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The Surprise Triplets
Jacqueline Diamond
TRIPLE THE TROUBLEWhen fertility counselor Melissa Everhart decided to have a baby on her own, she didn't anticipate triplets… or her ex-husband's return to Safe Harbor. Three years ago, Edmond's reluctance to have children tore them apart. But now that he's been made guardian of his niece, Melissa witnesses how tenderly he cares for the little girl. Though Edmond doesn't believe he's father material, his sudden custody of Dawn leaves him little choice. He turns to Melissa, the warmest, kindest person he knows, for help. They begin to rediscover the love they once shared, but the betrayals of the past trouble them both. Can they find the forgiveness they both need to come together as a family?
Triple The Trouble
When fertility counselor Melissa Everhart decided to have a baby on her own, she didn’t anticipate triplets…or her ex-husband’s return to Safe Harbor. Three years ago, Edmond’s reluctance to have children tore them apart. But now that he’s been made guardian of his niece, Melissa witnesses how tenderly he cares for the little girl.
Though Edmond doesn’t believe he’s father material, his sudden custody of Dawn leaves him little choice. He turns to Melissa, the warmest, kindest person he knows, for help. They begin to rediscover the love they once shared, but the betrayals of the past trouble them both. Can they find the forgiveness they both need to come together as a family?
“After you’re in the house, I’m sure there’ll be additional shopping,” Melissa advised.
“For what?” Edmond asked.
“Curtains, for one thing. As I recall, the blinds in that house provide privacy but they aren’t decorative.”
“Oh, right.” While he’d considered the cost of child care, he hadn’t factored in yard care. “And a cleaning service, too. Any recommendations?”
“We clean our own house, so I’m not sure. Just ask at work. You’ll be inundated with suggestions.” She was grinning widely.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re usually on top of every situation.” She slipped her pad into a pocket. “It’s refreshing to see you out of your element.”
“Refreshing?” That wasn’t the word Edmond would have chosen. “Awkward, maybe. Embarrassing.”
“No, it’s cute.” She’d never called him that before. “Human.”
“As opposed to my usual robotic self?” he asked.
“In a sense,” she teased. “It’s fun to watch the ice melt.”
He traced her temple with his thumb. “Only with you.” Her radiance drew him in, drew him close. He tilted his head, longing for her, but holding back.
And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she looped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him....
Dear Reader (#ulink_1bdaf143-bed2-58d2-9879-2a759bdd6da3),
Welcome to Safe Harbor, and please don’t worry if you haven’t read all—or any—of the previous books, because each stands alone. Each also presents unique challenges to me as a writer.
When I sketched the storyline for this book, I had no idea how much research the writing would entail. Some of it was already in my files, such as background on embryo transfers and multiple pregnancies. And I had some experience in court matters, having helped cover several trials for the Associated Press and having served on a jury.
However, I soon realized I needed to understand the special needs of children whose parents are sent to prison; how to arrange for such a child’s guardianship so she doesn’t end up in the foster care system, and how the sentencing would unfold in a courtroom.
I’m grateful for the internet, a gold mine of information. When the internet doesn’t suffice, however, I seek out experts to interview. Luckily, I have a friend who’s a Superior Court judge and who explained to me what goes on when a sentence is handed down, as in the case of Edmond’s sister.
My goal is to weave in the background so smoothly that it supports rather than interferes with the emotions of the story. I hope I’ve succeeded. Happy reading!
Best,
Jacqueline Diamond
The Surprise Triplets
Jacqueline Diamond
www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR (#ulink_28e3a2bd-9624-5059-8033-9824028a1194)
Medical themes feature prominently among JACQUELINE DIAMOND’S more than 95 published novels, especially her Safe Harbor Medical miniseries for Mills & Boon American Romance. Delivered at home by her physician father—the only doctor in their small Texas town—Jackie moved with her parents and brother to Louisville, Kentucky, and later Nashville, Tennessee. She developed an interest in fertility issues after successfully undergoing treatment to have her two sons, now in their twenties. Her books include Regency romances, romantic intrigues, romantic comedies and mysteries. A former Associated Press reporter and columnist, she lives with her husband of thirty-five years in Orange County, California, where she’s active in Romance Writers of America. You can see an overview of the Safe Harbor Medical miniseries at www.jacquelinediamond.com (http://www.jacquelinediamond.com) and say hello to Jackie at her Facebook page, JacquelineDiamondAuthor (https://www.facebook.com/JacquelineDiamondAuthor).
