Chapter 4
“I can’t believe you are going through with it. Pass me the salt, please. I hate these fancy restaurants. Couldn’t you have chosen somewhere less conspicuous?” Sandra shook the condiment over her passion fruit salad liberally, no doubt altering the taste of the fruit. Georgie wondered why she had bothered to order the meal in the first place.
“Andre is a friend of mine.” She had ordered the floral soup and sweet bread which was a house favorite.
“He fawns over you like you are the next best thing.”
“I did not invite you to lunch to have you criticizing everything I do.”
Her sister grimaced and muttered an apology. “I sound like a damn grouch, don’t I?”
“You do.”
Picking up her glass, she took a sip of the sharply sweet lemon water. “I am hell to live with. The pregnancy is kicking my butt and work is a nightmare.” She caught her sister’s expression and was immediately remorseful. “I am sorry honey.”
“Why?” Georgie stirred her soup. “I am not going to fall apart at the ‘p’ word. God willing, I will soon be in the exact same boat.” Her eyes glowed with hope.
“What is Beau saying?”
Georgie shrugged and avoided her sister’s eyes. Ever since the scene at the clinic, things had been cool between them. They slept in the same bed, but because of the procedure, she was not allowed to have sex just yet. But that should not have stopped them from being intimate.
Her husband turned his back on her whenever they were in bed. She had apologized for her unkind words, and he had accepted the apology, but things were still strained.
The holidays were coming up and they had their obligations. Georgie would rather spend a quiet day at home instead of going anywhere, but she was Georgiana Anderson, wife of Beau Anderson and daughter-in-law to Blake.
She was required to act as hostess to both her husband and father-in-law. She had accepted her role graciously in the past, but she had other things on her mind.
“He is still on the fence. He is worried that this is going to put a strain on my body.” Sandra eyed her petite frame critically.
Of the four of them, Georgiana was the only one who had inherited their mother’s incredible beauty and delicate frame. She did not look like the rest of them and even when she was a baby, people had marveled over her looks.
Sandra could not help but feel a little envious of her sister’s looks and status in life. She was married to a gorgeous man who was also rich and powerful and not surprisingly, the guy loved her to death.
“What do the doctors say?”
“That they will be monitoring me every step of the way.”
“That does not mean something cannot go wrong. Honey, I am a pediatric nurse and have seen it all. There could be a lot of complications with the route you are taking.”
“Please–”Georgie held up a hand. “I refuse to listen to anything negative. I did the embryo transfer and am excitedly awaiting the good news that I am pregnant.”
“It might not happen the first go.”
“I have been praying it does, for more reasons than one. I am not certain Beau will be up to me having to do this all over again. His sperm has been stored of course, in case it is needed, but I just so want it to happen this first time, so that we can get back to where we were before.”
“He is upset.”
Georgie laughed sadly. “Upset is not the word I would use.”
“Give him time.”
“Blake said the same thing.”
Sandra stared at her sister contemplatively. “What?”
“I envied you.”
Georgie gave her a genuinely puzzled look. “Why?”
“For the obvious reasons. You had a successful career, beauty and a gorgeous and rich husband. You have everything.”
“No one has everything Sandra and you should know that.”
“You have more than most," she pointed out.
“I do and I give thanks for what I have. I never take it for granted. I am in love with my husband and would be in love with him even if it happens, he lost everything.
It’s the man I want, not his resources. I made something of my life before I met Beau and would have been content with what I have. I love him and want to have a family with him. It’s as simple as that.”
“Be careful this quest you’re on does not upset the apple cart. What you are doing is going to be taxing. If your husband is not on board, it’s going to make it so much more difficult.”
*****
The place was quiet, too quiet. He had called her to say that he was running late. It had been a genuine reason, but an excuse, nonetheless. For two weeks, they had been avoiding each other, or rather, he had been very aloof, not even asking about the embryo transfer. He could not bear it if it did not take.
His father had been shooting him accusatory looks at the office, whenever they happened to be in the same room, something he had ignored. The last couple of weeks had been rather busy due to the holiday, which made it easier for him to pretend to be absorbed in all that was happening.
Shrugging out of his outer coat, he went into the kitchen to see that the meal the housekeeper had prepared was still inside the warmer. Which meant his wife had not eaten. He knew she went out to lunch with Kelly and Leesa and went to her usual thing at the hospital.
He also knew that today had been the day when she would know if the embryo transfer was successful. She would have called if they had been, and he dreaded going upstairs to her misery.
Turning out of the room, he lingered inside the cozy living room a minute before making his way up the spiral staircase. Hesitating in front of the redwood doors, he took a breath before pushing them open.
Walking swiftly through the living room, he stepped into the bedroom, which was in shadows, the only lights were the flames flickering in the fireplace.
