Free The Baby Bargain by Jennifer Apodaca Page B

You’re not the type to have indiscriminate sex.”
    Megan leaned her head back on the couch. “It doesn’t matter. He told me he can’t be
     a family man. Ever.” She glanced out the window, watching as Cole tried to throw the
     ball to Max. The ball went about two feet. Hayden was crouched next to Cole and helped
     him throw it again.
    She could picture Adam there, his and Cole’s dark heads touching as he taught their
     son to throw a ball.
    She turned back to her mom. “But I didn’t give him the full truth.”
    “No. You didn’t.”
    She stood up and pulled out her cell phone. “I’ll call him.” With her heart pounding,
     she left Adam a message to call her back. She was scared, but she had to stop avoiding
     the truth. It was time for her full confession. She prayed it wouldn’t scar them all.

    Somehow, Megan’s obligations went on just the same as she waited for Adam to return
     her call. She went to work, then spent her lunch hour giving the deposition for Celtic
     Fire’s custody battle. Finished with that, she walked with Debbie McCray to the parking
     lot. “I’m so glad to have that over with,” Megan said.
    “Thank you for doing it, Dr. Young.”
    She smiled at the other woman. “It was the truth, Debbie. I know you love Celtic Fire.”
     Standing in the parking lot by her car after the hearing, Megan’s thoughts wandered
     to Adam. She’d left him the message yesterday and he still hadn’t called her back.
     Was he really being that childish? Or busy? Now that she was out of the courthouse,
     she pulled her phone out.
    Missed message. Adam?
    “I’m still worried. Nathan is vindictive.”
    She pulled her attention from the phone to Debbie. She was thirty-something, childless,
     and lines of worry bracketed her mouth. “What do you mean?”
    “I don’t know. His public image is everything to him. First I left him, and he only
     wants Celtic Fire to get back at me. Then making him look bad in court…” She shook
     her head. “I don’t know.”
    “He won’t hurt you, will he?”
    Debbie frowned. “I don’t think so. But he has Celtic Fire. I tried to take her when
     I left.” She broke off, compressing her lips. “He grabbed her from me, not caring
     if he hurt the dog. She was scared.” She looked up into the cloudless sky. “If the
     judge decides in my favor, he won’t like being forced to let me take her.”
    “He tried to bribe me. That didn’t work,” Megan said. “He’s going to have to accept
     the judge’s decision.”
    “I know. I just want her back.”
    Meg squeezed her arm. “The judge should decide soon. I have to get back for my afternoon
     appointments.”
    “Thanks again,” Debbie said and headed toward her car.
    Megan jumped in her own car, and accessed her voice mail. Adam’s voice said, “Megan,
     got your call, but I’m out of town on business until Tuesday or Wednesday. And I have
     a friend staying at the house with Ellie, in case you were wondering.”
    Well, she had a day or two to figure out how to tell Adam about his son.
    A tap on her windshield made her heart stutter. She jerked her head around and laughed
     when she saw it was her mentor. She rolled down her window. “Lawrence, what are you
     doing here?”
    Resting his forearm on her car door, he leaned in. “You don’t know? I’m giving a deposition
     for Nathan.”
    “What? But why? I mean…” She trailed off, studying his face. His eyebrows were pulled
     in and his mouth tense. Angry. “Nathan pulled you into this?”
    He sighed. “I thought you knew. Once the McCrays split, and after your recommendation
     that Celtic Fire no longer show or breed, Nathan brought her to me for another opinion.”
    A hot sense of betrayal began to burn in her gut. She kept her voice cool. “And what
     is your opinion?”
    He raised his eyebrows slightly. “Megan, are you in trouble? You know you can come
     to me, right? If it’s money problems—”
    “What are you talking about?”