For Kevin and Renée Brown, two very special friends
Contents
Cover (#u2f8489b6-da4c-50e3-86ad-c2c899f689e6)
Back Cover Text (#u928d5589-7c6a-52db-b454-eb0f1c5c4d1e)
Introduction (#u411012c9-24e3-51b8-98dd-b03d864b294d)
Dear Reader (#u1ea60b9a-2b37-5247-afaa-602849c55d5c)
Title Page (#ubc2c63dc-6b77-5698-807a-e9d30413a4ca)
About the Author (#uaaac49c6-8a15-5e0b-9c29-4970f8f54ccc)
Dedication (#uf6933c85-cffd-5fb0-9873-a18fd5b16904)
Chapter One (#ucbe1c27f-0625-5fd8-b487-4b8c9ff61b40)
Chapter Two (#u3ebb3395-81ef-55b2-b284-e0afb45cb9b2)
Chapter Three (#u33c88521-bed2-5ebd-8688-e6ae9594f842)
Chapter Four (#u0873ab40-68af-5b5e-a206-fd7b87235956)
Chapter Five (#uc3549e63-e3fa-53a3-842f-e434c48176cb)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twelve (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Extract (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter One (#ulink_4a545982-ba03-5c3c-a9ae-4b4170e9d3ce)
The man and woman sitting in front of Melissa Everhart’s desk held hands as if about to jump off a cliff together. In a sense, that was what they were doing.
Be careful what you wish for, she wanted to caution them. But in her role as Safe Harbor Medical Center’s in vitro fertilization and egg donor coordinator, she was already providing them with full information. Any further warning would be an unprofessional insertion of her personal concerns.
“Most people who hire a surrogate and can’t provide their own eggs prefer to use a separate egg donor,” she was explaining.
“Why bring in a third party?” The woman, Bev Landry, an accountant in her early forties, projected a professional image in her tailored gray suit with a rose-colored silk blouse. Only the clenched hands in her lap betrayed her nervousness as she and her husband embarked on an expensive and by-no-means-guaranteed quest to have a child via surrogacy. An ovarian cancer survivor, she had tried to adopt without success.
Bev longed for a baby with all her heart. Melissa understood that yearning because she’d shared it.
“I’m not a lawyer, but I can tell you that while surrogates—or gestational carriers, as they’re termed—sign away their rights to the baby, it’s still safer legally and emotionally if there’s no genetic link,” Melissa informed her.
“That brings up the issue of legalities...” Bev’s husband, Mick, a rough-hewn building contractor, leaned forward aggressively. It was, Melissa judged, merely his way of taking control of a scary situation. “What protection do we have when we commission—if that’s the right word—a child?”
“We’re fortunate that California leads the world in safeguarding your rights,” she said. “I have several documents here on the subject, including new laws and court decisions favoring the designated parents.”
Mick glanced at the documents she handed him, then set them aside for later. “Thanks. And I’ll be the biological father, after all.”
“That’s right. Now let’s talk about how you would select your egg donor and your surrogate.” Although the hospital’s brochures covered all aspects of its fertility program, the information could be overwhelming. It was Melissa’s job to steer clients through the process.
If she deemed it advisable, she could also refer them to the hospital’s psychologist. And, starting today, she could offer them a free session with the hospital’s new consulting family attorney. Who just happened to be her ex-husband.
