A Father's Vow Page 3

  “Thank you for seeing me, Doctor.”

  “My pleasure. I, too, fell under Lucy Mulholland’s spell.” He smiled at Carolyn. “She is a very sweet little girl. And she’s going to be a heartbreaker when she grows up. Not of her own doing, of course. She’s like her grandmother and father. A gentle species.”

  Carolyn blinked. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  The doctor nodded, his blue eyes dark and serious now. “Eileen was a favorite patient of mine. We’re not supposed to have favorites, I guess. All patients should be regarded equally. But Eileen had sparkle. She was a real trooper.”

  Carolyn cleared her throat, sensing the doctor’s sadness. This was not the time to pry about Eileen, so she stuck with her basic question. “You were going to tell me about the blood testing process.”

  “The first stage is simple. You’ll get a blood test, which we can do here at the hospital, and the results will be analyzed.” He smiled, his eyes bright with humor. “I will admit to having been caught in Lucy’s spell myself, and rendered up my own arm for a test.”

  Carolyn stared at him.

  “Unfortunately, I’m not a match for her. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.”

  “She’s had the leukemia for a while, hasn’t she?”

  “I think she must have had it for a year before she was tested,” the doctor said quietly. “Her leukemia is fairly advanced, which is creating greater havoc in finding a donor, as more selective matches must be created.”

  Carolyn felt Dr. Collins’s intense gaze. Instinctively she knew that he missed nothing. If she had any outward symptoms of ill health, he would have seen them by now. She got up, told herself she was being irrational, but did her best to suck in her scarred abdomen anyway. “Thank you for your assistance, Dr. Collins. I appreciate your taking the time to see me.”

  “We’ll keep our fingers crossed that you get better news than I did.” He walked her to the office door. “Tell Mr. Mulholland hello if you see him.”

  “I will. Thank you.” She forced a smile and hurried from the office. Once in her car, she dropped her purse into the front seat and let down the windows. September heat was stifling in Texas, but her breathlessness came from a different source. She turned on the car and hit the air conditioner button.

  Hot air blasted her. She put her head back against the headrest and closed her eyes.

  Control. Ben felt out of control—that’s why he resented Dr. Collins. Ben wasn’t confident these days of his own ability to protect his family.

  Carolyn took a deep breath and glanced at the clock. In one hour, she would have the preliminary test that could prove her a match possibility for Lucy. She didn’t feel in control, either.

  She dialed a number on her cell phone. “Hi,” she said when her best friend, Emily, answered.

  “Hey, Caro.”

  “What would you say if I told you that Ben Mulholland came to see me yesterday?”

  “That it was an interesting turn of events. How did he look?”

  Carolyn smiled at the teasing tone in Emily’s voice. “He hasn’t changed much in the looks department.”

  “So your heart went pitty-pat?”

  She rolled her eyes. “I met his daughter, and his wife. Ex-wife.”

  “And?”

  “His daughter is sick with leukemia.”

  “Oh, no!”

  “She’s five, Em, and she’s adorable. Precious. Demanding. Wants as much of her daddy as she can get.”

  “Ahem. And your heart…”

  “Went right out the window. I’m waiting to have a blood test right now to see if I’m a preliminary match.”

  “Oh, God, Caro,” Emily said on a sigh. “You were born a trouper.”

  “Don’t tell anyone.”

  “Of course not. But I love you for being brave.”

  Carolyn thought about the lines of anxiety around Ben’s eyes, the tightness around Marissa’s million-dollar lips. “I’m not brave. I’m so afraid I’m looking for an easy way out.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Ben came to me with a case request, and I’m not sure I’m the one to handle it.”

  “And you’re calling me to get the green light.”

  “I’m calling you for a healthy dose of common sense.”

  Emily cleared her throat. “Let me see if I have the picture right. Ben wants you to help him with something, but already you feel the tugging of little heartstrings not just for him, but for his too cute daughter who is very ill. And you’re not sure you can keep your heart from getting steamrolled flat again. So you’re having the blood test done on the improbable chance that you’re a match, so you could give him what his daughter needs and duck out on him.”

  “Without sparing me, you seem to have outlined my dilemma pretty well,” Carolyn muttered.

  “You’re still in love with him.”

  “Would that shock you?”

  “Would it shock me? No. Would it astound me that you finally admitted it? Yes. Beyond words, actually.”

  Carolyn closed her eyes. “Oh, Emily. What a mess.”

  “All right. I think you should have the test and pray for a miracle, for Lucy’s sake. But if you’re not a match, all you can do is talk to Dylan and Lily about the case. They’re the ones who’ll steer you right.”

  She opened her eyes again. “Emily? Do you remember when we first met each other, when we were working at the adoption center? And there were all those kids who needed families, and we always wanted to scoop them into our hearts and love them?”

  “We tried to be pragmatic, though,” Emily said. “If you can’t help Lucy and Ben, you can’t, hon. There’s only so much one person can do.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. Only this time, that knowledge doesn’t make me feel any better.”

