Читать книгу The Surprise Triplets - Jacqueline Diamond, Lori Copeland, Jacqueline Diamond - Страница 10

Chapter Two

Edmond’s ethics had prevented him from questioning fellow staffers about his ex-wife’s pregnancy. Now that they were in private, though, it took all his resolve not to blurt the questions bedeviling him.

How frustrating that her condition made her glow even more than usual. That was saying a lot. The first time he’d seen Melissa, sitting with her friends at a UCLA campus coffee shop, light through a leaded glass window had bathed her in gold. Now, at the memory, her radiance hit him doubly hard.

They’d been a couple from the moment they met. He’d opened up to her, and she to him, or so he’d believed. They’d agreed that their marriage, their intimacy and their commitment would always be the center of their lives.

He’d been frank about the fact that fatherhood, on top of his demanding profession, would bring too many pressures. Edmond did nothing halfway, and he understood how important a father was to his children—a loving, devoted father, not a man who had them just because others expected him to. He’d taken on family responsibilities too young, filling in with his younger sister for an often-absent father and an emotionally withdrawn mother. And had done a poor job with her, as things turned out.

His wife’s announcement after five years of marriage that she wanted children had come out of nowhere. No warning, no hints before then that she’d changed her mind. Astonished and angry, he’d reacted strongly. Perhaps too strongly, but surely they could have saved their marriage if she was open to it. Instead, she’d walked out and cut off all communication about everything except divorce.

Despite his resentment, their deep connection had lingered in Edmond’s thoughts through the years. Although her presence in Safe Harbor hadn’t been his only reason for moving here, he’d looked forward to reconnecting, at least on a friendship basis. A friendship that might, in time, have grown.

No chance of that now. Not that Edmond begrudged her happiness. “Pregnancy suits you.”

Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise. “Nice of you to say so.”

“I never pay idle compliments.”

“I’m aware of that.” She waved him into a chair in front of her desk. A handful of brochures and papers were stacked more or less neatly on its polished wooden surface.

“Thank you for consenting to me being hired.” He’d been pleased to learn from Dr. Rayburn that she’d raised no objection.

“You’ll do a good job.” Her tapered fingers started to drum the desk, then stopped. “Why do you wish to be a consultant here?”

Noting her tension, he wondered at it. If she’d fallen in love with someone new, surely she’d be indifferent to him. Also, if she loved the father of her child, why was she sharing a house with friends?

“I applied for the post for financial and professional reasons,” he answered. “Until I arrived at Geoff Humphreys and Associates, the ‘associates’ consisted of a legal secretary and a receptionist. I’m slowly building a clientele, but it’s going to take a while.” He decided against mentioning that he’d also been attracted to the hospital opening because she was on staff.

“Why did you leave L.A.?” she asked. “I’m sure it paid better.” He’d earned a hefty salary, plus bonuses.

“It was cutthroat.” The partners at his old firm had encouraged associates to go for the jugular. The more Edmond saw of vicious divorces and custody battles, the less he appreciated that approach to family law.

Despite their pain, he and Melissa had behaved like rational adults during the divorce. That experience had been part of the reason he’d switched his focus to collaborative law and joined a smaller firm.

There’d been other reasons, as well. He’d sought to reduce his hours so he could help his parents and sister, who’d had a rough year. Then, after meeting Geoff and finding that their views dovetailed, he’d leaped at the chance to move to Safe Harbor. And possibly, to start over with Melissa.

Until today, he hadn’t admitted to himself how much he’d hoped she’d let go of her desire to have children. Once, she’d valued being with him above everything else, and as the years passed and she hadn’t remarried, he’d wondered if she might be experiencing some regret.

Obviously, he’d been wrong. Regardless of who the father was, she’d made an irreversible commitment to the child inside her. This pregnancy meant he’d truly lost her.

“So the short version is, you took the hospital consulting job because you need the business,” Melissa summarized.

“Harsh but accurate,” Edmond conceded. “Also, the legal aspects of new medical technologies present an interesting challenge.”

She crossed her arms. “I don’t view my clients’ legal concerns as an ‘interesting challenge.’ They’re individuals facing real-life issues.” Judging by her tone, he gathered that he’d irritated her.

“Of course they’re individuals, but when they consult a lawyer, they deserve objective advice more than hand-holding.” Rather than continue in this vein, Edmond added, “My job description also includes educating the staff on family law topics, such as changes regarding adoptions and surrogacy.”

“I presume Tony is on board with this.”

“He’s the one who requested they hire a consultant.” Tony Franco, the hospital’s regular attorney, had his hands full dealing with liability and malpractice matters, as well as refining policies on patient privacy, patient rights and the in vitro program. “Geoff introduced us on the golf course a few months ago. He suggested I apply for the opening.”

“Congratulations.” Melissa stopped there. Whatever she was thinking, she guarded it well. He used to consider her an open book, but then again, if that had been true, he’d have had some idea of how radically she’d altered her opinion of parenthood.

