The Billionaire's Christmas Baby(13)

“You don’t know a damn thing about me, Hannah. I don’t know what the hell made you think you had the right to come here and find me, but that was your first mistake. You don’t know a damn thing about my life, so don’t apply your ideals to me. Tomorrow, when the road gets plowed, go home.”





Chapter Four



Hannah tried not to let her smile waiver as Emily drifted off to dreamland. She decided that a smile should be the last thing Emily saw before she went to sleep.

Emily sighed deeply, made a little sucking motion with her rosebud lips, and finally succumbed to a deep slumber. Hannah held on to her smile for a second longer before reaching for her phone. She needed to call Allison. She knew her best friend and fellow social worker would be out of her mind with worry. Seconds later her friend’s voice greeted her on the other end of the line.

“Allie? It’s me,” Hannah whispered into the phone.

“Oh my God! I’ve been calling you for the last four hours!”

“I know, I know, reception has been sucky, I’m sorry—”

“Why would you have bad reception? You live down the street from the office.”

Hannah cleared her throat, preparing for the onslaught she was about to endure from her friend. “Well, I’m not exactly in Hope’s Crossing right now.”

“Oh my God, you didn’t—”

“I did. I’m here.”

“Hannah, I thought I talked you out of that crazy idea. You could be charged with kidnapping.”

“Mrs. Ford signed off on me taking Emily up here.”

“Fine, but what about Jean? She’s going to chop you up and kick your butt out of the department.” Jean, their boss, played everything by the book. She hated that Hannah took chances and resented that Allison wasn’t afraid of using her contacts and friends to help a child. Allison had helped Hannah out more than once, so Jean had it out for both of them.

“Not if I get Emily’s uncle to adopt her. I had no choice, Allie. You know that. I screwed things up with Louise. The least I can do is make sure Em is placed with her uncle,” Hannah said, sitting on the large bed.

“What happened to Louise wasn’t your fault. I know you were close to her and I know your history, but you’ve put everything on the line here. Louise wouldn’t blame you for backing down.”

“Not going to happen,” Hannah said, staring at Emily. Hannah had made a makeshift bed for the baby beside her, careful that it wasn’t too soft and that she couldn’t fall off.

“Have I ever told you you’re the most stubborn person I’ve ever met? I will do everything on my end to hold off the witch-hunt. So, you’ve met Louise’s brother? And I’m assuming he’s met Emily?”

Hannah fidgeted with the hem of the long shirt Jackson gave her to wear. “Technically yes, we’ve all met.”

“What do you mean technically met?”

Hannah glanced over her shoulder, and lowered her voice. “Well…”

“What did he say? Will he do it?”

No. And that crushed her because every now and then during the evening with him she would catch glimpses of the man she thought he might be. But everything that came out of his mouth contradicted that. Maybe she was a dreamer, a hopeless romantic who wanted to believe that the reclusive, handsome billionaire would drop everything to save his innocent niece. But Jackson wasn’t like that at all. Scratch that. He was handsome, more than he deserved to be considering his attitude. And he was a self-made billionaire, which again made things even worse because that meant he had drive, talent, and brains.

“Hello, what did he say? Is he going to adopt her?”

The image of Jackson Pierce telling her to get the hell off his property sprang to mind. “He hasn’t exactly agreed yet,” Hannah said, wishing her phone would lose reception.

“He said no?”

“It was just shock talking, I’m sure. Listen, I’ll call you when I’m on my way back. The weather is brutal out here, so I’m stuck for the night. But he’s a great…” Hannah tried not to choke on her lie. “…a great host and we’ll be fine. Oh dear, I think Em is waking up. I’ll talk to you later, Allie. You’re the best.”

“Hannah,” her friend groaned. She could just picture her blue eyes filled with worry.

“Bye,” Hannah whispered, not giving Allison a chance to ask any more questions. Hannah hoped to hell some sort of a miracle would happen between now and tomorrow morning.

In the crisp, bright morning that would surely follow the blizzard, maybe he’d have some sort of awakening… An odd noise interrupted the droning sound of the wind outside. She glanced over at Emily. It wasn’t her. What was it?

She paused, listening.

Just wind.

Then she heard it again. It came from the hallway. Her heart started pounding and she swung her legs over the side of the bed. Her bare feet padded across the room and she stopped at the door and listened again.

Nothing.

She opened the door slowly and peered into the hallway. Everything was dark except for the small bedside lamp she’d left on in her room. Jackson’s lights were off. She flicked on the hallway light and tiptoed close to the great room… and then she heard it, a mumbling, almost a groan. She turned around and walked to stand outside Jackson’s room. It was definitely him.