Chapter 21

After Piper confronted her sperm donor, she no longer referred to his name when she thought of him. The man didn’t deserve a name in her memory book.

A routine at work had found a pace.

Alex was in the office every day, and Chase made his way in twice a week and didn’t stay for long. He would say something flirty when no one was around but otherwise acted strictly professional . . . at work.

It was his occasional text messages that crossed the line.

Not that she minded.

The first one came the Monday after his and Alex’s trip to Texas. He let her know that she’d been right about googling Max’s name and coming up with too many to count.

They went back and forth a couple of times before he said good night.

Then he’d text her about something to do with work, usually a bullshit question that didn’t need an after-hours answer. Then he’d tell her good night.

For the last couple of nights, he hadn’t come up with an excuse at all. How is your evening? he asked.

I saw you three hours ago.

I thought that was yesterday.

She smiled into the conversation, against her better judgment. Don’t you have dinner with the president or something tonight? she teased.

That was yesterday. Boring, and the chicken was dry.

And so it went.

Piper would toss a barb his way, he’d catch it, and then wish her good night.

Then, when he did come into the office, they’d exchange a smile, and that was it.

When Friday rolled around, Piper cut out early, saying she had a dentist appointment.

She sat on the exam table, covered in a paper gown and anticipation.

“You’ve lost three pounds.” Dr. Resnik’s words weren’t an accusation, but they weren’t approval either.

“I’ve thrown up every day, at least once a day, since I saw you last.”

“You’ve tried all of our suggestions?” she asked.

Piper nodded. “The only thing that helps is crackers, but even that doesn’t work some mornings.”

“I’ll give you a prescription today.”

“Okay.”

“How are you coping?”

Piper shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“You’re taking the vitamins . . . getting good sleep?”

“I take the vitamins at night so they stay down. Sleep is hit or miss. I’ve been busy.”

“What about your support system?”

“You mean from people who know I’m pregnant?”

“Yes.”

Piper laughed. The kind of unstable laugh that was a complete disconnect from what she was feeling. “I don’t have that.” She looked away, knowing how pathetic that sounded.

“A girlfriend? A sister?”

Piper shook her head.

“What about the adoption agency? Have they offered you help in that area?”

“I haven’t contacted them. Like I said, I’ve been busy.” Piper heard the defensiveness in her tone.

“No worries. Have you changed your mind?”

“No.” Piper’s response was quick.

Dr. Resnik smiled and changed the subject. “We have a lot to accomplish today. I’m going to do an ultrasound, see how the baby is doing . . . some more bloodwork.” She removed the stethoscope from her neck and approached.

Piper sat still while the doctor listened to her heart and lungs and then asked her to lean back and pull up her paper gown. Making sure only her abdomen was exposed, the doctor rolled over a machine that had a monitor attached.

Next came the gel, which was thankfully warmed.

Then the camera.

Dr. Resnik pressed the wand low on her belly until she found what she was looking for. “There you are.” She clicked a few buttons on the machine, and a rapid swishing noise filled the air. “That’s the heartbeat.”

Piper’s eyes stayed glued to the monitor. The back of her throat constricted.

There was no mistaking the image on the screen.

The doctor froze the image and started typing.

“Can you tell what it is?”

The doctor stopped looking at the monitor and focused on Piper. “Do you want to know?”

Piper shook her head and then nodded. “I’m not sure.”

The doctor changed the position of the camera and pushed a little harder. “It’s a bit soon, and this little one is being shy. Your next visit, we should know.”

For the rest of the exam, Piper stayed silent. Dr. Resnik told her she had entered her second trimester and that the baby looked healthy. Everything was exactly as she expected.

Piper sat with a tissue, removing the residual gel left on her stomach once the doctor finished with the ultrasound.

“I want you back in four weeks. If the nausea medication doesn’t help and you’re still not keeping food down, let me know. I want to see that three pounds back on you with a couple of her friends by your next visit.”

“I eat a big meal in the evening.”

“You are eating for two.”

Piper hadn’t really considered that.

“What you think is a big meal and what you need are probably different.”

“I’ll do my best.”

Dr. Resnik wasn’t done. “And I want you to find someone to confide in. It’s very easy to slip into a depression when dealing with an unplanned pregnancy without a support system. Your body is going through a lot of changes, and I find that talking about it helps. There are support groups for women intending to give their child up for adoption. You might find those helpful.”

Piper already didn’t like that idea. But she nodded and smiled anyway.

“You cannot hide this pregnancy forever, Piper. Every month from here on out, you’ll show more and more.”

“Some women hide their pregnancies for five months.”

The doctor nodded. “This is your first, so that could happen. But it’s rare.”

Piper’s fake smile fell. “Got it.”

“Okay, good. Go ahead and get dressed, the nurse will be back in to draw some blood.”

Piper stood at the reception desk, making her appointment for the next month, when Dr. Resnik approached and handed her an envelope.

“A picture. In case you wanted it.”