Her throat tightened. A year ago, without explanation, her ex-husband Edmond had given up a high-paying position in Los Angeles to join a tiny law firm here in Safe Harbor. Then, a month or so ago, he’d applied for a consulting job at the hospital. Despite her reservations, when the administrator had asked Melissa whether bringing Edmond on board in a part-time position would pose problems for her, she’d said no.
His new job meant they might occasionally have to work together, but since their divorce three years ago, they’d remained on civil terms. She respected Edmond’s abilities and had always found him easy to confer with.
Except on one issue. Edmond had vehemently opposed having children. Initially, Melissa hadn’t wanted them, either, but she’d changed her mind during their five-year marriage. As her thirtieth birthday approached, her longing for little ones to love had intensified to the point that she could no longer ignore it.
Hesitantly, she’d brought up with her husband the possibility of having kids. Edmond hadn’t taken it well, and to her shock, he’d then gone out and had a vasectomy without consulting her. Stunned by this high-handed maneuver and devastated that he thought so little of her needs, Melissa had left him.
The man she’d believed was her true love had turned out to be fatally flawed. Unfortunately, her post-divorce attempts at finding another Mr. Right had led nowhere.
Now she was going it alone, she reflected as her hand drifted to her abdomen, where it felt as if she had a watermelon strapped to her midsection. No telling how Edmond would react when he saw her condition. But then, he’d made his choice, and she’d made hers.
She trained her attention on the computer screen and angled it toward the Landrys. “We provide photographs and profiles of our surrogates, as we do with egg donors in a separate registry. You’ll have your own code to sign onto our secure website from home....” As Melissa spoke, she heard a flurry of noises outside the closed door. Hers was one of four offices opening off the fertility support program’s reception area on the hospital’s ground floor. Judging by the scuff of footsteps and the warm tones of her colleagues, she guessed that the hospital administrator was introducing the new consultant.
Then a deep, familiar voice rumbled through her. Melissa’s skin prickled. Edmond. If only she wasn’t still so sensitized to his nearness. Maybe agreeing for him to join the staff had been a mistake. Too late to change her mind now.
“Oh, my goodness!” Bev tugged an ultrasound photo from beneath a few papers on the desk. “Is that twins? No, there’s a third one. Triplets! Incredible.”
Her husband craned his neck to study the image. “Somebody hit the jackpot.”
Melissa’s cheeks heated. “I shouldn’t have left that in view.”
“I’m sorry.” Bev set down the image. “I didn’t mean to invade anyone’s privacy. That woman is so lucky!”
Is she? “Actually, it’s me.”
Bev’s mouth flew open. “Seriously? I noticed you were pregnant but I had no idea it was triplets. How far along are you?”
“Four months down, five to go.” According to Melissa’s obstetrician, multiple births usually resulted in early deliveries, but she was trying to think positively.
“Your husband must be excited,” Mick said.
Melissa tilted her head in a half nod and hoped he wouldn’t notice her failure to respond further. “Do you have questions about what we’ve discussed so far?”
“Once we’ve chosen the surrogate, how many fertilized eggs would be implanted?” Mick said. “I mean, assuming more than one is usable.”
“That can be a difficult decision,” she told him. “Multiple pregnancies are risky. On the other hand, only implanting one embryo lowers the odds of success. In the U.K. and Australia, doctors are limited by law to transferring a maximum of two embryos.”
He scowled. “Are there any restrictions in California?”
“No.” Trying to ignore the increasingly loud chatter from the outer office, she said, “However, our doctors limit themselves to implanting a maximum of three embryos, for medical and ethical reasons.”
“But the embryos won’t all attach, right?” Bev asked.
“Not usually.” She certainly hadn’t expected them to. “Twins or singletons are much more common than triplets.”
From the outer office came the squeal of the high-spirited receptionist, Caroline Carter. “I had no idea you were Melissa’s ex-husband!”
Melissa winced.
Edmond replied in a low tone, something about “good terms.” All the same, Melissa’s face was flaming. “Sorry for the disturbance,” she said to the Landrys.
