Baby Love (Baby Series)

by ANDREA SMITH

  I was clueless. Trey gave Gina a dirty look. He told me to lie back down and he would handle Preston until I felt better. He left Gina and me alone.

  She continued giggling as she sat down on the bed.

  “I wondered what the hell happened to you last night. One minute you were on the dance floor dancing to 'disco inferno' and the next minute you’re nowhere to be found. You missed some excitement.”

  I was just glad that I wasn’t part of any excitement last night.

  “Oh yeah? What happened?” I asked lying back against my pillows waiting for the ibuprofenl to kick in.

  The nasty drink had done the trick on everything else.

  “Well let’s see. First Caroline came running in all freaked out with her damn shirt all unbuttoned and Landon’s jacket tied around her waist. She claimed someone ‘puked’ on her but I think as hammered as that bitch gets she finally exceeded her own limit and either puked or shit herself.”

  (Oh my God! It was all coming back to me now. Should I let Gina know?)

  “Actually Gina, that would have been me. I felt sick after that last dance and went outside. I made it over to the oleander bushes to heave. Hell, I didn’t know her and Landon were on the other side of them screwing. Please don’t tell anyone. I’m glad she didn’t recognize that it was me.”

  “Oh Ty – that is too funny. I would say being that it was Caroline that was probably just some karma coming back at her in liquid form. But the really big news is that I found out what the ‘brotherly pow-wow’ was all about last night.”

  "The what?” I asked.

  “Come on Ty, you couldn’t have been that trashed at that point. You remember? Tristan, Trey and Nigel all going off to talk about something important and you, me and Tess were talking on the couch?”

  “Oh yes-yes,” I said, “I remember that now. So what was the discussion about?”

  “I’m not sure if you’ve recovered enough to hear this.”

  “Gina I am so not in the mood to have to drag this out of you. Spill it now.”

  “Okay, but get ready. You remember when Tess shared with us that she and Nigel have been working with a fertility clinic in California having her eggs harvested so a surrogate can carry the child for her?”

  I nodded.

  “Well there apparently is more to the plan. Nigel asked both Trey and Tristan if they would be sperm donors for the cause.”

  (What??)

  "What?"

  "You heard me correctly."

  "Well what does Tristan say about all of this?"

  "He is being the sweetheart that he is Ty. He says he would really like to help his brother out but that he doesn't want me to feel uncomfortable about it."

  "Well so there you go," I said. "Tristan is willing and I'm sure that you aren't uncomfortable about it so problem solved."

  "Whoa, wait a minute Ty. I'm not comfortable with it anymore than I know you are but that is not really the point."

  "Then what is?" I hissed still feeling the ache in my head.

  "He asked for both of them to be donors. Not just one or the other."

  "What's the rationale in that? It only takes one random sperm to fertilize an egg."

  "I think the whole point of this is that Nigel and Tess would like their baby to have Sinclair DNA but not to know exactly who the source of it is."

  "What?" I asked, my head throbbing in confusion.

  "Look understandably it is a complicated situation; so in order to make it a bit less complicated if both brothers donate it will be difficult to pinpoint which sperm actually succeeded in fertilizing the egg. Therefore, the paternal trail is somewhat muddled, but yet it is 'Sinclair' DNA."

  (Was that supposed to make me feel better?)

  "Tristan explained it all. They somehow mix it together than spin it to make sure that only the 'heartiest' sperm survive to fertilize the egg. This makes for a more 'robust' conception."

  "I can't fathom all of this right now Gina," I said suddenly feeling ill all over again.

  "I will let you get some rest Ty," she said getting up and ready to leave the room.

  "Please ask Trey to come back up," I asked.

  "Ty, you aren't going to tell him that I told you about this are you?"

  "Why not, Gina? Had I not been so fucking drunk last night I might have been privy to it then. You're damned straight I'm going to address this with him. You know how I roll by now."

