Nobody's Baby but Mine Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  copyright

  Dedication

  Praise for Ms. Evans

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  Thank you

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  Nobody’s Baby but Mine

  Marianne Evans

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Nobody’s Baby but Mine

  COPYRIGHT 2016 by Marianne Evans

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or Pelican Ventures, LLC except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  eBook editions are licensed for your personal enjoyment only. eBooks may not be re-sold, copied or given to other people. If you would like to share an eBook edition, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version(R), NIV(R), Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

  Cover Art by Nicola Martinez

  White Rose Publishing, a division of Pelican Ventures, LLC

  www.pelicanbookgroup.com PO Box 1738 *Aztec, NM * 87410

  White Rose Publishing Circle and Rosebud logo is a trademark of Pelican Ventures, LLC

  Publishing History

  First White Rose Edition 2017

  Electronic Edition ISBN 978-1-61116-999-7

  Published in the United States of America

  Dedication

  To Lisa McCaskill, a gifted and caring editor who makes our words shine. You're a treasure, and you're deeply appreciated! Thanks for all you do for the 'Ladies of the Haven!'

  Praise for Ms. Evans

  “…There were so many things about this story that I appreciated that I am just going to say, you need to read this book.” ~ 5-Hearts, That's a Novel Idea

  "I found myself cheering for these talented, modern women who live their faith, and the men who share their lives." ~ NY Times Bestselling Author Ruth Ryan Langan on the Sisters in Spirit Series

  Devotion: Booksellers Best Award from Greater Detroit RWA, ACRA Heart of Excellence Award

  Hearts Communion: Christian Small Publisher Book of the Year in Romance, ACRA Heart of Excellence Award

  Operation Breathless: IDA Award for Best Inspirational Short Story

  Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

  ~Mark 10:14

  1

  Noah Talbert sat frozen, trapped in the confines of a plush, wood-paneled lawyer’s office. He stared at Stuart Gavinson, the portly, middle-aged man who had been left in charge of the few but vital legal components of the estate of Jennifer Sommerville.

  Jen. Noah’s heart twisted. Emotions swelled and rose from his heart straight to his throat forming a tight clog that prompted him to bite the inside of his cheek. His only sibling…and his twin. A sense of loss swamped him, like it had ever since he received the phone call notifying him of her death. Even after two weeks—two frantic and desperate weeks spent closing up his apartment, packing his few possessions, job shuffling—pain hadn’t decreased by even the smallest degree.

  “Where is the boy now?”

  For some reason—fresh grief most likely—the lawyer’s generic referral to Noah’s nephew scratched against Noah’s nerves. “Ever since the funeral, Dylan has been with my sister’s best friend at the apartment complex where Jennifer lived. That kept him in familiar surroundings and gave him a sense of comfort. It also gave me enough time to make arrangements to move to Angel Falls.”

  Noah hoped Stuart registered the subtle emphasis he had placed on Dylan’s name. Owlish eyes peered from behind a pair of black-framed glasses. A slow blink punctuated that visual. “You were able to accomplish a job change, and a move, in only two weeks? Pretty amazing if you ask me.”

  “There wasn’t much holding me to Shreveport. The move was necessary, and I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” Noah breathed, eased back the tension level. This guy was only doing his job. “I’m a bit of an itinerant-type guy anyhow.”

  Meanwhile, Noah thought, thank God for Charlotte Latherson. The image of a brunette with wavy hair that tumbled against slim but strong shoulders came to mind. She was lovely, warm as toast for the most part, but even after only a few meetings, Noah sensed she was fierce and protective about the children she worked with each day. Charlotte was a counselor at Angel Falls Elementary School, and that equation spread some peace through Noah’s soul. Her influence would undoubtedly help Dylan on the path to recovery. That mission was priority one.