His wife was curled up on the bed, facing the door. Her hands were folded under her chin, and she was staring at the doorway as if waiting for him to make an appearance.
Things were not very good between them for the past three weeks and they were both suffering as a result.
His heart contracted as he walked toward her slowly.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
He sat on the edge of the bed; green eyes searched her face intently. “How are you?”
“I don’t know.”
His hand lifted to move the strands of hairs that had fallen over her forehead.
“It didn’t work?”
She shook her head and for the first time, he saw the tears shimmering in her dark brown eyes.
“Darling, I am so sorry–”
“No.” Grabbing his hand, she rained kisses on the back of it. “We are pregnant.” He went still as he stared at her. “You did not call and when I came home and realize you did not eat, I assumed–”
“I was wallowing in misery.” Her smile was brilliant. “I came home straight from the clinic and dismissed Mrs. Greene. I was so full of the news that I did not feel hungry.” She pulled herself up against the pillows.
She was still holding his hand, between hers. “I wanted to wait until you get home to share the news.” Her expression was anxious. “I know we haven’t been on the same page, but I would love it if you were happy with the news.”
He wanted to be. It was indeed good news, but he knew this was just the beginning. They were going to be going through months of anxiously waiting to see what would happen.
“I want to be.”
Her smile collapsed and he cursed himself silently.
“I am scared.”
“So am I, but I am willing to regard this as a blessing.” Her eyes glittered. “For God’s sake, Beau, this is indeed wonderful news. Can’t you put aside your own misgivings and hang up and be happy? We have a long road ahead of us–”
“That’s what I am afraid of," he said solemnly. Taking her hands, he clasped them between his palms and stared at her beseechingly.
“Be happy for us. Let’s take one day at a time.” Her fingers curled into his palm. “I am going to need the support now more than ever. It’s going to be rough, but I am prepared for it. We are pregnant, Beau. Please, can’t we just call a truce and celebrate?”
Closing his eyes briefly, he hung his head for a minute before coming to a decision. She was right. He might not be completely on board, but she was his wife, the love of his life and now she was carrying his seed. She was going to need his complete support.
“What if I am cautiously optimistic?” he asked quietly
“That’s fine. I think I am fully, deliriously happy for both of us.”
“How do you feel?” He belatedly asked.
“A little dizzy, nauseous and much too happy to contain it," she admitted.
He stared at her for a moment before gathering her carefully against him.
“I am not going to break, you know," she whispered in his chest.
“I am not taking any chances.” He stroked her back gently. “What can I do?”
“You are doing it.”
“Will you have to slow down?”
“For the next few days at least. I am having the girls over to finish the planning for the Christmas gala.”
“What about your days at the hospital?”
“Cut down to two days. I am not taking any chances.” She lifted her head to stare at him. “Lucien will be checking on me at regular intervals.
I will be eating healthy – I already cut off the caffeine and have been given some medication to help with my hormone level.” Lifting her hands, she framed his face. “I promise you right now that I am going to do everything the doctors tell me to do. I-I just want you to be on my side.”
“Always. Am I allowed to touch you?”
“Aren’t you doing so now?”
He sent her a pained look.
“Heavy petting, potent kisses–”Her fingers wandered over his face. “I get to pleasure you my love, but as for insertion, we are going to have to wait a week or two.”
He groaned. “I am going to have to stay away from you.”
“You promised to be supportive.”
“I can be supportive from a few feet away.” He kissed her chastely on the lips and would have moved away, but she wrapped her hands around his neck and deepened the kiss.
Finding the strength to pull her arms from around his neck, he stumbled off the bed and took several deep breaths. “You do not play fair," he rasped. “I have not been with you in three weeks and now–”
“Whose fault is that?” Shrugging off the robe, she subjected him to the alluring sight of her encased in the flimsiest material he had ever seen. Her pert breasts were highlighted against the sheer peach material, the dark nipples puckered and inviting.
His eyes wandered down to the flat stomach, his knees going weak at the delta between her thighs. She was not wearing panties.
His breathing accelerated, and all the blood seemed to have settled in one place. His loins. Dragging his hands over his hair, he took another step back.
“I want you," he rasped. “You know I do and when I am like this, it gets rough, and I lose control.” He swallowed the lump in his throat. “It’s best I stay away from you.” Spinning on his heels, he strode from the room.
Sagging against the pillows, she closed her eyes. She knew that what she had done just now was unfair. They had to stay away from each other, but she was punishing him for his treatment of the last three weeks.
But now was not the time to be playing games. She was pregnant and the doctors warned her that this was indeed going to be a long and possibly rough road.
