by K. C. Crowne
But Garrison and Sons took the opportunity to swoop in after the big guys stepped out. They didn’t have to make nearly as much to make the investment worthwhile, and they also knew I was in a pickle.
I paced the room, walking back toward the front door.
“My answer is the same as before, unless your offer went up since then.”
“It hasn’t, and I know you haven’t had other offers, Felicity.”
I opened the front door, motioning toward it. “Then please leave. We have nothing more to discuss.”
I didn’t want to sell anyway. The very idea of someone like Chester Garrison owning this land, only to tear it up and mine for some minerals, killed me. I loved this town, and I didn’t want to bow down to the pressure.
But Chester knew I was desperate, and desperation usually fared well for business. I knew this wouldn’t be the last time I’d see him, and he would continue to make my life difficult until I either bowed down to him or managed to put myself in a place where I wasn’t desperate any longer.
In his mind, I had one option at this point - sell to him. I’d cut my losses and look for a head chef position somewhere else. And that meant that I’d most likely have to leave Liberty behind.
But, I did have another offer. Not for the property itself, but a way to pull myself out of this situation. I could accept Abe’s money.
Chester hesitated, but eventually he walked out the door. He stopped and turned, smirking at me in a way that made my blood run cold.
“Very well, Felicity. You know where to find me if you change your mind.”
“I’m not going to change my mind.”
And I meant it. Because I had other options than dealing with a vulture.
I could help Abe, and he could help me.
It was a fair exchange.
I would learn to deal with it. I was strong, I’d dealt with heartbreak before.
And at least I wouldn’t be selling my soul to the devil.
Abe
“Felicity? Hurry, get inside,” I said, motioning for her to step in from the rain. “It’s really coming down out there.”
She pulled down the hood of her jacket, and I helped to remove it.
“Is everything ok, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“I’m sorry, my phone died, and it’s been a long day,” she said. She turned to me, and I gave her a once over, trying not to linger too long on her white top that was almost sheer from wetness. Even with the jacket, she’d managed to get soaked.
“Come here, let’s get you by the fire,” I said.
She followed me, and as soon as Koda saw her, his tail was wagging. He looked to me and I nodded, and he walked over to her.
“Looks like you’ve made a friend,” I said, running a hand over my beard.
She scratched Koda’s ears with a smile. Her eyes lit up, and there was a happiness to her that I hadn’t seen in a while. So hopefully she was stopping by with some good news. I knew her inspection was scheduled for that day, so I thought maybe that had something to do with it.
She turned on her heels to face me, and she just spit the words right out.
“Abe, I’ve thought long and hard about this, and I want to do this. Not just for the money, but for you. I want to do this for you.”
“You mean you want to be my surrogate?”
“Yes,” she said. “I know you can go through an agency, but it’s a lot of hassle - and like you said before, it would help both of us out. You’re a good man, and you’ll make an excellent father. I’d be honored to be part of that.”
I walked over to my leather sofa and sat down, reeling from the shock of it all. I did want a child of my own, but I never expected to have one like this.
Not that I was complaining.
“How was your inspection?” I asked.
She cocked her head to the side. “Wait, what? That’s your response to me telling you I want to give you a child?”
“I’m worried about you, Felicity. I want to be sure that you’re going to be okay too.”
She walked over and sat down in the leather chair that matched the sofa. Usually that was Koda’s chair, but he sat down next to her on the floor, his tail still wagging and slapping the ground. She continued petting him as if it was second nature to her.
“Well, the inspection went very badly, as I expected it would be. No health code violations, nothing like that. But we need to fix the sewage issue before I can reopen, and I need to bring the building up to code. Some electrical issues, plus we need a fire exit from the back of the restaurant-- our current one was boarded up from before I moved in. A lot of things need to be fixed, but I’m confident I can do it with what you’re offering.”
“Me too,” I said, not stating that there’d be more money than I initially offered. I still thought $50k was far too low for what she was offering to do, but one step at a time. She needed to get used to accepting that amount before I told her that I’d be giving her more.
“So we’re doing this?” she asked, practically beaming.
“You seem really happy about all of this. Are you sure you’re comfortable being a surrogate? Going through pregnancy and everything that it entails?”
“I am,” she said. She took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s true that I want to have children of my own one day, and the idea of being pregnant is exciting. But I am also realistic. I know that there’s nothing between you and me, and that this child will be yours. But doing this for you will put me in a better situation to have a family of my own one day, something I can’t even imagine doing right now. There’s no way I could care for a child, I can barely care for myself until I get my business back up and running.”
I leaned back on the sofa, studying her. She seemed legitimately sure of herself, and her explanations sounded very well thought out.
“And you understand the risks associated with pregnancy and fertility drugs, and everything that we’re going to be doing?”