  Noah had last seen his sister and nephew together a few months ago. They maintained a tradition of getting together whenever possible, especially during holidays and at milestone events like Dylan’s graduation from preschool last spring. Despite a propensity toward wanderlust, Noah loved his sister and nephew and remained firmly attached to them. Dylan was growing tall, and he had such a feisty spirit. He possessed the dark hair and angular facial features of the Talbert family combined with the challenging spark and charm of Robert Somerville. Robby.

  Several non-Christian names and judgments came to life at the thought of the smooth-talking non-starter who, once upon a time, had swept Jen off her feet—literally and figuratively—only to leave her pregnant and alone, but determined to do right by her son.

  So, Noah couldn’t be too harsh. From the two of them, from God’s will and plan, had come Dylan. There were times when Noah felt alone in the world; Jen and Dylan had always provided a needed counter-balance to that belief. They had always made it clear he was part of a family. Now, he was the sole viable link for Dylan to blood relations and the mother Dylan had always adored.

  “It’s him and me against the world.”

  Jen’s oft-repeated mantra played against the strings of Noah’s heart. The words were truth, despite the fact that their parents lived in Marietta, Georgia. Their brand of family support had ended abruptly upon discovery of Jennifer’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy. Noah steeled himself against another pulsating barrage of anger, refusing delivery on the emotion. No sense rehashing old nightmares at this point. Nothing to be gained.

  What he needed right now was to see to Dylan.

  “I know you and Dylan still need time to process everything that’s happened.” The lawyer’s smooth, deep voice cut into Noah’s thoughts. “You’ll need to get your feet under you, and you’ll need to help Jennifer’s son with that process as well.”

  “I’ll be reachable at my sister’s address. I’ve already made arrangements to sublease her place.”

  Stuart jotted notes and nodded. “I’ll make that your contact address. There are court-governed processes to be followed that we’ll need to discuss, but that’ll come in time. Now that you’re ready to assume custody, I’ll guide you through the legal framework and any bumps in the road. At the end of it all, though, Jennifer’s expressed wish was for you to assume guardianship.”

  Stuart’s words returned Noah to the realization that a tempest of details remained to be sorted and embraced. Commitments and life-changing circumstances would continue to alter his pathway. Roots. He was putting down roots. Really, t
here was no choice now; maybe it was time.

  So, Noah offered the lawyer an automatic nod of understanding. Wearing the only suit coat and dress slacks he owned, paired with a carefully knotted tie—when was the last time he had strapped on one of those nooses?—it seemed the neckline tightened every time he swallowed. Slowly he gathered his official copy of Jennifer’s will—and death certificate.

  All over again he scanned the medical jargon, though most of it was already burned into his mind. Cause of death: Traumatic chest and head injuries due to automobile accident. Acute and multiple internal injuries contributing.

  Noah breathed in through his nose, but the air turned hot and humid in the span of time it took him to blink back tears and fears. Walls closed in and it became a battle to lift to his feet. He wavered slightly when he felt a weight, a loving but daunting responsibility, bear down on his body.

  In desperate terms he needed his nephew. It was time to see Dylan, to move forward as best they could. Together. As a family.

  ****

  Swinging his car into a left-hand turn off the interstate, Noah arrived at Heart’s Haven, the apartment complex where Jen had lived for close to four years. Passing beneath an arched entryway, he squinted through the windshield at a quaint, weathered sign crafted of wood that featured the scripted words: May Love Find All Who Enter Here.

  He had visited this spot a couple dozen times and the moniker always caught his eye. Nice ideal, sure, but was it realistic? No. Not anymore. Not right now…maybe not ever again. Even as a believer in love, in God’s grace and mercy, he couldn’t quite find a way to that kind of unfettered optimism. He’d been robbed too often, too harshly of late, to allow himself to be that carefree.

  His first stop was the apartment rented by Charlotte Latherson. Charlotte had always been close to Jennifer, and as of this school year, since Dylan was a freshly minted elementary school attendee, Charlotte was also his school counselor. Noah had met her a handful of times at the Haven-sponsored barbeques that seemed to be a monthly staple of the residents.

