Adopted Parents (14 page)

But he wasn’t going to retract his initial impression of Bill Woback. Nor had he been wrong that the man’s comment about Ahn’s race had been completely unacceptable and totally offensive.

But Nate would to do things differently tomorrow.

He was going to leave tomorrow’s interview completely up to Hallie. He would sit there politely and never say a word—that was what Hallie wanted anyway. She wanted him to do exactly what she told him to do and like it whether he did or not.

But wasn’t that what he’d been doing so far? Still Hallie wasn’t satisfied.

She’d said she was disappointed in him. Well, his disappointment in her was double. If she really wanted to discuss the selfish issue, Hallie needed to start with a good look at herself.

Nate walked to the kitchen, grabbed a beer and stomped back across the great room. When he flopped down on the sofa, Nate drained half of the bottle in one angry gulp.

What a fool he’d been.

He’d let his guard down and ignored the one thing he’d always known to be true. Life never let you keep the things you wanted most.

What Nate wanted most was Hallie
and
Ahn. And he had a good chance of losing them both.

Nate took another long swig from the bottle, already deciding he was not going to the main house for dinner in an hour. Nate got up from the sofa and walked to the intercom.

He hoped Hallie would answer. Hoped she would hear in his voice just how disgusted he was with her, too.

Nate got Roberta instead.

“I’m really not hungry tonight,” Nate told her. “So don’t worry about dinner for me.”

“I guess that means Ahn and I will be eating alone tonight,” Roberta said. “Hallie just came downstairs and told me the same thing.”

Nate grimaced at the loud click.

So Hallie had no interest in seeing him tonight, either. Fine. He needed a break from her, too.

Nate walked to the refrigerator for another beer. But as he slumped on the sofa again, he could already hear the haunting whistle of a fast-moving train.

Maybe he should lie down on the track this time and finally get the train wreck over with.

Nate was in the kitchen having coffee with Roberta when Hallie came downstairs. Ahn was eating her cereal and Hallie could hear Gladys in the laundry room already starting up the washing machine.

“Good morning, everyone,” Hallie said cheerfully and walked over to kiss the top of Ahn’s head.

Ahn didn’t acknowledge her at all.

Nate barely mumbled, “Good morning.”

And Roberta said, “You’d better get going if you’re going to be on time.”

Hallie couldn’t have agreed more with that suggestion.

Nate slid off the stool, then kissed Ahn. She looked up and smiled at him. Hallie was surprised when Nate looked over at her next.

“Ready?”

Nate even waited for her to collect her purse before they headed for the door together. His actions gave Hallie hope he was tired of fighting, too.

“We’ll be back as soon as possible,” Hallie called over her shoulder to Roberta.

“Good luck with the interview.”

They hadn’t even made it to the Range Rover when Nate said, “I want to apologize for yesterday.”

“So do I.”

They climbed in and Nate put the car in gear, then backed down the driveway.

“I don’t blame you for being confused, Hallie. We were both in agreement with the readoption in the be ginning. And I know your opinion hasn’t changed. But right now I’m having serious doubts.”

“What can I do to help you put those doubts aside?”

“A little understanding, maybe?”

“Understanding goes both ways, Nate. You act as if I’m tossing Ahn aside, and you know that isn’t true. I told you from the beginning that I want to be a part of Ahn’s life. I’ll always feel the need to be able to check on her.”

“And I guess that’s where I’m having my doubts,” he said. “I’m not sure I could ever trust anyone else to take care of Ahn. Even if I do have the right to check on her.”

“But what if we could find a couple who you knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that you could trust? Would you still feel the same way?”

He glanced over at her again. “That would be a completely different story, Hallie, and you know it.”

“Then all I’m asking is for you to walk into these interviews with an open mind, Nate. Maybe you’re right. Maybe we’ll never find a couple we trust. But maybe I’m right, and we will. At any rate, we both owe it to Ahn to try. That’s all I’m asking.”

“Okay. I’ll walk into this interview with an open mind.”

“Thank you.” She waited for a few seconds before asking, “And us? Are we good now?”

“We’ve been better.”

Not much of an answer but Hallie would take it for now.

She reached into her purse and pulled out the e-mail Greg’s assistant had sent her on couple number two—Harvey and Gwendolyn Brown. “I only glanced at the information Greg sent us on this morning’s couple, and I know you haven’t had a chance to look at it. Would you like me to give you a rundown the way Greg did for us yesterday?”

“My mind is wide-open,” he said with very little enthusiasm.

Hallie ignored his cynicism. “The Browns own a property rental company, as well as owning all of the rental properties they manage. She’s older, thirty-eight. He’s thirty-two. They’ve been married seven years, and this is the first marriage for both of them.”

Hallie paused, reading over the information. “It appears Gwendolyn is the more active of the two when it comes to community involvement. There’s a long list of organizations she belongs to, and she’s the chairperson on several different committees.”

“So when would she find time for Ahn?”

