The Surprise Triplets Read online

  Triple The Trouble

  When fertility counselor Melissa Everhart decided to have a baby on her own, she didn’t anticipate triplets…or her ex-husband’s return to Safe Harbor. Three years ago, Edmond’s reluctance to have children tore them apart. But now that he’s been made guardian of his niece, Melissa witnesses how tenderly he cares for the little girl.

  Though Edmond doesn’t believe he’s father material, his sudden custody of Dawn leaves him little choice. He turns to Melissa, the warmest, kindest person he knows, for help. They begin to rediscover the love they once shared, but the betrayals of the past trouble them both. Can they find the forgiveness they both need to come together as a family?

  “After you’re in the house, I’m sure there’ll be additional shopping,” Melissa advised.

  “For what?” Edmond asked.

  “Curtains, for one thing. As I recall, the blinds in that house provide privacy but they aren’t decorative.”

  “Oh, right.” While he’d considered the cost of child care, he hadn’t factored in yard care. “And a cleaning service, too. Any recommendations?”

  “We clean our own house, so I’m not sure. Just ask at work. You’ll be inundated with suggestions.” She was grinning widely.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “You’re usually on top of every situation.” She slipped her pad into a pocket. “It’s refreshing to see you out of your element.”

  “Refreshing?” That wasn’t the word Edmond would have chosen. “Awkward, maybe. Embarrassing.”

  “No, it’s cute.” She’d never called him that before. “Human.”

  “As opposed to my usual robotic self?” he asked.

  “In a sense,” she teased. “It’s fun to watch the ice melt.”

  He traced her temple with his thumb. “Only with you.” Her radiance drew him in, drew him close. He tilted his head, longing for her, but holding back.

  And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she looped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him....

  Dear Reader,

  Welcome to Safe Harbor, and please don’t worry if you haven’t read all—or any—of the previous books, because each stands alone. Each also presents unique challenges to me as a writer.

  When I sketched the storyline for this book, I had no idea how much research the writing would entail. Some of it was already in my files, such as background on embryo transfers and multiple pregnancies. And I had some experience in court matters, having helped cover several trials for the Associated Press and having served on a jury.

  However, I soon realized I needed to understand the special needs of children whose parents are sent to prison; how to arrange for such a child’s guardianship so she doesn’t end up in the foster care system, and how the sentencing would unfold in a courtroom.

  I’m grateful for the internet, a gold mine of information. When the internet doesn’t suffice, however, I seek out experts to interview. Luckily, I have a friend who’s a Superior Court judge and who explained to me what goes on when a sentence is handed down, as in the case of Edmond’s sister.

  My goal is to weave in the background so smoothly that it supports rather than interferes with the emotions of the story. I hope I’ve succeeded. Happy reading!

  Best,

  Jacqueline Diamond

  THE SURPRISE

  TRIPLETS

  Jacqueline Diamond

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Medical themes feature prominently among Jacqueline Diamond’s more than 95 published novels, especially her Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Harlequin American Romance. Delivered at home by her physician father—the only doctor in their small Texas town—Jackie moved with her parents and brother to Louisville, Kentucky, and later Nashville, Tennessee. She developed an interest in fertility issues after successfully undergoing treatment to have her two sons, now in their twenties. Her books include Regency romances, romantic intrigues, romantic comedies and mysteries. A former Associated Press reporter and columnist, she lives with her husband of thirty-five years in Orange County, California, where she’s active in Romance Writers of America. You can see an overview of the Safe Harbor Medical miniseries at www.jacquelinediamond.com and say hello to Jackie at her Facebook page, JacquelineDiamondAuthor.

  Books by Jacqueline Diamond

  HARLEQUIN AMERICAN ROMANCE

  1101—NINE-MONTH SURPRISE‡

  1109—A FAMILY AT LAST‡

  1118—DAD BY DEFAULT‡

  1130—THE DOCTOR + FOUR‡

  1149—THE DOCTOR’S LITTLE SECRET

  1163—DADDY PROTECTOR

  1177—TWIN SURPRISE

  1209—THE FAMILY NEXT DOOR*

  1223—BABY IN WAITING*

  1242—MILLION-DOLLAR NANNY*

  1273—DOCTOR DADDY

  1295—THE WOULD-BE MOMMY**

  1320—HIS HIRED BABY**

  1335—THE HOLIDAY TRIPLETS**

  1344—OFFICER DADDY**

  1358—FALLING FOR THE NANNY**

  1375—THE SURGEON’S SURPRISE TWINS**

  1392—THE DETECTIVE’S ACCIDENTAL BABY**

  1400—THE BABY DILEMMA**

  1420—THE M.D.’S SECRET DAUGHTER**

  1443—THE BABY JACKPOT**

  1454—HIS BABY DREAM**

  1483—THE SURPRISE HOLIDAY DAD**

  1499—A BABY FOR THE DOCTOR**

  ‡Downhome Doctors

  *Harmony Circle

  **Safe Harbor Medical

  For Kevin and Renée Brown, two very special friends

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  The man and woman sitting in front of Melissa Everhart’s desk held hands as if about to jump off a cliff together. In a sense, that was what they were doing.

