Nanny Makes Three

Nolan found a blank page on his yellow legal pad and met Liam’s gaze. “What can I help you with?”

“I have a situation with my twin brother’s baby.” Liam explained how Maggie had come to Wade Ranch and showed Nolan the DNA results. “Maggie is definitely Kyle’s daughter. As soon as I received the test back, I left messages for him on his cell and with the navy.”

“How long ago was this?”

“About two weeks.”

“And you haven’t heard back?”

“Only that the message was delivered. He’s a SEAL, which probably means he’s on a mission overseas.” Liam leaned forward. “And that’s where my concerns lie. I don’t know a lot about Kyle’s domestic situation, but based on his past track record, I’m guessing he’s not in a long-term relationship and certainly isn’t in a position to take care of a baby.”

“You’re not in regular contact?”

“Not since he left Royal and joined the navy.” Liam wasn’t proud of the way he and Kyle had drifted apart, but growing up they’d been uniquely dissimilar in temperament and interests for identical twins.

“And it sounds like the child’s grandmother, Diane Garner, is reluctant to be responsible for Maggie.”

“She has serious medical issues that prevent her from taking care of Maggie. Which leaves Kyle.” Liam paused to give his next words weight. “Or me.”

“You want custody?”

While Liam’s first instinct was to say yes, he intended to do what was best for Maggie. “I’d like to evaluate all the options.”

One corner of Nolan’s lips twitched. “You don’t have to be diplomatic with me, Liam. I’m here to help you out. Now, what do you want?”

“I’d like custody, but what is most important is to do right by Maggie.” Liam gathered his thoughts for a long moment. “I have concerns that while Kyle is off on missions, he’ll have to rely on others to take care of her for extended periods of time. And what happens if he’s hurt...” Or killed. But Liam couldn’t go there. Most days he didn’t give Kyle a thought, but sometimes a news report would catch his attention and Liam would wonder what his brother was up to.

“Do you know if Kyle and Margaret were in touch before she drove to Wade Ranch?” Nolan continued to jot down items on his legal pad. “I’m trying to get a sense of their relationship.”

“I don’t know, but I have to think if Kyle had any idea he was going to be a father that he would have let me know.” Liam wanted to believe his brother would step up and do the right thing by his daughter. Yet the fact that Kyle hadn’t been in contact disturbed Liam. “That leads me to believe that he didn’t know. Either because she hadn’t told him or she had the same trouble getting a hold of him I’m having.”

Liam didn’t add that it was possible Margaret had been nothing more than a weeklong fling for Kyle and he’d had no intention of keeping in touch.

“Because Margaret died in childbirth and she and Kyle weren’t married, only her name appears on Maggie’s birth certificate. Normally what would happen in this sort of case is that both parties would fill out an AOP. That’s an Acknowledgment of Paternity. This form would normally be filled out and signed at the hospital. Or through a certified entity that would then file it with the Vital Statistics Unit. Unfortunately, without Margaret alive to concede that your brother is the child’s father, this case will have to go to court. Of course, DNA evidence will prove Kyle’s the father. But with you two being identical twins and no way of proving which one of you is the father...” After a long silence, broken only by the scratch of his pen across the legal pad, Nolan glanced up. His eyes gleamed. “I can see why you came to me. This situation is by no means clear-cut.”

“No, it’s not.” But at least Liam had a clearer picture of what he wanted. Tension he didn’t realize he’d been holding unwound from his shoulder muscles. “How do you suggest we proceed?”

“Let’s find out what we can about Margaret and her time with Kyle in San Antonio. I have an investigator I’ve worked with there. If you give me the go-ahead, I’ll contact him.”

“Do you think I have a case for retaining custody of Maggie?” Before he let Kyle take Maggie away, Liam intended to make sure his brother was willing to fight for her. And fight hard.

“A lot will depend on how determined your brother is to be a father. You and your brother aren’t in contact. We should probably check on Kyle’s current financial status and personal life as well and see what sort of environment Maggie would be going into. I think you’re right that between the two situations, Wade Ranch promises the most stability for a baby. But a judge might reason that you’re both single men and that Maggie should be with her father.”

Her single father who might be activated at a moment’s notice and be out of the country who knew how long.

“What if I were engaged?” Liam suggested, voicing what had been running through his head since his trip to Colorado. “Or married?”

Nolan nodded. “Might sway a judge. Are you?”

“Not yet.” For a year Liam had pondered the benefits of settling down. All he’d been waiting for was the right woman. Hadley fit the bill in every way. She was smart, beautiful and great with Maggie. After Colorado he’d decided he’d be a complete idiot not to lock her down as soon as possible before she finished school and headed off to pursue a career elsewhere. “But I plan to pop the question to a special lady in the very near future.”

* * *

Hadley rocked a sleepy Maggie as she checked out the photos of Liam’s family on the walls of the ranch office.

“Thanks for bringing lunch,” Liam said. “The day has been crazy.”

With calving time a couple weeks away and a whole host of unexpected issues popping up, Liam and Ivy had decided to work through lunch. The weather had turned warmer and Hadley was feeling restless, so she’d offered to bring their meal to the barn.