Creighton sat at his desk in London, the contract for the buyout open in front of him. His solicitors had contacted him earlier that morning and told him the owner wanted to negotiate a higher price. Despite his poor management of the company, he was insisting it was worth far more than Creighton was willing to pay. The way it looked, he may just back out of the deal and wait until it landed in the lap of the bankruptcy courts. At least he knew there were no other offers on the table.A soft knock sounded at the door and Creighton looked up as Michelle walked in. He smiled at the pregnant woman, feeling sympathy for her condition. It had been an agreement with her lover that she would carry the second child, and since the birth of their son, George, nearly six years ago, Michelle had found one excuse after another to avoid keeping her promise. She was afraid of having to have a cesarean section like her lover had. Rachel, however, was much firmer than even Creighton had assumed. She
Sandra drew a deep breath and sat up on the large bed she shared with her husband. The sun shone warm through the open drapes, though the air was cool with the approaching autumn. The sounds of farm life echoed into the stillness of the room. It was a content feeling, despite the twisting sensations in her stomach.Grace napped contentedly next to her mother while Brandon’s laughter drifted up from the side yard, mixed with the excited barking of Max. This would have been the perfect lazy summer day if it were not for the lingering nausea of her third pregnancy.Sandra had to admit, this had been her hardest so far. Creighton wanted a large family – four children at least – which she had agreed with, until this pregnancy took over her entire life. The occasional day of peace was coming more frequently now that she was entering into her second trimester, but it was days like today that made her rethink her agreement for a full house. So far today, she had taken two naps by lunch, thre
The grandparents’ house was the usual mixture of noise and laughter. Emma and William’s home was one of four where the families would gather on a regular basis. Sandra and Creighton’s was the second, more because it was the largest out of the properties. Kristin and Derek’s was the next in line because of the close proximity and the yard swing they had purchased last summer, with Nana and Papa’s falling in line behind them. Their growing families kept the community alive and their close properties were always active with noise and excitement.Sandra stood at the counter tearing up the garden lettuce for a salad. This was the kind of life she had always dreamt of having when she was growing up, but every year she got older, the further away that dream seemed to slip through her fingers. Cathy did not want children – despite Andrew’s insistence they were trying to have one – and Sandra never found the right man to settle down with until she won Creighton’s made-up trip to France. The i
“I think that went both ways,” Nana added. “I’ve never seen them so happy.”“Now, we just need to get them to the alter,” Kristin said, her attention drawn to the conversation.“Irena first,” Sandra told them, watching the pink steal into her sister-in-law’s cheeks. She knew Sabrina was anxious and wanted to start her own fairytale, but she was determined enough to allow her sister to reign supreme for a little while longer.“The way Irena’s going, I think we’ll all be old maids by the time she sets a date.”“Give her time,” Emma insisted. “She’s been through a lot.”“I understand that, but the best way to get past all of that is to start moving forward. A wedding will take weeks to plan. She’ll be in her third trimester by the time we get everything arranged.”“Provided she wants the big wedding,” Cathy commented.“I’m so grateful Creighton took care of everything for us,” Sandra said, her attention once again moving to her husband as he walked toward the house. “He’s always said mon
“With any luck, things will go back to normal now that Irena’s home,” Derek added.“I’m not sure about that,” Peter’s voice lowered slightly as Andrew stepped out of the house, his little sister in his embrace while Emma held the wheelchair steady at the foot of the front porch. “She wants to stay here, but I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She needs to be active and forced to do for herself, but our flat is too small and cramped for a wheelchair. If she stays here, she’ll have the excuse of the stairs to keep her in her room.”Sandra glanced to Creighton and smiled at the quizzical expression on his sweat-moistened face.“Creighton may have a solution for you where that’s concerned,” she told the younger man, watching him raise his eyes toward her. “Cathy and Andrew are moving out of the flat in Chelsea next week, which leaves it vacant. We don’t use it often and there’s an elevator and loads of room for easy maneuvering.”“Are you serious?” Peter asked, his motions of filling his pla
“Do you think Irena was serious about not wanting to get married?” Sandra asked as she and Creighton straightened up the living room of their Victorian-style home.“I think Irena is frustrated and scared,” he told her, tossing the toys Grace and Brandon left out into the wooden trunk by the entry to the room. “I know what she’s going through and it’s going to take time to heal. Physical injuries are one thing, but the brain is something much more complex.”“Unfortunately, time isn’t a luxury she can afford. She is going to have a baby in a few months, and she needs to consider what’s going to happen once it’s born. I know there are nurses who can help with the care of a newborn, and thousands of paralyzed women have babies every day, successfully, but she is not paralyzed. She could walk if she really wanted to.”“Are you saying you don’t think she wants to?” Creighton asked with a frown as Sandra folded Grace’s blanket and tossed it across the arm of the chair.“I’m saying I don’t th
Peter drew a deep breath then wiped the sweat from his forehead. He had spent the better part of two weeks sorting through their stuff before starting the chore of packing. Creighton kept his helicopter on standby for him and he would go to Yorkshire every evening for supper. Irena was finding it frustrating getting any sympathy from her family, though her mother was just as aggravated with the nurse her son had hired.Sister Carmella Catherine was a registered nurse and devote catholic nun. She came with a wealth of knowledge and thirty years’ experience in the field of orthopedics, followed by fifteen years as a physical therapist. As promised, she was gruff, seasoned and a tough-nut, just as Creighton promised. Despite Irena’s constant complaining of pain, the woman turned a deaf ear to her and all but pulled her out of bed. She denied her the use of the wheelchair and forced the walker on her. She refused to allow Irena to eat in her room and made her go downstairs where she would
Derek sat behind his desk in his office in Northallerton, a stack of papers in front of him. He had reviewed them three times and still could not believe everything he had read. Gwyn Marez was a desperate woman. She was insisting that Andre was coerced into signing over his inheritance to Sabrina, but his solicitor said the girl was not even with him when he did it. She wanted her son’s money; despite the fact she was in jail and was not going to be able to use it. Her trial was scheduled to start in a few weeks, having been arraigned and ordered to remain in jail without bond. She was facing one charge of first-degree premeditated murder of her husband, Stephan Marez, charges of being an accomplice to the attempted murder and kidnapping of Sabrina, as well as the murder of Siva, the French police officer Andre killed. It didn’t look like she would ever see the light of day beyond a jail cell again.A soft knock sounded at the door, bringing Derek out of his solemn mood. He looked u