Piper barely made it to her car before breaking down.

Chase stood over a cutting board with a knife in his hand, his cell phone on the counter, when he decided a call instead of a text was in order.

Disappointment sat on the edge of his gut when Piper didn’t pick up right away. After the fourth ring, he thought for sure he’d have to leave her a voice message.

She picked up. “Work is nine to five, Chase.”

“Technically, it’s eight to five with an hour for lunch.”

“It’s Friday night. I could have a life, you know.”

He paused, knife midcut. “What’s his name?”

He heard her make a tsk sound. “Kit . . . and he’s very protective.”

Chase went back to slicing the bell pepper. He could live with Kit.

“What are you doing next Saturday?”

She was silent for a breath or two. Then said, “No.”

“I haven’t asked you—”

“No.”

Damn, this woman made him smile. “There’s a charity dinner for the Regional Heart Association, and Alex and I think you should come.”

Silence again.

“Alex will be there?”

“We have a table to fill.”

“When did this all happen?”

He transferred the cut peppers into a bowl and moved on to the onion. “About an hour ago. I guess when a rich guy dies of a heart attack and a local organization that tries to prevent heart attacks learns of it, they tap into that company or family sooner or later.”

“Uhmmm.”

“The Regional Heart people have already reached out to several hotel associations, which are coming.”

“Why hotels?”

“Because they are going to pay tribute to our father. Did you know that he donated to their organization?”

“No idea. They certainly weren’t on the circuit of dinners and galas he went to.”

The onion made Chase’s eyes water.

“I think it’s a damn smart way to guarantee big companies show up and their rivals join them.”

“I think it’s morbid curiosity. What better way for the competition to size up the fresh bait at Stone Enterprises,” Piper said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if another hotel chain was behind the tribute and the invitation.”

“That’s what Alex said. Either way, we’re stuck going. We’ve asked Gatlin and Ripley and our mother.”

“Why me?”

He turned on the water in the sink and washed the onion off his hands. “Have you ever seen The Devil Wears Prada?”

“W-what, wait . . . you watched The Devil Wears Prada but not Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?”

Chase smiled. “I have a sister and a mother and yes . . . besides, Anne Hathaway is hot.”

Piper started to laugh.

Hearing it put a spring in his step.

“We need someone who knows these people in our court. That’s you.”

“Are you suggesting I walk behind you and whisper who the people at the event are so you look good?”

He smiled. “Something tells me you’d never do that.”

“You’d be right.”

“How about walk beside us? The people at this event aren’t going to expect that we know them all. But I’d guess they’d want us to make an effort. You know these players more than we do.”

“I don’t know as many of them as you think I do.”

Chase wasn’t about to let her get out of this. “Alex and I really need you there.”

She moaned. “How fancy is this thing?”

“Black tie,” he said.

“Well then, I can’t. I don’t have anything to—”

“Alex needs to go shopping, too. Company party, company expense. Free clothes on us.” What woman said no to that?

“I don’t—”

“Shoes and a handbag.” Chase sweetened the pot.

Piper was silent.

He was getting used to her pauses in the conversation and simply waited.

“Can I drive the Aston over?”

He fist-bumped the air. “You could, but we’re sending a limo to pick you up.”

“Ha! This from the people that wanted to rent a car in Texas.”

“What do you say, Piper? Help me spend some of my dad’s money,” Chase said.

“Well, damn . . . you should have started with that. I’m in.”

“Perfect.”

Piper knew she going to go shopping, what she didn’t expect is that it would be a girl’s day out.

Monday came, and she was sitting across from Alex, going over the schedule, when she told her to keep their schedule clear from eleven o’clock on.

Then, right before eleven, Chase showed up with an older woman walking beside him.

“Piper, I’d like you to meet my mother, Vivian.”

Now she saw the resemblance. More in Alex than Chase, but he had her eyes.

Piper stood and reached out a hand. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you,” Vivian said.

“Really?” Piper met Chase’s gaze briefly. What was he telling his mother about her for?

“Alex and Chase have both been singing your praises since they took over.”

Oh . . . okay. This was about work.

Of course, it was about work.

Just because Chase flirted with her on occasion didn’t mean she was someone he told his mother about. In a flirting way, that is.

“Just doing my job,” Piper said.

Alex walked out of the office, her purse in her hand. “I thought I heard you.”

The two women hugged. “I’m glad we get to do this,” Vivian said.

“Me too.” Alex looked at Piper. “You ready?”

“I guess so.”

Piper turned and addressed Dee. “If you have time today, get in touch with the Regional Heart Association and request a list of attendees. Then go to the corporate websites of the businesses named and gather bios and pictures that match the names on the guest list.”

“I can do that,” Dee said.

Piper opened the bottom drawer of her desk, pushed the crackers aside, and retrieved her purse. “Ready.”

“Have fun,” Chase told them.

“We will,” Alex said.

Piper met Chase’s eyes and held them.