“That’s a question we can ask her.”

“That’s a question
you
can ask her,” Nate said. “I told you yesterday I would let you handle this interview.”

“What happened to your mind being wide-open?”

His expression was serious when he looked over at Hallie. “I’ll keep an open mind. You’ve already convinced me I need to do that.”

Hallie didn’t have an opportunity to say a word after Greg made the introductions. The minute Gwendolyn sat she pulled out a list. She ignored both men and focused solely on Hallie.

“Does the child sleep through the night?”

“For the most part, yes,” Hallie said. “
Ahn
sleeps through the night.”

“Is she potty trained?”

“No,” Hallie said. “But we’re working on that.”

Gwendolyn immediately looked over at Harvey, who obediently scribbled something on the notepad in front of him.

“Does the child have any food allergies?”

“No,” Hallie said. And again she stressed, “
Ahn
doesn’t have any food allergies.”

“Is she allergic to pets?” Gwendolyn asked. “Because it’s only fair to tell you that we have three dogs and four cats that
will
stay part of our family. That isn’t negotiable on our part.”

“And it’s only fair to tell you that I have no idea if Ahn is allergic to pets. We have no dogs or cats.”

Gwendolyn looked over at Harvey. He made his notation on the pad again.

“Are the child’s immunizations up to date?”

Hallie was over it. “Her name is Ahn. And yes, all of
Ahn’s
immunizations are up to date.” Hallie’s curtness didn’t even faze Gwendolyn.

“The adoption agency noted delayed developmental issues. Is that a nice way of saying she’s mentally retarded?”

Hallie’s head jerked toward Nate sitting beside her.
Now
was the time for him to be rude and obnoxious.

Nate just looked at her, an amused smile on his lips.

Hallie faced Gwendolyn. “You know, now that I think about it, the reason my sister and brother-in-law didn’t have pets is because Ahn does have a severe allergy to pet dander. Sorry, but the dogs and cats will have to go. And that isn’t negotiable on our part.”

Gwendolyn stood and Harvey snapped to attention with her.

“This interview is over,” Gwendolyn announced.

She glared at Hallie and gave Pee-wee Harvey a hard push toward the door.

Hallie waited until the Browns had cleared the threshold before she turned to Nate. “Don’t you say a word. I mean it. I’m too upset right now.”

Wisely, he didn’t.

He waited until they reached the SUV. “Maybe we should keep an open mind about what happened and schedule a second interview so we can introduce Ahn to the Browns.”

“
Not
funny.”

“None of this is funny, Hallie. None of it. Especially not what this is doing to us.”

They were in each other’s arms so fast neither of them cared that they were standing in the middle of a public parking deck. The next thing Hallie knew, Nate had her pushed up against the car and her hands were tangled in Nate’s hair as his mouth came down on hers in an urgently violent kiss. His hands gripped her hips, pulling her against him so she could feel how much he wanted her.

“Get a room already,” someone yelled out from several cars away.

They instantly pushed away from each other.

Nate grinned. “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Hallie blushed. “Don’t start with me.”

“I just have four words to say on the subject,” Roberta said when Hallie took a seat beside her. “I told you so. And don’t think for one minute I’ve been fooled about what’s going on. I’m the one who arranged for the charity to pick up Janet’s and David’s clothes the day you went to close up your apartment. So don’t try to tell me those are David’s clothes hanging in your closet. I saw your housekeeper put away Nate’s clothes in your room without question on Monday after she finished the laundry.”

Hallie rolled her eyes.

“But speaking of words,” Roberta said, changing the subject now that she’d thoroughly chastised Hallie, “I said the wrong word earlier when I was reading to Ahn. I called the pig in the story a piglet. And Ahn looked up at me and said, ‘Say pig.’”

Hallie laughed.

“There’s nothing wrong with that child’s mind, Hallie. She has a stubborn streak, just like you.”

“Me?” Hallie echoed.

“Shall I count the ways?”

“No. I’m sure you’d manage to work Nate in there somewhere, and that’s a situation Nate and I still have to figure out for ourselves.”

“And the interview?”

Hallie groaned just thinking about it. “It was a disaster. The wife was the most obnoxious woman I’ve ever met, and the husband was so browbeaten I actually felt sorry for him.”

“I thought the adoption agency was screening these people for you.”

Hallie sighed. “Their qualifications looked great on paper. But that’s why a personal interview is necessary.”

“Don’t look so disheartened. You still have tomorrow’s interview. It’s at ten o’clock in the morning, too, isn’t it?” Hallie nodded.

“But if you’re going to be late tomorrow—”

“I promise,” Hallie cut in. “We’ll be back on time.”

“See that you do,” Roberta said. “The Colonel and I have dinner plans tomorrow night. He’s taking me to a new restaurant and we’ve waited weeks to get a reservation.”

Roberta didn’t have to worry about them being late.

Hallie had her own plans for tomorrow night.

All night—with Nate back in her bed.