The Baby Bargain (9 page)

When she and Cole came back to the kitchen fifteen minutes later, she was surprised
to see the table set for two plus Cole’s highchair.

“Good, you’re ready. Come eat.” Adam carried two plates piled with scrambled eggs,
toast, and fruit to the table. “Does Cole eat toast?”

The smell of food made her stomach growl. She settled Cole into his highchair. “He
likes it cut in four triangles.”

Adam leaned over her to set four triangles of toast on Cole’s tray.

She jerked her head up, reacting to his nearness. His scent and warmth crashed through
her defenses. She wanted him. All of him, not just the charming guy, but all the layers
underneath. The layers he refused to share with her.

Megan moved away, settling into her chair and feeling Adam’s dark gaze watching her.
“Thanks for making breakfast.” She helped Cole eat his eggs with a spoon, but finally
lost the battle and let him finish with his hands.

Adam set down his fork. “I couldn’t find any sign of Celtic Fire last night. Nathan
has a security system. It was turned off.”

Her stomach clenched. She’d worried all night, about everything, but the most pressing
problem was Celtic Fire. The few bites of eggs congealed in her stomach. “Adam, what
if she wasn’t stolen? He’s doing this to set me up. Don’t forget someone called in
that anonymous tip about the supposed bribe I took.” She reached for her coffee, desperately
needing the caffeine.

He shook his head. “Nathan stands to make money from breeding the dog. Plus, he has
a lot riding on this golf tournament. Sponsors are paying a good amount of money for
advertising at the golf course. All kinds of important people will be there, including
some regional TV stations. I can’t believe he’d start a scandal now.”

She frowned as she handed Cole his juice cup. “He tried to bribe me, then threatened
me when I refused to take it.” Did Adam even believe her? People were going to talk
once word got out that Nathan was accusing her. She’d lose clients. Who knew how bad
it could get?

“I talked to Debbie, too,” Adam said. “She doesn’t appear to have the dog, but do
you know of any place she could hide her?”

Megan rubbed her forehead. “No. I don’t know her that well. I’ve never seen where
she lives.”

“But you went to Nathan’s house when they were married.”

She snapped her head up. Remembering Cole, she kept her voice level. “I didn’t steal
the dog.”

“I believe you, Meg. I’m just trying to figure this out. Debbie could get into Nathan’s
house and the dog would go with her, no problem. She’d also go with you, I assume.”

Megan’s neck tightened. “What do I do?” Glancing at her watch, she said, “I have to
go, but I can make some calls at lunch. Or…” She had no idea what her next step should
be.

“Go to work, but I need access to your financials. I want to see what the police might
see if they subpoena your records looking for a deposit that might match the supposed
bribe.”

Megan hesitated for about two seconds, and then realized it really didn’t matter.
She had nothing to hide. “Fine.”

“You won’t like it, but I have some eyes on Debbie. Maybe she’ll lead us to the dog.”

She stood, getting a cloth to wash Cole. “I’d be surprised if she stole the dog. Before
all this, I thought for sure she’d get custody. Seems like she has too much to lose.”

“You may be right, but I always check out every angle. That’s why I’m good at my job.”

Megan felt a flutter of relief. She believed Adam was good at what he did. He would
get to the bottom of this and clear her name. “Thank you. For helping, for everything.
I know how angry you are at me, but you turned on the charm for Cole, and I appreciate
it.”

He pulled his mouth tight. “I’m trying to figure this out, Meg. I don’t know shit
about being a dad, but I know it’s best for him if we’re civil.”

Yeah. Civil. Just what she’d always dreamed of.

Chapter Eleven

Adam’s attitude change was still on Megan’s mind when she pulled into the parking
lot of her veterinary practice. But that quickly shifted when she spotted two police
cars.

Her heart thumped in her chest. Oh God. This couldn’t be a coincidence. Four cops
turned to watch her. With them were Jillian, her receptionist, Dara, her vet technician,
and Trina, her assistant. The veterinary practice was a four-woman operation. She
sent cases beyond her capabilities to Lawrence’s Raven’s Cove Animal Hospital.

