The Baby Bequest

“All you have to do is be nice to her,”

Evan whispered to himself as he got off the elevator.

Admitting how dependent his family was on Claire and recognizing how close he’d come to alienating her earlier, he knew he had to be on his best behavior. He couldn’t yell at her or accuse her of things. And he certainly couldn’t be attracted to her….

He pushed open the door, and she turned and smiled. “Hi.”

Evan’s breath froze in his lungs. Her clinging powder-blue knit dress outlined every delicious curve of her body, accented her brilliant sapphire-blue eyes and brought each of Evan’s nerve endings to complete attention.

He tried reminding himself of all the good reasons he had to stomp out this attraction, but in the end, he knew it was a losing battle….

Dear Reader,

The year 2000 marks the twentieth anniversary of Silhouette Books! Ever since May 1980, Silhouette Books—and its flagship line, Silhouette Romance—has published the best in contemporary category romance fiction. And the year’s stellar lineups across all Silhouette series continue that tradition.

This month in Silhouette Romance, Susan Meier unveils her miniseries BREWSTER BABY BOOM, in which three brothers confront instant fatherhood after inheriting six-month-old triplets! First up is The Baby Bequest, in which Evan Brewster does diaper duty…and learns a thing or two about love from his much-younger, mommy-in-the-making assistant. In Teresa Southwick’s charming new Silhouette Romance novel, a tall, dark and handsome man decides to woo a jaded nurse With a Little T.L.C. The Sheik’s Solution is a green-card marriage to his efficient secretary in this lavish fairy tale from Barbara McMahon.

Elizabeth Harbison’s CINDERELLA BRIDES series continues with the magnificent Annie and the Prince. In Cara Colter’s dramatic A Babe in the Woods, a mystery man arrives on a reclusive woman’s doorstep with a babe on his back—and a gun in his backpack! Then we have a man without a memory who returns to his Prim, Proper…Pregnant former fiancée—this unique story by Alice Sharpe is a must-read for those who love twists and turns.

In coming months, look for special titles by longtime favorites Diana Palmer, Joan Hohl, Kasey Michaels, Dixie Browning, Phyllis Halldorson and Tracy Sinclair, as well as many newer but equally loved authors. It’s an exciting year for Silhouette Books, and we invite you to join the celebration!

Happy reading!

Mary-Theresa Hussey

Senior Editor

Books by Susan Meier

Silhouette Romance

Stand-in Mom #1022

Temporarily Hers #1109

Wife in Training #1184

Merry Christmas, Daddy #1192

*In Care of the Sheriff #1283

*Guess What? We’re Married! #1338

Husband from 9 to 5 #1354

*The Rancher and the Heiress #1374

†The Baby Bequest #1420

Silhouette Desire

Take the Risk #567

SUSAN MEIER

has written ten category romances for Silhouette Romance and Silhouette Desire. A full-time writer, Susan has been an employee of a major defense contractor, a columnist for a small newspaper and a division manager of a charitable organization. But her greatest joy in her life has always been her children, who constantly surprise and amaze her. Married for twenty years to her wonderful, understanding and gorgeous husband, Michael, Susan cherishes her roles as a mother, wife, sister and friend, believing them to be life’s real treasures. She not only cherishes those roles as gifts, she tries to convey the beauty and importance of loving relationships in her books.

Dear Evan,

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think of you and your brothers and the unfortunate split in our family.

Nonetheless, if anything ever happens to me, no matter what your feelings, you and your brothers must become guardians to your half siblings. I have faith that the three of you will do the right thing.

You, however, must also take full responsibility for the lumber mill. Though Grant may be the most stable, and Chas may be the most crafty, because you have special sensibilities, you are my choice to sit at the helm of my business. I know I don’t need to remind you that a man’s worth isn’t necessarily in the obvious. We may have made this community by providing jobs and a source of pride for the people of this county, but the truth is, this community made us. We owe them. They are stakeholders in our business every bit as much as we are. I want you to take care of them.

