Jasper narrowed his gaze.
Collin swallowed hard. “Anyway, I think you’ll want to see this. It was just delivered. It’s the hat you’d asked me to have our guys go look for off the highway at mile marker 249.”
Jasper stood and took the box from Collin.
“It’s hers,” his assistant said softly.
Jasper touched the brim of the worn Fell’s Peak cap. “How did you know that?”
“Look on the inside.”
He turned the hat over and saw Eleanor Reynolds written in faded permanent marker. He rubbed his thumb over the worn letters, then turned to his grandparents. “This is it. This hat is like dad’s eggs.”
Everyone stared at him, confusion marring their expressions.
“I think she’ll see me if I tell her I’ve got her hat. It’s important to her.”
This hat, her hat, was a sign. Witchcraft, coincidence, a twist of fate. This was his call to action. This was his dad sending him his version of a carton of eggs. He grabbed a pen and scribbled a note onto a piece of paper and handed it to Allen. “I need you to take care of this for me,” he said, passing the attorney the slip of paper.
“What are you going to do, Jas?” his grandmother asked.
Determination surged through him. “I’m going to win her back.” He turned to his assistant. “Cancel the rest of my day, Collin. I’m going to scour this city until I track down the woman I love.”
17
Elle
“All right, Miss Reynolds. Everything seems to be in order. Go ahead and have a seat. The nurse will be out to get you soon.”
Elle slid her insurance card into her wallet and nodded to the receptionist. She glanced around the waiting room where couples sat together, most of the women in various stages of pregnancy.
There was a young couple, heads bent over the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting. Another couple sat with an open box of saltine crackers between them, the man passing them to his partner dutifully, while a grinning couple smiled and spoke in hushed tones as the husband patted his wife’s round belly.
She’d arrived for her appointment early—too early. Abby had called in for a half-day substitute for her class and had promised to meet her there, but Elle was too jittery to wait around in her apartment at The Dalton.
She’d gotten back to Denver last night after spending the last ten days in New York City, and life was moving quickly.
After the Monty Morris scandal broke, she had two choices: shy away from it or face it head-on.
After she’d spoken with her mother and explained the situation, there was only one choice. Grab that bull by the horns and hold on tight.
She met with financial experts and wrote a series of articles on her experience with financial fraud.
And then it exploded.
The world embraced her. Sympathized with her. Talk shows wanted her. Business and financial channels reached out. And with this tornado of publicity came a seven-figure deal to write a full-length book about the scandal, as well as a studio optioning another one of her books.
To anyone on the outside looking in, Elle Reynolds appeared to have it all. And she was grateful. She was. Ironically, all the publicity from the Monty Morris scandal had made her more money than she’d lost. As long as she was careful, she didn’t have to worry about money, and there was plenty to care for her mother.
She should have been on Cloud Nine.
Should have been.
She picked a seat away from the couples, next to an older woman paging through a garden magazine. Elle settled herself into the chair then glanced into her bag and stared into the glassy eyes of her lumberjack bear with Dean embroidered on his little paw. She stroked the letters then closed her eyes.
She hated how much she missed Jasper. Hated how honey and Oreos and ice cream all made her want to crumple up on the floor and cry. Hated how her heart skipped a beat every time he texted or called or emailed. But she hadn’t responded. She couldn’t. Not yet. He didn’t want this baby. He’d made that and his disappointment crystal clear.
“Hey! Am I late?” Abby said, sailing into the waiting room. “I thought you said your appointment was at ten.”
Elle glanced at her watch. It wasn’t even nine thirty. She tried to smile. “I felt like getting out of my apartment. That’s all.”
Abby took the seat next to her. “How are you doing? You just got back, right?”
“Yeah, last night.”
Abby scanned her from head to toe. “Is the nausea better? You look good. The color’s returned to your cheeks.”
