Against All Odds – Danielle Steel

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Against All Odds Danielle Steel chapter 1 on a hot sunny day in June Kate Madison drove her 10-year-old Mercedes station wagon through Greenwich Connecticut until she reached Midpoint Drive and followed the directions she’d been given until she arrived at tall iron gates she pressed a buzzer and said

Her name when a male voice answered a moment later the gates swung open and she drove slowly onto the property the grounds and Gardens were impressed Rive and there were beautiful old trees lining the driveway she had been in the area many times before though never to this particular

Estate the woman who had owned it was a well-known Society figure who had only stopped going out shortly before she died at 9 to2 before that she had been one of the Grande Dames of New York Society a generous woman who was best known for her philanthropy she had no children and had

Been on the best dressed lists for years mostly for her vast collection of French O Couture which looked fabulous on her even at her great age the woman’s clothes were being disposed of by two nieces who were finding the project far more tiresome than they had expected

Both were in their 60s and lived in other cities and their husbands were Executives of the estate they had already made arrangements with ses to sell the jewelry had consigned the furniture to Christies to auction and were keeping some of the more important art the rest was either being donated to

Museums or sold privately through a dealer in New York and all that remained to deal with now was their aunt’s wardrobe which filled three enormous rooms that had previously been bedrooms in her spectacular house the deceased had been a small very thin elegant woman and her nieces couldn’t imagine who her

Clothes were going to fit the coats maybe many of which were voluminous and she had some magnificent Furs but the dresses were minute they had contacted Kate store still still fabulous after reading about it on the internet when a friend in New York recommended it to them Kate had

Disposed of the friend’s mother’s wardrobe too and she’d been very pleased with the results Kate herself and still fabulous had a golden reputation in New York as the best most elegant resale shop in the city located in SoHo she sold clothing that she bought outright occasionally at auctions or she sold things on

Consignment so she had no initial investment she only sold clothing which was in impeccable condition or brand new she had some wonderful vintage pieces but most of what she sold was current and still fashionable her customers loved her store opening it had been a dream Kate had heard for many years before she

Finally could she was Adept at combing resale stores herself out of necessity and she loved the hunt for beautiful things when Kate’s husband died when she was 29 leaving her with four young children she had worked at Bergdorf Goodman for 5 Years first as a salesgirl then as a buyer of designer

Clothes she was well-versed in new designer clothing too but the thrill for her was in finding unique pieces some vintage some recent and in the 18 years she had owned still fabulous she had gone to Paris many times to buy exceptional items at auction that others often overlooked she bought only the most

Pristine items in perfect condition and they had to be still wearable and look Chic she liked older more historical vintage pieces as well but she bought them judiciously or took them on consignment in case they didn’t sell if they looked ridiculous were out of style or in poor condition she didn’t want

Them in her store she remembered many of the really beautiful and exceptional pieces she had sold where they came from and kept meticulous records of who she had sold them to her prices for important designer clothes were high but fair Kate got out of the car in Greenwich pounded the heavy brass

Knocker smartly and a moment later a butler in a starched white jacket opened the door Kate felt a blast of cool air from inside and was relieved to realize the house was air conditioned it would have been too hot to go through the closets otherwise examining heavy winter

Clothes and Furs along with the rest it was obvious that she was expected and she was respectfully led into a wood panel Library by the she could see at a glance that the walls were lined with rare leatherbound books many of which were probably first editions and worth of Fortune the family

Was selling them at christe’s too they were keeping very little of their aunt’s estate Kate was enjoying looking around discreetly and was standing at the open French windows with a view of the exquisitely manicured Gardens it was not the first time she had been in a home like this to evaluate

And buy items from an estate a secretary appeared a few minutes later apologized for being late and led her to the locked rooms that were the woman’s closets they were any woman’s dream and a sight to behold as the young woman turned the lights on there was row after row of

Impeccably hung garments many of them in individual cloth bags and several racks of fabulous Furs and there were specially built cupboards for hats handbags shoes and drawers for her custommade underwear satin night gowns scarves and gloves there was one entire closet of evening gowns many of which Kate knew

She couldn’t use nowadays most of her clients even the most social ones LED more informal lives she might be able to take a dozen or so of the beautiful gowns but there were at least 200 there in Black pastel and brilliant colors and always with evening bags and shoes to

Match one of the closets contained mostly French oat Couture from important designers many of whom no longer existed The Collection was worth a fortune and had cost an even bigger one when the woman bought the clothes hanging on the racks it was a treat to see such magnificent

Pieces Kate asked the secretary for permission to take some photographs she agreed without a problem and told Kate she was welcome to stay as long as she liked Kate smiled as the secretary said it she would have loved to spend a week there not just a few hours but she couldn’t indulge herself

Just for the fun of it she had to single out the items she could sell and think about her more important private clients as well as what she wanted in the store her shop was also a valuable archive for famous designers who came to do research sometimes when they were looking for

Inspiration for their next collections Kate had another segment of CLE onel as well she had long attracted movie stars and celebrities who borrowed and rented evening gowns to wear to press events premieres and award ceremonies like the Oscars the evening gowns would work well for them and she

Had rented clothes as costumes for several movies over the years on a more human scale while she still worked at burgdorf’s she had acquired clients she consulted for helping them to build their wardrobes or finding special items for them it had given her extra money she needed for her children and inspired

Her to open a store of her own the steady additional income she made from Fashion Consulting had given her the seed money to open still fabulous along with loans her best friend Liam helped her obtain at the bank where he worked still fabulous had produced Beyond expectations and within 3 years she had

Repaid all the loans she started her business on a shoest string and watched her budget closely and it grew rapidly in a relatively short time Kate was strikingly sheep and always dressed simply she had worn a black linen Chanel suit with white picquet collar and cuffs and matching white chamellia on the

Lapel she looked trim and elegant as always and had an innate flare for fashion for herself as well as others she was tall slim and had long straight blonde hair she wore in either a Sleek ponytail or a Bunn at 53 she looked 10 years younger than she was and went to a

Gym five times a week to maintain her figure the secretary in Connecticut was impressed when she saw her but not surprised Kate Madison had been highly recommended as the best in the resale business and supposedly had an unfailing eye for what would sell and women would

Still want to wear she never picked the trendy pieces that were a flash in the pan and had gone out of style almost as soon as they were made her clients loved finding things they could wear forever some of them iconic pieces from the designers who had made them Kate carried

A lot of Chanel at the store Eve St lauron from Paris and Dior from the days when John Franco foray designed it in the 80s and ’90s she also had balain from when Oscar delar Renta had done their o Couture and Christian ly before they closed both o Couture and redit

Weare and sheni from both the days of the great designer himself and its more recent incarnations by Alexander McQueen and Ricardo tissi there were designers others had forgotten the many young designers who had died in the 70s and ‘ 80s and some later at the height of their talent Patrick Kelly and Steven

Sprous among them and she sold the American brands of redditor Weare that everyone loved Donna Karin Calvin Klein Michael Kors Oscar deara Carolina erera and here and there a nameless brand that she bought not for the label but because it had style or girl or Chen as the

French called it that Emeral something you couldn’t really describe but that made a woman look special when she wore it if she had the guts to pull it off off Kate also found wonderful Basics like simple little black coats peac coats expertly cut Prada and skirts and pants and sweaters that were

Timeless the secretary came in to check on her as Kate was photographing several beautiful evening gowns from Paris she had made her way through the first closet with two more to explore by 3:00 Kate had seen all she needed to of the woman’s collection and had photographed the most important

Pieces Kate thanked the secretary and promised her a list of the prices she would suggest in the next few days with many of the pieces she had to guess what they sold for originally but she knew the market well the rule of thumb was that she charged clients half of what

The items had originally cost and Kate split what she made 5050 with the seller so the seller got 25% of the original purchase price and so did Kate and in the case of exceptional items or something truly iconic it she might charge more and the price she sold it for was always

Negotiable it was a very fluid business and with rare and important pieces she recommended donating them to museums for a tax deduction for the donor she loved finding special things for her clients and her merchandise often came to her in unusual ways sometimes from Estates like the one in

Connecticut what she had seen that day was a remarkable collection and Kate knew just what she wanted from it which pieces she felt her client would want to wear and would sell well there was an editor at Harper’s bizar who was always anxious for beautiful Furs and there

Were great ones in that estate the elegant Dowager in Connecticut was going to make some people very happy with the treasures she had left the success of Kate’s business was legendary from a tiny little storefront when she first opened in SoHo before it was as fashionable as it became later in time

She had taken over a bakery on one side of her and a small restaurant on the other and her shop was a good size now she rented three apartments above it to use a storage for the items she either didn’t have space for in the store or

Chose not to display to random clients and saved for special people and events an editor of Vogue had discovered her in her second year which had helped her a lot and little by little her reputation grew through magazines and By Word of Mouth she became one of the best

Fashion finds in New York in the years since she opened she had put four children through college with scholarships and without student loans and had put them in private schools also on scholarships before that her mother had been a high school English teacher and helped her obtain the scholarships

And cheed the kids when needed Kate had always been adamant that she wanted her children to have a good education that would give them a great foundation for life and they had all done well in school and had good jobs now Kate had dropped out of college

Herself in her junior year to marry Tom Madison her parents had objected vehemently to no avail when she gave up school Kate was headstrong and determined and sure of what she was doing and madly in love with Tom he was 26 and in law school at the time they

Had no money to live on and Kate went to work at bergdorf’s for the first time selling designer clothes she worked right up until the day she delivered Isabelle their first child a year later when she was 21 and was back back at work four weeks later

Her salary just barely fed all three of them paid the rent and daycare for Izzy while Kate worked she had begun combing resale shops then for clothes she could wear to work 2 years after izy was born she gave birth to twins at 23 Justin and

Julie she gave up her job at bergdorf’s then to stay home with them and Eed out what they needed by Consulting with private clients Tom graduated from law school when the Twins were born and got a good job with a major law foone he supported the family then after Kate’s

Three years of hard work and the Consulting money she continued to earn helped make ‘s meet they didn’t live lavishly but they managed and somehow with some juggling they always had enough Kate knew how to stretch their money and was creative and resourceful and Tom worked hard and did well at the

Firm they lived in a cramped apartment in the village with the three children in one room and Tom and Kate in the second bedroom which was Tiny but they were happy and felt blessed they had another baby William 6 years after the Twins were born when they were a little

Less strapped but halfway through Kate’s pregnancy Tom developed mysterious symptoms no one could figure out for several months he was diagnosed with a rare exceptionally aggressive form of pancreatic cancer a week before Willie was born he lived the agonies of the Damned for 3 months and died when Willie

Was 3 months old the twin six and I he eight Tom’s death had blindsided them completely they had remained hopeful to the end and Kate was suddenly a widow at 29 with four children Tom was 35 when he died and the insurance money he left had

Kept them going for a year and then Kate had to go back to work full-time at bergdorf’s as a sales goal she rised to buy it quickly by working many extra hours while her mother Babys sat for the children and the rest was history after 5 years at bdf’s she took

A chance and opened still fabulous she was 35 and very brave and with her consulting jobs and salary at bergdorf’s had saved enough to start out on next to nothing with loans she only took items on consignment then and couldn’t afford to buy anything looking

Back on it at times she didn’t know how she’d done it or had the guts but she had and it had worked she never forgot those hard years when she was was building her business and bringing up her children at the same time but somehow they always had what they needed

And now they were all adults had been well educated and had good jobs as far as Kate was concerned her real success had been her kids they were all still very close and she was proud of them Izzy had followed in her Father’s Footsteps she had gone to NYU on a full

Scholarship and lived at home then because they couldn’t afford the dorms followed by Colum IA law school and now at 32 she worked at a prestigious Wall Street Law Firm Justin had gone to Brown on a scholarship as well and was a freelance writer doing magazine pieces

And writing a novel he was 30 and living in Vermont both he and Izzy had held jobs all through school Julie Justin’s twin had had a harder time in school than her siblings she had moderate dyslexia and her grandmother had cheed her for her entire School career and helped her keep

Up her grades Julie had a remarkable artistic talent and her mother’s love for fashion and had gone to Parson’s School of Design she was working for an upand cominging young designer now who paid her well she got none of the glory for the clothes she designed but she

Earned a decent salary she could live on in her early years after Parsons she had H for roommates but at 30 she could finally afford a loft she loved on her own and at four Kate’s youngest Willie was the family techie they all teased and called a geek he’d gone to AKA but

Came back to New York when he graduated he had a great job with an online startup that they hoped would become a big success none of Kate’s children were married Izzy had suffered a broken engagement two years before her fiance had dumped her for a debut taunt from a

Fancy New York family and they had recently gotten married Izzy had gotten over it yet and had an edge to her now that she’d never had before which Kate hoped would dispel in time she hadn’t dated anyone seriously since and worked hard at the law fir she was hoping to

Become a junior partner soon Justin was gay and lived with his partner who taught history and Latin at a local high school in the town where they lived in Vermont Richard was 36 and they had met at a writing Workshop four years before Kate had realized that Justin was

Probably gay when he was 11 and was supportive when he came out at 16 Richard’s family was still in denial they were a conservative family in the South and disapproved of everything about his life in contrast to Kate’s loving acceptance of both of them Julie had had a series of relationships though non

Serious she said most of the men she met in the Fashion World Were Gay and she worked too hard to date much she had always been shy and and didn’t mind spending time alone she was a gentle soul with a huge Talent she put all her time into designing four collections a

Year not romance and at 30 she wasn’t worried about getting married Willie the baby was unofficially the family according to his sisters he went out with one girl after another and as many as he could at the same time at 24 he just wanted to have fun and didn’t want

To serious relationship and was honest about it with the girls he dated Justin and Willie had both suffered growing up without a father despite Kate’s efforts to be both parents to all of them but it was harder with the boys once in a while she heard from teachers that the boys

Lied about their father being dead and pretended to their friends that he was working in another city or on a trip Justin suffered from it less than Willie and always had Kate take him to the fatherson dinners at school he still remembered his father though the memories were dim now Willie didn’t

Since he’d been only 3 months old when Tom died but they had photographs of him in their rooms when they were growing up and Kate talked about him frequently to keep his memory alive Kate had made her peace with being a widow the children had kept her busy for many years until

They grew up and left for college she’ had some romances but was too frantic trying to keep their Collective heads above water and provide for them to get seriously involved with anyone for a long time most of the men she met didn’t want the burden of four children not

Their own and the few who seemed to like the idea were never the ones Kate was drawn to she always said that she and the children were doing fine and for the most part she was right but it was lonely for her at times now not having a

Husband or partner with her kids on their own with busy lives she made the best of it and in recent years there were only casual dates from time to time she often thought it was ironic that now that the children were growing up and doing well she would have had time for a

Man but never met anyone who appealed to her the men she met now were either married or commitment phobic and she was busy with her store and loved what she did days like the one she had spent going through the estate in Connecticut was still fun for her it was exciting to

Find beautiful clothes often knowing their Providence and who had worn them clothes like the ones had seen and sold in the course of her business were pieces of fashion history and it still thrilled her to make special discoveries her family mattered more than anything to her and her children

Were the joy of her life and still fabulous gave her tremendous satisfaction was something to be proud of and had fed them well she could hardly wait to get back to the store now and figure out what she was going to agree to sell for the estate and which

Pieces she wanted to buy outright and keep to offer special clients Isabelle Madison was in a hurry as she left her office she’d had to reorganize all her appointments for the afternoon in order to accommodate the pro bono assignment she’d been given she always thought that it was inconvenient

That attorneys in her firm had to accept pro bono work as part of their giving back to the community she had done an internship in the district attorney’s office years before when she was in law school and had discovered how much she hated criminal work she was a business

Attorney who specialized in merges and Acquisitions but she was conscientious and would do the best she could with the case she knew only the barebones of the charges the defendant Zack Holbrook was accused of possession of a large amount of marijuana and cocaine with intent to sell he had no previous arrest record

And his last name was that of an illustrious family in New York but she had no idea if he was related or if it was just a coincidence and whatever his name the defendant sounded badly behaved to her he had been drunk and disorderly and had resisted arrest she had to remind

Herself to keep an open mind as she got out of the cab in front of a SD bar where he had offered to meet her she didn’t want to have him come to her office so had agreed to meet him at the bar she had no idea how bad he’d look

Holbrook had already been arraigned and was out on his own recogniz ANS because he wasn’t considered a Flight Risk and as he met him at the bar he had suggested a public defender had attended the arraignment before she was assigned to the case she was already planning to

Ask for a continu of the proceedings so she could do some research into the case but according to the police report he had been caught red-handed with a fairly large amount of cocaine and he was clearly guilty it was going to be difficult to come up with a credible

Defense she arrived 5 minutes early for the appointment and her client showed up half an hour late and was not what she had expected she’d expected him to look slightly derelict and maybe like a drug addict despite the fancy family name he was 35 years old strikingly handsome and

Was wearing a clean white T-shirt black jeans a black leather biker jacket and motorcycle boots the jacket had obviously been expensive and he was covered with tattoos including on the backs of his hands and crawling up his neck his hair was shoulder length but clean and he had several days of beard

Stubble he looked sexy and stylish and was friendly and relaxed when he sat down at her table he could guess immediately that she was his attorney she looked theart she was relieved to see that there was nothing ominous about him if anything he was Charming which

Annoyed her as he explained that he was sorry he was late he had just flown in from Miami where he’d spent the weekend which concerned her since she wasn’t sure he was allowed to leave the state what if the flight had been late or cancelled he seemed very casual about

The charges he was facing she didn’t think the marijuana charges would be hard to beat but the large quantity of cocaine in his possession would be she told him that he could go to prison and he insisted that was unlikely since he’d never been arrested before he didn’t seem worried

At all as he spaed in the chair across from her and drank a beer while I he drank water she wondered if she could get him to show up in caught in a suit for future appearances even a sport coat instead of like a rich boy’s version of

A Hell’s Angel in a movie he had a very studied bad boy look there was something theatrical about him and much too smooth he joked through the meeting which is he didn’t find amusing he admitted to her within the client attorney privilege that he had in fact sold cocaine and

Marijuana it wasn’t the first time but he’d never been caught before she was not pleased to be representing him it seemed like a waste of her time she had better things to do than defend the black sheep from a wealthy family he had told her immediately that he was

Part of the family whose name she had recognized not that it mattered why did you ask for a pro bono attorney she asked him bluntly instead of just paying for one she was surprised he qualified as Indigent he seemed like he could pay for his own and his family surely could

Have the District Attorney’s Office had exercised their right to ask the judge for a pro bono attorney in order to move the case along since all the public defenders were currently overworked and the judge had agreed I’m dead broke I have no money he said easily my family

Cut me off when I turned 30 they don’t approve of my lifestyle he smiled broadly seemingly undisturbed by it further conversation with with him told her that he had never had a job and didn’t want one he didn’t see why he should work since no one else

In his family did he had dropped out of high school after being kicked out of all the best boarding schools in the East I deal Coke sometimes when I’m broke he said with an ingenuous look as though that were an acceptable form of part-time employment and he said he thought it

Served his family right for not supporting him he explained that all of his relatives lived off a Family Trust but the trustees would no longer disperse funds to him at his father’s request since he had dabbled in drugs when he was younger so he had no money

But didn’t work Isabelle wondered how he lived other than occasional Coke deals from what he said he was living Hunter mouth but had just gone to Miami she wondered how he had paid for that he was obviously resourceful Holbrook volunteered that his father was married to his fifth wife

Who was 22 years old and his mother to her fourth husband and lived in Europe he said his parents had divorced when he was five and had been marrying other people ever since his mother lived in Monte Carlo and he never saw her and his father alternated between various homes

In Aspen LA and Palm Beach and he ran the family investments from wherever he was I’m the black sheep is his client said proudly he had a sister who had been in and out of rehab and was living in Mexico and a flock of step and half

Siblings as he couldn’t keep track of and he wasn’t close to he was the proverbial Rolling Stone from a dysfunctional family with money but no stability he seemed to be without anchor or foundations acted more like a kid than an adult and had clearly never grown up and what bothered Izzy most

About him other than his obvious irresponsibility was that he was so appealing and occasionally funny that even she smiled several times at what he said he was totally without without remorse but not without charm by any means and he was obviously intelligent it was hard not to be

Somewhat seduced by him and despite her best efforts not to be she was but gave no sign of it to him she was trying to think what defense she could use for him and was hoping there was some improper technicality about the arrest or the charges that she could use to have the

Case against him thrown out otherwise he was screwed and would go to prison she told him not to ever wear the leather biker jacket for court appearances to put on a proper shirt and get a haircut and shave before they went to court he laughed at what she said and obviously

Didn’t take it seriously while she tried not to notice his broad shoulders and how toned his body was in the T-shirt under the leather jacket he was visibly amused by her instructions and intense look you’re cleaning me up he asked her trying to she said turly judges don’t

Like that look look she didn’t want him appearing and acting like a juvenile delinquent or wasting her time if he expected her to win his case he had pleaded not guilty at the arraignment and got a 3-month continuance while he waited to be assigned a prob Bono

Attorney and she intended to extend it so she could research the case she had made all the notes she needed to at the bar and he smiled at her as they stood on the street for a minute she found his cocky attitude irritating he was was arrogant although

The family history he had given her sounded pathetic she almost felt sorry for him in spite of herself and he clearly wasn’t doing anything with his life and never had he was one of those people where everything had gone wrong right from the beginning and still was he

Seemed foolish and immature not evil can I take you to dinner sometime he asked her with a mischievous look and as he frowned she was his attorney of record not a date no you cannot you’re facing very serious charges here Mr Holbrook and I strongly advise you not to do anything foolish

Before we get this resolved where are you staying by the way do you have an apartment I was staying with friends but I got kicked out he said grinning sheepishly which made him look younger than he was my grandmother lets me stay at her summer house in the Hamptons when

I’m in New York but I’m going back to my me tonight I am fairly certain you are not allowed to leave the state with this case pending she was also wondering how he was going to pay for the plane fair if he had no money but she didn’t ask

Probably not but my grandmother has a house in Palm Beach too so I can stay there if I need to he didn’t seem to be without comfortable lodgings in Posh places only without a work ethic and a conscience about what he’d done to get arrested it was trivial to him and

Justified by lack of family financial support which he felt was his due I’ll be in touch Izzy said sobly he had given her his cell phone number and email address to contact him I want to review some of the details of the arrest and see if we can make a deal

Or even get you off on a technicality she thought it was her only hope of keeping him out of prison I’m sure you’ll find something he said seeming relaxed and confident I’ll call you when I’m back in New York she had given him her business card and planned

To see him at her office next time she hadn’t wanted to bring a criminal to her office but he looked respectable enough despite the biker jacket and Tattoos they would have three months before the next court appearance and she hoped to get another continuance then too to drag it out and

Give her time to prepare their case we’ll do lunch he said and hailed a cab she stood staring off after him as he rode away still stunned by how nonchalant he was she had never seen anyone as Cavalier but the details he had told her about his early life

Divorced parents many remarriages no stable family growing up in a series of boarding schools with no parental involvement in his Youth and no work ethic as an adult probably explained his attitude it was a recipe for disaster which he was heading for now and didn’t seem to know or care she couldn’t

Imagine him surviving in prison he was much too spoiled and he was obviously used to getting whatever he wanted or somehow making his life work it didn’t bother him how halfhazard it was he had practically undressed her with his eyes and yet there was an innocence to him

Too but she had no intention of having lunch with him or falling prey to his charm she was much smarter than that she thought as she took a cap back to her office relieved to be returning to the real world old the world of Zack hook disgusted her wasted lives 2 hours later

Her paralal staggered into A’s office with an enormous vase with three dozen long stem bright pink roses and a card that said thanks for everything see you soon love sack Izzy almost groaned when she read the card this was not the relationship she wanted with him she was

Angry instead of pleased new at Ira her pargal asked her with a smile as izy frowned and shook her head no new client she offered no further explanation but she wasn’t happy about it and her paralal left the room with no comment after depositing the Roses on a table

Behind I’s desk Izzy went back to work without glancing at them annoyed at Zack colbrook all over again he was completely inappropriate in every way no matter how beautiful the flowers were or how attractive he was all she wanted was to get rid of the case and she hoped

She’d be lucky enough to get him off or make a deal so she didn’t have to keep seeing him over the next few months he was a headache she didn’t need there was no room for a Charming unruly black sheep in her life chapter two the two nieces of the deceased dower in

Conneticut were delighted with the prices Kate suggested for the items she wanted and the clothes were delivered to still fabulous the following week Kate was there when they came in dropped off by a chauffeur with a van she and Jessica her assistant checked them again entered them in their inventory and put

Them upstairs to show their most favored clients Kate had already contacted several of them and the editor from Harper Bazaar had said she wanted two of the fur coats they were a villain and imperfect condition one was a shaved dark blue Mink that had been worn only a

Few times and the the other was an incredibly Chic skunk she was picking them up in a few days Kate had chosen a whole rack of Chanel suits several items of oat Couture some Ard a la rent cocktail dresses and a dozen alligator bags in different colors that looked

Brand new The Dowager had kept her clothes impeccably and it always excited Kate to bring in items of such high quality she was sure it would all sell very fast it was one of the best Estates she had seen in years Kate’s daughter Julie came to visit a

Few days later after work she loved seeing what her mother found they shared a passion for exquisitely made clothes especially o Kure and Julie had learned much about designing from what she had seen in her mother’s store since she was 12 years old her own style was Modern

And more extreme and fashion forward but she always said that she’d been heavily influenced in what she designed by what her mother had shown her and taught her over the years they spent an hour going over everything and Kate invited her to dinner at a restaurant nearby the neighborhood had improved a

Lot since Kate had opened the Store The Shops and restaurants around her were trendier and more elegant now and there were many places to eat well with her children when they had time to drop by they went to a nearby restaurant best known for its wholesome food fresh vegetables homemade pasta and salads

Where Julie liked to have lunch and they talked about the latest collection she was working on she was frustrated at times because she would have liked to do more exciting clothes for their line but the designer she worked for wanted her to maintain the image and style of the

House but she enjoyed her job and the people she worked with and she was making a healthy salary now it was an excellent job and prestigious as the head designer for an upand coming film her learning disability had caused her problems in school with reading and math but she had enormous Talent with

Anything involved olving art or design you should have been a designer mom she said to her mother with a warm Smile as they shared a Mediterranean salad Julie looked nothing like her she had her father’s dark eyes and dark hair and was smaller than her mother and older sister

Who were both tall thin and blonde and looked more like sisters than mother and daughter I’m better at appreciating other people’s designs Kate said with a smile in response she loved spending time with Julie she was a gentle person and they always got along Izzy had a stronger

Personality and was sharper and more critical at times particularly since her broken engagement which had left her bitter about men and often harsh in the past two years Kate hoped it wasn’t permanent and that she’d mellow again when she met a man she cared about but

It hadn’t happened so far I’m a better Shopper Kate said honestly laughing at herself what’s Grandma up to Julie asked her I haven’t talked to her in weeks where’s she off to now all of the children enjoyed their grandmother who was a fiercely independent woman she

Loved to travel and had a widowed friend close to her own age whom she dragged halfway around the world at every opportunity she loved going to exotic places and Francis tagged along they had been School teachers together before they both retired Grandma Lou as they called her had taken each of her

Grandchildren on an adventure trip when they turned 21 she and jie had gone on a fabulous trip to India 9 years before which Julie had never forgotten it had influenced the Fabrics She was drawn to for several years and three years ago she and Willie her youngest grandchild had gone to Dubai

Izzy had insisted on going to Scotland and Ireland which Grandma Lou thought was too tame she had added four 4 days in Venice and a weekend in Paris before she brought her home and I he had loved the trip and she and Justin had gone on

A walking trip in the pole which was more her style she had been an important person for them ever since they’d been born adding spice and adventure to their lives on a weekend trip to Quebec a tour of the battlefields of the South and visits to Yellowstone National Park and

The Grand Canyon when they were small she brought them interesting books and told them Tales of her own trips to Africa and Asia she was always open to learning new things and had recently started taking Mandarin lessons in preparation for a trip she was planning to Beijing in a

Year it was hard to keep up with her I think she’s going to Australia this summer on some kind of Museum tour she’s already planning a trip to China next summer she’s taking Mandarin lessons to get ready for it and she’s going to Argentina after Christmas she already

Spoke Spanish is Kate’s mother was an exciting person to have in their lives and at the same time a solid stable one she had been invaluable to Kate bringing up four children alone they didn’t have a father but they had a grandmother who added immeasurably to their lives she

Had a thirst for knowledge and wanted to see everything firsthand nothing daunted her she was a remarkable woman and at 78 she didn’t seem to be slowing down her traveling companions always had trouble keeping up with her she stayed in remarkable shape and was an expert in yoga she had tried

To convince Kate to try it for years but Kate was less athletic than her mother and insisted she didn’t have time Kate went to the gym and took a spinning class once a week which was exercise enough for her the two women had an enjoyable dinner before Julie went home to her

Apartment Kate didn’t ask her if she was seeing anyone because she knew knew the answer to the question jie hadn’t gone out with anyone in months by the time she got home from work late at night she was too tired to go anywhere and she was content to stay

Home in her Loft in the East Village her siblings were far more social than she was Julie never minded being at home and felt no pressure to meet a man when she had time to spare she went to Vermont to stay with her twin brother and his

Partner for a few days usually between collections they were a happy threesome whenever they were together Kate was pleased that her children were all close even more so to one another than to her although they liked spending time with her too and Grandma Lou was welcome at

Any family meal or plan the best times they all shared were on holidays when they were all together and Justin’s partner Richard had been a happy addition to the group for the past four years none of Justin’s siblings had significant others for the time being nor did Kate although her longtime

Friend Liam her best friend since college sometimes joined them he was like a brother to Kate and an uncle to the kids he was married to a quiet woman who didn’t like to go out at night and he had two daughters who were in college

In Europe so he was always happy to be with Kate and her kids he worked for a bank and led a serious circumspect life and had been a big support to her when Tom died they had been good friends now for more than 30 years Liam had advised

Her in setting up the financial Foundation of her business and helped her get loans a couple of times in the beginning she said she couldn’t have done it without him and he was always available to counsel her even about the kids he said he had a good marriage but

As much as Kate loved him like a brother she had never warmed up to his wife nor Morin to her so her friendship with Liam flourished separately from the rest of his life Kate always invited them as a couple when she gave cocktail parties or invited them as a family to events with

Her children but Moren rarely came she was a shy retiring woman and preferred to let Liam see Kate on his own she wasn’t jealous of Kate she just had nothing to say when they were together Moren was from Maine and spare with words Kate’s Lively family and her own

Style and enthusiasm about life had always been too much for Moren but she was a solid support for her husband and a good mother to their kids and for the Spice and fun in his life Liam had Kate and her busy tribe and he always said

That he had been in love with Grandma L since the day he met Kate he called her sometimes just to see how she was and ask what she was up to the answer to that question was always interesting and unexpected Louise was the only World traveler he knew who was almost 80 years

Old grandma Lou had spent her 7 to fifth birthday on Safari in Africa and had returned with Incredible photographs it embarrassed Kate sometimes how much more adventurous her mother was than she was herself Kate was happier staying closer to her home her business and her kids even now that they

Were grown up her mother had always been fiercely independent even in her Youth and during her marriage and her husband had admired her for it and encouraged her she grew even more so once she was widowed and had the chance to do all the things she had dreamed of years but

Never could do while she was married and she had opened the world as a learning experience for her grandchildren they loved spending time with her and hearing about her travels they confided their secrets to her and asked for her advice she was always candid with them even if she didn’t

Agree with their mother she thought Kate was a terrific mother even better than she herself had been with her only child but at times she thought she protected them too much Grandma L believed they needed to learn their own lessons about life Cate didn’t want them to get hurt

But as their grandmother pointed out sometimes that was the only way to learn it was the subject of many discussions between Kate and her mother to what extent one could Shield one’s kids from the hard lessons in life it was an age-old question to which there was no answer only different

Opinions when they talked about it Liam was more inclined to think as she did and had a tendency to over protect his two girls it had taken every ounce of self-restraint he’d had to let them both attend college in Europe and having been so sheltered at home they were hungry

For the world Penny was at the University of Edinburgh and Elizabeth was in Madrid he had already been to visit them several times although Morin didn’t like to travel and hadn’t gone with him the girls were ecstatic to be where they were and Far From Home although they loved their parents Kate’s

Mother dropped by to see her at the store the day after she had dinner with her younger daughter Grandma Lou had been on a walk in SoHo on her way home after yoga hi Mom Kate said happy to see her I have something for you it was a

Beautiful navy blue Chanel suit from her latest intake and was the perfect size for her mother and Kate thought it would be useful for her it still had the tags on it from the woman in Connecticut and had never been worn she brought it out of a locked closet

With pride she kept special finds there waiting for clients she had promised them to all had called them about she had saved the suit for her mother Grandma Lou stood staring at it for a minute and squinted her straight gray hair was cut in a bob like she had worn all her life

Her hair was thick and full her blue eyes bright and Alive she was wearing leggings a pink lacost shirt and the running shoes she wore on on her hikes her figure was still trim and her face surprisingly unlined and she had the stride of a much younger woman

Particularly when she picked up speed when she was walking she hadn’t bothered with a handbag and had her keys and wallet in her pocket she hated to be encumbered and she didn’t care if she looked Chic or not she thought of clothes as functional unlike Kate who’d

Had a passion for fashion all her life do you really think that’s me Lou asked seeming worried and her daughter smiled it’s awfully serious looking isn’t it she was less excited about the suit than Kate had hoped you can wear it out to dinner mom or if you go to the theater

Louise looked dubious at the thought she was more comfortable in jeans and the easy clothes she wore to travel she thought Comfort was more important and Kate always looked stylish whatever she wore even in jeans she would never have left her house without a bag usually a Chanel or a well

Seasoned hummies that had come through the store and Kate loved high heels Louise had always preferred Flats why don’t you try it on Kate encouraged her about the navy suit it was a classic and she knew her mother would look great in it if she could

Convince her to wear it humor me her mother laughed disappeared into a fitting room and emerged a few minutes later with her lacost shirt under the jacket her leggings showing under the skirt in her beaten up old running shoes as Kate laughed now that’s a look mom

They both considered Her Image in the mirror as Kate’s mother stuck her arms out like a kid in an outfit her mother had forced her to wear but didn’t want to I’m not sure it’s me she said cautiously in fact it wasn’t but Kate hoped it could be if her mother was

Willing where would I wear it do I have to I will if you want me to I always knew you wanted a mother who dressed like this her mother had worn jeans for as long as Kate could remember when other mothers were wearing wraparound skirts and cute dresses and high

Heels Kate’s mother hated dressing up and it had never mattered to her father who thought she was gorgeous whatever she wore they had had a terrific marriage and accepted each other as they were he had owned a successful contracting business and they had a good life and Kate had

Been happy growing up she had always felt safe and protected in her parents world and wanted her children to have the same sense of security with her even without a father after Tom died Kate’s financial situation had been far less secure than her parents once she was the

Children’s sole support but she had always managed and something had always happened to help her pull a rabbit out of the Hut when she needed it most and when she was in D need her her mother had helped her although she didn’t have a fortune either but they had never

Known serious lack thanks to Kate’s Ingenuity about providing for them and her willingness to work hard and she had conveyed the same work ethic to all her children with good results all her children worked hard at their jobs so what do you think about the suit Kate

Asked as her mother wondered around the store in the Chic Navy Chanel with her running shoes and pink shirt and Kate could see she didn’t like it and didn’t really care which was a waste someone should have it who really loved it and for whom it would be a fantastic find

For her mother it looked more like a punishment than a prize you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to she said gently letting her mother off the hook and Grandma Lou laughed and was relieved I don’t think you’ll ever make me into a respectable looking mother in

A Chanel suit what I really need are new hiking boots before my summer trip you wouldn’t have any of those would you we’re going to do some hiking after our Museum tour she said earnestly and her daughter laughed hiking boots were definitely not the look Kate had spent

Almost 20 years cultivating it still fabulous I’m afraid we’re fresh out she said and gave her mother a hug and a few minutes later Louise took off the suit handed it to Kate and left delighted to have escaped the Chanel suit although she appreciated the thought once in a

While Kate actually found something her mother liked but this recent attempt was definitely not her look she had given her mother a wonderful lamb and suede coat she had worn two years before on a trip to Tibet and some fun Chinese pajamas she wore at home but for the

Most part despite her daughter and granddaughter being steeped in fashion Grandma Lou had no desire to be sheep and was content to dress as she chose Grandma Lou was in Australia with Francis in August the week after izy returned from a weekend in Vermont at her brothers when Zack hook called I he

At her office to discuss his case she had sent him several emails to which he hadn’t responded and she was about to report it to the court and attempt to get excused from the case but hadn’t gotten around to it yet if he didn’t care about his court case and the felony

Charges against him why should she she took the call as soon as her paralal said he was on the phone hello Isabelle he said sounding relaxed and friendly Farm more so than she felt about him how about our lunch how about your pending case that

Could send you to prison do you have any interest in talking about that she responded tartly and for an instant he was silent on the other end did I catch you on a bad day he sounded like a chastised child not at all she said cooly you haven’t answered my emails and

I was planning to resign from the case I can’t deal with a client who who won’t respond if you’re not interested in your own defense why should I be he was startled by her bluntness and chilly tone I’ve been busy I kept meaning to answer you my grandmother had a stroke

In Palm Beach and I was staying with her Izzy didn’t know if it was true or not but suddenly she felt sympathetic toward him despite her resistance to him and disapproval of his lifestyle he somehow made her feel as though she should be nice to him because life had handed him some tough

Breaks I’m sorry to hear it she said quietly is she okay it made her think of her own grandmother and how grateful she was that she was in good health she had talked to her on Skype a few days before her grandmother was proficient with computers and Willie was always showing

Her something new she had a state-of-the-art computer at home a laptop for when she traveled and she always carried an iPad in her purse she had taken several classes and had even mastered Excel she’s better now thanks for asking Zack said she’s a Plucky old girl I love

Her a lot she’s the only member of my family who ever gave a damn about me I’ve been staying with her for the past 2 months so where are we with my case he said warmly I’ve looked over all the details of the arrest and I can’t find anything

Wrong with it I think the only thing we can do is try for a plea bargain have you plead guilty and ask for probation W It Go on my record then he sounded disappointed that she couldn’t get him out of it that she was an attorney not a magician and he had been

Arrested with the drugs in his possession yes it will she said honestly but if you don’t plead and you push it to trial and are found guilty as charged you could go to prison for a few years I’d like to try to avoid that for you how do you feel about a plea

Bargain if you think that’s the only choice I guess there’s nothing else to do I don’t want to go to prison he said sounding anxious finally you’ll have to behave if you’re on probation though if you get caught with drugs again and arrested they’ll send you right to prison for probation

Violation we have a shot at probation this time because it’s your first arrest I know he said soberly I get it let me talk to the assistant DA assigned to the case and see what I can do she had very little to bargain with he wasn’t gainfully employed or a solid

Citizen he was from a well-known family which no one cared about and had been caught with drugs what about our lunch Zach asked before she could hang up I never agreed to lunch with you she reminded him yes you did he teased her putting the charm

On her full blast or you should have come on let’s go to lunch we can discuss my case if that will make you feel better I’ll call you after I speak to the assistant DA she said coldly ignoring his invitation and ended the call it took her two days to reach the

Assistant DA assigned to Zach’s case and he didn’t sound interested in making a deal with her why should I make a deal with you he said bluntly we got the guy called we both know he was selling or planning to the guy’s a jerk his some spoiled boy who never grew

Up he’s probably been dealing on a small scale for years and just never got caught and you know he’s going to do it again then you can put him in prison next time the prisons are full of guys a lot worse you said it yourself his small

Time you’re not putting away some danger to society you’ve taught him a lesson he gets it I doubt he’ll do it again you’re lying to me counselor and you know it he’s probably been dealing again since he got out of jail on this arrest she hoped it wasn’t true but knew it was

Possible she decided to try another attack you and I have more important things to do than waste our time on a case like this you have real criminals to put away and I need to do my job why spend months going to trial when he’s willing to plead for

Probation there was silence on the other end because the assistant DA knew she was right he did have bigger fish to fry and Zack Holbrook wasn’t really a danger to anyone but himself I’ll think about it and let you know he said and called her a week later

After the Labor Day weekend he had just gotten three big cases and he knew as he had a point he didn’t need a small time case like this it was easier to just plead it out okay if he pleads guilty we’ll reduce it to a misdem Minner and give him probation two

Years and if he screws up again we’ll send him away sounds like a deal to me and if Zach did screw up again it wouldn’t be her problem and they could assign him to someone else I’ll have the papers drawn up and you can bring him

Into plead just say when and I’ll have him there she hoped she was telling the truth and that Zach would have the brains to show up if not the da would be pissed and so would she and the deal would be off sometime next week the da said we’ll let

You know thank you Izzy said sincerely they were both happy to get rid of the case as soon as she hung up she called Zach on his cell he said he was in the Hamptons and she told him not to go anywhere until the plea bargain was

Complete e he promised not to and didn’t mention lunch again he sounded busy when she called and she didn’t care the following week as soon as she was notified by the DA’s office she called Zach and told him to meet her there and on what day he thanked her for doing a

Good job and this time when he met her he was on time and wearing a suit a white shirt and a tie he’d cut his hair and he had shaved he looked more like an attorney than a defendant the meeting was over quickly the plea bargain and probation were confirmed by

The judge after izy entered the guilty plea for Zach they didn’t assign him to drug rehab because two random drug tests had come out clean they assigned him a probation officer whom he had to check in with once a month the PO was a woman and she was a little flustered when Zach

Turned the charm on her he couldn’t help himself it was how he related to women and and she was flattered by the attention he was such a good-look guy other than that Izzy was impressed by how circumspect he had been this time and they shook hands outside the court

She was in a hurry to get back to her office for a meeting with her boss and delighted that the case had been disposed of Zach looked serious and appropriately chastened when he thanked her again you did a great job he said seriously there wasn’t much I could do

You need to stay out of trouble now or they really will send you away she warned him I know I’m not crazy and I don’t want to go to prison how about lunch he asked her cautiously this time she was one of the few women he’d met

Who was impervious to his charm I’m late for a meeting I can’t but thank you anyway what can I do to thank you he asked gratefully she realized then that he had actually been scared although it never showed there was something vulnerable about him which made her feel

Sorry for him again you don’t owe me anything Zach she said kindly I just did my job I’m glad it worked out okay despite the guilty plea but at least he wasn’t going to jail and maybe he had learned a lesson from it for his sake

She hoped that was the case would you ever have dinner with me he asked wistfully it was hard for him to imagine that she would and she seemed like she was about to say no you’re a nice person and I’d just like to thank you stay out

Of trouble she said smiling at him that’s all the thanks I want and he looked so sad as he gazed at her like a big foror puppy that she didn’t have the heart to turn him down sure maybe we can have dinner sometime she didn’t really

Mean it but didn’t know what else to say how about tonight she didn’t want to but thought it might be easier to just do it and get it over with reluctantly she said yes and felt foolish as soon as she did sure I have

To make it early I have a brief to write tonight she said sternly to remind him that this was a business dinner and he was a client not a date he suggested a restaurant she knew and liked close to her office at 7:30 and after agreeing to

Meet him there she jumped into a cab and went back to work she felt faintly stupid for accepting the invitation but it was 2 hours out of her life and she forgot about him as soon as she got to the office until she was ready to leave at 7:00 and then remembered her

Appointment with Zach she brushed her hair and put on lipstick before she left her office and walked to the restaurant carrying her briefcase with the work she had to do that night it felt more like a nuisance to her than a date and he was still wearing the suit and had taken off

The tie when she arrived he had a deep tan after the summer and she couldn’t help but notice again how handsome he was she ordered a glass of wine and he ordered a scotch and water after they sat down and he was predictably Adept at drawing her out in

Conversation he was at ease with people especially with women married he asked her as they sied their drinks and she shook her head she didn’t tell him about the broken engagement and the guy who’d broke her heart and married someone else but she looked serious for a moment and

Then took another sip of her wine and relaxed no single she confirmed she knew you were single from the court papers and probation report I lived with a woman for 2 years she had a kid who was like my son we broke up and she moved to LA she’s

