Rags to Riches Baby

by Andrea Laurence

  With a sigh, she stood up and went in search of a place to hang it.

  * * *

  Oliver was miserable.

  There just wasn’t any other way to describe how he felt. He wasn’t even entirely sure how long it had been since he spoke with Lucy and found out about the baby. The days had all started to blur together. He hadn’t been in the office. Hadn’t left his apartment. He hadn’t even gone up to the roof to start trimming back for the fall because being up there reminded him too much of Lucy and the night they’d spent together there. Somehow, even his sanctuary was tainted by the situation.

  He wouldn’t go so far as to say Lucy had ruined it. He wasn’t that ignorant. It had taken a few days for his temper to cool down so he could come to that conclusion, but he knew it was true. Start to finish, this was a mess of his own making. Nothing Lucy had done since the day he met her had warranted the horrible things he’d said to her at dinner that night. She had immediately come to him to do the right thing and tell him about the baby, and he’d thrown it in her face. And yet, after hours spent racking his brain for a way to undo the things he’d done, he’d come up with nothing.

  Was that even possible?

  Oliver Drake: CEO and savior of Orion Technology, eligible bachelor, millionaire and complete asshat.

  He was stewing on his sofa when there was a knock at the door. That in itself was unusual since the doorman hadn’t called. At the same time, it was concerning. He’d dodged calls from his family for days and they were the only ones who could get up here without his permission. He hoped Harper hadn’t arrived to chew him out. He hadn’t even bothered to listen to the fifteen voice-mail messages she’d left him.

  With a frown, he turned off the television and crossed the room to the front door. Peering through the peephole, he was relieved to find his father and brother there instead of his sister. “Dad?” he asked as he opened the door.

  Tom Drake looked at his son and shook his head. “You look like hell,” he said, pushing past Oliver into the house with Danny in his wake.

  His little brother had recovered remarkably well from his accident. You’d hardly even know he’d been in the hospital as he took off for the living room and changed the channel to pull up his favorite show. Oliver knew that when he was bored with that, he’d whip his latest gaming device out of his back pocket and play until Dad made him stop. Technology ran deep in the veins of this family.

  With a sigh, Oliver shut the door behind his dad and followed him to the kitchen where he was making himself some coffee.

  “I didn’t think you drank coffee anymore, Dad.”

  Tom looked up at him with a dismayed frown. “It’s not for me, it’s for you.”

  “I don’t need any coffee, Dad. I’m not hungover.”

  His father narrowed his eyes at Oliver, taking in the robe and pajama pants he had on, the week-old scruff that had grown on his face and his bedhead. “Even if you’re not hungover, you’re drinking this,” he said at last. “You need something to wake you up.”

  “I’m not sleepy.”

  “I’m not saying you are. Sometimes in a man’s life, he needs to wake up and take a look at what’s going on around him. He gets too set in his ways, gets lost in a routine and doesn’t notice things right in front of his face. I was like that once. I don’t want you to end up like me.”

  Oliver scratched his head in confusion but accepted the coffee his father handed him.

  “Sit down, son.”

  Oliver sat down at the kitchen table, trying not to think about the breakfast he’d shared here with Lucy. “I just needed a break, Dad.”

  Tom reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water before sitting across from his son. “The hell you did. This is about that woman. Lucy.”

  Oliver hadn’t said two words to his father about what had happened with Lucy, so his sister must’ve narc’d on him. “She’s pregnant, Dad.” It was the first time the words had passed his lips. Even days later, it felt alien on his tongue.

  His father shrugged off his bombshell announcement. “It happens. What are you doing to do about it?”

  “I don’t know. I’m worried I’m going to make the same mistakes you did. I don’t know that I can trust her. The whole family thinks she’s some kind of crook.”

  “What do you think?”

