The Daddy Dilemma

“What would it take to get you to the altar?” Welcome to DADDY BOOM! Title Page PROLOGUE CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER THREE CHAPTER FOUR CHAPTER FIVE CHAPTER SIX CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER EIGHT CHAPTER NINE EPILOGUE Copyright

“What would it take to get you to the altar?”

“If you must know...marriage really isn’t on my agenda,” Mackie replied.

“Not concerned about your biological clock?”

“I can’t believe we’re having this conversation. I like my life. It’s nice to sleep through the night without being awakened to tend to someone else’s needs.”

“But what about a lover awakening you to cuddle?”

“I thought we were talking about children.”

“You were the one bringing up sleeping undisturbed. Sounds like someone used to sleeping alone.”

“Who I sleep with is—”

“Out! Out!” Ashley shrieked. The baby’s rebellion against the car seat didn’t abate until they arrived back at Mackie’s.

Worn from her tantrum, Ashley settled into her makeshift crib, stuck her thumb in her mouth and fell sound asleep. Mackie stared down at the little girl, thinking how enchanting she looked in sleep, how lovable. For the first time in ages, Mackie fantasized about having a baby of her own, then quickly shook her head, drowning such craziness.

Welcome to DADDY BOOM!

just look who’s holding the baby now!

Following on from our highly popular BABY BOOM series,

Harlequin Romance® is proud to bring you DADDY BOOM, full of babies, bachelors and happy-ever-afters. Meet irresistible heroes who are about to discover that there’s a first time for everything—even fatherhood!

Fourth in our series is The Daddy Dilemma by Kate Denton.

We’ll be bringing you one deliciously cute DADDY BOOM

title every other month.

Look out in October for

The Tycoon’s Baby

by Leigh Michaels.

Who says bachelors and babies don’t mix?

www.millsandboon.co.uk

PROLOGUE

THE more Mackie Smith heard, the madder she got. Gordon Galloway was a bully, no...a monster. Mackie pulled a tissue box from her credenza and set it within reach of the sobbing woman seated in front of her desk.

“It’s been so long since Ashley was in my arms, so long since my baby—” Beth dissolved into tears again. “I’ve begged, pleaded for three months...and he refuses even to let me see her.”

Attempting to curb her anger, Mackie took a deep breath. Who did Galloway think he was anyway?—riding roughshod over a vulnerable woman...keeping her from her daughter like this. Mackie could hardly wait to move into the courtroom arena and give him a dose of his own medicine. “We’re going to do whatever it takes to fix that,” she said to Beth. “I promise.”

“You don’t know Gordon. He’ll pull out all the stops. Tell lies...paint me as worse than I was. I realize I made a humongous blunder, but how long do I have to pay for it?”

“Let Mr. Galloway carry on till he’s blue in the face,” Mackie said. “Fortunately for us, it’s the judge who counts and Judge Fillmore won’t be swayed by one man’s ranting and raving.”

“But Gordon can be so convincing.” Beth shook her head helplessly. “And he’s rich now, too. Rich enough to influence a judge.”

Mackie got up from her chair and walked around to pat Beth on the shoulder. “So your former husband has more money than a Swiss bank—that won’t sway Fillmore, either.” Mackie gave the shoulder a friendly squeeze. “Try to relax and leave the fretting to me. If things go like I hope they will, you’ll have your baby in your arms for the weekend.”

“A weekend? I want more than that.”

“Of course you do. Only our chances are better if we approach this one step at a time. Remember what I told you—first we go for visitation, then we make the pitch for custody down the road.”

“But—”

“Beth...” Mackie took her client’s hands. “If I’m to be your lawyer, you have to trust me to know what I’m doing.”

Beth nodded resignedly.

“Now you’d better get going,” Mackie told her. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the courthouse...nine sharp.” She ushered Beth out of her office.

An hour later Mackie had another file on her desk to draw her attention, but her mind kept returning to the Galloway case. Tucking the ends of her neat brown bob behind her ears, she stared out the window at the montage of Dallas skyscrapers, silently praying that her skills would be enough, that she wouldn’t let Beth down. She knew how important her own lawyer’s support had been when she was groping her way out of a disastrous marriage. It was equally important to her now to do the same for others. Would I have left if there’d been a child? Her breath caught in her throat. Such thoughts were off-limits.

