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

As he walked down the hall, he noticed Leenie’s bedroom door stood open. He couldn’t resist peeking in on her and Andrew. He stopped in the doorway. His gut clenched when he saw Leenie, in her pink silk gown, lying in bed, her long hair fanned out on her pillow, and Andrew, in his blue terrycloth pajamas, cuddled against Leenie’s chest. Mother and child.

His son.

His woman!

Damn, why couldn’t he stop thinking of Leenie as his. These past few days he’d become much too possessive of her. How could they build separate lives if he kept laying claim to her?

Face the facts, he told himself. Eventually Leenie was going to start dating again. There would be other men in her life. Other men in Andrew’s life, whether he liked it or not. No! He didn’t want other men parading in and out of his son’s life. But who was to say that Leenie wouldn’t find one special guy and get married. It could happen. And then Andrew would have a stepfather.

He had to stop doing this to himself. Don’t start making decisions based on what ifs, he told himself.

As he watched Leenie and Andrew sleeping, he was so drawn to them that he couldn’t resist the temptation to be near them. It wasn’t as if he was invading her privacy. She’d left the door open, hadn’t she? She’d probably expected him to check on them before he turned in for the night. Leaving the door open the way she had was an invitation, wasn’t it?

Frank walked quietly into the room, not stopping until he reached the bed. What would it hurt if he stayed here with them? Just for tonight. After all, it was Andrew’s homecoming. But if he lay down beside them, he might waken Leenie and God knew she needed her rest after all she’d been through. But he could not bring himself to leave. Glancing around the semidark room, he noticed the comfy overstuffed chair in the corner. He could rest comfortably there without disturbing Leenie and Andrew and at the same time, he could be with them, keep watch over them.

Frank made his way to the chair, sat, adjusted his body until he was fairly comfortable, then dragged the knitted lavender afghan from the back of the chair and spread it out over him. A tad short for his long frame, it covered him from shoulders to knees.

For quite a while he sat there, his gaze glued to the woman and infant in the bed. But finally exhaustion overcame him and his eyelids drooped. He yawned, then closed his eyes and gave in to sleep.

Andrew was crying.

It’s all right, baby. Mother’s here. You’re safe.

Leenie woke with a start. When she found Andrew wriggling against her, his little nose and mouth rooting at her breast, she sighed contentedly. Thank you, God. Thank you for keeping my baby safe and bringing him home to me.

“Hush, my darling,” Leenie whispered. “Mommy will get you a bottle. It won’t take a minute.”

She got out of bed, then reached down and lifted a whimpering Andrew up and into her arms. Just as she turned around, she noticed Frank in the chair in the corner. She gasped. When had he come into her bedroom? He roused groggily from sleep and stood.

“Is he all right?” Frank asked, his voice husky.

Leenie had left the door to her room open, hoping Frank would come to her—come to her and Andrew and be a part of Andrew’s homecoming. Apparently she’d fallen asleep before he’d joined them.

“He’s fine. Just hungry.” How was it that a man who needed a haircut and a shave and whose clothes always looked as if he slept in them could be so damned attractive? she wondered. And in the middle of the night, no less. “I have several bottles in the refrigerator. I’m taking Andrew with me to get one and warm it in the microwave.”

“You stay here,” Frank told her. “Let me get Andrew’s bottle.”

“All right. Thank you.” Leenie began walking the floor with her whiny little boy. “But hurry, will you? Your son won’t be patient for long. He wants what he wants when he wants it.”

“Not unlike his father.” Frank grinned. “By the way, how long do I heat the bottle in the microwave?”

“About forty-five seconds, then test it on the inside of your wrist. It should be warm, but not hot.”

When Frank disappeared out into the hall, Leenie paced the floor, crooning to Andrew. How wonderful to hold him again. She kissed his little head. Ah, she loved his sweet smell.

By the time Frank returned—in three minutes flat—Andrew’s whimpers had grown louder.

Her son had a big appetite and little patience.

“Here you go.” Frank held out the bottle to her.

“Would you like to feed him?”

“Me?”

“You’ve already fed him once, right? You’re an old pro now.”

“Yeah, sure. I—”

“Sit back down in the chair and I’ll hand him to you.”

Frank did as she’d instructed. Then she placed Andrew in his arms. At first Andrew cried, apparently not happy about leaving his mother’s arms. But when Frank stuck the nipple in his mouth, Andrew latched on and began sucking. Frank looked up at Leenie and smiled triumphantly.

“You’re a natural,” she told him.

“Am I?”

Her heart did a crazy rat-a-tat-tat. She wanted to wrap her arms around Frank and hug the life out of him. Didn’t he have any idea how wonderful he was? Couldn’t the big lug figure out that he was meant to be a family man? He was gentle, kind, loving and had so much to give to a woman and child. If only he wasn’t so scarred from bad experiences with a selfish mother and an unfaithful wife. If only the two most important women in his life hadn’t crippled him emotionally.

“The way you are with Andrew, a person would think you had vast experience with babies,” Leenie said.

“I have zero experience with babies. It’s Andrew. The way I feel about him makes it so easy to just—” Frank lifted his gaze from his son to Leenie. “I want to be a part of his life from now on.”

She nodded. Emotion welled up inside her. Why hadn’t she called Frank and told him the minute she found out she was pregnant?

“I called my boss at Dundee and asked for some time off. A week. I thought…that is if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay and get to know my son.”

“Of course it’s okay with me. I want you to be a part of Andrew’s life.”

“You won’t have to put up with me permanently. Just for the next week or so.” Frank looked down at Andrew. “I know a baby needs his mother, but when I’m between assignments, I’d like to come for visits. And maybe when Andrew is older, you might let him visit me in Atlanta.”

Leenie clenched her teeth, then forced a smile, even though her heart was breaking. What had she expected? Not some confession of undying love. Not from Frank Latimer. He might love his son, but by God, he wasn’t going to ever trust his heart to another woman, not even his son’s mother. Not even to a woman who loved him so damn much that she could hardly stand it.

Smiling like an idiot, Leenie nodded and willed herself not to cry. She swallowed hard, then said, “Absolutely. You’ll be welcome here any time. I want you to be a father to Andrew.”

“Thanks, Slim.” With Andrew nestled against him, Frank held the bottle securely in place while he leaned down and kissed his son’s forehead.

Kate answered her cell phone on the first ring. She’d been waiting all night for this call.

“Hello.”

“Kate?”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry it’s taken me so long to get back to you, but I’ve had a lot going on here in Memphis. I guess Frank told you something about—”

“Frank doesn’t really care about the FBI’s great success,” Kate said. “Andrew is all that matters to him.”