  “The fact that you’re personally involved is what Ben was counting on, Caro, or he wouldn’t have specifically sought you out. He’s hoping that because you cared about him and Eileen, you’ll do your damnedest to help his daughter. But you can’t save her, Caro. All you can really do is save him by being his friend.”

  Friend. Could she be his friend? Sure. She could do that.

  “Thanks, Em. I feel much better now.”

  “Good. Go get your arm stuck, and let me know what you find out. It’s too easy to work out this neatly, you know. The ex-girlfriend having the one thing the hero desperately needs. It’s too romance novel, but I admire you terribly for trying.”

  Carolyn snorted. “You said I was looking for a cop-out to keep myself from having to fail if I couldn’t solve the case in a satisfactory manner.”

  “I didn’t say that,” Emily told her, “you just did.”

  Carolyn was silent.

  “Besides, what does motivation matter? The cold fact is Lucy needs a donor. So go get tested, and see if you can escape from the past that easily.”

  “Thanks, Em—I think.” She wrinkled her nose and hung up the phone.

  The thought of Ben alone in the world made her open the car door and get out, locking it behind her. On the surface, taking the test seemed like a brave thing to do, but what made her even more afraid was not being able to give Ben what he wanted most.

  Again.

  CHAPTER THREE

  SUPPRESSING ANY lingering reservations, Carolyn called Dylan Garrett on his cell phone the following morning. “There’s a case which has been brought to Finders Keepers,” she told him. “Ben Mulholland wants us to see if there’s any chance he had a twin who was taken from his mother at birth. His mother became suspicious because of the Austin baby ring which was broken. She was also convinced she heard two children crying when she gave birth.”

  “She’s waited all
this time to mention that?”

  “Ben believes medication may have jogged his mother’s memory. She was dying of breast cancer and heavily medicated, which he believes helped unlock her memory of Ben’s birth.”

  “Or it could be the confused dream of a seriously ill woman.”

  “Right. But I knew Eileen Mulholland, and she was firmly based in reality. I tend to believe the story’s credible, mainly because of that.”

  “And Mr. Mulholland wants this twin found to make his mother rest easier on her deathbed.”

  “Actually, his mother has already passed away,” she said with a lump in her throat. “It’s his daughter he’s concerned about now.”

  “Because?”

  She sighed. “She has leukemia, and she needs a donor match.”

  “There’s no guarantee the twin could provide one.”

  “Right.”

  “But a missing twin might provide what the bone marrow database hasn’t been able to,” he mused. “Hope.”

  “Ben gave his mother’s story some credence once the shock wore off,” Carolyn said. “If I didn’t know the people involved, I wouldn’t think it very likely. It’s your agency, and your decision to accept or refuse the case—”

  “This is what Finders Keepers does,” Dylan interrupted. “Find the impossible. Start the preliminary search, and let me know what you find out. Lily’s pretty swamped with wedding details, but this is more my area anyway. The first thing I’d do is get on the phone with Jennifer Rodriguez, and pick her brain as to what kinds of files are best and most available for this kind of search. Bounce it off her, and keep in touch.”

  “Thanks, Dylan,” Carolyn said softly.

  “No need to thank me. I know you can handle it, or I wouldn’t have hired you to oversee the office.”

  That wasn’t what she meant. She was grateful he wanted Finders Keepers to take the case. But there was no need to correct his assumption. It meant a lot that he had that kind of faith in her abilities.

  “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. You’re tenacious when you get into something, Carolyn.”

  “That’s the same word someone else used to describe me.”

  “Well, it’s a good trait in our business. Best of luck. Call me if you hit a pothole.”

  “I will.” She hung up the phone, jumping when the door swung open. Ben walked inside, his little daughter at his side. Lucy headed straight for the candy dish, and Ben headed straight for Carolyn.

  Her heart seemed to plummet downward like a fainting bird as his hazel eyes met hers.

  “I’m glad you stopped by, Ben,” Carolyn said, her voice friendly yet not more than that. “I just talked to Dylan Garrett about your case, and he believes Finders Keepers should try to obtain as much information for you as we can.”

  With those words, she steered them onto a business-like track. Immediately Ben realized Carolyn wasn’t comfortable with what he’d asked of her. Taking this case went against her wishes to keep him at arm’s length, which is what she’d tried to do from the moment he’d walked into the office. He’d insisted she be the one to help him, but he also respected the wall she’d erected to protect herself.

  Okay. He didn’t want to upset her. The fact was, she was doing him a hell of a favor, and he wouldn’t have come to Carolyn if his mother hadn’t insisted. But Eileen had been correct. Carolyn of the soft heart would put her utmost into finding the truth of a twin, for Lucy’s sake.

  It had nothing to do with Ben.

  “I appreciate that,” he said briskly. “I feel better knowing that Lucy and I are in capable hands.”

  Carolyn looked at him evenly. “I’ll need preliminary information, such as your place of birth. Also, I think we should be prepared for the consequences of what happens should we succeed with our search.”

  “Hopefully there’s a match and…” His voice trailed off.

  “There’s always the possibility this twin won’t want to have his or her life changed by the revelation of an unknown family.”

  Ben considered her. “I’ve thought of that. Selfish as it may seem, I’m not focusing on that right now.”