In the predawn hours, Gordon Galloway sat motionless in a rocking chair, watching his tiny daughter sleep. He’d been there the entire night, dozing occasionally, but unable to remain asleep for long. “I can’t lose you,” he whispered, his heart aching, squeezed in an invisible vise. Yet the possibility was too real. All because of Beth and her hotshot lawyer Mackie Smith.

Already those two were making his life a living hell, and things were just heating up. Gordon could visualize this morning’s hearing. Beth had a penchant for drama and the wronged maiden was one of her favorite roles. His imagination went into overdrive speculating on what kind of performance she’d give today to impress this particular audience of one—a judge with the power to blast Gordon’s world asunder.

His attorneys had told him to stop stewing, swore that there was no way Beth could finagle Ashley away from him. Easy for them to say—it wasn’t their child. And they had yet to catch Beth’s act. When she put her mind to it, Beth could charm the fangs off a snake.

For certain, Gordon wasn’t about to give up Ashley without a fight—gloves off if necessary, Marquis of Queensberry rules be damned. Yet he couldn’t erase the fear that no matter how tough a war he waged, he’d still lose. Even in today’s more progressive courts, the norm was to favor mothers over fathers in custody battles. Even mothers like Beth.

He glanced outside. Darkness had given way to a streak of pale pink light traversing the horizon. The dreaded day was here.

Rising stiffly from the chair, his muscles in rebellion at their long confinement, Gordon stretched and crept silently to Ashley’s crib, staring down at his daughter. He straightened her blanket, then reluctantly turned away. Time to shower and dress. As apprehensive as he might be about the contest ahead, he dared not be late.

CHAPTER ONE

POISED to present her case, Mackie stood in the center of the courtroom. Surreptitiously, she glanced at her adversaries seated at a table a few feet away. Gordon Galloway and his pack of attorneys from Alexander, Mott and Percy were awesome to behold. Talk about overkill. You’d think Galloway was taking on Microsoft.

“Your Honor,” Mackie began, directing her remarks to the judge, “as our petition affirms, my client’s ultimate goal is shared custody of her daughter. However, she wants to be the first to acknowledge past mistakes and seeks to redeem herself. That’s why I’m submitting a new motion.

“Rather than addressing the custody issue, all we ask from the court today is that Beth Galloway be allowed visitations every other weekend for the next six months, that she be given an opportunity to bond with her child and to establish herself as a fit mother.”

The stunned silence emanating from the opposing attorneys told Mackie that reactions were precisely as she’d anticipated. By admitting weakness and asking for less than expected, she had robbed the Galloway team of its chance to beat up on her client.

From Judge Fillmore, Mackie saw a spark of interest in her request. It was already midmorning and an overloaded docket lay ahead of him. The possibility of quickly dispensing with one matter had to be tempting.

“Give me a moment to read the motion,” the judge said.

Mackie used the opportunity to study Beth’s ex-husband. Earlier she’d spared him scant attention, noting little about his appearance beyond the fact that his medium brown hair was modishly cut. Now she had her chance for a better look.

One wouldn’t call him handsome in the conventional sense—his longish face rather angular, no-nonsense wire-rim glasses framing his eyes, his cropped hair ruffled from repeated hand raking. At the same time, something about Galloway made her want to step closer and take stock. Maybe the earnest gaze or the vivid blue eyes that even glasses and distance couldn’t hide. There was something understatedly sexy about the man. It was easy to see how an innocent like Beth could have been taken in.

The second the judge laid down Mackie’s documents, Sonia Mott, one of Galloway’s attorneys, rose to object, only to be cut off in mid-diatribe.

“Have you got some current evidence that shows this mother to be a danger to the child?” the judge interrupted.

“Well...”

“What do you call deserting a newborn?” Gordon Galloway barked in a voice that went all the way to the bench.

“Counselor, control your client,” the judge instructed sternly, sending Galloway and his team a stare strong enough to peel paint off the walls. “Petitioner’s request is granted. Alternate weekend visitation is temporarily established and further consideration of this matter is postponed for six months. At such time professional assessments will be made.” With that, he pounded his gavel, announced a brief recess and left the courtroom.