  “I...” Oliver stopped. He’d wrestled with this question since the day he’d met her. Now, he tried to answer honestly just as he knew her, not letting his fears answer for him. “I don’t think she had anything to do with Aunt Alice changing her will. These last few weeks, I’ve found that Lucy is naturally charming. I think Alice would’ve wanted to help her out and do something nice for Lucy by leaving her the estate. At least that’s my guess. But what if I’m wrong? What if she’s just like Candace? How do I know the child isn’t just another ploy to get her hands not only on Aunt Alice’s money but mine, too?”

  “You don’t,” his father said simply. With a sigh, Tom ran his hand through his mostly gray hair. “I think this is all my fault.”

  Oliver perked up in his chair. “What?”

  “I thought you were old enough when all this happened with Candace, but I think I still managed to give you some trust issues. Listen, I was an idiot, Oliver. I got all wrapped up in your stepmother and made some choices that were pretty foolish in retrospect. But I was lonely so I took that chance. And now, years later, I would probably do everything exactly the same if I were given the chance to go back in time.”

  That surprised Oliver. He thought for sure that his father regretted what happened with his second wife. “Really?”

  Tom chuckled at his son’s surprise and sipped his water thoughtfully. “Yes. Despite our outward appearances, Candace and I really did have chemistry. She certainly put a dent in my finances, but it was a fine price to pay for a couple fun years and that little boy in the living room. If changing the past with Candace means that I wouldn’t have Danny, then I want no part of it.”

  Both men turned toward the living room to watch Danny as he sat cross-legged on the floor and grinned at the television.

  “Things don’t always happen the way you plan, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t work out the way they were supposed to. If you believe Lucy didn’t scheme her way into Alice’s will, why would you think she’s trying to trap you by getting pregnant? Maybe it was an honest mistake.”

  Oliver turned back to the table and studied the mug in his hands. The look on Lucy’s face in the restaurant came to his mind. With a little time and perspective, he was able to see how scared she was to tell him. How hard she struggled to hide how nervous and confused she was over the pregnancy. She’d needed him in that moment and he’d failed her by turning on her and accusing her of such horrible things.

  “Here’s a better question,” his father continued. “Does it really matter? Will it make you love your child any less?”

  “No.” That question was easier for Oliver to answer. If he’d figured anything out over the last few days, it was that he would love that child more than anyone on the planet had ever loved their child. The harder question was whether he was willing to love the mother just as much.

  “And how did you feel about Lucy before you found out about the baby?”

  “I thought that maybe I was falling in love. I guess that scared me. I’ve never felt that way about a woman before. It all happened so fast.”

  “It was that way with your mother, you know? We went from our first date to married in two months. It was intense and scary and wonderful all at once, but I couldn’t stand the idea of being apart from her.”

  Oliver had never heard that about his parents before. He supposed that he hadn’t asked, thinking it would be a sore spot for his father after his mother died. “Why did you decide to get married so quickly?”

  Tom smiled and reached out to pat Oliv
er’s shoulder. “You. Like I said before, it happens.” He got up from the table and called out to Danny. “Daniel, we’re getting ready to go.” Then he turned back to Oliver and handed him a small box that had been stuffed into his coat pocket. “When you make up your mind, this might come in handy. It was your mother’s. Talk to you later, son.”

  Before Oliver could really respond to everything his father had just said to him, his brother was gingerly giving him a hug and the two of them were out the door.

  Alone in his apartment again, Oliver reached for the box on the table and opened the hinged lid. Inside, he found what could only be his mother’s engagement ring. It was marquise-shaped with a single baguette on each side, set in platinum. It wasn’t at all fashionable at the moment; it was more a throwback to another time. But it was simple, elegant and classic—the perfect ring for his mother, and he realized, perfect for Lucy as well. His mother had been one in a million and Lucy didn’t fit into the mold either. It was just the ring he would choose for the mother of his child and his future wife.

  If she would accept it.