After a brief silence, he said, “Let’s discuss how I can assist you with fertility patients. You’re on the front lines, I understand.”

“Fine. Later.”

“Why not now?” He wasn’t ready to cut short this meeting, not until he had a clearer picture of where she stood. How she felt. Who the damn father was.

Instead of a direct answer, she blurted, “Don’t go to the wedding.”

So that’s what’s on her mind. Edmond struggled to catch this conversational curve ball. “I already RSVP’d.”

“It isn’t set in concrete.” A cord of tension stood out in her slender neck. “You’re only attending to expand your contacts in the community, right?”

Not entirely. “There are personal as well as professional reasons. I had no idea it was at your house.” Why did this bother her? She’d agreed to work with him.

“It’s an informal event,” Melissa said. “One person more or less won’t affect anything. It’s not as if Jack and Anya will be stuck paying a caterer for an uneaten meal.”

Edmond had a tight schedule on Saturday, and skipping the afternoon event might ease things. But in view of his new consulting job, her friends were now his coworkers. Breaking his promise to attend would be rude. And he didn’t understand her reluctance.

Was she trying to hide the circumstances of her pregnancy? Surely she didn’t expect to keep him in the dark for long. Had she broken up with the father? Or was the prospect of introducing him to her ex-husband uncomfortable?

Edmond half hoped the guy was a bum with body odor. Maybe that’s the real reason for the nose clips. At the ridiculous notion, he smiled.

“You find this funny?” she asked.

“I was just...” He shook off his reflections. “We live in the same community.”

“Your choice, not mine.” Her low tone bordered on a growl.

“You gave your permission,” he reminded her.

“Not for you to relocate to Safe Harbor, only for this job. I’ve never been vindictive.”

“That’s true.”

“Then do me a favor and...” Halting, she paled, and sucked in several quick breaths.

“Are you okay?” Edmond leaned across the desk. “Shall I call someone?”

“What I need is tea.”

“I’ll get it.”

“Never mind.”

This was ridiculous. “We aren’t enemies,” he said. “Melissa, tell me what I can do.”

“I don’t want your help.” Were those tears in her eyes? “And it’s just a touch of morning sickness. Gone already.”

Perhaps, yet her distress troubled him. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. And if I change my mind about the tea, I’ll ask Caroline.”

Damn, she was hardheaded. “Surely we can find common ground and give each other a break,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with family matters...I could use your insights. And in your situation, you shouldn’t be too quick to reject an offer of friendship.”

He’d phrased that badly, he saw when her chin lifted defiantly. “I have plenty of friends. What do you mean by ‘my situation,’ anyway?”

“You haven’t mentioned the father.” Oh, hell, he was making matters worse. “Not that it’s any of my business.”

“There is no father.”

She hadn’t fallen in love with another man. That discovery brought some comfort, but Edmond also found it disturbing. How desperately she must want a child to undergo insemination by an anonymous donor.

She was awaiting a reaction to her statement. If she expected reassurances, he had to disappoint her. “Is that fair to the child? Fathers matter.”

“I have guy friends,” she told him. “Guys who think kids are precious.”

“Friends aren’t family.” Nor did she have any other family, unfortunately. Her parents had died years ago, and her younger brother had drowned as a toddler.

“Lots of women raise children alone,” Melissa flared.

Edmond was glad the color had returned to her cheeks, even though it was an angry red. “In any case, nothing I say matters. Your baby is your priority now.”

“That’s right.”

They’d reached an impasse, and the end of this conversation. Edmond didn’t offer to shake hands, which might force her to rise. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”

“You’re determined to attend the wedding?” she asked tightly.

“As I said, I already accepted.” If she could be stubborn, so could he. On the spur of the moment, he added, “I’ll be bringing a plus one, by the way.”

“Suit yourself.” She faced her computer, dismissing him.

In the outer office, Edmond paused at Caroline Carter’s desk. An attractive young woman with a smooth dark complexion and a romance novel partly visible on her lap, she regarded him brightly. “Yes, Mr. Everhart?”

“If you wouldn’t mind, my... Melissa could use some tea. Her stomach’s bothering her,” he said.

“I’m on it,” she responded. “And welcome to Safe Harbor.”

“Glad to be here.” He exited into the main-floor hallway, where he was engulfed by the chatter and bustle of personnel heading for the cafeteria. Despite the flat lighting and the smell of antiseptic, he liked this place. The air hummed with the enthusiasm of people dedicated to their work.

It had been a rocky meeting with his ex-wife. But they’d accomplished an important task: clarifying that they stood as far apart as ever.

* * *

EVERY MINUTE CLOSER to lunch, Melissa felt nearer to starvation, and today’s cafeteria special had been posted as chicken enchiladas with guacamole, a favorite of hers. Nevertheless, her friends would spot her frayed emotional state the moment she sat at their table, and she wasn’t ready to field questions.

