The Heart's Game (The Kelly Brothers, Book 4)

by Crista McHugh

  His eldest brother.

  He dialed Adam’s number and breathed a small prayer of thanks when he answered. “Hey, Dan, I just got off the phone with Mom. She kept going on and on about how much she liked Jenny and how—”

  “The baby’s not mine.”

  Adam grew silent. “I see. Let me go someplace a little more quiet.” A few seconds later, the background conversations vanished. “What do you mean, the baby’s not yours?”

  “Just that.” He took another drink from the bottle. “We got home, and there was this big black man in her place calling her his baby mama and fondling her belly. And when I asked her if it was his, she said yes.”

  “Shit.” The brisk footsteps on the other side of the line told him Adam was pacing. “So, what do you think about this?”

  “What do I think? I think I dodged a major bullet. Should’ve known better than to get involved with another gamer. You’d think I would’ve learned that lesson from Cait.”

  “Do you really think Jenny was like her?”

  “The evidence is right there. She’s pregnant with another man’s child and had the gall to make me believe it’s mine. The kicker was that he’s married. I saw the ring on his hand. What else is she hiding from me?”

  More footsteps filled the line. “But based on everything Mom told me, this doesn’t sound like the girl you brought up to Ben’s. Did you give her a chance to explain?”

  “What is there to explain? She confirmed it was his, and that’s all I needed to know. She’s a two-timing slut like Cait, and I can’t believe I was stupid enough to consider marrying her.”

  “Why were you thinking of marrying her? Was it only because of the baby?”

  Dan winced from the fire in his chest that he wished he could blame on the whiskey. Yes, there was a part of him that was disappointed to learn the baby wasn’t his. He was actually looking forward to fatherhood, to having a kid of his own. But the deeper cuts came from Jenny’s betrayal. He’d fallen so hard for her that this revelation made him question his own judgment.

  “No,” he replied, his voice raw with pain.

  “Then if you really loved her, you should at least hear her side of the story.”

  “No, I’m not going to be that stupid again, Adam.”

  “Then why did you call me if you’re not going to take my advice?”

  Dan stared at the bottle of whiskey and debated if he’d had enough before setting it down on the end table. “I suppose I just wanted someone to know that I’d been a fool.”

  “The only foolish thing you’re doing is jumping to conclusions and potentially walking away from the love of your life.”

  “There will be others,” he said, more to himself than Adam. But he’d learned his lesson. He wouldn’t let any of them get close to him again.

  “And I always thought you were the smart one.”

  Adam hung up before Dan could offer a rebuttal.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Dr. Kelly,” Gayle said as he came out of a patient’s room, wringing her hands in worry, “I didn’t know what to do, so please don’t be upset with me.”

  “It’s hard to be upset when I don’t know what’s up.” Dan bid his final patient of the morning farewell and turned his attention to the receptionist.

  She handed him a business card. “This lawyer showed up and said he wouldn’t leave until he spoke with you, and I was so worried about him causing a scene in the waiting room that I directed him to your office.”

  Dan’s gut tightened with worry. Anytime a doctor got an unexpected visit from a lawyer, it usually meant bad news. He read the name on the card, noting he listed “Business Litigation” as his specialty. “It’s okay, Gayle. You did the right thing. Go take your lunch, and I’ll take care of Mr. Warren from here.”

  His receptionist gave him a cautious nod before retreating to the lunchroom.

  He flipped the card over, looking for any clues before making his way down the hall. As far as he knew, he hadn’t done anything to warrant a lawsuit.

  The instant he saw the black man from Jenny’s apartment sitting in his office, the same jealous rage coiled in his muscles. His fingers reflexively curled into his palms, and he struggled to keep his face blank and his voice flat as he greeted him. “Mr. Warren, I presume.”

