CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
“You can’t be serious. You want to go back to prison? Who in their right
mind... You are certifiable, did you know that?” Nick could not believe anyone
would want to go back to prison.
“I am not certifiable, you arrogant ass. I’m a realist. I can’t live here. I don’t
understand people. I can’t even raise a... I want you to get out of my room. I’ve
had enough of you today.” He watched as she struggled to get up on her knees
and move toward him on the bed.
“I’m not going anywhere until we get this resolved. You are not going back
to prison. Final.”
Morgan was close enough now that he could see her eyes. They were darker
because of her anger. They sparkled with fire and emotion. He suddenly had an
overwhelming need to kiss her. To pull her mouth to his and take, to taste her
again. He suddenly stepped back from her and she stumbled forward. He had to
steady her, or she would have fallen off the bed and onto the floor.
Nick didn’t want to get involved with her. Not now, not ever. She could be
carrying anyone’s child. Even his, but he didn’t... He couldn’t deal with that right
now.
“I have to go. I have to be...I have to go.” Nick was stammering and
stumbling as he made his way to the door. He didn’t even turn around and look
at his brother as he made his way out. He’d almost kissed her.
After he left her room, he wandered around until he ended up leaving the
building and along Maple Avenue toward the mall. Nothing was open this early
in the morning, but he moved along the sidewalks just thinking. He turned to
back to the hospital after a few miles of wandering aimlessly.
What if she was carrying his child? Then what? Should he marry her, give in
to her tricks? They didn’t seem to even like each other most of the time, so he
wasn’t sure how that would work. Of course, that could be a part of her plan too.
Marry then file for divorce, taking him to the cleaners. And what about his
brothers and their proposals? Would she accept one of them over him? But he
didn’t think they were tricks. The more time he spent with her, the less and less
they seemed like tricks and more like she was—
“Dr. Grant?”
Startled out of his musings, Nick turned toward the voice and saw Libby
Sugar standing in the shadows behind him.
“Yes. Is there something wrong?” He realized that the sun had started to rise
while he’d been sitting there. Pulling back his cuff to see his watch, he realized it
was almost six-thirty.
“Your brother Damon asked me to take you to Devin’s office. He’s been
detained on another emergency. Would you be all right with that?”
Shit, it was time. “Ah, yes, I guess that’ll be fine. Anytime you’re ready is
fine with me.” He stood up and stretched out the kinks in his back and
shoulders. He’d been sitting there for nearly two hours and was no closer to
figuring out what to do than before.
Forty-five minutes later and they were seated in Devin’s office waiting on the
results. His entire family had shown up to wait, with the exception of Damon.
He’d just called to say that he was on his way.
Nick didn’t know what to think about that. They would all be supportive,
but to whom, he didn’t know. His mom was still upset with him, he knew, and
Damon was barely speaking to him. He was standing next to the window,
watching the rain pelt the pane, when he saw Damon pull into the parking lot
below him. The gang’s all here.
As Damon slammed his door shut and was darting to the front doors, the
courier service pulled up too.
“They’re here. The service just pulled up out front. Damon is here too,” Nick
told the room in general. His belly suddenly took a slight jump. Then he started
rubbing his chest again. Christ, he could be a father in the next twenty minutes,
he told himself.
Devin had asked him how he wanted the information. He had his choice of
having it read by Devin in private, or Nick himself could read it in private, or
Devin could read it to everyone. Nick really didn’t know. He wanted all of them
to happen at the same time. Privately with his family while Devin read it to him
while he was still at home.
The courier handed the clipboard to him to sign, and once he had, handed
the envelope to him. Nick sat down with it and didn’t say a word.
Without looking at anyone in the room, he opened it and pulled out two
sheets of paper. The first one was a table with rows and columns on it. Nick
looked at it for several seconds and looked up as Damon walked over to him. He
handed it to him. He didn’t know what he was looking at anyway. The second
sheet was an explanation.
RESULTS OF DNA ANALYSIS
Interpretation: Based on the DNA analysis submitted, the alleged father
NICKOLAS PATRICK GRANT is the biological father of the twin unborn male
children of MORGAN BECKY because they share the same genetic markers.
Combined Direct Index: 17,446
Probability Percentage: 99.9942%
Nick’s first thought was, I’m the father; his second was, twins. He was the
father of Morgan’s twin baby boys. His and Morgan’s twin baby boys. Father. He
was a father.
“They’re mine. Morgan’s sons are mine.” He was sure his family was saying
something, but he couldn’t hear over the loud buzzing in his head. The only
thing he could understand was, “Twins, Morgan, Mine.” It kept a constant loop
going around and around in his head.
Nick didn’t know how long his mom had been saying his name when she
was suddenly in front of him. She was grinning. What the hell was there to be
happy about? he thought.
