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“Thanks for seeing me so soon,” I said as she rounded her desk and took a seat. She set the folder between us as I added, “I just want to get on with the process.”
She smiled professionally and folded her hands together. “Well, Mr. Mullen, this isn’t a fast process. I don’t want you to get ahead of yourself.”
“I get it.”
“And even though it’s not a fast process, it’s a simple one. It all comes down to what you want for your child.”
My cheeks dried up. It felt like I was chewing on cotton, which made it hard to swallow. After a few seconds, I scratched the back of my head. “I want a family without the complication of finding a mate.”
Her eyes glistened with amusement. “We hear that a lot from shifter dads. I saw your address is located in Hayden territory.”
“Yeah, I’ve only been there for a few months. I’m in retirement, basically.”
She perked up and tugged her keyboard toward her, perching her fingers over the keys. “What was your career?”
“Private security.”
She clicked a few keys, typed rapidly, and then peered at me over her long nose. The way she looked at me made her look like a doe. An inquisitive sniff told me she was a deer shifter—so, that made sense.
“Do you have any preference in a surrogate?”
I lifted my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”
“We serve both the human and shifter populations. Humans see Natalia Hopper for a surrogate so that they don’t end up with a shifter baby by accident.” She tapped a few morekeys. “However, shifters get the choice of their surrogate being human or shifter. Which do you prefer?”
“I don’t have a preference.”
She nodded and tapped another key, then turned her computer monitor to me. She handed me her wireless mouse and pointed to the screen. “Here is our database of eligible surrogates. You can click that right arrow at the top of the screen to scroll through your matches.”
“And if I don’t like any of them?”
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”
I studied the screen where a photograph of a woman with red hair and green eyes stared back at me. She was a wolf shifter who had experience as a surrogate. While that wasn’t important to me personally, I didn’t feel drawn to choose her.
The next few screens didn’t appeal to me either as I scrolled through photos of both human and shifter women. Nothing struck me about these potential surrogates. I couldn’t see my child coming from any of them.
But then again, what was I looking for? A particular eye color? A common thread of hobbies? None of them liked anything past playing a sport or two. It wasn’t like I had to spend time with the person, but I did want to connect on something more than just having my baby.
Patricia sat patiently behind her desk as I perused the options in front of me. Something about the process made it feel like I was using a weird dating site. Not like I had the experience. Those sites weren’t worth my time when I was always doing a mission. And now I just had too much time.
Was that why I wanted a child so badly?
Just then, a woman appeared on the screen who immediately caught my attention. Honey-brown eyes seemed to shimmer with a spark of kindness from the screen. Long black hair framed her olive face, and she had the most darling dimplesI’d ever seen. Her trim brows sat like confident brushstrokes over her eyes, and her full lips appeared to be painted a lush shade of rosy pink.
That smile alone emanated kindness. Something about her tugged at my heartstrings, unraveling a few tight sutures that made me soften. I had to meet her. I had to get to know her.
Anita. What a pretty name.
Patricia leaned forward to peer at the screen and then smiled expectantly. “I can set up a meeting today, Mr. Mullen.”
“Do it then.” I sat back, surprised at my sudden agreement.
But it was now or never. And I wanted it to happen now.
***
The upstairs conference room ofStork’sfelt cozier than the clinical pastel arrangement in the lobby. Seashell-white walls housed green pinstripes and mural paintings done by local artists and schools. Plush cream carpet held modern furnishings such as a recliner, a couch, and a geometric table complete with four chairs.