  In that moment, he wanted her to accept it more than he ever expected. Not just because of the baby, but because he was in love with her. Despite his suspicious nature and cautious approach, Lucy had slipped past all his defenses and reached a part of him that he’d managed to keep locked away from all the women before her. He didn’t want to lock away that part of himself any longer. Like his garden, he wanted to share it with her. Share it with their child.

  There was another knock at the door, startling him. Oliver got up, presuming Danny left something behind, but when he opened the door, he found a fuming Harper standing there instead. It was time to get the earful he’d avoided all week.

  “You are a jerk! How could you possibly accuse Lucy of getting pregnant on purpose? That’s absolutely absurd! She had plans, you know? That’s why we were in Connecticut. She was planning on going back to college. How is she supposed to do that raising your baby on her own, huh? Especially with you holding all of Aunt Alice’s money hostage for no good reason!”

  With a sigh, Oliver stepped back to let his seething sister inside. He could tell she was just getting warmed up. Once she was done yelling at him, perhaps she could help him figure out how exactly he could clean up the mess he’d made with Lucy so everyone could be happy again.

  Twelve

  “Lucy, this is Phillip Glass. How are you?”

  Lucy nervously clutched the phone. She hadn’t heard from Alice’s estate attorney in quite a while. Had the judge made a ruling yet? “Good,” she answered and held her breath.

  “Excellent. Well, I’m calling because I have some good news for you. Amazing news, actually. Mr. Drake has dropped his dispute over Alice’s will.”

  Lucy slumped down into a nearby chair as her knees gave out from under her. Surely she hadn’t heard him correctly. “What?”

  “It’s all yours now, Lucy. The money, the apartment, the art, all of it. Congratulations.”

  She knew she should say something, but she didn’t have any words. This was not the call she was expecting to get. She’d prepared herself for the consoling discussion about how the judge felt Alice’s state of mind may have been compromised at her age and given the change was so close to her death... Instead, she found she really truly had the winning lotto ticket in her hand.

  An initial wave of relief washed over her. Not excitement, but relief. She’d been twisting her stomach into knots the last few days trying to figure out how she was going to support the twins on her own. Now, that question was answered and it didn’t require her to go crawling to the twins’ father. Although it did raise a curious question.

  “Did Mr. Drake say why he dropped the protest?”

  “He didn’t. Honestly, I wish I knew what changed his mind, as well. Listen, I’m going to work on getting everything transitioned over to you and I’ll be in touch in a week or two. There’s some paperwork and hoops still to jump through, a huge chunk of estate taxes to pull out, but you can finally celebrate, Lucy.”

  “Thanks, Phillip.”

  Lucy hung up the phone and found herself still too stunned to move from her seat. She was more surprised by Oliver changing his mind than anything else. There had always been the possibility that the judge would rule in her favor, but she never thought he would back down, even when they’d gotten so close. That seemed too much like mixing business and pleasure where he was concerned.

  What had changed?

  Oliver had been so angry with her that night. He told her he didn’t even want anything to do with his child and now, he was just handing over his aunt’s estate after weeks of fighting over it? Was this his roundabout way of providing child support without paying a dime of his own money? She didn’t dare to dream that it was an olive branch or first step on their way to reconciliation. Two miracles wouldn’t happen in one day.

  Lucy wasn’t quite sure what to do. She felt like she should tell someone, and yet she was hesitant to even now. It didn’t feel real. It never had. Just like looking at that sonogram.

  An hour before, she’d been wondering if she could fit a bed and two cribs in the one-bedroom apartment near campus and now she could buy a house and a car, hire a full-time nanny and not have to work. Her life was undergoing a major upheaval every couple of days and she wasn’t sure how many more big changes she could take.

  She knew she should be excited. She was an instant millionaire hundreds of times over. Rich beyond her wildest dreams. Her children would never want for anything the way she had. Their college was paid for. Her college was paid for. Life should be easier, at least on that front. While she felt a bit of the pressure lifting from her shoulders, she still wouldn’t call herself excited.