“I said, are you going to go and talk to Morgan? She must be excited. Twins.
And boys too. There haven’t been twins born in our family in a few generations.”
“She doesn’t know she’s carrying twins, or sons. She doesn’t know anything
about her babies other than their health,” Libby Sugar said as she sat down
across from him on the little, dark blue love seat.
“What do you mean she doesn’t know? How is that even possible?” Nick
asked her. Morgan was too thin, he realized. Much too thin to be carrying twins
and be almost seven months pregnant to boot.
“She doesn’t...no that’s not right. She feels she can’t get attached to the
babies. She’s not keeping them. And as for not knowing, she couldn’t afford an
ultrasound so none was ever preformed on her. She’s been barely making it
every month with just paying for the doctor and hospital bills in advance,” Libby
said. He watched as she pulled out a sheet of paper with neat columns on it.
“The doctor demanded that she pay up front for his services. Let’s see, that’s
about eleven thousand dollars. And as she doesn’t have insurance, she’s been
making a payment every month to a special account to pay the hospital with
when she delivers.”
“Is that why she’s so thin? She’s not eating to pay the bills?” How could she
jeopardize her health like that? Why the heck wasn’t she asking for help? That
sobered him. Why should she ask for help? She had to know he wouldn’t have
given it to her.
“No, she’s thin because Simon had her on a three thousand calorie a day
intake. He told her he didn’t like his women to put on too much weight at
delivery. He was about to lower that to twenty-five hundred because she’d had
too much of a gain last month. He’d never checked for multiple births, and as she
couldn’t afford the ‘extras,’ as he called it, he’d never tested her.” Damon sat
down next to Libby on the love seat.
“Is that common practice, to have women eat so little during pregnancy?”
Nick asked. He stood up and began pacing the room. He just happened to glace
over at Damon when he realized he was rubbing his chest. Damn it, he was
under a little pressure here, he thought.
“No, actually, it’s very unsafe for both the mother and the baby. In Morgan’s
case, babies. Morgan isn’t all that big anyway. If she makes it to full term, she’ll
be grossly underweight and may be too weak to deliver on her own,” Damon
told him.
“If? What do you mean if she makes it to term? You won’t let anything
happen to her, will you?” He watched as Damon looked over at Libby. “What’s
going on? What’s happening with Morgan?”
“I’m no longer her doctor as of you reading that letter. She went back to
Simon this morning.”
“Damn it! What is wrong with her? Does she want to die?” Nick sat down
again. Hard against the seat and back. Did she? Neither Libby nor Damon would
look at him directly. “Mother fuck!” he shouted.
After getting Devin’s car keys, he took off back to Zanesville. It was high
time him and his little mother-to-be had a long, serious talk.
~~~
“No, please, don’t hurt me again. I hurt so badly now.” Morgan had to get
away before he caught her. Her legs ached and pulled. Something was wrong
with her, something bad. If he caught her, he’d kill her. She could see the light
ahead, the tiny pinhole of light. She opened her eyes.
Hospital room…she was back in the hospital room. When she had blinked
enough, she realized that Nickolas Grant was sitting on the little couch and
staring at her oddly. She glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was
nearly eleven-thirty. He knew about the baby. Morgan felt along her bed sheets,
found the pull for the nurse, and pulled gently on the cord.
“Morgan? Are you all right?”
She ignored him. No, she wasn’t all right. She was seven months pregnant
and in the hospital, stupid schmuck.
A nurse pushed open the door a few seconds later and walked in on them.
Morgan still hadn’t acknowledged him when he greeted the nurse politely. She
did, however, smile for Shannon.
“Hi, Dr. Grant. Morgan, whatcha need?” she asked her.
“I need to go to the bathroom, please. And get a shower.” She started to
straighten out her gown and fuss with the sheet. She’d had a bad dream and had
soaked them through with sweat.
“All right, but try to only stand up for five minutes. You remember what the
doctor said. Stay off your feet as much as possible.”
She nodded. She knew what Damon had told her. He’d said to stay off them
altogether, but she was no longer his patient.
When she stood up next to the bed, she swayed heavily. Her vision blurred
and she had to quickly lean back against the bed. If Shannon hadn’t been holding
on to her, she would have fallen in a fat heap on the floor. Morgan saw Nick
move to her side, but she didn’t, no, she couldn’t look at him right now.
“You don’t need a shower that bad. Get back into bed before we have to pick
you up off the floor. Stupid woman, don’t you know the meaning of the words
too much?” he said.
Morgan would have laughed at the look of pure shock on Shannon’s face at
his words if she hadn’t been trying so hard to stay upright.
It took her all of an hour to get to the bathroom and bathe. She hadn’t had
the energy to shower, so Shannon helped her take a quickie bath. It felt good to
lie in the water and relax. Especially after getting to wash her hair for the first
time in two days.
