The Baby Arrangement

by Lisa Dyson

  Bree shrugged. “I don’t know. I told him to, but that doesn’t mean he listened to me.” She pointed to the corner. “He put my purse over there. Someone from Billing was here asking for my insurance info, but that was before Nick showed up with my purse. Would you mind getting her back here now that I have my info?”

  “I will, as soon as you tell me what happened.”

  Bree filled her in, and then Roxie went to get Bree’s paperwork. Bree was anxious to leave now that she felt so much better. A nurse finally came in and removed her IV, and Roxie returned just as Bree was being helped into a wheelchair to go home.

  “I’ll go get my car and meet you at the ER entrance,” Roxie told the nurse, who nodded her approval.

  Bree felt on display as she was being wheeled out. The trip seemed to take forever, but finally the automatic doors at the ER entrance opened, and she saw Roxie get out of her car and come around to help Bree get in.

  The nurse set the brake on the wheelchair, and Bree was standing up carefully when she heard the nurse speaking to someone behind Bree.

  “You must be the daddy,” she said. “I’m sure you’re relieved that everything is just fine.”

  Bree spun her head around, and Nick’s gaze flew to Bree’s. She couldn’t breathe.

  Still oblivious to the drama surrounding her, the nurse took Bree’s arm to help her into the car. “You go home and rest now. Take care.”

  The nurse unset the brake on the wheelchair and turned it around, disappearing into the emergency room.

  “Bree, wait.” Nick finally spoke. He stood next to the open door of Roxie’s car where Bree sat in the passenger seat.

  “Not here, Nick.” Roxie must have realized that Bree couldn’t form a sentence. She walked around the back of the car to open the driver-side door.

  Nick ignored Roxie, still staring at Bree. “You’re pregnant?”

  Bree swallowed thickly. She nodded because no words would come. Never before had she felt such a swirl of emotions as she was experiencing now. Guilt, regret, shock. The list went on and on.

  “The baby’s mine?”

  “Yes,” Bree whispered. “I’m—”

  “You’re sure?”

  Bree stared at him in amazement. “Yes, it’s yours.”

  “Please, Nick, not now,” Roxie pleaded. “It’s cold out here and she’s been through enough this afternoon.”

  He didn’t ignore Roxie this time. Instead, he looked pointedly at her when he said, “And for some reason you think I haven’t?”

  Roxie wisely kept her mouth shut.

  Nick glared at Bree. “Were you ever going to tell me?” She’d never seen him angry in the short time she’d known him, but this was definitely rage bubbling below the surface. He was about to explode.

  When she didn’t answer, he asked again. “I want to know if you were ever going to tell me I’m the father of your baby.”

  She closed her eyes, breathed in and out, then opened her eyes to look at him. “I don’t know. Probably not.”

  * * *

  NICK WAS FURIOUS. He couldn’t remember a time when he’d ever been this angry at someone or something. So he focused on the most important thing at the moment. “Is the baby okay? You were in a lot of pain.”

  Bree nodded. “Everything’s fine.”

  Relieved, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and looked at Bree. “Give me your address.”

  Bree didn’t say anything.

  “She’ll get in touch with you, Nick,” Roxie said from the driver’s seat. “I’ll make sure of it.”

  He ignored Roxie and repeated his question to Bree. She slowly recited her address.

  He put his phone into his pocket. “I’ll meet you at your apartment as soon as I take care of a few things.” He needed to make sure everything was set at his restaurant for dinner service.

  Bree didn’t react and he left before he said anything he’d regret.

  His heart was practically beating out of his chest as he drove. He began putting all the pieces together. Her symptoms, the reason she wasn’t drinking and telling him she had food allergies. That’s why she’d passed out. He had to give his mother credit—she’d been right about the pregnancy.

  Mom.

  What would she say? She’d be over the moon about having a grandchild. It’s what she’d begged for. But this wasn’t the way she’d wanted it to happen. He knew that for sure.

  It wasn’t that she would be upset about them not being married. She’d be more concerned that they barely knew each other.

  Or maybe he was projecting his own concern onto his mother.

  After checking in at the restaurant, he headed straight to Bree’s apartment building. By the time he paid for metered parking and walked a block and a half to her building, the sun had set completely and the streetlights and open businesses provided the only illumination.

  He had to sign in with the guard after he called up to Bree’s apartment to get her okay. Nick wasn’t sure what he’d have done if she’d turned him away. He wasn’t a violent person by nature, but this was a situation he’d never had to face before.

  “Seventh floor, apartment 708,” the guard told him, pointing to the elevator. “Turn right when you get off the elevator.”

  “Thank you.” Nick wasn’t in the mood to be polite, but he didn’t need to take his frustration out on the innocent man behind the desk, either.

  A few minutes later he stood in front of Bree’s door and raised his hand to knock. He’d been gritting his teeth, so he relaxed his jaw before rapping on the door.

  Bree opened the door almost immediately. She wore pajama pants, thick socks and a tank top with an open sweater over it. More casual than he’d seen her since they’d come back from the island. “Come in.” She stood back so he could enter and shut the door behind him. “Would you like something to drink?”

