Page 54 of Bridles and Bribery

The driver of the minivan slammed on his brakes, yanking the wheel hard to return to his lane. Though he didn’t succeed, he stopped the minivan in the nick of time, avoiding a collision by a hair. The van ended up sideways in the lane in front of them. The driver gave them a dazed look before slumping forward over the steering wheel.

“Wait here! It may be a trap.” Josh pushed open his door and crouched behind it with his weapon drawn. “We were expecting something like this.”

The driver didn’t move.

Dave scanned the road ahead of them, the lake to their left, and the distant tree line on their right. He saw no movement anywhere but on his property ahead.

I need to get to Jillian!

“Cover me while I move,” he snarled. Hoping it wasn’t something he’d regret, he pushed open the passenger door and sprinted, half bent over, to the driver’s side of the minivan.

He jiggled the handle and found it unlocked. Flinging it open, he stepped back, using the body of the vehicle as a shield. “Who sent you?” His hand hovered over the weapon in his holster.

The sandy-haired driver blinked a few times and slowly sat up, groaning, “N-nobody. I came on my own.” His face was ashen beneath a few freckles and a single mole resting above his upper lip. A ketchup stain rode the front of his blue dress shirt, which was tucked crookedly into a pair ofkhaki trousers. He didn’t present the typical thug image, though looks could be deceiving.

“Who are you?” Dave shot off his next question, hoping to keep the guy off balance and talking.

“Donovan Marks.” The man scowled and twisted his head around, trying to get a better look at Dave. “What’s it to you?”

What’s it to me?Fury burned through Dave’s veins at the realization that he was speaking to Jillian’s donor from the surrogacy firm in Dallas.Where do I begin?“For starters, you can quit stalking my wife. The only thing your hang-up phone calls and creepy flower deliveries are gonna get you is a restraining order.” And possibly some jail time if it turned out he was in cahoots with the gamblers.

“I’m n-not looking for any trouble,” the man stuttered. “I just want to speak with the mother of my child. Please.” His voice grew hoarse. “I’m begging you. It’s important.”

Blood rushed to Dave’s head, nearly blinding him. “Let’s get one thing clear, Mr. Marks. You arenotthe father of my wife’s child. I am. All you are is a donor. Big difference! A father wouldn’t have tucked tail and run to avoid all responsibility toward the child you’re now claiming you want so badly. You’re on the same level as those scumbags who drive into other people’s neighborhoods to throw out litters of kittens.” But worse. Donovan Marks had abandoned a dirt poor receptionist and her unborn child.

“I’m sorry.” The man ducked his head in shame. “I truly am. The thing is, my wife died after we contacted the surrogacy firm, and?—”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” For all Dave knew, the man could be lying. “The fact remains, you gave up all legal rights to my wife’s child. You put it in writing. Done deal.”

“I know, but?—”

“Then you waited eight whole months to change your mind. If that’s not complete financial and emotional abandonment, I don’t know what is. You have two choices, Mr. Marks. Leave my family alone, or I will bury you in court.”

The three ambulances turned onto the road, two coming in Dave’s direction, one going in the opposite direction. Their lights flashed and sirens screamed as they zigzagged around the minivan.

Josh Hawling used two gloved fingers to wave them around the armored Lexus sedan. The ambulance drivers probably recognized him, since he was the one who’d authored their current maneuver.

Great. I’ve missed my ride.Dave felt like throttling the man slumped in the driver’s seat of the minivan like a sack of potatoes.

To his dismay, a lone tear leaked from the corner of Donovan Marks’ left eye and slid down his cheek as he watched the emergency vehicles depart. It made him wonder if the creep knew Jillian was in one of them.

“Okay, mister. Okay.” Mr. Marks reached inside the pocket of his trousers.

Oh, for pity’s sake!Dave withdrew his weapon, preparing to aim and fire if the man tried anything stupid.

All he did, though, was hold out a business card between two well-manicured fingers that were trembling like crazy. “You may not believe me, sir, but our encounter has helped me.”

Whatever.Dave made no effort to take the card from him.

“After losing my wife, it took a while for me to come to my senses. When I did, I was consumed with guilt over walking away from our surrogacy agreement. For all I knew, the mother of my, er…of the child I helped bring into the world…had terminated the pregnancy. I’m more grateful than you will ever know to find out that she didn’t. I’m also grateful to find out she has a guy like you in her life. A lot of surrogates don’t. Someone who will give this child the life they deserve.” He held the business card out further. “Please take my contact information. If you ever need anything from me…”

“We won’t,” Dave grated out.

“You don’t know that,” the man sighed. “Down the road, you might have questions about my medical history. Or, Heaven forbid, need something like an organ replacement for the kid. I mean, you never know.”

Against his better judgment, Dave snatched the card from him and stuffed it in his pocket, if for no other reason than to shut him up.

“I’m sorry,” the man said again. “I hope you and your wife can find it in your hearts to forgive me.” He wearily shut his door, fumbled with the gear stick, and drove off.

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