LITMIR.BIZ

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don’t I just take myself to Grace Valley, meet the doctor, have the ultrasound and come back home?”

      “Because, Abby, I’d like to see the ultrasound.” When that statement was answered with silence, he said, “It’s typical for Mel to take an OB consult to meet John Stone—he won’t think there’s anything unusual about me taking you. This can be our secret as long as that’s what you need, but really—we have to spend a little time together at some point. Talk, like we did before all this happened. Get to know each other. Again.”

      He could hear the reluctance in her voice when she finally accepted. What the hell? He’d backed her into a corner. He knew the babies were his and he wasn’t going to give them up. He couldn’t force her into a romantic relationship, he wouldn’t force her to acknowledge the relationship that produced the babies, but he wasn’t going away quietly. They were his children. It meant a lot to him.

      She meant a lot to him. But he couldn’t make her fall in love with him.

      Cameron arranged for the ultrasound to be scheduled for the end of the day, when John was done with his appointments. It would be logical to go have dinner after that. He picked her up at 4:00 p.m. and conversation was a little lumpy and strained on the way over. He’d prepared a script: Tell me about growing up. I’d like to hear about your flight-attendant years. What are your plans for after the babies are born?

      But none of that worked out because she took the conversation in another direction right off the bat. “I need to tell you something, Cameron. Vanessa has guessed about our secret. She remembered that I slipped away from the reception and of course she knew you lived in Grants Pass. It must have been something in the way you looked at me or spoke to me, but she knew. She was very direct. She told me you were a good man and deserved a chance.”

      He was speechless. “God bless Vanessa,” he finally said in a breath.

      “Yes, well, I trust her and I know she has good judgment, but that doesn’t eliminate certain difficult facts. One, even though I slept with you, I don’t really know you. We’re probably highly incompatible. And two, I’m still hung out to dry by a nasty little prenup. An unfair, diabolical prenup that was the closest thing to a swindle I know. And three, Vanessa is sworn to secrecy because I don’t want anyone to know about us. I’m pretty embarrassed about what I did. I can’t afford to risk word leaking back to my rotten ex.”

      “Well,” he said. “That certainly spells it out for me.”

      “I intend to protect these children to the best of my ability.”

      He reached across the front seat and gave her hand a pat. “I really appreciate that, Abby. That’s courageous of you.” She looked at him and saw that his eyes had grown very dark, almost navy blue. And dead serious. “So do I.”

      And from there all the way to Grace Valley they traveled in silence.

      John Stone was as cordial as he could possibly be, happy to see Cam and delighted to meet Abby. They talked for a while about how he’d like to follow the pregnancy closely, along with Mel, because he assumed the babies would come early. It was important to be sure the babies were in position for a vaginal birth, and ultrasounds would be required. John didn’t want her to be too far from a neonatal intensive care unit if they came too early or if a C-section was required. He asked her to step up her appointments for caution’s sake.

      And then he set her up for the ultrasound. “Little early to determine the sex of the babies. Do you want to know if it’s obvious?”

      “Yes. Sure,” she answered.

      He’d barely gotten started when he laughed. “Whoa,” he chortled. “Right out in front, we got ourselves one boy. He’s blocking the other one, but in a couple of months they’ll be bigger, move around a little more and we’ll get a better view.”

      And Cameron, who had seen and done so much medically, especially where children were concerned, began to lose the edge of control he’d always managed to maintain. His eyes clouded; his heart pounded. A son! Oh God, a son! He tried to blink back the emotion, but couldn’t seem to stop it. He grabbed Abby’s hand and squeezed it. “Look, Abby,” he said in a whisper. “That one in front, the bossy one taking over, it’s a boy.”

      Thank God she was emotional, too. It might take the focus off him. “My God,” she whispered.

      “They look perfect,” John said. “And you’re on target for July second, but if we make thirty-six weeks, we’re in good shape. They look good, Abby.” He was poking her belly, trying to get them to move around, directing the wand to check their internal organs, their limbs, their skulls. “I’m going to have Mel draw some blood, check for things like Down syndrome, spina bifida, a few other genetic abnormalities. But there’s no reason for you to be less than completely optimistic.”

      She looked up into Cam’s eyes, he looked down into hers. Both of them had tears on their cheeks. Cameron gently wiped hers away.

      “Oh boy,” John said.

      Cameron looked up. “Listen, John, whatever it is you think you might know, you don’t know anything. Am I clear?”

      “Everything in this clinic is confidential,” John said. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

      “No,” Abby and Cam said in unison.

      “Well then,” John said. “You have at least one boy on the way. And my lips are sealed. But damn—those are some good-looking babies.” He grinned. “I can’t wait. How about you?”

      The first ten minutes of the car ride from Grace Valley to Fortuna for dinner were silent but for the sound of Abby’s completely irritated, shallow breathing. Finally, through clenched teeth, she said, “I can’t believe you did that!”

      He knew exactly what he’d done. “I was overwhelmed.” No apology, no further explanation.

      “And now Dr. Stone knows!”

      “So what? I’m the father!”

      “You gave me your word that you wouldn’t divulge! You said it could be my secret as long as I wanted it to be!”

      “Vanessa knows!”

      “That’s because she guessed!”

      “And John guessed when I got tears in my eyes at the sight of my son!”

      “It’s my son! You’re just a sperm donor who wanted a quick roll in the hay with some chick you met in a bar!”

      Cameron drove a few hundred yards and then slowly pulled off to the side of the road. He turned the car around and headed back in the direction they’d come.

      “What are you doing?” she asked.

      “I’m taking you home,” he said.

      “Fine!” she retorted. “That’s fine with me!” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared out the window into the deepening dusk. And it was a long, long ride back to Virgin River in silence.

      When Cameron got to Walt’s property, he didn’t go immediately down the road toward Vanni and Paul’s. He stopped the car as the road veered around the back of the stable. He turned off the ignition and pivoted in the driver’s seat, facing her. “Do you remember the night we met, Abby? And the conversation we had before going to the room? It was about that list you had—the one about what you were looking for in a man?”

      She glowered at him and nodded, grudgingly.

      “An important item was manners. You might want to remember that.”

      “Listen, Cameron—you got me into this mess and—”

      “I had help,” he said firmly. “Lots of help.”

      “Just take me home. Please,” she said just as firmly.

      “In a minute. You need to listen to me now. Pay attention, Abby. If being considerate and accommodating

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