The Surprise Triplets Read online

  The Landrys resumed their seats and Melissa did the same. Returning to their discussion, she said, “You might try listing the qualities that are most important to you in an egg donor and a surrogate. That will guide your choices.”

  Her suggestion had the desired effect of pushing the interruption from their minds. When the clients departed a quarter of an hour later, Melissa had recovered her equilibrium.

  She reached for her cup of tea, to find it empty. Although an hour remained until lunch, she was starving, and she’d already finished off the crackers in her desk. These days, she found herself eating more than enough for four. Her doctor insisted her weight gain was healthy, but Melissa had trouble adjusting to her rotund body shape. At five-foot-eight, she’d always been tall and slender.

  Well, she was still tall.

  The slightly open door swung wider, and she forgot to breathe. Then she saw with relief that her visitor wasn’t Edmond.

  Karen Wiggins, the fertility program’s financial counselor and occupant of the adjacent office, handed her a cup of white liquid. “It’s almond milk—fifty percent more calcium than cow’s milk.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Melissa teased. Ten years her senior, Karen was a nurturing friend as well as her landlady.

  “How’d it go with the ex?” Karen lingered near the desk. This month, she’d dyed her shoulder-length hair reddish-brown, which Melissa preferred to some of her friend’s more flamboyant choices.

  “Smoothly. Oddly. I don’t know.” Staying alert for approaching footsteps, Melissa added, “He’ll be back any minute.”

  “I’ll talk fast. Did you pay attention to the guest list for Saturday?”

  “No. Should I?” Melissa and three other coworkers rented rooms in Karen’s large home. This weekend, one of their group, nurse Anya Meeks, was getting married there. “As long as we have enough food, who cares?”

  “You don’t mind that Edmond’s invited?”

  That was a less-than-welcome surprise. “I had no idea. I wasn’t aware he knew Anya and Jack that well.”

  Karen shrugged. “Anya posted on her wedding website that he’d brought them together. You’ll recall she hired him to arrange for Jack to waive his paternal rights after she found out she was pregnant. That set off a whole chain of events leading to...” She hummed a few bars of “Here Comes the Bride.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Several months ago, Anya had asked about a lawyer to help her explore giving up her baby for adoption and Melissa had recommended Edmond. “That hardly qualifies him as Cupid.” She sipped the milky liquid, enjoying its slight vanilla flavor.

  “She led me to believe she’d already told Jack about the pregnancy.” Edmond peered through the doorway, his brown eyes alight with amusement at slipping into the discussion. “I dropped off what I assumed was routine paperwork to Jack and—bam! Fireworks.”

  Despite an instinctive tensing at his appearance, Melissa had to smile at the image of her normally unflappable ex-husband facing Jack’s outrage. “You smoothed things over.”

  “Not entirely. It was among the more awkward moments of my career,” Edmond said. “But all’s well that ends well.”

  “And you’re coming to my house on Saturday?” Karen asked.

  He gave a start. “The wedding’s at your house?”

  “The address is on the invitation,” Karen pointed out.

  “I didn’t check where it was. I figured I’d GPS it.” A puzzled line formed between Edmond’s dark eyebrows. “By the way, why did the invitation come with nose clips?”

  Both women laughed. “You’ll find out,” Karen said.

  Aware that Edmond disliked being kept in the dark, Melissa explained, “The house is next to an estuary. The smell of decomposing vegetation and fish can get a little ripe.”

  “Dare I hope the wedding’s indoors?” he asked. “Nose clips don’t work too well with glasses.”

  “It is,” she assured him.

  “Glad to hear it.”

  Karen scooped up Melissa’s empty mug. “Later, guys.”

  Then she left them alone.

  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 siste
r, 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.

&
nbsp; 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.