Page 54 of Forged in Steele

Perfect.She was pulling this off with ease despite her misgivings. She didn’t lie about talking to the Wetzels, and she made it sound like she was desperate for her own child.

“Which is why we’re here.” She rested her hand over Jared’s then clutched it tightly. “We want a family too.”

Now that could be considered a lie, but in fact, she thought they both wanted a family. Maybe not today. Maybe not with each other. Maybe would never have one. But still, they wanted children.

Holloway steepled his fingers, his nails manicured. “I assume you’ve exhausted all other avenues like most of my clients.”

“Of course,” Jared said. “Or we wouldn’t be here.”

“Then let’s get started with the process.” Holloway lifted the lid on his laptop. “A background check will be in order. Any issues with that?”

Jared shook his head and hoped the history Piper created would stand up under Holloway’s scrutiny. Not that he was likely looking to see if they would be good parents. His first priority would be to confirm that they had enough money to pay for the baby. Then he would probably check for any red flags that said he couldn’t trust them to be discreet.

Holloway poised his hands over his keyboard. “Let’s start with your address.”

Bristol rattled off the address for the house that Piper rented under their name. The house where they would spend time together for as many nights as needed to determine if this man was involved in abducting Luna. Or until they located Luna from another lead.

“Employers and job titles?” Holloway asked.

Jared went first, listing a bogus startup company with a phone number that would ring to a phone line set up to confirm both his and Bristol’s employment if needed.

“Logistics, huh?” Holloway looked up. “That’s a demanding job.”

“But worth it,” Jared said. “No better feeling than when you get every item you’re moving to the right location and your customers are satisfied.”

Holloway seemed to buy the answer. He looked at Bristol. “And you?”

“Human resources,” she said and listed her bogus company. “My sweetie, here, moves things around, I move people.”

She chuckled, and Jared loved that her natural sense of humor could come through even in a tense situation like this one. She’d always been able to make him laugh, and he loved that about her too. He was by nature a serious guy, and he needed to lighten up. She’d made his life so much better when they’d been together. Almost as if God had made her to complete him.

Oh. Wow. Wow.What a thing to think about when Jared needed to focus and not screw up.

Holloway cracked a smile as his fingers flew over the keyboard. He looked up, his jaw now rigid. “Boy or girl?”

“Pardon?” Bristol asked.

“Do you want a boy or girl?” Holloway pressed his hands on the desk. “I should warn you, boys are harder to come by.”

Holloway was treating babies like commodities, and Jared’s stomach revolted.

“A girl,” Bristol said not missing a beat “And I always imagined a little dark-haired girl like my sweetie.”

She patted his knee, and her touch sizzled all the way to his heart. He nearly forgot who he was and where they were and tugged her into his arms.

Nearly.

“I want a girl too.” Her touch lit his imagination, and he gave in, taking her hand in his. “A mini-Christine.” He made sure to include her bogus name and make it sound natural.

“I’m not sure I want a mini-me.” Bristol wrinkled her nose at him. “But I do think a girl will be easier for our first child. Or at least I’ve read that they can be easier until they reach their teen years. I mean, if our daughter is like I was.” She shuddered.

“I didn’t think you were so bad back then.” Jared smiled at her. “I fell for you after all.”

“But see, my parents were trying to protect me from older guys like you.” She laughed.

He laughed with her.

“Then you’ve known each other that long?” Holloway sounded intrigued.

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