“We suspect that you will be having multiples but will have to wait a week or two to find out if there are two or three or even more embryos.” Lucien had eyed her skeptically. “You are petite, Georgiana, and that is a concern to us. Having multiples will increase everything. We are also worried about the side effects.
Gestational diabetes is one of the factors as well as iron deficiency. There is a high possibility of extreme nausea.” He paused and stared at her frame again. “If you are experiencing anything out of the ordinary, we want you to promise to call, any time, night or day.”
“If you are trying to take away the joy of the news, you are not succeeding," she had joked, but there had been no smiles.
“We want this for you and Beau, there’s no doubt about that, but we also want you to be cognizant of the dangers. We promise we will do everything we can to make this journey tolerable.”
He had armed her with several books to do with multiple pregnancies. He had also given her the necessary vitamins and a nutrition sheet to adhere to. She intends to do whatever it takes to bring her babies into the world. She was hoping for twins, but if triplets come along, that would make it even more precious.
Closing her eyes, she pressed a hand over her flat stomach and felt the rush of excitement. She was going to be cautious with the news. Blake would be told of course and the housekeeper. But Mrs. Greene was the sole discretion and would guard the secret.
Squeezing her eyes shut, she lifted her head in prayer. “Lord, I know I haven’t been very committed to praying and this might be a case where I am coming to you because I desperately need a favor. But I need this.
My husband and I need this, he might think otherwise, but I know he will be pleased when the time comes. I am asking you to keep my babies safe, to give us this – I am asking for this favor. I am also pleading with you, not to let this get in the way of our love. I could not bear that.”
*****
She was half asleep when he slid in next to her.
“Darling?” She murmured drowsily, automatically snuggling against him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes.” Drawing her against him, he kissed the top of her head. “I just had to cool down a little.”
“You went swimming?” She nuzzled his bare chest and could still smell the chlorine from the pool on his skin. They had an indoor pool of which they availed themselves of whenever the time got too cold to use the outdoor one.
“I had to let off some steam. Go back to sleep.”
“I am sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” His hands tightened around her slender frame. “I have been behaving like an ass for the past few weeks. I am here baby," he murmured into her hair. “You can count on me.”
“I am glad. I feel so tired.” She yawned delicately and moved even closer. “I love you.”
“Same here.” He waited until the sound of her even breathing indicated she was asleep. His hands made soothing circles at the small of her back, a frown knitting his brow.
He would support her, how could he not? He was going to be there for her every step of the way. And more than that, he would push aside his worries and fears.
He would see to it that she followed the dictates of the doctors. He had spoken to Lucien himself, and the man had been honest with him.
“If there are multiples, which I strongly suspect there will be, she is going to have to slow down. I know she is involved in several charitable organizations–”
“I will ensure she takes time to relax.”
“She also has to be as free from stress as possible.”
“I am afraid I have added to that aspect of it.”
And he had. His father had given him a strong talking to.
“She is your wife and for once in your life, I would like you to think of someone else other than yourself.”
He had taken umbrage at that, because Georgie had accused him of being selfish too. Which was very unfair, considering that all he ever thought about was her. Tilting his chin down, he studied the fine boned face and the pointed chin.
He had wanted to spend more time with her, just the two of them. They had been on so many adventures together since they exchanged vows.
She was a great conversationalist and had the ability to make him laugh. She never asked him about the women in his past, because she was secure in the knowledge that she was the only one he was in love with. Certainly, she was the only woman he had ever asked to marry him.
And he would do it again and again. A thousand times.
He brushed another kiss on top of her head and ignoring the throbbing in his loins, he closed his eyes and tried for sleep.
*****
“Hi. What are you doing?” She had opened her eyes to find the space next to her empty and thought he had left.
“Performing my duties as your husband.” He turned away from the stove to stare at her.
“How did you sleep?”
“Good. What’s that?” She nudged her chin at the tray in front of him. “Jasmine tea and toast. Mrs. Greene does not get here until after ten and I wanted you to have something in your stomach. Any nausea?”
“None.” Folding her robe closer around her, she slid on the stool. Propping her chin on one hand, she watched bemused as he deftly arranged the things on the tray. “I could get used to this.”
“You might have to.” Placing the tray in front of her, he came around the oblong counter to kiss her on the cheek. “What do you have planned for today?”
“Leesa and Kelly are coming by to do the final planning for the gala.” She took a sip of the tea and tried not to grimace. “I am going to miss coffee.”
“I would stand in solidarity for you, but I dislike any form of tea.” He rubbed her shoulders. “And I have to run. The R her face buried in his chest as she fought for control.
“Was that to repay me for last night?”
“It was, but the damn joke is on me," he said hoarsely. “I am going to have to take a cold shower.”
She watched him leave the room, a smile on her face.