Moonlight Road (Virgin River #11)(88)

Mel walked over to the bar at that magic hour when there was hardly ever anyone there. She smiled as she walked in and hopped up on a stool, leaning toward Jack.

“Hey, baby,” he said, leaning toward her for a kiss.

“I’d like to declare a truce,” she said. “I’m sorry if you are.”

He lifted a brow. “Does that mean if I’m not sorry, you’re not sorry?”

She laughed. “All right, I’m sorry I wasn’t very understanding of your feelings in the whole surrogacy argument. If you can’t get into the idea, you can’t. That’s all there is to it. I’ve accepted that.”

“I’m not sure what I’m supposed to be sorry about,” he said. “Gimme a hint?”

“How about you’re sorry you’re so pigheaded?” she suggested.

“That would be a little like the pot calling the kettle black,” he said. “But I could admit to being a little set in my ways. I love you, though. I’d do anything for you, as long as I knew it wasn’t somehow the wrong thing to do. And I think you know that.”

“I know that. Can I have a soda?”

“You bet…”

“And can we now talk about adoption?”

His movements were slowed slightly. He put the soda in front of her. “Why?”

“It was a compromise you said you’d be willing to make.”

“That wasn’t exactly what I said,” he clarified. “I said if there was a child that wouldn’t otherwise have a good, loving family, I’d be willing to consider that. Not quite the same thing.”

“As I see it, adoption is exactly that. We’re good parents, Jack. We have a secure future. We can give a child some things that their own parents might not be quite up to. And, as I’ve said, I’d like one more child. So?”

“What’s involved, exactly?” he asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Not terribly much. I would put together an adoption package for our family, outlining our values, how we could benefit a child. There would be a standard background check, making sure that we aren’t felons, abusers, bankrupt or suffering from illnesses that could make it difficult to parent, cut our lives short. That sort of thing.”

“Money?”

“Of course money. The usual routine is to pay all the medical and legal expenses for the mother, plus our own legal expenses. Sometimes there’s a bonus for the mother…a little something to help her get on with her life.”

“But not like buying a baby?” he asked.

“That would be illegal,” she said. “This is all pretty straightforward. Of course, Brie would be our lawyer as she is in everything—she’s pretty straight and narrow.”

“I hear adoption’s kind of tough—that people wait forever to get a child. Were you thinking older child? Maybe a child of another race?”

“I’m open to that, but really I’m hoping for a newborn. That’s what my heart wants—one more newborn. So? Would you do this with me?”

“On one condition—that we get a little counseling before we officially adopt.”

“Before I start on our adoption package—or just before we sign the final adoption papers?”

“I’d like to do it soon, but I don’t mind if you start the process.”

“Why, exactly, do you want some counseling? This isn’t about my uterus again, is it?”

He shook his head. “No. I’ve decided to stay away from that. I don’t much like being frozen out.”

“I said I was sorry…. So, why counseling?”

“To make sure we’d make good adoptive parents,” he said.

“That’s reasonable….”

“And to explore why my wife would lie to me.”

“What?”

“You’ve never lied to me before. Life has been pretty strange between us lately, but you’ve never lied before. You didn’t just decide to give up your desire to hire a surrogate in favor of adopting a newborn. You have a baby lined up.”

“Now, what in the world makes you think—”

He smirked and lifted a brow. “You’re a midwife. Gimme a break here. Now, why wouldn’t you tell me the truth? What’s going on with you? I thought we could trust each other. Tell each other everything. When did all this change?”

She sighed. “Well, you’ve been very difficult lately,” she said.

He touched her nose. “I believe this is the first time since the day we met that you haven’t had your way with me. You, Mrs. Sheridan, have been very spoiled.”

“All right, I stipulate to being spoiled if you admit to being difficult….”

“Again with the pot and the kettle…”

“I have a new patient,” she relented. “A lovely young woman. She and her boyfriend are good friends with Rick and Liz. Actually, Rick and Liz sent them to me. They asked for my help in setting up an adoption—one where they could give up their parenting rights to see their baby in a good home with loving parents, but adoptive parents who would be willing to share pictures, let them know that their child is doing fine. They understand they can’t be involved—at least not until the child reaches maturity, understands about his adoption and decides whether or not to seek them out.”