“Yes, I’ve done my research on that as well. I’ll get a physical and everything, just to be safe, but my last one wasn’t even a year ago - and I have no risk factors associated with problems during pregnancy. My blood pressure is normal, no heart problems, I’m at a fairly healthy weight though I could probably stand to lose a couple pounds—”
“No,” I said, stopping her train of thought before she could even go there. She offered me a confused look. “I mean, your weight is fine. You’re not at an unhealthy weight, and I wouldn’t want you to go on any special diets or anything, those could cause problems on its own.”
No, it had nothing to do with the fact that I loved her curves and the roundness of her ass and hips. Not at all.
She smiled. “Well, you’re a doctor, so I’ll trust your opinion on the subject.”
“We’ll meet with a lawyer, go over all the legal paperwork soon. We’ll also meet with the doctors who will be overseeing the process, and of course, I will cover all that. And if at any time, you want to back out of this, you can.”
“Thank you, but I don’t see that happening.”
“I just want to make it clear, Felicity. You don’t owe me anything.”
“I appreciate that, Abe, but can we stop being so serious right now? It’s a happy moment, can we celebrate?”
She was right, it was a happy moment. I was nervous as hell and surprised by it all too.
I was going to be a father.
I hopped from the sofa and hurried over to the mini bar tucked away in the corner. I scanned the wine rack, but nothing seemed suitable. No, it was a celebration. Only champagne would do.
I had one bottle of champagne. I always kept a bottle on hand, just in case. Straight from France, I’d picked it up myself. It was a favorite of mine. I popped open the bottle and poured us both a glass before walking back over to Felicity.
She clinked her glass to mine and smiled up at me, and I swear my heart nearly hopped into my throat. But she also got all the blood flowing south again.
“To working together,” she said. “And bringing a miracle into the world.”
Now I knew, deep down, that we wouldn’t go about this the old-fashioned way. We’d do IVF, in a clinic. There’d be no sex, nothing like that. But the idea of filling her with my seed, of her carrying my child, entered my brain and there was nothing else I could think about.
In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to impregnate her myself right then and there.
Her lips parted as she sipped from her glass. Her perfectly pink lips that had been so soft against mine.
I don’t know what got into me, but I leaned in and kissed her - giving into that desire of feeling her lips on mine. And she kissed me back, her mouth opening and accepting my tongue.
I dropped down to the ground, eager to taste more of her. I wanted to rip her pants right off and dive between those thick thighs of her, making her come with my mouth. I grabbed at her pants, but Felicity stopped me.
“Should we be doing this? I mean, I want to, but—” She nibbled that perfect, pink lip of hers.
She was right. God, it caused my balls to ache to realize it, but she was right.
I stood up, clearing my throat and stepping away - far enough away that we wouldn’t accidentally fall into each other’s arms again.
“You’re right. Yes, we need to keep this professional,” I said.
“Exactly.” There was a hint of regret in her voice, but she’d been right to stop things before they went too far.
“I don’t want to complicate things,” I said. “If things get too complicated, maybe we should reconsider—”
“No,” she said, standing up and placing the champagne glass down. She walked over to me and pressed her fingertips to my lips. Even her hand smelled of vanilla. Her skin probably tasted as good as it smelled, and I craved kissing it to see for myself. I hadn’t paid enough attention to the one chance I’d had with her, and I was kicking myself for that.
Because there wouldn’t be another chance.
“No, we won’t reconsider,” Felicity said, kicking her chin out. “Because we’re going to be responsible and professional. I’m not going to finish my champagne, we’ve done enough celebrating. I’m going to head home now, and you can call me once you’ve set everything else up with the lawyer and the doctors.”
I nodded, feeling utterly weak next to her. I wasn’t a weak man, but something about her made me want to drop to my knees, to do anything I could to please her.
I knew I should have put a stop to the whole thing right then and there, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring myself to stop it - because even if we weren’t going to get her pregnant the old-fashioned way, she would still be carrying my child.
And I loved that idea way, way more than I should have.
Felicity
“Ms. James, you seem to be in great health, and I see no reason why we can’t proceed with the process,” Dr. Gina Miller said.
I’d sat through test after test already, and I’d been over everything with her. I liked that I had a woman doctor overseeing everything. She was also a mother of three beautiful children and had personal experience with pregnancy and childbirth. I felt like I could trust her, and that she was looking out for me.
She was nearing her forties, and she could also relate to Abe’s desire to have children even though he was getting older.
Abe was sitting beside me, as he had for most of the appointments. He obviously let me have privacy when with the doctor, but he was always there - offering me a ride, which I refused, and paying for everything. We’d met with the lawyer that same afternoon and had drafted up an agreement that suited us both.
I knew my rights - I was free to back out at any time, Abe made sure of that. Even his lawyer had suggested some sort of policy to get his money back or to pay me in increments in case I changed my mind, but Abe told him that the money was mine regardless if I went through with everything or not.
There was no way I would back out though. I made a promise, and I would see it through. Many women were surrogates and managed just fine. Sure, things were a little different with me - if I were going through an agency, they’d have required me to have had at least one baby already - but this whole situation was different.
