Free The Baby Snatchers by Chris Taylor

he’d been
able to glean from her was that she’d run away from home. He could
only assume relations had deteriorated even more between her and
their parents after he’d left.
    A few nights earlier, they’d both been
unable to sleep and found themselves out on the balcony. She hadn’t
offered any details why she’d left home, but she’d told him about
the father of her baby and how she’d met him on the street. Albert,
the baby’s dad, was a little older than her and kind of cute and
most of all, he’d made her laugh. For nearly a year they’d been
sharing space and comforting each other in an abandoned warehouse.
And then she’d realized she was pregnant.
    Cam was secretly horrified that she’d risked
her health in such a dangerous way by having unprotected sex—even
if it was with only one partner—but he forced his anxious thoughts
away in an effort to concentrate on what she was trying to share
with him about her past. She wasn’t stupid, by any means, but it
wasn’t like she was in a position to head to the nearest drugstore
and purchase what was required.
    It was obvious she’d been needy, starved for
love and affection. Albert had come along and offered her the
comfort she so desperately wanted. At the time, getting pregnant
was probably the least of his sister’s worries.
    He wanted to ask if she’d been tested for
STDs, but didn’t want to say or do anything to disturb their
fragile connection. He could only hope the hospital had a policy
and tested the young moms for those things as a matter of
course.
    Now, he waited for answers from another
woman and wondered what she’d say. He only hoped that it would be
something he could put into practice to ease the suffering from his
little sister’s face.
    “What if I take her somewhere?” she
suggested.
    Georgie’s question broke into his thoughts
and he snapped back to attention.
    “I could take her to a spa,” she added. “We
could have a facial or a massage. We could even do our nails. I’ve
been planning to do that anyway, as a way to relax on a day off. Do
you think she’d enjoy something like that?”
    Cam blinked. It had never occurred to him
that Cynthia might like a day of pampering and relaxation, but the
more he pondered it, the more he thought she would. He still
remembered when she was a little girl, how much she loved painting
her nails. She’d prance around the house with a different color on
every finger and proudly wave them in front of his face.
    ‘ Look, Cam! Aren’t they pretty? Don’t you
just love the colors?’ she’d say. Then she’d giggle. He
couldn’t help but smile at the memory.
    “I think it’s a great idea!” he said. “But I
can’t expect you to take her. I mean, you barely know her. I get
that you care, and I think that’s great, but—”
    “Cameron, I’m happy to do it. Can’t we just
leave it at that?”
    Cam’s gut clenched at her use of his name.
It was the first time she’d called him anything other than Mr
Dawson. The name had never sat well with him. As far as he was
concerned, Mr Dawson was his father. One of the things Cam liked
about being a police officer was that he was forever introduced as
Detective Sergeant Dawson. No more Mr Dawson for him and that’s
just the way he liked it.
    Now, indecision gnawed at his gut. He wanted
so much to accept Georgie’s invitation, but was it fair to have her
do this for them?
    No, not for them . For his sister. He
had to remind himself she was offering to do it because she was
kind and good, not because she wanted to get inside his pants. A
guilty flush swept over his cheeks, but he refused to pay it any
heed. So what if he found her attractive? It wasn’t a crime
and it wasn’t like he could help it. If she didn’t feel the same
way about him, then so be it. At least he would have given it a
try. And in the meantime, she might just be able to help his little
sister, and for that, he’d do anything.
    He released the breath he hadn’t been