Why was Edmond so stubborn about the wedding? And why had she overreacted? She hadn’t intended to demand that he skip it.

When he’d observed that pregnancy suited her, a wall inside her had started to crumble, and his strong presence had reawakened a longing to lean on him. What an absurd idea, and yet he’d been her rock after her parents’ sudden deaths in an accident, and she needed someone to talk to right now.

But when he’d pushed her away, it stung, revealing a vulnerability Melissa had believed long vanquished. How could she still have feelings for the man who’d broken her heart?

Considering his dismissive attitude toward fatherhood, he had a lot of nerve, criticizing her decision. Is that fair to the child? Fathers matter. As if she hadn’t taken that into consideration.

In fact, she’d been reluctant to undergo artificial insemination. Melissa had questioned how she would explain to a child later that its father had no involvement, indeed no awareness of its existence.

Then a couple of in vitro clients to whom she’d grown close had faced a dilemma. After bearing healthy triplets, they’d been left with three unused embryos. Due to a difficult pregnancy and with three children to raise, they’d decided against another pregnancy. Instead, they’d resolved to donate the embryos.

Recalling an earlier conversation with Melissa, they’d offered the little ones to her. With her, they’d insisted, they wouldn’t worry because they had confidence she’d be a wonderful mother. But they’d also been in a rush to settle the matter and told her if she didn’t seize the chance immediately, they’d select another recipient.

Her physician, Dr. Zack Sargent, had noted the potential physical complications of a multiple pregnancy but, in view of her general good health, he’d given his approval. When she’d solicited the opinions of her housemates and a few dinner guests, Anya’s fiancé, obstetrician Jack Ryder, had said that frozen embryo transfers at Safe Harbor had about a fifty percent success rate. That statistic reinforced Melissa’s assumption that at most she’d bear twins.

She’d also received enthusiastic support from Karen. Divorced and in her early forties, her friend had no plans for children of her own but loved being around babies. Another housemate, male nurse Lucky Mendez, had advised Melissa to follow her heart instead of obsessing about everything that could go wrong. Only ultrasound technician Zora Raditch had been dubious, but then, Zora had accidentally become pregnant with twins after having breakup sex with her faithless ex-husband, so her opinion of men and maternity was understandably jaundiced.

It had felt like fate. Then all three embryos had taken. And now here I am, hurting because the man I used to love won’t accept me the way I am. What a waste of energy.

Annoyed at her weakness, she picked up the phone and put in a call to Rose’s Posies. As her wedding gift to Jack and Anya, she was providing the bouquets for the bride and for two flower girls, as well as for one of Anya’s sisters, who was flying in from Colorado to serve as maid of honor.

The shop owner, Rose Nguyen, answered on the fourth ring. “I’ll go check to be sure my daughter has all in order,” she said after Melissa explained she was calling to confirm the arrangements. “Hold for Violet, okay?”

“Thanks.” Melissa smiled at the name of Rose’s daughter. Like her mother’s, it was sweetly appropriate.

She stretched her legs, slipped off her pumps and rested her swollen feet on a stool beneath the desk while making a mental note to buy larger shoes. Preferably before Saturday, to go with the flowing silk caftan she’d found at the Gently Used & Useful thrift shop.

Heat flooded her at the realization that, flattering as the lavender print dress might be, it emphasized her girth. She’d been rather proud of that until Edmond mentioned bringing a date.

Who was it? The legal secretary or the receptionist from his office, a friend from L.A., or a new acquaintance? She’d probably be pretty, smart and slim.

Melissa shook her head at her insecurities. Take Lucky’s advice. Stop obsessing.

On the other end of the line, someone picked up. “Ms. Everhart?” It was Violet. “Let me review the order with you to be sure we have everything as you requested.”

“Good idea.”

A few minutes later, as they finished talking, Melissa’s stomach quivered. No, that wasn’t her stomach. She clamped her hand to her abdomen. The babies were moving. Although they’d been visibly active during a recent ultrasound, she hadn’t been able to feel them.

Her tests had revealed three girls, but until now they’d remained figures on a screen. This fluttery sensation filled her with wonder. My daughters are playing.

Picking up the sonogram picture, she studied the tiny people until tears blurred her vision. They were helpless, utterly dependent on their lone parent. Sometimes the reality of her pregnancy and her future as a single mom to triplets was overwhelming, but she could do it.

Everyone believed in her ability to love and raise them—her friends, her coworkers and Nell and Vernon Grant, the couple who’d donated the embryos. Everyone except Edmond. Well, he was wrong, just as he’d been wrong three years ago.

As for how she’d compare on Saturday to whoever he was bringing to the wedding, why should she care? They’d spent five happy years together but, ultimately, he’d been the wrong man for her.

Still, it wouldn’t hurt to stop by The Baby Bump on her way home. Perhaps the shop carried something more flattering than the billowy lavender dress.