Wanted: Father for Her Baby: Keeping Baby Secret / Five Brothers and a Baby / Expecting Brand's Baby

“Kate Malone, I do believe you’re a romantic. Otherwise you’d never think Frank was in love with me. I doubt he’s capable of falling in love.”

“He is. He just doesn’t know it yet.” Kate looked Leenie square in the eyes. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

Leenie sighed.

“I know it’s none of my business, but—”

“Yes, I’m in love with the big lug. I’m so in love with him that it hurts.”

Kate smiled. “Why don’t you take a shower while I fix us some breakfast?”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

Kate turned and headed for the door, then paused, glanced over her shoulder and said, “Frank will call us as soon as he knows anything. If the agents get to see the baby, they should be able to tell if it’s Andrew or not from all the photos the feds have of him.”

“Even if they can’t take him away from those horrible people today, I pray that it is Andrew. At least then, I’ll know he’s safe.”

Frank held his breath, a heartfelt plea repeating in his head, when Special Agents Currie and Rushing returned to the field office on Humphreys Blvd. He waited impatiently while Moran spoke privately to the two agents who had posed as potential adoptive parents. Despite all his training and the lifelong habit of employing logic before emotion, right about now Frank was thinking like a father. A father whose son had been kidnapped.

The office door opened and Moran came out alone to meet Frank. Please, God, please, let that baby be Andrew.

“Sorry it took so long,” Moran said.

“Is he or isn’t he Andrew?”

Moran shook his head. “No.”

Frank felt as if he’d been sucker punched.

“The baby Rushing and Currie was shown is six months old, has reddish blond hair and has a small birthmark on his right arm,” Moran explained. “Definitely not Andrew Patton.”

“Which means Andrew is still out there, his fate unknown. He might not have been kidnapped by this abduction ring y’all are investigating.”

“Just because this baby wasn’t your son doesn’t mean he won’t come up on the auction block in a few days or few weeks.”

“I’m not sure his mother can hold it together for a few more days, let alone a few more weeks.”

“Dr. Patton seems like an amazingly strong woman to me,” Moran said.

“Even the strongest person can break under the kind of pressure Leenie is living with on a daily basis. That baby—our baby—means everything to her. If I can’t give her some kind of hope that I’ll be able to bring him home to her…”

Moran nodded, then glanced down at the floor. “Yeah. Well…yeah.”

Uncomfortable discussing such an emotionally personal issue, Frank changed the subject. “How much time before this operation comes to a head?”

“That’s confidential info.”

“I don’t want specifics. No date, time, place. Just a general idea. I think I’ve got clearance for that much, don’t you?”

“A week. Ten days tops. But possibly sooner.”

“How soon?”

“A few days.”

Frank drew in a deep breath and released it slowly. “Once the operation’s in motion, would you let me know? Just in case Andrew is caught up in things.”

“Are you sure you want to know before it’s all over and done with?”

“I probably don’t want to know, but I’d appreciate a call beforehand anyway.” What Frank didn’t say, but suspected Moran knew anyway was that he needed time to prepare himself in order to be strong for Leenie if the worst happened.

Moran clamped his hand down on Frank’s shoulder. “There’s always a chance we’ll find Andrew. Tell her that. Give her that much hope.”

“False hope?” Frank asked.

“I honestly don’t know.”

Somehow knowing it was Frank, Leenie grabbed the telephone when it rang at two-thirty that afternoon. Her hand trembled as she placed the receiver to her ear.

“Hello.” Her voice quivered.

“Leenie…”

“I’ve been waiting for your call.”

“I know and I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner. I’m on the road, heading back to Maysville. I should be there soon.”

She knew the news was bad; if it had been good, he’d have already told her. “The baby wasn’t Andrew, was he?”

“No, honey, it wasn’t Andrew. I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” She swallowed. Tears welled up inside her, but did not surface. She was all cried out.

“Moran said that there’s a good chance another baby will come up for adoption soon. Maybe in a few days. The next one could be Andrew.”

“Yes, it could be.”

“Please don’t give up hope.”

She closed her eyes and willed herself to remain totally in control. Crying wouldn’t change anything. Hysterics wouldn’t help Andrew. And blaming Frank only hurt them both.

“I won’t give up hope,” she told him. “You shouldn’t either.”

“You’re right.”

“Frank?”

“Huh?”