Married now I haven’t seen the boy since she left it was nice for a while though everything in his life was transitory and she suspected he didn’t want the responsibility that went with a solid life why is a beautiful woman like you single he asked her with a dazzling

Smile as he nursed his scotch and changed the subject back to her I’m not the marrying kind she said easily it had been her Pat answer for the last 2 years and made getting dumped seem better you just haven’t met the right guy he said confidently as though he might be it

Which seemed laughable considering how they’d met my guess is you work too hard probably I enjoy what I do and then she laughed when I’m not doing pro bono criminal work which doesn’t happen too often I’m a corporate lawyer which is more interesting to me it wasn’t his

Idea of fun but it clearly was to her she was wearing the dark gray suit she had worn for court and it looked like a uniform she was comfortable in I’d love to get you out to East Hampton sometime he said it’s so relaxing there at my grandmother’s

Place how is she by the way she’s better she’s staying in Palm Beach for the winter she’s going to let me stay in East Hampton this year it’s great there in the winter I can walk on the beach and think I go fishing every day and I

Love to sail it sounded like a wholesome life to her unlike the felony charges against him which were a different story but maybe that had been an aberration and what he was describing was the real guy he was a man of many facets not just the criminal she had

Represented she was surprised by how pleasant dinner was talking to him he was easygoing and relaxed respectful and funny and incredibly smart it seemed too bad that he had never gone to college found work he wanted to do or had Parents who cared about him when he was

Young he might have done more with his life than being a beach buom at his grandmother’s house and dealing drugs he insisted on paying for dinner and was polite and considerate when he put her in a cab and he looked at her through the open window and thanked her for

Having dinner with him I’d really like to see you again sometime he said and looked as though he meant it and for an instant she felt the same way she nodded and then the cap drove away while she remembered things he had said during dinner he seemed like such a reasonable

Person and a kind man and it was a strange twist of fate that their paths had crossed she was glad she had kept him out of jail he surely didn’t belong there and as the cab took her to her apartment she couldn’t help thinking that Zack Holbrook was a guy who

Deserved a real chance and she hoped he’d get one and turn his life around if he’d had a caring family like hers his life could have been so different she was still thinking about him when she walked into her apartment turned on the lights took off her jacket and sat down

At her desk she pulled her files out of her briefcase she had hours of work ahead of her but she couldn’t help thinking about how surprisingly Pleasant an intelligence Z had turned out to be it had been the best evening she’d had in 2 years and then she buried herself in the

Brief she had to write but strange as it was her dinner with Zack hook had been a breath of fresh air and gave her hope that there were still nice men in the world he made it easy to forget his foolish mistake chapter 3 Izzy heard from Zach a

Week later and she knew she’d been thinking of him more than she should have been something about the evening together had made her feel human and like a woman again he was handsome and sexy but his gentleness and honesty were what had appealed to her being with him

Was so much less complicated than with the men she knew who were always always in competition with her Zach had no axe to grind and he was so open and real about everything that she couldn’t imagine him running off with some deut taunt like her fiance nothing impressed him because of

Where he came from and he had nothing to prove he didn’t care about any of the status symbols other men his age were chasing all he wanted he had said at dinner was a good woman who was the real deal as she was he was fed up with

Phonies and fakes Izzy had been engaged to a man who had turned out to be both and was in Hot Pursuit of all the trappings of success the girl he had married had been just another step up on the ladder he was so desperate to climb Zach didn’t

Care about any of it and when he invited her to East Hampton for the day Izzy accepted they had spoken on the phone several times by then and she liked him and his texts made her laugh his arrest seemed so completely not a part of who

Zach was that she didn’t care about it anymore and no one had to know she had seen at their second meeting how respectably he could behave and when he picked her up at the train station in East Hampton she was happy to see him he had come to the station in a beautiful

Old bit his grandmother kept in the garage it was in mint condition they had a fantastic time swimming in the ocean he took her fishing off a point near his grandmother’s home which was an elegant old house he was healthy and athletic there were a caretaker and

Housekeeper at the house but they were off for the weekend and Zach had made her lunch himself they walked along the beach at Sunset and he wanted to take her out on his small sailboat but the sea was rough instead they went to montalk and explored the lighthouse and had dinner

At a noisy restaurant where the food was delicious she had never had as good a time with any man in her life or felt as at ease and although she was usually cautious and somewhat distant on first dates he kissed her before she left and

She had never felt as hungry for any man in her life maybe because it had been two years since she’d liked or trusted a man Zach melted her ordinarily cool Reserve with the Searing white hot force of his kiss he was very sensual and stirred something in her that she had

Never felt before all the pent up emotions of the past two years came rushing out and she could hardly bring herself to leave his arms he stood waving at her as the train pulled out of the station on its way back to the city and he called her as soon as she got

Home wow what happened right before you left I felt like an avalanche had hit me he sounded as shaken by it as she was and he went to New York to see her the following night they were going to go to dinner and a movie and wound up in her

Bed instead and he never left she went to work the next morning feeling like she’d been reborn and he was waiting for her at her apartment when she got home he cooked her dinner and they could hardly wait to get back to bed he was the most powerfully sexual man she had

Ever known he spent the week with her and they went back to East Hampton for the weekend Justin called her on Saturday morning when she and Zach were about to go out on his boat her brother wanted to know how she was because he knew that weekends were lonely for her she told

Him she was in the Hamptons he was surprised since she had seemed down when she’d visited him in Vermont well that’s good to hear how did that happen I’m staying with friends she sounded happy and relaxed and promised to call him on Sunday night when she got

Home after they hung up Justin commented to Richard that it was the best he had heard her sound in two years and maybe she was coming back after all her anger and bitterness over the broken engagement he felt like the sister he knew and loved was back maybe she’s in

Love Richard suggested though he didn’t really believe it Justin’s sister had been so shut down for so long that he thought it would take a long time for her to come alive again but if she was happier now for whatever reason he was glad and he knew Justin worried about

Her they both agreed that it would take a remarkable man to make Izzy trust someone again for the next several weekends Izzy went to E Hampton with Zach they cooked together and walked on the beach sailed his boat and spent quiet Nights by the fire in his grandmother’s luxurious home it was all

Like a dream and a new experience for her to abandon herself to a man even her ex-fiance and as an added bonus their passion for each other seemed to be Limitless he came into the city to be with her during the week and hung around

At home or met up with friends while she worked even her mother noticed a new Lil in her voice when they talked she didn’t want to pry but said something to Julie when she dropped by the store is anything happening with Izzy Kate asked discreetly she knew she wasn’t privy to

All her children’s secrets in all and she didn’t try to be they had a right to their adult lives no not that I know of why Julie didn’t know about Zach either Izzy hadn’t told anyone and didn’t want to yet she wanted to keep the magic of their relationship to herself and the

Circumstances surrounding it would be hard to explain she wanted to protect it for now since it was so new she sounds great Kate said looking pleased and mentioned it to her mother when they had lunch I hope it’s not some rebound romance Grandma L said wisely she’s been

So locked up and down on everyone for so long she’s liable to go off like a rocket for the wrong guy Kate shook her head that’s not as his style she’s too sensible for that Kate had faith in her children and knew them well anei was the

Most level-headed of the four those are the ones it happens to she was hit so hard when Andrew walked away and married that girl and it’s taken her a long time to come back I hope you’re right and she’s finally throwing out I just hope it’s with the right guy Louise said with

A determined look I don’t even know if it is a guy maybe she’s just happy at work but she sounds terrific and she said something about going to East Hampton for the weekend Kate explained she said it was to visit friends I’m sure she’s fine Grandma Lou

Said trying to reassure them both she had great faith in Kate’s children but she was also realistic about the pitfalls of Life their mother still worried about them all the time and sometimes forgot that they were grown up she was concerned about Julie working too hard and not having a boyfriend and

About is he not getting over her broken heart she was happy about Justin and Richard and thought they were a good match and a great couple and she was mildly concerned about Wily’s flock of girlfriends and overactive sex life and hoped he didn’t get one of them pregnant

They were all on the right path with their careers but with the exception of Justin none had settled their personal lives yet and it sometimes kept her awake at night worrying about them just as it did Kate maybe it’s time for you to think more about yourself than about your kids

You don’t put any more effort into finding someone than either of your daughters and if you don’t want to end up alone maybe you should you’re too young to be on your own for the rest of your life Kate and it’s been a long time since you had anyone in your

Life at my age it doesn’t matter but at yours it does her mother looked looked at her seriously as she said it there are lots of people your age and a lot older who find someone and get married Kate reminded her and served it right back to her but Louise was

Unimpressed I had a good marriage for a long time and I don’t need another one I couldn’t travel as much as I do if I had to take care of someone or be here to keep him company I don’t want to be tied down at this point in my life except to

You and the kids and you can all manage fine when I’m away I don’t want some man complaining every time I get on a plane or to be a nurse I took care of your father and he would have taken care of me but we had a lot of great years

Before that I don’t want to start at that part at my age I’m having fun I don’t want to screw that up it sounded sensible to Kate and her mother didn’t seem to mind being alone she was always busy doing something that interested her taking a class or seeing friends or

Planning her next trip it was hard to find fault with that and Kate knew that her mother was right about her Kate hadn’t made any real effort to meet a man in several years she would have liked to have someone to share her life

With but she was set in her ways too and it wasn’t as easy to meet men as it used to be they were all married or seemed strange and she had no desire to put up with someone else’s quirks she was still very involved with her kids and the men she had dated

Earlier had always resented that in those days she had been a mother first since she had to be both mother and father to her children now she was less engaged with them but they would still be someone else’s children to any man she met her life seemed almost complete

With her friends family and work it was hard to imagine how a new man in her life would fit in she brought it up to Liam the next time they met that one of their favorite at haunts da syono for a glass of wine and a plate of pasta she

Always loved seeing him they could tell each other anything and had for years your mother’s right as usual she always is you’re too young to be alone Kate I worry about you too Liam admitted as they finished lunch what do you want me to do stand on a street corner and

Whistle for a guy like a cab they don’t fall out of trees you know he laughed at what she said he was a good-looking man and was aging well he was a year older than Kate he still looked the same as he always had with a little distinguished

Gray at the temples and most important he was intelligent and kind it always intrigued her that he didn’t demand more of Moren but instead of insisting that she join him for every social occasion he let her do her thing he was willing to let her lead the retiring life she

Preferred and he saw many of their friends on his own it was an arrangement they had agreed to many years before since he was more gregarious than she was it wouldn’t have suited Kate but it worked for them you could go to more parties or places where you’d meet men

He scolded Kate since she’d brought the subject up herself he knew she’d been too busy with the kids to focus on romance for a lot of years but it was different now even though Kate thought it was too late which he said was absurd at her age she was fit and trim youthful

In her appearance and beautiful and as appealing as ever men always looked at her admiringly and she seemed not to notice like go to bars she looked horrified you know what I mean you don’t try they both knew it was true and she didn’t deny it I’m happy the way I am

There was truth in that too but she did miss having a man in her life at times and whenever I meet single guys now they are weird they can’t all be weird he laughed at her he always loved talking to her he could never banter with anyone the way he did with

Kate maybe they can all be weird Kate said thoughtfully there are a lot of strange guys out there there’s a reason why they’re single no woman wants them what about a widower he said helpfully are you suggesting I read the obituaries and start stalking them she

Had read the Obits to find Estates for clothes for her store early in her business but she didn’t do that anymore it was too awkward and embarrassing writing to bed relatives about buying their loved ones clothes it can’t be as hopeless as all that Liam commented I just figure if it’s right

Someone will come along and if not I’m fine the way I am she was at ease about it it wasn’t high on her list of things to worry about she was far more concerned about her kids finding good partners than herself they had lives to live ahead of them she had already been

Married had children and had a busy life and career her children all had that to look forward to they lingered for a long time over lunch as they always did and since it was already October Kate asked him about his Thanksgiving plans Liam reminded her that European schools

Didn’t have time off for Thanksgiving so his daughters weren’t coming home we’re going to my father in-law’s house Kate knew he didn’t enjoy it but was doing it for Moren since the girls would be away his own parents had died many years before what about you same as every year

They’re all coming to me for Thanksgiving that and Christmas are my favorite times of year I get them all at the same table for a big meal will Justin stay with you no they stay with friends but they come over for Thanksgiving dinner and of course my

Mother comes too she’s planning some big trip again in January Argentina I think but she’ll be home for the holidays she’s going to China next summer she’s been studying Mandarin all year she’s amazing Liam said with admiration I hope I have half her energy

At her age I think you just have to keep moving and doing and learning there’s always something new she wants to do she’s a role model for us all Kate said with a warm smile at her friend Kate knew how lucky she was to have such a terrific mother they left the restaurant

Reluctantly after 2 hours of easy conversation and laughter Liam went back to his office and Kate returned to the shop the store was busy in the fall before the holidays with customers looking for dresses to wear to parties and holiday events her most recent acquisitions and

Some old ones were flying out of the store and an article in the Sunday Times magazine had mentioned still fabulous which always brought in new business with people who hadn’t heard of them before and after Thanksgiving they kept the store open 2 hours later at night to make it easier to

Shop by November Izzy and Zach had been deeply involved for almost 2 months they were still spending weekends in the Hamptons at his grandmother’s house despite the cold weather which made it even cozy at night the housekeeper and caretaker were used to seeing her and

Zach had keys to as his apartment in the City by then and came and went while she was at work they had settled into a regular life but she was still concerned that he didn’t work and had no regular plans in the daytime and nothing to do with

Himself his grandmother gave him some money from time to time which wasn’t enough to live on but with a roof over his head and food provided by his grandmother’s employees all he needed was enough to take Izzy out to dinner occasionally and pay for movies and cabs

Izzy didn’t expect him to contribute to her home but he needed more to do than just wait for her to come home at night Zach didn’t seem to mind not having a job or not doing something constructive with his time it didn’t even occur to

Him he read he went for walks he met up with his friends she had signed him up at her gym but he was a grown man and she thought he should have an activity and a purpose in life but when they saw her friends or had dinner with lawyers

She worked with he didn’t appear to mind saying that he didn’t work it made him seem prosperous and like a trust fund baby which he had been but a very meager one and it bothered her for him she tried to bring the subject up gently and he laughed whenever she did

You don’t have to be embarrassed about it he told her I’m not my father doesn’t work either but his father also had control of his own money Zach didn’t he negotiated with his Trustees for a pittance and they thought he should be working too and then they would have

Been Freer with the money if they thought he was responsible they didn’t want to encourage him to stay indolent and unemployed but even having too little money didn’t Inspire him to get a job is there anything you like to do Izzy asked him trying to guide him in the right

Direction yes make love to you he said and the topic would be brushed aside while he made love to her no matter what she did she couldn’t get him interested in a job their sex life took precedence over all else except her work she still hadn’t said anything to her family about

Him and didn’t want to do so prematurely although their relationship seemed solid but it was still early days and she was savoring the secret he didn’t answer her phone at the apartment so no one ever knew he was there she had toyed with the idea of inviting him to her mother’s for

Thanksgiving but he wanted to visit his grandmother in Palm Beach so she wouldn’t be alone for the holiday so I he didn’t have to make a decision he called her frequently and was always nice to her he was surprisingly well behaved for a self- declared Black Sheep

Although he never called his parents and she noticed that they never called him her own mother called her every few days and as he called Grandma Lou once or twice a week to check in with her most of the time she was doing something and too busy to talk what’s your family

Going to think about us Zach asked her in bed one night before Thanksgiving they’ll be intrigued and want to meet you and they’ll be happy for me she smiled at him her head close to his on the pillow but she also knew that they would want to know what he did

As a job in her family everyone worked not working was not an option nor even a remote possibility for any of them and they all liked what they did living as Zach did doing nothing on money he begged from his grandmother or his trustees would be inconceivable to them

And would make them suspicious of him and given how little money Zach could eek out of any of them she couldn’t understand stand is not wanting to work it wasn’t fun being broke she had taken to leaving a couple of100 in a drawer in the kitchen without comment so he would

Have pocket money she didn’t want to just hand it to him but he knew where it was and she replenished it every few days he was spending a few hundred a week of her money and it occurred to her frequently that it would have been nice

For both of them if he’d had even a small job but he thought that beneath him and he had no skills to sell and no education he was smart and charming and gorgeous to look at but you couldn’t get a job with that not a decent one and he

Would never have considered working as a waiter or something he considered menial like being a Salesman although he might have been good at it but she knew his not working would be a major stumbling block with her family and Zach wasn’t shy about saying he didn’t work and

Almost seemed proud of it she had no idea how to explain it to her family they were all going to disapprove of that and of him as a result no matter how happy she was iszy had never gone out with anyone like him before he still

Loved dressing like a bad boy he had all kinds of motorcycle gear and leather jackets which he wore with jeans and biker boots it made him look sexy to her but she couldn’t see her brother’s dressing like him she suggested modeling to him once or acting but he laughed at that too

He was perfectly happy as he was and didn’t mind being broke or getting cash from her she didn’t want to support him although she was well paid at the law firm that was a pattern she didn’t want to establish in their relationship he mentioned a few times

That his trustees might give him money if he was married depending on who he married but she didn’t want to marry him for that reason alone and they hadn’t been together long enough to consider marriage she didn’t know how to handle his complete lack of work ethic and it

Was hard to discuss with him since he wasn’t bothered by it but other than that they were ecstatically happy and got along it was a unique relationship in her life and maybe for that reason she found it exciting she kept telling herself that sooner or later she’d convince him to go

To work but there didn’t seem to be anything he could do it was not an easy problem to solve and Zach wasn’t worried about it at all he liked having free time to do what he wanted and had no shame about Izzy supplying his financial needs and being gainfully employed

Seemed dreary to him he borrowed $300 from her when he left for Palm Beach the day before Thanksgiving and had no way to pay it back the trustees had paid for his airfare since it was to visit his grandmother Izzy thought about it after he left and she knew it would have to

Change or eventually it would impact their relationship even if it hadn’t yet he called her from the plane before his flight took off and told her he loved her he was so sweet and affectionate with her that he was irresistible he had brought her back to

Life and given her faith in the human race again he had healed her broken heart and made her happy and after they hung up she wondered if that was enough maybe the rest didn’t matter maybe Black Sheep never got jobs and weren’t supposed to work but if so it was going

To put a heavy burden on her and she noticed when she went to make herself a cup of tea that the cash drawer in the kitchen was empty he had taken what was there along with the $300 she gave him it was expensive loving a black sheep

Chapter 4 Kate’s children arrived at her apartment around 3:00 on Thanksgiving Day every year they talked and laughed happy to see one another and they sat down to an early dinner at 600 after her daughters helped her with the Final Touch is in the kitchen Grandma Lou came

Early to help cook the turkey and Richard loved to help and was a fabulous cook everyone was in High Spirits talking at once and teasing each other very much as they had when they were children Kate said grace before the meal and then they brought in the food from

The kitchen and passed it around she prepared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and other than Christmas which was equally festive it was everyone’s favorite day of the year they all noticed immediately how happy izy looked this year and they were halfway through dinner when Justus impressed her about

It she finally admitted that she was seeing someone and she said demurely that it was going well okay Justin said smiling at her tell us what that means who is he what does he do for a living how did you meet him and is it serious let’s get the cards on the table

He teased her we all want to know oh For Heaven’s Sake she said blushing don’t be so nosy he’s very nice his name is Zach Holbrook and we’ve only been dating since September they were a lot more involved than just dating they were basically living together but she didn’t

Think they needed to know that even if they wanted to she wasn’t ready to tell all yet how did you meet him Justin was relentless he was a client she said truthfully but she didn’t describe how she had defended him on felony charges in a pro bono criminal case that

Wouldn’t have occurred to any of them and they would have been horrified and so was she initially but it didn’t matter anymore she knew now what a decent person he was he was also incredibly sexy and she was in love with him what does he do Justin persisted and

She hesitated for a fraction of an instant he has a trust father she said in a soft voice and that was true too they just didn’t happen to give him much money from it almost none in fact does he work Willie asked her it was a reasonable question he might have

But the answer was no not at the moment she said vaguely why didn’t you bring him Grandma Lou asked her watching her carefully she could sense that there were things that Izzy wasn’t sharing with them and didn’t intend to Kate had that feeling too he’s with his grandmother in Palm Beach for

Thanksgiving he sounds very fancy Julie said quietly is it weird being with someone who has so much money he doesn’t have to work Izzy nodded in answer to the question sometimes she was dodging their questions artfully they wouldn’t have liked the truth what did he do before

Justin chimed in again assuming that he must have worked at some time his father manages their Investments she said vaguely and tried to change the subject by commenting on how good the food was when are we going to meet him Kate asked her daughter would you like to bring him

For Christmas she wanted to lay eyes on him and judge for herself she could tell that he was important to aie I don’t know yet we’re still getting to know each other that wasn’t entirely true but she didn’t know what else to say you’re welcome to bring him anytime you choose

Kate said grateful to see her oldest daughter so happy she was smiling about it and looking warmly at Izzy when Justin startled them all with news of his own Richard and I have been interviewing suraga since August and we think we’ve met the right one we found her through friends in New Hampshire

She’s done this once before she is 29 years old married and has two children Richard and I have decided to go ahead with her and a friend of Richards that he grew up with is giving us her eggs they’re going to harvest her eggs next

Week and with any luck if it works the surrogate will be pregnant and will have a baby on the way by Christmas he beamed at Richard as he said it and the two men exchanged a smile there was silence at the table for a moment as everyone stopped eating and

Stared at them and Kate looked upset a baby why do you want a baby why don’t you just get married since it’s legal now a baby is an enormous commitment and she wasn’t convinced they were ready for that and what if the surer won’t give it up Kate could see all the pitfalls

Instantly and as he nodded she gave up the last one she gave birth to without a problem Richard said quietly we feel confident that she’s reliable and honest and she won’t get the final payment until she signs off we’ve been talking about it for a long time and we don’t

Want to adopt we’d rather have our own and to answer your question Kate we’ve talked about marriage too and it’s not important to either of us but a baby is we know it’s a big commitment we both feel ready we want to have a family of

Our own and this seems like the right time we’ve been meeting meeting with doctors and lawyers for months Justin nodded and his mother was fighting back tears she knew that Justin’s income was decent but irregular and Richard’s salary as a teacher wasn’t large how are

They going to afford a baby and what if they broke up all she could see ahead of them were the risks and none of the appeal of starting a family why would you want a baby now when you’re both so young I’m 9 years older than you were

When you had a z m and Richard is 36 Justin spoke in a calm voice but no one at the table looked infused at the idea from a legal standpoint surrogacy is very Risky Business izy said in a disapproving tone there are great many cases where the surrogate won’t give the

Baby up once it’s born why take a chance on that kind of heartbreak if you want kids why don’t you adopt that’s not without risk either Justin said quietly and for a number of reasons Richard and I feel that surrogacy is the right choice for us they hadn’t made the

Decision impulsively but no one else knew that and they had both put some money aside enough to move ahead now how do you know she’s healthy and not a drug addict or she won’t drink while she’s pregnant you don’t know who this woman is his mother said looking

Anxious we know enough mom to be comfortable about her and friends got a wonderful baby from her the baby is healthy and she was honest and reasonable Justin was visibly disappointed by his family’s reaction he had hoped they’d be happy for them it had been a huge decision and they’ put a

Lot of thought and Research into it and soul searching and it was what they both wanted more than anything they had no doubts I really feel you should rethink it izy said firmly is is Right Kate said said definitively I think it’s wonderful Julie said beaming at her twin brother

And Richard I hope you have twins they both laughed at that it had occurred to them too we’d be fine with twins but we’re hoping for one this time Richard answered for him I think you’re crazy to want kids Willie added they’re messy they smell they keep you up all night

Why would you want a baby Richard and Justin both laughed at his reaction which was appropriate for a 24-year-old who couldn’t imagine why anyone in their right mind would want children be careful you don’t wind up with one Justin warned him I think it’s an excellent idea Grandma L said in a

Strong voice and Kate stared at her mother how can you say that Kate challenged her they have no idea of the responsibility or the commitment what if something happens to one of them God forbid she looked straight at Justin and then at Richard what if you break up straight

Couples break up Grandma Lou said sensibly Tom died and you survived it and did a great job bringing up the children children survived divorces and the death of a parent and no one understands the commitment one has to Children until they have their own that’s never stopped anyone and Justin

And Richard aren’t children it sounds like they put a great deal of thought into it and are doing it responsibly Grandma L said in an approving tone with a smile at her grandson which he was grateful for you can’t send it back if it’s too much for you to handle Kate

Warned them that’s not going to happen mom we want this baby and we’ve put a lot into it time and money we met seven surrogates before we chose this one the legal term is just stational carrier he said educating them all to what was was already familiar to them can you afford

It Kate asked them looking panicked she knew what it was like raising children with very little money and the strain it would put on them more than they could imagine we can Justin assured her not easily but we can we’ve been saving up for it and when I sell my book we’ll

Have more you and Tom couldn’t afford izy when you had her Kate’s mother reminded her or the twins people do it all the time and find them money as they go along your father and I weren’t making much money when we had you either if everyone waited until they were

Rolling in money most people wouldn’t have children you work it out just as you and Tom did and your father and I did Justin and Richard will work it out too congratulations she beamed at them we should all be celebrating she said with a pointed look at her daughter and next

Year on Thanksgiving I’ll be a great grandmother I couldn’t be more pleased she said firmly and the table exploded in chatter after that with a million questions about the egg donor the surrogate and how the process worked Kate was noticeably silent for the rest of the meal Justin had a quiet word with

Her before they left I’m sorry you’re upset about it mom he said sadly he had wanted her support and for her to be pleased and she very obviously wasn’t which was a blow to him I’m not upset it’s not that I don’t approve I’m just

Worried for you for both of you having a baby is huge I want to be sure you know what you’re getting into I think it’s so much responsibility for you financially emotionally and in every other way we do know what we’re getting into mom trust

Me I want you to be happy for us and excited about the baby he told her honestly we’re not children we know what we’re doing he sounded very sure no one knows what they’re doing before they have children Kate said bleakly are you sorry you had us he asked her

Bluntly of course not she said shocked by the question it’s the best thing your father and I ever did why you sorry you had us after he died Justin asked more gently certainly not I was happy I had you and such a big part of him then why

Would it be different for us you don’t know how the child will feel one day to have two fathers and no mother what if they give him or her a hard time in school they give the children of straight parents a hard time in school

Too and will be there to support him or her and we’ll explain it to him as soon as he’s old enough to understand it’s a little too modern For Me Kate said looking deeply worried for them but she hugged them both and told them she loved them when they left Grandma Lou

Stayed to chat with her and the others went home to bed you have to back off on this grandar L told her seriously you can’t control what they do it’s important to them and they’re trying to go ahead with it in the best way they know how you have to be

Supportive of them Kate I understand your concerns and I’ll worry about it too but for the sake of your relationship with Justin you have to at least pretend to be pleased he’ll never forgive you if you don’t we owe it to him to be on his team now and endorse

Their decision you don’t have any other choice unless you want Justin to distance himself from you maybe forever they’re going to do it no matter what we say you need to get on board Kate don’t lose your son over this it’s not worth it they’ll have the baby anyway they

Were wise words and Kate knew she was right and she remembered how worried her parents had been when she dropped out of school to get married and got pregnant immediately and with Tom in law school they had depended on her salary which was far less than Justin and Richard

Made but she didn’t like the surrogacy idea at all it sounded fraud with risk to her yet she also knew that Justin wasn’t going to change his mind and suddenly give up the notion of their having a child Grandma Lou was right and there was no choice but to get on the

Bandwagon or Justin would never forget it or forgive her she had asked him if Richard’s parents knew and they didn’t the boys hadn’t told them since his parents weren’t even willing to acknowledge that their son was gay you’re the only grandparent this child is going to have her mother reminded her

So you’d better get used to it for your son’s sake she told told Kate Stanley and I honestly think they’ll handle it well I think it’s very exciting and brave having a baby is always a courageous thing to do you never know how it’s going to work out but you

Managed for on your own I’m sure they can handle one with the two of them they’re sensible responsible young men have faith in Justin’s judgment he’s a smart boy Kate and he’ll be a good father and however you feel about it this is what he’s going to do you can’t let him

Down there were tears in Kate’s eyes as she nodded her mother was right but she was worried about it anyway it seemed too difficult to her Grandma Lou left a little while later and Kate was left to ponder everything that had happened that night Izzy was in love and Justin was

Having a baby in the cap going home Izzy was grateful that Justin’s news had gotten them off the subject of Zach and the fact that he didn’t work and God help her if they ever found out how they’d really met she almost shuddered at the thought and once back at their

Friend’s apartment Justin talked to Richard about his mother’s reaction to their news does she think we’re idiots or children he said angrily about his mother she acts like we’re the first gay men to ever do this she’s usually so cool but she hadn’t been that nice Richard was far more willing to forgive

Her than Justin who felt cut to the quick by what she’d said and her negative response she’s worried for you that’s all Richard said soothingly to our parents we’re always kids and in this case kids having kids and surrogacy shocks a lot of people it’s not normal

And is is right there have been problems with it in some states particularly when it was first legal give her time Sheil adjust she worries about us all too much Justin complain to his partner she’s a mother that’s what she’s supposed to do Richard said and Justin laughed

Ruul then let’s agree now not to be like that with our kids Justin said and then remembered what izy had said and by the way what do you think about is’s trust fund baby boyfriend it better be a big trust fund or he’ll be a heavy weight on your

Sister as ambitious and hardworking as she is I’m surprised she wants to be with a man who doesn’t work he must be great in bed Justin said laughing but it had bothered him when she said Zach didn’t work and he thought she looked embarrassed by it too it had been a

Night of big news and startling announcements he and Richard were especially touched by his grandmother’s reaction to their baby and they had a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks they were both excited and stressed about it their friends were going to be harvested in a few days and

Mixed with their sperm they both want to be sperm donors for their baby the sperm and eggs would be fertilized in the laboratory and then the two most viable ones put into the surrogate’s womb and hopefully one would take they could both hardly wait it was an incredible process

And the culmination of a dream for them they fell asleep talking about it that night as they had for weeks and all they could do now was pray that they would be far soon it would prove to both of them that if cherished long enough dreams do

Come true chapter 5 before Justin and Richard drove home to Vermont on Sunday they stopped in to see Kate again for breakfast she seemed to have calmed down and didn’t mention their baby plans again she had had a long discussion about it on the phone with Izzy on

Saturday and she shared her daughter’s concerns but she thought it best to be diplomatic with Justin and Richard and they avoided the subject too this was a wrinkle Kate hadn’t expected they had no interest in getting married although it was now legal and it had never occurred to her that they

Would want to embark on fatherhood in liew of marriage it didn’t sit well with her values whether they were gay or straight in Kate’s mind you got married and then had babies and not the reverse and did not have babies instead of marriage their relationship seems solid

But who knew what the future would bring a baby just seemed premature to her Justin was still establishing his career living on a shoestring depending on writing articles for magazines and he was working on his first novel at 30 Financial stability was still several years away and Richard’s salary as a

School teacher was barely enough to support them let alone a child and with the surrogacy she could see trouble on the horizon why couldn’t they it was all she could do not to mention it again when they came to see her to say goodbye but following her mother’s advice from

Thanksgiving she kept things light and she doubted that she could dissuade them anyway they said they’d had a nice weekend with their friends and had had a dinner party at their home the night before the two boys had always had a nice social life and were an established

Couple they preferred to hang out with other gay men like them who had solid relationships and serious domestic lives Justin had never liked the promiscuous side of the gay scene in New York his home life was important to him just as theirs had been when they were growing

Up family was all important to them in light of that their wanting a child was no surprise but it seemed like an added burden on the relationship to Kate a financial one they couldn’t afford and the legal aspects of surrogacy seemed terrifying to her she had breakfast with

Them and then they left for the six drive back to Vermont well that was nice your mom seems like she’s calmed down Richard commented as they got in their battered Volvo station wagon he seemed relieved he had always gotten on well with Kate more so than with his own parents who

Were narrow-minded and critical of them Kate was much more open in her thinking and accepting of her son and had always been warm and affectionate with Richard and respectful of them as a couple he liked her and she called him her son in love don’t believe everything you see

Justin said turly as he got behind the wheel and started the car he knew his mother better my mother doesn’t want to battle with us and my grandmother probably told her to cool it and calm down but you saw how upset she was on Thanksgiving that doesn’t just disappear

With her when she wakes up the next morning we haven’t heard the last of this yet anei is going to get her even more wound up up about their legal pitfalls we know what they are I think we’ve made a good choice with Shirley but we’ll never convince my mother of

That she always sees everything that can go wrong I think my father dying so young and leaving her with for kids to support and very little money taught her that life can go to in a minute she doesn’t like anything high-risk for any of us and I guess having children is

Risky they can get sick something can go wrong and who knows maybe sherley will go nuts and try to keep the baby but you can’t live in the basement with a blanket over your head either waiting for the roof to fall in we have to lead

Our lives I’m just sorry she isn’t happy for us I hoped she would be but I was wrong he looked unhappy as they drove through Soho and headed out of New York don’t be too hard on her Richard said quietly she’s always been great about us

My parents would go crazy at the idea of our having kids and using a surrogate it’s a lot for parents to absorb I don’t think my mother would like the idea of a surrogate even if we were straight I don’t think this is about our being gay Justin said

Fairly it’s about her thinking we’re too young and we don’t have enough money to support a child which is something she knows about and we’re relying on a total stranger to hand over our baby when it’s born at least she’s accepting of us Richard reminded him when are you going

To tell your parents Justin asked glancing at him how does never sound to you or maybe when our son or daughter goes to college or gets married we can invite them to the wedding our kids not ours Justin laughed at the idea they both knew how hostile Richard’s parents

Were about his being gay they had wanted him to go to a psychiatrist for treatment to cure him of his deviant Behavior it was unbearable to them that their son was gay and they acted like Justin didn’t exist a baby would put them over the edge Richard’s siblings a

Brother and sister were no better both were married and had children and he hadn’t heard from either of them for several years and it had been made clear to him that he wasn’t welcome to come home for holidays until he cleaned up his life i. was no longer gay they were

Convinced it was a bad decision he had made and they had had their Pastor talk to him about it too Kate found it hard to believe that there were still parents in the world who behaved the way and she had always been extra loving to her

Son’s partner because of it but her baby via a surara seemed to be too much even for her they got back to their home in Vermont at 6:00 after stopping for gas and a sandwich along the way they had agreed to a meeting with Shirley their surrogate that night before Richard’s

Friend Alana’s eggs were harvested the next day both Justin and Richard planned to be there for that but they wanted one last meeting with Shirley before she signed their agreement at the attorney’s office the next morning they unpacked their bags from New York Richard made

Them some soup and a salad and they were just putting the dishes in the dishwasher when Shirley and her husband arrived they had left their two kids with her mother her parents were aware of the project sherley had done it before and she had told them that

Offering herself a a surrogate served a dual purpose it made someone else truly happy and it gave them money they needed for their own kids her husband had no problem with it he was a carpenter and she worked at a local supermarket and would keep her job unless she had a

Problem with the pregnancy but she was young and healthy and there was no reason why she would her three previous pregnancies had gone smoothly and she had delivered all three babies naturally in record time as he had been each time they met him sherley’s husband Jack was

Tacettin when he walked in but he had never objected to what she was doing and he liked the two men the two fertilized over were going to be implanted in her uterus later that weak at her most receptive time her own ovulation cycle had had to be halted chemically as they

Wouldn’t be fertilizing her eggs so she was making no genetic contribution to the pregnancy she was merely an incubator for the fetus for 9 months and biolog IC Ally not its mother everything was clear would you like coffee or tea Richard offered when they sat down or a last

Glass of wine he smiled at Shirley from the time Alana’s eggs were inside her she had agreed not to drink any form of alcohol use drugs except those prescribed medically or smoke cigarettes or marijuana she had no problem consenting to that they looked like healthy responsible people shley wasn’t attractive but she seemed

Wholesome and intelligent she and Jack had come up with the idea of surrogacy 3 years before after the birth of their second child when they realized they couldn’t make ‘s meet she had had such easy pregnancies that they agreed as long as she didn’t have sex with the baby’s

Father which the doctors had assured them was not necessary she could have had an utero fertilization but after considerable research Justin and Richard had opted for initro fertilization where the eggs would be fertilized outside of her womb and then implanted in her uterus it was more complicated and more

Expensive but a sure process so they chose IVF sherley was looking forward to being pregnant again and said she felt great when she was and 9 months didn’t seem long to her though it felt like an eternity to Justin and Richard to wait to have their baby in their arms they

Both accepted coffee and chatted for a while she had agreed to meet with both men every 2 weeks and give them four reports on her medical visits and sonograms and details on the baby’s progress and they had chosen the obstetrician they wanted her to see supposedly the best one in town Shy’s

Fee was to be paid half at the outset and half after the delivery with a check for her expenses sent to her once a month she would be getting the first check the next day when she signed the agreement no money changed hands that night it was just a friendly meeting to

Confirm that everything was a go on both sides and that no one was having second thoughts or regrets they left after an hour and Justin and Richard had a glass of wine when they did it’s hard to believe it’s all starting tomorrow finally isn’t it Justin said as they sat

In their small cozy living room by the fire they had one bedroom and a small study Justin used to write they were going to give up the study to the baby and Justin said he’d WR in the kitchen after that it was the best they could do

Since they couldn’t afford to move to a bigger house they were willing to make all the sacrifices they had to for their child they went to bed after that and were both too nervous and excited to be Amorous Justin was up at 6 and Richard shortly after they were meeting Alana at

The hospital at 8 and she arrived right on time Elana and Richard had known each other since his childhood and they had remained good friends once they grew up she was a nurse herself so she was familiar with the process and she liked Justin too she was a bright vivacious

Pretty Woman and both men were grateful for what she was doing for them she had a boyfriend and he knew about the plan she had volunteered her eggs when she heard what they wanted to do and she was relinquishing All rights to the baby she was 36 Like Richard but all her hormone

Tests had shown her her to be still fertile and her eggs healthy and Richard loved her like a sister they were both happy to have her be the biological mother of their child or twins if both eggs survived she didn’t want them in the room with her when her eggs were

Harvested and it was supposedly a painful process but she came through it bravely the doctor came out to talk to them an hour later and told them that everything was fine as Justin and Richard waited nervously in an area for family and visitors they had both provided the necessary

Sperm when they arrived everything had gone according to plan and the threesome left the hospital 2 hours after they’d arrived Elana was slightly wizzy from the pain pills they’d given her after the harvesting and they took her home and promised to check on her later and then Justin dropped Richard off at the

School where he worked and went home to his computer to write all he could do was stare at it for a while and think about what was happening somewhere in a laboratory his and Richard sperm were meeting Alana’s eggs and 9 months from now their baby would be born it made

Justin cry as he thought about it from the sheer enormity of the moment he had never wanted anything so much in his life when Zach came back from Palm Beach the Monday after Thanksgiving he couldn’t wait to see azy she rushed home from the office at 6:00 and they were in

Bed 5 minutes later they were still breathless afterwards when he looked at her and smiled I missed you so damn much my poor grandmother sleeps all the time now but it was nice for her to have me there no one else ever goes to visit her anymore

She was 89 frail and INF failing health and as he thought it was nice that he’d gone although she had missed him too so how was your family when you told them about me he asked with interest she had told him that she had admitted to them

That she was seeing someone but her brother hiring a surrogate to have a baby had preempted all other subjects immediately after they were fine she said quietly curious intrigued she didn’t want to tell him too bluntly that they wouldn’t have understood why he didn’t work even if

He’d had money and they would have understood it even less since he didn’t she was having a problem with it herself mostly they were upset about my brother Justin wanting to have a a baby with a surrogate I think it’s pretty crazy too given all the legal risks here’s the gay

One he asked casually and she nodded so when am I going to meet them she had been thinking about taking him to dinner with them on Christmas Eve or Christmas day since they celebrated both but she still wasn’t sure he could see her hesitate and looked hurt Are you ashamed

Of me Izzy of course not she was instant ly embarrassed but they’re very square and normal and you’re pretty racy for them especially if they knew the truth that he had been recently convicted for dealing drugs and that was how she’d met him I don’t want them to interrogate you

Or give you a hard time I’m a big boy I can take it he said calmly and they can’t be too square or normal if you have a gay brother who’s having a baby with a surrogate that’s a little racy too not really it’s just just legally

Stupid at least I think so my mother’s not happy about it because they won’t get married maybe she’s worried about their relationship being solid and the financial burden it will put on them but no one wanted to listen to either of us and my sister and grandmother thought it

Was great they’ll do what they want anyway they have to make their own mistakes Zach said philosophically my mother doesn’t see it that way she worries about all of us and in this case I agree I don’t see why they need to have a baby and sasy can be

A mess but my brother seems very determined we’re all pretty stubborn she smiled at Zach I was thinking about taking you home for Christmas if you really want to if not it can wait but their holiday get togethers were the only time that everyone was there and her relationship gotten so serious so

Quickly with Zach that she felt as though she should introduce him to her family before much longer I’d like that he said looking pleased and he kissed her thank you you’ll have to play it pretty straight she warned him I don’t think the sexy biker look will go over well with them on

Christmas I think I can manage a coat and tie for your family he said he had done it for their second court appearance although she hadn’t seen that look since but at least she knew he was capable of it and it would matter to them what was

Going to matter to them even more was the fact that he was unemployed it would please her family if he got a job would make them like him better and it would certainly help her with expenses but she had no idea if she could talk him into it or convince him

That it would be good for him too she had a month to try but when she got up for work the next morning and he lay happily spred across her bed like a sleeping giant with no sign of waking and nothing to get up for she realized

Again how different his life was and as she left $100 in the kitchen drawer for him she wondered how long this could last unless he decided to get serious and grow up there was no sign of it yet and she knew she was enabling him by giving him money but she didn’t know

What else to do on Friday afternoon as Justin was struggling with an article about chemical risks to the environment which bored him but he needed the money the fertility doctor called him Justin’s heart skipped a beat when he answered and he wondered if there was a problem

Maybe all Alana’s eggs had died or their sperm had INF fertilized them is something wrong Justin asked holding his breath for an instant not at all the doctor said warmly to reassure him I just wanted to let you know that we put two fertilized eggs in sherley’s utrus

Today we had five good ones but we had agreed on two Justin and Richard had said that they wanted a single child and could handle twins if they had to they couldn’t imagine triplets and didn’t want to risk it so the doctor had used two of the

Fertilized eggs but no more and if it didn’t work this time Alana was willing to do it again as was Shirley everything went smoothly she’s fine we told her to stay in bed today but she can be up tomorrow tomorrow and we’ll check her hormone levels in about 10 days to see

Where things stand it’s looking good Justin could hardly contain himself until Richard got home and gave him the news as soon as he walked through the door they were jubilant at the Prospect and had dinner with Alana that night she was fine after having her egg harvested

4 days before and proud that two fertilized eggs had been implanted I almost hope you have twins she said to them over wine at dinner and they groaned although Justin wouldn’t have minded having twins if they could afford it he loved having a twin sister

And they had had a ball growing up he was closer to her than to anyone else on the planet except Richard she had called him several times that week to see what was happening and if they done it yet he hadn’t heard a word from his mother

Which Justin knew meant she was still upset but not saying anything the next call they got from the doctor was the following week to tell them that Shirley’s HCG levels were high in her blood test which meant that at least one of the fertilized eggs had taken technically she was pregnant but they

Needed to keep checking now to see if her hormone levels continueed to rise or dropped if she lost it if they Rose higher than normal it would mean that both embryos had implanted all they could do was check her hormone levels now and in a few

Weeks they could do a sonogram to make sure that one or both of the embryos were still there but for the moment at least Shirley was pregnant Justin let Against All Odds Danielle Steel chapter 1 on a hot sunny day in June Kate Madison drove her 10-year-old Mercedes station wagon through Greenwich

Connecticut until she reached Midpoint Drive and followed the directions she’d been given until she arrived at tall iron gates she pressed a buzzer and said her name when a male voice answered a moment later the gates swung hung open and she drove slowly onto the property the grounds and Gardens were

Impressive and there were beautiful old trees lining the driveway she had been in the area many times before though never to this particular estate the woman who had owned it was a well-known Society figure who had only stopped going out shortly before she died at 9