“We won!” Beth squeezed Mackie’s forearms in celebration, then her eyes shot past Mackie’s, her lips easing into a sly grin as she zeroed in on her former husband.

Mackie could appreciate her client wanting to gloat a little. But it wasn’t wise to toss gasoline on an already-combustible situation. She nudged Beth toward the door. “Get on to that job of yours and I’ll negotiate the logistics for Ashley.”

After listening stonily to arrangements for relinquishing his child the coming weekend, Gordon walked out with his lawyers as far as the elevators, then pointed at the water fountain, indicating they were to continue on without him. He took a couple of gulps to wash down the bile in his throat. Had his outburst caused the judge to rule in Beth’s favor? If it were physically possible, Gordon would kick himself from here to the end of the hall for losing his composure like that.

Normally he displayed the calm, thoughtful demeanor befitting the college professor he was. For a few moments in there, however, he’d been like a child in the throes of the terrible twos—unable to restrain his emotions. But dammit, this was about Ashley. It was torture having her welfare, her future, resting in the hands of others.

I can’t leave it like this! Charging back toward the courtroom where Mackie Smith remained behind, Gordon pushed open the door. She was just coming out and he almost collided with her, felt her hand pressing against his chest to avoid bodily contact.

Determined to get himself in control, Gordon retreated a step, bracing himself against one of the courtroom pews. “I tried offering Beth a settlement but she refused,” he began, breathlessness from anger and the too-close encounter vibrating in his voice. “Obviously my offer wasn’t enough. So please tell me how much she’s holding out for and we can move to end this charade.”

Mackie was taken aback, not sure what bothered her more—Galloway’s reappearance or the physical contact between them. That brief touch was as electrifying as those incredible blue eyes...eyes she could now see were framed by lush sable lashes. Her equilibrium wasn’t helped, either, by this revelation about a settlement offer. News to her—Beth hadn’t said a word. But that wasn’t what mattered at the moment. What mattered was putting some distance between herself and Gordon Galloway. “Really, Mr. Galloway, this isn’t appropriate.”

He gave her an irritated roll of the eyes. “Neither is your farce of a lawsuit. I repeat, how much?”

“Beth isn’t after your money.”

“The hell she isn’t. Aren’t you a tad suspicious that Beth’s interest in her daughter comes to life immediately after my inheritance from a rich aunt? Quite a coincidence, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Coincidences do happen,” Mackie said, trying to stifle her own irritation. “And even if everything you’re saying is true, the fact remains that we’re not supposed to speak without one of your attorneys being present. Goodbye.”

She brushed past him and made for the bank of elevators, stepping inside an empty car. The doors were closing when he reached a hand in and forced them apart, then leaped aboard.

“Our conversation is over, Mr. Galloway.”

“Oh, no, it isn’t.”

Mackie didn’t respond. She punched at the lobby floor button and glowered malevolently at him.

Gordon could easily read in her scowl what she was thinking. The man is pure gall. Well, yes he was—with no apologies. He could be as pushy and obstinate as a salesman on commission when it came to Ashley.

Prissy thing this Mackie Smith was, all puffed up with righteous indignation. If it weren’t for that frown and those lips pressed tightly together, she could be quite a knockout. Her figure was stylishly slender, and those green eyes brought emeralds to mind. All in all, though, a bit too flawless for his taste—every hair in place, makeup expertly applied, nails neatly manicured and polished a soft pink. A Neiman-Marcus mannequin come to life. That, or a well-dressed robot.

Galloway, are you crazy? The woman is your enemy Under the circumstances, her looks rank a zero in importance. Focus man. “Beth’s conniving and materialistic,” he declared, back on track with Mackie. “She’s pretending to want custody in the hope I’ll pay her off to drop the suit and go away. Turning down my first offer was simply part of her game.”

Mackie maintained her silence and rigid posture, making him even madder. If this stance was meant to discourage, then she’d sorely underestimated the level of his determination. Gordon snatched open the elevator’s control box and pushed a button. The car lurched to a halt.

Her frown deepened into a full-fledged glare. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Trying to make you see how it is!”

