Whose Baby Is This?

Tara’s back straightened. “Don’t worry, Dr. Landers, I already have custody of my niece and I plan to raise her like my own.” Her glare was heated with anger. “But it was my sister’s last request that you be told about your daughter.”

Matt glanced down at Tara’s ringless hand. Was she alone? He shook away the feelings of sympathy. She wasn’t his problem.

“For one last time, I never met your sister.”

Just then the baby stirred and began to cry. He wanted to soothe the infant…and her beautiful aunt, to take them in his arms and protect them from the world. None of this was their fault—or his!

He could not allow this little angel and her loving guardian to play with his feelings. And he would not be taken advantage of. But could he help them find the real father?

Whose child was Erin Landers…?

Dear Reader,

During the warm days of July, what better way to kick back and enjoy the best of summer reading than with six stellar stories from Special Edition as we continue to celebrate Silhouette’s 20th Anniversary all year long!

With The Pint-Sized Secret, Sherryl Woods continues to delight her readers with another winning installment of her popular miniseries AND BABY MAKES THREE: THE DELACOURTS OF TEXAS. Reader favorite Lindsay McKenna starts her new miniseries, MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: MAVERICK HEARTS, with Man of Passion, her fiftieth book. A stolen identity leads to true love in Patricia Thayer’s compelling Whose Baby Is This? And a marriage of convenience proves to be anything but in rising star Allison Leigh’s Married to a Stranger in her MEN OF THE DOUBLE-C RANCH miniseries. Rounding off the month is celebrated author Pat Warren’s Doctor and the Debutante, where the healthy dose of romance is just what the physician ordered, while for the heroine in Beth Henderson’s Maternal Instincts, a baby-sitting assignment turns into a practice run for motherhood—and marriage.

Hope you enjoy this book and the other unforgettable stories Special Edition is happy to bring you this month!

All the best,

Karen Taylor Richman,

Senior Editor

Whose Baby is This?

Patricia Thayer

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Jennifer Nauss, for all your hard work helping me find just the right story for Dr. Matt. It’s nice to have someone in your corner. And always, Steve.

PATRICIA THAYER

has been writing for fourteen years and has published over ten books with Silhouette. Her books have been nominated for the National Readers’ Choice Award, Virginia Romance Writers of America’s Holt Medallion, and a prestigious RITA Award. In 1997, Nothing Short of a Miracle won the Romantic Times Magazine Reviewers’ Choice Award for Best Special Edition.

Thanks to the understanding men in her life—her husband of twenty-eight years, Steve, and her three sons—Pat has been able to fulfill her dream of writing romance. Another dream is to own a cabin in Colorado, where she can spend her days writing and her evenings with her favorite hero, Steve. She loves to hear from readers. You can write her at P.O. Box 6251, Anaheim, CA 92816-0251.

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

Epilogue

Chapter One

Did the man deserve to know he was a father?

Tara McNeal wasn’t so sure as she stood at the office door of Dr. Matthew Landers, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon.

Had she done the right thing coming to Santa Cruz? Tara looked down at her tiny three-month-old niece, Erin Marie, strapped in the carrier against her chest. From the moment the precious little girl had been born, Tara had wanted nothing more than to shower her with everything, especially love.

But Tara had made her deceased sister, Briana, a promise. That meant Erin’s father, Matthew Landers, had to be told about his daughter. Tara doubted the man cared. Not when he’d walked out of Bri’s life long before he knew she’d gotten pregnant.

So why would Dr. Landers care now? But it still frightened Tara to think he might take Erin away from her, might want to raise his daughter.

Well, I’m not going to get any answers until I talk to the man, she thought.

Tara’s hand shook as she opened the door. Inside, the surgeon’s waiting room had been decorated in soft blue and gray. A comfortable-looking sofa and four barrel chairs were grouped at a coffee table with several books scattered along the top.

At the desk sat a receptionist, a woman in her forties with dark hair and half-glasses perched on her narrow nose. She pulled them off and smiled. “May I help you?” she asked.

“Yes, I need to see Dr. Landers.”

“Do you have an appointment?”