Elle nodded. “I contacted an herbalist I met last year when I was in China doing the piece on the Dali Torch Festival. She suggested dandelion root tea and these ginger chewy things. They seemed to do the trick.”
“I’ll have to remember that,” Abby replied.
Elle’s jaw dropped. “Are you…?”
Abby’s eyes went wide. “Oh no! Bren and I want kids, but we’ve got too much going on planning a Bergen wedding.”
Elle pulled her cousin in for a hug. “I’m happy for you, Abs. I’m happy things worked out for you and Bren.”
Abby watched her, concern clouding her expression. “Have you talked to Jasper yet?”
Elle glanced at the teddy bear in her bag and shook her head. “No, I’ve been really busy.”
Abby cocked her head to the side. Her cousin didn’t believe her bullshit answer.
Elle sighed. “I’m just not ready.”
Abby leaned in. “You said it all happened quickly. The creep reporter. The pregnancy test flying out of the bag. I’m sure he regrets how he responded, Elle. Anyone could tell by the way he looked at you that he—”
Elle shook her head. “It’s more than that, Abs. I can’t be with him.”
“You don’t even want to hear what he has to say?”
Elle took a breath and harnessed all the resoluteness she could muster. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t want a child or a family. That’s my dad. When things got hard with my mom’s health, he took the easy way out. He was gone all the time—and he, he cheated on her. I caught him, twice.”
Abby’s jaw dropped. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Elle sat back and stared at a picture on the waiting room’s wall of a smiling family. “The first time I caught him, he’d promised to stop. When I caught him the second time, it wasn’t worth the effort to try to make him be a devoted and loving husband. He’d had his chance. He blew it. After that, I told my mom everything. That’s why she filed for divorce and moved to Vermont.”
“I thought maybe they just grew apart,” Abby said.
“No, he couldn’t deal with her illness, and you know, his work always came first. It didn’t really even matter that he’d cheated. He’d checked out on me and my mom long before that.”
Abby gave her a hopeful smile. “But Jasper cares for you, Elle. I know he does.”
Elle released a tight breath. “You didn’t see his face, Abs. The disdain and disappointment. I have to figure out a way to do this on my own.”
“Have you told your mom?”
“No, not about the baby. And she likes Jasper. She’d probably tell me to—”
“Talk to him?” Abby finished.
“Yeah, but I can’t,” she answered, her gaze returning toward the happy couples sitting in the waiting room.
Her father had hidden his cheating ways. Tate had hidden his marriage.
At least with Jasper, she knew where she stood.
Abby took out her phone and started texting. “Well, you’re going to stay with Brennen and me in our bungalow. At least, for a few days. I won’t take no for an answer.”
Relief flooded her system. A few days at Abby’s place would do her good. “I’d like that, but who the hell are you texting?”
“Bren. I told him to go to your place and grab your bag. We’ve got your spare key.”
“How’d you know I haven’t unpacked yet?”
&nbs
p; “I lived with you, remember?” Abby answered. “Oh, and where’s your lucky hat? I figured you’d be wearing it today.”
“I lost it.”
Her cousin’s expression grew pained. “When?”
Elle crossed her arms. “Chalk it up to another Jasper Bergen disaster. It blew off while we were having a fight on the side of the road on the way to your engagement weekend.”
“Oh, Elle,” Abby said. She patted her hand, then peered into her purse. “Hmm, it looks like you might have a new good luck charm.”
Elle zipped her bag. “It’s nothing, Abs.”
“It’s from him, isn’t it?”
She gave her cousin a resigned nod. But that bear didn’t represent the Jasper Bergen she’d left in Miami. That bear was from the man who’d broken out of his comfort zone, who’d smiled and laughed and made her feel cherished, adored, loved.
Abby reached over and rubbed her shoulder. “I wish I could spend the day with you, but I’ve got parents coming in this afternoon to celebrate the end of our first-grade poetry unit.”
