LITMIR.BIZ

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but she didn’t want to pressure her sister.

      Suddenly, Amy looked up and said, “Why don’t you move back home with Mom? The place is certainly big enough.”

      The idea was tempting, but somehow Melissa knew that if she did, things were never going to change. She would let her well-meaning family take over more and more of her responsibilities instead of facing them herself. “I think I’d rather get a place of my own.”

      “You’re welcome to stay here until you find something. I only have one bedroom, but you’re welcome to the sofa.”

      “Thanks. I may have to stay for a little while.”

      “Melissa, you haven’t said what you intend to do about the baby.”

      “You noticed that?”

      “Yes, I did.”

      “I’ve been thinking about what I should do for months. I know I told you the baby belonged with me, but in my heart, I also know I’m not cut out to be a mother.”

      “Have you thought about adoption?”

      “I’ve thought about it a lot.”

      “And?”

      “I’m not sure. I mean—I may be the pits as a mother, but what if some weirdo gets her or him? You hear horror stories all the time.”

      “There is someone at the paper you should talk to. She adopted a child not long ago. I think she might be able to put your mind at ease on that score. But there is something else you need to think about. Dean may be out of the picture as far as you’re concerned, but he has exactly the same rights to your baby as you do.”

      “The guy is a jerk.”

      “Granted, but jerk or not, he’s the baby’s father. He may have to surrender his rights the same way you will in order to place the child for adoption. Before you make any decisions you need to know where you stand legally. You need to talk to Richard McNeil.”

      “Mr. McNeil can see you now, Miss Hamilton.”

      “Thank you, Mrs. Woodrow.” Melissa rose from her chair in the reception area and followed Richard’s secretary down a mahogany-paneled hall to his office. Richard stood holding the door open and waiting for her.

      “Hello again, Melissa. Come on in.” He indicated one of a pair of burgundy leather chairs that faced his desk. He was wearing another beautifully tailored suit, a dark blue pinstripe with a light blue dress shirt. This time a patterned tie completed the look. The outfit made his eyes seem darker, more intense. Perhaps it was only her imagination.

      “I’m thankful you could see me on such short notice.” Melissa took a seat and plucked at the front of her wine-colored velvet tunic. It was another loose-fitting top that she hoped would hide her expanding waistline. She kept her handbag in her lap.

      “You said it was important.” Instead of sitting behind the desk, he sat in the chair next to hers.

      Melissa’s grip tightened on her handbag until her knuckles whitened. This would be the best thing for her child, but how did she go about telling someone who had known her all her life that she didn’t want her own baby? What would he think?

      He leaned forward in the chair and laid a comforting hand over her tightly clenched ones. “Anything you say to me will be kept in the strictest confidence.”

      She managed a weak smile. “I know that. After all, you never told anyone I was the culprit behind the Reindeer heists.”

      He chuckled and sat back. “No. I never squealed on you. Although how you managed to steal nine of them in one night without getting caught remains a mystery to this day. You weren’t old enough to drive.”

      “I borrowed some shopping carts from the Piggy Wiggly parking lot.”

      “Ah! And how did you get the deer into the school and dressed in the basketball team’s jerseys?”

      “They looked good, didn’t they? The Davis Landing Bucks weren’t winning any games that year. I thought we needed a whole new team. Getting into the building was a bit difficult. Getting them dressed wasn’t hard.”

      “I always figured it was an inside job.”

      “Remember the night watchman, Mr. Chapman?”

      “Don’t tell me that he helped you, after all? I thought the reason you came to me was so that he wouldn’t lose his job.”

      “He didn’t exactly help, but he did step out often for a smoke break. He’d leave the gym door propped open sometimes. Once we—I was inside, it was easy to wait until he left to make his rounds again. It didn’t seem fair of the school board to let him go because of my prank.”

      “You did the right thing when you called me and confessed that you and Jennifer had stolen Rudolph and his team from the Christmas display in front of the Wilcox home.”

      She tipped her head to the side. “I never told you Jennifer was the one who helped me.”

      “You two were thick as thieves back then. Who else would have helped you pull off a stunt like that?”

      “She always had the coolest ideas.”

      “And you were the one who couldn’t let someone else take the blame. So what is this about, Melissa? Not more stolen reindeer, I hope?”

      She looked down at her hands, not wanting to see the expression on his face. “I wish that was all. I came today because I need your help.”

      “I’m listening.”

      There was no way to beat around this bush. She gave up trying and blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”

      Chapter Three

      A long silence met Melissa’s declaration. She chanced a peek at Richard. She expected him to be stunned, but she was surprised to see that he looked…hurt and disappointed. The expression was fleeting. When he met her gaze, he smiled and said, “What kind of help can I give you?”

      So far, so good. “I want to find out about adoption.”

      “You want to place your baby for adoption?” He looked astounded.

      She stared down at her handbag and began to open and close the clasp without noticing what she was doing. “I think it would be the best thing, don’t you?”

      Click, click.

      “Just because I’ve made a mess of my life is no reason to mess up my kid’s life. Right?”

      Click, click.

      “I mean, look at me. I’ve only got a job because my daddy owns the paper. I’m a college dropout. I don’t even have a place to live. I’m staying with Amy, but she only has one bedroom and her sofa isn’t that great to sleep on.”

      She continued clicking her bag open and shut until Richard placed his large, warm hand over hers and held them still. “Melissa, are you sure about this?”

      His touch was so gentle and comforting. She looked into his bright blue eyes filled with kindness and it was as if a dam broke inside her. Her words came out in a rush of emotion. “I’m not sure of anything. I have no idea what I should do. My father is always sure about everything. My mother is the same way. My brothers and my sisters, they all seem to know what they want in life. Even you! You knew you wanted to be a lawyer and that was that.

      “What’s wrong with me that I can’t see my way? Why is my life such a fog when everyone around me sees things so clearly? Why am I so different? My family puts up with me because they love me, but I always disappoint them. I’m tired of forever making the wrong choices. I want to start making the right decisions. How do you do it?”

      “I can’t answer that for you, Melissa. All I can say is that life isn’t about making one choice and then everything falls

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