Tara cuddled Erin’s tiny body closer. “No, but it’s important. We’ve come all the way from Phoenix.”

The woman glanced at Erin and smiled. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Matt sat at his desk, going over the report on a child who had been brought into the hospital last week. No matter how many times he’d studied the X rays, it didn’t change the fact that the six-year-old boy needed corrective heart surgery.

But the million-dollar question was could the weakened child survive the procedure? And could Matt once again live up to his illustrious reputation and pull off another miracle? He sure as hell hoped so.

The phone rang and he picked it up. “What is it, Judy?”

“I know you’re busy, Doctor, but there’s a woman with her baby here who wants to see you.”

He sighed, knowing his secretary was a pushover. “I’m really busy. Can you make an appointment for her later in the week?”

Judy’s voice lowered. “I would, but she came from Phoenix and the baby is only a few months old.”

Matt’s heart tightened. He knew he couldn’t turn away any child, not if there was something he could do. “Okay, send them back.”

Matt stood and slipped on his physician’s coat, then opened the door just as Judy was escorting the young mother and baby down the hall.

Matt couldn’t help but admire the tall attractive woman with short chestnut hair and pale, creamy skin. Her large green eyes were wide-set and slightly tilted at the corners. He glanced at the infant she held so tenderly in her arms. “Hello, I’m Dr. Landers and you’re Mrs.…”

“Ms. Tara McNeal,” she corrected. “This is Erin.”

Matt motioned for her to go in his office as Judy mouthed a thank-you, then disappeared. “Well, Ms. McNeal,” he began as he shut the door. “Have a seat.”

She ignored him and looked around the office. After a few seconds, she finally turned her attention to him.

“Can you tell me why it was so imperative I see you?” Matt asked.

“It’s about my baby.”

“Did my secretary explain I only see patients by referral?” He looked at Erin, then sat behind his desk. “I can send you to an excellent pediatrician, Dr. Talbert.”

“No,” she blurted, then calmed. “I don’t need a pediatrician.”

“Then please tell me why you’re here.” Matt glanced at his watch. He had to talk with Ryan’s foster parents. “I have a consultation in a few minutes.”

Suddenly Tara wanted to run. She had no doubt she could raise Erin by herself…alone. There was nothing worse than a man who didn’t want to be in his child’s life.

But she had to keep her promise to Bri.

She stole a glance at the tall Dr. Landers, a good-looking man with a square jaw and a slight cleft in his chin. His wheat-colored hair was parted neatly to one side. Tara swallowed a sudden dryness in her throat when his deep-set coffee eyes settled on her. Oh, my, sis. You were way out of your league.

Tara straightened to her full five foot eight. Just think about Erin, she told herself as she saw that the man behind the glass and chrome desk was quickly becoming impatient.

“What was it you wanted to discuss with me, Ms. McNeal?” he asked.

She unfastened the carrier and cradled Erin in her arms. “It’s about my sister, Briana…Briana McNeal.”

He looked confused. “What about your sister?”

Tara was saddened that he didn’t even recognize the name. “She died three months ago. This is her daughter, Erin.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said. “So you’re Erin’s guardian now?”

Tara nodded, hoping desperately that would remain true.

“What is your niece’s condition?” He stepped around the desk, then reached out and stroked Erin’s head. “She looks healthy.” He smiled. “But looks can be deceiving, can’t they? I really need to see her medical records, though, before I can go any further.”

Tara blew out a long breath in frustration. She was tired of his game. “I’m not here because of a medical problem, Dr. Landers. You knew my sister, Briana. You spent time with her over a year ago.” She held his gaze. “Erin is your daughter.”

Matt Landers stood frozen. This had to be a joke. A bad joke.

“There’s been some mistake,” he said, trying to remain calm. “I’ve never met anyone named Briana.”

Tara McNeal gave him a knowing look, as if she’d expected him to say exactly that. “Well, according to my sister, you’re her daughter’s father.”

Just the thought of this precious child being his caused a familiar ache in his chest. But there wasn’t the remotest possibility of this accusation being true. He shook away the thought and wiped his face of any expression.