Alex and Vivian started walking away.

“Piper?” Alex called her.

Shit. She shouldn’t be staring at her boss.

He made a shooing motion with his hand.

Piper had a huge desire to smack it. Instead, she laughed and doubled her step to catch up.

Shopping started with lunch.

Thankfully, it was a four-cracker day, and the nausea had stopped before she got to work.

As soon as they sat, Alex suggested they drink champagne.

Damn, damn . . .

“You go ahead. If I start drinking now, I’ll be asleep by two o’clock.” Piper looked at the waiter. “Club soda for me. But bring it in a wineglass so I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”

“Suit yourself,” Alex said. “Mom?”

“Bring on the champagne.”

Disaster averted, Piper placed the napkin in her lap and looked around the fancy Rodeo Drive restaurant. “Have you been here before?” Piper asked.

“No,” both mother and daughter said at the same time.

“Have you shopped here before?”

“A long time ago,” Vivian told her.

“Never,” Alex said.

Piper had questions. “Can I ask you ladies something?”

“Of course,” Vivian said.

Piper narrowed her gaze. “If I’m out of line or . . .” She searched her words. “It’s too personal, just tell me.”

“Piper, right now I’m not your boss. We’re having lunch on Rodeo Drive and are out to spend a ridiculous amount of money on Oscar-worthy gowns. Ask away.”

Piper cleared her throat. “How is it that your father had billions, and yet you and Chase never saw the inside of his jet? I mean, the man lived only a few miles from here, and yet this is new to you? I’d think this would be an old stomping ground.”

Vivian sighed. “I think I can answer that.”

“Go ahead,” Alex said.

“Aaron and I signed a prenuptial agreement when we married. Even though we were young, and he wasn’t quite who he became, he had serious family money. His parents were adamant about protecting their son should we divorce. I didn’t care, I wasn’t in it for the money. Sadly, I loved the man. Fast-forward several years, he became obsessed with building his empire. A family wasn’t part of that. When we divorced, I was given the predetermined settlement. There was even a cap on child support, which I now know was likely illegal and I could have fought it. But I didn’t. The courts wanted to give him custody fifty percent of the time. When it became apparent that ‘time with Dad’ meant time with a nanny and never seeing Aaron, I threatened to take him back to court and make a scene if he didn’t either spend time with his kids or leave them to me.”

An absent stare rolled over Alex’s face as her mother told the story.

“Obviously, they saw their father on occasion. Chase went through a phase in junior high where he thought he could force his father to have a relationship with him. My poor son.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Mom,” Alex said.

“I know. I couldn’t convince the man to step up when I was married to him, I certainly couldn’t after the divorce. Aaron made sure there was enough money for a modest life . . . for college, but he didn’t fly his children around on his jet. He saved that for the Melissas in his life.”

“Wasn’t there public pressure for him to do more for his kids?” Piper asked.

“I suppose there could have been, but I didn’t want them exposed to that life. Yes, the last name was Stone, but people didn’t know we were those Stones.”

Alex leaned forward and lowered her voice. “We never even stayed in the hotels.”

“Of course not!” Vivian exclaimed.

“Don’t look so stricken, Piper. Chase and I had an amazing childhood. We took road trips, went camping. Went on a couple of cruises. We didn’t fly in a private jet or stay in the penthouse suite. No different than you, I’m sure.”

Piper sat in deep thought. “You really weren’t expecting him to leave you anything.”

“Nobody was more surprised than us,” Alex explained.

The waiter arrived with their drinks, and they ordered.

Alex lifted her glass. “To new experiences.”

Piper lifted her club soda and chimed in.

After Alex set her glass down, she folded her hands on the table and looked Piper in the eye. “Now it’s my turn.”

Uh-oh.

“My parents live in Ohio. Pretty boring story.”

Alex shook her head. “Not that.”

An extra lub-dub in Piper’s chest warned her that she wasn’t going to like the next question.

“What?”

“What’s the story with you and my brother?”

Piper wanted to pick up her water and hide behind the glass. But that nonverbal conversation would scream in a quiet room.

Vivian turned to Piper with a huge grin. “You and Chase?”

“She was the one in the photograph that ended up in The Beat,” Alex informed her mother.

Vivian gasped and then giggled. Like a kid giggled.

“I tripped. He caught me.” The practiced lie rolled off her tongue. Even she believed it at this point. “It was nothing.”

“Huh . . . funny. He said you were dizzy.”

Quick, Piper . . . quick. “I was dizzy and then tripped. I’m glad he was there. I would have had a fight with the pavement.” Her hand inched toward her glass.

“Fascinating,” Alex said.

Now it was time for that sip of water.

“We’ve laughed a lot about that article. Crazy what the media comes up with,” Piper said.

She was never happier to see food than when their lunch arrived, forcing a shift in the conversation.

While Vivian voiced her disappointment and expressed a desire for her children to find partners in life . . . Piper kept her mouth full and did a lot of nodding.