  “Water, please.” He hadn’t realized until she’d made the offer how parched he was.

  She pointed to the exquisitely decorated seating area that must have been done by a professional. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

  He took his time, looking at the things she had on display. Nothing personal, except for a photograph of her with her three friends. He picked up the frame to get a better look. They were much younger, maybe in college. They looked different now. Not so much older as more mature. They’d gone from girls to women.

  “Here you go.” Bree handed him a glass and they sat down.

  Bree chose the end of the tan sofa and Nick sat in the paisley armchair across from her. He took a long drink of his water while Bree placed two coasters on the coffee table. He put his glass on one and sat back, resting his foot on the opposite knee.

  He realized from her silence that he’d have to be the one to start the conversation.

  “How long have you known about the pregnancy?”

  She shrugged. “Not that long.” She sipped her water. “When the doctor took blood to figure out what was wrong with me, she also ran a pregnancy test. Twice.”

  His eyes widened. Double the proof. “So what’s your plan?” She obviously had one that hadn’t included him.

  She bit her bottom lip and pulled her sweater closed as she crossed her arms. “I’ve thought it through,” she began, “and I think the best thing would be to put it up for adoption.”

  He stared at her. “Adoption? Are you kidding me?” He paused. “You said you probably weren’t going to tell me about the baby. Then how were you going to let someone adopt it? I’m pretty sure you’d need my signature.”

  She shrugged. “I figured eventually you’d need to know. But—”

  “Eventually? Was dinner on Sunday night not the right time? Lunch today? How about when you had to go by ambulance to the hospital? You couldn’t even
mention it then?”

  She still held her glass and sipped her water. “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

  “It’s not the way I’d have chosen, either.” He figured sarcasm was better than anger. “I just can’t believe you didn’t tell me. Instead, you made up all those excuses about food allergies and antihistamines and cats. No wonder Roxie didn’t know what I was talking about.” It was all becoming clear the more he pieced it together.

  He cocked his head to one side. “So how did this happen? We used protection.”

  She pursed her lips. “Not in the shower.”

  The memory came flooding back, but he refused to let the recalled experience influence his current feelings. “You said you were on birth control.” They’d shared that they hadn’t been with anyone else in quite a while, so he hadn’t worried about their lack of caution.

  “I honestly didn’t think I could get pregnant. Turns out that being on a low-dose pill isn’t always foolproof.”

  Great. “So the baby’s okay? The doctor said everything was fine?”

  She nodded. “He said cramping like I experienced sometimes happens in the first trimester.”

  “You were in a lot of pain. You’re okay now?”

  “I am. Just tired, but that’s been pretty standard the past few weeks.”

  “In the future, will you let me know if you need anything?” After voicing his anger, now he needed to make sure she took care of herself and his baby.

  “That’s not necessary.”

  “You’re having my baby,” he pointed out.

  “But we’re not raising it. I told you, I’m going to put it up for adoption.”

  “I haven’t agreed to that.”

  Her eyes widened and she leaned forward. “What do you mean you haven’t agreed? There is no other option.” She gasped. “You’re not asking me to end the pregnancy, are you?”

  He was shocked by her question. “No, of course not. I’m just saying that I haven’t agreed to let my child go off to be raised by strangers.” He uncrossed his legs. “You’ve had time to process this, but I haven’t.”

  “I’m sure you’ll come to the same conclusion when you’ve thought about it,” she said.

  “I doubt it.”

  She was quiet for a few long seconds before speaking. “Then there’s only one other option available.” She looked him in the eyes. “If you don’t want to give it to a loving family, then you can raise it on your own.”

  * * *

  AFTER NICK LEFT Bree’s apartment, she wasn’t sure if she was angry or sad or any mixture of the two. She curled up on the sofa and cried until she had no more energy left. She must have fallen asleep because the ringing phone woke her.

  She got up slowly, dried tears on her cheeks. “Hello.”

  “Hey, Bree, it’s Hannah. I wanted to make sure you’re okay. Roxie told me what happened.”

  Bree assumed that Roxie had told Hannah the entire story. “Nick came over, and we talked everything out.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “Not good. He’s furious.”

  “Doesn’t he realize it takes two to make a baby?” Petite Hannah was being her usual protective self.

  Bree padded to the kitchen for some water while she talked. “He’s more upset that I didn’t tell him about the pregnancy than the pregnancy itself. He’s not seeing what the future holds.”

  “Oh, gotcha. What else did he say?”

  Bree sipped her water and went back into the living room to curl up on the sofa. “He’s not happy about the adoption plan.”

  “Really?” Hannah sounded concerned. “Does he have another plan?”

  “No, but I do. I told him if he didn’t want to let someone adopt it, then he could raise it himself.”

  Bree heard Hannah’s intake of breath. “What did he say to that?”

  “He didn’t say another word,” Bree told her. “He just left. So I don’t know what will happen, but there’s a lot of time before a decision needs to be made. I’m sure he’ll come to his senses and see that he can’t be a single parent and run a successful restaurant at the same time.”

