Read Online The Baby Arrangement by Samantha Chase - Free Book Online
Authors: Samantha Chase
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my stuff is back at my place. I didn’t think I’d have time for it while I was caring for Emery.”
“Maybe tomorrow you can stop by and get it and we can look at together after dinner. What do you think?”
Her stomach was full of butterflies. “I think I can do that.” Taking a deep breath she turned and caught a glimpse of the time. “I think it’s time I headed back up. Emery is still an early riser and I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” Afraid to get to close to him, she backed out of the room as she spoke. “Good night, Derek.”
He gave her a smile that turned her knees to jelly. “Good night, Kayleigh.”
****
Derek couldn’t wait to get home the following evening. His mind had been stuck on Kayleigh all day. Who would have thought that finding a baby in his office would lead to so many possibilities?
Baby in his office.
Crap, when did he last put any effort into resolving that particular issue? Between work, business trips, and his attraction to Kayleigh, he had put the whole business with Emery out of his mind. He knew she was there, but his mind tended to block out the reasons why – mainly because her arrival had brought so many bonuses with it.
Focus, dammit ! Picking up his phone, he first dialed the number for his lawyer and touched base with him on any new developments with finding Brian. With nothing new to report, Derek hung up and dialed his private investigator and hoped to have more luck with the location of the birth mother.
By the time he arrived home that evening, his head was roaring. Never in his life had he felt so out of control. Every where he turned there were loose ends and that could not continue. With no real leads to go on, the private investigator promised to keep in touch, but hadn’t sounded hopeful. With Brian still out of the country they were at a dead end in just about every way. Derek had no doubt that Emery was Brian’s daughter. After going through his social calendar and following up on the women he had been involved with in the last year, nothing had turned up.
The thought of the baby belonging to his brother bothered him more than it should have.
Walking through the door of his home he was immediately hit with sensory overload. Something wonderful was cooking, there was classical music coming from the sound system throughout the house and Emery was having the kind of meltdown that she’d exhibited that first day in his office. Tossing his briefcase down at the door, Derek rushed into the living room in search of Kayleigh.
“What’s going on? Is Emery all right?” his voice was laced with concern and without thinking, he reached out and took the crying child from Kayleigh’s arms to comfort her. He was rubbing the baby’s back, speaking softly to her as he gently bounced her while walking around when he noticed the stunned look on Kayleigh’s face. One dark arched eyebrow in her direction said more than any question.
“She’s been fussy ever since she woke from her nap this afternoon,” Kayleigh said, rising from the sofa. She gently placed a cloth on his shoulder to protect his shirt from anything Emery might do as she walked to the kitchen to check on their dinner. “I called my brother and he said that there are a million reasons why a baby could be fussy.” She turned and stirred the sauce that was on the stove before adding, “We have an appointment with him first thing in the morning.”
Derek was more than a little relieved that Kayleigh was being so thorough in her care of the infant. Carefully, he lifted Emery from his shoulder and cradled her in his arms and his heart ached. He wasn’t sure how it had happened, especially since he had to remind himself earlier that she was a part of his life, but looking into Emery’s tear streaked face he realized that he had come to love her.
And she was Bri an’s.
True, she was still his niece ,
“Maybe tomorrow you can stop by and get it and we can look at together after dinner. What do you think?”
Her stomach was full of butterflies. “I think I can do that.” Taking a deep breath she turned and caught a glimpse of the time. “I think it’s time I headed back up. Emery is still an early riser and I need to get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning.” Afraid to get to close to him, she backed out of the room as she spoke. “Good night, Derek.”
He gave her a smile that turned her knees to jelly. “Good night, Kayleigh.”
****
Derek couldn’t wait to get home the following evening. His mind had been stuck on Kayleigh all day. Who would have thought that finding a baby in his office would lead to so many possibilities?
Baby in his office.
Crap, when did he last put any effort into resolving that particular issue? Between work, business trips, and his attraction to Kayleigh, he had put the whole business with Emery out of his mind. He knew she was there, but his mind tended to block out the reasons why – mainly because her arrival had brought so many bonuses with it.
Focus, dammit ! Picking up his phone, he first dialed the number for his lawyer and touched base with him on any new developments with finding Brian. With nothing new to report, Derek hung up and dialed his private investigator and hoped to have more luck with the location of the birth mother.
By the time he arrived home that evening, his head was roaring. Never in his life had he felt so out of control. Every where he turned there were loose ends and that could not continue. With no real leads to go on, the private investigator promised to keep in touch, but hadn’t sounded hopeful. With Brian still out of the country they were at a dead end in just about every way. Derek had no doubt that Emery was Brian’s daughter. After going through his social calendar and following up on the women he had been involved with in the last year, nothing had turned up.
The thought of the baby belonging to his brother bothered him more than it should have.
Walking through the door of his home he was immediately hit with sensory overload. Something wonderful was cooking, there was classical music coming from the sound system throughout the house and Emery was having the kind of meltdown that she’d exhibited that first day in his office. Tossing his briefcase down at the door, Derek rushed into the living room in search of Kayleigh.
“What’s going on? Is Emery all right?” his voice was laced with concern and without thinking, he reached out and took the crying child from Kayleigh’s arms to comfort her. He was rubbing the baby’s back, speaking softly to her as he gently bounced her while walking around when he noticed the stunned look on Kayleigh’s face. One dark arched eyebrow in her direction said more than any question.
“She’s been fussy ever since she woke from her nap this afternoon,” Kayleigh said, rising from the sofa. She gently placed a cloth on his shoulder to protect his shirt from anything Emery might do as she walked to the kitchen to check on their dinner. “I called my brother and he said that there are a million reasons why a baby could be fussy.” She turned and stirred the sauce that was on the stove before adding, “We have an appointment with him first thing in the morning.”
Derek was more than a little relieved that Kayleigh was being so thorough in her care of the infant. Carefully, he lifted Emery from his shoulder and cradled her in his arms and his heart ached. He wasn’t sure how it had happened, especially since he had to remind himself earlier that she was a part of his life, but looking into Emery’s tear streaked face he realized that he had come to love her.
And she was Bri an’s.
True, she was still his niece ,
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