  “Donor matches are generally done anonymously,” Carolyn said crisply. “In this case, we’re counting on the family tie to secure the compliance of this person. But we have to be prepared that if you do have a missing twin, he may not be all that welcoming. It’s a bridge we can cross when we come to it, but I feel we should take it into consideration at this point.”

  Ben bowed his head. “It must seem cold-blooded of me, but I’d be willing to turn someone else’s life upside down to save my daughter’s.”

  She shook her head. “We just need to be prepared for the fact that this search is going to be very emotional. For everyone involved.”

  He looked at her narrowly. “I’d sell my soul to save my child. I swear I would.”

  “You can discuss the retainer with us later,” she said dryly. “I doubt Finders Keepers wants your soul, exactly. However, we don’t come cheaply, so let’s get to work. Is Lucy going to be all right while we talk? There’s a small TV in the reception area, and we could turn on ‘Sesame Street,’ or whatever it is kids watch these days.”

  “‘Sesame Street’ would be perfect, but I warn you, she won’t let me far out of her sight.”

  “I had noticed that.” They stood, and the three of them walked into the reception area outside Carolyn’s office. It contained a sofa, two chairs, walls of books, a TV and a gum ball machine. “This is sort of the lounge.” She flipped on the TV, and Lucy bounced onto the sofa.

  “Sit by me, Daddy,” she commanded.

  “I can’t right now. I have to talk to Miss Carolyn.” He glanced at Carolyn with his brows knit. “Miss Carolyn?”

  The blush that stole over her features was endearing, he thought. At twenty-seven, not many woman blushed. But Carolyn was not like any other woman he knew.

  She would not get on a plane to go to a fashion shoot if her daughter was ill. Of course, he couldn’t totally blame Marissa for running away. Sometimes he wanted to run as fast and as far as he could to get away from Lucy’s illness.

  The trouble was, his little girl had to be the one to outrun it. He couldn’t do it for her.

  “It is ‘Miss,’“ Carolyn said, her tone almost frosty to remind him to stay on his side of the wall.

  “Miss St. Clair and I will be over here in her office,” he said in the same crisp tone so she’d know he’d got the message. “Call me if you need anything, Lucy.”

  “Miss Carolyn is fine,” she told Ben as they walked behind the stone half wall that separated Carolyn’s office from the reception area. “Actually Carolyn is fine with me, if you don’t mind Lucy calling me that.” She motioned Ben to take a seat across from her.

  “We prefer Miss or Mrs. or Mr.,” Ben said firmly. “Lucy is a handful, and we’re trying to teach her proper manners from the start. It’s easier than undoing bad ones, and believe me, she appears angelic, but she’ll try the patience of the saints. Once we found out she was ill, it was more difficult to be strict, but—“ He stopped, realizing he sounded as if he were lecturing. As if he’d gone into teacher mode, stressing the explanation to a rebellious student.

  Carolyn didn’t seem to notice. She sat down at her desk and pulled out a folder marked with his name and inserted a new tape into her ever present recorder. “Let’s start with your birth certificate, of course. You were born on the outskirts of Austin, correct? A record of birth would have had to be filed at the county courthouse, and one with the state. We’ll need to compare them.”

  He stared at her, realizing she was asking for more than the rote repetition of what was on his insurance.

  “Whatever you can’t remember, we need to make notes so that we can look
up this information.”

  “Jeez, I wish Mom was alive,” he said slowly. “I’m not sure I can remember all of it, and she could rattle family details like a professor.”

  “Well, we’ll have to do this without her,” Carolyn said, her voice gentle. “Ben, we have to determine the best way to begin searching for the existence of this person. We’ve got a good start but these are the things we have to know. Whatever you can remember will be crucial in saving us time.”

  He let her crisp, straightforward manner wash over him. She was right, of course. He had to rely upon himself now.

  And Carolyn. She had evidently gone to her superiors and asked for permission to handle his case. He wasn’t totally alone and defenseless in the world as long as he had her on his side.

  * * *

  “IT SEEMS TO ME that the first person we should speak to is this Dr. Benton.” Carolyn looked at Ben to see if he agreed. “Everything we’ve discussed leads back to the fact that the doctor is more than likely the only person who knows what really happened when your mother gave birth.”

  He nodded. “How do we proceed on a matter like this? Do you think this falls under physician-patient privilege, even though Mom is gone?”

  Caroline tightened her lips thoughtfully. “A patient’s records would still be confidential after death. However, talking to the doctor is a logical first step. I, for one, would be quite interested to hear what he has to say. First of all, he’s going to be quite surprised to have us show up out of the blue asking questions about the delivery.”

  “What compelling excuse can we use to get him to pull Mom’s records from the file? After all these years, there’s a good possibility the records no longer even exist. How long are doctors obligated to keep a patient’s records?”

  “Even after a patient is deceased, most doctors keep the files in what is known as a dead file or something along that line. Patients change doctors, and those histories have to be moved from an active file into another system. They’re somewhere. The question is, would he still have Eileen’s files in his office or would he have moved them into a storage facility?”