  “But would you agree to let him raise it if he decides to do just that?” Hannah asked.

  Bree mulled it over. “I don’t see why not. I just know there’s no way for me to raise a baby when I have to spend so much time working.”

  “You could delegate more so you wouldn’t have to put in so many hours.”

  “Why would I do that?”

  “So you can be a mother,” Hannah said. “Don’t you want that someday?”

  “Not really,” Bree answered automatically. “I know nothing about being a mother, thanks to my dad paying off my own mother after I was born. I have no idea what it’s like and, frankly, I’m not interested.”

  “But you might change your mind when you see this baby and hold it.”

  “I really doubt that, Hannah. My company’s not going to suddenly manage itself.”

  “But you have Roxie and Amber and me to help you. Not just with the company, but with the baby, too.” Hannah’s voice was filled with emotion. “Plus, you’re financially stable and able to pay for help.”

  “There’s no way I’d do that.” Bree was emphatic. “I was raised by nannies, and I won’t allow that to happen to this child.”

  Hannah was quiet for a few seconds. “Please just think about it, Bree.”

  “I’m sorry, Hannah. My mind is made up.”

  Hannah must have realized she was getting nowhere with Bree, so she changed the subject. “How are you feeling? Did the cramping go away completely?”

  “It seems to have. I get a twinge every now and then, but I’m trying to take it easy.”

  “That’s good. Please let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will. Thanks, Hannah.”

  Bree disconnected and set the phone down on the coffee table, thinking about what Hannah had said. Bree disagreed completely. There was no way she was going to change her mind about keeping it. She could never make it work by herself. She wasn’t sure Nick could do it alone, either, but that would be up to him to decide. At least he had family around when he needed a hand.

  She only had a father who kept his distance, and now a new stepmommy who was also pregnant.

  If only she could go back in time. Back to their working vacation on the island when she’d slept with Nick.

  If not for her best friends coaxing her to let her hair down, get out of her comfort zone and have a vacation fling, none of this would have happened.

  * * *

  “I’M REALLY WORRIED about Bree,” Hannah told Roxie that evening as they were leaving spin class. “She doesn’t seem to be showing any emotion at all about this baby. It doesn’t even bother her that Nick is upset about it.”

  “I know,” Roxie agreed, blotting her face and neck with her towel before stuffing it into her bag. “She acts like this pregnancy is just one more business deal to handle.”

  “What are we going to do?” Hannah sounded defeated. “We can’t just ignore what’s going on with her.”

  They exited the building and walked to the parking lot. “I agree,” Roxie said, “but beyond talking to her I don’t know what else we can do.”

  “Has she told you what happened between her and Nick? She told him he could raise the baby if he didn’t agree to give his permission for adoption. I would have loved to have heard that conversation.”

  “You’re kidding—she actually told him that?” They stopped walking before splitting off to their own cars. “He looked pretty mad at the hospital. I can only imagine how he’s feeling now that they’ve talked.”

  Hannah tilted her head, freely swinging her blond ponytail, which made her look as young as a teenager.
“Can you blame him?”

  Roxie shook her head. “I warned her that she should tell him about the pregnancy before he found out on his own. She wasn’t going to mention it at all unless she absolutely had to.”

  “I don’t usually disagree with Bree on major things, but this time I think she was completely wrong.”

  Roxie shrugged. “I do, too, but it was her decision. Now she’s going to be the one to suffer because of the way Nick found out.”

  “How do you think he’s going to handle it?” Hannah’s eyes widened. “Do you think he’ll actually raise the baby on his own?”

  “No clue,” Roxie said.

  Hannah shivered. “It’s freezing out here.” She rubbed her upper arms. In their exercise clothes, neither was dressed for the thirty-degree weather.

  “I’m cold, too,” Roxie agreed. “And hungry. Let’s go home, shower and I’ll pick up some Chinese takeout for the four of us—we’ll meet at Bree’s. I’ll call to let her know we’re coming, and you call Amber to meet us there.” They agreed on an approximate time and went their separate ways.

  Roxie was the last to arrive. Although Bree hadn’t been happy with the plan when Roxie had called, she seemed to have reluctantly accepted their appearance.

  “I got a mixture of entrées,” Roxie said to her friends. “Hopefully, there’s nothing in any of them that you can’t eat, Bree.” She’d purposely chosen Chinese food for that reason.

  “Thank you, Rox, I appreciate it,” Bree said quietly.

  They were seated at Bree’s oak dining room table when Bree made an announcement. “I know you came over to find out what happened between Nick and me, so let me end the suspense.” She took a sip of her water and set it down slowly before continuing. “It turns out that right now Nick is vehemently against giving up the baby for adoption.”

  “He is?” Amber asked.

  “What does that mean?” Hannah wanted to know.

  Only Roxie waited for Bree to continue.

  “It means that he’s probably not going to give me permission to put it up for adoption. And without his signature, I’m unable to do anything legally.”