  “Dr. Kelly,” he replied with a nod and rose from the chair. If the fact he was a litigator wasn’t intimidating by itself, the man’s sheer presence would be more than enough to make most men watch their words. He was maybe an inch or two taller than Ben, but just as muscular. The quiet intensity burning in his eyes made it very clear he wouldn’t leave until he’d had his say, but he still held out his hand and gave him a friendly smile. “Thank you for taking a moment to meet with me.”

  Dan didn’t take his hand, choosing instead to take off his white coat and roll up his shirt sleeves. He needed to put his desk between them before he gave into the barbaric urges brewing inside him. He wanted nothing more than to pound the shit out of the man who’d impregnated Jenny. “You have a lot of gall showing up here after Friday night.”

  “I’m here on behalf of Jenny.” He waited for Dan to sit down before doing the same. “There seems to be a little misunderstanding that I’d like to clear up.”

  Dan focused on stacking the charts on his desk. “The only misunderstanding here was the fact I was led to believe the child was mine.”

  “Perhaps, but did you ever ask Jenny that?”

  Dan paused, letting the little voice that had been niggling in the back of his mind all weekend be heard. “We were dating. Naturally, I assumed the child was mine.”

  “But you never specifically asked, did you?”

  Guilt and embarrassment burned at the base of his spine, and he banged the stack of charts on his desk. “Is there a purpose to your visit, Mr. Warren, or are you here to mock me for being duped by her?”

  “Please, call me Mike. And yes, there is a purpose to my visit.” He sat as quietly as a mediating monk, the only perceptible movement being the slight twitching of his lips.

  Dan slumped back in his desk chair and swiveled around. “I’m listening.”

  “First, let me clarify my relationship to Jenny. I’m married to her brother, Jason.”

  Dan stiffened, then leaned forward. “You’re gay?”

  Mike nodded. “Do you find that surprising?”

  “Sorry, I just assumed…” Sweat beaded along the back of his neck. This conversation had just made an awkward turn. “But if you’re married to her brother, then why are you sleeping with her?”

  “Dr. Kelly, as a medical professional, surely you’ve heard of something called artificial insemination.”

  “So you didn’t sleep with her?”

  Mike shook his head.

  Oh, shit!

  A new line of moisture formed along his hairline, and the mounting pressure of his pounding heart mimicked his response to a stressful case in the operating room where one small move could spell disaster. He couldn’t have been more wrong about Jenny, and now he was on the hot seat, getting grilled by her lawyer brother-in-law.

  “No matter how many advances reproductive medicine has made, two men can’t create a baby. We still need a woman for that. Jenny agreed to act as surrogate for us since her DNA is closest to her brother’s. She underwent artificial insemination the week before Comic-Con and was already pregnant when she met you, even though we didn’t have confirmation of it until she returned home.”

  Suddenly everything started to make sense. Why she’d pushed him away from the beginning. Why she said she couldn’t get involved with anyone. Why she wouldn’t give any reason other than it was complicated.

  Complicated didn’t begin to describe this.

  “So you’re fairly certain the baby’s yours?” he asked.

  “She had a positive test the Sunday after Comic-Con. How early do you think a home test can detect a pregnancy?”

  “Ten days after conception at the earliest.” Whic
h only confirmed that the baby wasn’t his. The familiar ache returned to his chest. He still wanted the child.

  He still wanted her.

  “Jenny claims she told you that she was pregnant and that you seemed fine with it at the time.”

  He searched his memory until he zeroed on something she’d whispered as he was falling asleep the night he’d confronted her about the pregnancy. Something about being pregnant when she’d met him. But he’d always assumed she was referring to when she ran into him again at Paul’s game. And he’d been so scared that she’d push him away that he didn’t dare ask too many questions.

  “I can understand that you were upset to learn the baby wasn’t yours, Dr. Kelly, but I thought I would let you know the circumstances surrounding Jenny’s pregnancy. She’s giving us the one thing we can’t have, and I’m sorry to hear her generosity has caused conflict in your relationship.”

  Translation: I’m a complete asshole for dumping her.

