gazed up at Cord and the expression in her eyes would haunt him for days. “What do we do if she doesn’t change her mind?”
“Justin’s right, darlin’. We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. “For now, let’s just be grateful that Ashley’s still right here with us where we can keep her safe.” He glanced at Justin. “How long are we talking about on those blood tests?”
“We’ll have to get Lizzy over here to draw some blood tomorrow for a comparison. As I understand it, if the blood types are a clear mismatch, that’ll be the end of it and we’ll be back to square one. If the typing matches, then they’ll run DNA tests. Allow a week or two for that. Could be longer.”
“No court would turn the baby over to her without clear evidence of a match, though?” he asked.
“Absolutely not,” Justin agreed. “We’ll take our time on this one and make absolutely sure we get it right. Social services will want to do a whole slew of checks as well. Believe me, Hazel Murdock’s life will be put under a microscope before she gets the baby. It might be different if the natural mother were trying to get custody, but so far we’ve had no luck at all locating her. As long as it’s the grandmother we’re dealing with, I’d say the baby could wind up right here.” He regarded Sharon Lynn intently. “If that’s the way you really want it.”
“It is,” she said emphatically.
Cord couldn’t have asked for anything more, but one look at Sharon Lynn’s still-shattered expression made him question how she would survive the delay, especially if the result was losing Ashley.
“Thanks, Justin. We appreciate your help,” Cord said. “I know it was above and beyond the call of duty.”
Justin’s worried gaze never left Sharon Lynn. “This isn’t about duty. It’s about family.”
“I’m going in to be with the baby,” Sharon Lynn murmured and slipped past them.
Justin watched her go, his expression uneasy. “You planning to stay here with her tonight?”
Cord nodded. He was surprised when Justin nodded his approval.
“Good. She’s taking this hard.”
“Does that surprise you?”
“Of course not. Sharon Lynn’s always had a tender heart. That’s why she was so accepting when Kyle came up with a million and one excuses for delaying their wedding. She always understood. She always waited. That’s why it rocked her so badly when she lost him on their wedding night. It wasn’t just feeling guilty about being the driver. It was all those regrets for the years they lost.”
Justin sighed. “Despite that hope I held out about the baby staying here in the end, I can’t help wondering if it wouldn’t be easier on Sharon Lynn if we just made other arrangements for foster care now.”
“The same thought crossed my mind a minute ago,” Cord admitted. “But we can’t. For one thing, she’d never hear of it. For another, something in my gut tells me this is going to turn out all right in the end.”
Justin clasped his hand. “I hope you’re right. I really do. I’ll see to it that Lizzy gets by here in the morning to get the blood for the lab and I’ll call the minute I know anything.”
“Thanks.”
At the door Justin hesitated again. Cord grinned at his obvious reluctance to go. “It’s okay, you know. I won’t take advantage of the situation.”
Justin gave him a rueful grin. “Was I that obvious?”
“Let’s just say you’re not a man who should try bluffing at poker.”
Justin laughed. “No wonder I keep losing in those games out at White Pines.” His expression sobered. “I’m counting on the fact that you’re being straight with me. I’m trusting you with my cousin.”
“I won’t do anything to make you regret it. I swear it.”
Justin nodded. “Then that’s good enough for me. I’ll be in touch.”
After he’d gone, Cord remained standing where he was, trying to work up the courage to join Sharon Lynn in the bedroom. Seeing her there, with that big old brass bed of hers dominating the space, was going to make keeping his promise to Justin downright maddening.
But keep it, he would. For a man known for his impatience, Sharon Lynn surely was becoming the test of a lifetime.
* * *
Sharon Lynn couldn’t seem to draw her gaze away from the baby, not even when she heard Cord walk into the bedroom. Her grip on the edge of the crib was white-knuckle tight.