The Baby Bonanza. Jacqueline Diamond
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to curry favor with Vince. Still, he felt compassion for a man desperate to produce a baby. The billionaire’s motives might be self-serving, but his comments had made it clear that he would treasure his child. As long as parents offered a loving, secure home, it wasn’t anyone else’s right to pass judgment.
However, if Cole couldn’t help him, it seemed likely Vince wouldn’t follow through on his major donation. “Suppose he drops us,” Lucky said. “Surely there are others we could approach.”
“The world is full of rich people, but Safe Harbor tends to lose out to more prestigious institutions,” Cole responded. “I admit, Luke, being at the conference whetted my appetite for better research facilities, more lab space and money for fellowships. In fact, I received three excellent offers to relocate.”
Lucky’s heart nearly skipped a beat. “You’d take another position?”
Alarm flitted across the doctor’s face. “I shouldn’t have said that.”
Nevertheless, he had said it. “If you go, the program will never recover.” Neither will I. On many levels.
At a burst of laughter from the other room, Lucky flinched. His friends had no idea that he was standing here with the ground crumbling beneath his feet.
Cole’s brow furrowed. “I joined Safe Harbor with the intention of building a standout program. Although I’m no longer sure that will be possible, this is my wife’s home, and mine, too. I haven’t given up yet.” But there was no mistaking his distress.
“Nothing else at the conference might be useful?”
“I’m afraid not. Perhaps we should suggest Mr. Adams cancel next Saturday’s appointment and save himself a trip.” The billionaire tended to arrive with plenty of pomp and circumstance by private plane or helicopter. On other occasions, Vince roared up the coast in a high-performance car that cost as much as many houses.
If only Lucky could find a solution, for his sake and for his doctor’s. It would also be important to the medical center to achieve its goal of becoming a major player in the fertility field. Major gifts attracted additional donors; a lack of progress might, by contrast, eventually consign Safe Harbor to secondary status. And this place had been good to Lucky when he’d needed help the most.
“Don’t cancel,” he said. “That’s a week from now. Things could change.”
“I suppose you’re right.” Cole stretched his shoulders. “In any event, my patient deserves to hear the news from me in person.”
To Lucky, it was a reprieve. He had a week to figure out the next move.
* * *
ZORA HAD NEVER seen Lucky abandon a party before. After talking to Dr. Rattigan, he’d spent the next hour in a corner of the living room, fiddling with his phone. Searching the internet or texting people? But why?
In view of the doctor’s wistful expression, it didn’t take a genius to recognize that they’d suffered a blow. They must have been counting on the New York conference for some reason.
Zora tried to shrug off Lucky’s absence while she and her fellow moms-to-be opened gifts. Most people had contributed money, but Betsy’s gifts were special.
Zora’s throat constricted as she held up the soft pink and blue blankets. Her former mother-in-law had created these precious heirlooms even without being sure of her relationship to the twins.
Zora was glad now that Lucky had invited Betsy. To learn she’d been excluded from the baby shower would have been an undeserved slap in the face.
Catching Betsy’s eye, Zora said, “These mean more than I can say.”
“I’m glad.” Wedged among the other guests, the older woman added, “If you need anything, please call me.”
“You’re a sweetheart.” But Zora wouldn’t ask for the other woman’s help, not until after the babies were born and she revealed the truth to Andrew. When she did, she hoped Betsy wouldn’t resent having been kept in the dark.
Her gaze drifted to the diamond-and-emerald ring on her ex-mother-in-law’s right hand. Zora had worn the family heirloom during her marriage, treasuring both its beauty and its significance. After the divorce, she’d returned it, with regret. Neither of Andrew’s other wives had worn it; there’d been a special bond between Betsy and Zora that had begun in her high school days.
Now, its glitter reminded Zora of how much she’d lost. Not only her husband, but a woman who’d been as close to her as family. Well, perhaps someday she and Betsy could be close again.
She hoped her children would meet her twin sister, too. That depended on whether Zora was ever secure enough to handle Zady’s inevitable gloating at her downfall. For now, distance was best. Nobody could inflict as much pain as the people nearest your heart.
After the last guest departed, the adrenaline that had powered Zora all afternoon faded. She collapsed on the living room couch while, inside her, the babies tussled.
What a blessing it would be when they were born and her body returned to normal. And what a joy to hold them and see their sweet faces.
At this point, Lucky should have arrived to offer her refreshments. She missed his coddling, even though it was often seasoned with criticism.
Instead, he bustled about collecting trash as if she weren’t there. From the kitchen, Zora heard Karen opening and closing the fridge to put away food, while in the den, Rod ran the vacuum cleaner. Zora would have pitched in if she’d had the energy.
As Lucky removed the white linen covers from the folding chairs, his dark eyebrows drew together like storm clouds. The dragon protruding from beneath one sleeve appeared to be lashing its tail.
Zora broke the silence. “Won’t you tell me what happened?”
He tossed a cover onto a pile of laundry. “What do you mean?”
“You’ve been upset since you talked to Dr. Rattigan.”
Lucky snapped a chair shut. “Doesn’t concern you.”
Zora tried a different tack. “Laird speculated you might move out of town to take a better job. He’s angling to get your suite.” She deliberately baited Lucky with that reference to the obnoxious psychologist.
Lucky grimaced. “I’d rather not discuss that lowlife.”
“Then let’s discuss what’s eating you.”
“Like I said, it’s none of your business.”
Any second, flames were going to shoot out her ears. “Oh, yes, it is!”
“How so?” he growled, wielding a chair as if he was prepared to thrust it at her.
The guy sure was prickly. “It’s obvious Cole brought bad news from the conference.”
Lucky set the chair down. “I can’t discuss anything involving a patient.”
He was right to safeguard the man’s privacy, Zora conceded. Medical personnel were required to do that, by law and by hospital policy as well as by simple decency. Still, he’d dropped a clue. Now, why would a patient’s condition bother Lucky so much?
From the kitchen, Karen’s voice drifted to her. “I’m looking forward to having your girls in town next Saturday. Should we invite them and Helen for lunch?”
“I doubt there’ll be time,” Rod replied dourly. “They’re only being dropped off at their grandma’s for an hour or two while Vince sees his doctor.”
“Is he having problems?” Karen asked. “I don’t usually wish anyone ill, but he’s an exception.”
“You can wish that jerk as much ill as you like.” Rod’s voice rose in anger. “Tiff and Amber loathe the man. He may not physically abuse them, but he’s a bully, and emotional scars