Had the cops questioned her employees about her? Her mouth was so dry, she could barely
swallow. Would they send two police cars just to ask her and her employees questions?
She parked the car, fumbled with her purse, and stepped out. The four cops kept watching
her, while her employees stood huddled together, wearing their soft-colored smocks
and looking worried.

Megan had no choice but to cross the parking lot. She swept her gaze over the one-story,
standalone building she leased, trying to get a sense of the situation. The front
windows all looked fine, the door secured. Finally, she approached the officers. She
recognized John and his partner, along with a third male officer and the sheriff,
Nadine Bolen. Megan and Nadine had gone to school together. Her confusion mounting,
she forced herself to say, “Good morning. Has something happened?”

“Dr. Young,” Nadine said, “we have a search warrant for your office.”

Dr. Young?
The formality caught her off guard. But the rest of Nadine’s sentence was even more
alarming. Search warrants happened on TV, not in a small town like Raven’s Cove, and
certainly not to her. “Are you serious?”

Nadine nodded and held out the papers. “It’s all outlined here. Please unlock the
door.”

Megan shuffled through her keys until she found the right one, feeling as though she
was moving underwater.
A search warrant.
The words played over and over while she opened the door.

The strong ammonia scent of urine hit her first.

Wrong. That was wrong. There shouldn’t be any animals in the clinic.

“Stand aside, Dr. Young.” The sheriff walked in, flanked by her cops.

Megan looked at Jillian, Trina, and Dara. “We didn’t have any animals kenneled here.
What’s going on?”

They all stared back, appearing as confused as she felt. Trina was pale, but managed
to shake her head, silently confirming there hadn’t been any patients in the clinic
last night. She was the one who often stayed overnight with a kenneled animal, needing
the bonus Megan paid her to do it.

Megan hated this unnamed fear and indecision. She didn’t know what to do. She could
only think of one thing—

Adam
.

She dug in her purse for her cell phone and called him.

“Meg, something wrong?” he answered.

“I think so.” She looked into her reception area, with all the brown chairs and padded
benches and easy-clean tiled floors. Pictures of animals were hung on the walls, along
with a ”Ten Ways To Love Me Back” poster about what dogs need from their owners. She
loved her vet practice. Treating animals filled some need inside of her.

“Talk to me, Meg,” Adam said, his voice soft yet commanding.

“The police are here, with a search warrant. I think…”

Sheriff Nadine and her officers walked out from the back offices. One of the policemen
led Celtic Fire.

For one brief second Megan’s mind blanked. Then gut-churning fear exploded. Holy dog
shit. She swallowed. “They found Celtic Fire, Adam. She was in my office.”

“Dr. Young,” the sheriff said, her voice firm, “you’re under arrest. Put the phone
down and turn around.” She pulled out a pair of steel handcuffs.

“Listen to me,” Adam said. “Say nothing. Cooperate but say nothing. I’ll meet you
at the sheriff’s station.”

Fear choked her, not for herself, but for her baby. “Cole! Adam—”

“I’ve got him covered. He’ll be fine. Just do what I said. Hang up and cooperate.
Don’t say anything until I see you.”

She had to trust him with Cole. Had to. “Okay.” She hung up and turned around.

John stepped up. “Sheriff, are the bracelets really necessary?”

Nadine said, “Look outside, officer.”

Megan watched as John strode to windows and opened the blinds. She could see his shoulders
and neck tense. “Crap.” He clicked the blinds closed. “A local reporter is outside
with a camera guy.”

“Exactly. I’m going by the book on this. Dr. Young, put your hands behind your back.”

The cold cuffs wrapped around her wrists. The sound of them snapping closed echoed
in the silent office. Tears clogged her throat as Nadine read Megan her rights.

“Dr. Young, do you understand your rights?”

Cooperate, Adam had said. She forced herself to answer, “Yes.” Looking around, she
saw one of the officers tugging back on Celtic Fire’s leash. The dog whined and pulled,
trying to get to Megan. Unable to bear the animal’s distress, she said, “Celtic, sit.”