When she came out of the bathroom, Nickolas was still in the room. As
Shannon was helping her back to the bed, he walked over. Actually, she thought
it looked more like stalked over, scooped her up into his arms, and deposited her
on the fresh bed. Even as she squeaked with indignation, he already had her put
down and himself on the couch again.
Giggling loudly, Shannon left them alone again. She didn’t have the energy
to deal with him, so she rolled to her side away from him and put the sleeper to
her cheek, rubbing gently.
Shannon had found it just this morning. It had gotten wound up in her
blankets when she’d been taken down to the x-ray room yesterday. She had been
so happy she cried for nearly ten minutes.
Morgan was just closing her eyes when she heard a chair being moved across
the room. Apparently, he didn’t like being shut out. She didn’t care and started
to close her eyes again.
“I want to talk to you about our children.”
Oh, now they were... Her eyes popped open and she stared at him. Children?
As in more than one? He didn’t say another word. She knew he had to know she
didn’t know about the children. Damon would have told him she didn’t have
any information about the baby, or babies, she guessed now. She closed her eyes
again and realized what Shannon had meant when she’d said she needed to buy
another one, another sleeper. Sons, they were twin boys.
“Okay, I’ll talk and you’ll listen. Starting right now, you’ll eat as much as
you want. No, let me amend that, you’ll eat as much as Damon tells you to eat.
Every day, Morgan. As soon as you’re released from the hospital, you’ll live in
my house with me. I have several servants there that will see to your every whim
when I’m not there. Someone will take you to your doctor’s appointments and
you’ll follow the doctor’s orders to the letter. I’m very serious in this.” She
thought he was finished with his rules, but apparently, he was saving the best for
last. “And as soon as it can be arranged, we’ll be married.”
Morgan didn’t even open her eyes or say a word. He could say whatever he
wanted, about whatever he wanted, but she was a grown woman. There were
long minutes of silence. Too long, she guessed later. It wasn’t long until she was
sound asleep.
Tune in next week for THIRTY-SEVEN
Buy Link for the Box set grab for 9.99
Buy links
THE GRANT BROTHERS -
1 NICKOLAS – http://smarturl.it/nickolas
2 DEVIN – http://smarturl.it/devin
3 SPENCER – http://smarturl.it/spencer
4 BYRON – http://smarturl.it/byron
5 JAMIE – http://smarturl.it/jamie
6 DAMON – http://smarturl.it/damongrantbrothers
The grant brothers series in reading order
Buy links
THE GRANT BROTHERS -
1 NICKOLAS – http://smarturl.it/nickolas
2 DEVIN – http://smarturl.it/devin
3 SPENCER – http://smarturl.it/spencer
4 BYRON – http://smarturl.it/byron
5 JAMIE – http://smarturl.it/jamie
6 DAMON – http://smarturl.it/damongrantbrothers
The grant brothers series in reading order
Now Available
The Limo that Keith Golden was riding in was in a horrific accident rolling down an embankment. He was trapped and felt his life slipping away until a vision of an angel clouded his view.
Living a life of exile made for a lonely existence. Banished from her realm for a crime she didn’t commit, that’s the life that the king had condemned Harley Pennington to. Sentenced to a life of solitude away from the people she served, the people she loved. With her departure she was given a warning, that if she fell in love and took a mate that she would be brought back and immediately put to death and her new mate along with her.
The Limo that Keith Golden was riding in was in a horrific accident rolling down an embankment. He was trapped and felt his life slipping away until a vision of an angel clouded his view.
Harley saw the whole thing and the instant she found the were tiger trapped in the huge vehicle she knew he was her mate. Her instincts told her to run, taking a mate was a death sentence for them both…but she couldn’t let him die…
Now that Keith had found his mate he wasn’t about to let her go… Was it their destiny or a fool’s journey? Would love be enough to thwart a king’s rule and make her stay? Would a difference of opinion drive a wedge in the Golden family tearing them apart from each other forever? Find out in the final installment of the Golden Streak Series…Keith
Buying Links
Amazon UK
Smash words https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/512571
COME ALONG ON JAN. 30, 2015 AND SAY GOODBYE TO THE GOLDEN FAMILY WITH THE LAST BOOK IN "THE GOLDEN STREAK" SERIES BY KATHI S BARTON
COME HEAR THESE TIGERS ROAR FOR THE LAST TIME AS WE SAY GOODBYE. YOU'RE TRULY GONNA LOVE IT.
Next Release is Ruby The Gem Series coming Feb 20th 2015
Ruby Erickson was the best OR surgeon the small hospital had. Management had mandated that the doctors were to turn away any people for treatment that couldn’t pay. Under strict orders to follow the rules or else…Ruby operated on the young woman anyway. She’d never live long enough to survive the trip to County.
