Zac lifted the carrier and walked inside his home, still annoyed with himself for not getting Fatima's number. That was the second time he let the woman get away. When she appeared, walking toward him in the parking lot, he thought his eyes were deceiving him. This time, she dressed casually in an orange fitted shirt and white shorts. She was even shorter this time in sandals. He hated pulling away, but he had too much on his plate without adding sex back into the equation. Not wanting to dwell on either situation anymore, he shifted his focus to being thankful that his mother's car was parked outside. He could finally get out of the clothes we wore the day before, take a shower and get some sleep. "Mama?" "In here," she said, her voice carried down the hall. It should have surprised him she wasn't in the sitting room, but the past twenty-four hours made it difficult for anything to surprise him now. He followed the sound into the kitchen and saw she wasn't alone. He set the carrier on the granite counter and dropped down on one of the bar stools.
"I couldn't believe it when I got your message," Zeke said. His voice was a little too loud for Zac. "Keep it down. She just fell asleep." Lilian was too busy studying the baby's features to referee her two adult children. "You used to make that same face when you slept." "That's not my kid." "Are you certain?" his mother asked. Zac was too tired to argue. "I called both of you because I need someone to watch her for me." Zeke laughed, which didn't surprise Zac, but it was his mother's snickers that made him frown. "Zac, she's your responsibility." He disagreed with her. Zeke laughed louder, and the baby started crying. "Damn! I told you to keep it down." Zac sighed, reaching to lift the infant from her seat when she opened her eyes and kicked away her blanket. This time she calmed down as soon as he placed the pacifier in her mouth. She curled against his chest and fell back asleep. "She looks good on you," his mother said in a voice so soft and soothing, he almost smiled until he realized what she meant. "What's her name?" "Penny." "Why don't you take Penny to the police station?" "And let this play out in the media?" Their mother frowned, but Zeke nodded. "Good point, but what are you going to do about it?" "You should at least have her checked out. Make sure she's okay. You never know, especially with her mother's behavior." "I wouldn't even know where to begin to do that." "I'll ask my neighbor. Her daughter Mia is a pediatrician and I'm quite certain she will respect our privacy." "I already have the lawyers looking for her mother so they can give her back." Lilian questioned, "What makes you think it will be that simple? If she left the child with a virtual stranger, do you expect her to just take her back that easily? She left her for a reason." Zac had left messages on their phones, explaining everything that happened the day before when Aubrey showed up on his doorstep. "I can't believe you hooked up with a girl that took her kid on Maury," his brother said with a shake of his head. The boys' taunts continued and Lilian held up a hand to silence her sons. "If you find her to give the child back, what are your plans if she won't take her?" Zac leaned forward. "I'll give her enough cash until she does."
"She looks good. Appears to be on track for weight and length." Mia, the daughter of his mother's neighbor smiled down at Paris and let the baby play with her stethoscope. "I did notice her swiping at her ears a couple of times. The tubes look clear, but it wouldn't hurt to recheck them in a week if you catch her still tugging on her ears." Zac stood nearby watching the pediatrician his mother found for him. Although Mia recognized Zac from when they were kids growing up, he couldn't recall a time meeting her. With her taking time during her Saturday evening to drive out to Westport for a house call, he felt like a jerk for not remembering her. "I don't know if she'll still be here then." Mia nodded before dangling her stethoscope above Paris. Little hands reached to grasp it. "I can always put a call in to social services if you want to keep your name out of it." Zac shook his head. He was certain his mother didn't reveal everything, but Mia was bright enough to figure out the missing details. "No, it's fine. This is only temporary." Mia reached for her equipment to repack all her instruments in her case. "Here's my card with my private number. Feel free to call if you have any questions or concerns. Here is a sample of a formula you can try for her gassiness. Just follow the instructions. She should be ready for a bottle every six hours, but try to keep them at least four hours apart. Since we don't know if she has any allergies, let's stick to cereal and test out just one or two fruits and veggies for now. I'll add options to the list and things to look for in case she's allergic." "Cereals? Like what kind? She doesn't have teeth." Mia laughed. "Infant cereal." She finished explaining what flavors he could try and how to prepare it. Zac realized another trip to the grocery store was in order and he already dreaded it.
"If she's still visiting in a week, call the office and make an appointment in a week. I'll recheck her ears and we can discuss introducing a few more foods she can try. Other than that, I think you're good." Zac shifted his focus from the doctor to Paris. The baby turned her head and blew bubbles out her mouth. He reached out to tickle her stomach and pulled his hand back. He didn't know why he tickled her, but she babbled something and offered him a toothless smile urging him to do it again. "See, she seems to agree," Mia said. "Agree with what?" "You'll be fine." Zac looked at her tiny little fingers and ten baby toes feeling the weight on his shoulders return. This was real. Until he could get this kid back to her mother, he was responsible for a life other than his own. "I hope so," he said reaching for the baby's hand. She curled her fingers around one of his long ones, holding it tight. For the first time since she arrived, he wasn't ready for her to let go.
It had been two days since Fatima got the email. It had taken her that long to recover from the shock. The offer was real and after digging through the mess for Styles by Fatima was now in, Fatima would be a fool to refuse. She walked to the coffee shop to have a quiet lunch and draft a response, one she still wasn't sure how to give. Two lines in, Fatima's pulse quickened. A simple three-letter response would add six zeroes to her bank account and she would not be required to divide up the figure with anyone except the government on tax day. She still was uncertain about whether or not to accept it? If she accepted, what would Angela and Belinda think? Should she feel obligated to cut them in although they no longer had any say in the business? Fatima pushed her laptop aside and sipped her iced coffee. The flight back to New York that afternoon would be the end to yet another weekend spent in the state she'd grown fond of. In spite of the many times she groaned the wedding and all the pomp and circumstance that came with it, she loved her frequent trips to Atlanta. A male voice she recognized got Fatima attention. It was a voice that sounded bedroom sexy when tired, but now it's deep richness was soothing. She turned to look behind her to see who Zac was flirting with. "You can have it only if you give me that smile again." His remarks would have made any woman blush, but the giggles he brought out were those of a little girl. Fatima could have sworn her ovaries did a backflip from the sight of Zac with Patricia who was smiling at him. "Oh hey." Fatima realized he caught her staring and smiled during his approach to her table. "Looks like you're off to a better start this morning." He laughed. Damn his laugh was just as sexy as that smile. "Thank goodness, but just in case it's good to know you're around in case I need rescuing again." This time, it was her heart that decided to join her ovaries with the gymnastics routine.