The dog complied.

“Good girl,” she said soothingly.

The dog swept her long tail across the tiles.

Megan looked at the officer holding her leash. “She’ll listen to you if you talk to
her in a firm, confident voice. She’s just frightened, not used to being left alone.”
She closed her eyes, furious at the idea of the poor dog left alone all night in her
office. Whoever had done this was cruel. “Just reassure her that she’s okay and you’re
in control.” Focusing on the dog’s care helped calmed her down.

“All right, let’s go.” Nadine took hold of Megan’s arm. “Do yourself a favor, Megan.
Just stay quiet, stare straight ahead, and we’ll get through this.”

They stepped out into the morning sunshine. It felt wrong that the sun could still
be shining when her world was turning upside down.

“Dr. Young! Why did you steal Celtic Fire?” the reporter shouted.

Megan bit the inside of her cheeks, fighting the urge to defend herself. She wanted
to shout that she didn’t do it. She was being framed. But who would believe her? Celtic
Fire had been found in her clinic. Her thoughts raced and tumbled while she concentrated
on putting one foot in front of another. Humiliation burned through her, making her
sweaty. She was sure her skin was beet red. Would people looking at her see it as
a sign of guilt?

“Dr. Young, your mother is running for mayor. Does she support your actions? Stealing
a valuable dog?”

Megan snapped her head up. She stared at the reporter. How dare he bring her mother
into this. That jerk! She opened her mouth to defend her mom.

Nadine squeezed her arm as they stopped at a cruiser. “Dr. Young.”

Megan clamped her mouth shut so hard her teeth and jaw hurt. She focused everything
she had on just getting into the back seat of the patrol car. Nadine clicked the seat
belt over her and shut the door.

A few minutes later, she was on her way to jail.

…

At least I’m out of jail,
Megan repeated silently several hours later, trying to calm her anger. But fury kept
her adrenaline buzzing as she looked around her veterinary practice. The police had
left, but her office was a mess. “What the hell were they looking for?”

“Evidence,” Adam stated flatly. “There was no break-in, so someone unlocked the door,
brought Celtic Fire in, and put her in the kennel she was found in.”

She whipped around. “It wasn’t me, damn it! I didn’t do this!”

“I know.” He didn’t even pause as he accessed her backup files from the off-site server
space she rented. All her computers were gone. Adam was doing it all on his laptop.

Sighing heavily, she forced herself to calm down. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled
at you.” Adam had gotten to the sheriff’s station shortly after Megan. While she went
through the booking process, he got Eve Tate on the phone, a lawyer he had worked
with, and she secured Megan’s release. It’d taken a few hours, but she was free.

For now.

She took another breath. “Thank you for helping me. Tell me, how much this lawyer
is costing? I’ll get you the money.” Somehow. She had very meager savings, but there
was equity in her house.

“No.”

She frowned. “What? Adam—”

He set the computer down and rose to his full height. “You don’t have the money, I
do. Simple math, Megan. And you really don’t want to push me right now.” He brushed
past her and vanished.

She stood there looking at the empty doorway. Her office was closed for the day. Jillian,
God love her, had tracked down every patient and rescheduled.

Megan went into the hallway. Adam stood there, one hand against the light green wall,
shoulders hunched. “Adam?”

He jerked his hand from the wall and turned around. Shook his head. “I went over your
financials. You struggled to make ends meet, to survive.”

“It wasn’t that bad.” Maybe it had been a little rough for a while there, but she
and Cole were doing fine now.

He stalked toward her, stopped a couple feet away. “The hell it wasn’t. You were barely
making it right after Cole was born. You worked two fucking jobs with a newborn baby.”

She’d only had to do that for four months. “My practice was still building and I had
to pay off my medical bills. I worked one or two night shifts a week at Lawrence’s
hospital until I got caught up.”