  Be careful what you wish for, she wanted to caution them. But in her role as Safe Harbor Medical Center’s in vitro fertilization and egg donor coordinator, she was already providing them with full information. Any further warning would be an unprofessional insertion of her personal concerns.

  “Most people who hire a surrogate and can’t provide their own eggs prefer to use a separate egg donor,” she was explaining.

  “Why bring in a third party?” The woman, Bev Landry, an accountant in her early forties, projected a professional image in her tailored gray suit with a rose-colored silk blouse. Only the clenched hands in her lap betrayed her nervousness as she and her husband embarked on an expensive and by-no-means-guaranteed quest to have a child via surrogacy. An ovarian cancer survivor, she had tried to adopt without success.

  Bev longed for a baby with all her heart. Melissa understood that yearning because she’d shared it.

  “I’m not a lawyer, but I can tell you that while surrogates—or gestational carriers, as they’re termed—sign away their rights to the baby, it’s still safer lega
lly and emotionally if there’s no genetic link,” Melissa informed her.

  “That brings up the issue of legalities...” Bev’s husband, Mick, a rough-hewn building contractor, leaned forward aggressively. It was, Melissa judged, merely his way of taking control of a scary situation. “What protection do we have when we commission—if that’s the right word—a child?”

  “We’re fortunate that California leads the world in safeguarding your rights,” she said. “I have several documents here on the subject, including new laws and court decisions favoring the designated parents.”

  Mick glanced at the documents she handed him, then set them aside for later. “Thanks. And I’ll be the biological father, after all.”

  “That’s right. Now let’s talk about how you would select your egg donor and your surrogate.” Although the hospital’s brochures covered all aspects of its fertility program, the information could be overwhelming. It was Melissa’s job to steer clients through the process.

  If she deemed it advisable, she could also refer them to the hospital’s psychologist. And, starting today, she could offer them a free session with the hospital’s new consulting family attorney. Who just happened to be her ex-husband.

  Her throat tightened. A year ago, without explanation, her ex-husband Edmond had given up a high-paying position in Los Angeles to join a tiny law firm here in Safe Harbor. Then, a month or so ago, he’d applied for a consulting job at the hospital. Despite her reservations, when the administrator had asked Melissa whether bringing Edmond on board in a part-time position would pose problems for her, she’d said no.

  His new job meant they might occasionally have to work together, but since their divorce three years ago, they’d remained on civil terms. She respected Edmond’s abilities and had always found him easy to confer with.

  Except on one issue. Edmond had vehemently opposed having children. Initially, Melissa hadn’t wanted them, either, but she’d changed her mind during their five-year marriage. As her thirtieth birthday approached, her longing for little ones to love had intensified to the point that she could no longer ignore it.

  Hesitantly, she’d brought up with her husband the possibility of having kids. Edmond hadn’t taken it well, and to her shock, he’d then gone out and had a vasectomy without consulting her. Stunned by this high-handed maneuver and devastated that he thought so little of her needs, Melissa had left him.

  The man she’d believed was her true love had turned out to be fatally flawed. Unfortunately, her post-divorce attempts at finding another Mr. Right had led nowhere.

  Now she was going it alone, she reflected as her hand drifted to her abdomen, where it felt as if she had a watermelon strapped to her midsection. No telling how Edmond would react when he saw her condition. But then, he’d made his choice, and she’d made hers.

  She trained her attention on the computer screen and angled it toward the Landrys. “We provide photographs and profiles of our surrogates, as we do with egg donors in a separate registry. You’ll have your own code to sign onto our secure website from home....” As Melissa spoke, she heard a flurry of noises outside the closed door. Hers was one of four offices opening off the fertility support program’s reception area on the hospital’s ground floor. Judging by the scuff of footsteps and the warm tones of her colleagues, she guessed that the hospital administrator was introducing the new consultant.

  Then a deep, familiar voice rumbled through her. Melissa’s skin prickled. Edmond. If only she wasn’t still so sensitized to his nearness. Maybe agreeing for him to join the staff had been a mistake. Too late to change her mind now.

  “Oh, my goodness!” Bev tugged an ultrasound photo from beneath a few papers on the desk. “Is that twins? No, there’s a third one. Triplets! Incredible.”

  Her husband craned his neck to study the image. “Somebody hit the jackpot.”

  Melissa’s cheeks heated. “I shouldn’t have left that in view.”

  “I’m sorry.” Bev set down the image. “I didn’t mean to invade anyone’s privacy. That woman is so lucky!”

  Is she? “Actually, it’s me.”

  Bev’s mouth flew open. “Seriously? I noticed you were pregnant but I had no idea it was triplets. How far along are you?”