And I also want you to do right by my assistant, Claire. If you keep her on as your helpmate, she’ll not only teach you the ropes of the business and do a good day’s work for you every day, but she might just teach you a thing or two about yourself.

Love always,

Dad

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter One

Claire Wilson opened the door of Attorney Arnie Garrett’s office and a little bell rang, announcing her arrival.

“Good afternoon, Claire,” Jennifer Raymond, Arnie’s secretary, called from around a corner. “I know that’s you,” she said, “because everyone else is already gathered in the conference room. Mr. Garrett’s not back from the funeral yet. So you can either wait in the reception area or go down the hall and join the other interested parties.”

Claire licked her dry lips. She knew who the other “interested parties” for the reading of Norm Brewster’s will were. Norm’s sons—Evan, Chas and Grant. In this little corner of the world they weren’t merely part of the family that founded Brewster County, Pennsylvania, they were notorious. After years of spending the family fortune like water, wreaking havoc on the virtue of the local girls and using their fists to prove most of their points, all three had walked away from Brewster County two years ago, vowing never to return…. Rumor had it they’d gone on a two-year binge of sin and corruption.

“You wouldn’t be standing there making rash judgments, now, would you?”

Claire jumped at the sound of Jennifer’s voice and spun around.

“I’m not making any sort of judgments at all,” Claire lied.

“Oh, baloney,” Arnie’s secretary said with a wave of her slender hand. She was a tall woman, at least five-ten. Her gray hair was pulled into a loose knot at her nape and her blue eyes sparkled with the joy of the moment. “Everybody’s making judgments and speculations,” she whispered as she cautiously approached Claire. “It’s been a mystery to everyone why Norm chose to marry a woman half his age only two months after his first wife’s death. When they ran, those boys weren’t doing anything but being loyal to their mother.”

Having seen how Norm Brewster had pined for his sons Claire had her own opinion about that, but she didn’t care to share it with Brewster County’s official gossip hotline. She edged her way around Jennifer to the doorway. “Uh, you said everybody was in the conference room, right? I think I will join them.”

Walking down the dimly lit corridor, she heard the low rumblings of male voices only a few feet away from her and her stomach did a somersault. Because these men were much older than she was, she knew about them by reputation only, but the rumors she’d heard were enough to scare anyone witless. And, too, these men had hurt Norm, a man she’d grown to care for and admire.

Still, she drew in a deep breath and headed for her first meeting with the Brewster brothers. She was going to have to face them sooner or later, because if what she suspected was true, the reading of the will would announce that these three were her new bosses.

“Gentlemen,” she said as she breezed in and walked to a chair at the end of the table.

Instantly, all three men stopped talking.

“I’m Claire Wilson,” she continued, struggling to keep her voice from shaking. Her heart constricted painfully, then began to pound in her chest. The Brewster boys were big, much bigger than she’d expected. And handsome. Dressed in dark suits, white shirts and ties, they looked respectable and sophisticated, but there was still something rough and dangerous about them. Any female over the age of fifteen could easily understand why women dropped at the feet of these men.

One had eyes so dark they were nearly black, and dark hair. The other two were almost his opposite with sandy brown hair and pale-colored eyes. Both of them gave her a suspicious, somewhat hostile scrutiny because she’d invaded their privacy.

Claire’s breath shivered in her chest. “I am…was…your father’s assistant at Brewster Lumber,” she explained.

Finally, after what seemed a century of silence, one of the lighter-haired men spoke. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Wilson.”

“Thank you,” she said softly, then swallowed hard. She couldn’t tell if she was afraid of these men or attracted to them, or both. All she really knew was they had presence. Rumors and stories she’d heard as a teenager took on new meaning.

“I’m Evan,” he said, walking toward her with his hand extended.

Claire swallowed again. “I’m sorry about your loss,” she said as she allowed him to wrap her small hand in his much larger one. Up close he was even bigger than he seemed from across the room. And much more imposing. Not only could she smell the fresh, spicy scent of his aftershave, but she could see that his eyes were green. Cool, misty green.