To2 before that she had been one of the granday dames of New York Society a generous woman who was best known for her philanthropy she had no children and had been on the best dressed lists for years mostly for her vast collection of French Oak Couture which looked fabulous on her

Even at her great age the woman’s clothes were being disposed of by two nieces who were finding the project far more tiresome than they had expected both were in their 60s and lived in other cities and their husbands were Executives of the estate they had already made arrangements with sbe’s to

Sell the jewelry had consigned the furniture to Christies to auction and were keeping some of the more important art the rest was either being donated to museums or sold privately through a dealer in New York and all that remained to deal with now was their aunt’s wardrobe which filled three enormous

Rooms that had previously been bedrooms in her spectacular house the deceased had been a small very thin elegant woman and her nieces couldn’t imagine who her clothes were going to fit the coats maybe many of which were voluminous and she had some magnificent but the dresses were minute they had contacted Kate store

Still fabulous after reading about it on the internet when a friend in New York recommended it to them Kate had disposed of the friend’s mother’s wardrobe too and she’d been very pleased with the results Kate herself and still fabulous had a golden reputation in New York as

The best most elegant resale shop in the city located in SoHo she sold clothing that she bought outright occasionally at auction ions or she sold things on consignment so she had no initial investment she only sold clothing which was in impeccable condition or brand new she had some wonderful vintage pieces

But most of what she sold was current and still fashionable her customers loved her store opening it had been a dream Kate had had for many years before she finally could she was Adept at combing resale stores herself out of necessity and she loved the hunt for beautiful

Things when Kate’s husband died when she was 29 leaving her with four young children she had worked at Bergdorf Goodman for 5 Years first as a salesgirl then as a buyer of designer clothes she was well versed in new designer clothing too but the thrill for her was in

Finding unique pieces some vintage some recent and in the 18 years she had owned still fabulous she had gone to Paris many times to buy exceptional items at auction that others often overlooked she bought only the most pristine items in perfect condition and they had to be still wearable and look

Chic she liked older more historical vintage pieces as well but she bought them judiciously or took them on consignment in case they didn’t sell if they looked ridiculous were out of style or in poor condition she didn’t want them in her store she remembered many of the really beautiful and exceptional

Pieces she had sold where they came from and kept meticulous records of who she had sold them to her prices for important designer clothes were high but fair Kate got out of the car in Greenwich pounded the heavy brass knocker smartly and a moment later a butler in a starched white jacket opened

The door Kate felt a blast of cool air from inside and was relieved to realize the house was air conditioned it would have been too hot to go through the closets otherwise examining heavy winter clothes and Furs along with the rest it was was obvious that she was expected

And she was respectfully led into a wood paneled Library by the butler she could see at a glance that the walls were lined with rare leatherbound books many of which were probably first editions and worth a fortune the family was selling them at Christies too they were keeping very little of their aunts

Estate Kate was enjoying looking around discreetly and was standing at the open French windows with a view of the exquisitely manicured Gardens it was not the first time she had been in a home like this to evaluate and buy items from an estate a secretary appeared a few

Minutes later apologized for being late and led her to the locked rooms that were the woman’s closets they were any woman’s dream and a sight to behold as the young woman turned the lights on there was row after row of impeccably hung garments many of them in individual

Cloth bags and several racks of fabulous Furs and there were specially built cupboards for hats hand bags shoes and drawers for her custommade underwear satin night gowns scarves and gloves there was one entire closet of evening gowns many of which Kate knew she couldn’t use nowadays most of her

Clients even the most social ones LED more informal lives she might be able to take a dozen or so of the beautiful gowns but there were at least 200 there in Black pastel and brilliant colors and always with evening bags and shoes to m one of the closets contained mostly

French O Couture from important designers many of whom no longer existed The Collection was worth a fortune and had cost an even bigger one when the woman bought the clothes hanging on the rocks it was a treat to see such magnificent pieces Kate asked the secretary for permission to take some

Photographs she agreed without a problem and told Kate she was welcome to stay as long as she liked Kate smiled as the secretary said it she would have loved to spend a week there not just a few hours but she couldn’t indulge herself just for the fun of it she had to single

Out the items she could sell and think about her more important private clients as well as what she wanted in the store her shop was also a valuable archive for famous designers who came to do research sometimes when they were looking for inspiration for their next collections Kate had another segment of

CLE onel as well she had long attracted movie stars and celebrities who borrowed and rented evening gowns to wear to press events premieres and award ceremonies like the Oscars the evening gowns would work well for them and she had rented clothes as costumes for several movies over the

Years on a more human scale while she still worked at burdorf’s she had acquired clients she consulted for helping them to build their wardrobes or finding special items for them it had given her extra money she needed for her children and inspired her to open a store of her own the steady additional

Income she made from Fashion Consulting had given her the seed money to open still fabulous along with loans her best friend Liam helped her obtain at the bank where he worked still fabulous had produced Beyond expectations and within 3 years she had repaid all the loans she started her business on a

Shoestring and watched her budget closely and it grew rapidly in a relatively short time Kate was strikingly Chic and always dressed simply she had worn a black linen Chanel suit with white pet collar and cuffs and matching white chamia on the lapel she looked trim and elegant as

Always and had an innate flare for fashion for herself as well as others she was tall slim and had long straight blonde hair she wore in either a Sleek ponytail or a barn at 53 she looked 10 years younger than she was and went to a

Gym five times a week to maintain her figure the secretary in Connecticut was impressed when she saw her but not surprised Kate medison had been highly recommended as the best in the resale business and supposedly had an unfailing eye for what would sell and women would

Still want to wear she never picked the trendy pieces that were a flash in the pan and had gone out of style almost as soon as they were made her clients loved finding things they could wear forever some of them iconic pieces from the designers who had made them Kate carried

A lot of Chanel at the store Eve St lauron from Paris and Dior from the days when John Franco foray designed it in the 80s and ’90s she also had balain from when Oscar dear Renta had done their o Couture and Christian lroy before they closed both

Out cure and redit to wear and sheni from both the days of the great designer himself and its more recent incarnations by Alexander McQueen and Ricardo tisai there were designers other had forgotten the many young designers who had died in the 70s and 80s and some later at the

Height of their talent Patrick Kelly and Steven sprous among them and she sold the American brands of redditor Weare that everyone loved Donna Karen Calvin Klein Michael Kors Oscar dear Renta Carolina errera and here and there a nameless brand that she bought not for the label but because it had style or

Girl or Chen as the French called it that ephemeral something you couldn’t really describe but that made a woman look special when she wore it if she had the guts to pull it off Kate also found wonderful Basics like simple little black coats peac coats expertly cut

Prada and skirts and pants and sweaters that were Timeless the secretary came in to check on her as Kate was photographing several beautiful evening gowns from Paris she had made her way through the first closet with two more to explore by 3:00 Kate had seen all she

Needed two of the woman’s collection and had photographed the most important pieces Kate thanked the secretary and promised her a list of the prices she would suggest in the next few days with many of the pieces she had to guess what they sold for originally but she knew

The market well the rule of thumb was that she charged clients half of what the items had originally cost and Kate split what she made 5050 with the seller so the seller got 25% of the original purchase price and so did atate and in the case of exceptional

Items or something truly iconic she might charge more and the price she sold it for was always negotiable it was a very fluid business and with rare and important pieces she recommended donating them to museums for a tax deduction for the donor she loved finding special things for her clients

And her merchandise often came to her in unusual ways sometimes from Estates like the one in Connecticut what she had seen that day was a remarkable collection and Kate knew just what she wanted from it which pieces she felt her clients would want to wear and would sell well there was an

Editor at Harper’s Bazaar who was always anxious for beautiful Furs and there were great ones in that estate the elegant dower in Connecticut was going to make some people very happy with the treasures she had left the success of Kate’s business was legendary from a tiny little storefront when she first

Opened in SoHo before it was as fashionable as it became later in time she had taken over a bakery on one side of her and a small restaurant on the other and her shop was a good size now she rented three apartments above it to use a storage for the items

She either didn’t have space for in the store or chose not to display to random clients and saved for special people and events an editor of Vogue had discovered her in her second year which had helped her a lot and little by little her reputation grew through magazines and By Word of Mouth

She became one of the best fashion finds in New York in the years since she opened she had put four children through college with scholarships and without student loans and had put them in private schools also on scholarships before that her mother had been a high school English teacher and helped her

Obtain the scholarships and cheated the kids when needed Kate had always been adamant that she wanted her children to have a good education that would give them a great foundation for life and they had all done well in school and had good jobs now Kate had dropped out of college

Herself in her junior year to marry Tom Madison her parents had objected vehemently to no avail when she gave up school Kate was headstrong and determined and sure of what she was doing and madly in love with Tom he was 26 and in law school at the time they

Had no money to live on and Cate went to work at Berg dorfs for the first time selling designer clothes she worked right up until the day she delivered Isabelle their first child a year later when she was 21 and was back at work four weeks later her

Salary just barely fed all three of them paid the rent and daycare for izy while Kate worked she had begun combing resale shops then for clothes she could wear to work two years after a he was born she gave birth to twins at 23 Justin and

Julie she gave up her job at bergdorf’s then to stay home with them and Eed out what they need needed by Consulting with private clients Tom graduated from law school when the Twins were born and got a good job with a major Law phone he supported the family then after Kate’s

Three years of hard work and the Consulting money she continued to earn helped make H’s meet they didn’t live lavishly but they managed and somehow with some juggling they always had enough Kate knew how to stretch their money and was creative and resourceful and Tom worked hard and did well at the

First home they lived in a cramped apartment in the village with the three children in one room and Tom and Kate in the second bedroom which was Tiny but they were happy and felt blessed they had another baby William 6 years after the Twins were born when they were a

Little less strapped but halfway through Kate’s pregnancy Tom developed mysterious symptoms no one could figure out for several months he was diagnosed with a rare exceptionally aggressive form of pancreatic cancer a week before Willie was born he lived the agonies of the Damned for 3 months and died when

Willie was 3 months old the twin six and as he eight Tom’s death had blindsided them completely they had remained hopeful to the end and Kate was suddenly a widow at 29 with four children Tom was 35 when he died and the insurance money he left had kept them going for a year

And then Kate had to go back to work fulltime at bergdorf’s as a sales girl she raised to buy it quickly by working many extra hours while her mother Babys sat for the children and the rest was history after 5 years at burdorf’s she took a chance and opened still

Fabulous she was 35 and very brave and with her consulting jobs and salary at bergdorf’s had saved enough to start out on next to nothing with loans she only took items on consignment then and couldn’t afford to buy anything looking back on it at times she didn’t know how

She’d done it or had the guts but she hadn’t it had worked she never forgot those hard years when she was building her business and bringing up her children at the same time but somehow they always had what they needed and now they were all adults had been well educated and had good

Jobs as far as Kate was concerned her real success had been her kids they were all still very close and she was proud of them Izzy had followed in her Father’s Footsteps she had gone to NYU on a full scholarship and lived at home then because they couldn’t afford the dorms

Followed by Colombia law school and now at 32 she worked at a prestigious Wall Street Law Firm Justin had gone to Brown on a scholarship as well and was a freelance writer doing magazine pieces and writing a novel he was 30 and living in Vermont both he and Izzy had held

Jobs all through school Julie Justin’s twin had had a harder time in school than her siblings she had moderate dyslexia and her grandmother had tuted her for her entire School career and helped her keep up her grades Julie had a remarkable artistic talent and her mother’s love for fashion

And had gone to Parson’s School of Design she was working for an upand cominging young designer now who paid her well she got none of the glory for the clothes she designed but she earned a decent salary she could live on in her early years after Parsons she had had

For roommates but at 30 she could finally afford a loft she loved on her own and at 24 Kate’s youngest Willie was the family techie they all teased and called a geek he’d gone to AKA but came back to New York when he graduated he had a great job with an

Online startup that they hoped would become a big success none of Kate’s children were married iy had suffered a broken engagement 2 years before her fiance had dumped her for a debut tor from a fancy New York family and they had recently gotten married Izzy hadn’t gotten over

It yet and had an edge to her now that she’d never had before which Kate hoped would dispel in time she hadn’t dated anyone seriously since and worked hard at the law foam she was hoping to become a junior partner soon Justin was gay and lived with his partner who taught

History and Latin at a local high school in the town where they lived in Vermont Richard was 36 and they had met at a writing Workshop four years before Kate had realized that Justin was probably gay when he was 11 and was supportive when he came out at

16 Richard’s family was still in denial they were a conservative family in the South and disapproved of everything about his life in contrast to Kate’s loving acceptance of both of them Julie had had a series of relationships though nonone serious she said most of the men she met in the fashion world were

And she worked too hard to date much she had always been shy and didn’t mind spending time alone she was a gentle soul with a huge Talent she put all her time into designing four collections a year not romance and at 30 she wasn’t worried about getting married Willie the baby

Was unofficially the family according to his sisters he went out with one girl after another and as many as he could at the same same time at 24 he just wanted to have fun and didn’t want a serious relationship and was honest about it with the girls he dated

Justin and Willie had both suffered growing up without a father despite Kate’s efforts to be both parents to all of them but it was harder with the boys once in a while she heard from teachers that the boys lied about their father being dead and pretended to their

Friends that he was working in another city or on a trip Justin suffered from it L than Willie and always had Kate take him to the fatherson dinners at school he still remembered his father though the memories were dim now Willie didn’t since he’d been only 3 months old

When Tom died but they had photographs of him in their rooms when they were growing up and Kate talked about him frequently to keep his memory alive Kate had made her peace with being a widow the children had kept her busy for many years until they grew up and

Left for college she’ had some romances but was too frantic trying to keep their Collective heads above water and provide for them to get seriously involved with anyone for a long time most of the men she met didn’t want the burden of four children not their own and the few who

Seemed to like the idea were never the ones Kate was drawn to she always said that she and the children were doing fine and for the most part she was right but it was lonely for her at times now not having a husband or partner with her

Kids on their own with busy lives she made the best of it and in recent years there were only casual dates from time to time she often thought it was ironic that now that the children were growing up and doing well she would have had

Time for a man but never met anyone who appealed to her the men she met now were either married or commitment phobic and she was busy with her store and loved what she did days like the one she had spent going through the estate in Connecticut was still fun for her it was

Exciting to find beautiful clothes often knowing their Providence and who had worn them clothes like the ones she had seen and sold in the course of her business were pieces of fashion history and it still thrilled her to make special discoveries her family mattered more than anything to her and her children

Were the joy of her life and still fabulous gave her tremendous satisfaction was something to be proud of and had fed them well she could hardly wait to get back to the store now and figure out what she was going to agree to sell for the estate and which

Pieces she wanted to buy outright and keep to offer special clients Isabelle Madison was in a hurry as she left her office she’d had to reorganize all her appointments for the afternoon in order to accommodate the pro bono assignment she’d been given she always thought that it was inconvenient

That attorneys in her firm had to accept pro bono work as part of their giving back to the community she had done an internship in the district attorney’s office years before when she was in law school and had discovered how much she hated criminal work she was a business

Attorney who specialized in mergers and Acquisitions but she was conscientious and would do the best she could with the case she knew only the bare bones of the charges the defendant Zack Holbrook was accused of possession of a large amount of marijuana and cocaine with intent to

Sell he had no previous arrest record and his last name was that of an illustrious family in New York but she had no idea if he was related or if it was just a coincidence and whatever his name the defendant sounded badly behaved to her he had been drunken disorderly and had

Resisted arrest she had to remind herself to keep an open mind as she got out of the cab in front of a SD bar where he had offered to meet her she didn’t want to have him come to her office so had agreed to meet him at the

Bar she’ had no idea how bad he’d look Holbrook had already been arraigned and was out on his own recognizable sance because he wasn’t considered a Flight Risk and as he met him at the bar he had suggested a public defender had attended the arraignment before she was assigned

To the case she was already planning to ask for a continuance of the proceedings so she could do some research into the case but according to the police report he had been caught red-handed with a fairly large amount of cocaine and he was clearly guilty it was going to be

Difficult to come up with a credible defense she arrived 5 minutes early for the appointment and her client showed up half an hour late and was not what she had expected she’d expected him to look slightly derelict and maybe like a drug addict despite the fancy family name he

Was 35 years old strikingly handsome and was wearing a clean white T-shirt black jeans a black leather biker jacket and motorcycle boots the jacket had obviously been expensive and he was covered with tattoos including on the back of his hands and crawling up his neck his hair was shoulder length but

Clean and he had several days of beard stubble he looked sexy and stylish and was friendly and relaxed when he sat down at her table he could guess immediately that she was his attorney she looked theart she was relieved to see that there was nothing ominous about

Him if anything he was Charming which annoyed her as he explained that he was sorry he was late he had just flown in from Miami when he’d spent the weekend which concerned her since she wasn’t sure he was allowed to leave the state what if the flight had been late or

Cancelled he seemed very casual about the charges he was facing she didn’t think the marijuana charges would be hard to beat but the large quantity of cocaine in his possession would be she told him that he could go to prison and he insisted that was unlikely since he’d never been

Arrested before he didn’t seem worried at all as he spaed in the chair across from from her and drank a beer while I he drank water she wondered if she could get him to show up in court in a suit for future appearances even a sport coat

Instead of like a rich boy’s version of a Hell’s Angel in a movie he had a very studied bad boy look there was something theatrical about him and much too smooth he joked through the meeting which as he didn’t find amusing he admitted to her within the

Client attorney privilege that he had in fact sold Caine and marijuana it wasn’t the first time but he’d never been caught before she was not pleased to be representing him it seemed like a waste of her time she had better things to do than defend the

Black sheep from a wealthy family he had told her immediately that he was part of the family whose name she had recognized not that it mattered why did you ask for a probor o attorney she asked him bluntly instead of just paying for one she was surprised he qualified as

Indigent he seemed like he could pay for his own and his family surely could have the District Attorney’s Office had exercised their right to ask the judge for a pro bono attorney in order to move the case along since all the public defenders were currently overworked and

The judge had agreed I’m dead broke I have no money he said easily my family cut me off when I turned 30 they don’t approve of my lifestyle he smiled broadly seemingly undisturbed by it further conversation with him told her that he had never had

A job and didn’t want one he didn’t see why he should work since no one else in his family did he had dropped out of high school after being kicked out of all the best boarding schools in the East I deal Coke sometimes when I’m broke he said with an ingenuous look as

Though that were an acceptable form of part-time employment and he said he thought it served his family right for not not supporting him he explained that all of his relatives lived off a family trust that the trustees would no longer disperse funds to him at his father’s

Request since he had dabbled in drugs when he was younger so he had no money but didn’t work Isabelle wondered how he lived other than occasional Coke deals from what he said he was living Hunter mouth but had just gone to Miami she wondered how he had paid for that he

Was obviously resourceful Holbrook volunteered that his father was married to his fifth wife who was 22 years old and his mother to her fourth husband and lived in Europe he said his parents had divorced when he was five and had been marrying other people ever since his mother lived in Monte Carlo

And he never saw her and his father alternated between various homes in Aspen LA and Palm Beach and he ran the family investments from wherever he was I’m the black sheep is his client said proudly he had a sister who had been in and out of rehab and was living in

Mexico and a flock of step and half siblings as he couldn’t keep track of than he wasn’t close to he was the proverbial Rolling Stone from a dysfunctional family with money but no stability he seemed to be without anchor or foundations acted more like a kid than an adult and had clearly never

Grown up and what bothered Izzy most about him other than his obvious irresponsibility was that he was so appealing and occasionally funny that even she smiled several times at what he said he was totally without remorse but not without charm by any means and he was obviously

Intelligent it was hard not to be somewhat seduced by him and despite her best efforts not to be she was but gave no sign of it to him she was trying to think what defense she could use for him and was hoping there was some improper technicality about the arrest or the

Charges that she could use to have the case against him thrown out otherwise he was screwed and would go to prison she told him not to ever wear the leather biker jacket for court appearances to put on a proper shirt and get a haircut and shave before they went

To court he laughed at what she said and obviously didn’t take it seriously while she tried not to notice his broad shoulders and how toned his body was in the T-shirt under the leather jacket he was visibly amused by her instructions and intense look you’re cleaning me up he asked her

Trying to she said turly judges don’t like that look she didn’t want him appearing and acting like a juvenile delinquent or wasting her time if he expected her to win his case he had pleaded not guilty at the arraignment and got a 3-month continuance while he waited to be assigned a pro bono

Attorney and she intended to extend it so she could research the case she had made all the notes she needed to at the bar and he smiled at her as they stood on the street for a minute she found his cocky attitude irritating he was arrogant although the

Family history he had given her sounded pathetic she almost felt sorry for him in spite of herself and he clearly wasn’t doing anything with his life and never had he was one of those people where everything had gone wrong right from the beginning and still was he

Seemed foolish and immature not evil can I take you to dinner sometime he asked her with a mischievous lurk and as he frowned she was his attorney of record not a date no you cannot you’re facing very serious charges here Mr Holbrook and I strongly advise you not to do anything

Foolish before we get this resolved where are you staying by the way do you have an apartment I was staying with friends but I got kicked out he said grinning sheepishly which made him look younger than he was my grandmother lets me stay at her summer house in the Hamptons when

I’m in New York but I’m going back to Miami tonight I am fairly certain you are not allowed to leave the state with this case pending she was also wondering how he was going to pay for the plane fair if he had no money but she didn’t ask

Probably not but my grandmother has a house in Palm Beach too so I can stay there if I need to he didn’t seem to be without comfortable lodgings in Posh places only without a work ethic and a conscience about what he’d done to get arrested it was trivial to him and

Justified by lack of family financial support which he felt was his due I’ll be in touch Izzy said soberly he had given her his cell phone number and email address to contact him I want to review some of the details of the arrest and see if we can make a deal or even

Get you off on a technicality she thought it was her only hope of keeping him out of prison I’m sure you’ll find something he said seeming relaxed and confident I’ll call you when I’m back in New York she had given him her business card and planned to see him at her

Office next time she hadn’t wanted to bring a criminal to her office but he looked respectable enough despite the biker jacket and Tattoos they would have three months before the next court appearance and she hoped to get another continuance then too to drag it out and give her time to prepare their case

We’ll do lunch he said and hailed a cab she stood staring after him as he rode away still stunned by how nonent he was she had never seen anyone as cavaliere but the details he had told her about his early life divorced parents many remarriages no stable family growing up

In a series of boarding schools with no parental involvement in his Youth and no work ethic as an adult probably explained his attitude it was a recipe for disaster Master which he was heading for now and didn’t seem to know or care she couldn’t imagine him surviving in

Prison he was much too spoiled and he was obviously used to getting whatever he wanted or somehow making his life work it didn’t bother him how haphazard it was he had practically undressed her with his eyes and yet there was an innocence to him too but she had no

Intention of having lunch with him or falling prey to his charm she was much smarter than that she thought as she took a cap back to her office relieved to be returning to the real world the world of Zack hook disgusted her wasted lives 2 hours later her paralal

Staggered into aiz office with an enormous vase with three dozen long stem bright pink roses and a card that said thanks for everything see you soon love sack Izzy almost groaned when she read the card this was not the relationship she wanted with him she was angry instead of pleased new admirer her

Paralal asked her with a smile as izy frowned and shook her head no new client she offered no further explanation but she wasn’t happy about it and her paralal left the room with no comment after depositing the Roses on a table behind is’s desk Izzy went back to work

Without glancing at them annoyed at Zack Holbrook all over again he was completely inappropriate in every way no matter how beautiful the flowers were or how attractive he was all she wanted was to get rid of the case and she hoped she’d be lucky enough to get him off or

Make a deal so she didn’t have to keep seeing him over the next few months he was a headache she didn’t need there was no room for a Charming unruly black sheep in her life chapter 2 the two nieces of the deceased daer in Connecticut were delighted with the

Prices Kate suggested for the items she wanted and the clothes were delivered to steal fabulous the following week Kate was there when they came in dropped off by a chauffeur with a van she and Jessica her assistant checked them again entered them in their inventory and put

Them upstairs to show their most favored clients Kate had already contacted several of them and the editor from Harper bizaar had said she wanted two of the fur coats they were a villain and in perfect condition one was a shaved dark blue Mink that had

Been worn only a few times and the other was an incredibly Chic skunk she was picking them up in a few days Kate had chosen a whole rack of Chanel suits several items of O Couture some Asar the LA rent cocktail dresses and a dozen alligator bags in different colors that

Looked brand new The Dowager had kept her clothes impecably and it always excited Kate to bring in items of such high quality she was sure it would ALS sell very fast it was one of the best Estates she had seen in years Kate’s daughter Julie came to visit a few days

Later after work she loved seeing what her mother found they shared a passion for exquisitely made clothes especially o Couture and Julie had learned much about designing from what she had seen in her mother’s store since she was 12 years old her own style was Modern and

More extreme and fashion forward but she always said that she’d been heavily influenced in what she designed by what her mother had shown her and taught her over the years they spent an hour going over everything and Kate invited her to dinner at a restaurant nearby the neighborhood had improved a

Lot since Kate had opened the Store The Shops and restaurants around her were trendier and more elegant now and there were many places to eat well with her children when they had time to drop by they went to a nearby restaurant best known for its wholesome food fresh vegetables homemade pasta and salads

Where Julie liked to have lunch and they talked about the latest collection she was working on she was frustrated at times because she would have liked to do more exciting clothes for their line but the designer she worked for wanted her to maintain the image and style of the

House but she enjoyed her job and the people she worked with and she was making a healthy salary now it was an excellent job and prestigious as the head designer for an upand cominging fil her learning disability had caused her problems in school with reading and math but she had enormous Talent with

Anything involving art or design you should have been a designer mom she said to her mother with a warm Smile as they shared a Mediterranean salad Julie looked nothing like her she had her father’s dark eyes and dark hair and was smaller than her mother and older sister

Who were both tall thin and blonde and looked more like sisters than mother and daughter I’m better at appreciating other people’s designs Kate said with a smile in response she loved spending time with Julie she was a gentle person and they always got along Izzy had a stronger personality and was sharper and

More critical at times particularly since her broken engagement which had left her bitter about men and often harsh in the past two years Kate hoped it wasn’t permanent and that she’d mellow again when she met a man she cared about but it hadn’t happened so far I’m a better Shopper Kate said

Honestly laughing at herself what’s Grandma up to Julie asked her I haven’t talked to her in weeks where’s she off to now all of the children enjoyed their grandmother who was a fiercely independent woman she loved to travel and had a widowed friend close to her own age whom she dragged

Halfway around the world at every opportunity she loved going to exotic places and Francis tagged along they had been School teachers together before they both retired Grandma Lou as they called her had taken each of her grandchildren on an adventure trip when they turned 21 she and jie had gone on a fabulous

Trip to India 9 years before which jie had never forgotten it had influenced the Fabrics She was drawn to for several years and three years ago she and Willie her youngest grandchild had gone to Dubai Izzy had insisted on going to school Scotland and Ireland which Grandma Lou

Thought was too tame she had added four days in Venice and a weekend in Paris before she brought her home and izy had loved the trip and she and Justin had gone on a walking trip in the pole which was more her style she had been an important person for them ever since

They’d been born adding spice and adventure to their lives on a weekend trip to Quebec a tour of the battlefields of the South and visits to Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Canyon when they were small she brought them interesting books and told them Tales of her own trips to Africa and

Asia she was always open to learning new things and had recently started taking Mandarin lessons in preparation for a trip she was planning to Beijing in a year it was hard to keep up with her I think she’s going to Australia this summer on some kind of Museum tour she’s

Already planning a trip to China next summer she’s taking Mandarin lessons to get ready for it and she’s going to Argentina after Christmas she already spoke Spanish Kate’s mother was an exciting person to have in their lives and at the same time a solid stable one she had

Been invaluable to Kate bringing up for children alone they didn’t have a father but they had a grandmother who added immeasurably to their lives she had a thirst for knowledge and wanted to see everything firsthand nothing daunted her she was was a remarkable woman and at 78 she

Didn’t seem to be slowing down her traveling companions always had trouble keeping up with her she stayed in remarkable shape and was an expert in yoga she had tried to convince Kate to try it for years but Kate was less athletic than her mother and insisted

She didn’t have time Kate went to the gym and took a spinning class once a week which was exercise enough for her the two women had an enjoyable dinner before Julie went home to her apartment Kate didn’t ask her if she was seeing anyone because she knew the answer to

The question Julie hadn’t gone out with anyone in months by the time she got home from work late at night she was too tired to go anywhere and she was content to stay home in her Loft in the East Village her siblings were far more social than she

Was Julie never minded being at home and felt no pressure to meet a man when she had time to spare she went to Vermont to stay with her twin brother and his partner for a few days usually between collections they were a happy threesome whenever they were together Kate was

Pleased that her children were all close even more so to one another than to her although they liked spending time with her too and Grandma Lou was welcome at any family meal or plan the best times they all shared were on holidays when they were all together and Justin’s

Partner Richard had been a happy addition to the group for the past 4 years now of Justin’s siblings had significant others for the time being nor did Kate although her longtime friend Liam her best friend since college sometimes join them he was like a brother to Kate and an uncle to the

Kids he was married to a quiet woman who didn’t like to go out at night and he had two daughters who were in college in Europe so he was always happy to be with Kate and her kids he worked for a bank and led a serious circumspect life and

Had been a big support to her when Tom died they had been good friends now for more than 30 years Liam had advised her in setting up the financial Foundation of her business and helped her get loans a couple of times in the beginning she said she couldn’t have done it without

Him and he was always available to councel her even about the kids he said he had a good marriage but as much as Kate loved him like a brother she had never warmed up to his wife nor morein to her so her friendship with Liam flourished separately from the rest of his life

Kate always invited them as a couple when she gave cocktail parties or invited them as a family to events with her children but Moren rarely came she was a shy retiring woman and preferred to let Liam see Kate on his own she wasn’t jealous of Kate she just had

Nothing to say when they were together Moren was from Maine and spare with words Kate’s Lively family and her own style and enthusiasm about life had always been too much for Moren but she was a solid support for her husband and a good mother to their kids and for the

Spice and fun in his life Liam had Kate and her busy tribe and he always said that he had been in love with Grandma L since the day he met Kate he called her sometimes just to see how she was and ask what she was up to the answer to

That question was always interesting and unexpected Louise was the only World traveler he knew who was almost 80 years old grandma Lou had spent her 7 to fth birthday on Safari in Africa and had returned with Incredible photographs it embarrassed Kate sometimes how much more adventurous her mother was than she was

Herself Kate was happier staying closer to her home her business and her kids even now that they were grown up her mother had always been fiercely independent even in her Youth and during her marriage and her husband had admired her for it and encouraged her she grew

Even more so once she was widowed and had the chance to do all the things she had dreamed of for years but never could do while she was married and she had opened the world as a learning experience for her grandchildren they loved spending time with her and hearing about her

Travels they confided their secrets to her and asked for her advice she was always candid with them even if she didn’t agree with their mother she thought Kate was a terrific mother even better than she herself had been with her only child but at times she thought

She protected them too much grandma L believed they needed to learn their own lessons about life Kate didn’t want them to get hurt but as their grandmother pointed out sometimes that was the only way to learn it was the subject of many discussions between Kate and her mother

To what extent one could Shield one’s kids from the hard lessons in life it was an age-old question to which there was no answer only different opinions when they talked about it Liam was more inclined to think as she did and had a tendency to overprotect his

Two girls it had taken every ounce of self-restraint he’d had to let them both attend college in Europe and having been so sheltered at home they were hungry for the world Penny was at the University of Edinburgh and Elizabeth was in Madrid he had already been to visit them several times although Morin

Didn’t like to travel and hadn’t gone with him the girls were ecstatic to be where they were and Far From Home although they loved their parents Kate’s mother dropped by to see her at the store the day after she had dinner with her younger daughter Grandma

Lou had been on a walk in SoHo on her way home after yoga hi Mom Kate said happy to see her I have something for you it was a beautiful navy blue Chanel suit from her latest intake and was the perfect size for her mother and Kate thought it would

Be useful for her it still had the tags on it from the woman in Connecticut and had never been worn she brought it out of a locked closet with pride she kept special finds there waiting for clients she had promised them to or had called them

About she had saved the suit for her mother Grandma L stood staring at it for a minute and squinted her straight gray hair was cut in a bob like she had worn all her life her hair was thick and full her blue eyes bright and alive she was wearing leggings a pink lacost

Shirt and the running shoes she wore on her hikes her figure was still trim and her face surprisingly unlined and she had the stride of a much younger woman particularly when she picked up speed when she was walking she hadn’t bothered with a handbag and had her keys and

Wallet in her pocket she hated to be encumbered and she didn’t care if she looked Chic or not she thought of clothes as functional unlike Kate who’d had a passion for for fashion all her life do you really think that’s me Louise asked seeming worried and her daughter smiled it’s awfully serious

Looking isn’t it she was less excited about the suit than Kate had hoped you can wear it out to dinner mom or if you go to the theater Louise looked dubious at the thought she was more comfortable in jeans and the easy clothes she wore to travel she thought Comfort was more important

And Kate always looked stylish whatever she wore even in jeans she would never have left her house without a bag usually a Chanel or a well-seasoned hummies that had come through the store and Kate loved high heels Louise had always preferred Flats why don’t you try it on Kate

Encouraged her about the navy suit it was a classic and she knew her mother would look great in it if she could convince her to wear it he humor me her mother laughed disappeared into a fitting room and emerged a few minutes later with her lacost shirt under the

Jacket her leggings showing under the skirt in her beaten up old running shoes as Kate laughed now that’s a look M they both considered Her Image in the mirror as Kate’s mother stuck her arms out like a kid in an outfit her mother had forced

Her to wear but didn’t want to I’m not sure it’s me she said cautiously in fact it wasn’t but Kate hoped it could be if her mother was willing where would I wear it do I have to I will if you want me to I always knew you wanted a mother who

Dressed like this her mother had worn jeans for as long as Kate could remember when other mothers were wearing wraparound skirts and cute dresses and high heels Kate’s mother hated dressing up and it had never mattered to her father who thought she was gorgeous whatever she wore they had had a terrific

Marriage and accepted each other as they were he had owned a successful contracting business and they had a good life and Kate had been happy growing up she had always felt safe and protected in her parents’ world and wanted her children to have the same sense of

Security with her even without a father after Tom died Kate’s financial situation had been far less secure than her parents once she was the children’s sole support but she had always managed and something had always happened to help her rabbit out of the Hut when she

Needed it most and when she was in dire need her mother had helped her although she didn’t have a fortune either but they had never known serious lack thanks to Kate’s Ingenuity about providing for them and her willingness to work hard and she had conveyed the same work ethic

To all her children with good results all her children worked hard at their jobs so what do you think about the suit Kate asked as her mother wandered around the store in the Chic Navy Chanel with her running shoes and pink shirt and Kate could see she didn’t like it and

Didn’t really care which was a waste someone should have it who really loved it and for whom it would be a fantastic find for her mother it looked more like a punishment than a prize you don’t have to take it if you don’t want to she said

Gently letting her mother off the hook and Grandma Lou laughed and was relieved I don’t think you’ll ever make me into a respectable looking mother in a Chanel suit what really need a new hiking boots before my summer trip you wouldn’t have any of those would you

We’re going to do some hiking after our Museum tour she said earnestly and her daughter laughed hiking boots were definitely not the look Kate had spent almost 20 years cultivating it’s still fabulous I’m afraid we’re fresh out she said and gave her mother a hug and a few

Minutes later Louise took off the suit handed it to Kate and left delighted to have escaped the Chanel suit although she appreciated the thought once in a while Kate actually found something her mother liked but this recent attempt was definitely not her look she had given her mother a wonderful lamb and suede

Coat she had worn two years before on a trip to Tibet and some fun Chinese pajamas she wore at home but for the most part despite her daughter and granddaughter being steeped in fashion Grandma Lou had no desire to be sheep and was content to dress as she

Chose grandma was in Australia with Francis in August the week after izy returned from a weekend in Vermont at her brothers when Zack Holbrook called Izzy at her office to discuss his case she had sent him several emails to which he hadn’t responded and she was about to

Report it to the court and attempt to get excused from the case but hadn’t gotten around to it yet if he didn’t care about his court case and the felony charges against him why should she she took the call as soon as her paralal said he was on the phone

Hello Isabelle he said sounding relaxed and friendly far more so than she felt about him how about our lunch how about your pending case that could send you to prison do you have any interest in talking about that she responded tartly and for an instant he

Was silent on the other end did I catch you on a bad day he sounded like a chasti child not at all she said cooly you haven’t answered my emails and I was planning to resign from the case I can’t deal with a client who won’t respond if

You’re not interested in your own defense why should I be he was startled by her bluntness and chilly tone I’ve been busy I kept meaning to answer you my grandmother had a stroke in Palm Beach and I was staying with her Izzy didn’t know if it was true or not but

Suddenly she felt sympathetic toward him despite her resistance to him and disapproval of his lifestyle he somehow made her feel as though she should be nice to him because life had handed him some tough breaks I’m sorry to hear it she said quietly is she okay it made her think of

Her own grandmother and how grateful she was that she was in good health she had talked to her on Skype a few days before her grandmother was proficient with computers and Willie was always showing her something new she had a state-ofthe-art computer at home a laptop for when she traveled and she

Always carried an iPad in her purse she had taken several classes and had even mastered Excel she’s better now thanks for asking Zach said she’s a Plucky old girl I love her a lot she’s the only member of my family who ever gave a damn about me

I’ve been staying with her for the past 2 months so where are we with my case he said warmly I’ve looked over all the details of the arrest and I can’t find anything wrong with it I think the only thing we can do is try for a plea bar in

Have you plead guilty and ask for probation W It Go on my record then he sounded disappointed that she couldn’t get him out of it that she was an attorney not a magician and he had been arrested with the drugs in his possession yes it will she said honestly

But if you don’t plead and you push it to trial and are found guilty as charged you could go to prison for a few years I’d like to try to avoid that for you how do you feel about a plea bargain if you think that’s the only

Choice I guess there’s nothing else to do I don’t want to go to prison he said sounding anxious finally you’ll have to behave if you’re on probation though if you get caught with drugs again and arrested they’ll send you right to prison for probation violation we have a shot at probation

This time because it’s your first arrest I know he said soberly I get it let me talk to the assistant DA assigned to the case and see what I can do she had very little to bargain with he wasn’t gainfully employed or a solid citizen he was from a well-known family

Which no one cared about and had been caught with drugs what about our lunch Zach asked before she could hang up I never agreed to lunch with you she reminded him yes you did he teased her putting the charm on her full blast or you should have

Come on let’s go to lunch we can discuss my case if that will make you feel better I’ll call you after I speak to the assistant DA she said coldly ignoring his invitation and ended the call it took her two days to reach the assistant DA assigned to Zach’s case and

He didn’t sound interested Ed in making a deal with her why should I make a deal with you he said bluntly we got the guy cold we both know he was selling or planning to the guy a jerk he some spoiled boy who never grew up he’s

Probably been dealing on a small scale for years and just never got caught and you know he’s going to do it again then you can put him in prison next time the prisons are full of guys a lot worse you said it yourself his small time you’re not putting away some danger to

Society you’ve taught him a lesson he gets it I doubt you’ll do it again you’re lying to me counselor and you know it he’s probably been dealing again since he got out of jail on this arrest she hoped it wasn’t true but knew it was possible she decided to try another

Attack you and I have more important things to do than waste our time on a case like this you have real criminals to put away and I need to do my job why spend months going to trial when he’s willing to plead for probation there was silence on the other

End because the assistant DA knew she was right he did have bigger fish to fry and Zack Holbrook wasn’t really a danger to anyone but himself I’ll think about it and let you know he said and called her a week later after the Labor Day weekend he had just

Gotten three big cases and he knew as he had a point he didn’t need a smalltime case like this it was easier to just plead it out okay if he pleads guilty we’ll reduce it to a misdem Minner and give him probation two years and if he screws up

Again we’ll send him away sounds like a deal to me and if Zach did screw up again it wouldn’t be her problem and they could assign him to someone else I’ll have the papers drawn up and you can bring him into plead just say when and I’ll have him there she hoped she

Was telling the truth and that Zach would have the brains to show up if not the da would be pissed and so would she and the deal would be off sometime next week the da said we’ll let you know thank you Izzy said sincerely they were

Both happy to get rid of the case as soon as she hung up she called Zach on his cell he said he was in the Hamptons and she told him not to go anywhere until the plea bargain was complete he promised not to and didn’t mention lunch again he sounded busy when

She called and she didn’t care the following week as soon as she was notified by the DA’s office she called Zach and told him to meet her there and on what day he thanked her for doing a good job and this time when he met her

He was on time and wearing a suit a white shirt and a tie he’d cut his ha hair and he had shaved he looked more like an attorney than a defendant the meeting was over quickly the plea bargain and probation were confirmed by the judge after is he

Entered the guilty plea for Zach they didn’t assign him to drug rehab because two random drug tests had come out clean they assigned him a probation officer whom he had to check in with once a month the PO was a woman and she was a little flustered when Zach turned the

Charm on her he couldn’t help himself it was how he related to women and she was flattered by the attention he was such a good-look guy other than that Izzy was impressed by how circumspect he had been this time and they shook hands outside

The court she was in a hurry to get back to her office for a meeting with her boss and delighted that the case had been disposed of Zach looked serious and appropriately chastened when he thanked her again you did a great job he said seriously there wasn’t much I could do

You need to stay out of trouble now or they really will send you away she warned him I know I’m not crazy and I don’t want to go to prison how about lunch he asked her cautiously this time she was one of the few women he’d met who was impervious to his

Charm I’m late for a meeting I can’t but thank you anyway what can I do to thank you you he asked gratefully she realized then that he had actually been scared although it never showed there was something vulnerable about him which made her feel sorry for him again you don’t owe me

Anything Zach she said kindly I just did my job I’m glad it worked out okay despite the guilty plea but at least he wasn’t going to jail and maybe he had learned a lesson from it for his sake she hoped that was the case would you ever have dinner with me he

Asked wistfully it was hard for him to imagine that she would and she seemed like she was about to say no you’re a nice person and I’d just like to thank you stay out of trouble she said smiling at him that’s all the thanks I want and

He looked so sad as he gazed at her like a big feror puppy that she didn’t have the heart to turn him down sure maybe we can have dinner sometime she didn’t really mean it but didn’t know what else to say how about tonight she didn’t want to but thought

It might be easier to just do it and get it over with reluctantly she said yes and felt foolish as soon as she did sure I have to make it early I have a brief to write tonight she said sternly to remind him that this was a business

Dinner and he was a client not a date he suggested a restaurant she knew and liked close to her office at 7:30 and after agreeing to meet him there she jumped into a cab and went back to work she felt faintly stupid for accepting the invitation but it was 2 hours out of

Her life and she forgot about him as soon as she got to the office until she was ready to leave at 7:00 and then remembered her appointment with Zach she brushed her hair and put on lipstick before she left her office and walked to the restaurant carrying her briefcase

With the work she had to do that night it felt more like a nuisance to her than a date and he was still wearing the suit and had taken off the tie when she arrived he had a deep T after the summer and she couldn’t help but notice again

How handsome he was she ordered a glass of wine and he ordered a scotch and water after they sat down and he was predictably Adept at drawing her out in conversation he was at ease with people especially with women married he asked her as they SI their drinks and she

Shook her head she didn’t tell him about the broken engagement and the guy who’d broken her heart and married someone else but she looked serious for a moment and then took another sip of her whine and relaxed no single she confirmed she knew you were single from the court papers and probation

Report I lived with a woman for 2 years she had a kid who was like my son we broke up and she moved to LA she’s married now I haven’t seen the boy since she left it was nice for a while though everything in his life was transitory and she

Suspected he didn’t want the responsibility that went with a solid life why is a beautiful woman like you single he asked her with a dazzling Smile as he nursed his scotch and changed the subject back to her I’m not the marrying kind she said easily it had

Been her Pat answer for the last 2 years and made getting dumped seem better you just haven’t met the right guy he said confidently as though he might be it which seemed laughable considering how they’d met my guess is you work too hard probably I enjoy what I do and then

She laughed when I’m not doing pro bono criminal work which doesn’t happen too often I’m a corporate lawyer which is more interesting to me it wasn’t his idea of fun but it clearly was to her she was we wearing the dark gray suit she had worn for court and it looked