  “Jenny had mentioned that up until this weekend, you’d insisted on coming to her ultrasound tomorrow where we find out the baby’s gender. I hope you’ll reconsider and join us.” Mike stood and smoothed his tie. “Have a good day, Dr. Kelly.”

  Dan stared straight ahead, his fist pressed against his mouth, long after Mike had left. He’d been so convinced that Jenny had cheated on him that he didn’t bother to look for another explanation. And now that he had it…

  I’m a dick of the first degree.

  He picked up his phone and checked his missed calls. After leaving her condo Friday night, he’d blocked her number. A quick scan showed she’d called him twenty-three times since then, but she’d only left one voicemail. His hand shook as he typed in his PIN and listened to it.

  Her voice was quiet and raw, and she sniffled once while speaking. Shit! He’d made her cry. It wasn’t a long explanation or a series of excuses. Just a simple plea to let her explain. But it was the last three words of her message that ripped him apart.

  She loved him.

  Neither one of them had mentioned the L-word while they were together, even though he’d been tempted to say it more than once. Now Jenny had beaten him to it. Even after he’d run out on her, she still loved him.

  He replayed the voicemail once more time, his breath catching as he listened to her say “I love you” again. He could get used to that phrase, but only if it came from her. He hung up and found her number. He should call her back, let her know he was sorry and that he knew everything. But somehow, saying he was sorry didn’t seem like enough. He needed to do something more than just tell her. He needed to show her.

  He switched to Adam’s number and waited for his brother to pick up. “I need a crash course on Groveling 101.”

  “And you think I have any experience in that department?” his brother shot back.

  “Well, it was either you or Frank, but since you’re married…”

  Adam chuckled. “So you heard Jenny’s side of the story?”

  “Yeah, and it’s a doozy. One that’s going to require more than a bouquet of flowers to smooth over.”

  “You have my full attention.”

  He recounted Mike’s visit to Adam, and by the time he hung up, he had a game plan to win her back.

  ***

  Jenny sat on the ultrasound table and cast a worried glance to her brother and Mike. Dan hadn’t shown up. She’d purposely scheduled the ultrasound for this time because it was between surgeries on his OR day.

  “Maybe the case ran over,” Jason suggested.

  She shook her head and hoisted her legs up. “He’s not coming.”

  “I’m sorry, Jenny,” Mike said, holding her brother’s hand and reminding her of how a loving couple should be. “I thought I’d gotten through to him yesterday.”

  “I underestimated how proud he could be.” She reclined against the pillows and lifted her tunic to expose her bump as the technician came in. “But please, don’t worry about me. This day is for you two. Let’s find out what you’re having.”

  She tried to keep her voice cheerful, even though she was on the verge of bawling. She had a love–hate relationship with this baby. Even though it was the reason why Dan had left her—just like she’d known he would from the beginning—she still was reluctant to let go of it. It was Mike and Jason’s child, but it was still hers, too. And every kick reminded her that she would have to give it up to them once it was born.

  Only after today, it wouldn’t be an “it.” They’d know the baby’s gender, making it all the more real. Soon, she’d start referring to the baby as he or she. Mike and Jason might even decide on a name today, and she would become even more attached to it. Bitterness rose into her throat. This should be her baby, not theirs. She possessively braced her hands on the sides of her belly and wondered why she’d agreed to do this in the first place.

  But once she saw excitement on their faces, her anger faded. She could let go—for them.

  “Hi, I’m Susie,” the tech said in a cheerful voice. “You must be Jenny.” She squirted the warm gel over Jenny’s stomach. “And which one of you is the father?”

  “We both are,” Mike said, looking down adoringly at his husband.

  Susie’s eyes widened, and her mouth bobbed while she tried to find something to say.

  For the past five months, Jenny had dreaded this type of reaction, but now that she’d come face to face with it, it was easy to say, “I’m the auntie surrogate.”

  The tech’s brows drew together for a few seconds before it dawned on her. “Oh, I see. Well, then, let’s see how this baby’s doing. You can see what I see on the TV over there.”

