus around here lately, I swear. I don’t know if you’ve read anything about what’s been happening.”

“I know about the baby left on your back steps. Have you figured out who the father is?”

“Well,” she said, leaning closer and lowering her voice, “that’s a story all its own. After we found the baby, this woman, Tanya Lane, showed up with that nightmare from Tattle Today TV, Chelsea Markum—”

“I’ve met her before. Once she gets wind of a story, she never backs off.”

“I’ll say. Anyway, Tanya claimed the baby was hers and that my brother R.J. was the father.”

“R.J.? Are you kidding? He’s the straightest person I’ve ever met.”

Abby nodded. “So you can imagine how that freaked him out. Especially when Tanya said that he’d deserted her when he found out she was pregnant!”

“This is positively surreal!”

“Oh, there’s more. We lost a lot of patients over that. And I can’t tell you how many regrets we got at first for the twenty-fifth-anniversary party. Which you’re invited to, by the way.”

“When is it?”

“A week and a half.”

“Okay, go on.”

“Tattle Today must have had some real suspicions about Tanya, though, because they put up fifty thousand dollars for an exclusive interview with whoever proved to be the real mother. Of course, busloads of women showed up, each one claiming the baby, and thanks to an article in the tabloids, every one of them swore Jake was the father.”

“My God. Jake. Is he still Mr. Mystery?”

“That’s an understatement. Jake hadn’t been home for five years, so they figured he couldn’t defend himself. But it didn’t do them any good. None of them knew that there was a birthmark on the baby.”

“A birthmark?”

Abby nodded. “Right above his belly button.”

“So Jake was off the hook?”

“Not quite. He came home after Mother called him, with a very pregnant woman in tow.”

“Another mystery baby?”

“Imagine our delight.” Abby sighed.

Darcy was having trouble assimilating all this in one sitting. It must have been a madhouse. “So what happened?”

Abby took a drink of water and signaled the waitress. After she ordered a piece of pie, Darcy ordered the sundae. When they were alone once more, Darcy looked at the menu again, then tried to get the waitress back.

“What’s wrong?” Abby asked.

“I don’t know if I can do it.”

“Do what?”

“Eat a hot fudge sundae.”

“Why not?”

Darcy felt a tug of emotion in her chest and swallowed a little lump in her throat. “I’ve been a slave to food for sixteen years. Every mouthful mattered. Calories were the enemy, and I could never let my guard down.”

“That must have been awful.”

“You have no idea. I always felt like I was being punished. But no more. I’m not going to do that to myself, not even for one meal. I’m going to eat like a normal person. If I can figure out what normal people eat.”

“We eat hot fudge,” Abby said, her smile understanding and warm, making Darcy feel she’d made the right choice coming to Maitland Maternity. “Not every day, but we do eat it.”

“The mind fairly boggles.”

“If you have any trouble on the dessert front, just call me. I’ll do my best to lead the way.”

“It’s a deal.” Darcy put the menu down. “So where were we?”

Abby frowned. Played with a packet of sugar. “Jake came home with his pregnant friend. In the meantime, we had another surprise arrival. Connor O’Hara, my cousin, whom we’d never even met before. It turns out that he’s the father of the baby. His girlfriend, Janelle, saw all the hoopla on television, and she came to claim the baby.”

“Why did she abandon the baby in the first place? I can’t imagine any mother doing that.”

“I know. But she said that she and Connor had broken up and then she couldn’t find him. She’d lost her job and had no family of her own, so she brought the baby here, knowing Connor was related to us.”

“Why didn’t she just knock on the front door?”

Abby shrugged. “I’m not sure. I haven’t spent much time with her. Or Connor, for that matter.” She looked away, and Darcy was surprised to see her cheeks infuse with pink. “I was a little busy.”

“Oh?”

She held out her left hand, flashing a beautiful diamond ring.

“You got married?”

She grinned. “I sure did.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is Kyle McDermott.”

Darcy watched as Abby’s mouth softened into a smile of pure contentment. It was so clear she was in love. Radiantly in love. Darcy had to look away.

“He’s wonderful,” Abby went on. “Stubborn as a mule, but his heart is so good. Darcy, you’ll love him. We’ll have dinner, okay? Soon.”

“I’d like that,” Darcy said.