  “Four months down, five to go.” According to Melissa’s obstetrician, multiple births usually resulted in early deliveries, but she was trying to think positively.

  “Your husband must be excited,” Mick said.

  Melissa tilted her head in a half nod and hoped he wouldn’t notice her failure to respond further. “Do you have questions about what we’ve discussed so far?”

  “Once we’ve chosen the surrogate, how many fertilized eggs would be implanted?” Mick said. “I mean, assuming more than one is usable.”

  “That can be a difficult decision,” she told him. “Multiple pregnancies are risky. On the other hand, only implanting one embryo lowers the odds of success. In the U.K. and Australia, doctors are limited by law to transferring a maximum of two embryos.”

  He scowled. “Are there any restrictions in California?”

  “No.” Trying to ignore the increasingly loud chatter from the outer office, she said, “However, our doctors limit themselves to implanting a maximum of three embryos, for medical and ethical reasons.”

  “But the embryos won’t all attach, right?” Bev asked.

  “Not usually.” She certainly hadn’t expected them to. “Twins or singletons are much more common than triplets.”

  From the outer office came the squeal of the high-spirited receptionist, Caroline Carter. “I had no idea you were Melissa’s ex-husband!”

  Melissa winced.

  Edmond replied in a low tone, something about “good terms.” All the same, Melissa’s face was flaming. “Sorry for the disturbance,” she said to the Landrys.

  “No need to apologize,” said Mick. “We’re the ones who changed our appointment at the last minute.” They’d been scheduled to meet with her in the afternoon.

  “It didn’t occur to me that this might overlap. We have a new legal consultant at the hospital.” At a tap on the door, Melissa started to rise. When her abdominal muscles protested, she put a hand on the desktop for support.

  “Please don’t exert yourself. I’ll get it.” Uncoiling from his chair, Mick crossed the floor. Since he was closer, she yielded without protest.

  Melissa braced for this encounter with Edmond. They’d run into each other occasionally since he’d arrived in town and they’d exchanged polite how-are-yous. He’d represented one of her housemates in a divorce, and another, briefly, on a custody issue. She’d assured her friends that he was an excellent attorney, which was true. But this was her home territory.

  Just say hello and it’ll be over. For now. And if she remained seated, she might be able to save her startling news until they were alone.

  Mick opened the door. “Don’t mind me. I’m the butler,” he joked to the imposing administrator, Dr. Mark Rayburn, a large man with black hair and power eyebrows.

  “Pardon the interruption,” Mark said. “We have a new attorney on staff and today’s his first chance to meet everybody. We’ll just be a sec.”

  “No problem.” Extending his hand, Mick introduced himself and his wife.

  The slim, strong man Melissa had once loved moved past Mark, and cool brown eyes met hers from behind steel-framed glasses. It was lucky that her clients were comfortable chatting with the newcomers, because her voice got stuck in her throat.

  As always, her ex-husband was impeccably groomed—even in July, he wore a jacket and tie. Being in the same room made her keenly aware of his light, spicy scent and the breadth of his chest.

  And it also made her aware of how much she missed curling against him at night, missed talking over the day’s events and missed his logical insights. Once, she cou
ld have tracked his reactions to people and events as easily as her own. It was disorienting, to have no idea what he was thinking right now.

  What was wrong with her? It must be the emotional effect of maternal hormones. She’d long ago resolved any lingering sense that she belonged with this man.

  “Good to see you, Melissa.” He sounded slightly hoarse.

  “You, too,” she managed. She ought to rise, but if she did...

  At Mark’s subtle prompting, Edmond greeted the Landrys and handed them his business card. “If you have any legal questions, I’d be happy to schedule a free consultation here at the hospital. I have office hours Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons.”

  “Maybe later,” Mick said. “We’re still in the early stages.”

  The administrator indicated they should move on. Just when Melissa figured the encounter was over, Edmond swung toward her. “Okay if I stop by in a few minutes? There are a few matters we should discuss.”

  “Certainly.” All very professional, although everybody in the office—plus the cheerily nosy receptionist lingering outside the door—must be aware of the undercurrents.

  When he held out his hand, there was no avoiding it. Melissa stood up, big belly and all.

  Edmond’s jaw dropped and his body went rigid. His double take might almost have been comical, had she not felt his shock so keenly. Melissa had prepared herself for his disapproval or anger, or perhaps indifference. To her surprise, she caught a glint of pain.

  His gaze went to her left hand, to her ringless third finger. But he could hardly draw conclusions from that. Pregnant women often removed their wedding rings to accommodate puffiness.

  He cleared his throat. “I’ll talk to you later, then. Nice to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Landry.”

  As Mark ushered Edmond out, he regarded Melissa with concern. He didn’t miss much, she reflected, and she smiled in an attempt to reassure him.

  With a nod, the big man closed the door. She hadn’t fooled him. She wasn’t fooling anybody these days, except maybe herself. Oh, quit overthinking this.