  Jason and Mike stood in front of it, their attention fully focused on the blank sixty-inch screen. Their excitement helped dull her pain. At least she wouldn’t be able to see anything with them blocking her view.

  Just as Susie placed the transducer to Jenny’s stomach, the door opened, and Dan’s shadow stretched across the darkened room. “Am I too late?” he asked.

  Her pulse quickened, but she couldn’t force her tongue to work. He was here.

  And if he was, did that mean he forgave her?

  “Just in time,” Mike answered.

  “Good.” Dan gave the men a curt nod of acknowledgment and then sat down in the chair beside the bed. He was still dressed in scrubs with a blue surgical cap covering his hair like he’d just run over from the operating room. He took her hand in his and placed a kiss in her palm, his gaze never leaving her face. “Today was more complicated than I’d first thought. I’m sorry.”

  Even though he appeared to be apologizing for the ultrasound, his expression said more. The plea in his eyes, the softness of his mouth, the tender way he cradled her hand in his. He was apologizing for everything that had happened over the last few days.

  Unshed tears stung her eyes. Relief flooded her, followed by a sense of peace. Having Dan by her side would make today and the rest of the pregnancy easier to bear. She might not be able to keep the baby, but she had him. “If anyone should be apologizing, it’s me.”

  “Shh.” He brushed a strand of hair out of her face and tilted his head toward her brother and Mike. “We can talk about this later. Let’s not hold things up any longer.”

  A series of images flashed on the screen as Susie ran the transducer over Jenny’s stomach. Shadows moved and swayed in a confusing jumble of white and gray. Then Susie stilled and twisted the transducer.

  A profile came into focus.

  “Oh my God, look at his little nose,” Jason said, pointing to the screen.

  Jenny’s throat tightened as she looked on her baby’s face. For weeks, she’d barely believed there was another person inside her, but once she saw the face, it became real.

  A glance out of the corner of her eye told her Dan felt the same way. He stared at the screen, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down, his face drawn with an unreadable emotion. She squeezed his hand, and he turned away and gave her a weak smile. He didn’t have to s
ay what he was feeling. She saw the flicker of grief in his eyes. For weeks, he’d thought this baby was his, and he was still coming to terms with the loss.

  Susie typed with one hand and clicked her mouse. The printer at the bottom of the stand sputtered to life and spat out a long sheet of paper. “Okay, we have some baby pictures here. Now, do we want to know the sex?”

  “Absolutely,” Jason answered. “We have a meeting with the interior decorator tomorrow to finalize the color scheme of the nursery.”

  Dan’s lips twitched in amusement, and he placed another kiss on her hand. He was probably relieved he wouldn’t have to find a bigger place and prepare a room for the baby like he’d talked about on Friday.

  Susie moved the transducer further down, pausing a second to purse her lips and frown before continuing on. “Here are the legs. Let’s see if baby wants to cooperate with us.”

  She rotated the device around and clicked a button, freezing the image. Then she drew an arrow to the cleft and typed, “It’s a girl!”

  Mike sank into the nearest chair, his dark skin ashen. He ran his hand over his face in an uncharacteristic show of fear. “A girl?”

  “I’ll be fine, Mike.” Jason gave his husband a reassuring hug. “Think about this way—we don’t have to explain liking girls to her.”

  “Unless she’s gay,” Mike replied with a half laugh. He puffed out his cheeks and blew the air out. “Oh, mama. We’re having a girl.”

  “Speaking of mamas, we should probably call ours and give the good news.” Jason pulled Mike back up to his feet. “Let’s go out to the waiting room so we don’t distract Susie from her work.”

  “I’ll take some more pics along the way, but you’ve already seen the exciting stuff,” she said before turning off the TV and focusing on her monitor. Her smile seemed forced as they left, and it faded once she moved the ultrasound to the spot she’d paused at before.

  A trickle of fear wormed up Jenny’s spine. Something was wrong.