Like a uniform she was comfortable in I’d love to get you out to East Hampton sometime he said it’s so relaxing there at my grandmother’s Place how is she by the way she’s better she’s staying in Palm Beach for the winter she’s going to let me stay in East Hampton this year

It’s great there in the winter I can walk on the beach and think I go fishing every day and I love to sail it sounded like a wholesome life to her unlike the felony charges against him which were a different story but maybe that had been an aberration and what he was describing

Was the real guy he was a man of many facets not just the criminal she had represented she was surprised by how pleasant dinner was talking to him he was easygoing and relaxed respectful and funny and incredibly smart it’s seemed too bad that he had never gone to

College found work he wanted to do or had parents who cared about him when he was young he might have done more with his life than being a beach bum at his grandmother’s house and dealing drugs he insisted on paying for dinner and was polite and considerate when he put her

In a cab and he looked at her through the open window and thanked her for having dinner with him I’d really like to see you again sometime he said and looked as though he meant it and for an instant she felt the same way she nodded and then the cap drove away

While she remembered things he had said during dinner he seemed like such a reasonable person and a kind man and it was a strange twist of fate that their paths had crossed she was glad she had kept him out of jail he surely didn’t belong

There and as the C took her to her apartment she couldn’t help thinking that Zack Holbrook was a guy who deserved a real chance and she hoped he’d get one and turn his life around if he had a caring family like hers his life could have been so different she

Was still thinking about him when she walked into her apartment turned on the lights took off her jacket and sat down at her desk she pulled her files out of her briefcase she had hours of work ahead of her but she couldn’t help thinking about how surprisingly Pleasant and

Intelligent Zach had turned out to be it had been the best evening she’d had in 2 years and then she buried herself in the brief she had to write but strange as it was her dinner with Zack hook had been a breath of fresh air and gave her hope that there were still

Nice men in the world he made it easy to forget his foolish mistake chapter 3 Izzy heard from Zack a week later and she knew she’d been thinking of him more than she should have been something about their evening together had made her feel human and

Like a woman again he was handsome and sexy but his gentleness and honesty were what had appealed to her being with him was so much less complicated than with the men she knew who were always in competition with her Zach had no act to grind and he was so

Open and real about everything that she couldn’t imagine him running off with some Dey taunt like her fiance nothing impressed him because of where he came from and he had nothing to prove he didn’t care about any of the status symbols other men his age were

Chasing all he wanted he had said at dinner was a good woman who was the real deal as she was he was fed up with phonies and fakes Izzy had been engaged to a man who had turned out to be both and was in Hot Pursuit of all the trappings of

Success the girl he had married had been just another step up on the ladder he was so desperate to climb Zach didn’t care about any of it and when he invited her to East Hampton for the day I he accepted they had spoken on the phone

Several times by then and she liked him and his texts made her laugh his arrest seemed so completely not a part of who Zach was that she didn’t care about it anymore and no one had to know she had seen at their second meeting how respectably he could behave and when he

Picked her up at the train station in East Hampton she was happy to see him he had come to the station in a beautiful old bck his grandmother kept in the garage it was in mint condition they had a fantastic time swimming in the ocean

He took her fishing off a point near his grandmother’s home which was an elegant old house he was healthy and athletic there were a caretaker and housekeeper at the house but they were off for the weekend and Zach had made her lunch himself they walked along the beach at

Sunset and he wanted to take her out on his small sailboat but the sea was rough instead they went to montalk and explored the lighthouse and had dinner at a noisy restaurant where the food was delicious she had never had as good a time with any man in her life or felt as

At ease and although she was usually cautious and somewhat distant on first dates he kissed her before she left and she had never felt as hungry for any man in her life maybe because it had been two years since she’d liked or trusted a man Zach melted her ordinarily cool

Reserve with the Searing white hot force of his kiss he was very sensual and stirred something in her that she had never felt before all the pent up emotions of the past two years came rushing out and she could hardly bring herself to leave his arms he stood

Waving at her as the train pulled out of the station on its way back to the city and he called her as soon as she got home wow what happened right before you left I felt like an avalanche had hit me he sounded as shaken by it as she was

And he went to New York to see her the following night they were going to go to dinner and a movie and wound up in her bed instead and he never left she went to work the next morning feeling like she’d been reborn and he was waiting for

Her at her apartment when she got home he cooked her dinner and they could hardly wait to get back to bed he was the most powerfully sexual man she had ever known he spent the week with her and they went back to East Hampton for the weekend Justin called her on Saturday

Morning when she and Zach were about to go out on his boat her brother wanted to know how she was because he knew that weekends were lonely for her she told him she was in the Hamptons he was surprised since she had seen down when she’d visited him in

Vermont W that’s good to hear how did that happen I’m staying with friends she sounded happy and relaxed and promised to call him on Sunday night when she got home after they hung up Justin commented to Richard that it was the best he had heard her sound in 2 years and maybe she

Was coming back after all her anger and bitterness over the broken engagement he felt like the sister he knew and loved was back maybe she’s in love Richard suggested though he didn’t really believe it Justin’s sister had been so shut down for so long that he

Thought it would take a long time for her to come alive again but if she was happier now for whatever reason he was glad and he knew Justin worried about her they both agreed that it would take a remarkable man to make make Iz he trust someone again for the next several

Weekends Izzy went to East Hampton with Zach they cooked together and walked on the beach sailed his boat and spent quiet Nights by the fire in his grandmother’s luxurious home it was all like a dream and a new experience for her to abandon herself to a man even her ex-

Fiance and as an added bonus their passion for each other seemed to be Limitless he came into the city to be with her during the week and hung around at home or met up with friends while she worked even her mother noticed a new lilt in her voice when they talked she

Didn’t want to pry but said something to Julie when she dropped by the store is anything happening with Izzy Kate asked discreetly she knew she wasn’t privy to all her children’s Secrets anymore and she didn’t try to be they had a right to their adult

Lives no not that I know of why Julie didn’t know about Zach either Izzy hadn’t told anyone and didn’t want to yet she wanted to keep the magic of their relationship to herself and the circumstances surrounding it would be hard to explain she wanted to protect it

For now since it was so new she sounds great Kate said looking pleased and mentioned it to her mother when they had lunch I hope it’s not some rebound romance Grandma Lou said wisely she’s been so locked up and down on everyone for so long she’s liable to go off like

A rocket for the wrong guy Kate shook her head that’s not is his style she’s too sensible for that Kate had faith in her children and knew them well Andi was the most levelheaded of the four those are the ones it happens to she was hit so hard when Andrew walked away and

Married the girl and it’s taken her a long time to come back I hope you’re right and she’s finally throwing out I just hope it’s with the right guy Louise said with a determined look I don’t even know if it is a guy maybe she’s just happy at work but she sounds terrific

And she said something about going to East Hampton for the weekend Kate explained she said it was to visit friends I’m sure she’s fine Grandma Lou said trying to reassure them both she had great faith in Kate’s children but she was also realist about the pitfalls of Life their mother still worried about

Them all the time and sometimes forgot that they were grown up she was concerned about Julie working too hard and not having a boyfriend and about iszy not getting over her broken heart she was happy about Justin and Richard and thought they were a good match and a

Great couple and she was mildly concerned about Will’s flock of girlfriends and overactive sex life and hoped he didn’t get one of them pregnant they were all on the right path with their career is but with the exception of Justin none had settled their personal lives yet and it sometimes kept

Her awake at night worrying about them just as it did Kate maybe it’s time for you to think more about yourself than about your kids you don’t put any more effort into finding someone than either of your daughters and if you don’t want to end up alone maybe you should you’re too

Young to be on your own for the rest of your life Kate and it’s been a long time since you had anyone in your life at my age it doesn’t matter but at yours it does her mother looked at her seriously as she said it there are lots

Of people your age and a lot older who find someone and get married Kate reminded her and served it right back to her but Louise was unimpressed I had a good marriage for a long time and I don’t need another one I couldn’t travel as much as I do if I had

To take care of someone or be here to keep him company I don’t want to be tied down at this point in my life except to you and the kids and you can all manage fine when I’m away I don’t want some man complaining every time I get on a plane

Or to be a nurse I took care of your father and he would have taken care of me but we had a lot of great years before that I don’t want to start at that part at my age I’m having fun I don’t want to screw that up it sounded

Sensible to Kate and her mother didn’t seem to mind being alone she was always busy doing something that interested her taking a class or seeing friends or planning her next trip it was hard to find fault with that and Kate knew that her mother was right about her

Kate hadn’t made any real effort to meet a man in several years she would have liked to have someone to share her life with but she was set in her ways too and it wasn’t as easy to meet men as it used to be they were all married or seemed

Strange and she had no desire to put up with someone else’s quirks she was still very involved with her kids and the men she had dated earlier had always resented that in those days she had been a mother first since she had to be both mother and

Father to her children now she was less engaged with them but they would still be someone else’s children to any man she met her life seemed almost complete with her friends family and work it was hard to imagine how a new man in her life would fit in she brought it up to

Liam the next time they met at one of their favorite haunts da syono for a glass of wine and a plate of pasta she always loved seeing him they could tell each other anything and had for years your mother’s right as usual she always is you’re too young to be alone Kate I

Worry about you too Liam admitted as they finished lunch what do you want me to do stand on a street corner and whistle for a guy like a cab they don’t fall out of trees you know he laughed at what she said he was a good-looking man and was aging

Well he was a year older than Kate he still looked the same as he always had with a little distinguished gray at the temples and most important he was intelligent and kind it always intrigued her that he didn’t demand more of Moren but instead of insisting that she join

Him for every social occasion he let her do her thing he was willing to let her lead the retiring life she preferred and he saw many of their friends on his own it was an arrangement they had agreed to many years before since he was more gregarious than she was it wouldn’t have

Suited Kate but it worked for them you could go to more parties or places where you’d meet men he scolded Kate since she’d brought the subject up herself he knew she’d been too big busy with the kids to focus on romance for a lot of years but it was different now even

Though Kate thought it was too late which he said was absurd at her age she was fit and trim youthful in her appearance and beautiful and as appealing as ever men always looked at her admiringly and she seemed not to notice like go to bars she looked

Horrified you know what I mean you don’t try they both knew it was true and she didn’t deny it I’m happy the way I am there was truth in that too but she did miss having a man in her life at times and whenever I meet single guys now they

Are weird they can’t all be weird he laughed at her he always loved talking to her he could never banter with anyone the way he did with Kate maybe they can all be weird Kate said thoughtfully there are a lot of strange guys out there there there’s a

Reason why they’re single no woman wants them what about a widower he said helpfully are you suggesting I read the obituaries and start stalking them she had read the Obits to find Estates for clothes for her store early in her business but she didn’t do that anymore it was too awkward and embarrassing

Writing to bereaved relatives about buying their loved ones clothes it can’t be as hopeless as all that Liam commented I just figure if it’s right someone will come along and if not I’m fine the way I am she was at ease about it it wasn’t high on her list of things

To worry about she was far more concerned about her kids finding good partners than herself they had lives to live ahead of them she had already been married had children and had a busy life and career her children all had that to look forward to they lingered for a long

Time over lunch as they always did and since it was already October Kate asked him about his Thanksgiving plans Liam reminded her that European schools didn’t have time off for Thanksgiving so his daughters weren’t coming home we’re going to my father-in-law’s house Kate knew he didn’t enjoy it but was doing it

For Moren since the girls would be away his own parents had died many years before what about you same as every year they’re all coming to me for Thanksgiving that and Christmas are my favorite times of year I get them all at the same table for a big meal will

Justin stay with you no they stay with friends but they come over for Thanksgiving dinner and of course my mother comes too she’s planning some big trip again in January Argentina I think but she’ll be home for the holidays she’s going to China next summer she’s been studying Mandarin all year

She’s amazing Liam said with admiration I hope I have half her energy at her age I think you just have to keep moving and doing and learning there’s always something new she wants to do she’s a role model for us all Kate said with a warm smile at her friend Kate

Knew how lucky she was to have such a terrific mother they left the restaurant reluctantly after 2 hours of easy conversation and laughter Liam went back back to his office and Kate returned to the shop the store was busy in the fall before the holidays with customers

Looking for dresses to wear to parties and holiday events her most recent acquisitions and some old ones were flying out of the store and an article in the Sunday Times magazine had mentioned still fabulous which always brought in new business with people who hadn’t heard of them before and after Thanksgiving they kept

The store open 2 hours later at night to make it easy I to shop by November Izzy and Zach had been deeply involved for almost 2 months they were still spending weekends in the Hamptons at his grandmother’s house despite the cold weather which made it even Cozi at night

The housekeeper and caretaker were used to seeing her and Zach had keys to as his apartment in the City by then and came and went while she was at work they had settled into a regular life but she was still concerned that he didn’t work and had no regular plans in in the

Daytime and nothing to do with himself his grandmother gave him some money from time to time which wasn’t enough to live on but with a roof over his head and food provided by his grandmother’s employees all he needed was enough to take izy out to dinner occasionally and pay for movies and

Cabs Izzy didn’t expect him to contribute to her home but he needed more to do than just wait for her to come home at night Zach didn’t seem to mind not having a job or not doing something constructive Ive with his time it didn’t even occur to him he read he

Went for walks he met up with his friends she had signed him up at her gym but he was a grown man and she thought he should have an activity and a purpose in life but when they saw her friends or had dinner with lawyers she worked with

He didn’t appear to mind saying that he didn’t work it made him seemed prosperous and like a trust fund baby which he had been but a very meager one and it bothered her for him she tried to bring the subject up gently and he laughed whenever she did you don’t have

To be embarrassed about it he told her I’m not my father doesn’t work either but his father also had control of his own money Zach didn’t he negotiated with his Trustees for a pittance and they thought he should be working too and then they would have been Freer with the

Money if they thought he was responsible they didn’t want to encourage him to stay indolent and unemployed but even having too little money didn’t Inspire him to get a job is there anything you like to do Izzy asked him trying to guide him in the right

Direction yes make love to you he said and the topic would be brushed aside while he made love to her no matter what she did she couldn’t get him interested in a job their sex life took precedence over all else except her work she still hadn’t said anything to her family about

Him and didn’t want to do so prematurely although their relationship seemed solid but it was still early days and she was savoring the secret he didn’t answer her phone at the apartment so no one ever knew he was there she had toyed with the idea of inviting him to her mother’s for

Thanksgiving but he wanted to visit his grandmother in Palm Beach so she wouldn’t be alone for the holiday so izy didn’t have to make a decision he called her frequently and was always nice to her he was surprisingly well behaved for a self- declared Black Sheep although he

Never called his parents and she noticed that they never called him her own mother called her every few days and as he called Grandma Lou once or twice a week to check in with her most of the time she was doing something and too busy to talk what’s your family going to

Think about us Zach ask her in bed one night before Thanksgiving they’ll be intrigued and want to meet you and they’ll be happy for me she smiled at him her head close to his on the pillow but she also knew that they would

Want to know what he did as a job in her family everyone worked not working was not an option nor even a remote possibility for any of them and they all liked what they did living as Zach did doing nothing on money he begged from his grandmother or his trustees would be

Inconceivable to them and would make them suspicious of of him and given how little money Zach could eek out of any of them she couldn’t understand his not wanting to work it wasn’t fun being broke she had taken to leaving a couple of hundred in a drawer in the kitchen

Without comment so he would have pocket money she didn’t want to just hand it to him but he knew where it was and she replenished it every few days he was spending a few hundred a week of her money and it occurred to her frequently

That it would have been nice for both of them if he did even a small job but he thought that beneath him and he had no skills to sell and no education he was smart and charming and gorgeous to look at but you couldn’t get

A job with that not a decent one and he would never have considered working as a waiter or something he considered menial like being a Salesman although he might have been good at it but she knew is not working would be a major stumbling block with her family and Zach wasn’t shy

About saying he didn’t work and almost seemed proud of it she had no idea how to explain it to her family they were all going to disapprove of that and of him as a result no matter how happy she was Izzy had never gone out with anyone

Like him before he still loved dressing like a bad boy he had all kinds of motorcycle gear and leather jackets which he wore with jeans and biker boots it made him look sexy to her but she couldn’t see her brothers dressing like him she suggested modeling to him once or

Acting but he laughed at that too he was perfectly happy as he was and didn’t mind being broke or getting cash from her she didn’t want to support him although she was well paid at the law firm that was a pattern she didn’t want to establish in their

Relationship he mentioned a few times that his trustees might give him money if he was married depending on who he married but she didn’t want to marry him for that reason alone and they hadn’t been been together long enough to consider marriage she didn’t know how to

Handle his complete lack of work ethic and it was hard to discuss with him since he wasn’t bothered by it but other than that they were ecstatically happy and got along it was a unique relationship in her life and maybe for that reason she found it exciting she kept telling herself that

Sooner or later she’d convince him to go to work but there didn’t seem to be anything he could do it was not an easy problem to and Zach wasn’t worried about it at all he liked having free time to do what he wanted and had no shame about izy

Supplying his financial needs and being gainfully employed seemed dreary to him he borrowed $300 from her when he left for Palm Beach the day before Thanksgiving and had no way to pay it back the trustees had paid for his airfare since it was to visit his grandmother Izzy thought about it after

He left and she knew it would have to to change or eventually it would impact their relationship even if it hadn’t yet he called her from the plane before his flight took off and told her he loved her he was so sweet and affectionate with her that he was

Irresistible he had brought her back to life and given her faith in the human race again he had healed her broken heart and made her happy and after they hung up she wondered if that was enough maybe the rest didn’t matter maybe black sheep never got jobs and

Weren’t supposed to work but if so it was going to put a heavy burden on her and she noticed when she went to make herself a cup of tea that the cash drawer in the kitchen was empty he had taken what was there along with the $300

She gave him it was expensive loving a black sheep chapter 4 Kate’s children arrived at her apartment around 3:00 on Thanksgiving Day every year they talked and laughed happy to see one another and they sat down to an early dinner at 600 after her daughters helped her with the

Final touches in the kitchen Grandma L came early to help cook the turkey and Richard loved to help and was a fabulous cook everyone was in High Spirits talking at once and teasing each other very much as they had when they were children Kate said grace before the meal

And then they brought in the food from the kitchen and passed it around she prepared a traditional Thanksgiving dinner and other than Christmas which was equally festive it was everyone’s favorite day of the year they all noticed immediately how happy is he looked this year and they were halfway

Through dinner when just impressed her about it she finally admitted that she was seeing someone and she said demurely that it was going well okay Justin said smiling at her tell us what that means who is he what does he do for a living how did you meet him and is it serious

Let’s get the cards on the table he teased her we all want to know oh For Heaven’s Sake she said blushing don’t be so nosy he’s very nice his name is Zack Holbrook and we’ve only been dating since September they were a lot more involved than just dating they were

Basically living together but she didn’t think they needed to know that even if they wanted to she wasn’t ready to tell all yet how did you meet him Justin was relentless he was a client she said truthfully but she didn’t describe how she had defended him on felony charges

In a pro bono criminal case that wouldn’t have occurred to any of them and they would have been horrified and so was she initially but it didn’t matter anymore she knew now what a decent person he was he was also incredibly sexy and she was in love with

Him what does he do Justin assisted and she hesitated for a fraction of an instant he has a trust fund she said in a soft voice and that was true too they just didn’t happen to give him much money from it almost none in fact does

He work Willie asked her it was a reasonable question he might have but the answer was no not at the moment she said vaguely why didn’t you bring him Grandma Lou asked her watching her carefully she could sense that there were things that Izzy wasn’t sharing with them and didn’t

Intend to Kate had that feeling too he’s with his grandmother in Palm Beach for Thanksgiving he sounds very fancy Julie said quietly is it weird being with someone who has so much money he doesn’t have to work izy nodded in answer to the question sometimes she was dodging their

Questions artfully they wouldn’t have liked the truth what did he do before Justin chimed in again assuming that he must have worked at some time his father manages their Investments she said vaguely and tried to change the subject by commenting on how good the food was

When are we going to meet him Kate asked her daughter would you like to bring him for Christmas she want to lay eyes on him and judge for herself she could tell that he was important to is he I don’t know yet we’re still getting to know

Each other that wasn’t entirely true but she didn’t know what else to say you’re welcome to bring him anytime you choose Kate said grateful to see her oldest daughter so happy she was smiling about it and looking warmly at Izzy when Justin startled them all with news of

His own Richard and I have been interviewing suraga since August and we think we’ve met the right one we found her through friends in New Hampshire she’s done this once before she’s 29 years old married and has two children Richard and I have decided to go ahead

With her and a friend of Richard’s that he grew up with is giving us her eggs they’re going to harvest her eggs next week and with any luck if it works the surrogate will be pregnant and will have a baby on the way by Christmas he beamed

At Richard as he said it and the two men exchanged a smile there was silence at the table for a moment as everyone stopped eating and stared at them and Kate looked upset a baby why do you want a baby why don’t you just get married

Since it’s legal now a baby is an enormous commitment and she wasn’t convinced they were ready for that and what if the surrogate won’t give it up Kate could see all the pitfalls instantly and as he nodded she gave up the last one she gave birth to without a

Problem Richard said quietly we feel confident that she’s reliable and honest and she won’t get the final payment until she signs off we’ve been talking about it for a long time and we don’t want to adopt we’d rather have our own and to answer your question Kate we’ve

Talked about marriage too and it’s not important to either of us but a baby is we know it’s a big commitment we both feel ready we want to have a family of our own and this seems like the right time we’ve been meeting with doctors and lawyers for months Justin nodded and his

Mother was fighting back tears she knew that Justin’s income was decent but irregular and Richard salary as a teacher wasn’t large how are they going to afford a baby and what if they broke up all she could see ahead of them were the risks and none of the appeal of

Starting a family why would you want a baby now when you’re both so young I’m 9 years older than you were when you had a z mom and Richard is 36 Justin spoke in a calm voice but no one at the table looked infused at the idea from a legal standpoint surrogacy

Is very Risky Business Izzy said in a disapproving tone there are a great many cases where the surrogate won’t give the baby up once it’s born why take a chance on that kind of heartbreak if you want kids why don’t you adopt that’s not without risk either

Justin said quietly and for a number of reasons Richard and I feel that surrogacy is the right choice for us they hadn’t made the decision impulsively but no one else knew that and they had both put some money aside enough to move ahead now how do you know

She’s healthy and not a drug addict or she won’t drink while she’s pregnant you don’t know who this woman is his mother said looking anxious we know enough mom to be comfortable about her and our friends got a wonderful baby from her the baby is healthy and she was honest and

Reasonable Justin was visibly disappointed by his family’s reaction he had hoped they’d be happy for them it had been a huge decision and they’d put a lot of thought and Research into it and soul searching and it was what they both wanted more than anything they had

No doubts I really feel you should rethink it Izzy said firmly I is Right Kate said definitively I think it’s wonderful Julie said beaming at her twin brother and Richard I hope you have twins they both laughed at that it had occurred to them too we’d be fine with twins but

We’re hoping for one this time Richard answered for him I think you’re crazy to want kids Willie added they’re messy they smell they keep you up all night why would you want a baby Richard and Justin both laughed at his reaction which was appropriate for a 24-year-old

Who couldn’t imagine why anyone in their right mind would want children be careful you don’t wind up with one Justin warned him I think it’s an excellent idea Grandma Lou said in a strong voice and Kate stared at her mother how can you say that Kate

Challenged her they have no idea of the respons possibility or the commitment what if something happens to one of them God forbid she looked straight at Justin and then at Richard what if you break up straight coup break up Grandma Lou said sensibly Tom died

And you survived it and did a great job bringing up the children children survived divorces and the death of a parent and no one understands the commitment one has to Children until they have their own that’s never stopped anyone one and Justin and Richard aren’t children it sounds like they put a great

Deal of thought into it and are doing it responsibly Grandma L said in an approving tone with a smile at her grandson which she was grateful for you can’t send it back if it’s too much for you to handle Kate warned them that’s not going to happen mom we want this

Baby and we’ve put a lot into it time and money we met seven surrogates before we chose this one the legal term is just stational carrier he said educating them all to what was already familiar to them can you afford it Kate asked them looking panicked she

Knew what it was like raising children with very little money and the strain it would put on them more than they could imagine we can Justin assured her not easily but we can we’ve been saving up for it and when I sell my book we’ll have more you and Tom couldn’t afford

Izzy when you had her Kate’s mother reminded her or the twins people do it all the time and find them money as they go along your father and I weren’t making much money when we heard you either if everyone waited until they were rolling in money most people

Wouldn’t have children you work it out just as you and Tom did and your father and I did Justin and Richard will work it out too congratulations she beamed at them we should all be celebrating she said with a pointed look at her daughter and next year on Thanksgiving I’ll be a great

Grandmother I couldn’t be more pleased she said firmly and the table exploded in chatter after that with a million questions about the egg donor the surrogate and how the process worked Kate was noticeably silent for the rest of the meal Justin had a quiet word with her before they left I’m sorry you’re

Upset about it mom he said sadly he had wanted her support and for her to be pleased and she very obviously wasn’t which was a blow to him I’m not upset it’s not that I don’t approve I’m just worried for you for both of you having a

Baby is huge I want to be sure you know what you’re getting into I think it’s so much responsibility for you financially emotionally and in every other way we we do know what we’re getting into mom trust me I want you to be happy for us

And excited about the baby he told her honestly we’re not children we know what we’re doing he sounded very sure no one knows what they’re doing before they have children Kate said bleakly are you sorry you had us he asked her bluntly of course not she said shocked

By the question it’s the best thing your father father and I ever did were you sorry you had us after he died Justin asked more gently certainly not I was happy I had you and such a big part of him then why would it be different for

Us you don’t know how the child will feel one day to have two fathers and no mother what if they give him or her a hard time in school they give the children of straight parents a hard time in school too and we be there to support

Him for her and we’ll explain it to him as soon as he’s old enough to understand it’s a little too modern For Me Kate said looking deeply worried for them but she hugged them both and told them she loved them when they left Grandma loose stayed to chat with her and the others

Went home to bed you have to back off on this Grandma L told her seriously you can’t control what they do it’s important to them and they’re trying to go ahead with it in the best way they know know how you have to be supportive of them Kate I understand your concerns

And I’ll worry about it too but for the sake of your relationship with Justin you have to at least pretend to be pleased he’ll never forgive you if you don’t we owe it to him to be on his team now and endorse their decision you don’t have any other choice unless you want

Justin to distance himself from you maybe forever they’re going to do it no matter what we say you need to get on board Kate don’t lose your son over this it’s not worth it they’ll have the baby anyway they were wise words and Kate knew she was right and she remembered

How worried her parents had been when she dropped out of school to get married and got pregnant immediately and with Tom in law school they had depended on her salary which was far less than justtin and Richard made but she didn’t like the surrogacy idea at all it sound

Did fraud with risk to her yet she also knew that Justin wasn’t going to change his mind and suddenly give up the notion of their having a child Grandma Lou was right and there was no choice but to get on the bandwagon or Justin would never

Forget it or forgive her she had asked him if Richard’s parents knew and they didn’t the boys hadn’t told them since his parents weren’t even willing to acknowledge that their son was gay you’re the only grandparent this child is going to have her mother reminded her

So you’d better get used to it for your son’s sake she told Kate sternly and I honestly think they will handle it well I think it’s very exciting and brave having a baby is always a courageous thing to do you never know how it’s going to work out but you managed four

On your own I’m sure they can handle one with the two of them they’re sensible responsible young men have faith in Justin’s judgment he’s a smart boy Kate and he’ll be a good father and however you feel about it this is what is going to do you can’t

Let him down there were tears in Kate’s eyes as she nodded her mother was right but she was worried about it anyway it seemed too difficult to her Grandma Lou left a little while later and Kate was left to ponder everything that had happened that night Izzy was in love and

Justin was having a baby in the cap going home Izzy was grateful that Justin’s news had gotten them off the subject of Zach and the fact that he didn’t work and God help her if they ever found out how they’d really met she almost shuddered at the thought and once

Back at their friend’s apartment Justin talked to Richard about his mother’s reaction to their news does she think we’re idiots or children he said angrily about his mother she acts like we’re the first gay men to ever to do this she’s usually so cool but she hadn’t been that

Night Richard was far more willing to forgive her than Justin who felt cut to the quick by what she’d said and her negative response she’s worried for you that’s all Richard said soothingly to our parents we’re always kids and in this case kids having kids and surrogacy

Shocks a lot of people it’s not normal and is is right there have been s with it in some states particularly when it was first legal give her time Sheil adjust she worries about us all too much Justin complained to his partner she’s a mother that’s what she’s supposed to do

Richard said and Justin laughed ruul then let’s agree now not to be like that with our kids Justin said and then remembered what is he had said and by the way what do you think about is his trust fund baby boyfriend it better be a big trust fund

Or he’ll be a heavy weight on your sister as ambitious and hardworking as she is I’m surprised she wants to be with a man who doesn’t work he must be great in bed Justin said laughing but it had bothered him when she said Zach didn’t work and he thought she looked

Embarrassed by it too it had been a night of big news and startling announcements he and Richard were especially touched by his grandmother’s reaction to their baby and they had a lot to look forward to in the next few weeks weeks they were both excited and stressed about it their friends eggs

Were going to be harvested in a few days and mixed with their sperm they both want to be sperm donors for their baby the sperm and eggs would be fertilized in the laboratory and then the two most viable ones put into the surrogate’s womb and hopefully one would take they

Could both hardly wait it was an incredible process and the culmination of a dream for them they fell asleep talking about it that night as they had for weeks and all they could do now was pray that they would be farther soon it would prove to both of them that if cherished

Long enough dreams do come true chapter 5 before Justin and Richard drove home to Vermont on Sunday they stopped in to see Kate again for breakfast she seemed to have calmed down and didn’t mention their baby plans again she had had a long discussion about it on the phone with Izzy on

Saturday and she shared her daughter’s concerns but she thought it best to be diplomatic with Justin and Richard and they avoided the subject too this was a wrinkle Kate hadn’t expected they had no interest in getting married although it was now legal and it had never occurred to her that they

Would want to embark on fatherhood in view of marriage it didn’t sit well with her values whether they were gay or straight in Kate’s mind you got married and then had babies and not the reverse and did not have babies in instead of marriage their relationship seemed solid

But who knew what the future would bring a baby just seemed premature to her Justin was still establishing his career living on a shoest string depending on writing articles for magazines and he was working on his first novel at 30 Financial stability was still several years away and Richard’s salary as a

School teacher was barely enough to support them let alone a child and with the surrogacy she could see trouble on the horizon why couldn’t they it was all she could do not to mention it again when they came to see her to say goodbye but following her mother’s advice from

Thanksgiving she kept things light and she doubted that she could dissuade them anyway they said they’d had a nice weekend with their friends and had had a dinner party at their home the night before the two boys had always had a nice social life and were an established

Couple they preferred to hang out with other gay men like them who had solid relationships and serious domestic lives Justin had never liked the promiscuous side of the gay scene in New York his home life was important to him just as theirs had been when they were growing

Up family was all important to them in light of that their wanting a child was no surprise but it seemed like an added burden on the relationship to Kate a financial one they couldn’t afford and the legal aspects of surrogacy seemed terrifying to her she had breakfast with

Them and then they left for the 6-hour drive back to Vermont well that was nice your mom seems like she’s calmed down Richard commented as they got in their battered Volvo station wagon he seemed relieved he had always gotten on well with Kate more so than with his own parents who

Were narrow-minded and critical of them Kate was much more open in her thinking and accepting of her son and had always been been warm and affectionate with Richard and respectful of them as a couple he liked her and she called him her son in love don’t believe everything

You see Justin said turly as he got behind the wheel and started the car he knew his mother better my mother doesn’t want to battle with us and my grandmother probably told her to cool it and calm down but you saw how upset she was on Thanksgiving that doesn’t just disappear

With her when she wakes up the next morning we haven’t heard the last of this yet and ezi is going to get her even more wound up about their legal pitfalls we know what they are I think we’ve made a good choice with Shirley but we’ll never convince my mother of

That she always sees everything that can go wrong I think my father dying so young and leaving her with four kids to support and very little money taught her that life can go to in a minute she doesn’t like anything high-risk for any of us and I guess having children is

Risky they can get sick something can go wrong and who knows maybe sherley will go nuts and try to keep the baby but you can’t live in the basement with a blanket over your head either waiting for the roof to fall in we have to lead

Our lives I’m just sorry she isn’t happy for us I hoped she would be but I was wrong he looks unhappy as they drove through Soho and headed out of New York don’t be too hard on her Richard said quietly she’s always been great about us

My parents would go crazy at the idea of our having kids and using a surrogate it’s a lot for parents to absorb I don’t think my mother would like the idea of a surrogate even if we were straight I don’t think this is about our being gay Justin said fairly

It’s about her thinking we’re too young and we don’t have enough money to support a child which is something she knows about and we’re relying on a total stranger to a hand over our baby when it’s born at least she’s accepting of us Richard reminded him when are you going

To tell your parents Justin asked glancing at him how does never sound to you or maybe when our son or daughter goes to college or gets married we can invite them to the wedding our kids not ours Justin laughed at the idea they both knew how hostile Richard’s parents were about his being

They had wanted him to go to a psychiatrist for treatment to cure him of his deviant Behavior it was unbearable to them that their son was gay and they acted like Justin didn’t exist a baby would put them over the edge Richard’s siblings a brother and sister were no better both were married

And had children and he hadn’t heard from either of them for several years and it had been made clear to him that he wasn’t welcome to come home for holidays until he cleaned up up his life i. was no longer gay they were convinced it was a bad decision he had made and

They had had their Pastor talk to him about it too Kate found it hard to believe that there were still parents in the world who behaved that way and she had always been extra loving to her son’s partner because of it but her baby via a surrogate seemed to be too much

Even for her they got back to their home in Vermont at 6:00 after stopping for gas and a sandwich along the way they had agreed to a meeting with Shirley their surrogate that night before Richard’s friend Alana’s eggs were harvested the next day both Justin and

Richard planned to be there for that but they wanted one last meeting with Shirley before she signed their agreement at the attorney’s office the next morning they unpacked their bags from New York which had made them some soup and a salad and they were just putting the dishes in the dishwasher

When Shirley and her husband arrived they had left their two kids with her mother her parents were aware of the project shley had done it before and she had told them that offering herself as a surrogate served a dual purpose it made someone else truly happy and it gave

Them money they needed for their own kids her husband had no problem with it he was a carpenter and she worked at a local supermarket and would keep her job unless she had a problem with the pregnancy but she was young and healthy and there was no reason why she would

Her three previous pregnancies had gone smoothly and she had delivered all three babies naturally in record time as he had been each time they met him Shirley’s husband Jack was tacettin when he walked in but he had never objected to what she was doing and he liked the

Two men the two fertilized over were going to be implanted in her uterus later that week at her most receptive time her own ovulation cycle had had to be halted chemically as they wouldn’t be fertilizing her eggs so she was making no genetic contribution to the pregnancy

Y she was merely an incubator for the fetus for 9 months and biologically not its mother everything was clear would you like coffee or tea Richard offered when they sat down or a last glass of wine he smiled at Shirley from the time Alana’s eggs were inside her she had

Agreed not to drink any form of alcohol used drugs except those prescribed medically or smoke cigarettes or marijuana she had no problem consenting to that they looked like healthy responsible people sherley wasn’t attractive but she seemed wholesome and intelligent she and Jack had come up with the idea of surrogacy 3 years

Before after the birth of their second child when they realized they couldn’t make ‘s meet she had had such easy pregnancies that they agreed as long as she didn’t have sex with the baby’s father which the doctors had assured them was not necessary she could have had an uter fertilization but after considerable

Research Justin and Richard had opted for invitro fertilization where the eggs would be fertilized outside of her womb and then implanted in her uterus it was more complicated and more expensive but a sure process so they chose IVF sherley was looking forward to being pregnant again and said she felt great

When she was and 9 months didn’t seem long to her though it felt like an eternity to Justin and Richard to wait to have their baby in their arms they both accepted coffee and chatted for a while she had agreed to meet with both men every two weeks and give them four

Reports on her medical visits and sonograms and details on the baby’s progress and they had chosen the obstetrician they wanted her to see supposedly the best one in town sh’s fee was to be paid half at the outset and half after the delivery with a check for

Her expenses sent to her once a month she would be getting the first check the next day when she signed the agreement no money changed hands that night it was just a friendly meeting to confirm that everything was a go on both sides and that no one was having second

Thoughts or regrets they left after an hour and Justin and Richard had a glass of wine when they did it’s hard to believe it’s all starting tomorrow finally isn’t it Justin said as they sat in their small cozy living room by the fire they had one bedroom and a small

Study Justin used to write they were going to give up the study to the baby and Justin said he’d write in the kitchen after that it was the best they could do since they couldn’t afford to move to a bigger house they were willing to make all the sacrifices they had to

For their child they went to bed after that and were both too nervous and excited to be Amorous Justin was up at 6 and Richard shortly after they were meeting Alana at the hospital at 8 and she arrived arrived right on time Alana and Richard had known each other since

His childhood and they had remained good friends once they grew up she was a nurse herself so she was familiar with the process and she liked Justin too she was a bright vivacious Pretty Woman and both men were grateful for what she was doing for them she had a boyfriend and

He knew about the plan she had volunteered her eggs when she heard what they wanted to do and she was relinquishing All rights to the baby she was 36 Like Richard but all her hormone tests had shown her to be still fertile and her eggs healthy and Richard

Loved her like a sister they were both happy to have her be the biological mother of their child or twins if both eggs survived she didn’t want them in the room with her when her eggs were harvested and it was supposedly a painful process but she came through it

Bravely the doctor came out to talk to them an hour later and told them that everything was fine as Justin and Richard waited nervously in an area for family and visitors they had both provided the necessary sperm when they arrived everything had gone according to plan and the threesome left the hospital 2

Hours after they’d arrived Alana was slightly wizzy from the pain pills they’d given her after the harvesting and they took her home and promised to check on her later and then Justin dropped Richard off at the school where he worked and went home to his computer to write

All he could do was stare at it for a while and think about what was happening somewhere in a laboratory his and Richard spam were meeting Alana’s eggs and 9 months from now their baby would be born it made Justin cry as he thought about it from the sheer enormity of the

Moment he had never wanted anything so much in his life when Zach came back from Palm Beach the Monday after Thanksgiving he couldn’t wait to see aie she rushed home from the office at 6: :00 and they were in bed 5 minutes later they were still breathless afterward

When he looked at her and smiled I missed you so damn much my poor grandmother sleeps all the time now but it was nice for her to have me there no one else ever goes to visit her anymore she was 89 frail and in failing health

And as he thought it was nice that he’d gone although she had missed him too so how was your family when you told them about me he asked with interest she had told him that she had admitted to them that she was seeing someone but her brother

Hiring a surrogate to have a baby had preempted all other subjects immediately after they were fine she said quietly curious intrigued she didn’t want to tell him too bluntly that they wouldn’t have understood why he didn’t work even if he’d had money and they would have understood it even less since he didn’t

She was having a problem with with it herself mostly they were upset about my brother Justin wanting to have a baby with a surrogate I think it’s pretty crazy too given all the legal risks here the gay one he asked casually and she nodded so

When am I going to meet them she had been thinking about taking him to dinner with them on Christmas Eve or Christmas day since they celebrated both but she still wasn’t sure he could see her hesitate and looked hurt Are you ashamed of me izy of course not she was

Instantly embarrassed but they’re very square and normal and you’re pretty racy for them especially if they knew the truth that he had been recently convicted for dealing drugs and that was how she’d met him I don’t want them to interrogate you or give you a hard time

I’m a big boy I can take it he said calmly and they can’t be too square or normal if you have a gay brother who’s having a baby with a surrogate that’s a little racy too not really it’s just legally stupid at least I think so my mother’s not happy about it because

They won’t get married maybe she’s worried about their relationship being solid and the financial burden it will put on them but no one wanted to listen to either of us and my sister and grandmother thought it was great they’ll do what they want anyway they have to make their own mistakes Zach said

Philosophically my mother doesn’t see it that way she worries about all of us and in this case I agree I don’t see why they need to have a baby and surrogacy can be a mess but my brother seems very determined we’re all pretty stubborn she smiled at Zach I was thinking about

Taking you home for Christmas if you really want to if not it can wait but they holiday get togethers were the only time that everyone was there and her relationship had gotten so serious so quickly with Zach that she felt as though she should introduce him to her

Family before much longer I’d like that he said looking pleased and he kissed her thank you you’ll have to play it pretty straight she warned him I don’t think the sexy biker look will go over well with them on Christmas I think I can manage a coat

And tie for your family he said he had done it for their second court appearance although she hadn’t seen that look since but at least she knew he was capable of it and it would matter to them what was going to matter to them even more was the fact that he was

Unemployed it would please her family if he got a job would make them like him better and it would certainly help her with expenses but she had no idea if she could talk him into it or convince him that it would be good for him too she

Had a month to try but when she got got up for work the next morning and he lay happily spred across her bed like a sleeping giant with no sign of waking and nothing to get up for she realized again how different his life was and as

She left $100 in the kitchen drawer for him she wondered how long this could last unless he decided to get serious and grow up there was no sign of it yet and she knew she was enabling him by giving him money but she didn’t know what else to do on Friday afternoon

Justin was struggling with an article about chemical risks to the environment which bored him but he needed the money the fertility doctor called him Justin’s heart skipped a beat when he answered and he wondered if there was a problem maybe all Alana’s eggs had died or their sperm hadn’t fertilized them is

Something wrong Justin asked holding his breath for an instant not at all the doctor said warmly to reassure him I just wanted to let you know that we put two fertilized eggs in sherley’s uterus today we had five good ones but we had agreed on two Justin and Richard had said that they

Wanted a single child and could handle twins if they had to they couldn’t imagine triplets and didn’t want to risk it so the doctor had used two of the fertilized eggs but no more and if it didn’t work this time Alana was willing to do it again as was Shirley everything went smoothly

She’s fine we told her to stay in bed today but she can be up tomorrow and we’ll check her hormone levels in about 10 days to see where things stand it’s looking good Justin could hardly contain himself until Richard got home and gave him the news as soon as he walked

Through the door they were jubilant at the Prospect and had dinner with Alana that night she was fine after having her ex harvested 4 days before and proud that two ferti ized eggs had been implanted I almost hope you have twins she said to them over wine at dinner and

They groaned although Justin wouldn’t have minded having twins if they could afford it he loved having a twin sister and they had had a ball growing up he was closer to her than to anyone else on the planet except Richard she had called him several times the week to see what

Was happening and if they’d done it yet he hadn’t heard a word from his mother which Justin knew meant she was still upset but not saying anything the next call they got from the doctor was the following week to tell them that Shirley’s HCG levels were high in her

Blood test which meant that at least one of the fertilized eggs had taken technically she was pregnant but they needed to keep checking now to see if her hormone levels continue to rise or dropped if she lost it if they Rose higher than normal it would mean that both embryos had

Implanted all they could do was check her hormone levels now and in a few weeks they could do a sonogram to make sure that one or both of the embryos were still there but for the moment at least Shirley was pregnant Justin let out a scream when he hung up the phone

And Richard came running to see what had happened she’s pregnant it worked they have to keep checking to make sure it holds and they don’t know how many there are yet but she’s pregnant the two men danced around the room like children and Richard opened a bottle of champagne he’d been saving

Although it was still early days and a little premature to be celebrating but at least the first phase of the process had worked they called Shirley after that giddy from the excitement more than the champagne and she sounded fine she said it had all been easy so far and she

Felt good she had just come home from work at the supermarket and they could hear her kids in the background they hoped that would be them one day 5 days later Shirley’s hormone levels were still high though not excessively so and the doctor guessed that she was carrying

One implanted embryo not two but she was definitely pregnant there was nothing more to do now except continued blood tests and a sonogram in 2 weeks the boys were beside themselves at the news sherley sounded almost nonchalant about it she had expected it to go well her

Pregnan is always hard she didn’t feel pregnant yet but she was in good health and it would take a few weeks for her body to catch up with the elevated hormone levels and give her the early signs of pregnancy she had a doctor’s appointment in 3 weeks and agreed to let them come

To the sonogram with her she smiled when she heard how excited they were it reassured her that she had done the right thing for the next few weeks it was all justtin and Richard could talk about although they hadn’t told anyone yet they want to wait until the first