Elle sighed, happy for the change in topic. “What’s that sound like? Roses are red. Violets are blue—”
“You should talk to Jasper, I know deep down he cares about you,” Abby said, cutting her off.
Elle stared at her purse with the plush Dean Largecox hidden inside. “Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t, Abs. But he’d need to do something pretty freaking huge for me to think he’d ever change.”
Abby grinned. “Never say never when it comes to the Bergen brothers. Bren really knocked it out of the park proving his feelings for me.”
She was right. Brennen had knocked it out of the park, professing his love to her with a TV camera crew in tow for the whole world to see. She glanced at her purse. She wanted to believe Jasper was capable of that, but thoughts of her father and Tate tamped down that hope.
Abby had gotten her Bergen brother, but she couldn’t see a way forward with hers.
Elle started to reiterate this to her cousin for what seemed like the bazillionth time when a nurse stepped into the waiting room.
“Eleanor Reynolds?”
“That’s me.”
She and Abby followed the woman into an exam room. The nurse gestured for them to sit and glanced down at a chart.
“I see you had your initial blood work done two weeks ago to confirm the pregnancy. It all looks normal. Your hCG levels are a little high, but that’s nothing to worry about. How are you feeling?”
“Better.”
“And from the information you provided at your first visit, you should be close to ten weeks along. The doctor will confirm all that with the pelvic ultrasound.”
“Pelvic ultrasound?” Elle repeated.
The nurse nodded and gestured to a long device attached to a piece of medical equipment. “Yes, the doctor will insert the probe into your vagina to check the baby’s development.”
Abby and Elle looked at each other, wide-eyed.
Elle crossed her legs. “I’ll take the ultrasound you see the doctors doing on TV. You know, the belly one.”
The nurse chuckled and went to the door. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. The pelvic ultrasound is the best way to see the baby this early in your pregnancy. Go ahead and take everything off below your waist and have a seat on the table. You can cover up with the sheet.”
The woman left, and Elle turned to Abby. “Why doesn’t anyone talk about the giant vagina probe?”
Abby took a closer look at the machine and gasped. “Elle, there’s a bunch of condoms in a container next to it.”
Elle took off her yoga pants and set them on the chair. “Jesus! Isn’t it a little late for those now?”
Abby held up the probe. “Good gravy! Do you want to come back to school with me once this is over? You may not want to be alone after this.”
Elle sat on the table and arranged the sheet. “I wish I could, but I’ve got work.”
“You have to work?” Abby asked, eyeing the probe.
“Yeah, this was scheduled ages ago. I’m going skydiving.”
Abby’s head whipped toward her. “You’re going skydiving while you’re pregnant?”
“No, of course not, Abs! I’m writing a piece for a Colorado magazine about a Buddhist monk that runs a skydiving business near Boulder called Buddha Jump.”
“Buddha Jump?”
“Yeah, he’s a former Buddhist monk who now jumps out of airplanes. I’m going up in the plane to interview him and watch him jump.”
“Gotcha,” Abby said, gaze locked on the probe.
“Will you put that thing down!”
Abby held it out. “I guess it’s not that bad. I mean, Bren is about—”
Elle put up her hands. “No, no, no! If you’re about to say anything about your fiancé’s penis, I’m going to stop you right there.”
Abby gazed at the vag probe as if she were assessing the quality of a piece of fruit. “I was just thinking, since Bren and Jasper are brothers, there’s a good chance that—”
Elle scooted forward and bumped her knee on one of the table’s stirrups. “Ouch! Abby! Do you want me to jump off this table half naked and hit you over the head with that probe?”
“Ooh! There’s a giant tube of lube next to the condoms,” her cousin said, ignoring her threat and biting back a giggle.
“I’ll hit you with the lube, too!” Elle answered, unable to hold back her laughter.
Abby went to her, probe in hand, and hugged her.
Elle relaxed into her cousin’s embrace. “Thank you for doing this with me, Abs.”
“I love you, Elle. I’m always here for you. Always.”
