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her machine, “would you please pick up the phone? We need to talk. I’m not going to go away. Now that I know you’re carrying my child, you can’t expect me to just forget about it. I had no idea the clinic had used my sperm. They didn’t have the right. It was a mistake, do you understand?”

      A mistake? How could that be? Why would he donate sperm in the first place if he didn’t want them to use it? She grabbed the receiver, intent on asking him just that.

      “Oh, you’re home,” he said as soon as she identified herself.

      Ignoring the trace of sarcasm in his voice, she asked about the mistake. “That is what happens when you donate to a fertility clinic,” she added. He wasn’t the only one who could be sarcastic.

      He sighed. “Look, it’s a long story, but I never agreed to be a part of the donor program. The first I knew anything about this was when I got the letter today. If you don’t believe me, ask the clinic staff.”

      Megan chewed on her lip. “I believe you,” she said reluctantly. Why would he lie when she could find out the truth so easily? “I already called, but no one there could tell me anything. I’ll try again in the morning. They certainly have a lot of explaining to do about violating my confidentiality as well as yours.” It must be an even bigger shock for him, she realized, finding out he’d fathered a child he hadn’t planned on. “I promise I won’t ever bother you about this. Since you never intended to be a donor in the first place, you can just put the whole thing from your mind.”

      “I don’t think I can do that,” he said slowly.

      “What are you saying?” Fresh panic sliced through her like a machete. “You’re not going to make trouble for me, are you? Sue the clinic if you need some kind of revenge.” Men!

      “A lawsuit wouldn’t alter the fact that I’m going to be a father, that a child of mine is living a life I’ll have no part of. I just don’t think I can accept that as easily as you seem to expect me to.”

      Megan squeezed her eyes shut. Going to be a father! This kind of talk wasn’t what she wanted to hear. “With or without your consent, you were a donor,” she said. “That’s all. But I’m having this child alone, the way I’ve planned to do all along, and I’m raising it without any interference. As far as I’m concerned, you have no role here. You’re not involved.”

      “That’s not true,” he argued. “Now that I know about the baby, I can’t pretend it doesn’t exist.”

      “That’s exactly what you must do,” she insisted. “It’s my baby and it’s going to stay that way. I have a contract with the clinic. I requested an anonymous donor.”

      “You don’t have a contract with me.”

      “Look,” she said, “the sooner you accept the fact that you have no claim, the better off we’ll both be.” How she hoped that she was right about that! “Now I really have to go. Your complaint is with the clinic, not me.”

      If she had to, she would get an attorney and fight him, but she prayed it wouldn’t come to that. She made a good living, but lawyers were expensive. No doubt it was Mr. Duncan’s testosterone beating its chest over the situation, but when he really thought about the hassle, surely he’d lose interest.

      Mac waited until the next day before he attempted to contact the birth mother again. Meanwhile, he tried without success to get in touch with someone at the clinic. Dennis hadn’t gotten back yet and the director was still out sick. The receptionist’s voice sounded panicky as she confided that things were a little confused right now and there was no one else who could help him at the moment.

      Mac wanted to tell her that “confused” was putting it mildly.

      “I’ll definitely pass on your message as soon as I know who’ll be filling in,” she added.

      “Good grief, how long is the director going to be gone?” Mac demanded.

      “I can’t discuss that. All I can say is that she’s ill, but as soon as I know who’s handling her duties I’ll have them call you.”

      Frustrated, Mac gave up. Just his luck the clinic was apparently suffering some crisis of its own. Until he could get a few answers from them, he’d just have to deal with Megan Malone directly.

      What was she like? He wondered. What kind of mother would she be? How well could she provide for the child? And what were Mac’s obligations legally, financially and ethically? She might refuse his help, but that didn’t let him off the hook, not as far as his own conscience was concerned. The more he thought about the situation, the more questions came up.

      A baby needed a father, despite what this woman had said about raising it alone. Once she met him and saw for herself that he was a pretty normal guy and not a two-headed monster, she was bound to relent.

      All Mac had to do was convince her to meet with him and talk over the situation. How hard could that be?

      Chapter Two

      The man was relentless. Megan fumed silently as she deleted yet another message from her answering machine. No one at the clinic would tell her anything about MacGregor Duncan. How ironic that they were suddenly so concerned with confidentiality.

      “The man is the father of my baby,” Megan had protested to some underling on the phone. “Thanks to your clinic’s lack of discretion, I already have his name.”

      The person she needed to talk to was still unavailable and Megan’s caustic comment had gotten her nowhere. Perhaps she would have to take Duncan’s call after all. He’d certainly been persistent in the face of her unwavering rejection, making her wonder if he had the tenacity of a pit bull or was merely as dense as muffin batter that had been stirred too long. There was only one way to find out.

      The next time Mac dialed the Malone woman’s number, listened to her recorded greeting and identified himself, prepared to leave another message on her machine, she picked up the phone. He was so surprised that he nearly forgot what he was going to say, covering his momentary confusion with brusqueness.

      “This class we’re signed up for starts next week,” he said. “We need to make some decisions.”

      “Don’t worry about it,” she replied, voice cool. “I still have time to find a partner.”

      “You mean you don’t have anyone yet?” Mac demanded. Here was his opening, a way to get to know each other. “Does that mean you aren’t married?”

      “Why would it matter?” she countered. “Do you have something against single parents?”

      Mac struggled for patience. “No, of course not. It just stands to reason that if you had a husband, he’d want to take the class with you.”

      “Oh. No, I’m not married.” Her voice thawed a degree or two. “Are you?”

      At least she was curious about him. “I’m involved with someone,” he admitted, “but it won’t be a problem.”

      “The class is two evenings a week, you know. That’s a pretty big commitment for a busy man.”

      “I said my relationship won’t be a problem.” Mac hoped he was correct. How would Justine react to the news that another woman was having his child? They’d only been seeing each other for six months, but his parents were right. It was time he settled down and raised some little Duncans to carry on the family name.

      “I was referring to your job, not your social life,” Megan replied. “You do work, don’t you?”

      “Actually, I own a business, so my hours are flexible. Making time for the class wouldn’t be a big deal.” Perhaps he was pushing, but it seemed like the only way to stop her from shutting him out of his baby’s life. If he allowed her to do that, he would always feel like part of him was missing.

      The thought of his

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