The Shop on Blossom Street (Blossom Street #1)(80)

Rick sipped his drink, and then speared a slice of pear. “That was really bummer news.”

“One night last week, just before dawn, I was sitting in the dark thinking about all of this. I felt like a complete failure.”

“How so?”

“I’d failed myself. I’d failed Doug. You and I both know what a wonderful father he’d be. And I knew how disappointed Mom and Dad would be. They’re really looking forward to becoming grandparents. I felt as if my whole world had collapsed.”

Rick glanced at her. “Why would you feel like that?”

It would take too long to explain. “A woman feels those kinds of emotions when she can’t carry a pregnancy to term.”

Rick’s gaze slid to Doug and he winked. “Women. Can’t live with ’em, can’t understand ‘em, but they sure as hell make life interesting, don’t they?”

Doug didn’t bother to respond.

“The reason I bring this up now—”

“Carol.” Doug placed his hand over hers. “Let’s enjoy our dinner.”

She nodded, but nearly had to bite her tongue to keep from prodding her brother with more questions about Lisa. Without the double whiskey—in fact, Rick was now on his second—he might have picked up on what she was trying to say.

The meal seemed to take forever. Any other night, Carol would have savored this time with her two favorite men in the world. Following the appetizer of cheese was the main course with shrimp and lobster cooked in a bubbling white wine sauce. When dessert finally arrived, strawberries and pound cake dipped in rich chocolate, Carol was so tense she couldn’t wait another minute.

“Would you like to come to our house for a nightcap?” Doug asked.

Rick glanced at his watch. “I’d better not.”

“But it’s important,” Carol blurted out. “Doug and I need to talk to you.”

Rick gave her a surprised look. “About what?”

Carol refused to let the evening end without broaching the subject of the adoption. “Doug and I want to ask about you and Lisa.”

Rick’s forehead creased in a frown. “I thought I told you we split up.”

“Yes, I know, but this doesn’t have anything to do with you as a couple. Doug and I—” she paused and looked at her husband briefly before returning her gaze to Rick “—we want to ask about the baby.”

“What baby?” Her brother seemed genuinely puzzled.

Carol leaned closer to him. “Lisa’s pregnant, right?”

“Was pregnant, you mean.”

Carol felt as if the chair had been yanked out from under her. “She miscarried?”

Rick shook his head. “She and I talked about this, you know. We both agreed there wasn’t any other option. Neither of us had planned on this pregnancy.”

“Yes, but—”

“All I could think was what Ellie would say if she found out, and then there’s eighteen bloody years of child support. A kid isn’t a responsibility I take lightly.”

“She had an abortion.” Carol felt needles of pain move up and down her arms.

“Like I said, Lisa and I discussed it. It’s her body, and the choice was hers.”

“But you told her you didn’t want the baby!”

“Damn straight. I don’t need that kind of complication in my life.”

“But Doug and I wanted to adopt the baby!”

“Honey.” Doug’s gentle voice broke through the fog of dismay and disbelief. “It isn’t going to happen. Let go of it.”

After the first jolt of shock she felt nothing. No anger, no outrage, no disappointment. Nothing. They might have been discussing the weather for all the emotion she experienced.

“I’m sorry,” Rick said, “but even if we’d known that, I don’t think we would’ve made any other choice.”

“Come on, honey, I think it’s time we left.” Doug helped her to her feet and if she wasn’t revealing any distress, he was.

“You were making a big assumption, weren’t you?” Rick demanded. “This is my life. It isn’t up to me to solve your problems for you.”

“Right,” Doug said. “This is our problem.”

Rick downed the last of his drink. “No need to get upset about it. These things happen.”

“Right.” Doug’s arm came around Carol.

“Thanks for dinner, you two. We’ll have to get together again soon.” Rick continued to sit at the table, staring blankly into space.

CHAPTER 39

ALIX TOWNSEND

J acqueline picked up Alix outside her apartment building promptly at ten on Saturday morning. During the knitting session on Friday afternoon, Alix had casually mentioned her dinner date with Jordan in a fancy restaurant. Jacqueline had leaped upon it, eager for another opportunity to prove herself.

“I know what I did wrong,” Jacqueline insisted. “Give me a second chance and you won’t be sorry.”

Alix hoped that was true. When Jacqueline’s Mercedes pulled up to the curb, Alix stepped forward and opened the passenger door. “You’re sure about this?”

“Positive. Now get in, we’re on a schedule.”

Three months ago if anyone had told Alix she’d be friends with this society broad, Alix would have laughed outright. She and Jacqueline still sniped at each other, but now it was mostly for show. They had a reputation to live up to, and Alix wasn’t going to let it slide. Apparently Jacqueline shared her feelings.