“We’re going to use a process called intrauterine insemination, IUI for short,” Dr. Miller explained. “To help the process along, I’m going to prescribe you Clomiphene, which will induce ovulation. Now, please know that there is a chance that you may release extra eggs. The chances of multiples while on fertility drugs is higher than without, and we will go over the other risk factors prior to the procedure. While you are on the medication, please abstain from any and all sexual activity - even with condoms - as you will be extra fertile during this time.”
I nodded, listening to everything and understanding it fully. I wasn’t likely to be having sex anytime soon anyway. The time with Abe had been the first time in years. I wasn’t dating anyone, not really looking to date anyone either. I looked over at Abe.
“But the chances of multiples is still fairly low, correct? I haven’t read a lot of research on it, but it still seems more likely to have one baby, or possibly twins, than three or more.”
“You’re correct, but it’s still a risk we have to take into consideration.”
Abe nodded. “Yes, I agree, and it's a risk I’m willing to take. Of course, Felicity’s health is most important, but we can discuss options if it comes to that. I can support multiple children, if need be.”
The very idea of having twins - or more - made me nervous, but just a bit. The chances were likely slim, and like Abe said, we could address that if it came to it. No use worrying about something that probably wouldn’t happen.
With a prescription in my hand, we were out the door. Abe and I kept most things friendly and professional these days, but every time I saw him, it took everything in me not to do something stupid.
My panties were usually soaked after spending just a few minutes with him. And to think, before long, I’d be carrying his baby. That didn’t help with the wetness any.
We took the elevator down to together. This time, I drove. I wanted to head over to the restaurant afterward and wanted to have my car. Many visits, he drove me, which was nice - but also meant spending more time with him.
He cleared his throat. “Are you comfortable with accepting payment yet?”
“Most of the time, surrogates get paid in increments, depending on how far along things are.”
“Yeah, I know, we talked about that with the lawyer already and I’m not doing that.”
He pulled out a check book, and my heart stopped. This was it, he was really going to pay me, and I could finally accept it without guilt since I was doing something for him.
I’d be able to open the restaurant back up and do so much with the money. It would get me back on my feet, at last.
Abe explained that it was a certified check from his bank, just to make things easier on my end. “If you have any problems, tell them to call me. I can come in and clear it up in person if need be, but my bank said it shouldn’t be an issue.”
He handed me the check, and this time, I took it.
“Thank you,” was all I could mutter, having felt like I’d lost my voice.
“No, thank you,” he said.
“I haven’t really done anything yet.”
“Even considering my crazy offer is something.”
I stared down at the check. $50,000. Free and clear, in my hand. I’d never grown up terribly poor, but not incredibly rich either. It was a large sum of money to be given all at once, and Abe seemed to hand it over like he was giving me change or maybe a few bucks to buy myself lunch.
But, of course, I was giving him something even more valuable in return.
We parted ways, and I hurried to my car, eager to get the ball rolling on everything.
My restaurant would be open again, soon.
Ooo000ooo
“Thanks for your help, Gran
t,” I said, writing him a check for payment.
“No, you don’t have to pay me,” Grant said, a sweet smile on his face.
I’d known Grant Barnes for as long as I could remember. He was Leah’s older brother and married to Piper, one of my best friends. He didn’t really need the money, having inherited a lot of properties that turned out to be incredibly valuable, but he worked as a handyman to stay busy.
But even though he didn’t need the money didn’t mean I wouldn’t pay him. He’d done me a favor by helping me to install all the new equipment I’d ordered, and I believed in paying people fairly for their time.
I handed him a check, and he tried not to take it.
“Grant, do you want me to get Piper involved?”
“She won’t take the money either,” he said, and I knew he was right.
“Donate it to charity then, I don’t care. I know Leah and Piper are both involved in a lot of good causes, so pick one and donate it - but you aren’t leaving here without this check.”
Grant took the check, but then it hit me - it didn’t mean he’d cash it. I frowned. Next time, pay with cash. If it doesn’t go through within a few days, I’d drop by with some cash.
“I don’t know why you have to be so damned stubborn,” I teased.
“You’re one to talk, Felicity. We’re just happy to see the diner reopening. Leah can’t stop complaining about the lack of good lunches every single day.”
“Tell Leah that we’ll be back in business next week, once the inspector approves of us reopening.”
It felt so damned good to say that. I couldn’t help but smile knowing that things were back on track, that this was just a small blip that we’d get through.
After Grant left, I checked the schedule - the plumber had already fixed the tree branch issue with the pipes. New equipment has arrived and were installed. I needed to place an order for food, but I’d wait a few more days, always striving to keep things fresh.
And to think, I didn’t even use all the money Abe had paid me. I paid down some of the past debt and had just enough set aside to consider putting a down payment on a new location in a few months to a year, after earning some interest and saving up a bit more.