  Afternoon inched toward the break of early evening; lengthening shadows painted a green, open courtyard dotted by fire pits, a gazebo, picnic tables and trees that were surrounded by colorful flower beds. Noah parked his car then trotted the narrow length of a cobbled sidewalk leading to Charlotte’s cottage-style unit. He rapped on the door, itching to bundle Dylan into his arms and tuck him close. Better days were coming. He had to believe that—and cling to it.

  Noah’s brows puckered when his summons stirred an unexpected, rapid-fire series of barks. Those plaintive yips were soon enjoined by the much deeper, robust woofs of a second dog and Noah heard a mad scramble of paws and toenails scrabbling against entryway tile…

  “Baby! Yoda! Settle down!”

  That was Charlotte’s voice, but Noah puzzled. Baby? Yoda? What was going on? Charlotte didn’t own one dog, let alone two—

  The second the door came open, two-hundred pounds of black and white fur, muscle and energy bounded straight for him and sent him toppling backward. All thoughts derailed. Dog number one was followed promptly by dog number two, a small brown terrier bent on pinning Noah at the chest and licking him to death.

  “Baby! Yoda! Stop!”

  Noah shook free of a blur, regaining himself when he registered the reprimand in Charlotte’s low, smoky voice. Something in its tenor left his pulse to escalate. Still held to the ground by an energetic pup determined to deliver a never-ending face bath, Noah turned his head away from a slobbery animal tongue and found his vision aligned with Charlotte’s well-worn tennis shoes. Automatically his gaze tracked upward, along a pair of black cropped pants that hugged long legs and tapered against the curves of a slim waist. To look at Charlotte Latherson was to take a taste of summer; to be near her was to breathe deep of flower-kissed breezes. She was that fresh—that appealingly sweet. And evidently dog slobber had left him to wax poetic…

  Next to Charlotte stood a woman he couldn’t identify.

  “Ah…” Noah stammered, looking at Charlotte once more. Not particularly eloquent, but he couldn’t manage much more as he peeled little Yoda off his chest and staggered to his feet in time to confront the intent stare and moist, panting mouth of an enormous malamute. If this was ‘Baby,’ then this had to be some kind of joke…right?

  The stranger cuffed the gargantuan dog with a leash, her features flushed and red. “I am so sorry.” She ruffled the dog’s ample fur. “Baby, you’re doing much better in the behavior department, but seriously, Justin and I need to spend more time working on your people skills.”

  Yep. This was Baby, and his life had officially transformed into a sitcom episode because the lady holding the reins was tiny—a pixie-like blonde who sported high-heeled boots and one of those belted coats made of shiny, silvery material. A style-maven Jennifer might have said, and Noah’s heart ached.

  Realizing he still held Yoda—the dog’s entire body trembled while he power-washed his tail back and forth, back and forth—Noah’s gaze reconnected with Charlotte Latherson. The world around him did a slow fade, reduced to nothing but large, chocolaty eyes, that silky tumble of dark hair, and the radiant warmth of a lovely woman.

  “Hey, Charlotte.”

  “Hi, Noah. Quite the greeting, huh? Sorry for the mess. Y’all right?”

  “I’ll be fine.” Shy all of a sudden, and not precisely sure why, Noah dusted off his backside as an added component to this greeting party busted across the entryway of Charlotte’s apartment in the form of a five-year-old boy.

  “Uncle Noah! Uncle Noah! Yeah! You’re here!”

  Noah barely had time to squat and open his arms before Dylan charged into a hard and tight embrace.

  “Hey, champ! I’ve missed you like crazy. Everything good?”

  “Um-hum. Now it is.”

