When Abby had finally come to them to say that she was pregnant, her initial reaction had been one of acute disappointment. Especially when her daughter had confessed that it had been with a man she wasn't in a relationship with. But they had supported her, and the birth of Zoe had cemented their adoration for the beautiful child.
The little girl had lit up their lives. Not only was she exceptionally beautiful, but she was also sweet and kind and vivacious and certainly smart. Arlene took her to church and spent as much time as possible with her.
Sometimes, Arlene wondered if Zoe understood just how special she was to all of them. The little girl had a way of drawing people in, her laughter bubbling up like a soothing melody that filled every corner of the house. Watching Abby with her daughter now, Arlene felt a deep gratitude for the family they had built together, even if it hadn't started in the most conventional way.
But they had come home to news that was troubling. She knew this day would come but had not expected it would be this soon. She had always contended that her daughter should tell the father.
Every parent had a right to know they had a child.
Now it had come out, and it might mean losing the light of their lives. The Tyrell family was not only very wealthy, but they were also powerful as well. And her daughter could be very stubborn.
Walking into the pretty pink and lavender room with its obvious feminine touches, she placed a hand on Abby's shoulder, unconsciously forming a link between them. Three generations of Blake women. Zoe might be a Tyrell and Lord have mercy, she was, wasn't she?
She was the heir to a fortune. And was the only grandchild to them. Biting down the panic, she gazed at the little girl, all tucked up and clutching her pink elephant.
Completely unaware of the chaos she was causing.
"Come away, honey."
Abby's fingers trailed over Zoe's smooth cheek. "She's mine."
"Come away." Arlene repeated. "Let's go into your room."
Reluctantly, she eased off the bed, tucking the cover securely around the small form.
"Mama, I'm so afraid."
Wrapping her arm around her daughter's shoulders, she pressed her cheek to hers. "We'll get through this."
*****
"Say something."
Kevin turned as his wife came up behind him.
The family meeting had broken up half an hour ago and he had come straight up to their suite.
"What's there to say? We have a niece. My brother never set out to have a child and now has one. We've been trying..."
He stopped when she placed a finger vertically over his lips.
"We will get there." She smiled at him, that gentle and patient smile that always managed to soothe his nerves. "And he's torturing himself with the fact that he messed up again. Because of his careless way of dealing with women, he left an innocentwoman he no doubt seduced, one who turned up pregnant and did not feel she could contact him."
She wrapped her arms around her husband and breathed in his scent. His brother might be gorgeous beyond words, but she would not exchange the man standing in the circle of her arms for Kincaid. Such staggering good looks came with a price.
She had seen the way Kincaid and his sister flaunted those looks. She had also noticed that because of their beauty, they were intimidating. Neither of them had lasting relationships.
Kevin touched his lips to her brow. "You're right as usual." His expression turned sober. "What a beautiful child."
"No surprise there. Your parents are chomping at the bits. They want to meet her."
"We all do. But we have to consider the mother and her family."
"That we do." His wife agreed.
Outside the window, dusk softened the edges of the garden, the hush of early evening pressing against the glass. The world seemed momentarily suspended, as if holding its breathalongside them, poised between what had been and what would come next. Each of them felt the weight of uncertainty, their hopes and fears mingling in the quiet.
*****
