Baby for the Billionaire - By Maxine Sullivan Page 0,87

darted into the room. “What’s happened?”

Her question was answered by another scream, coming from the direction of the playroom. The two of them flew down the hallway. It took him a minute to find his niece. He finally discovered Isabella and Madam inside the giant playhouse that occupied one end of the room. The dog lay on her side, straining, while his niece frantically petted her. She raised a tear-stained face to Jack and held out her arms. He scooped her up, checking her desperately for any sign of injury.

“What’s wrong, Baby Belle?” he murmured. “Where are you hurt?”

“Jack, it’s not Isabella. It’s Madam. Look.” A wet bundle of fur was tucked close to the dog. Madam licked the pup clean and nosed it toward her belly where it latched onto a nipple. Annalise stooped beside Jack and Isabella. “Don’t cry, Isabella. Madam isn’t hurt. She’s having babies.”

The change in his niece was instantaneous. Her eyes grew huge and a brilliant smile lit her face. She gave a little bounce that Jack swiftly stilled. “We need to be quiet. It’s a lot of hard work to have puppies.”

“I guess this explains why she was putting on so much weight,” Annalise murmured, as Madam whelped another pup.

“It never occurred to me to ask the vet if she’d been spayed,” Jack replied. “We’ll get that taken care of as soon as the pups are weaned.”

Over the next several hours, six puppies made their way into the world while Isabella looked on, wide-eyed and trembling with happiness.

“What are we going to do with all these dogs?” Annalise asked in dismay. “One Madam is wonderful. But six more …”

“Six more Madam-sized dogs are impossible, especially if these little guys are as klutzy as their mother.” He released a gusty sigh. “I’ll put the word out. We’ll find good homes for them.”

Isabella yanked on his arm, shaking her head.

“You want to keep them all, don’t you, sweetie?”

She nodded emphatically.

He hesitated, wondering how he could explain it in terms she’d understand. “Do you remember your mommy and daddy telling you about the day they adopted you?” He could tell from her expression that she did. “They adopted you because the lady who gave birth to you … like Madam gave birth to all these puppies … couldn’t take care of you, even though I’m sure she wanted to. Your birth mommy did a wonderful thing. She found someone who would love you and give you a safe home because she wasn’t able to. In a few weeks, when these puppies are ready to be out on their own, Madam won’t be able to take care of so many. It’s our job to find good mommies and daddies for all of Madam’s puppies, people who will love them and keep them safe. Families with children like you who need their own Madam. Do you understand?”

He could tell Isabella wasn’t happy about it, but she nodded reluctantly. He tossed a relieved smile over his shoulder in Annalise’s direction, shocked to see the tears streaking down her cheeks.

Fortunately, Isabella was so preoccupied with the puppies, she didn’t notice. With an inarticulate murmur, Annalise escaped the intimate circle and distanced herself from them. Jack followed. Some instinct warned that his wife was hanging on by a mere thread, and, without a word, he pulled her into his arms.

“Honey, what’s wrong?”

She simply shook her head without responding.

To his relief, Sara and Brett chose that moment to show up. They took in the situation in one glance. “Got a mite worried when no one appeared for breakfast.” Sara spoke in an undertone. “Brett had a strong suspicion about what was going on. Mentioned just last night that Madam looked a bit plumper than a few weeks of decent meals could explain.”

“I was going to give you the heads-up today,” Brett added. “But I see Madam decided to break the news to you herself.”

“That she did. Maybe if I’d had more experience with dogs I’d have caught on sooner.” Jack spared his wife a swift glance. She continued to cling to him, her face buried in his shoulder. “Would the two of you mind keeping an eye on Isabella? Annalise isn’t feeling well and I’d like to take her back to bed.”

“Oh, dear,” Sara said in concern. “Would it help if I fixed a pot of tea or a bite of toast?”

“I’ll let you know,” Jack assured. “I suspect Isabella will stay glued to Madam’s side for the next few hours, so I