The waitress came by with their desserts, and for a few minutes, all Darcy could do was wallow in the sinful indulgence. But then Abby looked at the time. “I’ve got a meeting in about fifteen minutes.”

“So tell me the rest. I won’t sleep tonight if I don’t hear it all.”

“Okay. So Janelle moves into the guest cottage at Mother’s.”

Darcy smiled, remembering how she and Mitchell used to sneak into that little house.

“Just until she gets the official birth records, of course. Social Services insisted. Now that she and Connor are engaged, Connor’s moved into the cottage with her.”

Darcy nodded. “I see.”

“But that whole issue was pushed to the back burner when they found the dead woman in Beth’s office.” Abby stopped to take another bite of cherry pie before going on. “I can’t explain it, but even that turned out to be lucky, in a way. She and Ty Redstone…” Abby raised her eyebrows suggestively.

“Really? I thought something was up, but Beth didn’t say a word.”

“Oops. I’ll let her be the one to tell you, then.”

“Fair enough,” Darcy agreed.

Abby took another bite of pie. “Long story shorter than I’d like to make it is that Mother announced that the baby’s mother has come forward but wishes to remain anonymous. After that, all the people who’d sent their regrets changed their minds and accepted the invitation to the gala, which means it’s going to be a zoo.”

“Oh, dear. I’m not too happy to hear about that.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t particularly want this Chelsea Markum to know I’m here.”

“Oh, yeah. I didn’t think about that.”

“I’ll have to pass on the party. But thanks for asking.”

“If you change your mind…”

Darcy nodded. “I know you have to leave in a minute, but you never did tell me about the woman behind the counter.”

Abby leaned over again, making sure no one could hear her but Darcy. “She doesn’t know who she is. She was evidently in some kind of accident. Lost her memory completely.”

“Are you kidding?”

Abby shook her head. “The only thing she knows for sure is that she’s a fabulous cook. Shelby told me last night that she’s going to ask Sara to be a chef instead of a waitress.”

“Wow, amnesia,” Darcy said, only half listening to Abby. She couldn’t imagine what that would be like.

“I’ve really got to go, Darcy. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. You go. I’m going to stay and finish every bite of this sundae. And don’t you dare put that money down. It’s my treat. The tour was great, but frankly, the gossip was even better.”

“We’ll talk more.”

“You bet we will.”

Darcy waved goodbye, then turned to her ice cream. Now that she was alone, she allowed herself to think about her problems. Mitchell, of course. But also the fact that Maitland Maternity was in the spotlight so often. It seemed hard to believe that so much had hit the family all at once. Maybe she should go to another doctor and not take such a big risk.

Now, if she could only figure out which risk she was so afraid of taking—being discovered by the media or rekindling her…friendship with Mitchell Maitland.

The hot fudge didn’t help her solve her problem—but it sure made the worry a lot easier to take.

CHAPTER THREE

THE BABY GURGLED, and Janelle forced herself to laugh. She tickled the baby’s tummy as she widened her smile. Then she saw that the damn snooty butler, Harold, had finally left the room and she could relax. But not too much. Anyone could walk in at any second. Megan Maitland was the biggest nuisance, but at least she was convinced that Chase was her grandson and Connor her real son and that she, Janelle, was the nicest, sweetest, most loving daughter-in-law-to-be in the world.

She couldn’t put it off any longer. She had to change the baby’s diaper. Nothing made her want to gag more. Well, nothing except seeing the self-righteous Maitland family being all lovey-dovey with each other. That was enough to make anyone sick.

All she had to do was keep it up for a little while longer. Just until Petey and she made their money, and then it was adios to Austin, to the Maitlands, to this…. She took off the old diaper and winced at the smell.

She didn’t dare do anything less than a thorough job, though. Megan or Harold would check. They always did. Like they didn’t trust her or something.

She laughed. Man, her only regret was that she wouldn’t be around to see their faces when they realized what she’d done. How she’d tricked them all.

Ironically, she figured Megan would be the one who could appreciate her work the most. Megan, who was tough as nails behind that angelic facade. Megan, who hadn’t gotten where she was by being a Goody Two-shoes. No one made that kind of money by being sweet.

Megan had had to be smarter than the other guy, one step ahead. Just like Janelle. And that’s why it was all going to work, pretty as you please. Then she’d live her life in the kind of luxury she deserved. As for Petey… If he behaved, he’d be right there next to her. If he didn’t?