He closed the distance between them, his nostrils flared, his gaze burning. “You went
to another man to help support my kid. Why didn’t you come to me? I want to know the
truth.”

Megan leaned back against the wall, trying to get some distance. “It wasn’t like that.
I worked for him, I didn’t ask him for money!” She’d never ask for money. Never. Just
the thought of it made her queasy.

Adam slapped his hands against the wall on either side of her head. “That’s what you
think of me, isn’t it? That I wouldn’t step up and pay for my kid.”

Her stomach twisted. She could remember her father screaming at her on the phone.
The ugly things he wrote on the child support checks he sent her mother. The court
battles. She closed her eyes, trying to escape the accusations in Adam’s eyes. “I
was scared, okay? I screwed up. I get it now. I’m sorry.”

“Scared?”

Disgusted at her cowardice, she forced herself to open her eyes. “My father left when
I was around four. My mom went after him for child support, and it was…ugly. He hated
me, resented every cent he was forced to pay. I didn’t want that for Cole.” She sucked
in a breath. “Why didn’t you ask me if Cole was your kid?” She’d been expecting him
to do that.

Adam stared down at her. “Because I know you’re not stupid. A simple DNA test would
prove paternity. You wouldn’t lie about that.”

Tucking her hands into the small of her back as she leaned against the wall, she said,
“Look, when this is over, it’s your choice. You want to pay child support, fine. You
want to be a part of Cole’s life, we’ll make it happen. But I can’t let you pay for
my lawyer.”

He lowered his head until their foreheads touched. “Yes, you can. Because I will not
allow Cole’s mother to be framed and destroyed.” He brought one hand up, touching
her face. “And you’re never going to work two jobs again while our son needs you.”

She was caught up in his gaze, his scent, the feeling that she wasn’t alone. But it
was only temporary and she had to remember that. “I’ll take your help for now.”

“Then let’s get busy.”

The moment stretched out. The clinic was silent except for the sound of their breathing.
Adam kept his forehead against hers, his hand cupping the curve of her face. “Are
you going to move back so we can get started?” she asked.

He brushed his thumb over her bottom lip.

Tingles raced through her. “Adam?”

“It’s never going to change,” he said, his voice growing huskier with each word. “It
won’t burn out or die off.” He sucked in a breath.

“What?”

“This attraction. Even when I’m mad as hell at you, I still want you.”

Megan shivered with mounting desire, but she couldn’t go there. “Don’t. I can’t do
this. I can’t have sex without a relationship. I need more of you than you can give
me.” The pain of Saturday night came flooding back through her. She couldn’t do just
sex. Adam was her weakness, the man who had too strong a hold on her heart. He had
the power to break her, and she wasn’t going to let that happen. She hadn’t let her
father emotionally shatter her, and she wouldn’t let Adam. She was strong enough to
set boundaries.

“We have to have some rules. No sex. I just can’t sleep with you then watch you retreat
when things get too emotional. You don’t trust me with your problems or secrets. That’s
fine, I get it. But don’t ask me to trust you with my body, because I can’t keep my
heart out of it like you do.”

Shadows darkened his eyes as tension lines dug grooves around his mouth. “It’s the
only way I know. The only way I can cope.”

She fought the urge to touch him, to ask him what haunted him so badly he kept his
emotions locked up tight. But that was like smashing her head against a brick wall
and complaining it hurt. Adam didn’t want to share his heart with her, just his body.
“Then we both know where we stand.”

He let go of her face and stepped back. “Let’s get this place cleaned up, and I’m
going to start investigating everyone connected to your life.”

She tried to get her emotional balance back. Force her mind to focus on the problem
of who was framing her. “I still think it’s Nathan. He’s discrediting me, destroying
me, just like he said he would.”

Adam leaned against the wall next to her. “Maybe, but where did he have Celtic Fire?
How did such an easy-to-recognize man manage to sneak the dog into your locked clinic?”

“Who else would have it in for me like this?”

“That’s the question, isn’t it? Pissed off any clients or employees? Anyone jealous
of you? Jilted boyfriends?”