  How could she be excited or happy with the way things ended with Oliver? It was impossible. All the money in the world wouldn’t bring the man she loved and the father of her children back into her life. Honestly, she’d trade every penny in a heartbeat if he would knock on the door right now and tell her that he was sorry—that he loved her and their babies more than anything else. But that wouldn’t happen. Not after all the horrible things he’d said. Oliver wouldn’t change his mind and Lucy couldn’t forget it.

  The doorbell rang the moment after the thought crossed her mind, startling her from the sad path her thoughts had taken. She stood up from her seat, the phone still clutched in her hand from Phillip’s call. Could it be?

  Her heart started pounding in her chest, even as she tried to convince herself that it was probably the cleaning lady or Harper checking on her. Lucy stood at the door a moment, willing herself not to be disappointed if she opened it and found someone else.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened it. And there, against all odds, was Oliver.

  He was standing in the marble-tiled foyer looking like a tall glass of water to a woman lost in the desert. He was wearing her favorite gray suit with a blue shirt that made his eyes an even brighter shade than usual. His lips were pressed together anxiously, even as he clutched a bouquet of bright pink roses and blue delphinium in his hands.

  “Hi,” he said after a few long seconds of staring silently at one another.

  Lucy wasn’t quite sure what to think. She’d hardly recovered from the shock of her call with Phillip. “Hello.” That was a start.

  She took a step back to let him into the apartment. She was curious about what he had to say, but wouldn’t allow herself to mentally leap ahead. Just because he was here didn’t mean he was begging for her back. She didn’t know what he wanted, or if she was even willing to give it to him if he did. She loved him, but she loved herself and her babies, too, and she knew she had to be smart about this. He’d been unnecessarily cruel to her and it would take more than a “sorry” and some flowers for her to forget the things he’d said.

  “These are for you,” he said, holding out the flowers
and smiling sheepishly at her. “I picked out the pink and blue flowers for the baby.”

  “Thank you.” Lucy accepted the flowers and turned her back on Oliver to put them in water. She needed a moment without his soulful eyes staring into her own.

  When she returned from the kitchen, he was still standing in the same spot in the gallery, only now he was looking at the painting he’d bought her. She’d finally hung it on the wall.

  “Thank you for the painting,” she said, stopping alongside him to admire the piece. “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know I didn’t. That was the point of the gift.”

  Lucy set the vase of flowers onto the table in the entryway and turned to him. “You also didn’t have to drop your contest of Alice’s will. We could’ve seen it through to the judge and let him rule on it.”

  Oliver turned to her and shook his head. “No, we couldn’t. I couldn’t risk the judge’s ruling. I dropped the suit because I changed my mind.”

  Lucy crossed her arms defensively over her chest. Standing this close to Oliver again after these horrible few days, she felt like she needed the buffer to protect herself. From herself.

  “You changed your mind about what?” she snapped. “That I was a seasoned con artist that manipulated your elderly, agoraphobic aunt into leaving me all her money? Or that I deliberately got pregnant to trap you into financially supporting me and your child for life?”

  Oliver swallowed hard, the muscles in his throat moving with strain and difficulty. She’d never seen him so tense. Not in the lawyer’s office that first day, not even in the restaurant when she saw him last. He appeared outwardly calm, but she was keenly aware of how tightly strung he seemed.

  “I’m sorry, Lucy,” he said at last. “I’m sorry for all of that. I never should’ve given a voice to the doubts in my head, because that’s all they were—my own demons twisting reality. You never did anything to deserve the way I treated you. You’re nothing like my stepmother and I knew that, I was just afraid because I had feelings for you that I didn’t know how to handle. I was scared to make a mistake like my father and instead, I made an even bigger mess by ruining the best thing I had in my life. I can only hope that one day you can see it in your heart to forgive me for that. I intend to try every day for the next fifty years until you do.”