Sacrifices had to be made sometimes. God knows, changing diapers should have been sacrifice enough. But if she had to do this alone, so be it.

Petey. So damn good-looking. So malleable. But not exactly the brightest bulb in the chandelier. Actually, it was probably better that he wasn’t. Wouldn’t want him getting too many ideas of his own.

Finally, the kid was changed. And Megan would be down any second to take the brat to the Maitland day care. Janelle could wait. She’d learned all about waiting.

She picked up the baby and held him to her chest. As she walked around the room, bouncing him gently, a thought occurred to her. What if she didn’t leave? What if she stayed right here in Austin. Took Megan Maitland down a few hundred pegs. Took over the mansion!

Wouldn’t that be a day. My, my. This would require some thought. Some serious thought.

“YOU’RE STILL HERE!”

Darcy nodded as she walked toward Beth. “I’m on my way out. I just thought I’d stop in and say a quick hello first.”

Beth stepped over a pile of Lego, dodged a headless Barbie and maneuvered deftly around a See-n-Spell that mooed for no apparent reason. “Did you and Abby have a nice lunch? I was so sorry to miss out.” She embraced Darcy in a fierce hug, then her hands grasped Darcy’s upper arms, which she held as she studied her friend’s face. “I swear to God, you are more gorgeous than anyone I’ve ever met.”

“Oh, come on.”

“I’m not kidding.”

Darcy smiled, knowing that Beth meant it as a compliment and not as an opening line to precede a favor.

“You know I’m not lying. You could always tell when I was.”

“And you did plenty of it, if my memory serves.”

Beth’s grin was exactly the same as when she’d been seven years old, and Darcy had been her babysitter. “I was a perfect angel as a child. And I refuse to believe anything different.”

Darcy couldn’t help but laugh. Beth had always been so cheerful, so excited about life.

“Do you have a minute? I want to hear what Mitchell said when you told him why you were here.”

“That won’t take long. He said—”

“No, not yet. I’m supposed to be on a break, so why don’t I walk you to your car.”

“Really?”

She nodded, sending her dark curly hair bobbing down her back. Darcy wanted to tell her what a beautiful woman she’d become, but she decided to wait till their next meeting. She didn’t want it to sound as if she were just returning Beth’s compliment.

“I’ll be one second.” Beth scurried to the far side of the day care to speak to an older woman who was helping a little boy fix a toy truck.

Darcy’s gaze swept the large, cheerful place until she noticed the garden outside. Lush and green, with all sorts of intriguing plants, it seemed a perfect place to find peace and quiet.

At that thought, a great shriek rang out, and Darcy spun to find a little girl—she looked to be around five—howling like a banshee, her face scrunched up in a mask of pure misery. Darcy rushed over to her, searching for blood or a broken bone at the very least. What she found instead was a baby doll with black marker on its face. Two big dark circles, as if the doll had lost a barroom brawl.

Darcy crouched so she was nearly eye level with the girl, who, she saw, would be extremely pretty if she ever stopped crying. “Honey, are you crying because of your doll?”

The girl sniffed and nodded, which caused a teardrop to fall on Darcy’s hand. She completely melted. Then she took the doll and tried to wipe off the black marker, but it didn’t help. The shiners were there for keeps. She’d have to try another tack. “What’s your name, sweetie?”

After another sniff, the girl mumbled something Darcy didn’t catch.

“What is it?”

“Courtney.”

“Oh, that’s a beautiful name.” She held up the doll. “And what’s her name?”

“Lizabeth.”

“That’s a beautiful name, too. But you know what?”

Courtney shook her head, still looking so woeful it broke Darcy’s heart.

“She’s going to need your help from now on.”

“What?”

“Lizabeth. She’s very special now, and it will take a very special little girl to care for her properly.”

“She’s no good anymore. Gilbert ruined her.”

“Gilbert didn’t ruin her. He gave her a cross to bear. Do you know what that means?”

Again, Courtney shook her head. But at least she’d stopped crying.

“It means that she’s different from all the other dolls. Her eyes make her different. Now, most people don’t like things that are different. They don’t realize how wonderful it is to love someone like Lizabeth.”

“Why is it wonderful?”

“Because you know what Lizabeth is really like. You know that behind all this marker, there’s a sweet, beautiful doll, right?”