  Gina skittered from the room without saying anything else. I sank back down further into my pillows. My head was reeling now more from the information that Gina had shared just now than from my hangover.

  Several minutes later Trey was in the suite.

  "Gina said you needed to see me. Are you okay?"

  "No Trey. I am most certainly not okay. Is there something you needed to tell me about a conversation that you had with your brothers last evening?"

  He sank down on the bed sitting next to me. He took one of my hands into his. He studied me intently for a moment trying to organize his explanation in such a way that I wouldn't find the whole issue deplorable. He wasn't going to have much luck with that I thought.

  "Tylar, I was most certainly going to discuss this with you but there really hasn't been much of an opportunity between the time Nigel discussed this with Tristan and me until now. You were a bit distracted last night, remember?"

  "I'm fully attentive now Trey. Let's talk."

  "Why do I think that you already know the gist of it?" he asked.

  "Yeah, Gina filled me in, so what? You aren't seriously considering this are you?"

  "Why wouldn't I consider this? Nigel is my brother. He's asked something of both Tristan and I that we are equipped to give. I love my brother."

  "Trey we're not talking about lending your brother your car or giving him money. We are talking about you contributing your half of the DNA that is necessary to make their child. It would be your child with Tess essentially. I'm sorry. I have a problem with that. End of discussion."

  "No Tylar," he said shaking his head, "This is far from the end of the discussion. I get that this came out of the blue for you. It did me as well but this bears further consideration. I am prepared to do this. Tristan is as well. You are hung over at the moment and require some rest and time to gain perspective. I'm sure that once that has taken place you will be in a position to consider this a bit more objectively and less subjectively. This is about caring and about family Tylar. This in no way should make you feel threatened. This has nothing to do with my love for you but has everything to do with my love for my brother. We will talk about this once we return to Atlanta."

  "Trey," I said my voice quivering, "Don't patronize me by using my hangover as an excuse for my not agreeing with your decision to be a sperm donor to your ex-fiancé. What you are essentially agreeing to do is to sire a child with another woman. How well would that sit with you if I were the woman having another man's child?"

  "It is not the same thing dammit Tylar! A surrogate will carry and deliver the child. My God! It's not as if Tristan or I will be having sex with Tess!"

  "Well why not?" I chided him, gaining my strength back.

  "After all, you've been there before haven't you?"

  Trey looked at me as if I were being totally unreasonable in my distaste for the whole situation.

  "I am going to leave you so that you can rest up now. We will discuss this when we are back home."

  I turned my back to him as he left the bed. I didn't want to discuss this any further. Several minutes had passed before my Blackberry chimed. I reached for it on the nightstand. It was my dad.

  "Happy New Year," he said cheerily as I answered the phone.

  "Yeah same to you, Dad."

  "Somebody sounds as if she partied too much last night. Do you want me to let you go Tylar?"

  "I'm sorry Dad. You're right. I overdid it last night but that's not what's bothering me at the moment."

  "Do you feel like talking about it with your old ma
n?"

  I smiled when he said that. It was if we had a history together; like I had always had the luxury of taking my problems to him for fatherly advice over the years. It didn't matter. I had that luxury now and I was going to take him up on it.

  "I'd like that Dad."

  I shared the details with him concerning Nigel and Tess and their 'situation’. I included the fact that years ago Trey had been engaged to Tess and the details on her infidelity to Trey during their engagement and her subsequent accident. I mentioned that as I had come to know Tess that I liked her as a person and sister-in-law, but that I had fundamental misgivings about having Trey potentially father her child.

  He listened intently over the phone letting me get it all out. I dissolved into tears at the end where I shared with him that Trey intended to 'contribute' against my wishes.

  "Well I see your point Tylar; but I see Trey's as well.”

  (Did men always stick together on stuff like this?)

  He continued on explaining his position to me very patiently.

  “Darling you were an only child. It may be difficult for you to be totally objective to this because you have no point of reference. It is not something that I would have wished for you. Had I known at the time I was to be a father, I assure you that I would have insisted on marrying Marley and we would have given you brothers and sisters.”

