You can stonewall if you want. You don't have to tell us. We understand that you're in an awkward position, but your father may not be as understanding.

He's going to want to know who the father is and where we were, that we couldn't stop this from happening."

Julie snorted. "You can't stop things from happening. You don't know half of what goes on in the dorms."

"We know more than you think, but you're right," he said less patiently, and rose. "We can't stop things like this from happening unless we run the place like a prison, which I refuse to do. It isn't fair to those students who do have a sense of responsibility."

Paige, too, rose.

ill'll drive her back," Noah said, looking tired. "Then I'll try her ather. We can't do much more until we reach him."

Paige nodded and walked them outside. It was all she could do not to slip her hand through Noah's again. She wanted his warmth. She also wanted to ask if he would come by that night, but she couldn't very well do it with Julie right there. So she simply smiled and waved when they drove off, then headed home.

She was mentally drained, feeling nearly as bad for Noah having to deal with the pregnancy of one of his students and the potential for scandal at Mount Court, as she felt for herself. Her own worries took precedence, though, when she walked into the house. From the kitchen came the sound of Sami's squeals.

She followed them and stood for a time, unobserved, at the door.

Sami was in her high chair. Nonny was feeding her. The kitchen was messy in a lived-in sort of way.

Paige tried to imagine coming home to a spotless, quiet, empty house.

It was a chilling thought. But the otherthe other was unsettling, too. Could she come home to a full house and not feel guilty that she hadn't cooked dinner? Could she just pick up and leave at night when she had emergency calls?

Could she simply close her door and shut everyone out when she wanted to be alone?

She gasped when something furry and alive rubbed against her leg.

"Paige," Nonny exclaimed, "come in, come in, there's a little someone here who's anxious to see you."

Paige bent to give kitty a ticklekitty, who was growing bigger and more affectionate by the day then went to Sami, who tipped her head back and gave her a saucy grin. "Hi, sweetie. How's my little girl?"

Her throat tightened around the words. Sami wasn't hers.

Other parents were in the process of staking their claim.

"Tell Mommy what you did today," Nonny urged Sami. "Co on. Tell her."

"What did you do?" Paige managed to ask.

"She took a step," Nonny said proudly. "Just one before she fell, but considering that three months ago she could barely sit by herself, it's astounding."

"Took a step?" Paige asked Sami. "Let me see." She waited only long enough for Nonny to wipe the food from Sami's face before lifting her out of the high chair. Holding her close, she carried her into the living room, then stood her up at the sofa and moved back.

She held out her arms. "Come here, sweetheart. Walk to Mommy."

Sami plopped down on her seat.

Paige gently stood her up again and moved back. "I want to see. I miss such good things when I'm at work. Show me now, sweetie."

Sami plopped down again, but this time, before Paige could go to her, she crawled to Paige, climbed up on her knees, and held out her arms.

Paige picked her up, acutely aware of the way tiny arms circled her neck. "Oh, sweetie," she whispered, torn to bits and on the verge of tears. "I do love you. But motherhood is an awesome undertaking.

Like marriage."

The phone rang. Paige continued to hug Sami, but when it rang again, she reached for it.

"We have a problem," Noah said without prelude. "A rea/ problem."

"Another one? I'm not sure I can take it."

"Julie's father is furious. He's flying up in the morning with his lawyer. He says he's suing the school."

Paige thought quickly. "He hasn't got a case.

Julie has a history of not following the rules at Mount Court. She has a history of being disciplined. It's not like you all turned the other way and ignored what was going on.

Besides, she is eighteen."

"You're right. No case. But he can make enough noise to rake me and my school over the coals. I can take it. I'm not sure the school can.

But there's more, Paige. Julie's suddenly saying that the father of her baby is Peter Crace."

"Peter," Paige cried. "That's nonsense!"

"It's what Julie says."

"Well, she's lying," Paige vowed, but the words were no sooner out of her mouth than she thought of the letter Julie had written to Peter, the pictures he claimed he hadn't taken of her, and the ones he had indeed taken, though not of Julie, that had upset Mara so.

"She claims," Noah said, "that he forced her."

"Of course. She'd have to say that. It's the only hope she has of weaseling her way out of this. But it isn't true," Paige insisted, praying she was right.

Noah sighed at the other end of the line. His voice lowered. "I was hoping to drive over and sneak in your window, but I'm thinking I should pick you up at the front door and pay Peter Crace a visit. I have to know his side of the story, and fast. The potential for damage to Mount Court is substantial. So is the potential for damage to your practice."

Paige realized that as he said it. She thought of losing the practice, on top of Angie and Noah and Sami. "What's happening, Noah?" she asked in a wavering voice. "My world is breaking up."

"Not yet, babe. Not yet. Can you be ready in fifteen minutes?"

"Yesno." She struggled to decide how best to handle Peter. "Let me go alone. Peter tends to get defensive."

"If he's innocent" "It doesn't matter. That's just the way he is. He may be angered so by the accusation that he turns around and walks out, which won't accomplish anything at all. I'll go alone, then I'll call you when I get back."

Noah reluctantly agreed. She hung up the phone but sat for a bit holding Sami, who was playing happily with the silver pendant that hung around her neck. "Do you like that?" she asked softly.

"Ma. Ma. Ma. Ma."

"My mother sent it from L.A. a few years ago.