“Look, Ms. McNeal, I don’t know what kind of scam you’re pulling, but I’ve never met your sister,” he insisted.

“Why would my sister lie about this? She was dying.” Tara McNeal lowered her tear-glazed eyes.

Matt tried not to notice her tears. “Maybe knowing she was dying, she wanted to make sure her daughter was taken care of.”

“I’m taking care of Erin. Besides, I have proof.” She maneuvered a large bag off her shoulder, opened it, then took out an envelope. “Explain this,” she said, handing it to him.

Matt knew he shouldn’t give this woman’s claim any credence. All he had to do was show her the door. Or call security. He’d been sought after before. Doctors often had to deal with deluded people. It was the nature of the profession. The price he paid for the acclaim he’d received as a heart surgeon.

But he found himself reaching for the envelope and taking out a birth certificate for Erin Marie Landers. Born March twenty-ninth in Phoenix, Arizona. Mother: Briana McNeal. Father: Dr. Matthew Landers. Suddenly it felt like something was sitting on Matt’s chest, and he couldn’t breath. He knew it couldn’t possibly be true, but to see it on paper… He looked at the rosy-cheeked baby in the woman’s arms, and his yearning grew worse.

“Do you still deny you’re her father?”

His gaze met Tara McNeal’s, but he could not think of anything to say. Then the anger started to build inside his chest as he remembered the years of pain, the anguish he’d gone through…. He shook away the memory. He had to get to the bottom of this. “Your niece is a beautiful child, but she’s not mine.”

The young woman closed her eyes and drew a long breath.

“Look, Ms. McNeal, I’m sorry, but you have to believe me when I say I never met anyone named Briana McNeal. If I had, why didn’t she contact me when she discovered she was pregnant?”

“She did,” the redhead insisted. “You talked several times, but then your calls stopped. Then, when she tried to get in touch with you again, your cellular phone conveniently was disconnected.”

Whoever the father was, the guy was a real jerk, Matt thought. “Then why didn’t she call me here at the hospital? You didn’t have any trouble finding me.”

Once again he got her icy green-eyed stare. “She figured you didn’t want her around. But in the hospital when she became so sick…” Tara paused. “She told me that Erin had a right to know her father.”

Matt rubbed his forehead. Damn. How could this be happening to him? “Did your sister say where she met me? Was it here in Santa Cruz? Did anyone see us together?”

The baby started to fuss, and Tara shifted Erin to her shoulder. “According to Briana, the two of you met in Mexico nine months before Erin’s birth. She’s three months old. That’s pretty close to a year ago. Can you tell me that you haven’t been to Mexico?”

No, he couldn’t. He’d gone to Mexico several times on consultations.

“Of course, I’ve been there,” he said. “I go down to Mexico City for a few weeks every year to perform surgery.” He raked his hand through his hair. “But I never leave the hospital except to go to my hotel and sleep.”

There was another flash of pain in Tara McNeal’s eyes as she shook her head. “Okay, I tried. I’ve come to see you and fulfilled my promise to my sister. But I can’t make you want to be a part of your daughter’s life,” she said, wrapping her arms around the baby protectively. “But don’t worry, Dr. Landers, this child won’t lack for love. She’s got family. Me.” Tara began gathering her bag. “Sorry I bothered you.”

Matt drew a long breath. “How many times do I have to tell you, she’s not my daughter? So if you’re looking for money, you’ve come to the wrong place—”

Her back straightened. “I didn’t come here for your money, Dr. Landers. I already have custody of my niece and I plan to raise her like my own. That means taking full financial responsibility. We’re family, and someday she’ll have brothers and sisters.” Her glare was heated with anger. “But it was Bri’s last request that you be told about your daughter.”

Matt glanced at Tara’s ringless hand. Was she alone? He shook away the feeling of sympathy. She wasn’t his problem.

“But you haven’t fulfilled your promise, because she’s not my child,” he said, the words nearly sticking in his throat.

Matt was a man who had always honored his obligations. But this little girl wasn’t his. Damn. Damn. Why wouldn’t she believe him and leave? “For one last time, I never met your sister.”