Sonogram before they did just to be sure that everything was fine but so far so good they had a baby on the way its due date was August 25th which still seemed like a lifetime away Justin wanted desperately to call his mother and tell her but given how upset she had been on

Thanksgiving he didn’t dare it made him sad not to be able to share it with her he didn’t even call Julie they had decided to wait until Christmas at at least he felt like a kid waiting for Santa Claus as he counted the days till Christmas to tell his family the details

About the baby’s sex would come later for now all they knew was that their surrogate was pregnant and no matter how artificially it had been conceived or who gave birth to it it was their baby and it seemed like a miracle to them chapter 6 Justin and Richard went to the

Sonogram with Shirley on December 23rd which was the earliest possible date the obstetrician would give them and they saw the fetus clearly on the screen in the right place the right size there was only one fetus the other egg had fallen away and disappeared so it would be a single

Birth the technician measured the size and gave them the computerized due date and both men burst into tears when they saw it on the screen and the technician handed them a print out of the baby’s image on the sonogram it was too soon to see the heartbeat but the feet looked fine and

Sherley said she was feeling pregnant by then the two men left the room for the internal exam and the doctor said everything was great when they came back in their baby was due on August 25th Richard was going to request paternity leave for the first month of school and Justin could hardly imagine

Getting through the next eight months they had so much to look forward to they drove to New York that afternoon to stay with the same friends they always did and Justin dropped by to see his mother at the store the next day but she was out doing last minute shopping he had

Wanted to tell her the news alone but since she was out it would have to wait until their family dinner that night they had dinner together on Christmas Eve and those who wanted to went to mass Justin and Richard were planning to go this year to give thanks for the miracle

Happening to them and they always got together informally for lunch the next day on Christmas Day Izzy had invited Ed Zack to lunch on Christmas Day because Christmas Eve was more intimate and even more of a family event and she thought his introduction to the family might go

Better the next day although she wasn’t sure Justin could hardly wait for dinner that night and he and Richard arrived looking handsome and well-dressed in suits right after both his sisters showed up in Black cocktail dresses Julie’s was one of her own designs and their mother was wearing a

Black velvet Hostess gown with golden Sable on the Cuffs that was vintage sheni and made her look like a queen with her long blonde hair in a simple French twist she was very stylish as always and the dress looked brand new Grandma Lou was wearing a red velvet

Pants suit that she wore for Christmas every year Willie was the last one to arrive in a black suit and black shirt with a black tie his mother had given him he looked very handsome and young and trendy everyone was in good spirits as they kissed each other and dinner smelled delicious

It was turkey with a new recipe for stuffing Kate had found in a magazine it was the same dinner as Thanksgiving with UL logs for dessert and Christmas pudding just like when they’d been children Kate served them all champagne and smiled as she admired her handsome family they were a

Good-look group they all loved Christmas and there was a tall Christmas tree in the corner of the room covered with lights and ornaments with all their presents under it the apartment was decorated with lights her assistant had helped her put up and the table looked festive it looked like a Magazine spread

And reminded them all of how wonderful their Christmases had been while they were growing up and Grandma Lou was excited about her trip to Buenos Ires she was leaving in 2 days on the day after Christmas her friend Francis was going with her and Grandma Lou had talked her into taking Tango lessons

Which didn’t surprise anyone they made it through the first course of dinner with Lively conversation and by then Justin couldn’t stand it any longer he had to share their news he wrapped his wine glass with a fork as soon as Willie had carved and carried the turkey in for

Their mother and the rest of the meal was on the table waiting to be served Justin was beaming as he looked at his partner and then his family Richard and I have something to tell you he said in a choked voice as they watched him raply our surrogate is

Pregnant our baby is due on August 25th he said with tears in his eyes that he couldn’t hold back and his twin put her arms around him and was crying too I’m so happy for you congratulations and then Julie got up to hug Richard and the whole family burst into animated

Conversation Willie laughed and told them he still thought they were nuts to want a kid but he was good-natured about it and loved teasing them Grandma Lou was beaming and izy and Kate were more subdued the best Izzy could do was say that she hoped everything turned out all

Right and there weren’t any problems and Kate hesitated for a long moment and then went and put her arms around her son with all the love she felt for him in her Embrace and all her worry for him in her eyes Justin saw it too I just

Want you to be happy and for life to be easy for you having children is a huge step but if you both feel ready for it then you have my blessing it was too late to say anything else with the surut already pregnant Kate still thought it was a

Full hoodie risky thing to do and a burden they didn’t need but it wasn’t her decision to make and all she could do was be supportive and worry about them now the baby didn’t seem real to her yet there were tears rolling down Justin’s cheeks when he hugged his

Mother as she gave him her blessing and his younger brother teased him about it immediately you’re such a girl Willie loved resing him about being gay but he did didn’t mean it and Justin laughed as he wiped the tears away I’m man enough to kick your ass Justin warned him and

Gave him a brotherly shove no you’re not you’re pregnant sit down and don’t hurt yourself Willie said and they all laughed I hope the baby’s a boy we need more men in this family he rolled his eyes as he said it and the food was passed around with lots of friendly

Chatter while Grandma Lou talked about her trip to Argentina I hope I’ll still be able to take my great-grandchild on his or her first adventure trip when they turn 21 let’s see I’ll be 9 to9 then that should work they all laughed and Justin assured her that he was counting on it

They were all in good spirits and only Kate seemed quiet it always made her nostalgic to share holidays with them they were so grown up now and it made her think of Tom and how proud he would have been of them she couldn’t help wondering what he would have said about

His grandchild but after 24 years he was a gentle memory now the responsibility for the family had rested on her for a long time they played shads as they always did after dinner and Julie had brought a new game for them that had everyone laughing hysterically and midnight came quickly for those who

Wanted to go to midnight mass Kate always went Grandma Lou never did and wasn’t religious Justin and Richard wanted to go and the two girls joined as well Willie was meeting friends at a nearby club where someone he knew was giving a party what about your guy Justin asked Izzy he’d been mildly

Surprised that he wasn’t there but grateful too since he could make his announcement about the baby without strangers present it was a very emotional moment for him his coming to lunch tomorrow Izzy said sounding slightly tense about it she was defensive about Zach and wasn’t looking for forward to hearing everyone’s

Opinions but she didn’t want to wait much longer to introduce him I can’t wait to meet him Justin said sincerely and as he turned and snapped at him are you being sarcastic of course not why would you say that she didn’t answer but he sensed that she was annoyed that he hadn’t

Heeded her advice about the surrogate Izzy liked playing the role of older sister and on legal issues thought everyone should listen to her but her brother and Richard had their own ideas they walked to the church they always went to on Christmas Eve and then disbanded to their own homes after the

Service Justin and Richard dropped Kate off in a cab and Julie and I he shared one to go to their respective homes and talked about Justin’s baby I think they’re crazy Izzy reiterated to her sister can you imagine what a mess that’s going to be if she refuses to

Give the baby up Izzy said angrily there fools to trust her she said glumly it was her Mantra now maybe it’ll be fine Julie said gently she always thought her twin could do no wrong and she loved Richard too she wanted everything to go smoothly for them they were all back at

Kate’s apartment at noon the next day for turkey leftovers stuffing cranberry sauce smoked salmon kiche pruto cheese and sliced roast beef it was a special Feast served as a buffet and they sat at the dining table they arrived dressed nicely but less formally than on Christmas Eve Izzy had told Zach that he

Didn’t have to wear a suit since he was coming Christmas day but she was slightly unnerved when he emerged from their bedroom after he dressed wearing a black Kashmere sweater leather pants and his biker boots with the leather jacket he always wore she seemed uncomfortable

But didn’t want to say so the soup might have been better after all am I okay you look worried he had seen her expression immediately you said casual so I took you at your word and he had shaved but his hair was even longer than it had

Been a few months before and he was wearing it in a ponytail like her mother’s he looked handsome and sexy as he always did but not quite the way she knew her family would look on Christmas day they’re not as Jazzy as you are she

Said discreetly but he had a right to be his own person and she didn’t want to cramp his style too much leather he asked as he kissed her I love you you’re fine she answered and kissed him back with the long hair and the tattoos the leather wouldn’t make much difference

And she didn’t want to be critical of him it was Christmas after all and she wanted to share the blessing of her family with him since he practically had none of his own he had called his father in Aspen and hadn’t reached him and said his mother was probably skiing in St

Morit oard but he never heard from her and didn’t know how to find her so at least iy thought she could share her own family with him Justin and Richard saw Zack first as he walked through the door Justin’s eyebrows shot up and Richard smiled thinking that Zach was the best

Looking man he’d seen in years and was in fantastic shape his muscles rep Pulled Under the tight Kashmere sweater and his legs looked powerful in the tight leather pants calm down Justin whispered to him and Richard laughed too bad he’s not one of us Richard whispered back and Justin

Laughed as Zack and as he walked into the living room she was wearing slacks and a sweater a red coat and high heels and looked very pretty and Julie’s eyes grew wide as I he introduced her to Zach she couldn’t imagine is he going out with someone like him in a million years

All her boyfriends had been doctors or lawyers or corporate Executives Zach seemed like a rock star in their midst Izzy introduced him to her brothers and Richard and Grandma Lou Who seemed fascinated by him Kate was in the kitchen getting another platter of food and nearly dropped it when she

Walked into the room and saw him she had the same reaction as Julie she couldn’t even remotely imagine her oldest daughter with him although he was polite when he greeted her and obviously well brought up he just seemed totally different from the rest of them I think

Is cool Willie whispered as they went to sit down at the table more like hot Richard added and Justin shoved him playfully Zach sat between Izzy and Grandma Lou Who engaged him in a lively conversation and after a while Zach seamed at EAS and talked to all of them

He definitely looked like the odd man out but it didn’t appear to bother him he was comfortable in his own skin they had all been told about is not working on Thanksgiving so no one asked him about his job Richard asked him where he’d gone to school and Zach listed all

The boarding schools he’d been thrown out of laughing and added that he hadn’t gone to college he was Lively and funny and loved talking to Grandma Lou and it was obvious that he was crazy about izy and she was equally so about him but all of them were slightly shocked that they

Were together they were a most unlikely pair he was deep in conversation with just and Richard when Grandma Lou commented to aie he’s a bright young man she said admiringly and is obviously well brought up but how does he fit into your life she asked quietly you have

Important demands on you as an attorney in a very traditional firm how does that work everybody likes him Izzy said with a look of determination I can understand why but with no career of his own will he be a problem in yours I have a right to date

Who I want to she said stubbornly of course you do her grandmother agreed but some people are harder to blend into one’s life than others there’s a bit of the Wild Boy about him the leather pants and jacket tattoos and biker boots were not lost on

Her that’s fun when you’re alone but it could prove difficult over time where’s his family she asked with interest his mother is in Europe and his father is all over the the place he doesn’t see them he has a sister in Mexico and a grandmother in Palm Beach

He’s a bit of a rolling stone Grandma Lou commented dry he never had a family he could rely on I thought he might enjoy being with us today he hasn’t had a family Christmas since he was a kid Izzy said compassionately and her grandmother nodded that could be hard

For him to adjust to now you may think that would be a blessing in his life he might not agree particularly if he’s used to doing whatever he wants there’s a price to pay for being in a family like ours to some extent you have to

Play by the rules he doesn’t look like his had many in his life she was surprisingly accurate in her assessment of him but Izzy remained convinced that what he needed now was stability and a loving family and a job of course he wonderful and very loving to me is

Assured her that’s enough not always her grandmother gazed at her pointedly it should be but it isn’t always it’s difficult when you come together from very different places in life your world might be hard for him to understand Izzy knew her grandmother wasn’t wrong but she hoped that Zach

Would adjust to a more traditional life it was a bit like hoping a wild horse would become a show horse it was a nice dream but the reality could be difficult to achieve and Asi hadn’t tried to break him in yet a job for him was her first

Goal Zach came to sit with them then and talked about Grandma lose Tango lessons with her he had spent time in Argentina himself playing Polo when he was younger he admitted to being a proficient Rider and said his father played Polo to Izzy and Zach were the first to leave and you

Could almost feel everyone exale when they left wow Justin said a few minutes after they walked out I can’t even imagine is he going out with someone like him he looks like a hot number and his fun to talk to but that bad boy look is so not

Asy what happened to her she got dumped by her fiance and he married a society deut taunt his grandmother responded without hesitation her ego took a hard hit as well as her heart and Zach may be the first man to go after her seriously since then she’s been miserable for 2

Years until now she reminded him do you suppose he has tons of money Willie asked curious about him possibly it’s hard to say from families like his he could be set for life or have to live off as he if his cut off for some reason he would have that spoiled rich boy

Style even if he were dead broke lovely manners though she didn’t say it but it was obvious that Grandma Lou was not impressed with Zach as a choice for her granddaughter and Kate was thinking the same thing but didn’t want to criticize him to the others in cases he heard about it from

Them later they all talked to each other frequently and expected it there was no malice to what they said but abundant interest in each other he certainly good-looking and very personable J in added and easy to talk to but I can’t see is he with him he’s a total

Departure from the kind of men she goes out with maybe that’s the whole point Grandma L said thoughtfully it didn’t work with her Harvard Law School boyfriend so she’s gone the other direction he said he never went to college but is very bright unfortunately I think your sister thinks she’s going

To tame him that may not be what he has in mind what difference does it make Julie said blly she’s not marrying him why can’t she have fun with someone different don’t be so sure about her not marrying him Kate chimed in finally people do crazy things sometimes they

Date someone they shouldn’t then they fall in love and want to get married and think they’re going to change and most of the time they don’t Izzy always says she’s not the marrying kind Justin reminded them reasonably that’s only since Andrew dumped her Kate said bluntly she never

Used to say that I don’t know why you’re all getting so worked up he’s a nice guy and he just a date is is not stupid Willie said casually and then stood up ready to leave too he kissed his mother and siblings and hugged his grandmother and wished her a wonderful time in

Argentina you can teach me the Tango when you come back he grinned at her and she laughed I would love that that one by one they left it had been a lovely Christmas and a momentous one after Justin and Richard’s announcement about the baby Kate was exhausted when she sat

Down next to her mother on the couch after her children were gone so what do you think about is’s new bow mother should we be concerned about it that won’t change anything Louise said with her usual practical perspective I assume it’s more serious than she’s telling us or she wouldn’t

Have brought him here today I think it Bears watching I think she has illusions that she can turn him into someone like us and that’s never going to happen he’s a wild thing and he loves it and I think she does too for now she’ll never tame

Him that’s not what he wants or who he is it would never work Kate agreed with her but she thought her daughter was more sensible than that I think she’s just having fun with him and infatuated Kate said sensibly she was far more concerned about Justin’s big decision a

Child was something you couldn’t undo unlike a romance it was forever let’s hope you’re right about Izzy Kate’s mother said and then stood up I have to pack I’m leaving tomorrow can I do anything to help Kate offered and her mother smiled and hogged her just take care of yourself while I’m

Gone I’ll miss you I’ll miss you too and you be careful gallivanting all over buenos Ires she felt sorry for Francis she knew how exhausting her mother was to travel with she was relentless about wanting to see and do everything she never stopped they hugged again in the doorway and Louise thanked

Her for a wonderful Christmas as always Kate had given her some sweater sets and a lightweight jacket to travel with since it would be summer in Argentina and a cashmere Shaw for the plane which would be useful don’t run off with any tall handsome strangers Kate admonished

Her with a smile if I find one I’ll bring him home to you she said to her daughter I wouldn’t know what to do with him or have the time but thank you anyway keep an eye on Izzy were her mother’s parting words I’ll try Kate promised but she

Knew how difficult it was to influence any of them or keep them safe from dangers of their own making or ones they were still too naive to see lurking her children never believed her when she warned them of trouble ahead or saw the signs Justin and Richard were having a

Baby now with no idea what that entailed or all the things that could go wrong anei was involved with a self-indulgent man who appeared to be totally irresponsible and she was sure that her daughter would be furious if she said that to her she decided not to for a

While and to see where it went hopefully nowhere and for once she agreed with her usually casual unflappable mother who worried far less than she did if Izzy tried to turn her romance with Zach into something permanent there was no question in Kate’s mind it would never work but

Fortunately Izzy didn’t seem to have any long-term plans at the moment in Kate’s opinion that was the best news of all chapter 7 Kate had lunched with Liam two days after Christmas and told him about Justin’s baby and as his new man she always kept him a breast of what her

Children were up to and valued his advice sensibly he told her that she had to make her peace with Justin’s child and he advised her not to get too worked up about izy hopefully it was just an aberration of some kind and a hot romance and it would blow over his own

Daughters were home from Europe Penny his oldest was madly in love with a boy in Edinburgh and Elizabeth had three different men she was dating in Madrid but they were both young enough that he didn’t take any of it seriously and he said that Morin was a nervous wreck

Keeping track of the girls they were in and out of the house every 5 minutes and their friends were dropping by at all hours hearing about it made Kate realize how much she missed those days when her kids were younger and still at home she had loved it when their friends came

Over and her small apartment was jammed to the rafters with young people Moren doesn’t know how good she has it she commented nostalgically it’s so lonely when they gone she’s sad when they leave and all the coming and going drives her crazy when they’re here personally I like it

It’s too quiet when they’re gone and very lonely he said honestly and smiled at Kate once they’re in college it’s over as soon as they graduate they’re gone it all happened so quickly it had for her and she’d been trying to adjust to it ever since she was grateful she

Had the store to keep her busy business had been fantastic during the holidays and she needed to replenish her stock she was considering going to Europe in January Liam loved hearing about it the success of her business was a source of personal Pride to him since he had

Advised her and helped her get it off the ground she was making a very decent living from it they lingered over and went for a walk afterward they compared plans for New Year’s Eve Liam and Moren were staying home and their girls wanted to have friends in to have dinner and

Dance Kate said she’d been invited to a party by one of her celebrity clients but she said she hated going out on New Year’s Eve and was thinking of staying home too everyone tries too hard that night I’d rather watch old movies she had a collection of them that he always

Said he wanted to watch with her but never did they saw each other at lunch and only rarely in the evening it always gave Liam a new lease on life and new energy when he saw her and she gave him good advice about their girls since she

Had been there not that long ago when her kids were the hes were now in college she kept the shop open till 7 on New Year’s Eve because it was always a busy day for them when women hadn’t found a dress for that night anywhere else and showed up at still fabulous in

Desperation and often found something perfect for whatever party they were going to they made their last sale at 6:30 that night an Exquisite Dior gown in White Satin and black velvet that looked as though it had been made for the woman who bought it and shortly

Before they had sold a gold Oscar dear Renta cocktail dress that Kate had been tempted to buy herself when it came in it was pure Glamour and looked like melted gold on the woman who took it home with a white fox jacket from a villain she was young and looked like a

Movie star from the ‘ 50s Kate loved selling clothes to women who looked magnificent in them it was like matchmaking to find the right clothes for the right woman when she locked up the shop and turned the alarm on she felt like she’d done a good day’s work

She walked home as it started to snow and she was suddenly glad she had declined the dinner party she had been invited to she was delighted to be staying home and she already knew which movies she was going to watch watch she wanted to see rear window again and

There was an old K Grant movie To Catch a Thief she wanted to watch too they were perfect for New Year’s Eve Julie had said she was having a few friends from work over for dinner mostly her interns who were young designers Justin had told her that he

And Richard were staying home or maybe going to her neighbors for dinner and she knew that Izzy and Zach were going to East Hampton God only knew what Willie was doing but she was sure he’d be with a pretty girl to see in the new year and her mother would probably be

Dancing the Tango in Buenos Ires her plans were always the most fun of all she never spent New Year’s Eve in New York and always managed to be someplace fun she had been in Brazil the year before Zach and as he drove out to East Hampton in the afternoon on New Year’s

Eve just before it started snowing and an hour after they got to his grandmother’s house there was already a light black kit of snow on the ground it looked beautiful and made the house seem even more inviting they had decided to cook dinner at home and Zach found a bottle of

Crystal in The Wine Cellar which he put on ice for them Izzy had brought a small tin of caviar to surprise him he had luxurious tastes and it was fun to indulge him despite his unconventional look he still had a fondness for the luxuries of his childhood they had the caviar and

Champagne before dinner and Zach made steaks Izzy set a pretty table for them with his grandmother’s Linens and China the housekeeper was away for the weekend and the caretaker was in his separate Cottage so they were alone in the house it was a perfect New Year’s Eve which

Suited them both and far different from the last two she had spent alone in her apartment crying in front of the TV as she watched the ball fall in Time Square it was amazing how life could change for the past 4 months mons her life with

Zach had been like a dream they were tucked in bed at midnight after they had made love and Zach poured them each a glass of red wine it was a very old Chateau moo he had brought up when he found the crystal they had before dinner should we be pillaging your

Grandmother’s wine Sellar she asked him guiltily as he handed her the glass and laughed she’ll never know the difference there’s a lot more downstairs he said easily the house she was letting him use for the winter added a whole other dimension to their life Izzy had never

Had a country house before and they spent every weekend there he kissed her after they took a sip of the wine and gently took the glass from her hand and set it down on the bedside table she thought he was going to make love to her

Again he was tireless and a very skilled lover but instead he kissed her and looked into her eyes with a serious expression I have something to ask you he said gently you make me so happy izy I’ve never known anyone like you and I’ve never felt like this in my life

Neither have I she said honestly she had a wonderful time with him whatever they did at times she felt like they were living in a bubble and she hoped it would never burst I love you so much he whispered will you marry me for a moment she

Thought she had dreamed the words but when she looked looked at him she knew that what he had said was real are you serious she asked feeling dazed she had never expected that yes I am I wish I could give you a ring but I can’t right

Now all I have to give you is my heart and the rest of my life with you that’s all I need she said in a husky voice filled with emotion I love you too let’s get married soon I don’t want to wait it was almost as if they were already

Married they hadn’t been apart in four months except when she went to work every other moment they were together I don’t want to wait either she said smiling as she lay back against the pillows and then he made love to her to make it all seem real to both of them

She fell asleep in his arms that night dreaming of the life they would share when she woke in the morning he was still sound asleep holding her in his arms and it was a winter wonderland outside he opened an eye as she looked down at him and stroked his hair she had

Never seen a man as beautiful in her life and now she belonged to him she had never been happier were you drunk last night she asked grinning at him feeling as though she was about to float away with joy why did I say something weird he looked blank as he asked the question

And then they both laughed very weird I think we’re engaged Mr Holbrook he rolled over on his back with a self-satisfied expression when she said it as a matter of fact I think we are are you going to call your mother and tell her he looked as though he liked

The idea I think I’d rather tell her in person when we go back to the city what do you think she’ll say he looked vaguely concerned but not very he had liked her family when he met the them although they were as Square as she said but they had their little individual

Quarks too I think she’ll be happy for me Izzy said about Kate she knows how unhappy I’ve been Izzy was suddenly glad that her previous engagement hadn’t worked out if it had she would never have met Zach and fallen in love with him or she might have met him anyway but

He would have been a client and nothing more and now that she knew him she realized how ideally suited they were to each other they were a perfect match although she would have never expected it given how different their early lives were he’s in the lap of luxury her working her way

Through college and law school to help her mother but her childhood had been a lot happier than his and she wanted to make that up to him now she wanted to make him ecstatic and feel loved for the rest of his days Zach called his grandmother and told her the news and he

Reported to azy that she was delighted for him and he called his father and found him in Aspen they talked for only a few minutes and Zach looked disappointed when he hung up his father said he was busy congratulated him briefly and said he was rushing out to meet friends and

Would call him soon it was the usual short shrift he was used to and he didn’t call his mother since he had no idea where she was they spent an ayic weekend and threw snowballs at each other when they went for a walk they played like children and much of the

Time Zach acted like an overgrown boy Izzy got serious for a minute when they were making dinner and asked him what he was going to do now about what he looked confused Zach you really need to find a job it’s not good for you not to work

She wanted to make it clear that he needed to contribute to their life too she was keeping the cash drawer full and paying for everything else it was a lot he spent money like water I’m not sure what I can do other than play polo and

Bridge I play tennis and ski I Was a Race Car Driver for a while but I don’t have a car I don’t have any marketable skills I could be a tennis teacher but you don’t want me to do that do you he said disapprovingly and I’d feel like an

Idiot going back to school it’s a little late for that at my age you need to figure something out just so you have something to do it was the most honest conversation they’d had about it but it mattered now if they were getting married while they were just dating

She’d felt awkward spelling it out to him is it that important to you he asked her and she nodded I think it’s important for you too you’ll feel uncomfortable being around people who work when you have nothing to say about what you do I don’t

Care I told told you no one in my family has ever worked everyone in mine does she said directly and I think it would impress your trustees oh that he laughed at her how will I keep my role as Black Sheep if I get a job they’d be worried about me

They might actually let you have some of your money that would be nice for you I guess it would he said as though it was a novel idea I’ve kind of stopped thinking about it but she couldn’t keep funding their cash drawer although it was awkward to say so I’ll think about

It he said vaguely and then dinner was ready and he changed the subject and they talked about their plans to get married do you want a big wedding he asked her and she shook her head immediately just my family and a few friends I’ve never wanted a big wedding

Just a husband I love and who loves me we’re all set then he beamed at her what about you Izzy asked gently not my family my grandmother is too frail now after her stroke my mother wouldn’t come she gave up on me years ago and my

Sister is too screwed up to go anywhere maybe my father would but I don’t know and I’ve moved around a lot and I’m not sure you’d like my friends she hadn’t met any so far all he wanted was to be with her he was a man without possessions encumbrances or deep ties to

Anyone everything he owned fit into two suitcases one of which was in East Hampton and the other in her apartment in New York the blending of their two lives would be very simple I’d like to take you to Palm Beach to meet my grandmother soon though she’ll love you

And think I’ve finally done something right I’d love to meet her Izzy said sincerely they spent a quiet night and talked about when they wanted to get married Izzy lik the idea of the 1st of May Zach was disappointed that it wasn’t sooner but a four-month engagement would

Give her time to plan a small wedding with her mother they made a list of who they wanted to invite and it came to about 30 people which seemed like enough to both of them they didn’t want more when they got to the city izy dropped

Him off at her apartment and went to see her mother she was at the shop going through one of the sto rooms trying to make order out of chaos after the holidays she couldn’t believe how much they’d sold Jessica told Izzy where to find her and she went upstairs to locate

Her mother Kate looked surprised to see her what are you doing here she smiled broadly at her oldest daughter we just got back from East Hampton a little while ago I have something to tell you mom she said it with a serious expression and Kate emerged from the racks of clothes

To take Izzy to her office so they could talk is something wrong no izy smiled at her on the contrary Zach and I are getting married he proposed to me on New Year’s Eve she looked ecstatic and Kate felt her heart sink isn’t that a little

Soon how long have you two been dating she knew it hadn’t been long since sometime in the fall which is he didn’t tell them until November and now she wanted to get married four months I know it’s short but we’re both old enough to know what we’re doing and I’ve never

Loved anyone as much in my life we want to get married in May so that would be an 8-month courtship she was trying to sell it to her mother Kate was so stunned she didn’t know what to say for a moment and as he was right they were

Old enough to make their own decisions but this seemed like a bad one to Kate they were too different he was a spoiled rich boy and he had no education and no career in Kate’s opinion he was not the kind of man as he should marry the odds weren’t great for

Success how is he going to support you Kate asked her quietly he doesn’t have a job he has to work that out he said he would why don’t you wait until he does Kate said as her heart slipped further into her shoes this wasn’t the kind of man she wanted for

Her oldest daughter or for any of them Izzy needed a man who was her equal but the one who seemed to be her equal had betrayed her and broken her heart and just as is’s grandmother had said Zach was a rebound but a very dangerous one in

Kate’s opinion and NE he couldn’t make it up to him for his unstable childhood you couldn’t replay history about things like that we don’t want to wait we know we love each other that’s all we need to know M we’ll figure out the rest as we go

Along that’s a hard way to start out Kate felt like she was fighting for a as she said it you need to have some real plans and he needs to have a job or you’ll lose respect for him my respect for him is based on who he is as a human

Being not what he does for work she had almost forgotten by then how she had met him and that he’d been dealing drugs but fortunately her mother didn’t know any of that why don’t you wait a while and see what he does why the rush why wait

At our age he’s staying with me now it’s like being married no it’s not it’s like dating there’s a whole lot more to marriage than meets the eye you both need to be on firm footing when you start out you have a solid career but he needs a job

He’s going to get one Izzy said looking irritated is that all you care about she made it sound trivial although his lack of a job bothered her too I care about your happiness Izzy you know that but I also want to see you married to a stable

Person who is going to help you build a solid life I don’t want all the responsibility on you it won’t be he’s a strong man mom and he wants to do his share he just doesn’t know yet how he’ll do it well he’d better start figuring it

Out and why the big rush to marry in May we want to be married so we can start our life together we’d get married sooner but I figured you’d want the time to plan a wedding we only want a very small one she reassured her she didn’t

Expect her mother to create miracles in 4 months we’re going to do it whatever you say Izzy said stubbornly so will you give us your blessing Izzy’s eyes pleaded with her and Kate wanted to say no the last thing she wanted to give her was her blessing but Izzy had spelled it

Out very clearly she was going to marry him no matter what her mother said but Kate believed it wouldn’t work every ounce of her was silently screaming no don’t do it but Izzy was giving her no leeway she had made up her mind and she didn’t want to hear anything her mother

Had to say Kate wondered what her own mother would think they had been in agreement before she left that Zach wasn’t the husband for izy only a hot date and now she wanted to get married Kate waited a long moment before she answered you have my blessing but I

Really think you should wait and not rush into marriage what’s your hurry he won’t run away obviously but why wait I’m 32 years old I’m old enough to know what I’m doing and who I want to marry she wouldn’t listen to reason and other than forbid her which Kate didn’t want

To do and lose her relationship with her daughter maybe permanently she didn’t know what to say I think you and Zach should discuss it again why not be engaged for a year she hoped that by then aie would be fed up with him or come to her senses Kate had the strong suspicion

That they were on a sexual high and I he wasn’t thinking clearly we don’t need to discuss it and we’re not waiting a year she said firmly we’re getting married in May you don’t have to give the wedding she said with tears in her eyes she was

Angry at her mother for the position she was taking of course I want to give the wedding I just want you to have the best possible chance for it to work it will he’s a wonderful person he just had a lousy family and some bad breaks he

Needs the stability of marriage and so do I I want that for both of us but Kate knew all too clearly that as he had picked the wrong man Zach would never be stable he didn’t have it in him they walked out of the office together then

In Silence the the decision had been made Izzy was getting married and Kate had no voice in it whatsoever not one Izzy was willing to hear we can talk about the wedding later she told her mother I just wanted you to know our plans Kate nodded miserably and kissed

Her daughter before she left the store and then Kate went back to her office and cried after Justin’s shocking announcement that they were using a surrogate and having a baby is he marrying Zach and throwing throwing all caution and reason to the wounds was one blow too

Many how did it go Zach asked her when as he got back to the apartment Izzy looked nervous and irritated and he saw it as soon as she walked in all right I guess typical of my mother all she ever sees is what could go wrong not what’s

Right she’s always on some kind of Witch Hunt and I’m the witch he looked worried no I am but I should have expected it I guess she thinks we’re rushing into it getting married in May would she prefer June he was willing to wait another month if it would mify her mother but

Izzy knew it wouldn’t A month’s delay wouldn’t satisfy Kate she suggested we wait a year I’m not going to do that and she has no right to ask it of us what difference would that make we’re practically married now we might as well do it right and make it

Official he looked pleased by what she said I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to a year sounded too long to him too he saw no reason to delay and neither did she she gave us her blessing so it’s a done deal and I’m not going to

Argue with her about the date I think she got that message loud and clear he looked pleased by what she said and that she was standing up for him and after she unpacked she climbed into bed with him and he held her close he loved the way she fought for what she

Wanted and he loved knowing that she wanted him he felt like a little boy who had finally found a home and she was it chapter 8 Kate called Liam the next day and he came to the store to see her she had sounded upset and he wanted to know

What was going on she told him about Izzy and he was dismayed can’t you refuse to do it you can tell her you’ll only give her a wedding in a year it sounded simple to him but he hadn’t been there yet with his own daughters and didn’t know how stubborn

As he could be she doesn’t care they’ll get married anyway and then not speak to me for 10 years I don’t want to lose all communication with her she’s going to need me when it falls apart Kate said pessimistically is he really that bad Liam asked her and she nodded he’s

Probably not an evil person and I’m sure he loves her he’s just spoiled and irresponsible he’s never had a job and she admits he has no money she’ll have to support him until he goes to work if he does how does he live now Liam was as

Worried as she was and he didn’t understand why Kate didn’t just forbid it he was sure as he would wait then there’s some kind of trust trust fund and I think he gets a pittance from the trustees when they’re willing they must know he can’t be relied on with money if

They do that at his age by 35 they ought to be able to trust him apparently not Kate said unhappily they must know him better I just can’t see her married to someone like him he’s covered with tattoos his hair is longer than mine everything about him is

Counterculture that’s not Izzy and she has no idea how unromantic it is to carry a guy as dead weight who doesn’t contribute his share and he has nothing to add to her life he has no education and no career for a woman like Izzy that just doesn’t fit what’s the attraction

Liam was puzzled Izzy was a smart girl it was unlike her to make such a foolish decision what do I know sex probably at this early stage he’s very good-looking and his crazy about her she was very hurt when Andrew broke the engagement and she’s been lonely for 2 years and

Now Mr Wonderful comes along and sweeps her off her feet until it all comes down like a house of cards but she doesn’t see that yet love really is blind I guess but I hate to see her do this to herself I don’t see how it can work

She’s trying to make it up to him for a bad childhood he’s a poor little rich boy with indifferent parents this has all the makings of a bad movie she said miserably and a bad marriage do you think there’s any chance it could work he asked trying to be

Objective Kate was very emotional about it so perhaps not the best judge none then she’ll get divorced later if you can’t stop her now he said practically fatalistic about it after three kids and 10 years of a bad marriage I hate to see her throw her life away and you don’t

Get those years back after you waste them one day you wake up and you’re 45 or 50 and you wonder where your life went there’s nothing you can do to change it he said as he looked at his friend you can tell her what you think and what you’re afraid of happening to

Her but no one listens to those warnings if they did there would be fewer voes and who listens to their parents I didn’t did you no Kate admitted my parents had a fit when I dropped out of college to marry Tom they wanted me to wait to and I didn’t Liam

Remembered and he had thought it was a bad idea to at the time but she hadn’t listened to him either but at least we were happy he wasn’t a deadbeat and he was a great guy I took the chance they wanted me to play it safe no one knew he

Would die and leave me a widow with four kids at 29 that wasn’t a character defect on his part it was luck true Liam agreed but it doesn’t sound like is is going to listen to you Kate maybe you just have to bite the bullet and watch her do it

He couldn’t think of any other solution it’s like watching her go over a cliff some people have to do that and you can’t spare them if that’s what they want to do I hate having kids these ages she said with a pained expression they don’t realize the consequences of their actions or how

High the stakes are you can’t win against the odds she’ll have to figure that out for herself he said sympathetically he put an arm around Kate’s shoulders as she walked him out of the store and he hugged her on the sidewalk don’t let it drive you crazy if there’s nothing you can do

She nodded but it was already doing that it had made her feel better to vent to Liam but it didn’t change anything Izzy was still willing to take an enormous risk and Kate was certain she wasn’t going to win every fber of her being told her that was the truth Kate was

Sitting in her office staring into space after Liam left thinking about what he had said when Jessica stuck her head in the door and told her a man with a French accent was on the phone and wanted to talk to her she had no idea

Who it was and took the call out of curiosity if nothing else the Frenchman on the phone said his name was Bernard Michel and he wanted to come to see her with a proposition he would like to make to her and he was in New York for 2 days

She thought it sounded odd and she wondered if he wanted to buy the store or her inventory she wasn’t in the mood to see him she was too upset about Izzy But he sounded Pleasant and intelligent and serious about whatever whatever he wanted to propose to her and she decided

It might be a distraction from her anxieties about izy whenever Kate was unhappy she took refuge in her work it had served her well they made an appointment for 4:00 the next day when he showed up at the store he was wearing a dark suit a white shirt and a

Good-looking tie and she noticed that he was wearing John lob Shoes by Hermes he looked prosperous and businesslike in a heavy cashmere coat and carrying a black alligator briefcase he was tall and attractive impeccably dressed had salt and pepper hair and looked about 60 years of age he

Told her that an associate in New York had told him about her store he asked some questions about the shop what she sold and how she found it and looked around she showed him into her office and they sat down her office was very small since she didn’t want to take

Space away from the store they needed every inch they could get for the clothes and she told him they had three apartments in the building that they rented as star rooms and they were full as well she was curious about why he was there what can I do for you Mr Michelle

She asked politely she still had no idea what he wanted he had given her his business card but all it told her was the name of the company which meant nothing to her what kind of business do you do on the internet he asked her

Some but not a lot I have clients who email me to tell me what they’re looking for but if they’re in New York they generally prefer to come into the store and see the item in person before they buy it do you have your inventory online

She shook her head some of what we sell moves too quickly to put it up and the rest I don’t have time she was not computer savvy and had never developed her business online it wasn’t a big feature when she started and she was doing well without it well enough they

Had a website but only sold at the store he explained what he wanted to do for her then he wanted to set up an internet component to her business an online shop that’s the business that I’m in he said quietly I help people like you set up their business online it could increase

Your sales considerably within a few months but she knew it would take make a large initial investment to photograph everything set up a website and pay for a system and someone to run it but Bernard mishelle told her how it could work what he said was intriguing but a

Little over her head they talked about it for a while and she said she’d like to discuss it with her son it was right up Willy’s alley and she wanted to know what he thought of the idea I’m staying a day longer than I originally planned

Why don’t you talk to your son and we’ll meet again tomorrow she asked him then why he had singled her out a woman friend of mine in Paris told me about your store and raved about it and my associate here brought it to my attention after that I wanted to come

And see it for myself I think this could be a very lucrative project for us both and you could see very rapid results Kate was fascinated by what he said and as soon as he left she called Willie to ask what he thought he was quiet for a minute

Absorbing what she had said honestly I think it’s brilliant mom and his right it could double your business almost overnight as soon as you improve your website photograph what you want to put online and set up a payment system you’re good to go I think it’s a

Fantastic idea who’s the guy she told him and he Googled him immediately and reported what he found to his mother he owns a huge company from the sound of it and he seems to have some fairly large Holdings in the states as well do you want to come to a meeting with him

Tomorrow I can’t Mom I wish I could I have to work just find out what he has in mind and we can talk about it tomorrow night over the phone you don’t have to rush into it she had the meeting with Bernard Michelle the next day and

Told him honestly that her son thought it was a great idea of course it is he smiled seductively at her but he didn’t need to do that to convince her she was already interested in the project it was enormously appealing let me send you a formal

Proposal when I get back to Paris you can show it to your business advisers and your son he smiled at her she walked him through the store again and then he turned to her before he walked out would you like to have dinner to talk about it

Some more tonight I’m not very good with the internet she confessed with a smile I’m sure you’d understand the concept is really very simple and once you’re set up to sell online your sales will increase exponentially it’s the best way to do business today she liked talking to him

And she wanted to hear more about it so she agreed to meet him at L greno Uptown which was one of the best restaurants in New York he said he was staying at the hotel Pierre nearby Kate arrived promptly wearing a very sheet Black Chanel suit and high

Heels with a black Sable coat over it that she had gotten at the store and looked brand new they were led to one of the best Tables by a head waiter who spoke to Bernard in French and seemed to know him they concentrated on the menu at first and once they had ordered

Bernard explained his idea to her in Greater detail the more she heard about it the more she liked it and he had a simple simp Le way of explaining it to her that made sense once she was set up to do business online his company would take a percentage and would monitor

Sales and handle the technical details for her the percentage wasn’t huge and sounded reasonable to Kate she realized selling online could increase the volume of her business and turn it into a giant Money Maker Bernard talked about his children then and said he had a son who

Was an attorney and a daughter in medical school she told him about her children leaving out her worries about Izzy and Justin he seemed to be close to his children from the way he spoke about them and was very proud of them and in the course of conversation it came out

That she’d been widowed since her children were very young and she had brought them up alone you never remarried he seemed surprised I was too busy with them and the store she said smiling at him she told him about the history of still fabulous and how how it worked and he

Was visibly impressed that she had built it from nothing and made it a success he said it was Ventures like hers that excited him because turning it into an online store as well would take it so much further than she was able to do now and everything he said sounded

Exciting to her he offered tremendous growth potential with his plan to take still fabulous to a whole other level they had a very pleasant dinner in elegant surroundings with wonderful food and a great bottle of wine and when he put her in a capab to go back downtown

He promised to be in touch with her soon with his proposal she was anxious to see it he waved as the cab pulled away and he walked back to his hotel it was a cold night but he said he loved walking in New York the next day

She called Liam and told him about it and it sounded interesting to him too how did you get to this guy Liam asked her with interest he called me at the store Liam Googled him and was impressed as well he ran a major business in France and had

Set up similar Ventures to hers in England and other countries in Europe and several in the states all of them currently very successful two weeks later Bernard Michel sent her the proposal he had promised and she emailed a copy of it to Liam and another to Willie she printed

Hers out and spent the night pouring over it it sounded brilliant and exciting was relatively easy to set up and had potentially impressive results it was hard to find a reason not to do it and Liam suggested she meet with him again when he was in New York

And he would come along she wrote to Bernard and he responded almost immediately that he would be back at the end of the month and welcome the prospect of exploring the idea with her father they made an appointment two weeks later Kate was very excited about

It and told Justin about it when he called her to see how she was it sounded appealing to him too and Willie was as enthusiastic as she was he thought it was a fantastic opportunity how’s the baby doing she asked Justin sounding subdued she still wasn’t thrilled about it she had to get

Used to the idea everything is fine so far she’ll have another sonogram in 4 weeks and we’ll see a lot more then they talked about Izzy too I wish she wouldn’t rush into this marriage Justin said unhappily I just can’t see them together long term why doesn’t she just have an affair with

Him and forget about marrying him Justin was not a fan of marriage straight or gay and he had been shocked when his sister called to announce her engagement I told her the same thing Kate said unhappily but she doesn’t want to hear anything I have to say where are

You going to do the wedding Justin asked her she was going to give me some ideas she’s checking out locations with Zach they want it very small I’d rather be giving one for you Kate said in a wistful tone she liked Richard a lot better than Zach whom she barely knew

And she still couldn’t see asy with him we don’t want to get married Justin said as he had before when’s Grandma coming home by the way he hadn’t heard from her since she left on her trip they never did tomorrow I haven’t told her about Izzy

Yet I don’t think she’ll be happy about it either it’s hard to be optimistic about a mismatch like that Kate didn’t say she was worried about him too and their upcoming child it seemed like all of a sudden she had two children going off track and taking serious risks she

Had encouraged her children to be independent but she wanted them to play it safe as much as they could they talked for a few more minutes and then then hung up and the next day when her mother returned from Argentina she told her the news that Izzy was planning to

Marry Zach I had a feeling she’d do something like that she had that look in her eye on Christmas day that she used to get when she was a teenager and was planning to do something she knew she shouldn’t but was determined to do anyway you can’t stop her when she gets

Like that I know I tried maybe you can reason with her and get her to wait a while I’m sure I can’t Grandma L said sounding resigned she’ll just have to go through it and learn the lesson the hard way I don’t think there will be an easy

Way with him he’s going to be a great disappointment to her before it’s all over I just hope she doesn’t get badly hurt it was what Kate feared most a marriage that would end badly and take isy years to recover from but they couldn’t seem to stop her how was your

Trip Kate asked asked her to change the subject from the depressing Prospect of is’s marriage perfect did you do the Tango Kate asked with a smile of course I took Francis to tango bars every night she must have loved that Kate said laughing her friend Francis was a Meek demor woman who

Followed her more adventuresome friend Faithfully without complaint no she didn’t but she was a good sport and went anyway she’s an excellent traveling companion Louise had learned the samb in Brazil the year before she was tireless and loved to dance she sounded like she’d had fun

Which was the whole point of the trip seeing new places meeting new people and broadening her world she had tried to teach that to her grandchild but they were more interested in work and careers understandably Willie liked to have fun and loved traveling with her the girls