Josh Ewing was suffering from a bad breakup. He had moved to the small town to get away from his cheating ex-girlfriend and former best friend and partner. His sister Bri was here and was all he had left in way of family. When Bri comes up missing, Josh is beside himself with worry.
He finds his sister in a small hospital listed as a Jane Doe in critical condition. When he finds out that the doctor who saved her life had lost her job because she didn’t turn his sister away, he wants to do all he can for her…
She cut Josh off with a finger punching to his chest. “You’re damn right I saved her life. And do you think that because you put money in my account or paid nearly a hundred grand to my loans that I’m somehow going to be beholden to you? You fucking bastard, take it back. All of it, right now.” Josh shook his head and braced his arms over his chest as if to do battle. Quentin took a step back now. He wasn’t stupid. “You heard me, I want you to take back that money now, or so help me you’re going to need it for your own hospital bills.”
“Even if I could—which I don’t care if I can or not—I won’t do it. You risked a great deal to save her life, and I pay my debts.” Ruby growled and took another step toward Josh. It took Quentin several seconds to realize that something had happened in that short period of time.
Ruby didn’t have time for a mate, not now not ever. Josh wasn’t happy about it either, but discovered once he got past her stubborn surface, that she really was a rare gem.
But trouble doesn’t elude them for long. That ex-girlfriend of Josh’s was into some heavy stuff―things he didn’t know about―things that could get them all killed―things that put them all on the radar of the wrong people…
pre-order is live on Amazon for Ruby
Pre Order Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T8KNP5A
Now Available
The Limo that Keith Golden was riding in was in a horrific accident rolling down an embankment. He was trapped and felt his life slipping away until a vision of an angel clouded his view.
Living a life of exile made for a lonely existence. Banished from her realm for a crime she didn’t commit, that’s the life that the king had condemned Harley Pennington to. Sentenced to a life of solitude away from the people she served, the people she loved. With her departure she was given a warning, that if she fell in love and took a mate that she would be brought back and immediately put to death and her new mate along with her.
The Limo that Keith Golden was riding in was in a horrific accident rolling down an embankment. He was trapped and felt his life slipping away until a vision of an angel clouded his view.Harley saw the whole thing and the instant she found the were tiger trapped in the huge vehicle she knew he was her mate. Her instincts told her to run, taking a mate was a death sentence for them both…but she couldn’t let him die…
Now that Keith had found his mate he wasn’t about to let her go… Was it their destiny or a fool’s journey? Would love be enough to thwart a king’s rule and make her stay? Would a difference of opinion drive a wedge in the Golden family tearing them apart from each other forever? Find out in the final installment of the Golden Streak Series…Keith
Buying Links
Amazon UK
Smash words https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/512571
COME ALONG ON JAN. 30, 2015 AND SAY GOODBYE TO THE GOLDEN FAMILY WITH THE LAST BOOK IN "THE GOLDEN STREAK" SERIES BY KATHI S BARTON
COME HEAR THESE TIGERS ROAR FOR THE LAST TIME AS WE SAY GOODBYE. YOU'RE TRULY GONNA LOVE IT.
Next Release is Ruby The Gem Series coming Feb 20th 2015
Josh Ewing was suffering from a bad breakup. He had moved to the small town to get away from his cheating ex-girlfriend and former best friend and partner. His sister Bri was here and was all he had left in way of family. When Bri comes up missing, Josh is beside himself with worry.
He finds his sister in a small hospital listed as a Jane Doe in critical condition. When he finds out that the doctor who saved her life had lost her job because she didn’t turn his sister away, he wants to do all he can for her…
She cut Josh off with a finger punching to his chest. “You’re damn right I saved her life. And do you think that because you put money in my account or paid nearly a hundred grand to my loans that I’m somehow going to be beholden to you? You fucking bastard, take it back. All of it, right now.” Josh shook his head and braced his arms over his chest as if to do battle. Quentin took a step back now. He wasn’t stupid. “You heard me, I want you to take back that money now, or so help me you’re going to need it for your own hospital bills.”
“Even if I could—which I don’t care if I can or not—I won’t do it. You risked a great deal to save her life, and I pay my debts.” Ruby growled and took another step toward Josh. It took Quentin several seconds to realize that something had happened in that short period of time.
Ruby didn’t have time for a mate, not now not ever. Josh wasn’t happy about it either, but discovered once he got past her stubborn surface, that she really was a rare gem.
But trouble doesn’t elude them for long. That ex-girlfriend of Josh’s was into some heavy stuff―things he didn’t know about―things that could get them all killed―things that put them all on the radar of the wrong people…
pre-order is live on Amazon for Ruby
Pre Order Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00T8KNP5A
Happy Reading
Kathi S Barton