“Again, this isn’t appropriate, Mr. Galloway.”

“Appropriate be damned. We’re not talking Ms. Manners here. This is about a father fighting like all get-out for his daughter.”

Mackie reached for the release button, but he held the panel shut, preventing access.

“Mr. Galloway! You’re wasting your time with me. I’m not going to argue the merits of this case with you in an elevator. I’ll give you just five seconds to get us moving again before I start screaming my lungs out for a guard.”

“OK, OK,” he said, throwing up his hands. “I should have known you were too stubborn to reason with. I was hoping to save myself a heap of frustration and spare you some embarrassment. But if you want to play the fool, fine.” He ran a hand across the back of his neck.

Mackie opened her mouth to yell just as Galloway released the emergency stop button. “Save your vocal cords, lady. You’ll need them for court when you start attempting to defend the indefensible. You may have prevailed in round one, but the battle is just starting. And,” he added, “be aware that I’ll do whatever it takes to hang on to my child.”

“That sounds like a threat.”

“No, just a friendly warning.”

At that moment the doors opened on the ground floor and Galloway stormed off the elevator, leaving Mackie to gape after him. Friendly? If that was a friendly warning, she’d hate to be on the receiving end of an unfriendly one.

This guy was unbelievable—a real loose cannon. Sounding off to the judge, waylaying her in the courtroom, holding her captive in an elevator...speaking of which... People getting on made Mackie aware she’d better exit unless she planned to spend the day riding up and down. She walked to her car in the parking lot, still fixated on Galloway.

Loose cannon or not, he seemed so sure of his position, so adamant that Beth was not what she made herself out to be. Could he even be half right? Could money possibly be on Beth’s agenda? If so, why had Beth never so much as hinted that she sought part of her ex-husband’s recent financial windfall? If it was important, why hadn’t she revealed that she’d already been offered a share?

No, Galloway was simply shooting off his mouth, talking when he should have kept silent. What Mackie had just witnessed was the bruised pride of a wounded Texas male. His ego, battered by the desertion of his wife, had overridden his ability to think clearly and created a need to strike back. She must concentrate on that and not let him undermine her relationship with her client.

After all, Beth hadn’t tried to sugarcoat her role in her predicament. She claimed her actions had been triggered by postpartum depression, yet she hadn’t let herself off the hook. From day one, she’d owned up to irresponsible behavior. But simply because she’d misbehaved—even grievously—in those early weeks of motherhood was no excuse for Gordon Galloway’s punishing her by forever withholding her child. Beth had a right to be with her daughter and Ashley had a right to know her mother. As for Galloway’s rights—well, let Alexander, Mott, et cetera worry about them. Mackie had her own problems.

“What if he doesn’t bring her?” It was five minutes until six on Friday and Beth was planted in front of the window of the conference room adjacent to Mackie’s office, monitoring the parking lot for incoming cars.

“He will.” Mackie spoke more with bravado than conviction. During the proceedings and afterward, Galloway had acted mad enough to take the law into his own hands and defy a court order. Or to keep the opposition waiting till the last minute simply for the devilment of it. She glanced at her watch. Five fifty-nine now.

A knock sounded at exactly six. He must have been parked on the street. “You’re here,” Mackie said, her throat catching at the sight of the picture before her—Galloway carrying a precious little girl.

“Regrettably,” he said solemnly, his attitude bringing her back to earth.

She opened the door wider and gestured toward the conference room, studying the two as she followed behind.

The toddler was dressed in a pink coat trimmed with fake fur. Beneath the matching pink hat curled soft brown ringlets. Her blue eyes, exact copies of her father’s, took in Mackie from her shoulder-high view.

Beth stood transfixed at the back of the room as Gordon shifted a diaper bag off his shoulder onto the conference table. Neither spoke to the other.

Mackie walked over and urged Beth forward. “Come greet your daughter.”

Seemingly afraid to get too close to Gordon or Ashley, Beth tentatively approached. She reached out to take the baby from Gordon.