Were more like their mother and all about work although they enjoyed their grandmother too what’s new with you her mother asked her and Kate told her about the business proposal she’d heard from Bernard Michelle in France why don’t you go to Paris to meet with him he’s coming here in 2 weeks

Kate told her a trip to Paris would do good her mother suggested after they hung up Kate realized she was right a trip to Paris would be fun she want to go on a buying trip anyway maybe if the new project panned out she’d go for a

Week or two it sounded like a plan her mother always broadened her Horizons too Grandma Lou was good for all of them and Kate was happy she was home and would talk to izy she wondered if izy would listen to her grandmother since she listened to no one else chapter n izy

Called her mother at the store the week after Grandma Lou’s return in late January and told her she had located several possible venues for her wedding reception two were restaurants one was a small boutique hotel in Tribeca and the fourth was a townhouse the owners rented out on Washington Square Park the last

One sounded like the most interesting although it was slightly more expensive but not excessively so Kate was planning to pay for the wedding and could afford to but is he said she was more than willing to help Kate would have preferred no wedding but Grandma Lou hadn’t been able to slow Izzy down

Either she had tried Izzy had made up her mind and nothing would stop her they made a date for that Friday afternoon to see all for locations Kate normally loved having an excuse to spend time with her children but she wasn’t feeling enthusiastic about their mission she wished there was

Something she could do to bring Izzy to her senses but she seemed to be in High Spirits and excited about finding a location for her wedding no matter how disastrous Kate thought the groom they started at the hotel in Tribeca and agreed that it was gloomy and dark

Although the food was reputed to be excellent Kate thought it would make everything seem somber and she was relieved that her daughter thought so too and the two restaurants seemed banal to both of them they were pretty but commercial and only one of them had a private room for the second one they’d

Have to take over the whole restaurant and the room was too large for only 30 guests there were seven members of the family including Richard Grandma Lou Kate and the four siblings Liam and Morin would be there of course Zach had only two friends he thought he might

Invite and still wasn’t sure he considered it unlikely his father would come and as he wanted to invite about 15 or 20 people from work and not everyone would attend they might end up with only 20 wedding guests so a private room seemed best they didn’t like anything

They’d seen as they took a cap to the house on Washington Square it was a pretty brick townhouse from the outside with white trim and a shiny black door it was one of the historic homes on the Square from the time of Henry James a property manager was waiting for

Them when they arrived the owner was a movie producer in California who rarely came to New York but loved the house and rented it out for parties and special events it was small once they stepped inside like many of the turn of the century tow houses on the Square there

Were two pilers on either side of the house on the main floor and a study at the rear that was lined with books the living room was on the second floor a beautifully appointed room with lovely art and a view of the park it occupied a full floor of the house could apparently

Accommodate 50 and was comfortable for 25 as and on the top two floors were the bedrooms the master suite was above the living room and it was a lovely romantic room where the bride could dress the kitchen and formal dining room were downstairs and the table could

Comfortably seat 25 or stretch to 30 with additional leaves it was perfect for the purpose they had in mind the walls were painted in pastel Shades the furnature was antique the window coverings done in Exquisite silks and there was a fireplace and chandelier in every room Izzy could instantly imagine

Her wedding in a place like that although Kate thought Zach would look completely out of place in his Leathers tattoos long hair and biker Style but she didn’t say so to izy she had fallen in love with the elegant little Jewel box of a house and Kate signed the

Contract for May 1st before they left so they had a place for the wedding the house came with a party chef and staff so that was taken care of too and they could provide a florist if they wished it it left nothing more to arrange except the invitations and is’s bridal

Gown and although Zach and his family was supposed to organize and host the rehearsal dinner the night before since he had no family to do so Kate had already agreed to have the rehearsal dinner at home it was going to be a casual evening and she was planning to

Have it catered by a Mexican restaurant nearby which was what is he said they wanted everyone could hang out informally and sit on the floor it would be a nice contrast to the small elegant location for the wedding and since it was for such a limited group the price

Was not excessive but for an intimate wedding put together at short notice with only a few months to plan it was very elegant and just what they needed Kate want to give azy a pretty wedding even if she was unhappy about the marriage if they couldn’t stop her Kate

Felt she should have a special day to remember nonetheless and izy was pleased they went back to Kate’s apartment feeling Victorious and satisfied with their successful Mission Izzy had found a gem with the location the invitations weren’t going to be complicated and Kate looked lovingly at

Her daughter as she poured them both a cup of tea in her small tidy kitchen that was as Immaculate as stylish and as organized as the rest of her apartment Kate was a meticulous person in all things now you need the Gown she said as they sat down at the table where

They had all their holiday meals any thoughts she was being a good sport about her daughter’s wedding despite her qualms Izzy had already said that she didn’t want a wedding dress from her mother’s shop she didn’t want anything vintage she wanted something new and exciting that Zach would love they

Looked at some dresses online on Kate’s laptop as they sipped their tea Oscar deara Mesa erera Vera Wang and Monique Lilia they were all more elaborate than what is he had in mind she wanted something totally simple and pure with flowers in her hair no Veil she had very

Definite ideas on the subject as Kate knew most Brides did she had heard it all before at her store and in many cases the bride ended up picking something completely different from what she said she wanted but Izzy was as stubborn about it as she was about everything else related to the wedding

Kate suggested she go to Bergdorf Goodman have a look around and try some gowns Izzy followed her advice but saw nothing she wanted she was stumped about where to go next so she called her mother to tell her she had found nothing at bergdorf’s Kate was doing an intake when

I he called her and told her she was busy but would give it some thought and call her later maybe a white dress from Amani or Calvin Klein would do the trick even if they weren’t made as bridal gowns they would be clean simple and mod

And I he had the right figure for their designs Kate went back to work on the collection she was checking in then she liked to see the items herself and be sure they were up to her standards the one she was looking at was from a family in San Francisco who had

Sent her all of their mother’s cure gowns some really beautiful Chanel pieces in perfect condition and some other family pieces no one wanted including their grandmother’s wedding gown Kate was sure it would be too old and fragile to set since it was from the 1920s and almost 100 years old but she

Had promised to take a look at it and had already suggested before she saw it they donated it to a museum they said the dress had been carefully preserved and it arrived in a white box having been heavily wrapped in tissue paper since its first and only

Use no one had ever worn it since because it looked too dated and out of style Kate was curious to see what it would look like when she took it out of the box and unwrapped it but the box it came in was huge and it took her and

Jessica several minutes to strip away all the tissue paper which had yellowed with age but miraculously the Gown had kned it was still a delicate ivory color with lace arms minute beaded embroidery covering the entire dress and a seemingly mile long train and veil in the same lace the gown was Exquisite

When they laid it out on a clean white sheet on the floor oh my God Kate said looking at it it really did belong in a museum and Jessica touched the delicate beading with reverence the entire dress had been Handmade by a designer of the time that

Kate had never heard of apparently a local woman in San Francisco she wondered how many hundreds of hours had gone into making it for the society bride who wore it there were even matching white satin shoes with the same beading on them and she could see

From the Gown that the bride it had been made for must have been a tall girl it had a dropped waist that was typical of the 1920s when it had been made Kate knew it was entirely wrong for azy and not what she wanted but she couldn’t

Resist calling her as they stood looking at it and she described it to her it’s not for you it’s really a piece of history and it belongs in a museum but it’s one of the most beautiful wedding gowns I’ve ever seen do you want to come

And look at it it would be fun for you to see it maybe it will give you some ideas Izzy sounded half-hearted about it and didn’t want an antique dress but she didn’t want to be rude to her mother since she was being nice about the wedding and helping her with the

Plans they still had to find a judge who would perform the ceremony since Zach refused to be married in a church and said that anything religious brought back bad memories of his parents since they had taken him to church every Sunday and he had hated it so there

Would be no hint of religion at their wedding which upset Kate too but it was their wedding and she was trying to help make it memorable for her daughter Izzy agreed to come by on Saturday after the gym and Kate left the Gown laid out

On the sheet on the floor of the store room and told everyone not to go in so they wouldn’t step on it by mistake she was busy again the next day with one of her best clients the editor from Harper bizaar when as he came by

Kate asked the woman to wait a few minutes and had Jessica take over for her she apologized and explained it was a very special mission for her daughter even though she knew she wouldn’t wear the gown but she wanted her to see it they went upstairs together Kate

Unlocked the door and turned the lights on and led izy to where they’d left the dress carefully spread out on the floor Izzy frowned when she saw it and then knelt down to touch the lace and the beading the Gown itself was satin except for the see-through lace arms and the

Train and Veil looked endless there was a white satin cap under the veil with the same beading seeing it again Kate knew she had had never seen such a magnificent gown and even as he looked impressed when she turned to look at her mother do you

Think it would fit me Kate was surprised by the question I held it up to myself yesterday and I think it would fit me we’re the same size so I think it probably would the bride it was made for must have been pretty tall could I try

It izy asked with a shy look and her mother smiled of course when her daughter were much younger she used to bring bridal gowns home from secondhand shops so they could play dress up this was a much fancier version of the same idea they lifted the Gown carefully and Kate

Noticed again that it was in excellent condition nothing had yellowed nothing was stained it had obviously been cleaned before it was put away and the fabric wasn’t brittle it had minute White Satin buttons all the way down the back which took forever to do up but as

Soon as she did she and I he both saw that the Gown fit her to Perfection it looked as though it had been made for her and once on a human form and not on the floor the impressive Artistry of the cstress showed even more it molded

Exactly to as his tall lean body but not too much so and the beading was even Lovelier and subtler when the dress was worn there was a fulllength mirror at the end of the store room and as he walked toward it on tiptoe as Kate remembered the shoes and put them on the

Floor for her they fit perfectly too the bride had been a clone of is’s body and she and Kate both gasped as they saw her image in the mirror it looked like a piece of history in its workmanship and yet the style was Modern too the train

Was Regal behind her and when she settled the satin cap and Veil on her head and spread the veil out it brought tears to Kate’s eyes no matter what she thought of the marriage the dress was one of the most beautiful she had ever seen and as he thought so too

It occurred to Kate immediately that it would look perfect in the late 19th century house where she was getting married it was pure Henry James right out of one of his novels oh my God Mom Izzy said looking at her mother in awe can I have it will

They sell it to us or is it going to a museum I told them it should but I’m sure I can talk them out of it I’ll see what I can do any other dress would have seemed poultry and second best next to this one there was no modern dress made

That would compare to it except perhaps o Couture but this one had the patterer of history and the craftsmanship of another Century Izzy took the dress off carefully with her mother’s help and they folded it back into the box with the shoes and Veil and all the tissue

Paper and then they went downstairs to Kate’s office the editor from Harper’s bizar was gone by then she had bought two Chanel suits and a balance Seer dress Kate had put aside for her from a recent intake and then Kate called the family in San Francisco it was still early there and

The woman who had sent her the shipment was at home Kate explained that her daughter had fallen in love with her grandmother’s wedding gown and was getting married on May 1st I really didn’t think anyone would want it the woman said honestly girls wear much sexier dresses now although

The beading is beautiful isn’t it it certainly is and I have to admit it looks spectacular on her she must have the exact same figure as your grandmother even her shoe size she was tall for the time the woman confirmed and when Kate asked how much she wanted

For it the woman hesitated for a long time Kate wondered if she was going to come up with a shocking price since Kate had told her it belonged in a museum and finally the woman answered it’s been sitting here useless for nearly a 100 years it it would be nice to know that

Someone who really loves it has a chance to wear it I’m sure my grandmother would be pleased what about $500 and my best wishes to the bride she said and Kate’s eyes filled with tears again it was the kind of luck she had always had with her shop meeting lovely people who shared

Their stories with her and blessings that fell into her lap that would be truly wonderful Kate said sounding thrilled I can’t thank you enough what good luck F that you sent it I hope your daughter enjoys it both women hung up feeling touched by the hand of fate and

Kate turned to her daughter with a broad Smile as she wiped her eyes it’s yours she said beaming at her as his his eyes grew wide and she threw her arms around her mother’s neck oh my God I love it wait till Zach sees me in it I didn’t

Think I wanted a vintage gown and it doesn’t get more vintage than 1920 but it’s the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen she felt like a queen in it and a bride and it looked as though it had been made for her it was I’s dream dress

And all Kate could wish as she looked at her daughter’s radiant face was that she were marrying a different man in the spectacular dress but this was what her daughter wanted and she had to accept her choice of both the man and the dress a week after they chose is’s

Wedding dress and the location for the wedding Bernard Michelle came back to town with a more detailed proposal Kate met with him and Liam to discuss it because of Liam’s expertise she always relied on him to advise her on financial matters and she trusted him completely the meeting was serious and

Took place at Bernard’s hotel in his suite he was staying at the Four Seasons this time on the 48th floor with a dizzying but amazing view Liam was very pleased with their discussions and so was Kate everything Bernard was suggesting to enhance her business and expand it made

Sense it would never have occurred to her on her own and as soon as someone had mentioned her remarkable shop to him he had known that an online store would develop it exponentially and be profitable for all involved as they left the meeting Liam told her that she had a

Good chance of making a great deal of money from the plan a lot of money he said as they shared a cap to go back downtown Liam didn’t live far from her in Tribeca it allowed them to take walks together sometimes to catch up on news when they had and had lunched together

For a while if either of them were too busy they talked animatedly about the new project and Bernard was sending the proposal to her lawyer if all went well she would be able to sign it soon and move ahead she was going to call their online shopping business fabulous on the

Net she was surprised to hear from Bernard that night after she got home when when she was reading over her notes from the meeting there were a couple of points she wanted to ask him about and had forgotten so she was pleased he’d called she went over them with him and

Then he lingered on the phone asking her what she was doing and how she spent her time when she wasn’t working she laughed and said she worked all the time and occasionally saw her mother and children when they had time and she was delighted that the internet

Component to her business was going to keep her very busy while she set it up would you like to have dinner tomorrow night he asked her casually she had enjoyed their meal at L greno before but didn’t expect him to take her out to fancy dinners as part of the deal and

Said so he laughed don’t be so American Kate he chided her everything in life isn’t about business can’t a man take a beautiful woman out for dinner without it being about work she was surprised by what he said I suppose so she said pensively but she couldn’t see why he lived in Paris

She lived here and the deal was almost done they had nothing crucial left to discuss until the papers were signed and she got started setting it up that’s very nice of you she sounded almost shy she hadn’t had a real date in years and didn’t think of him as one she didn’t

Like mixing business with romance and never had she had clear boundaries about things like that that just as she did with Liam and so did he they were friends and Bernard was now a business associate although he had brought her a terrific proposal and she was grateful

For that is there some place Casher you enjoy it would be nice to have a relaxed evening she knew he had other meetings planned while he was in New York and he had said as much to her she suggested da syono if he liked Italian food it was

Easy relaxed downtown and the pastor was great and the owner was always there himself which kept everyone on their toes perfect I’ll make the reservation and pick you up at 8 if that works for you he sounded warm and friendly and she couldn’t tell if he considered it a date

She hoped not but there was no harm in being friends if they were going to have a business Alliance she was planning to keep it to that in case he had any other ideas he was wearing slacks and a blazer and a heavy coat when he picked her up at her

Apartment the next day in a town car with a driver at the restaurant they were shown to a table and Bernard ordered wine for both of them he looked happy to see her and was funny and good company as they chatted and ordered dinner he wasn’t overtly seductive with

Her but she had the feeling all night that he was caughting her as a woman not trying to get to know a business colleague better and then he startled her with what what he said as they ordered coffee and agreed to share a dessert I don’t know if it matters to

You Kate but I want to be open with you technically I’m married legally but not in any real sense anymore we haven’t been for years we have an arrangement which is fairly common in France it’s too complicated to get divorced and separate Investments and properties that

Have been entwined for so long so she leads her life I lead mine we’re cordial when we meet we see the children separately we have different friends she’s like my sister now Kate had heard of those arrangements and wouldn’t have wanted one herself but whatever worked for him was his business

And not hers he didn’t need to explain it to her and she had noticed immediately that he didn’t wear a wedding band which most European men did if they were married I just wanted you to know he continued so you don’t don’t feel awkward if we spend an evening

Together I enjoy your company I’d like to see more of you while I’m here he was so direct about it that she was startled no one had said anything like it to her for a long time and never with a continental flavor explaining that he and his wife had an arrangement and that

Even if he was legally married he actually wasn’t in any real sense he certainly had made his situation clear she doesn’t mind that you go out with other women Kate asked him as directly as he had been with her we don’t ask each other those questions he said discreetly it’s

Not my business what she does nor her what I do we stayed married for the children and now because it’s less financially complicated the spirit of our marriage died years ago how sad for both of you Kate said sympathetically and meant it she had been madly in love with Tom and

Her parents had loved each other to the end not really Bernard said comfortably it happens in the states people get divorced when the love affair is over in France people are more practical we try to keep the family intact in form anyway and divorce is less familiar to us it’s a Catholic

Country and divorce came very late most of our friends have the same arrangement we do some have mistresses who are almost like wives he made it sound normal and acceptable and almost desirable as Kate listened I’m not comfortable dating a married man she said clearly while he nodded and

Appeared to agree most Americans aren’t but I would like to see you for dinner when I’m here would you be amable to that like tonight she felt silly objecting to it he had been totally proper and good company and she smiled at him as the waiter brought their

Dessert that’s fine she said and he made her laugh with stories about his children work and life in Paris and some of his travels around the world you’d love meeting my mother she loves to travel and she’s a character she just got back from a month of Tango lessons in

Argentina last year she learned the samb in Brazil and she’s been studying Mandarin for a year for a trip to China this summer she makes the rest of us look boring by comparison I’d love to meet her and your children he said enthusiastically and then she told him about his his wedding

And how unhappy she was about it since tonight was personal not business and he had told her so much about himself and his marriage we can’t control our children my daughter in medical school has a boyfriend we all hate he’s a dreadful rough uncivilized person and

She’s been with him for 5 years with no sign of marriage fortunately and my son lives with a woman we don’t like either they have two children but have no plans to marry the children are very sweet two boys that’s common in France too particularly now many of my

Friends children have children but don’t marry I try not to say too much to my children but it upsets me too at times listening to him Kate wasn’t sure what was better staying married and cheating on your wife or never married marrying and having children out of

Wedlock both sounded dubious to her and less than ideal and then she thought of Justin and Richard who were doing the same thing with a surrogate no less my son is having a baby too in August and is not married she didn’t mention that he was gay and didn’t know how Bernard

Would react to two unmarried men having a child despite their sometimes loose morals the French were fairly conservative although though normally in the states she never hesitated to say she had a gay son who lived with his partner I can’t see you as a grandmother Bernard said with an appreciative look

And she laughed neither can I I’m not sure I’m ready for that she hadn’t even thought of it that way yet for the moment it was Justin’s baby not her grandchild it was a somewhat daunting Prospect they continued to chat long after they finished their coffee and he

Paid the check and then he drove her home and looked at her warmly before she got out of the car I really enjoyed tonight Kate even more than last time I can’t wait to see you again when I come back in about a month I’m hoping to come

To Paris sometime in February on a buying trip be sure you let me know before you come I would love to see you there as he said it she remembered his arrangement and assumed his seeing other women really wasn’t a problem he had a totally free and easy style and clearly

Didn’t feel married and he felt single to her too that night none of his stories and anecdotes included his wife he was a free agent except on paper and she felt totally at ease with him he kissed her on both cheeks then and she got out of the car and let herself into

The building he watched until she was safely inside waved and then they drove away as she went back to her apartment thinking about him he really was a nice person he had done something wonderful for her business was great to work with and now she had a new friend thinking

About all of it gave her a new lease on life and she was smiling to herself as she took a bath and went to bed she had had a lovely time with Bernard chapter 10 on the night before Valentine’s Day there was a huge snowstorm in southern Vermont

Justin and Richard had invited friends over for dinner and canceled at 4:00 when the roads became nearly impassible and when the snow stopped and the temperatures dropped later that night there were sheets of black ice on the road and warnings on TV for people to stay home they went to bed early and

Were sound asleep when the phone rang at 3:00 a.m. Justin answered and was groggy at first when he listened and then sat bolt upright in bed how is she is she all right what happened Richard came awake as he listened and thought instantly of Justin’s grandmother in New York they

Had had heavy snows there too and all the way down the Eastern Seaboard to Washington DC can we see her Justin asked in a shaking voice when will they know is she bleeding heavily Justin’s eyes were closed and Richard gently touched his shoulder to reassure him a

Moment later Justin hung up and turned to Rich with a look of panic Grandma Lou Richard asked and Justin shook his head shley they were in a car accident Jack’s mother fell at home and broke her hip and they drove to the hospital to see her and their truck skidded on the ice

They hit a tree they’re okay but she has a concussion and she started bleeding a little while ago it’s too soon to know what’s going to happen she was 2 and 1/2 months pregnant the most vulnerable time for miscarriages and it didn’t sound good to either of them they’re doing a

Sonogram now but they can still hear a heartbeat the nurse said she can bleed and still not lose it sherley told her to call us can we see her Richard asked as he got out of bed and grabbed his jeans on the chair where he’d left them yes Justin said looking

Devastated do you want to go it’s dangerous as hell out there the night was freezing and the air crisp the temperature was below zero and the ice on the road would be lethal I’ll drive slowly do you want to stay here he offered and Justin looked

Shocked of course not are you crazy they both dressed in 5 minutes put on their warmest clothes and walked gingerly out to their car praying it would start Justin shoveled a path while Richard tried to warm up the car it failed to turn over a few times and then sputtered

To life and they let it warm up for a few minutes and then drove slowly out of their driveway Richard was at the wheel and they inched along barely going 5 m an hour and trying to avoid the patches of ice they could see they skidded once but

Richard regained control of the car it took them half an hour to get to the hospital which should normally have taken 5 minutes and Shirley was still in the emergency room when they got there she looked pale and shaken and had thrown up from the concussion she smiled

Wely at them when they arrived and then started to cry I’m really sorry guys she said as Justin’s heart nearly stopped thinking she had already lost the baby did you is it he asked in a choked voice and the nurse intervened nothing’s happened and the sonogram was fine the fetus is fine and

The heartbeat is normal Shirley is just a little shaken up up she put a warm blanket on her and the two men retreated to the waiting room not to disturb her she told them that Jack was being treated for a broken nose he had sustained from the

Airbag the one in the passenger seat had hit sherley hard too Justin and Richard sat in the waiting room for 4 hours until 7:30 in the morning shley had been taken to a room by then they said she was still spotting but nothing further had happened they were still there at

Noon waiting for news when a female resident came to see them she was smiling which they took as a good sign she’s doing fine the bleeding stopped but we’re going to keep her till tomorrow just to be on the safe side I think the baby will be okay we told her

To stay in bed for a few days until everything settles down again she got a hell of a jolt but babies come through worse than that sometimes and make it thank God Justin said as he exhaled they went to see Shirley in her room then she

Looked tired and pale but she said she felt better except for a headache she had no crumping and as the resident had told them the bleeding had stopped and had never been major I’m so sorry my mother-in-law broke her hip and I thought I should go to the hospital with

Jack he was driving really careful too but we hit a patch of black ice he didn’t see and hit the the tree I’m glad it wasn’t any worse for either of you Justin said generously relieved about the baby can we do anything for you I’m

Fine I was just scared for the baby when I got here and started bleeding so were we Justin smiled at her and then left her to sleep they went downstairs to the gift shop and bought magazines and a teddy bear for her and they stopped at the florist on the way

Home and sent her flowers and then they went home and climbed back into bed and lay talking to each other it had been a terrifying night and they had both been sure she’d lose the baby and were grateful she didn’t Justin called Julie that afternoon and told her

About it and as always she was sympathetic she couldn’t wait to be an aunt and she was still disappointed they weren’t having twins they drove Shirley home from the hospital the next day since Jack’s Truck was in the shop badly damaged from when he hit the tree sherley seemed much

Better than she had the day before her sister-in-law had taken her children and she promised to stay in bed for a few days although the doctor had said she didn’t have to if she felt all right and took it easy but she promised to humor Justin and Richard and Jack was staying

Home from work too and more than anything it had reminded Richard and Justin how fragile life could be and how much they wanted the baby k went to Paris as she had told Bernard she would in February she treated herself to a room at the murus and set out to explore

All her favorite haunts to find top Quality vintage and used clothes among them the auctions at the hotel Dru and all the little shops she had been visiting for years all over Paris she found a few interesting items on the first day went for a walk along

The same and had a cup of tea at a cafe she called Bernard the day after she arrived they had had signed the final papers on their deal the week before and when she called him he insisted they had to celebrate he suggested dinner at lalter which was one of her favorite

Restaurants in Paris the small elegant beastro had been the favorite place for Sheik parisians and members of the fashion Elite for many years he picked her up at her hotel and drove her there in his Aston Martin he had looked very dashing when he stopped and got out of the car at her

Hotel he seemed more sub Jude in New York he looked delighted to see her when he hugged her kissed her on both cheeks and helped her into the car they sped off a moment later the weather was beautiful and felt almost like spring which was unusual at that time of year

They had a wonderful time and he invited her for a fancy dinner at aishes the next evening after she foraged around the resale shops and went to an auction she had a ball going to her favorite places and when he picked her up at the

End of of the day he was wearing a dark suit she had put on a short black cocktail dress under a dark mink coat and it felt more like a date than their evenings out before they went to the restaurant in the beautiful old Roth’s child home where all the head waiters

Knew him and made a big fuss over them I give dinner parties here sometimes he explained to her in a private room they have it’s an easy way to entertain as a single man he had almost convinced that he was since he lived like one the feed at apicius was incredible the restaurant

Elegant and the service fabulous it was one of the nicest evenings she’d ever had and when he dropped her off at the hotel Bernard offered to take her for a drive in the country the next day they drove to Deville in Normandy in the morning and walked along the

Boardwalk they had lunch at a small fish restaurant he knew and they drove back to Paris after dark and had a drink at her hotel what are we doing tomorrow he asked her as they relaxed at the bar it had been a perfect day you’re spoiling me she said

Enjoying every minute of it it was a wonderful experience sharing Paris with Bernard why don’t we have lunch at Les Cascades and then there’s a very good art show at the Grand pal she agreed to the plan and he looked regretful when she finally left him and went upstairs

To her room she called her mother to see how she would and Louise was delighted to hear from her although Kate didn’t mention Bernard it didn’t seem appropriate to report to her mother or relevant who she was dining with in Paris Kate told her she was in Paris to restock the shop she

Described some of the auctions she’d been to and stayed off the subject of who she was spending her evenings with even at her age she didn’t want to tell her mother that she was being whined and dined by a married man she knew her mother wouldn’t approve

Nor would she Kate realized if one of her children were doing the same and she couldn’t help wondering what information her own children were withholding from her it was a game every generation played to escape their parents’ disapproval and not cause them concern after a few minutes her mother

Told her to have fun and they hung up and at noon the next day Bernard picked her up it was Sunday and lunch at Les Cascades was relaxed looking out at the Gardens and the art show at the Grand palet afterward was fun they left the

Car there and went for a long walk and went to the hotel George I for Te where there was a small orchestra playing and lots of good people watching as they sat at a table in the gallery they never stopped talking and Kate enjoyed Bernard’s company more than she had

Expected to and perhaps more than she should she realized when they retrieved his car and he took her back to the murus she was about to thank him for a lovely day as they stood outside the hotel for a few minutes when without saying anything to her he pulled her

Gently into his arms and kissed her she was startled at first and then melted into his arms and loved it and then she gently pulled away should we be doing that she asked Him Softly She was suddenly torn between thinking of him as married or single with his status in

Limbo according to French tradition it was confusing why wouldn’t we he answered and kissed her again I’m a free man in all the ways that matter he reminded her and he seemed so sincere that she kissed him and then they walked slowly into the hotel he didn’t ask to come upstairs but

She sensed that he would have liked to doing so would have been more than she could handle for now she needed time to absorb what was happening and what it meant if anything maybe he was just an inveterate flirt and woman Chaser and if so he was good at it because he seemed

So Earnest and caring and so interested in her he kissed her one last time before she got in the elevator and he called her that night when she was relaxing in her room I can’t stop thinking about you he said and she smiled she was thinking about him too

And trying not to she wasn’t sure she wanted a romance particularly with a married man she was doing business with that was confusing too but he was so appealing and so much fun and no one had ever been as attentive to her as he was American men were different and French

Men were so Adept at the art of courtship and seduction that it was hard to resist whatever his status he had to work the next day and she had things to do for the store and there was the online store to buy for now too he didn’t invite her to dinner

That night but he showed up at her hotel and asked her to come down to the lobby for a drink it was 10:00 at night and he said he had been in meetings until then with some Chinese businessman he was cultivating she hesitated because of the hour and he finally convinced her to

Come down in jeans and a sweater with her hair loose while he told her about his meetings and they drank champagne at the bar no man had woed her as ardently in years if ever and she was beginning to look forward to seeing him at the end

Of every day he came up with new plans for them every night went to an auction with her once and was impressed by how Adept she was at bidding and what she bought she had a great eye for fashion they even went to the movies one night

He seemed to have nothing to do with his nights except spend them with her more and more she was realizing that he was as free as he said and it made her feel more comfortable with him she didn’t care as much that he was married legally as long as she wasn’t poaching on

Someone else’s Turf and clearly she wasn’t if he was never with his wife and always with her he said he wanted to introduce her to children but they were having tooo much fun alone and on her last weekend in Paris they drove to Versa and walked around and then had

Dinner at a little beastro on the way home she still had two more days and it had been a magical trip for her thanks to Bernard who had entertained her every night spent the weekend with her took her to exhibits and saw to it that she

Had a wonderful time for the two weeks she was in Paris I’m going to be very sad when you leave he said wistfully as they drove back to the muris after their day at versa so am I she said honestly I’ve always loved Paris but it’s never been

Like this before thanks to you she said looking gratefully at him as he drove she had grown completely comfortable with him and it was going to be strange when she left not to see him every night I’ve been totally spoiled you deserve it he said warmly it’s going to be lonely

Here without you he was going to in New York in March which wasn’t far away they pulled up in front of the hotel and the doorman recognized them both they were a familiar sight Bernard left the car with him and walked slowly into the hotel with her lost in thought she had her

Hand tucked into his arm and he leaned closer to her to ask the question he had wanted to ask her for two weeks but had end dared he didn’t want to scare her off may I come upstairs he whispered she hesitated for a long moment as she

Looked into his eyes she hadn’t planned to do that and had promised herself not to for all the obvious reasons the uncertainty of his arrangement with his wife but what she saw in his eyes melted her resolve and she nodded and a moment later he followed her into the elevator

Without a word he walked down the hall with her and she unlocked the door to her room and stepped inside and he swept her instantly into his arms and held her with the force of his desire that had been building since he met her and for the past two weeks weeks he couldn’t

Stop himself anymore and in less than a minute they were on her bed with their clothes off overwhelmed with passion like two people half their age he was like a tidal wave that overtook her and swept her along with the force of everything he felt for her they were

Both breathless when they stopped and he looked at her and smiled oh my God I’m so in love with you Kate what have you done to me I feel 18 years old he made love like it and she was just as enamored with him what are

We going to do he asked as he rolled over on his back with a broad grin and she was smiling too you can’t move to Paris you have a business to run and I can’t move to New York how am I going to live without seeing you every day he

Looked genuinely bere at the thought we’ll figure it out she said as she rolled onto her side and kissed him again and she suspected that not being together all the time would make the time they did share even more exciting which wasn’t entirely a bad thing he was

More possessive than she was and wanted her at his side constantly they were together every minute while she was there for now it was enough and if things became serious between them they could discuss the rest she had no complaints and no demands to make he slept at the hotel with her that

Night which made it all even better and seem more real they had breakfast together in her room in the morning and then he left for his day after kissing her and promising to make plans with her that night she had two more nights left in Paris and they were going to spend

Them together and enjoy each other until she left and then they had to go back to their own lives until they met again in March he took her to one of his favorite beastro that night on the Left Bank and then they walked along the river and

Wound up in front of notra Dame Under a full moon it was an idilic scene that she knew she would never forget and then they went back to the hotel and he spent the night with her again and on her last night they had room service and had a

Quiet evening talking about her business and their plans Bernard drove Kate to the airport on the morning she left he felt terrible that he couldn’t stay with her until her flight but he had an early meeting he kissed her tenderly before he left her after she had checked in her

Bags and then she watched the Aston Martin disappear onto the highway as he waved her it had been exactly what Paris should be and the most perfect two weeks of her life she was smiling thinking about him as she boarded the plane 2 hours later and he sent her a text from

His meeting abent JY aim see you soon I love you it was all she needed to know chapter 11 it was hard for Kate to get back to her usual routine when she came back from Paris she was was floating on a cloud every day had been perfect every

Night had been fun and exciting with Bernard she felt like a woman again and he sent her three dozen red roses when she got home she caught up at her desk on the first day and he sent her several texts he said he didn’t want to interrupt her if she was working so

Didn’t call and Kate had dinner with her mother that night Louise was in good spirits busy as usual and asked Kate about her trip to Paris although she thought about it she still didn’t tell her mother about Bernard she was sure she wouldn’t understand the arrangement he had with

His wife after 2 weeks in Paris it had appeared to be everything he had originally said he had total freedom to lead his own life it was almost as though his wife and marriage didn’t exist but she knew her mother would worry that Kate would get hurt Kate

Realized she would have been concerned concerned if one of her daughters fell in love with a married man it was precisely the kind of high-risk situation she wouldn’t have wanted for them but she told herself she was an adult and he had been totally honest with her the amount of time he spent

With her clearly indicated that he was as free as he said she checked in with Izzy the day after and all she wanted to do was talk about the wedding she had ordered the invitations and met with the florist at the house on Washington Square Park and she had found a judge to

Perform the ceremony the wedding was 2 months away and hearing izy talk about it made it a reality which still upset Kate Izzy was moving Full Speed Ahead heading off a cliff as far as Kate was concerned she could easily imagine her daughter in the spectacular antique wedding gown

Marrying the wrong man and she was torn between wanting to scream and forbid her to do it and going along with it because she felt she had no other choice she was being carried along on the tides of maternal devotion but she knew they would be going over a waterfall in

Dangerous currents and plunging to the depths below it was an alarming thought and she steeped herself in work in order not to think about it and she had a lot to do before the launch of the new online business Bernard’s company was making sure that they got pressed to

Bring attention to it and jie offered to come in and help her organize the clothes to photograph they were together all weekend getting everything ready they had 50 pieces that mother and daughter agreed would be showstoppers and sell quickly she had a range of prices on the

Items they would be displaying on their website and Kate was thrilled when she saw the photographs and on Monday she asked Julie to join her at an event she had accepted at the Metropolitan Museum and had forgotten about I have nothing to wear mom Julie said plaintively and her

Mother laughed you have closet full of your own designs and I have a store full of anything you could want what do you want to wear a little black dress she had them from at least two dozen designers and could have outfitted an entire Village in sheet black

Dresses that’s so boring do you have anything red I’ll look Kate promised and found three dresses she thought Julie would like she had Jessica take pictures of them and send them to Julie on her phone she had found a sexy heav Ledger a striking deal and a nameless brand that

Kate had liked when she bought it Julie called back an hour later still trying to get out of going to the event do I really have to go yes you never go anywhere and I don’t want to go alone why can’t you take Willie he loves

To go out he would hate the event at the Met and I’ll look like a child molester if people don’t know he’s my son she had talked to him that morning and he said he was fine she saw less of him than her daughters because he was always busy and

Had an active dating life and no time for his mother but she expected that from him at his age at 24 no man wanted to hang around with his mother and Willie was no exception did you like any of the dresses Kate asked her as she ate

A yogurt at her desk it was all that she had time for the he Ledger doesn’t look too bad thanks a lot I’m selling it for $2,000 and it’s never been worn it was nearly five when the woman bought it but it’s so small it won’t fit anyone but you you

Had to have a wraithlike figure to wear it and Julie did Kate thought the dress would look incredible on her do you want me to send it over to your office so you can try it the design firm where she worked wasn’t too far away and Jessica

Could take it to Julie in a cab maybe Julie said still hoping to get out of the event but her mother wasn’t letting her off the hook she wanted Julie to get out more and there would be a mixed crowd at the Met many of them her age

I’ll have it to you in half an hour she put Jessica in a taxi with it a few minutes later and called Julie 2 hours after that how was it I have to admit it’s pretty cool she laughed as she said it you have an eye that’s a compliment

Coming from you her daughter was a talented designer and had great taste and Kate had suspected the dress would be smashing on her I’ll pick you up at your place at 7:30 the event started at 8: and it would take them time to get up town in evening

Traffic and for the rest of the day Kate didn’t stop their new expanded website was launching in 2 weeks and she had to go over the final details Liam called her that afternoon and complained that she hadn’t called him since she got back from Paris she felt guilty about it but she’d been

Avoiding him she didn’t know what to say she didn’t want to tell him about getting involved with Bernard she knew he wouldn’t approve of her dating a married man Liam had very rigid ideas about people cheating and he never had and French Arrangements were not something he would find Charming Cate

Didn’t want to have to explain so she just said she had had a great time in Paris and bought some wonderful things for the store he said he had been busy too and inquired about the wedding is she still going ahead he was hoping for Kate’s sake and her own that Izzy would

Come to her senses but Kate knew he was dreaming about that Full Steam from what I can tell I’m taking Julie to an event at the met with me tonight it’ll do her good to dress up and meet some new people for a change Liam always admired

The time Kate spent with her children and how connected she was to them all whether she saw them or not she called each of them every few days no matter how old they were now her own mother was far more nonchalant and always had been although she loved Kate and her

Grandchildren too she called them all less often Kate promised to have lunch with Liam when things slowed down a little and then rushed home to dress she was going to wear a black velvet deal evening suit that she had been saving for a special event and with press

Expected to be there that night this was it with her new website about to launch she wanted to make an elegant Splash in the Press she was a discret presence On The Fringe of the fashion scene but people knew who she was when Kate picked her up Julie emerged from her building

On the Bowery in the red dress her figure looked amazing she was wearing a black fox jacket Kate had given her for Christmas 5 years before with a splash of red lipstick her jet black hair pulled tightly into a bun at the nape of her neck and staggeringly high heels

That were Perfection with the dress Kate beamed as soon as she saw her wow you are a knockout her mother told her proudly you look pretty good yourself Kate was wearing a black Sable coat over the Dior suit with heels almost as high as Julie’s together they made an impressive

Pair and photographers from F and women’s where daily took their photograph as they walked in all heads turned for an instant and every man in the area stared at Julie she looked sexy and young and Chic Julie helped herself to a glass of champagne as a tray was

Passed around and observed the scene shyly she had always been less confident than her mother and older sister and it had comforted her growing up to be a twin she had relied on Justin to protect her and speak for her and being dyslexic sick made her less sure of herself than her

Siblings and socializing without Justin as an adult was still hard Kate introduced her to a few people she knew and half an hour later they went into dinner which had been set up in the Egyptian Wing there were Smoky gold tablecloths and Tiffany had provided gold China which looked striking on the

Tables and with Julie’s exotic look with her tight red dress dark hair and bright red lipstick she fit right in they were seated at a table of 10 with two fashion editors Kate knew vaguely across the table there was a well-known curator of the Met seated next to Kate

And a younger man next to Julie who had come with a date he seemed to have no interest in His companion once he spotted Julie and engaged her in conversation as soon as he sat down he worked for a large corporation and said he had moved to New York 2 years before

He had lived in Chicago and Atlanta before that and was really enjoying New York and the people he had met since he arrived his date was pale and blonde and was talking to a man on her other side my name is Peter white he said with a

Warm smile a few minutes after they sat down and Julie introduced herself she was so deeply engaged in her design work in the fashion world he was the kind of man she normally never met she seldom went out and when she did it was with people she worked with or other designers or

Artists she never had a chance to meet young corporate men and she wasn’t sure what to say to him he carried the conversational ball for her and had her laughing after half an hour she was enjoying the evening and drank just enough wine to relax but not too much

She didn’t mind an occasional evening of excess but not when she was out with her mother at a major event and this was just that by the time dessert was served she and Peter felt like called friends do you come to the meta lot he asked her he was very well-dressed and

Very polished and seemed like he’d be comfortable in any setting and he looked strong and athletic he had told her he was a big sports fan and loved going to football and hockey games I only come here with my mother Julie said honestly in her soft smoky voice that men thought was

Sexy and enchanting she was striking and exotic looking with her dark hair white skin and big brown eyes I don’t go out a lot I work long hours that sounds intriguing he smiled at her and she laughed not very I’m a designer she mentioned the brand and he looked

Impressed you must be very talented not really I’ve been drawing clothes since I was a kid I like drawing better than school so I did it as a job as soon as I could I went to Parson’s School of Design they were still talking animatedly when the dinner ended and he

Lingered to chat with her for a few more minutes until his date finally turned her attention to him again and Kate turned to Julie she had noticed Peter talking to her all evening and didn’t want to interfere he was good-looking and seemed intelligent and was mesmerized by Julie he said goodbye to

Julie as his date pulled him away to introduce him to someone she had a strong accent and seemed cloying as she slipped her hand into his arm and glued herself to him and Julie whispered to her mother can we go yet in a minute you looked like you were having a good time

With your dinner partner he was fine Julie said noncommittally she didn’t want to get her mother started about her needing to meet men what does he do did he tell you Kate asked her I don’t know his some kind of of corporate executive he’s lived in New York for 2

Years and he likes hockey games Kate laughed as Julie summed up two hours of conversation in two sentences he had disappeared into the crowd by then with his date and a few minutes later Kate and Julie left the party was winding down but in spite of her resistance to evenings like that

Julie looked like she’d had a good time and so had Kate the curator she sat next to had been fascinating and they talked about the evening on the way downtown you should keep that dress it looks terrific on you Kate complimented her thanks Mom I like it a lot I might

Even wear it again sometime you should and it made a big hit with your dinner partner he couldn’t keep his eyes off you I think he was just bored with his date he didn’t talk to her all night Kate had noticed that too maybe he liked you better Kate said and Julie

Smiled she dropped Julie off at her apartment and watched her go in and then had the cab driver drop her off in SoHo she had a message from Bernard when she got home but it was too late to call him it was 5: in the morning in Paris and by

The time he got up she’d be asleep the time difference was hard to manage sometimes so he sent her a lot of emails and texts he was due in New York in two weeks and Kate was looking forward to it she missed him she was pleased that the

Evening had been a success and that she had gotten Julie to join her it was good for her self-confidence to have a man riveted by her and Peter white certainly had been Julie was startled when Peter white called her at the office the next day she had mentioned the firm she

Worked for but was surprised that he remembered they told me you’re the head designer he said when she answered flustered she hadn’t expected him to call her well I guess I am sort of we all do the work here she said modestly the designer who owned the brand got all

The glory and acclaim but Julie and her design team did all the work don’t be so humble I really enjoyed the evening last night because of you I’m calling to see if you would like to go to a hockey game with me tomorrow night it won’t be as

Glamorous as last night but hockey games are a lot of fun if you’ve never been to one I went to a couple with my brother he used to love them too older brother or younger he was curious about her neither well older technically by 5 minutes we’re twins how

Fascinating I always wished I had a twin brother it was great I hated it when he went to college and we didn’t go to school together anymore we’re still best friends does he live here Peter asked her no Vermont I go to see him whenever

I can when I’m not working she was much more timid on the phone than she had been the night before being dressed up and out with her mother was like play acting now he had entered her real life which was different so how about the game tomorrow any interest he sounded

Hopeful she thought about it for an instant while he waited for her answer I’d like that thank you very much dress warm he said seeming protective of her I know she giggled and sounded very young where should I pick you up she gave him her address and told him she’d be waiting outside

She never had strangers to her apartment now that she lived alone where is that he asked puzzled the street didn’t sound familiar to him on the Bowery downtown it was the kind of seedy Arty eclectic neighborhood she liked where do you live East 7 to 9th Street Uptown

Near the East River it was where most successful people like him lived on the upper east side or all of her family and friends lived downtown in SoHo Tribeca the East and West Village the meat packing district and her artist friends in Chelsea and many in Brooklyn it was a

Whole other world from his do you mind coming downtown she asked feeling guilty for making him come so far to pick her up or I could meet you at Madison Square Garden I’ll just take the subway up toown of course not he was shocked at the suggestion