  (God he was so much like Trey!)

  “I realize that it’s water under the bridge now. I can only share with you what I know. I was one of four."

  "Really," I interrupted, "You mean I have aunts and uncles?"

  "You have one aunt in Texas; you have an uncle in Oregon and another one in Minnesota. I was the youngest of the four. You have cousins as well."

  There was so much about my dad and his family that I hadn't learned about yet. There were so many things that I wanted to know.

  "My point is this Tylar; siblings have each other from cradle to grave. Parents die; spouses can leave you through death or divorce, but brothers and sisters are a gift from their parents to their children. They are there to love and support each other. That's all Trey wants to do for Nigel darling."

  “I know Dad and if one of Trey’s brothers needed him for a blood transfusion or to donate a kidney I wouldn’t have an issue with that. This just feels different.”

  “It’s probably because you are looking at it as a very intimate thing. Traditionally babies are conceived in very sexual or intimate relationships. Modern science has evolved to the extent that there are other options for those who have issues with conceiving in the traditional fashion.

  Trey is not offering himself sexually or intimately to his brother and sister-in-law; it is really more akin to him donating blood.”

  “With the obvious exception Dad that a human being will be created as a result of this particular donation’; and what if it’s a boy?”

  “What if it is?” he asked.

  “Well it would kill me that I wasn’t able to give Trey a son, or at the very least, his first son.”

  “Tylar,” he said, “You and Trey plan to have more children right?’

  “Yes – as a matter of fact, we are going to start trying soon.”

  “Excellent,” he replied.

  “Whether your sister-in-law gives birth to a boy or a girl; whether that child carries Trey or Tristan’s specific DNA it will not matter. That child will be the product of Nigel and Tess. You will give Trey his second child be it a boy or be it a girl. It’s that simple.”

  When my father explained it to me in those terms it didn’t seem nearly as complicated or threatening as I had initially felt. I didn’t understand a brother-sister bond because he was right; I had no point of reference on that. I had to trust that he was right.

  “Thanks Dad,” I said smiling into the phone.

  “I love you Tylar,” he said simply.

  “I love you too, Dad.”

  CHAPTER 54

  The four of us had returned home to Atlanta after another 'fucked-up' holiday at the Sinclair's. I had told Gina that she needed to get used to it. I was starting to.

  Gina and I had talked at length once we were back at the apartment. Trey and Tristan had gone out to the new house. Tristan had agreed to get Derringer and the other two horses Trey had selected transported to our new home. They were going to the feed store in DeKalb County to get the supplies ordered and delivered for the horses.

  Gina and I were in the laundry room folding clean clothes and sorting them into piles.

  "So Gina tell me; how do you really feel about Tristan's going along with Nigel's request for his 'DNA' for lack of a better term?"

  "Truthfully Ty - I guess I don't feel nearly as emotional as you feel about it. Probably because Tristan was never engaged to Tess, but maybe the other reason is that in some way it sort of relieves my guilt for not telling Tristan that there is a miniscule chance that the baby I'm carrying could be Ian's."

  I looked at Gina and apparently she read the expression I thought I had hidden.

  "Okay I can tell you are disappointed in my decision Tylar; but it is my decision to make."

  "I didn't say a word Gina."

  "You didn't have to girlfriend. You think that I can't read your silence? I'm sorry if you don't approve but my decision is final."

  "You don't owe me an apology," I replied, folding Trey's tee shirt.

  "It is your decision to make and as your friend I support whatever you choose to do."

  I turned to look at her and saw that she was surprised by my attitude.

  She had expected me to press her to change her mind about it. That wasn't how I rolled - at least anymore.

  "What has gotten into you these days?" she asked.

  "I just had time to think about the things that my father and I discussed on New Year's morning. I guess I learned that everything isn't always black and white. There are shades of grey," I replied.

