Page 115 of Wrecked

I shrug. “Pretty well. He’s Shane’s attorney. He’s the company’s attorney, too. He’s also Shane’s friend. So, yeah. I see him a lot. Why?”

Rachel blushes as she examines her muffin. “No reason. I was just curious.”

“I saw you dancing with him last night.”

She shrugs. “I danced with a lot of people last night. It wasn’t a big deal.”

I’m thinking it’s a bigger deal than she’s letting on. After all, he’s the only one she’s asked about. “He’s single, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

Speak of the devil, Troy walks into the room and fills a plate for himself. It’s the first time I’ve seen him in anything other than a three thousand dollar Armani suit. The guy has to be loaded. This morning, he’s dressed casually in dark gray trousers, a tucked-in white Henly shirt, a black leather belt, and black loafers. Mr.GQ.

Troy glances our way, and I’m about to invite him to join us when Shane calls his name and motions for him to join his table.

I glance at Rachel, who quickly looks away.

“I can find out if he’s seeing anyone special,” I say. I think back to the evening Cooper and I saw Troy atTavern on Rush. He was dining with a woman that evening, but she could have been a work colleague.

“No, no, that’s fine.” Rachel takes a sip of her coffee. “Don’t bother.”

After we’re done eating, Rachel invites me and Cooper to go for a walk outside. She says there’s something she wants to talk to us about.

The three of us stroll down the path that leads to a private beach.

“I know you two would like to start a family,” she says. “I’d like to help you do that.”

Cooper and I stand there, not sure what she’s getting at.

“What I’m suggesting,” she says, “is that I would be a surrogate for you. I’d be happy to donate an egg, if you want me to—or you could use someone else’s egg—and I would be inseminated with Cooper’s sperm. If you use my egg, the child would be biologically related to both of you. Cooper would be the biological father, and since Sam is related to me, he’d also be biologically related to the child.”

Cooper and I look at each other, both of us dumbfounded. I never, in a million years, dreamed my sister would suggest this.

“Rach,” I say.

“That’s incredibly generous of you, Rachel,” Cooper says. “Are you sure?”

“Believe me, I’ve thought it through,” she says. “I’ve talked it over with Mom, and she supports me in this. The bottom line is we both want you to have a family, and I think this is the way to do it. Unless you’d prefer adoption.”

“We’ve discussed both,” Cooper says. “And ultimately, we’d like to do both.”

The idea of having Cooper’s biological child is a no-brainer for me. “I’m all for it,” I say. “But Rach, are you sure?”

Her eyes tear up as she nods. “I’m sure. I want to do this for you two. I’d want to be involved in the baby’s life, if that’s all right. In fact, I’d be willing to move to Chicago to be near you all.”

“We’d need to investigate the legalities of this,” Cooper says. “We’d need to make sure everything is spelled out, all the responsibilities.”

“I’m sure Troy could help us with this,” I say. I throw my arms around my sister and hug her tightly. Rachel’s always been here for me. She’s always supported me and cheered me on my entire life.But this?This is a whole new level of support.And sacrifice.

Cooper wraps his arms around both of us, and we hold each other for a long time.

“You guys think about it,” Rachel says, her voice thick with emotion. “Think about it really long and hard. I mean, you could go with a surrogate who’s a complete stranger and doesn’t want to be involved in the child’s life. But I would want to be involved, so if you want me, you’d have to include me in your life. If you decide you want to do it, let me know.”

* * *

That night, as we lie in our own bed back home, I ask Cooper, “So, what do you think?”

He rubs my bare back for a while before answering. “Well, to be honest, I want to do it, but I’m concerned for Rachel. This feels like it’s too much to ask.”

“Yeah, me too. But she offered. I don’t think she offered this lightly. Knowing my sister, she’s thought it through.”