The door to the exam room opened.
“I see you’ve met Juan Julio.”
Elle and Abby pulled apart to find a woman in a white coat.
“I don’t think we’ve met anyone named Juan Julio,” Elle answered, sharing a look with her cousin.
The doctor pointed to the probe. “He’s right there.”
“This thing has a name?” Abby asked.
The doctor grinned. “A while back, I had a patient who needed to be monitored weekly. She named the probe, and it stuck with the staff.”
Abby handed the doctor the device, and she put it back into its compartment.
“Sorry, we were just curious. It’s awfully big,” Abby said, blushing.
The doctor grinned. “I can tell you one thing for sure. That probe is nothing compared to what it’s like to deliver a child.”
Elle and Abby looked at each other, neither were laughing now.
“You don’t need to worry,” the doctor began. “Women’s bodies were made to do this. And there’s always the choice to administer medication to numb the pain.”
“Can you tick that box for me right now?” Elle asked.
The doctor chuckled and opened her chart. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. How about I introduce myself first? I’m Dr. Andrews. I see here that you’re new to our practice.”
Elle nodded. “I’ve only been in Denver for about a year.”
“Hmm,” the doctor said, gaze trained on her file.
“Is there something wrong?” Elle asked.
The doctor closed the chart and set it on the counter. “No, your hCG levels are a bit elevated, but that number fluctuates quite a bit from woman to woman.”
Elle caught Abby’s gaze, and her cousin came to her side. The nurse had mentioned that, too. She did her best to remain calm. She’d research the hell out of this hCG business the minute the appointment ended.
The doctor asked her a few more questions, then turned down the lights and rolled the ultrasound machine next to the examination table.
“Are you ready to meet your baby?” Dr. Andrews asked.
Elle glanced at her purse. “Abs, could you hand me the bear?”
Abby nodded, unzipped her bag, and gently removed Dean Largecox.
“Here,” she said, handing it over then taking her hand
.
The doctor patted her leg. “All right, Elle. Just relax.”
“Get ready for Juan Julio,” Abby whispered.
Elle released a shaky breath. Abby was only trying to break the tension and ease her nerves, but too many emotions stirred within her.
Excitement and anger. Disappointment and elation. One minute, she felt like she could do this. The next, all she wanted was to be wrapped in Jasper’s arms. She ran her thumb across the embroidered letters on Dean’s paw and watched the screen on the ultrasound machine come to life in shades of white, black, and gray.
“I’m just going to check a few things then take some measurements. How are you doing with Juan Julio?”
Elle nodded then Abby passed her a tissue.
“What’s this for?”
Abby smiled, eyes shining. “It’s for you. You’re crying.”
Elle touched her cheeks. Jesus, she was—and she was not a crier.
“It’s completely normal for your emotions to be all over the place. Knowing your pregnant is one thing. Seeing your baby for the first time can really hit home that you’re going to be a mother.”
A mother.
She’d known this. But to hear the word, the actual word spoken aloud, sent a rush of heat through her body. This was real, and it was happening. She was going to be someone’s mother.
“I’ve had women laugh, cry, one woman wanted to play the harmonica during the ultrasound,” the doctor added.
“How’d that go?” Elle asked, blinking back tears.
“The entire office had Blues Traveler songs stuck in their heads for weeks,” the doctor answered, then paused. “Well, look at that.”
The breath caught in Elle’s throat. “Is everything okay with the baby?”
Dr. Andrew’s expression grew serious. “Give me just a second. I’d like to take a look from a different angle.”
Elle squeezed Abby’s hand.
The doctor nodded. “Now I see why your hCG levels were elevated. Do multiples run in your family, Miss Reynolds?”
Elle and Abby looked at each other and gasped.
18
Jasper
Jasper ran into The Dalton. Elle still wasn’t answering her phone, and he had to start looking somewhere.
Man Feast (Bergen Brothers Book 2) Page 20