Before Evan Brewster had a chance to reply, Arnie Garrett bounded into the room. “I see you’re meeting everyone, Claire,” he said as he strode to the head of the table, his arms piled high with file folders stuffed to capacity. His short gray hair was tousled in spite of the fact that there was no breeze on this bright May day, and his suit was oddly wrinkled.

“You’re shaking Evan’s hand,” Arnie continued. “The dark-haired gentleman is Grant. And the last, here, is Chas.” He paused and smiled at the three men, all of whom suddenly looked sheepish and docile. “Everybody take a seat anywhere around the table,” he directed as he began rummaging through the top file. “Claire, you remember witnessing Mr. Brewster’s will last summer?”

“Yes,” she said, though she didn’t believe her witnessing Norm’s signature was the reason she’d been summoned. Norm had asked for the favor on her second day of employment, and she hadn’t seen the specifics of the document.

“Well, there’s been a codicil,” Arnie said as he carried the instrument to Claire and motioned for her to identify her signature.

She nodded.

“The codicil doesn’t change anything, only adds to it,” he explained as he returned to his chair. “When the will is officially probated, you, Jennifer and I will need to go to the Register of Wills office and sign papers. For now, though, this is nothing more than an informal reading.”

Claire relaxed, but as she did she glanced over and saw Evan studying her, his elbow resting on the arm of his chair and his cheek braced between his index finger and thumb. He was a beautiful man, a perfect specimen. His thick sandy-brown hair fell in a soft wave to his forehead and had enough body that it stayed where he combed it. His skin had a very natural, healthy tone that emphasized his opaque eyes. His nose was the right size and shape for his face, and his lips were full, his mouth generous. She’d never, ever seen anybody who was as flawless as he was—at least not in person.

“So, we’ll get right to the will, because it’s relatively short and uncomplicated. Then I’ll move into the additions of the codicil.”

Arnie’s sudden announcement caused Claire to realize she was staring at Evan Brewster, and she quickly looked away. She thought that he should have been embarrassed for staring at her, as well, but in a swift peek she saw he obviously wasn’t. He was curious about her and he didn’t feel the need to hide it.

Well, let him be curious. Lord knew, everybody was curious enough about him. If her guess was correct, the Brewster boys now owned Brewster Lumber. Even if they decided to sell it, they’d have to spend a few weeks around town, and Claire knew Evan Brewster would get more than his fair share of stares.

“Claire?”

Claire started as if in a trance. “I’m sorry,” she apologized to Arnie. “I didn’t hear what you said.”

“I said that the first item in the codicil is a bequest from Mr. Brewster to you of ten thousand dollars.”

Claire pressed her hand to her throat. “Oh.”

“You are the only beneficiary outside of the family,” Arnie noted, smiling fondly at her.

“Which explains her presence here,” Evan said, sounding irritated.

“Evan,” Arnie cautioned. “I also invited Claire to be here this morning so that I could introduce her to all of you because she was your father’s assistant. If the three of you are going to take over Brewster Lumber, she’s the person you need most in the world right now. You know your father didn’t employ any executives. He didn’t have a board of directors. He did everything himself, hoping for the day one or all of you would return home. Because he wanted to be able to give each of you a position at the mill, he couldn’t give those jobs to other people. So, with Claire’s help, he ran the business himself.”

Claire watched quietly as all three brothers exhibited a range of complex emotions. Grant hung his head guiltily. Chas drew in a long breath. Evan gazed out the window. If the expression on his face was any gauge, it appeared he wished he could live the last two years over again.

If she didn’t know how much Norm had suffered from his sons’ rejection, Claire might have actually felt sorry for them. But she did know how lonely and abandoned he’d felt. And these men were the cause of that pain.

“Because I’m familiar with all the circumstances of this situation, I recognize this isn’t easy for you,” Arnie continued delicately. “But I also know that your father would want nothing more than to see the three of you at home again, taking your place at Brewster Lumber. I’m proud of all of you for coming home.”