I’m happy to pick you up and then he asked her for her cell phone number and email in case he needed to get in touch with her when he was on the way see you tomorrow Julie he said excited to see her again she wondered what had happened

To his date of the night before and if she was important to him but it didn’t look like it and he had spent the whole dinner talking to her and was taking her to the game she called her brother and told him about it and Justin was happy

For her he couldn’t remember the last time she had a date and he assumed Peter was an appropriate person if she had met him at the met with their mother he told her to have fun before they hung up Julie was smiling to herself about it as she went back to

Work when she went to the game with Peter Julie had even more fun than she’d had at the Met she wore black jeans and her favorite combat boots a black Parker and a big white Angora sweater and her dark hair was down and framed her face she wore very little makeup and looked

Even younger than she had on Monday night they ate hot dogs and popcorn and ice cream at the game and she asked for cotton candy when the vendor walked by and Peter laughed okay I have to ask you how old are you will I go to jail for being out

With you he was laughing when he asked the question she looked like such a kid and had put a white knit cap on at the game and her face was covered with c cotton candy when she answered with a pink spot on her nose and Chin I love

Cotton candy she grinned at him I’m 30 why you look a lot younger especially tonight without the sexy dress and high heels he teased her about her combat boots which were her favorite shoes and he said he loved that she could go from one extreme to the other and was totally

At ease at a hockey game and screamed as loud as he did when the Rangers scored a goal they were playing the Bruins there had been several fights on the ice already and it was a heated game he told Julie that he loved being there with her and

That his date from Savannah His companion at the Met had always refused to go with him he seemed delighted jie had come and fit right in how old are you she asked him equally interested she liked him he was smart and respectful and fun to be with she felt safe and at

With him and he had old-fashioned manners the way he treated women I’m 34 he said as the Rangers scored another goal and they both stood up and screamed the Rangers won the game and neither of them were hungry afterward after all they’d eaten but he took her to a bar he

Knew that looked like an English pub and they had a glass of wine and talked for a long time the conversation was more relaxed than it had been at the Met it made a difference that they were wearing jeans and had been eating hot dogs and

Screaming for 2 hours this was much more real he told her that he came from a small town in Iowa and had two brothers his parents were still married and his father was the CFO of an insurance company and his mother had stayed at home with them he was the

Oldest child had gone to the University of Iowa and business school at Northwestern and had been in the corporate world ever since his brothers had remained small town boys and were both married and had kids although they were younger they had been married for years I prefer big city my brothers

Think I’m crazy they came to visit me here and hated it I know that’s hard to believe how can anyone hate New York I love it here so do I she said with a broad smile my brother moved to Vermont and I thought he would hate it but he

Loves it he lives there with his partner male or female partner he asked boldly but she didn’t mind male she said simply they’re having a baby in August are your parents okay about it my father died when I was six she said matter ofly and my mother is worried she

Thinks it’s a lot of responsibility for them I can’t even imagine having kids yet it was a lot of information for Peter to digest at once but he had asked and she was candid with him she was very much her own person and even though she

Was shy she was totally open about who she was and he liked that about her too it must have been hard growing up without a father he said sympathetically I think it was harder for my brothers but my mother always made it okay for us it bothered my twin

Brother sometimes but my mom is terrific she was a very Hands-On mother even even though she had to work what does she do she runs a high-end resale shop and actually she just started an offshoot of it on the internet I think it’s going to do really

Well Julie said proudly Peter could tell how close she was to her family far more than he was to his he only went home now once a year if that for Christmas and if had a good excuse he skipped it entirely they had a second glass of wine

And then he took her back to the Bowery in a cab and she apologized for taking him so far out of his way but he insisted he wanted to and sounded as though he meant it he kept the cab while he walked her to the door of her

Building and she was glad he didn’t pressure her to come up she wouldn’t have liked that it was much too soon and apparently he thought so too let’s do it again soon Peter said before he left her not necessarily a hockey game but dinner something I’ll call you tonight was

Great she thought so too she thanked him and he hugged her and once she was through the door he hopped in the cab and they drove off she took the stairs to at a time in her combat boots and let herself into her apartment she had a

Text from Justin as soon as she walked in she answered him even before she took off her hat and coat how was your date he asked her terrific she wrote back and as always she wrote it with one R and two FS spelling was not her forte Justin smiled

When he saw it and he was pleased she’d finally met someone she liked and had fun with on her date he wanted her to be as happy as he was chapter 12 when Bernard returned to New York he stayed for 10 days this time he took a

Room at the Four Seasons as he had before but he stayed with Kate it was fun doing things with him in New York and they were both busy he went to meetings with firms he was interested in investing in and she was swamped with online sales and she had to add items to

Their website almost every day their brand new internet business was already a huge success and she could hardly keep up with their sales they ran into Liam one day when they went to a farmers market in the West Village and he looked surprised to see them together he called Kate about

It the next day is something going on with you and Bernard he asked her seeming confused and surprised and she decided to be honest with him she never lied to Liam she just hadn’t been ready to tell him yet but their romance was as successful as her online business and

She and Bernard both felt as though they’d been together for years yes she confessed we had dinner here a couple of times and it started in Paris I was going to tell you it’s still kind of new although it didn’t feel it and Liam cut to the chase is he married he had

Assumed that he was wedding bandn or not what makes you ask that she was startled by how astute he was and wondered why he had asked the question Frenchmen his age usually are unless they are widowed they never get divorced or very very few Bernard had said as much

Himself so he says and yes he’s married but he and his wife have an arrangement they are legally married but lead separate lives and have for years that’s what they all say Liam said skeptically and then you find out that they are more married than you thought

Kate be careful I don’t want you to get hurt it sounded like a bad idea to him neither do I but it seems to be true in his case we went out every night in Paris and he stayed with me he didn’t go home to her maybe she was away or maybe

His telling the truth that’s a possibility too she was mildly annoyed at Liam for being such a cynic and reigning on her parade can’t you be happy for me I haven’t had a man in my life in years I just want it to be the right one not some smooth Operator who

Breaks your heart would you want this for one of your daughters of course not but I’m not a kid and I think he’s an honest man she said defensively in business I’d agree with you I don’t know about the rest we’ll see but she was having a great time with

Him and she introduced him to Julie when she came to the store to help Kate upload merchandise photos to her website site I like him mom she said when he went up town for a meeting and promised to be back in time to take her to dinner

That night he’s nice I think so too Kate said smiling at her is it serious she wanted her mother to be happy too she was seeing a lot of Peter white he was the kindest man she’d ever met and the most polite he had kissed her but she hadn’t slept with him yet

He was very respectful of her and didn’t want to rush it’s not serious yet Kate answered he lives there I live here but for now it seems to work but there was no question in Kate’s mind she was falling in love with him rapidly more so

Every day would you ever move to Paris Julie looked worried when she asked her and Kate shook her head I couldn’t live that far from all of you and the store Julie looked instantly relieved she stayed for a while to help her mother but left before Bernard came back he

Complimented her on her daughter that night she liked you too Kate said smiling at him and unlike Liam Julie hadn’t asked if he was married it hadn’t even occurred to her and Kate wouldn’t have admitted it to her if she had it was no one’s business but theirs

Especially here where no one knew him as he put it his legal status was an administrative detail she had told Liam and was sorry that she had he had been so skeptical about Bernard after that by the time Bernard left things were heating up before is’s wedding Kate was organizing the final

Details the invitations had gone out and 26 people were going to be there it was exactly what Izzy had wanted and the perfect number for the house they’d rented the first serious problem arose when Izzy asked Justin to give her away and he refused are you kidding you’re my

Brother she said sounding deeply hurt why not because I think you’re making a mistake and I don’t want to help you do it she was livid the moment she heard what he had to say you’re gay not married and having a baby with a surrogate which is an even bigger

Mistake and you’re judging me I’m not judging you I don’t want to hand you over to a guy who has never had a job and will probably never have won and is completely out of place in your world how can you think that’s going to work

He was being honest with her about what he thought what business is it of yours who I decide to marry she didn’t even care about his walking her down the aisle anymore but she was Furious about everything he’ said Justin was a purist and always had been he was true to

Himself and wouldn’t do something he believed was wrong just to please her if it works I’ll be happy for you and I hope it does but I don’t know any other way to tell you that I’m worried about you except to refuse to give you away

Who made you lord of the world and so righteous you’re such an I think mom is worried and she’s paying for the wedding and gave me the dress I’m not your mother and she doesn’t want to lose you I think anyone would a brain and eyes in their head would be worried

About you and Zach she wanted to tell him not to come to her wedding but the truth was she wanted him there and she knew that if she caused a rift in the family it would break their mother’s heart and she didn’t want to do that to

Her I’m sorry izy he added with regret don’t give me that me mouth and I think you’re crazy to have a baby with a woman who may never give it up you can’t afford to spend 10 years fighting her in court and what if you and Richard break up that could

Happen to anyone we’ll deal with that if it happens but we’ve been together for almost 5 years you’ve been with Zach for 6 months that’s foolish right there I don’t care how hot and sexy he is you don’t marry someone you hardly know I know enough she had her own concerns

About Zach and she knew his history better than her brother did but there had been no sign of drugs or bad behavior since his arrest in June 9 months before and her family knew nothing about it if they had that would have been the last straw it was hard enough selling them on

The fact that he didn’t work when she talked to Zack about it he kept promising to do something but he hadn’t yet after her rejection from Justin she hung up and called Willie he sounded surprised that she had asked him but his answer was immediate sure I’ll give you

Away if that’s what you want but why me why not Justin he didn’t want to piss off his brother we have a difference of opinion about his baby and my future husband you know what a prick he can be at times Well if you change your mind at

The last minute and you want him to do it that’s fine Willie had no investment in who walked her down the aisle he hated confrontation but if Justin didn’t mind he was perfectly happy to give his sister away he thought she was making a mistake too but he would never have said

It and he figured it was her life she was 8 years older than he was and she was a grown woman with the right to marry whom she chose he hoped no one would ask him to choose sides between his brother and sister if the battle continued the next surprise happened a

Week before the wedding when Julie called izy and asked if she could bring Peter as her date they had been dating waiting for 6 weeks by then and were seeing a lot of each other she was having a great time with him and she was out with him almost every

Night is it important to you Izzy asked her Zach and I have never met him which felt a little odd to her to have a stranger at their wedding in such a small group but it was obvious Julie wanted him there I’d like to have him

With me if you don’t mind too much her sister was so nice about it that Izzy agreed quickly we’d love to meet him and I guess my wedding is as good a place as any she said warmly Julie was such a gentle soul and asked for so little she didn’t want

To disappoint her is there anything I can do to help you I’ve been crazy busy at work and spending time with Peter I’m sorry I haven’t asked before this Julie had poor organizational skills and time got away from her except at work in her personal life she was very F don’t worry

About it Mom and I have taken care of everything just come and have a good time with your friend Julie knew about Justin’s refusal from him but she hadn’t said a word about it to aie she didn’t want to get caught in the middle especially over something as sensitive

As this Kate spent the day before the wedding at the house on Washington Square Park with Jessica making sure that every detail had been attended to a calligrapher had done the place cards and menus Izzy and Zach had gone there a month before for a tasting of the meal

And Cake Zach had brought remarkable wines from his grandmother’s Sellar which he said were a gift from her Zach’s father had confirmed that he wasn’t coming he and his wife were in South Africa going on Safari and visiting friends and Zach’s mother had never responded to his calls or

Emails Kate felt sorry for Zach his family truly wasn’t there for him even for his wedding it made her feel more sympathetic to him is’s dress was carefully put away in her mother’s closet and they were having the rehearsal dinner at her apartment that night everything was organized and they were spending their

Honeymoon in Aspen Zach’s father had agreed to let them use his house and as he had paid for the plane tickets which her mother didn’t know and she had paid for a new tux for Zach the the wedding wasn’t extravagant but it was going to

Be very pretty she was going to carry a bouquet of lies of the valley and Kate had bought a brand new Navy satin Oscar dear Renta teal length dress and a very Nic looking beige silk suit for Grandma Lou Julie was planning to wear a dress she had made

Herself the ceremony was going to be at 7:00 the dinner at 8:30 and there was going to be dancing after dinner in the second parlor and Zach had hired a DJ he knew Kate would would have loved to have burned with her but Izzy had never met

Him it was too soon in their relationship for him to meet her family but she was planning to introduce him to them in the near future Kate got home at 6:00 in time to bathe and dress for the rehearsal dinner Kate was wearing a colorful Mexican top with jeans with big turquoise earrings

And gold sandals they were expecting 20 people and everyone had been told they could wear jeans it was going to be an easy relaxed evening which which was what the bridal couple wanted and Zach was going to stay with a friend that night so he wouldn’t

See the bride the next day before the wedding Izzy was going to dress at her mother’s not at the rented house a hairdresser and makeup artist had been arranged for Kate and both girls and there were two cars to take them to the wedding all the details were in place at

8:30 that night they were all helping themselves to the Mexican buffet and drinking margaritas Izzy looked lovely in a simple pale peach dress everyone had fun and Julie had invited Peter for that night too he was incredibly polite and had kept a watchful eye on Julie all

Night anxious to meet her every need it seemed unusual to Kate she had liked him better at the Met and he had seemed more sincere he was trying too hard he made a point of meeting everyone in the family and spent an hour talking to Grandma L

He was a big hit but as Kate watched him she had an odd feeling when she saw him talking to her mother he seemed determined to do the right thing and make a good impression maybe too much so she said something about it to aie when they met at the

Buffet what do you think of Julie’s friend she asked her in a whisper his perfect izy said with unreserved approval too perfect Kate asked with a look of concern and as he rolled her eyes oh for God’s sake Mom no one is ever going to be good enough for any of

Us according to you she wasn’t joking if she could find fault with someone as exemplary as Peter white it was hopeless she thought that their mother was obsessed with their well-being to an absurd degree that’s not true katees and tenny were up and she didn’t know why

She had a strange feeling I’ve been watching him talk to my mother for the last hour that’s a long time for a guy his age and he had come in a suit although he’d been told he could wear jeans what was he trying to prove we all love talking to Grandma Lou she’s

Telling him about her trip to China this summer maybe he just can’t get away Kate nodded hoping that was true she glanced at her future son-in-law then who was the opposite extreme he had come in torn jeans in a sleeveless undershirt with his biker boots and he had refused to get a

Haircut for the wedding but even looking like he’d been Shipwrecked he was a handsome man and I he was wrapped around him like a snake all night the only tension all evening was between Izzy and Justin she still hadn’t forgiven him for not giving her away and maybe never

Would everyone had a lot to drink and they stayed till after midnight and then Kate sent them all away she didn’t want them to be too hung over for the wedding and Zach had had more more garitas than anyone at the party Willie left with him

In a cab and dropped him off at the friend’s house where he was staying and as he went home alone for her last night as a single woman she thanked her mother for the lovely evening before she left Kate tided up after they had all gone

Home and the Caterers had left and she sat quietly in her living room thinking about Izzy marrying Zach she still didn’t feel comfortable about it and she hoped that Izzy was right and knew what she was doing all of Kate’s alarm Bells sounded every time she saw him and she

Thought her daughter was heading for disaster the only thing Kate wanted as she headed to bed that night was not to be right about him she prayed that she was wrong and as he would be happy chapter 13 Izzy arrived at her mother’s apartment at 2:00 the day of the wedding

And Julie shortly after the two girls chatted quietly in the living room and Kate sat with them the makeup and her people arrived at 3 and at 5:30 Kate got the dress out and carefully lifted it over as his head with Julie’s help it took 10 minutes to do up the buttons and

Kate put her own String of Pearls around her daughter’s neck as her Something Borrowed and one of is’s friends had given her a lace gter with a pale blue ribbon on it so she was all set with the Bridal Traditions Kate and Julie went to get dressed while Izzy waited and 20 minutes

Later they put her cap and Veil on and Kate stood back breathlessly to look at her she had never seen such a beautiful sight as her daughter in her wedding gown with her hair and makeup done the dress looked even more spectacular on her than it had when she tried it on in

The store Willie arrived at 6:15 and got into the first limousine with his sister to take her to the wedding he looked very handsome in his dinner jacket and patent leather shoes and Kate was proud of him he seemed very grownup and manly as he helped his sister into the car and

Then Kate and Julie got into the second car and picked up Grandma Lou on the way she was ready and waiting downstairs in her new beige suit and had had her shimmering white hair done and cut for the occasion Justin and Richard were meeting them at Washington Square Park

Since Justin had no official function and as previously planned Izzy entered the house down a narrow Ali through a back door so Zach wouldn’t see her when he arrived the guests arrived promptly and were led into the living room on the the second floor where chairs had been

Placed for the ceremony the judge was already waiting everyone was there by a quter to 7 except the groom Zach arrived looking harried and hung over at 7:30 half an hour late Izzy was a nervous wreck by then and Kate was Furious I couldn’t find my damn tie he

Muttered to Justin making his excuse his friend where he had stayed had come with him wearing a tuxedo jacket and jeans and a heavy beard Zach introduced him as Justin tied Zack’s tie for him since he didn’t know how they were just inside the front door on the

Main floor while the wedding guests waited upstairs at least he shaved Justin whispered to Richard about Zach as Zach went to stand beside the judge he had no best man and had said he didn’t need one he had wanted to ask Willie who was now giving the bride away and I he had

Ordered him not to ask Justin and didn’t explain why but Zach could see that she meant it she didn’t want Justin turning him down too it was bad enough that he had refused her Izzy was waiting in a bedroom upstairs with Willie and when the three-piece Orchestra began to play

Classical music she came down the stairs on her brother’s arm and Kate felt tears fill her eyes as she watched her she knew she was crying as much for her fears for her as for her beauty and for the first time in a long time she wished

That Tom was at her side to see his daughter Zach looked speechless as he watched her come down the stairs his hair was in a long ponil with his tuxedo and his tie was crooked but he had a look of innocence and wonder as he watched his future wife come down the

Stairs toward him and there were tears in his eyes too Willie handed her off to him with a solemn expression and Julie took her bouquet and then they all took their seats for the brief ceremony the judge made a very short wedding speech and very rapidly pronounced them husband

And wife since there was nothing religious in the ceremony and Zach looked like he was going to tear her clothes off when he kissed her that’s what this is all about Grandma Lou whispered to her daughter and Kate nodded and had the feeling her mother was right that it was all about

Sex between Izzy and Zach although it was ironic to hear a woman her age say it it was clear to both women that Izzy and Zach had a passionate physical relationship that had brought them to this point but it didn’t seem like a foundation for marriage when the judge introduced them

To the assembled company as Mr and Mrs Holbrook a chair went up in the room and champagne was poured and handed out and the reception began it all went off impeccably as Kate stood off to one side chatting with Liam while observing everything that was going on Moren was

There in an elegant Navy silk suit and a few minutes later izy came to thank her mother for the generous wedding it was small but every part of it was perfect and Kate was pleased about that and that her daughter was happy but the evening was not without its

Concerns Zach was visibly drunk before dinner made an incoherent speech after they cut the cake and was Rowdy on the Dance Floor he was the wild man on the floor glued to his wife and fortunately didn’t know that he was supposed to dance with his mother-in-law no formalities were

Observed since it was so unusual for the groom to have no family there to caught him Justin danced with his mother instead and growled in her ear the entire time about how foolish as he was she loves him Kate said calmly hoping for the best since I he had gone through

With it that’s no excuse to marry someone like him Justin said sternly he looked somber and strained throughout the evening but after a few glasses of champagne I he came over and kissed him which softened him a little I’m pissed at you but you’re still my brother she

She said wanting to forgive him and he set his glass down and danced with her I just want you to be happy he said to her and meant it then be nice to Zach we’re the only family he has here she said sadly and Justin nodded it was a

Depressing thought and before they sat down to dinner Kate had a text from Bernard hoping that all was going well it was 2: in the morning for him and he said he had stayed up to text her and didn’t want to interrupt her during the ceremony or at dinner she texted him

Back gratefully that everything was fine and she missed him the food was delicious and after dinner once the dancing started Zach had taken off his coat and tie and unbuttoned his shirt and then he did a LW dance with Izzy and when they cut the wedding cake he

Planted his face in it everyone laughed but they were a little shocked as well and his speech was mostly slur delusions to their sex life which as he cut short thought he was like a big exuberant boy going wild not a man taking on the responsibilities of marriage but is he

Didn’t seem to mind she was willing to forgive him everything as Justin looked green and Kate’s heart AED for her the festivities ended at 2: a.m. as the contract required and izy and Zach went back to her apartment in the limousine after she kissed all of her family

Goodbye Zach was almost too drunk to walk by then and had to be helped into the car and after they left Kate found his jacket Tai and one shoe that he had left behind it made her sad as she folded the jacket and put it in the shoe

Next to her bag with the tie it was not the marriage she would have wanted for izy or the man his friend had left hours earlier drunk in a cab and the rest of the family climbed into the remaining limousine to go back to Kate’s apartment for more

Champagne at Grandma Lou’s request they dropped her off on the way she said she’d had enough celebration and was tired you did a terrific job Mom Justin said and put an arm around her but he looked sad this wasn’t what he wanted for izy either and he wondered what

Would come next what surprises would be in store for her there were sure to be some with Zach or even many Willie kept the conversation from becoming morose and Peter told Kate that it was the best wedding he’d ever been to which they all knew was a lie but Julie looked happy

With him and he’d been Pleasant to everyone all night which was a relief while Zach misbehaved Justin and Richard left at 3 and Peter took Julie home to spend the night with her Willie fell asleep on the couch and his mother left him there it

Had been a long night for them all and when she finally got to bed she laid down and let out a sigh of relief it was over she had done the best she could and hoped it was enough to give her daughter memories she would cherish of a night

Kate thought should never have happened Zach was sound asleep on their bed by then still dressed he had passed out the instant they came home and as he carefully unbuttoned her dress herself and laid it over a chair with her veil she had felt like a princess all night

And she didn’t really mind that Zach had gotten out of hand as long as he was happy and had enjoyed their wedding she noticed then that he was wearing only one shoe and wondered what had happened to the other one she hadn’t seen it in the car that drove

Them home and then she laid down next to him and set their alarm for the next morning they were flying to Aspen on a noon flight and had to leave the house by 10 she hoped that Zach would make it and then she closed her eyes and fell asleep she was Mrs Zack

Holbrook she smiled as she drifted off to sleep with her arms around him Zach was surprisingly fresh in the morning when as he woke him at 8 to get ready for the plane he hadn’t packed yet and she helped him as he poured them each a glass of champagne for breakfast she had

A headache from the night before but he said it was bad luck to refuse so she drank it and then he pulled her back into bed wait a minute you’re my wife now you can’t refuse me anytime I want to make love she laughed at what he said

What if we miss the plane she said sensibly then we’ll take the next one there is always another plane they were flying to Denver and then switching to a smaller flight into Aspen he made love to her and they were both happy and sated when it was over

Izzy noticed that it was 9:30 by then and they had half an hour to get ready she dragged him into the shower with her and he wanted to make love to her again and this time she wouldn’t let him we have two weeks in Aspen we can stay in

Bed the whole time she said and he liked the idea miraculously she got him dressed packed and into the cab by 10:15 she had packed her own bags two days before and they got to the airport at 11:00 just in time to check in he

Slept on the plane all the way to Denver and by then her family was having lunch at da syono and Peter was still with Julie he was exceptionally nice to granar Lou again and attentive to Kate he talked to Justin about their baby and to Willie about about football and

Hockey and everyone tried to stay off the subject of Zach and his performance at the wedding he was family now and out of respect for Izzy they had to at least try to like him all Kate could think of to say to her mother when the others had

All left after lunch was that she thought Peter tried too hard it gave her an odd feeling we must be a daunting group to come into everyone has their opinions you can’t blame him for trying Louise said benevolently but he had been nicest to her and he’s good to Julie it

Was true but Kate hadn’t liked it when he laughed when Julie read something wrong on the menu and he had teased her he obviously didn’t know she was dyslexic and sensitive about it but Julie hadn’t said anything and laughed with him Justin had noticed it too and

Stared at him and then they changed the subject is it always going to be like this Kate said sadly with people we don’t like marrying the children do you suppose any of them will marry someone decent she looked seriously disheartened we all like Richard her mother reminded her and I think Peter

Could be wonderful for Julie he’s the best man she’s ever gone out with maybe you’re right Kate said trying to steal her fears her nerves were just jangled and Zach’s not evil he’s just unruly and badly behaved and he enjoys it like a poorly trained dog Kate laughed at the colorful image

Grandma Lou was right maybe he was harmless but also boisterous and embarrassing the only one who didn’t seem bothered by it was Izzy and God knows who Willie will come home with Kate side a whole Chorus Line at some point I suspect I don’t think we have to

Worry about him for a long time and he’ll probably settle down with a lovely girl we’ll all like that would be a pleasant change Kate said to her mother Wy all parents worry Grandma Lou reminded her I worried about you too we loved Tom but he was in school you had

No money you got pregnant instantly and kept having babies I didn’t see how you were going to make it but you managed even when he died sometimes it works out despite the odds all you can do is hope once they’re in it and be there for them you can’t

Can’t change it her mother’s words were wise as they left the restaurant what are you doing today mother I’m going to a movie with Francis this afternoon and then we’re going to dinner you’re a better man than I Kate said looking exhausted I don’t know where you get the

Energy I’m going home to bed you worry about them more than I do Lou said smiling at her that’s exhausting it’s normal they’re your children I’m just their grandmother I get the fun part but Kate knew she worried about them too but not as much she just didn’t

Admit it and don’t get yourself worked up about Peter now I think he’s a very good man and good for her Grandma Lou seemed confident about him which reassured Kate he made fun of her when she read the menu she said with a muscle clenching in her jaw at the memory Julie

Had been teased in school for years when she couldn’t read which nearly broke Kate’s heart for her and Justin had gotten in countless fights in school on her behalf he doesn’t know and Julie didn’t look upset don’t borrow trouble Grand Maru looked Stern as she said it I

Won’t you’re right I just don’t want them getting hurt she said with tears bright in her eyes it had been painful for her watching as he Mar Zach the day before fearing how it would turn out you can’t stop them from getting hurt Grandma Louise said sensibly life will hurt them hard things

Will happen to them as they have to all of us and they’ll survive it you can’t protect them forever it was good advice but as Kate walked back to her apartment alone a few minutes later she wished that she could protect them from the painful things

That would happen to them and even more so from their own bad choices but she knew it didn’t work that way she only wished it would and now they were all adults or so they said chapter 14 Bernard suggested that Kate meet him in St Barts the week after the wedding

They hadn’t seen each other in 5 weeks and had been missing each other she had a mountain of work to do at the store especially with their online business now and they had just hired another assistant whom Jessica was training and Kate thought she should be there too but

She wanted to see him and agreed to go she had been feeling down ever since the wedding and after St Barts he had business in Miami and he wanted her to join him she told her mother she was leaving and meeting a friend and Louise thought it was an excellent idea Kate

Looked exhausted and her mother didn’t ask who she was meeting since Kate didn’t volunteer it Louise never cried but she hoped it was a man she thought it would do Kate good if it was she took a plane to St Martin 2 days later and a tiny puddle jumper from there to St

Barts the second flight was bumpy and the landing frightening but she was so happy to be meeting Bernard that she didn’t care how bad the trip was he was waiting for her at the airport and held her tightly in his arms he could see all the strain and

Sorrow of the past month in her eyes and all he wanted to do now was make it better he took her to the hotel where he had booked a villa with a private pool and half an hour after she got there she was in a bikini in the pool and he was

With her and it was as though they’d never been apart they picked up right where they’d left off talking and laughing and sharing confidences and she told him all about the wedding her fears for Izzy and her quals about Peter he was not only her lover but Bernard was becoming her

Confident and best friend I don’t think you need to worry about Julie’s new man he sounds like is just trying too hard to impress you he’s so perfect he unnerves me and he calls all over my mother she probably enjoys it he laughed and Kate visibly relaxed from his

Reassurance she needed that desperately she had been carrying all the heavy burdens alone as always I’d like to meet her one day he said about her mother you will she promised him all in good time does she know about me he asked looking serious for a moment and Kate shook her

Head no not yet I thought it was too soon and I’m married he read her mind and finished the sentence for her she might not be as shocked as you think from everything you’ve told me about her she might just be fine with it but Kate thought it unlikely knowing her mother

There were some things she didn’t tolerate and would never approve of unfaithful husbands being one of them and top of the list and she was still Kate’s mother and worried about her too it was instinctive I’m not ready to find out Kate said he nodded and didn’t argue

With her the vacation in St Barts with him was just what Kate needed and by the time they left 4 days later to fly to Miami she felt like a new woman or the old woman in better shape emotionally and physically she was no longer so

Upset about I Bernard was right the deed was done now it was up to azy and if she’d made a mistake she would either have to live with it or correct it it made Kate realize again that men were so much more pragmatic than women when they

Landed in Miami they went directly to the Eden Rock Hotel where he had taken a palacial suite and she left him to go shopping while he worked she had a good time at the high-end shopping mall at bal Harbor and enjoyed cruising all the stores until she met him back at the

Hotel for dinner that night and afterward they swam in the pool on the way to their room the next day it was hot and sunny and she lay on their Terrace to soak up the sun he came back to the suite at lunch time to make love

And have lunch with her it was a piece of heaven whenever she was with him after 4 days in Miami he flew back to New York with her and spent another week there it was late May by the time he had to leave and on their last night Kate

Asked him what he was doing that summer we rent a house in Sardinia every year for August he said casually the children come and go with friends you and the children she asked trying to understand what the plan was although she wasn’t trying to intrude the family he said

Vaguely how many of you she asked more specifically it varies will your wife be there Kate finally asked what she wanted to know and he hadn’t told her some of the time and I’ll be there some of the time with the kids do you take turns or are you

There together she was frowning as she asked him a cloud had just passed in front of the Sun what difference does it make we’re not together even when we’re under the same roof we’re separate people you still take vacations with her Kate ask looking unhappy you never told

Me that before I don’t even think about it we hardly speak to each other it makes no difference to either of us it makes a difference to me I don’t like the idea of your going on vacation with her as she said it something Liam had

Said rang in her ears that married men never seemed married until you realized that they were more married than they claimed it was beginning to sound that way for the first time and a shiver ran through her we do it every year Bernard said again as though that made it okay

But it didn’t for Kate but you didn’t have me now you do she said pointedly and he didn’t look pleased you can’t expect me to give up time with my children you of all people know how important that is that’s one of the reasons I love you because you’re such a

Good mother it sounded like to her do your children know about your arrangement with your wife we don’t need to discuss it with them they live it and have for many years they understand but how much could they understand if their parents still took vacations together every summer maybe they just thought he

Was busy the rest of the time for work since you lead such Separate Lives wouldn’t you rather have separate vacations with the children it must be stressful being together we’re very polite he smiled at Kate and very French she thought it was the first time he had

Seriously upset her and she was quiet for the rest of the evening which Disturbed him too he didn’t want to spoil the time they had together especially right before he was leaving and he had no plans to return until late June don’t think about it what are you doing this summer working

You don’t go on holiday with your children in France everyone had 5 weeks off by law either in July or August in the states most people worked except for a week or two just as she did I used to go away with them when they were kids

Until they finished college now none of them have time they can’t get time off from their jobs and they have their own plans for a few days here and there over long weekend weekends like on the 4th of July and Labor Day which they don’t spend with me how sad he said

Sympathetically maybe we could meet somewhere in July because he went to Sardinia in August with his wife that was clear to her now and she didn’t like it I don’t want to be part of a shift Bernard she said pointedly she had never felt the way before but they had only

Been together for 3 months since February she had never never been through Christmas with him or a summer she wondered if he spent Christmas with his wife too and suspected now that he did it was part of the arrangement he could do what he wanted

And Lead his own life as long as he came home for major holidays and summer vacations it was an arrangement she didn’t like you’re not part of a shift he insisted you’re the woman I love and she’s your wife Kate said with a determined look and there was anger in

It why are you making trouble about this now when we’re so happy he looked like an innocent victim as he said it and she was the culprit and attacker he seemed wounded I’m not going to be happy in August when you’re with her in fact she

Was going to be miserable and she knew it I can arrange to be away for a few days when the children aren’t there he said trying to molfy her I can’t get away then and that’s not the point I don’t want to share you with her this isn’t joint

Custody I have to do the best I can in the circumstances he said firmly and it was obvious that he was not going to change his plans for her he was going to do what he did every year and vacation for a month in Sardinia with his wife

And family and there was no part for her to play in that his wife had the upper hand in August that was her time with Bernard not Kate’s will work something out he said cating but Kate had understood and it did not work for her she was chilly

With him for the rest of the night and they did not make love before he left she couldn’t she was too upset about his plans for August he kissed her when he left for the airport the next day and neither of them mentioned their conversation of the

Night before but it had taken a toll and she was still mulling it over after he left she didn’t tell Liam when she saw him him she didn’t want to admit to him that he was right but in her heart of hearts she knew he was unless something

Changed Bernard was still more married than he admitted and that changed things for her she loved him but not enough to share him with another woman maybe his wife did but she didn’t and she wasn’t French she was American and the theory that half of someone else’s husband was

Better than none didn’t work for her she had been a willing participant until now but he hadn’t explained the situation to her accurately if he was still vacationing with his wife for a month every summer and she knew now that August was going to be hell month for

Her knowing where he was and with whom it was a heavy weight on her heart when she went back to work when he was gone he had done wonderful things for her business but she realized now that sooner or later he would break her heart

And it was a price she was not willing to pay for him or anyone else no matter how much she loved him Izzy and Zach had a blissful honeymoon in Aspen the house was enormous and very luxurious and had a large staff his father lived well off

The Family Trust a lot better than Zach did who had nothing it angered Izzy when she saw it why were they unkind to him it wasn’t fair they went for long walks made love all the time fished in a stream went on high mes and browsed through the shops in town the

Restaurants were excellent but she had to pay for every meal and she thought it was embarrassing for him so they cooked at home most of the time when the help left at night and they were alone in the kitchen sometimes they ate naked after they made love they came back from their

Honeymoon happy and relaxed and as he had to LEAP straight into two big projects and work late almost every night the honeymoon was over and Zach complained about it every night when she got home but there was nothing she could do about it she had to work she used it as an

Opportunity to try to convince him to find a job but he didn’t like that idea either he wanted her to stay home and play and she couldn’t we’re married now but I never see you anymore he said plaintively and as the days went by he got more and more bored and restless and

He was beginning to worry her she was in an important meeting with the managing partner of the law firm on on one of their big projects when Zach called her one afternoon her secretary said it was urgent so she left the conference room and took the call it was Zach in tears

He’d been arrested and was in jail her heart started pounding the minute he said it I’m still on probation they’ll send me to prison for a probation violation you have to do something I can’t right now she said in a low voice so no one would hear her

I can’t leave the meeting I’m in I’ll come as soon as I’m through have they set Bale no he said crying like a child on the other end what other charges she hoped it was something minor or he was going to be in serious trouble and there

Would be nothing she could do possession he said in a choked voice of what Coke he was still crying with intent to say I think so he said miserably but it was very little for Chris sake Zach what did they book you for you know damn well what the charges

Are okay yes with intent to sell I never see you anymore I was bored I bought some coke from a guy I know I wasn’t going to sell it no he was going to use it out of boredom which was almost as bad how did you get caught did someone

Squeal no I ran a red light and they stopped me they ran my license and saw that I’m on probation so they searched the car for drugs and weapons and they found it I had it sitting on the front seat he had driven one of the cars his grandmother kept in the

Garage how could you be so stupid she said in a tone of pure Fury you know that you risk prison if you get in trouble again I don’t even know if I can get you out this time I have to go back to the

Meeting I’ll be there as soon as I can but they may not let me bail you out until tomorrow if they haven’t set bail yet and if they put a hold on you because you’re on probation we’re screwed get me a lawyer then he said

Starting to get angry I am a lawyer you idiot I represented you last time I’ll see you in a while she said and hung up and went back to the meeting it lasted until 700 p.m. and as soon as it ended she flew out of the building and got a

Cab and went to the jail and just as she had suspected they hadn’t set bail so he had to stay there for the night she saw him in a little cubicle and told him she’d be back in the morning but she had a client meeting at 11:00 and had to

Prepare for it this was a nightmare in her life she lay awake all night thinking about him and and wondering what they could do so the court would keep him on probation she’d have to pull out all the stops call in every favor and try all the bells and whistles she could think

Of to keep him out of jail and she was not sure she could she’d been able to pull a rabbit out of a hat before because it was his first arrest this was different she was at the jail at 8:00 the next morning and a hearing had been

Set for 9:00 a.m. to set bail she put down her name as the attorney of record represent in him and disclosed that they were married to be totally above board and they allowed him to walk into court with her they had different names since she hadn’t had time to change any of her

ID yet so that helped her seem more credible and thank God they hadn’t put a probation hold on him yet she was hoping to bail him out before they did he was established in court as not being a Flight Risk once again Bale was set at

$50,000 and she had to pay 5,000 of it in order to to have him released and then the judge noticed that he was on probation and asked the baliff if there was a hold on him in which case he couldn’t leave Izzy held her breath while they checked and miraculously they

Hadn’t issued one yet and 45 minutes later she had bailed him out and they were in a cap to go back to the apartment she read him the riot act when they got there she told him he couldn’t do it again ever and that he would ruin

Her life and his own if he did I know I know I was stupid I’m sorry I won’t do it again he promised and looked deeply remorseful great I buy it but the judge won’t Zach went to take a shower then and she called the assistant DA assigned

To his case before and was straightforward with him and begged him not to revoke Zach’s probation she thought it was best to be honest with him so a sheriff didn’t show up at their door you’re still representing him the assistant DA asked her surprised I thought you were assigned to

At pro bono last year I was she confirmed so why are you back on the case are you a glutton for punishment he was laughing as he said it apparently I married him a month ago oh God and you’re acting as his attorney on the case I am they both knew it was

Legal to do so although unusual tell me why shouldn’t revoke his probation and send him straight to prison he was serious about that and not laughing anymore he felt sorry for her but he wasn’t going to get in trouble to help her and whatever he did he’d be doing for her not the

Defendant she was a straight shooter and a good attorney and he liked her because I’m begging you not to she said in a choked voice sending him to prison is not going to help anyone he’s an idiot not a criminal they both knew that was true too there

Was a long pause at the other end he’s willing to go to rehab she volunteered in a moment of creativity sounding desperate he’s never done that before this was a slip give me time to find a program he’ll stay as long as you want the da was quiet as he

Listened all right I won’t make any moves on his probation for now while you find a rehab for him I’ll consider it but you’ve got a mess on your hands the assistant DA had brought the charges up on his computer and he could see that the amount of cocaine was small and

Probably for personal use the charge of intent to sell wouldn’t stick they’re going to send him away this time unless you can do some mighty fancy footwork to convince the judge he warned her you did a good job for him last time getting him to plead and getting him probation

You’re going to need a sympathetic judge to keep him out of prison and send him to rehab Izzy fervently hoped the judge would let Zach do that rehab was their only hope do you have a time for the arraignment yet on your computer she asked him tomorrow for p.m can you be

There I’ll have to be she said seriously she wasn’t going to ask him to change it and annoy him further good luck counselor I’ll see you in court if they assign me to the case thank you she said sounding very subdued and when Zach came out of the

Shower she told him not to leave the apartment and that if he got in trouble again she’d kill him and almost meant it she told him that he would have to go to rehab if the judge agreed to keep him on probation and out of prison Zack looked

Horrified at the thought you mean like for 30 days could be 6 months or a year however long long they want it beats 3 to 5 years in prison for a second offense I can’t do that he said as tears filled his eyes again you should have

Thought of that before she felt sick and livid and she was about to be late for her client meeting and if you do it again after this they’ll put you away for good she told him this was no joke he looked badly shaken and she didn’t

Say another word to him he lay down on the bed and turned on the TV with the remote when she left he hadn’t said a word as as he closed the door firmly behind her and ran for the elevator she just prayed the judge would agree to Zach going to

Rehab if not her husband was going to prison for several years and she could just imagine what her family would say she was half an hour late for her meeting had a long day at the office after that and when she got home that night she expected him to be subdued but

He wasn’t he’d been drinking all day and he was drunk and Sly with her she was angry at him for the rest of the evening and she stayed out of their bedroom and when she went back in he had passed out and was sound asleep she lay awake for hours

Worrying about the arraignment the next day she needed Zach to make a good show and she wasn’t sure he was up to it she left for the office in the morning without saying goodbye to him but she had already told him that she would pick him up for the arraignment she would be

There for him at 3 and it was a formality for him to plead guilty or not guilty and she was going to propose rehab to the judge the faster they got him there the better it would look and it would impact if he was found in violation and sent to jail Izzy spent

The morning in her office at her computer looking up rehabs instead of working there was a great one in Arizona others in Minnesota and Michigan a good one in New Hampshire one in Connecticut and one in Queens that looked great but was close the one in Arizona looked like

A country club but it was still rehab which would sound like jail to Zach she got back to the apartment on time and was relieved to find Zach awake clean shaved and wearing a suit and he looked scared stiff the prospect of prison had woken him up at last they R to the

Courthouse in a cab and were in the courtroom on time Izzy was the attorney of record and the assistant DA she had called had gotten himself assigned to the case as a favor to her the arraignment was routine Zach pleaded not guilty and she managed to get their intent to sell

Charge dropped because the quantity was minimal so all he was charged with was possession of a small amount of cocaine but it was still enough to get his probation revoked and for him to be sent away Zach had admitted to her that he had already used most of the cat when he

Got caught the judge warned Zach that he could revoke his probation and send him straight to prison then and there and then as he suggested rehab and submitted the name of the one in Queens she had called them that morning they had a bed for Zach and had several court-mandated

Cases they had told her they could take him that night and she relayed the information to the judge along with the fact that Zach had never missed an appointment with his probation officer the assistant d made no objection to rehab Zach was given a court date for

His case 2 months later in August which as he planned to get postponed and the judge mandated Zach to the rehab in Queens for 3 months with a possible extension for another 6 to9 Izzy felt relief wash over her like a tidal wave as the judge banned his gavel hard and

Called the next case Izzy stroe across the courtroom to thank the assistant DA and he told her he was satisfied for now he assumed that Zach would eventually plead guilty when his case came up and then she went back to where Zach was standing picked up her briefcase and he

Followed her out she didn’t stop until they were on the steps and he looked confused okay explain it to me in plain English what just went on in there you’re going to rehab she said coldly when he looked terrified tonight for how long 3 months could be

Longer up to 9 months or a year you got damn Lucky in there she said as they started down the steps to Hala cab are you crazy 3 months in rehab and maybe a year that’s like going to jail great she said in a fury as they stopped a taxi

And she turned to him then go back inside and enlist for 3 to 5 years in prison but don’t come back to me when you’re done you need to clean up your act so you don’t do this again I can’t do this with you every 6 months if you

Don’t go to rehab I’m done and so are you they rode back to the apartment in silence she called the rehab facility and then helped him pack he didn’t want to go that night but he had no other choice if he wasn’t there by the next morning the judge could revoke his

Probation and send him to prison after all at 9:00 p.m. the they were at the Grim rehab program in Queens Zach was looking daggers at iszy but by 10:00 he’d been checked in and had a room assignment with three other men when iie was informed that she

Couldn’t see or communicate with him for 30 days Zack looked shocked at the news this was no Country Club facility but it was an acceptable alternative to jail she’s my wife he insisted I don’t care if she’s the Virgin Mary no calls or visitors for 30

Days they told him Zach gave a he a foror kiss goodbye and then with his backpack over his shoulder and a wo begone expression he disappeared through a door she walked out to a waiting cab and burst into tears the minute she got in it had been a hellish 48 hours but

She had saved his ass again and she had a lonely few months ahead of her after a month he could come home for visits but until then she would be alone and the final blow was that the judge had sent an additional order to the rehab program ordering Zach to wear an

Electronic bracelet on his ankle for the next year so the police could monitor his whereabouts at all times when she got back to the apartment she lay on her bed thinking about him and knew she had rough times ahead and when he got out of rehab the probation department would

Want him to get a job and go to work Zack Holbrook was about to enter the real world but at least he wasn’t in jail she didn’t hear from Zach for a month after he entered rehab and in some ways it was a relief she saw him for the first time