  Dylan’s words were muffled against Noah’s neck, but he caught the emphasis—the need. Noah lifted to his feet, and kindergartner or not, Dylan came right along with him in a lift Noah punctuated with a teasing grunt of exertion. “OK, so, you grew eight inches and gained forty pounds in a couple of weeks. Cut it out, would ya?” Dylan giggled, but clung relentlessly. Noah was just fine letting that reaction ride. But then, like the call of a connecting rod, his focus homed in on Charlotte. “So, ah…you got a dog…”

  “Yeah, she sure did.” Surprisingly, it was the blonde-haired lady who answered. She shared an easy laugh. “Since my misery just begged for company, Charlotte took on Yoda just after I claimed custody of Baby.”

  And at present, Baby-the-beast rested on her haunches, sitting neat as a pin and panting heavily. The animal’s piercing eyes were trained on Noah’s every move. Was she hungry, maybe? Eyeing him as an appetizer perhaps?

  “I’m Jaci Meadows, by the way.”

  Snapping free from a wish to not be eaten, Noah accepted Jaci’s extended hand. “Noah Talbert. And I belong to this guy.” He indicated Dylan with a chin tilt. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  “I heard you’re going to be our new neighbor.” Jaci glanced at Charlotte; her lips curved in that secretive, private manner Noah had always figured belonged to women alone. “Welcome to Heart’s Haven.”

  “Thanks. I’ll feel better once I’m settled in.”

  During introductions, Dylan climbed from Noah’s arms and Charlotte corralled Yoda. The eager pup now bounced and danced against the confines of a leather leash, continuing that whole butt-wiggle, body-wag thing.

  “So when is your moving truck coming?”

  Charlotte’s question prompted Noah to look over his shoulder and take in the small car that carried all of his possessions. “Didn’t need one. I sublet my place in Shreveport, which was one of those fully-furnished deals to begin with. I’m sure the things Jen has on hand at her place will suit me just fine.”

  Charlotte paused, studied him for a beat then turned toward her unit. “I’m glad you made it here safe and sound. You’re all Dylan’s been talking about. Come on in. I’l
l treat you to a cup of coffee.”

  “See you later, Charlotte.” Jaci issued a low, firm walk command to Baby, who responded to her owner’s voice like a seasoned vet. Still, Noah wondered if the dog wasn’t going to end up taking Jaci for a spin around the complex rather than the other way around…

  Noah watched them drift into the lengthening shadows and bright, golden chunks of sunlight that painted the grass of the main courtyard and burnished the flower-rimmed gazebo that stood sentinel over the grounds. “They’re quite a pair.”

  “She’s fantastic. And don’t let that small frame and innocent-looking face fool you. She’s got strength to spare. Literally and figuratively.”

  Dylan sprang from foot to foot. “Miss Charlotte, can I please walk Yoda? Please? I promise to be careful, and I promise not to let him go, and I promise to stay right by the house.”

  Noah stifled a laugh at the litany and noticed Charlotte did just the same before answering. “To the gazebo and back. No farther.”

  “OK!”

  Taking custody of the dog, Dylan puffed his chest and trounced with authority toward the white wooden structure. Charlotte watched after him.

  “Do you mind if we wait out here for a bit? I want to make sure Dylan doesn’t have any trouble.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  Following a shared grin, they stood in a companionable silence that moved through the cooling air and soothed Noah’s battered spirit. He breathed and went blissfully still, a luxury he hadn’t been able to embrace very often of late.

  “Rough days, huh?”

  Her tone was tender and understanding. Still, he sighed. “Mind-read much? They’ve been some of the roughest, to be blunt.” Dylan was taking good care of Yoda, he was proud to see, letting the dog take its lead, but not charge ahead or dominate.

  “Have you been to Jen’s unit yet?”

  “Not since I was here for the funeral. I wanted to see Dylan first.”

  “Understandable.” She fingered back a wind-tossed wave of hair. “He’s sad, and I can tell he’s trying so hard to figure things out. He’s been a good boy while he’s been with me. All the same, I’m sure he’ll be glad to get back home.”