  "Yeah," she giggled, "Like about fifty of them?"

  I rolled my eyes at her as we continued with our folding.

  "What about you Ty? How are you dealing with Trey's decision to donate to the cause?"

  "I guess I put it in perspective. I realized that I could make it a major issue between us; throw out an ultimatum and likely get my way. All that would have done though was put a little bit of distance between us that doesn't exist now. I don't want that for us. I love Trey too much to allow my selfishness to get into the way of that. Plus I would like to think if the tables were turned a relative of mine would come to my aid."

  "I think that's a very healthy attitude," Gina replied thoughtfully.

  Our landline rang then and I went to the kitchen to grab the phone before the one in Trey's office woke Preston who was napping. It was my father.

  "Tylar," he said, his voice had urgency to it not familiar to me.

  "What is it Dad?"

  "You and Trey need to get to Baton Rouge tomorrow. Matthew Renaud is to be arraigned tomorrow morning. The grand jury has recommended two counts of premeditated murder; one count of attempted murder. If convicted on just one of the murder one charges it is enough for the jury to recommend the death penalty."

  "Did the results come back from my mother's autopsy?"

  "Yes," he replied, "I am not privy to the details; but apparently it was enough to convince the grand jury."

  "I'm glad," I said, "I want him to burn in hell."

  "That's why I thought you might like to be present when he is formally charged."

  "I will be there, Dad. I'm curious about the 'attempted murder' charge you mentioned. Did Matthew try to murder someone else?"

  "Yes though I think that charge was brought about as an offshoot of one of the 'murder one' charges."

  "I don't understand," I replied, "Who was the victim on that charge?"

  "That would have been you Tylar. The tainted breast milk resulting from the poisoning of your mother I presume. Had she not switched you to formula when she did there was the possibility
it could have proven fatal to you. That's how the grand jury sees it at any rate."

  "What time is his arraignment Dad?"

  "It's at 10 a.m. in the superior court in Baton Rouge. I'm going to arrange for a charter flight for you and Trey. Edie is here to care for Preston if you want to stay over darling."

  "Thanks Dad. Call me later when you have made the arrangements. Trey is not home but I will contact him on his Blackberry now to see if he plans on accompanying me tomorrow."

  I wasn't sure what Trey's schedule was since he was back to work. I was okay with going by myself. My dad would be there with me.

  I got off the phone and immediately called Trey to let him know what my father had told me. He said that he and Tristan were on their way back and he would see me in a few.

  I filled Gina in when I located her in Preston's room changing her diaper. She had awakened while I was on the phone with my father.

  "Do you want me to stay with Preston tomorrow Ty?"

  "That would be great Gina. I don't think Trey and I will stay over since Dad is chartering a flight for us."

  "I would love the opportunity of being with my god-daughter all day," she replied pulling her pink sweat pants up.

  Preston smiled up at me holding her arms up for me to take her.

  'Num-num' time," Gina said, disposing of the dirty diaper. "Can't help her out there."

  I took Preston to our room and climbed on top of our bed. I raised my shirt up giving her access as she snuggled up against me. I picked up the remote and turned the flat screen on finding a music station.

  Trey came into our room about twenty minutes later. His cheeks were rosy pink from being out in the cold. He looked so handsome.

  "Hey baby," he said coming over to sit on the bed.

  Preston disengaged herself from me hearing his voice. She crawled over to him saying 'da-da.' He picked her up and kissed her cheeks. He then leaned over giving me a kiss on the lips. Ever since I had rescinded my objection to Trey's decision to help Nigel and Tess, we had been closer than ever.

  I had totally stopped using my diaphragm unbeknownst to Trey. I had known that he would have no objection to that but I feared he would see it as me trying to compete to get pregnant before Tess. Maybe that was close to the truth. I had read in a magazine once that having sex too often could lower a man's sperm count. I had been wearing Trey's ass out in bed. That had not gone unnoticed by him however.