Just then the baby stirred again and began to cry. He found he wanted to soothe the infant. None of this was her fault, or his. But if Ms. McNeal decided to take this to Riverhaven Hospital’s chief of staff, Harry Douglas, it could cause a lot of problems. He’d worked hard to build a career. And what was to keep her from returning years later and doing this again? Whose child was Erin Landers? Surely someone wouldn’t go so low as to pretend to be him?

Suddenly a revelation hit him—the key to this mystery. “Wait! Ms. McNeal, I believe I know what happened.” He reached for her just as she started for the door. “Please, you can’t leave yet.”

She jerked out of his grasp. “You finally found your conscience, Doctor?”

“No. Well, yes. Please let me explain. I think I may have some answers for you.” He started to speak, but the phone rang. He picked it up. It was Dr. Talbert wondering where he was. He apologized and hung up.

“Look, Ms. McNeal. I have to leave for about thirty minutes. I have an important consultation with a patient. But I’ll be back. Please, will you wait?”

“I don’t know. Erin needs to be fed.”

“Stay here and use my office,” he insisted. “Judy can get you whatever you need. Heat the bottle or whatever. Just give me a chance to explain.”

She rocked the baby and eyed him suspiciously. “Okay, I’ll stay. But only for a short time.”

Matt grabbed the folder from his desk and rushed out the door. “Just give me thirty minutes.”

Tara watched the man leave. Was this another ploy? She hoped not, but she’d feel better when she and Erin were on their way back to Phoenix. This had been an expensive trip, one she couldn’t afford. Now she may have to go home without any answers.

This wasn’t the way she’d planned to start her vacation. As a teacher, Tara had the summer off, and she was planning on taking this opportunity to enjoy being a full-time mother. The last few months, she had to ask her neighbor, Mrs. Lynch, to watch Erin while she taught school.

Tara carried her niece to the sofa and opened the diaper bag. She located the bottle she’d prepared at the motel, pulled off the cap, positioned Erin against her and guided the nipple to her tiny mouth.

Tara sat back and tried to relax, but the nagging headache she’d had since last night hadn’t gone away. The long drive from Phoenix had been tedious, and they hadn’t arrived until late. But it had been thoughts of Bri that had kept Tara awake all night.

Was there more she could have done? Was she the one who had made her sister want to leave home? So many questions, and Tara had no answers, not for herself or for Erin.

Three months ago Tara had gotten a phone call from her younger sister, Briana. It had been nearly three years since their mother’s death, when Bri moved out of the family’s small rented house in Phoenix. She was only twenty at the time and eager to be on her own.

Many times over the years, she and Bri had argued about her escapades, including the day she left for Los Angeles. Eventually Bri always ended up back home. Not this time, though. Months had gone by before Tara had any idea as to her sister’s whereabouts. Then, this past March, she’d gotten a call from Bri announcing she was about to have a baby and needed her.

Without hesitation, Tara had driven the six hours to the shabby apartment in Los Angeles where her sister lived. Shocked at Bri’s weak condition, Tara rushed her to a clinic just as her labor began.

It was a difficult birth, but finally the doctor delivered a healthy baby girl by cesarean section. Bri, still weak, developed a strep infection. Complications set in, and…she died three days later.

Tara blinked away tears. No. She couldn’t give in to her emotions. Not now. She had to get through this, to make up for not being there when Bri really needed her.

She looked at the baby asleep in her arms. Now Erin needed her. Tara smiled as she raised her niece to her shoulder and began gently patting her back. A few minutes later, Tara lay her down on the sofa and changed her diaper. Through it all, the baby slept like an angel.

“I promise, I won’t leave you,” she whispered and covered the sleeping child with a blanket. Tara stood and walked around the spacious ivory-colored room, her shoes sinking into the plush slate gray carpet. Oak file cabinets lined one wall, and a state-of-the-art computer system took up another. The glass and chrome desk was the focal point of the room, placed dramatically in front of the huge picture window. The doctor had done well for himself. Tara remembered reading about the famous pediatric heart surgeon, Dr. Landers, on the Internet. She knew all about him.

At the young age of thirty-eight, Matthew Landers was already one of the top surgeons in the country. He was single, blond, brown-eyed and six feet two inches tall. He loved the beach and golf.