Evan cleared his throat. “It’s a little late.”

Arnie shook his head. “Not really. All your father ever wanted was for Brewster Lumber to continue on. You could still fulfill his wishes.”

Though Claire understood that coddling these three was probably Arnie’s way of cajoling them into staying in town, she still agreed with Evan. It was a little late—about two years too late. As far as she was concerned, the fact that they’d been “kind” enough to come home to take possession of the highly successful family business didn’t do much in the way of exonerating them.

Arnie set the will on the table. “The rest of the codicil revolves around one specific thing. Before I move on, I’d like to know if you have any questions about what I’ve already read.”

“I don’t think there is anything to explain. Even if I wasn’t a lawyer, I’d know that because our stepmother died in the accident with our father, we inherit the lumber mill,” Chas said softly.

“That’s right,” Arnie agreed. “Actually, the codicil stipulates that you inherit all your family’s holdings, including the house, equally with your siblings.”

“Brothers,” Chas corrected absently, nervously tapping a pencil he’d pulled from his jacket pocket. Though he had similar coloring to Evan, the two really didn’t look alike. Chas had a more boyish face. Evan, with his cool, direct stare and very angular cheekbones, looked older, wiser…sexier.

“No, Chas,” Arnie said haltingly. “I didn’t make a mistake. And neither did your father when this addition was written. He said siblings because he meant siblings.”

“But we only have brothers,” Evan quietly observed, piercing Arnie with his uncompromising gaze.

“Actually, you don’t,” Arnie said. He rose from his seat, pressed a button on the telephone and instructed Jennifer to come into the office.

Claire got a sick feeling in her stomach. It had never occurred to her that because Norm’s sons hadn’t spoken to him in two years, they didn’t know their father had triplets!

Grinning from ear to ear, Jennifer entered carrying two adorable little girls, one on the crook of each arm. Both were around six months old and were dressed in pink ruffled dresses with white tights and black Mary Janes.

“My God, twins!” Grant gasped.

“No. Triplets!” Jennifer all but sang, stepping out of the way and allowing everyone to see Arnie’s wife, Judy, as she walked into the room carrying a little boy. Wearing a miniature suit and tie, he was every bit as beautiful as his two sisters. But not only were the three children darling, they were also picture-perfect matches for the Brewster brothers. One of the girls had black hair and dark eyes. The second girl and the boy had light brown hair and pale green eyes.

For the next thirty seconds, Evan felt as if all the air had been drained from the room as he struggled to comprehend that he had not only another brother—a baby brother—but two sisters, as well.

Sisters!

He pressed his hands to his face, then rubbed them down his cheeks. What had his father done?

“Angela wasn’t pregnant when Dad married her, was she?” Grant asked angrily.

Because that was an excellent question, Evan came to attention.

“No, the kids are only six months old.”

“And they’re that big?” Chas gasped.

“They’re actually average size,” Jennifer happily said as she brought the girls farther into the room. Walking around the table, she eased the dark-haired baby onto Grant’s lap and then handed the other girl to Evan. Judy gave the boy to Chas.

Awestruck, confused, numb, Evan stared at the little girl, who took one look at him and let out a screaming wail. Purely on instinct, he grabbed her under the arms and held her away from him. “I swear to God, I didn’t hurt her.”

“She’s only frightened,” Judy soothed as she set the baby girl on Evan’s lap again. “She needs to get to know you. Give her a few minutes to get familiar with you and she won’t cry anymore.”

As the words came out of Judy’s mouth, the real meaning of what she was saying hit Evan, and he glanced at Chas, whose wide-eyed stare told him he’d also figured everything out, then at Grant, who also had a glazed expression in his brown eyes.

Evan looked down at his little sister. A child. A baby. Babies. “These kids are our responsibility now, aren’t they?”

Arnie nodded once. “I’m afraid so.”