As if programmed by her father, Ashley let out a howl the instant Beth touched her. But instead of turning into the familiar male shoulder, the little girl flung herself toward Mackie’s arms. Mackie, nonplussed, gingerly took Ashley and held her as one might cradle a large cactus plant. “There, there,” she said uncomfortably, aware of Galloway’s scrutiny as she tried shifting the bundle to her hip.

“Lord help me,” he growled. “Give her back before you drop her. You’re as bad as your client—” he cast a menacing glance at Beth “—neither one with the maternal instincts of a cuckoo bird.”

For a moment Mackie reeled from the tongue-lashing, but then managed to regain her poise. “Insults won’t make this any easier, Mr. Galloway,” she huffed, again shifting the load in her arms and leaning her head out of reach of the curious little fingers trying to snag a gold earring.

“OK, I’ll keep quiet. Just give her to me.”

Mackie refused to relinquish the baby to him, defiantly handing her to Beth instead. Ashley’s lips curved down at the exchange but at least she didn’t start wailing again. Turning back to Galloway, Mackie announced crisply, “We won’t keep you any longer. This transaction is complete.”

“Transaction?” Galloway’s face darkened ominously. “Is that how you see it—a transaction?” He gave a puff of disgust. “Man. You and Beth are definitely kindred spirits.”

“And you’re a sore loser. What say we give the put-downs a rest and you be on your way? Beth has waited a long time for this reunion with her daughter. Why don’t we let them get to it?”

“Right...a long time,” he said, sparing no sarcasm. Then his shoulders seemed to sag a little in defeat. “I’ll be available all weekend if you need me, Beth. I’ve brought some clothes and toys, and a list of things she likes and dislikes. I’ll leave her car seat with the guard downstairs...oh, and here...”

Placing two business cards on the table, he slid one Beth’s way and one toward Mackie. “My home and cell phone numbers are on the back. I expect to be notified immediately if there’s the slightest problems.”

“There won’t be,” Mackie answered optimistically, motioning Gordon toward the door. He put a hand up to wave to his daughter, then departed.

“Well, thank heavens that’s over,” she said, smiling to Beth once he was gone. The smile faded immediately as Mackie moved her gaze to Ashley whom Beth had set on the conference table. In that brief period of time the child had upended a silver carafe, which was sending rivulets of water toward the business cards. Beth seemed oblivious to the spill.

“Better get those cards,” Mackie admonished. “While they’re still readable.” All hell would break loose if something happened to Ashley and Galloway weren’t informed.

Compliantly Beth reached for Ashley and the cards.

“Now let’s get you down to the car so you can spend the next two days getting acquainted.” Mackie started gathering up the paraphernalia. “You’re in charge now,” she said, turning to Beth.

Beth, who should have been euphoric, wore a dazed expression. “I can’t believe it’s happened. I expected something else to go wrong at the last minute, to...to...”

“Everything’s gone exactly as intended, so you can rest easy.”

Beth cleared her throat. “Not exactly everything.”

“Is there a problem?” Mackie asked. “Something you haven’t told me? I’m aware of Gordon’s settlement offer. Is it that?”

Beth’s eyes seemed to become shuttered. “No, not that.” She slid into a chair, Ashley on her lap. “I’m almost afraid to tell you.”

Mackie patted her arm comfortingly. “Don’t be silly—there’s nothing you can’t share with me. And whatever it is, we can handle it.” Mackie held her breath. Despite her encouraging words, she had a feeling she didn’t want to hear this.

“I was hoping you’d say that, but I’m in your debt so much already. I owe you big time, Mackie. Your support, your—”

Mackie signaled whoa. “We can’t start handling it until I know what’s wrong.”

“I need you to watch Ashley for me.”

“What!”

“I have to go back to the restaurant. You know I’m not supposed to work weekends...but there’s a big party scheduled...then Tammy called in sick...so there’s no one to act as hostess, manning the reservations desk, greeting people and seeing them to their tables. Rick told me I have to be there. If not, he’ll fire me. It’s just for a few hours. I’ll be off by ten or ten-thirty. But I can’t lose this job.”

Mackie panicked. Just a few hours?—might as well be a few years. She knew next to nothing about babies. Why, up until ten minutes ago, she’d never even held one. She wasn’t antikids—they just weren’t part of her life. Years ago she’d decided on career over motherhood.