Tara made her way to the window and looked from the third floor on the beautiful California coastline. She drew a breath. “It looks like you have it all, Dr. Landers. Too bad you can’t share it with your child.”

Suddenly the door to the office opened. The man she’d been thinking about had returned.

Matt came face to face with the attractive Ms. McNeal. Since their meeting, she’d used the baby like a shield, and it was a pleasant surprise to get a look at her attractive slim body. Tall and long-limbed, Tara McNeal didn’t lack for curves. She had on a white short-sleeve sweater and a calf-length print skirt, allowing him a glimpse of shapely legs.

Realizing where he was headed, he shook off his wandering thoughts. Just forget it—the woman can cause you major trouble. Somehow he was going to convince her that he would never father a child, then abandon her.

Matt glanced toward the sofa. The baby was asleep. “I take it this morning wore her out?” he said as he placed some files on a side table.

“It’s her nap time,” Tara said. “She should be out for a while.”

“Good, that will give us a chance to talk.” He motioned to the chair in front of the desk. “Sit down, Tara. May I call you Tara?”

Nodding, she came around the desk and took a seat.

He sat in the chair next to her. “I have an idea as to why my name appears on the birth certificate as Erin’s father.”

He watched as she folded her arms across her chest. Great, she was already resistant to hearing him out.

“For the past fifteen months,” he began, “my life has been turned into chaos because of someone who broke into the surgeon’s lounge and stole my wallet from my locker. Not only did he take money and personal pictures—he used my credit card and my identity.”

“What does this have to do with my sister?”

He raised his hand. “Just give me a minute. Like I was saying, this person was acquiring credit cards in my name. I was getting calls about overdue payments, and the hospital administrator received complaints.” Matt remembered when it started. Harry Douglas had tried to be understanding about the situation, but the administrator’s concern was for the hospital’s reputation. They couldn’t have their top surgeon in financial trouble.

“Believe me, Ms. McNeal, I thought I had straightened out the situation. I’ve always had an impeccable credit rating, but it’s a mess now. I couldn’t buy a thing. It’s still shaky. But I’ve worked with the police and hired an investigator to catch this guy. Lately things began to quiet down. I thought maybe he had moved on,” he said, nodding toward the child. “Until today.”

Tara shrugged her shoulders. “And what connection does this have to Erin?”

“I think the same person who used my name to purchase things also…seduced your sister.”

Her eyes widened. “If you expect me to believe… That’s the craziest story I’ve ever heard.” She tried to stand, and he reached for her hand and stopped her.

Matt paused, feeling Tara’s warmth, her softness. Something he hadn’t felt in a while. And by the reaction of his body, he realized it had been a long while. He released her and leaned back in the chair to refocus. “I know it sounds crazy, but just think about it.”

“There’s nothing to think about, Dr. Landers. You don’t want to be Erin’s father. Hey, don’t worry about it. Not all men are cut out to be parents. Believe me, my sister and I knew firsthand about an absent dad. And I won’t allow Erin to go through the same thing. No father is better than one who’s there then disappears.”

Matt had had enough. “If I fathered that child, believe me, I would definitely claim her.”

“Sure. I can see that.”

His frustration grew along with his temper. He got to his feet. “Dammit, woman. I would never abandon a child, because I know exactly what it feels like.”

Tara couldn’t move, couldn’t breath. She wanted so badly not to believe him. But the look in his dark eyes, the loneliness that showed in the depths of his gaze told her he understood what it was like not to be wanted.

She started to speak, but Matt held up his hand. “Sorry. I guess we need to step back here.” He did as he suggested and took a calming breath. “I can see my word isn’t going to convince you of anything.”

Tara pulled a piece of note paper from her purse and handed it to him. “This is the motel where we’re staying. I’m going to be in town until tomorrow. If you decide that you want to be a part of Erin’s life, call me.” She went to the sofa and carefully bundled up her sleeping niece, then gathered her things. She walked out the door wishing that Matt Landers would stop her but also praying that he wouldn’t so she could get on with her life. Her life with Erin.