“My God, he peed on me!” Chas cried, and bounced from his seat, holding the baby away from him as if that could protect his already damp trousers. At his sudden movement, though, all three babies started to cry and scream.

“Unfortunately, I’m not very good with these disposable diapers yet,” Judy confessed, shouting to be heard over the noise. “My babies wore cloth diapers and plastic pants. I’m afraid this was the best I could do.”

“Since the accident, my wife and I have been caring for the children,” Arnie explained. “But I researched the law and the bottom line is that the triplets belong to you.”

Though Grant and Chas looked completely confused and out of their element, Evan felt wave upon wave of an emotion he couldn’t begin to identify. All his life he’d wanted children. Doctor after doctor told him he couldn’t have children. Now, when he’d all but given up hope, his father had given him the one thing he couldn’t give himself. A family. Babies. And not just one or two…three. Three glorious children.

His throat closed and he swallowed convulsively. “What do you mean you researched the law?” he asked quietly, finally realizing what Arnie had said didn’t fit in with the rest of the conversation.

“Let’s face it, Evan,” Arnie said. “You’re three single men. I don’t think you’re the best choice for guardians. I wanted to be sure that legally you were the people who were supposed to be the guardians, so I did some checking. And the law says these children are yours, unless you want to—”

“Unless we want to what?” Chas said with cool tones.

“Sign over custody,” Arnie said casually. “I have papers right here. All you have to do is sign them and Judy and I will continue to take care of the kids.”

Evan knew he should have let Chas handle this, since he was a lawyer, but something inside him snapped. These were his kids, damn it! They were Brewsters and they would be raised by Brewsters.

Even as his baby sister screamed and squirmed in his arms—or maybe because she screamed and squirmed in his arms—Evan got the distinct impression he and his brothers had been set up by his father’s best friend and attorney. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that Arnie asked them to sign over custody two minutes after he told them of the children’s existence and while all three babies screamed bloody murder.

“Why would you think we would want to hand over custody?” he asked, hanging on to his temper only by the merest of threads.

“Well, look at you,” Arnie scoffed, but kindly. “The three of you aren’t prepared to be parents, least of all to triplets.”

“Is that why no one bothered to mention the children when we arrived this morning?” Chas asked angrily.

“Well, I…The shock of your father’s death was enough,” Arnie said logically. “I couldn’t spring it on you that you also had two sisters and a brother.”

“Who also inherit half the lumber mill,” Grant surmised, rising. “I guess that never crossed your mind when you decided you wanted custody.”

Evan was glad his brothers could think so clearly, so rationally, but it was also apparent that their tempers were reaching the point where there would be no turning back. With three screaming babies and two furious, conclusion-jumping brothers on his hands, Evan knew it was time to leave before somebody said something he might regret. His own notions about Arnie’s motives were making him every bit as angry as his brothers appeared to be. But more than that, the subtle insinuation that maybe their father wouldn’t want them to have the kids was pushing him over the edge. He couldn’t believe that. He refused to believe that. Because his father was the only person aside from doctors who knew Evan couldn’t have children, Evan wouldn’t believe his father would be so cruel as to deny him the privilege of raising these three.

In fact, that was his saving grace. That was the minute when he forgave his father, and in his heart knew he’d try to understand. Because his father had stipulated in his will that the brothers were to be guardians, Evan knew he had not only forgiven his sons, he was allowing the family to move on.

Lord only knew what Arnie Garrett was trying to pull.

Evan rose. “Are there diapers or bottles or something that we should have?”

“I have a diaper bag in the office,” Judy said uncertainly.

“Good, please get it. Chas, Grant, let’s go.”

“Now, wait,” Arnie said, trying to stop them.

Already at the door, Evan spun around. “No, you wait,” he angrily countered. “I don’t give a damn what you think about me or my brothers, but you had no right to second-guess my father’s wishes for these children. Whether you like it or not, Mr. Garrett, Brewsters take care of their own. And if my father were alive, that’s exactly what he’d tell you. He’d stand by his will.”