For an hour on a Sunday afternoon at the rehab with all the other visitors and he took her in his arms and held her he kept apologizing profusely for everything he’d done and telling her how much he loved her they were going to let him come home for an afternoon the following

Weekend Izzy had avoided her family for the past month claiming she was busy working on a big maer so she wouldn’t have to explain Zach’s absence it had been a miserable month for both of them but she believed him when he said he’d never do it again their joint life their

Marriage and her sanity depended on it chapter 15 Grandma Lou left on her long- awaited trip to China with her friend Francis on the 1st of August their first stop was to be Hong Kong Kate and Julie took them to the airport and Louise was so excited she could hardly contain herself while

Francis was as calm and passive as ever and might have been going to Boston for the weekend they took one suitcase each and each of them carried a backpack with what they needed on the plane Kate knew that Francis always took an extensive supply of medicines with her in case one

Of them got sick Louise thought it was unnecessary and ridiculous but they both looked spry as they strowed toward the plane after they went through security grandma really is brave isn’t she Julie commented admiringly she wouldn’t have had the courage to travel so far away at that

Age and Kate said she wouldn’t either but these trips were the greatest joy in her mother’s life Julie and Kate chatted on the ride back into the City and Julie said that she and Peter were going to Maine for the weekend to stay with friends of his who had a

Sailboat she was sorry they weren’t driving but were flying to Bangor she would have liked to stop and see Justin on the way the baby was due in less than 4 weeks how’s she doing Kate asked referring to the surrogate Justin says she’s huge and

Can’t wait to have it this one is bigger than all her other babies I still can’t understand how a woman can do that Kate said with a stern look rent her body out to have someone’s baby for money and just hand it over when it’s born I guess the money she

Gets makes a big difference for her own kids Julie thought it was strange too but she was happy for her brother that it was working out so far the two boys were wildly excited and had been decorating the nursery for weeks Richard had painted it three shades of pink

Justin and Richard had found out at the 5 Monon sonogram that it was a girl and they were thrilled neither of them was into ball sports or rugged activities and they had said they didn’t know what they’d do if it was a boy how’s Peter Kate asked her he’s fine busy he just

Got a big promotion so is happy she looked peaceful and content in the relationship they had been going away on weekends since the beginning of the summer Julie’s whole life had changed because of him she was much more open and social willing to meet new people and do new things and she wasn’t

Constantly at work or isolated in her apartment how’s your French friend she asked her mother her she hadn’t heard Kate talk about him in weeks and in fact Kate hadn’t seen him in just over two months they were both busy and she was still angry about his summer

Vacation he had planned to come to New York in June but had to cancel at the last minute she got the feeling he was avoiding her and she needed a break now that she realized he still spent his holidays with his wife he’s fine but her

Jaw tensed as she said it and G noticed he’s on vacation in Italy with his kids for the month the French take long vacations are you going over to see him Julie asked hesitantly her mother didn’t say much about him and she didn’t want to be nosy or rude I’m too busy this

Month we’re expanding the website again I need to be here to work with the IT people and figure out what we want to put on it and I’d like to be here when Justin has the baby she said quietly Grandma Lou had been disappointed that she’d missed the baby’s birth but

Planned to see the baby as soon as she got back Kate dropped Julie off at her apartment in the Bowery and headed to her store Saturday was a busy day at still fabulous Justin and Richard were dropping by to check on shley every day they brought her fruit and fresh

Vegetables when they went to farmers markets fresh eggs or treats for her kids they couldn’t stay away and miss the thrill of watching their baby grow inside her day by day they went to her weekly doctor’s appointments with her during the last month they listened to

The heartbeat and she let them touch her enormous belly so they could feel their daughter kick she was an active baby and Shirley admitted that she was ready to have her she wanted her body back she was hoping to deliver early and went for long walks every afternoon her kids

Wanted their mom back too shley said several times in the home stretch that she wasn’t sure if she’d do it again two of her own and two surrogate babies felt like enough to her she had done her good deed for the world and the two men were

Eternally grateful to her no matter how much they had paid her she was doing something unimaginably wonderful for them they had already agreed to schedules as to who would get up with the baby on what nights Justin was going to take care of the baby in the daytime

While Richard was at work work and he’d do his writing at night when Richard got home they had it all worked out sherley’s due date was 2 days away when one of her boys slipped on a dock at the lake at day camp and broke his arm Day

Camp was one of the advantages she could provide for them as a result of what Justin and Richard were paying her Jack was out with the truck and she called Justin and asked for a ride to the hospital he went to pick her up and one of the counselors had already brought

Her son Billy into the ER he was crying and holding his arm when Justin and his mother got there he stopped crying after the doctor set it and they were walking across the parking lot when a gush of water splashed onto the ground and sherley looked surprised when she looked

Down she hadn’t felt anything before that and it was totally unexpected at that moment her water had just broken oh my God what is that Justin asked suddenly panicked is something wrong my water just broke it was still pouring down her legs and the asphalt around her was

Drenched should we go back inside Justin said as Billy ran around them he was feeling a lot better with his cast and Justin had already signed it with a funny face in bright colors no I’ll go home for a while it takes time to start after that it had

Taken hours before I’ll call the doctor when I get home labor probably won’t start till tonight or tomorrow Justin looked dubious and she had him put a towel on the seat before she got into his car they were at her house 5 minutes later she was talking and laughing as

She got out of the car and Billy ran ahead of her to show his father and brother his cast Justin saw Shirley suddenly grip the door of the car and she could no longer talk what just happened your daughter’s on her way she smiled at him she was totally calm

And had been through it three times before she went inside to call the doctor and Justin called Richard to tell him that Shirley’s water had broken and she was starting to have pains he promised to call him back after she spoke to the doctor sherley was talking

To her doctor and saying she’d only had one pain so far but it was a good one that felt like it was ripping her guts out as she described it and then she stopped talking suddenly and had a another one while the doctor waited they’re pretty strong she admitted as

Justin and Jack watched her and she sat down she had two more in the next 5 minutes after she hung up the doctor said she was at the hospital and to come in any time to get checked if she wanted but sherley said she knew what was happening and didn’t need to it’s

Starting a lot faster than last time Jack commented while Billy played in the front yard she and Jack had already agreed greed that he would stay home with the boys when she delivered Justin and Richard wanted to be at the birth and she had told them they could and

Jack didn’t need to be there this wasn’t their baby and it wasn’t a special moment for them it was a job albeit an unusual one but she didn’t want too many people in the room the doctor and a nurse and the baby’s two fathers were enough and she knew she could get

Through it with them she and Jack were comfortable with the plan shley told them she was going to to take a shower and lie down for a while she told Justin he could go home and she’d call him when she needed to go to the hospital but he lingered after she went

Upstairs do you mind if I stick around for a while he asked Jack who said not at all he went outside to play ball with his sons and Justin sat down at the kitchen table wondering what would happen next and when he and Richard had taken birth in classes so they could be

Helpful to Shirley at the delivery but this was suddenly all so real their baby was finally on the way and would be in their arms within hours he was thinking about it with a dazed look on his face as sherley walked into the kitchen carrying a small tote bag it had been

Ready for weeks her face looked pinched and she was having trouble walking and talking when he looked up in Surprise and saw her it’s really going fast she managed to choke out between pains I just called the doctor and she said to come in Justin took the bag from her and

Called Richard as they walked to his car and she waved at Jack and her boys and slid into the front seat with a terrible grice is it really bad Justin asked sympathetically and she smiled it’s the way it’s supposed to be your little girl is in a big hurry to

Come out and meet you she said clutching the armrest as he drove as quickly as he dared to pick up Richard who was waiting in the street outside the house and hopped in hi shot how’s it going Richard asked looking nervous and then panicked as he saw her face contort with the next

Pain I think maybe we need to go a little faster she said to Justin I’m feeling a lot of pressure she said but Justin was driving as fast as he could we’re almost there he said as they pulled into the parking lot of the hospital they had left a little while

Before it was hard to believe she was already in such hard labor only an hour after her water had brok Bren Justin parked the car and Richard ran to get a wheelchair and helped her into it and then wheeled her inside with Justin carrying her bag the nurse at the desk

Looked up as they came in hello everybody she smiled at the threesome and then focused on sherley didn’t I just see you here a couple of hours ago with your son sherley nodded and panted through the next contraction couldn’t stay away from us could you she said take taking command

Of the wheelchair and steering her rapidly toward a room I’ll get you registered in a minute let’s get our OB on call to see you or do you want me to call your own my own she said and then gritted her teeth and Justin helped the nurse lift sherley onto the examining

Table sherley told her the doctor’s name and the nurse picked up the phone had someone at the front desk page her and then asked for the ob in the house to come down immediately it looks like things going quickly she explained and then turned back to Shirley and helped her

Undress she was wearing a cotton dress and it came off easily and revealed her enormous belly would you like the gentleman to step outside she said as she put a gown on Shirley and covered her with a drape sherley wriggled out of her underwear between pains and dropped

Her bra on the bed they the baby’s fathers she explained through clenched teeth I want them here she said and the nurse didn’t comment as a doctor in Scrubs walked into the room he told sherley he was going to examine her and the nurse pulled up stups that were

Attached to the bed for Shelly to put her feet in and indicated to the two men to stand up at her head Shelly let out a scream when the doctor did an exam as Justin instinctively reached for her hand and let her squeeze his as hard as

She could she was having one brutal pain after another and the doctor said she was almost ready to push as Shirley’s own doctor walked into the room she took over and examined Shirley again which made her cry but she didn’t complain I want to see where the baby’s

Head is she explained gently as Shirley nodded trying to be brave still clutching Justin’s hand I’d offer you an epidural the doctor said sympathetically but it’s gone too fast and you’re too far along you’re at 9 Shirley if you can hang in I think you

Can push in a few minutes the baby was big and had shifted since Shirley’s last visit and her shoulder was in the way which made it harder on Shirley the doctor reached in and gently turned the baby as sherley screamed and Richard started to look pale and sat down do you

Want to go outside Justin whispered to him and Richard shook his head but stayed in the chair as Justin kept a grip on Shirley’s hand the doctor had a Victorious look after she turned the baby and told sherley she could push and suddenly everything was action in the

Room room the nurse was on sherley’s other side telling her to push the doctor was watching the baby’s head come down Justin was holding Shirley’s hand and talking to her as Shirley’s face turned bright red as she pushed as hard as she could and then suddenly they saw

The top of the baby’s head appear and a little face was looking at them as sherley beamed and lay back against the pillows while the doctor delivered the baby’s body easily she was a beautiful little girl and Justin and Richard both cried when they saw her

The doctor cut the cord wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to Justin he turned to Shelly then as he held his daughter and thanked her for what she’d done the whole delivery had taken half an hour and their baby was healthy and normal as Richard smiled at

The sight of Justin holding the baby he had wanted so much this was their dream come true although a little more Justin’s dream than Richard’s Justin had known he wanted children Richard had had doubts at first but he was sure now when he saw her the baby looked like a little

Cherub and then the nurse took her to the nursery to weigh her and clean her up while Justin and Richard stood on either side of Shirley and thanked her again she was shaking by then under a thin blanket it was a normal reaction after the birth they left Shirley to rest then

She called Jack to tell him the baby had been born as the two men left the room what watch ing their baby’s birth had been miraculous and awesome and not as daunting as they had feared and Shirley had done so well she was going home the

Next day and the baby was too Justin and Richard’s life as a family had begun they went to admire their daughter through the nursery window she had already been cleaned up and was swaddled in a blanket with a little pink cap sleeping peacefully the card on her

Bassinet said she weighed £9 14 oz she was huge and they were naming her milagra it was Spanish for miracle it was the perfect name for her Justin and Richard called Julie Kate and then izy after they stood admiring her in the nursery for a while they couldn’t

Wait to get her out of the hospital and home the next day there was no reason to keep her there any longer sherley was anxious to get back to her family too her Mission had been accomplished MRA had been safely delivered to her dads Kate congratulated them both warmly

Julie let out a squeal of delight at the news and as he sounded pleased for both of them she had stopped lecturing them about surrogacy several months before and shley was due to sign the relinquishment papers the next day there had been no problem and they had the

Final check ready to deposit in her account they called Willie last he didn’t answer so they sent him a text and then another announcing mra’s birth to all their friends their entire world had been waiting for her and now she had arrived and they had years ahead of them

To enjoy her when they called Izzy to tell her about the baby Zach was a week away from finishing his three months in rehab he had done well and had been allowed to come home often on weekends his probation officer was pleased and Zach had been looking for a

Job but hadn’t found one yet his PO had recommended to the court that he be allowed to move home Zach could hardly wait and I he had missed him too she had been so worried about him that she had felt sick ever since his arrest she could hardly eat work too hard and

Had lost 1010 in the past two months she didn’t look well and her Associates at work had noticed it too Zach felt guilty about what he had put her through and all he wanted was to come home and take care of her and when he finally moved back after

Rehab it felt like a honeymoon to both of them the only reminder of the entire unfortunate episode was the electronic anklet he had to wear for another 9 months he was confined to the city so his grandmother’s East Hampton house was off limits and they both missed going

There Izzy hated seeing the conspicuous anklet it made him look like a criminal he was wearing it for his court appearance when as he asked for a continuent for another 3 months and the judge granted it Izzy knew that sooner or later Zach would have to plead guilty

To the charge of possession but the da had pleaded them down to a misdemenor in exchange for Zach going to rehab and if he got a job before they went back to court that would help him too but there was so little he was qualified for all

She wanted was to keep him out of jail whatever it took and even once he was home she continued to feel sick it never occurred to her until he’d been back for several days what it might be she assumed it was all due to stress but suddenly wondered if it was something

More serious than that her body had been out of whack ever since Zach’s arrest she stopped at the drugstore one night on her way home from work and bought a test she locked herself in the bathroom and used it as soon she got home her worst fear had just come true

Or her second worst fear her greatest Terror was that Zach would go to prison if he was arrested again or his probation got revoked her second worst was what she had just discovered she was pregnant in light of everything else going on it was one more problem she didn’t need she

Loved him but she couldn’t deal with a baby on top of it and Zach was a child himself but it explained why she had felt so sick for the last two and a half months and Haden had a period which she had assumed was from stress too

She could guess now that she was probably close to 3 months pregnant almost too late to do anything about it but even if it wasn’t how could she have bought the baby of the man she was married to and loved she sat in her bathroom for a while and didn’t say

Anything to Zach when she came out she needed time to think about it and decide what to do she hadn’t expected this even though they had been careless once or twice and now she was pregnant and deeply upset by it she was still in a State of Shock when the phone rang that

Night and it was just in he was calling to talk about the baby he and Richard were ecstatic and loving fatherhood sherley had signed the papers without a hitch they had tremendous gratitude toward her I’m sorry I gave you a hard time about it Izzy said trying not to

Think of her own dilemma in light of her discovery that day she wasn’t ready for a baby Zach had just gotten out of AB he had a court case pending and had been arrested on felony charges twice in the past year he wasn’t prepared for fatherhood and still had some growing up

To do first I’m sorry I didn’t give you away at your wedding Justin said out of the blue it had bothered him ever since I want you to see our daughter she’s gorgeous he said proudly I can’t wait to meet her I’ve been working like a lunatic here I’ll

Try to come and see you in a couple of weeks we’re going to bring her down to see Grandma Lou you can meet her then if you’re too busy to come up thank you they talked for a few minutes and then hung up she couldn’t imagine being that

Happy about a baby or wanting one that badly she didn’t she had too much else on her mind and didn’t feel ready for children yet and now she was pregnant it was terrible news to her an equally bad time who was that Zach asked as he walked

Back into the room he had heard her talking Justin they’re in love with their baby she said looking distracted and upset that’s nice for them he said casually what are you so glum about he had picked up on her mood immediately it was hard to miss she

Gazed at him with distress in her eyes nothing was turning out the way she had wanted even though he was home now but nothing was settled yet I’m having one too she said in a troubled voice as he stared at her what he stood rooted to

The spot with his anklet in plain sight it always was since he was always Barefoot at home and never wore socks when he went out you heard me I’m pregnant she looked at him as though she had just told him she was dying why didn’t you tell me he said as he sat

Down next to her and put his arms around her obviously pleased I just found out about an hour ago her eyes filled with tears as he held her the timing was wrong even if they wanted children one day oh baby that’s such good news he said beaming at

Her as she looked at him in despair he was thrilled as she could feel his electronic anklet pressing against her F the reality of it was overwhelming and now now she was pregnant on top of everything else she couldn’t even pretend that she was pleased chapter

16 the day after MRA was born the boys took her home and settled her in the pink bassinet in her nursery and looked at her in awe Justin had sent dozens of pictures of their daughter to Alana and all their friends and family and everyone wrote back that she was the

Prettiest baby they had ever seen Kate was staring at one of the photographs as she sat in her office trying to absorb the fact that she was now a grandmother she was still shocked by the idea although she was relieved that the baby was healthy and everything had gone

Well her cell phone rang as she looked at the photo of milagra and when she answered she could barely hear what was being said to her she finally understood that it was from the conci of a hotel in Beijing and it was about her mother her heart nearly stopped as she

Listened what what I’m sorry I can’t hear you but worse she couldn’t understand him yes yes this is Louis Smith’s daughter is something wrong they were telling her that Louise was in a hospital but she couldn’t understand the name of the hospital they gave her she was panicked

Is there someone there who speaks English yes yes I know you do but I’m having trouble understanding is she all right what happened and why hadn’t Francis called her he was saying something about Louise’s foot but she still had no idea what had happened I’m sorry say again a

Woman finally came on the line as Jessica stood in the doorway they could hear her shouting halfway across the store and even customers had noticed Kate sounded frantic she was speaking to the woman now yes Louise Smith is my mother where is she may I speak to her she enunciated

Each word in an exaggerated way so the woman would understand her and finally she was able to convey to Kate that Louise had injured her ankle and she would be on a plane to New York the next day at 400 p.m. but why hadn’t her mother called her or

Francis the woman at the hotel gave Kate their flight number and as soon as they hung up Kate called her mother on her cell but it didn’t even ring and francis’s didn’t either what what exactly had happened was a mystery but at least they were coming home and weren’t stuck in

Beijing it reminded Kate that despite her mother’s Independence she was of a certain age and something bad could happen to her far from home Kate was desperately anxious that night and the next day but didn’t say anything to her children Julie had driven to Vermont to

See the baby and Kate told her she couldn’t get away and had a business crisis to deal with and to tell Justin she’d come up in the next week it was an agonizing wait at the airport the following day and at first she thought they hadn’t made the flight as

She watched passengers collect their baggage and go through customs and Francis and her mother were nowhere to be seen Kate was standing on an upper level observation deck looking down through glass windows growing increasingly panicked and then at last she saw them Francis had her arm in a

Cast with a sling and her mother was on crutches they looked like they’d been through the wars but they still managed to get their luggage on a cart and head toward customs and immigration they passed out of sight and as soon as they did Kate raced

Downstairs as fast as she could to be there when they came out they finally emerged 20 minutes later the two women were chatting animatedly and Louise looked surprised to see her I told you she’d be here Francis said smiling at Kate we told the concierge at the hotel

To call you to tell you we were coming home early but no one at the hotel spoke decent English what happened to you both Kate asked as she took over the cart with their luggage and asked her mother if she wanted a wheelchair of course not she said looking

Insulted I’m fine I sprained my ankle at the Forbidden City and Francis fell in the bathroom at the hotel and broke her arm I broke my cell phone and Francis lost hers you too are a mess Kate grinned relieved to see how feisty her mother was you had me worried sick

When they called we are not Louise looked even more offended and then Kate thought of something since they didn’t have their cell phones they obviously hadn’t heard the news Justin had his baby two days ago she weighed almost £10 MRA you’re a great grandmother Louise looked mollified when she heard had it

Is the baby all right and did the woman sign the papers Louise asked anxiously apparently she did and everything is fine Kate reassured her I want to see her Louise said as she hobbled toward the exit on her crotches looking pleased about the baby and refusing any help Louise talked about

The trip on the way into the City and Kate was relieved to know that she was all right Francis was looking out the window as though she were grateful to be back I don’t think I’d go back to Beijing Louise said conversationally as her daughter smiled but I would

Definitely revisit Shanghai in Hong Kong they’re just more sophisticated and civilized they were nice to us at the hospital Francis added meekly we’re not looking for a Red Cross toour Lou said tartly and Kate tried not to laugh are you sure your ankle’s not broken mom

Kate asked her of course course it’s not how are the others what are they up to I haven’t seen much of a she’s been busy working as usual Julie is still crazy about Mr Perfect and Willie is as elusive as ever I never know what he’s

Doing he’s been out of town a lot this month Louise nodded satisfied with the reports and then Kate spoke of her new granddaughter again Justin said he sent you pictures but I guess you didn’t get them if you broke your cell phone Kate commented I have to get a new one

Tomorrow she said matter of factly they dropped Francis off first and then Kate took her mother home she wanted to help her unpack but Louise insisted she didn’t need assistance and wanted to go through her mail she kissed her daughter and sent her on her way and Kate went

Back to the store and as soon as she got to her desk she had an email from Bernard she hadn’t heard from him in almost 4 weeks and she was Furious over it relations had cool between them but neither of them had said it was over and

Ever since he’d left for Sardinia with his wife and family he’d gone quiet on her it made his claims about how much he supposedly loved her no longer credible he had cancelled his June trip to New York and said he had pressing meetings in London in July which precluded his

Coming to New York and he had been in Italy for most of August with his children and wife Kate hadn’t seen him since he left New York in late May exactly 3 months before it made their passionate Affair seem like a f and suddenly he was reappearing now and said

He was coming to New York she couldn’t avoid him entirely since he had invested in her business but she was no longer a willing participant in their alleged love story she just hadn’t said it to him yet she didn’t answer him till the next day and then sent him a brief email

Reporting over only on the sales figures of her online business she said nothing personal to him about the past few months but it was depressing to realize that his claims of having an arrangement with his wife had been a lie it just made him a player and a cheater and not

The person he had pretended to be with her and he was a fool if he thought she’d ever trust him again for Kate it was over it had been a miserable summer Louise called Kate the next morning wanting to go to Vermont to see the baby in the next few days and Kate

Realized that she had some problems to deal with at the store and couldn’t get away as soon as she thought I’m not sure I can do it this week let me call Justin and see what works for them she called him shortly after and he said Richard

Was feeding the baby when he answered the phone they were taking turns so the baby would Bond equally with both of them and they were sleeping with a Mosa’s basket between them so they could hear her and watch her all night they had an intercom with a video screen in

The nursery but they loved having her close to them they were completely enamored with their daughter how’s Grandma Lou he asked her immediately they came off the plane looking like a pilgrimage from LS Kate said as she laughed your grandmother sprained her ankle and Francis broke her

Arm at the hotel Grandma Lou is on crutches but as feisty as ever she wants to go back to Shanghai she reported but not Beijing she’d like to come up and see the baby but to be honest I don’t think I can do it this week things are crazy

Here at the store and Bernard was coming after Labor Day in a week and she needed to have her latest figures and progress reports in order for him whatever else was or wasn’t happening between them she wanted her business dealings with him to be professional and clean that was an

Entirely separate matter why don’t you two relax Justin suggested we want to bring her to New York in a few weeks anyway you can see her then we’re all kind of adjusting to each other right now it really made more sense than dragging his grandmother to

Vermont and Kate rushing up and back to drive her he and Richard wanted to get the knck of fatherhood at least for a few weeks before they traveled with her for now they were barely getting time to shower and dress between diapers feedings changing her bedding and clothes doing laundry figuring out why

She was crying and getting up every 2 or 3 hours during the night she was a big baby so she was hungry and neither of the two men had had more than a few hours of sleep a night since she’d been born they had had illusions of dressing

Her like a little doll in pretty dresses instead they barely got her into one set of pajamas before she threw up or had a wet diaper and they had to change her again they did laundry all day long and ran the sterilizer night and day for her

Bottles I wonder if it’s easier when women breastfeed them Richard said as he washed a load of bottles after Justin hung up the phone his mother had agreed to convince Grandma L to wait to meet the baby until they came to New York you still have to dress them and feed them

Even if they’re breastfed Justin said practically they were discovering that babies were a lot of work a lot more than they thought they had called shy to make sure she was all right she was struggling with her milk coming in and they had given her a shot at the

Hospital to help dry it up but she sounded in decent Spirits although a little worn out from the delivery and busy with her kids she said she was happy to have her body back and was looking forward to spending more time with her children the pregnancy had

Taken over for a while they were incredibly grateful to her and they sent her flowers to thank her again just looked at Richard as they lay in bed that night with the baby between them Richard thought she should sleep in the crib they had set up for her in the room

That had been Justin’s study before she was born but Justin liked having her close to them so he could see her during the night so is it different than you thought he asked his partner since there was no one to hear them and they could be honest with each other as they always

Were he had noticed that Richard looked overwhelmed but she wasn’t even a week old and it was all new to them to be honest it’s harder and takes more organizing we don’t get time to do anything else now and it’s all about her Justin laughed at what he said well yes

It would be right now did you think it was going to be about us Justin seemed amused at that I don’t know if I thought about it before I just figured she’d be cute and cuddly and pink and clean all the time half the time she she was

Making messes at both ends and Justin was decidedly better with diapers and made less of a fuss about it than Richard who said the smell of her poopy diapers made him feel sick so Justin changed most of them they weren’t doing much else and hadn’t been since she was

Born it’ll probably be more fun when she can talk Richard added and even more work than it is now Justin said with a smile we’ll have to watch her so she doesn’t get hurt how do people will get anything done do you realize I haven’t had time to return a phone call since

She was born Richard complained neither have I Justin agreed but he didn’t seem to mind he liked being a Hands-On parent although he couldn’t figure out how he was going to WR now especially when Richard went back to work in a month he was on paternity

Leave until then it would be a juggling act for sure when he started teaching again and Justin would have to write at night he figured he wouldn’t get back to his novel for many months until they had the baby on some kind of schedule and they weren’t even close to that yet

Elana had called several times to see how they were doing and Julie had too but they had no time to talk on the phone they hadn’t even cooked a meal since they got home they were living on takeout and frozen pizza and they both were unhappy that they were gaining

Weight from the fattening foods they were eating and neither of them had had time to go to to the gym but they weren’t sorry it still seemed worthwhile to them and she was as much a miracle as her name can you imagine what it would

Be like if with had twins Justin said as he changed another poopy diaper she seemed to produce them all the time I don’t know how my mother did it with four of us wash your mouth out with soap I couldn’t handle twins Richard said with fervor realizing that that could

Have happened EAS easily almost made him shudder one baby was plenty to cope with and MRA was keeping two grown men running night and day they had never been so busy or so tired in their lives Bernard called Kate from the hotel when he arrived the day after Labor Day he

Sounded as sexy and Charming as ever when she answered the phone the hotel number had come up and she didn’t recognize it which was why he had called her from the phone in his suite he was afraid she wouldn’t answer if she knew it was him how are you Kate he asked her

As though they were old friends and nothing more he was feeling out the terrain as the French said he had hardly heard from her all summer after their last meeting in New York when she had made such an issue about his going on vacation with his wife he had decided to

Let her call off for a while after that the time had stretched longer than he had intended and it felt awkward now after 3 months I’m fine did you have a pleasant Summer she asked how was Sardinia very agreeable he kept his comments vague and subdued so as not to antagonize her

Further he was still hoping to rekindle the flame of their relationship the past 3 months had just been an intermission as far as he was concerned not the Final Act the online business is doing well he hadn’t checked their figures recently but her business had been booming until now

Incredibly she warmed up when he asked she was so happy about it they had tripled the profits to the shop and he was doing well from it too I can hardly keep up with the demand and sometimes I truly can’t that’s wonderful news will you be there this afternoon he asked in a

Relaxed tone I have a meeting on Wall Street and could stop in to see you on my way up town she was unhappy and angry at the thought but she couldn’t refuse him access since his investment in her business was an important one I don’t think I’ll be here she said vaguely

Tomorrow then or would you prefer tonight he decided to risk it but she R buffed him immediately I’m busy if you’d like the latest figures I can email them to you we just finished them for last month we had an amazing summer I’d rather meet with you myself

He said sounding seductive and sexy he was very French 6 months before it had Enchanted her now she knew better he was just another married man cheating on his wife and she didn’t find that sexy at all in fact it revolted her but he hadn’t understood that yet he was

Expecting her to fall into his arms again she could hear it in his voice what do we need to meet about she inquired sounding businesslike the figures speak for themselves I’d enjoy seeing you it’s been too long and then he lowered his voice to almost a whisper I’ve missed

You terribly Kate he sounded convincing but she knew him better now and the many masks he wore devoted father brilliant businessman practiced lover adoring boyfriend and now he had added dutiful husband to the list it was the last one that had spoiled everything for her the other roles he played had made him

Appealing to her but she had discovered that you were never too old to be played for a fool will you have a drink with me he asked sounding dogged and humble and she sighed I don’t see the point she said honestly for Old Time sake although

Their Affair had been white hot only 3 months before very little time had elapsed but everything had changed for her you can stop by the store if you want she conceded she didn’t want him to accuse her of obstructing his access to the business how are your children by the

Way he asked her trying to rebuild the bridge he had burned by going to Sardinia with his wife fine thank you she said coldly she didn’t tell him about Justin’s baby her personal life was none of his business in anym Bernard showed up at 4:00 that afternoon looking

As handsome as ever and she felt a flutter in her stomach when she saw him she didn’t want him to affect her and was upset that he did but it didn’t show she kept the door to her office open when he was with her she had a set of

Their figures already printed out for him and when he tried to kiss her on both cheeks she shifted slightly and he found himself kissing air she kept everything on a professional level and he finally looked at her sadly and she had to steal herself not to be affected

By him when he lowered his voice why are you doing this cake I love you I’m sorry you were upset about my summer plans I’m sorry I misunderstood the arrangement you have with your wife I didn’t realize it included month-long vacations with her or I would never have

Gotten involved I don’t need that kind of heartbreak in my life burnard and I assume you spend the Christmas holidays with her too that’s not the kind of relationship I want with someone else’s husband she said firmly and he raised an eyebrow which made him look even more handsome much to her

Sugrin do you always make decisions about your heart why don’t you let your heart decide for itself we loved each other 3 months ago that doesn’t disappear in an instant or even in a few months he was very convincing and he wasn’t wrong but Kate was determined not

To let him sway her she had made up her mind I didn’t know who you were then I thought I did but it turned out I was mistaken when you make discoveries like that it changes everything you don’t play by the same rules I do I want an

Honest loving relationship if I have one I thought that’s what we heard it wasn’t I’m not interested in stealing someone’s husband or even borrowing you part time I’m not in love with my wife Kate he looked sincere when he said it and maybe he was that doesn’t make you a

Free man not in my world anyway you’re making a terrible mistake if you throw this away I don’t think I am we have a business relationship that’s important for both of us I’d like to preserve that if we can but as far as anything else I I’m returning you to your wife whether

You love her or not there was ice in her eyes when she said it to him and he looked taken back no one had ever been that honest with him before he could see that she meant it and the door to her heart was closed you’re a hard woman Kate I never

Realized that before she didn’t answer him as he picked up the print out of the sales figures from the desk and put it in his briefcase let me know if you have any question questions she said indicating the financial report he had just put away I’ll be happy to answer them for

You he nodded and without saying another word he walked out of the store a piece of her heart went with him but he didn’t know it she walked back into her office and closed the door behind her she was shaking and there was a lump in her

Throat he sent her a text a few minutes later and she read it as a tear rolled down her cheek ch a was all it said and as she held her phone in her trembling hand she spoke out loud no you don’t and then she erased his message and put her

Phone away Liam had been right about Married Men chapter 17 when Justin and Richard brought the baby to New York to meet Justin’s mother and grandmother she was 3 weeks old and they brought more equipment than Kate had ever seen a folding travel bed a Mosa’s basket a car seat that

Transformed into a carrier a rocking seat for the baby a quilt for the floor with toys attached to it boxes of Pampers formula bottles their sterilizer a swing so she would go to sleep and a stroller you could put in six different positions and fold down into the car

Their car was crammed full and when they carried her into Kate’s apartment they looked like they were moving in good Lord how can she need all that Kate asked in amazement I used to manage with with my purse a stroller and a diaper bag with four children we have two suitcases of

Clothes for her in the car she goes through an outfit every hour she spits up a lot Justin explained Kate was in awe as they set everything up put mro in the swing turned it on and set the musical mobile attached to it in motion she was still sound

Asleep they both looked exhausted and Justin had circles under his eyes they said they were getting about 3 hours of sleep a night they hadn’t gotten MRA on a schedule yet Kate couldn’t help wondering if all new parents these days were like them with a million different

Kinds of equipment or if they were just excessive about it they set up the sterilizer in the kitchen and washed the bottles they’d used in the car Grandma Lou was just as impressed when she arrived and saw The Sleeping Baby surrounded by the mountain of what they’d brought are you moving to New

York she asked looking puzzled but Enchanted by the lovely features in the tiny face she looked like a baby in an ad no grandma Justin answered she just needs a lot of stuff for what a garage sale no 3- week old child could need all that how exhausting to move it all

Around she looked amazed she was still sound asleep in the swing that ticked like a metronome and the music was playing while little giraffes danced above her you’re going to need a bigger house if you’ve accumulated all that in 3 weeks Grandma Lou said and Justin looked faintly

Embarrassed at the excess while Richard insisted that all babies had equipment like that these days and he had bought her educational toys too he had heard somewhere that he could teach her to read by the time she was two they had read all the currently popular books on

Child Development and how to have a smart baby Julie will came to visit to see the baby and Zach and I he had promised to come by Willie was away for the weekend they all sat around admiring the baby while she slept and Richard enumerated all the things she could

Already do according to him she was Advanced which made Kate smile the baby was still sleeping when Zach and Izzy arrived Izzy was wearing jeans and a man’s blue shirt and loafers she looked very thin to the point of gaunt Zach was wearing black leather pants one

Of his sleeveless T-shirts and a leather vest and went around the room saying hello to everyone then helped himself to a Coke in Kate’s fridge and sat down Izzy glanced at all the equipment too she has a lot of stuff Izzy commented and said she was very pretty they all

Agreed on that and Richard took a number of photos of her with his phone while she continued to sleep with her chin slumped on her chest she was wearing a little pink pink sweater and a matching cap with tiny ballet shoes she needs some black Leathers Zack

Said and Justin laughed and then they chatted for a few minutes Zach stretched out his long legs and as he realized that he hadn’t worn the socks she’d given him and her mother happened to look down at the same time and noticed the electronic anklet on his left leg

She looked puzzled and as his heart skipped a beat what’s that she asked innocently assuming it was some new trend or one of those devices that measured your heart rate how many steps you walk every day and how many calories you burned oh just something I picked up

Zach said brushing off the question as he crossed his legs to conceal it but Justin had seen it and so had Richard Justin glanced at izy with a question in his eyes he knew instantly what it was he followed her out to the kitchen a few

Minutes later to get a bottle ready for the baby when she woke up and he cornered Izzy as she got a glass of water what’s that about he asked he knew it had nothing to do with measuring steps when did that happen there was no avoiding the question or his eyes and

She was ready to kill Zach for not wearing socks having her family know that he had been convicted of something was the last thing she needed particularly since she knew that to some degree they were all uneasy about Zach as a mate for her it happened a few

Months ago she said looking tired as she said it it’s nothing serious they put those anklets on instead of sending you to jail Justin insisted and she nodded there was no point denying it they both knew it was true Zach sauntered into the kitchen then and his wife gave him a quelling

Look I was just asking Izzy about your anklet how did you wind up with that Zach figured that there was no point lying to him now that they’d seen it he thought they’d find out sooner or or later anyway and he didn’t see any reason to keep it a secret they were

Family after all I got bustered for possession and I was already on probation so I got stuck with this it was either the anklet or prison and it was a better deal I only have to wear it for a year he helped himself to another Coke and then went back to the living

Room as Justin stared at his sister are you okay he was worried about her all over again more so now yes I am she said looking embarrassed it was a stupid thing for him to do he was drunk when it happened I told him to wear socks today Justin

Wondered what else she was hiding from them he’d better behave or they’ll send him away Justin warned her I’ve tried to impress that on him he’s like a big kid he does foolish things he’s not a drug dealer or anything she tried to make light of it and Justin didn’t press her

But he was very upset by what he’d heard and how casual Zach was about it that wasn’t the life he hoped for for his sister she deserved better than that and she had so much faith in him which he thought Zach didn’t deserve no one else mentioned it when

They went back to the living room and the baby was crying which distracted everyone Justin put her in his grandmother arms and she looked down at her with a wide Smile as Richard took pictures of them in a video and then Justin gave MRA her bottle but he was

Still shaken by what Zach had said and how blight he was about it you’d better get some practice doing that Zach teased as he as Justin changed the baby’s diaper on a mat on the floor fortunately it was only wet why would you practice changing diapers Kate asked her daughter as izy

Glanced imploringly at Zach he was hitting all the high notes today he just kidding Izzy said and changed the subject but Justin stared at the tiny bump under her shirt and then his eyes widened as he looked up at his sister oh my God you’re pregnant there was dead

Silence in the room and as he didn’t deny it since it was true but she hadn’t been planning to tell them yet they all stared at her for denial or confirmation yes I’m pregnant she said in a flat voice there was none of the Jubilation one would have expected her to express just

Resignation but given what her husband was wearing on his leg who could blame her it’s due in March she confirmed we didn’t plan it it just happened I didn’t figure it out for a while it’s going to be great Zach smiled broadly but no one else did Justin was

Thinking that it wouldn’t be so great if Zach screwed up again and went to prison and his sister had a baby are you happy about it Kate asked her softly and as he Shrugged she couldn’t fake it her pregnancy had been a shock and still was given everything that had happened since

They’d been married they’d only been married for 4 months and she was already 3 months pregnant nothing was happening as she’d expected I’m not happy yet she admitted but I will be it doesn’t seem real yet and it was a lot less so than his anklet it’s an adjustment Julie glanced over at

Her and felt sorry for her but tried to make the best of it it’ll be adorable you’ll see just like milagra the baby had started crying again and Richard was bouncing her up and down to calm her but instead she threw up so he had to change her clothes

And wasn’t Adept at it yet he was doing that when she pooped and Kate went to get a towel from the bathroom so it didn’t get on the rug her life had changed with the arrival of her grandchild and it was a reminder of a time she had almost

Forgotten one forgets how much work they are at that age Grandma L said watching Richard trying to change her that’ll be us pretty soon Zach said beaming as though there were no problems in their world Izzy looked daggers at him and snapped at him that’ll be you I’ll be at

Work so maybe you’d better take the diaper lesson he still hadn’t found a job and wasn’t trying to his probation officer questioned him about it every month I’m not changing any diapers he said firmly Kate tried not to let her disapproval show on her face he was the laziest most self-indulgent man she’d

Ever met and she hated to think he was her son-in-law do you feel all right she asked izy with a look of concern you’re awfully thin I lost some weight I was sick in the beginning but I’m starting to feel better now she looked as though she considered her pregnancy a

Punishment and to her it was the last thing she wanted right now was to be pregnant and she worried about Zach every day when she went to work Kate didn’t know what to say in answer to as his obvious unhappiness at being pregnant and the conversation in the

Room had died after Zach let the cat out of the B they left a little while later and as he berated him as soon as they reached the street are you crazy you don’t wear the socks I gave you so people can’t see that thing on

Your leg you tell my brother what you were arrested for like it’s something to be proud of and you let them know I’m pregnant when I asked you not to just how difficult do you want to make things what do you think they’re talking about right now you can’t hide the baby

Forever no I can’t but I could have for a while so I didn’t have to hear their opinions about it and you can God damn well hide the anklet did you really need to tell Justin about that I’m sorry I can’t keep track of all the secrets you

Want me to keep from them well getting busted for possession of cocaine is top of that list you could have spared them that so sui I’m sorry it slipped he looked miffed it certainly did they walked back to their apartment from her mother’s while Justin was explaining to

Kate what the anklet was and why he had it and she looked horrified even more so now that she knew as he was pregnant she felt desperately sorry for her and she wasn’t sure if her daughter had married an idiot or a monster Grandma L saw the

Expression on Kate’s face and wanted to know what was going on so Kate told her and Louise looked shocked what a stupid thing for him to do when he has everything going for him now including a wife who loves him and a baby on the way I hope he grows up soon

Or is he will be very unhappy she looks like she already is Justin said Darkly look how thin she’s gotten that can’t be healthy for the baby even Grandma Lou thought his his pregnancy was unfortunate and an unwanted complication do you think she’ll continue working her grandmother asked

She can’t afford not to Kate said simply and he never will unless he deals drugs he was everything she had feared right from the beginning and worse they were back in their apartment then and I he went to lie down it had been a horrible afternoon and now her entire family knew

About Zach’s being on probation and the baby the last thing she wanted to hear were their comments and she was sure there would be many of them before it was all over Zach came into the bedroom and laid down next to her are you you

Mad at me he asked unhappily he hated it when she got angry and she often was lately ever since his arrest I’m not mad I’m scared and unhappy she said sadly I don’t like everyone in my family knowing my business and it was all so overwhelming the baby his arrest her family knowing

About it now this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be he tried to make love to her then and she didn’t want to but she didn’t want to hurt his feelings so she let him and just lay there but she started to feel sick before he was

Through and had to stop him Jesus what’s wrong with you these days is he you can’t feel that sick all the time well I do a tear snuck out of her eye and onto her pillow he got up and walked around the apartment for a while and then

Returned to bed hoping she’d be willing to finish what he’d started but when he climbed into bed next to her he saw that she was was asleep and then he was unhappy too the next surprise Kate had was from Julie she and Peter were inseparable most of the time now they’d

Gone to baseball games together all summer they went away for weekends he taught her to sale and they went to dinner and movies he treated her like a porcelain doll and she loved it the only thing she didn’t like was that he always wanted to be alone with her and didn’t

Want to spend time with her family or friends she missed them but Peter thought it was more romantic to be alone and she loved him more than she had any man before but in spite of that the one thing she hadn’t shared with him was that she was

Dyslexic she had been ashamed of it all her life and she didn’t want him to know in case he thought less of her even after years of tutoring she still had trouble reading and read like a child and in October after they went to a baseball playoff game he threw her a cur

She hadn’t expected he told her he was being transferred to La it meant another promotion for him and he was excited about it she tried to be happy for him when he told her but it meant that their romance was over he was moving in January and Julie didn’t believe in long-distance

Relationships they never worked they just told me this week he said as he put his arms around her and then he looked down at her as she fought back tears I’m happy for you I’m just sad for us she said honestly you don’t need to be he said softly Julie I want

You to come with me she couldn’t imagine it she had a great job she loved her family and she had lived in New York all her life she couldn’t move to LA and then he took her breath away with what he said next will you marry me are you

Serious she was stunned she hadn’t expected him to propose she’d never even thought about getting married I want to do this right I can’t ask you to make a move like that unless we’re married they had been dating for 7 months and it seemed too soon to her but

She knew that she loved him and she didn’t want to lose him when he moved to LA what about my job you can get another design job in LA but not like the one she had she was the head designer and there was no fashion industry in La not

Like in New York there were small California designers but she worked for an important firm and made good money it was a lot to give up but so was he he seemed so perfect for her in so many ways I can’t get a job there like the

One I have you don’t need to I make a good salary you don’t have to work if you don’t want to I have friends here she said wistfully not many but some she liked people she had known and worked with for years and my family I love you

Julie isn’t that enough do you want to stay single all your life don’t you want to get married and have babies she had never considered it and had never felt ready until she met him but she didn’t feel ready now not yet I don’t feel old enough for baby

Or marriage she wanted to add but didn’t she didn’t want to hurt his feelings I’m not ready for babies either but what about me we could have a great life together in La I’d be the number two man out there and I could run the West Coast office one day I know it’s

Fast but I want you to come with me and it just feels right to me I don’t want to lose you she said and as she clung to him he pulled pulled a small blue box out of his pocket and slipped a ring on her finger it was a small but very

Pretty diamond ring from Tiffany and her eyes opened wide when she saw it I’ll get you a bigger one later he said modestly but he had chosen a lovely ring for her it was round with a Halo of tiny Stones around it it was delicate and looked right on her small hand she

Stared at the ring for a long moment and then back at him he had thought of everything and she smiled maybe he was right and it was time to get married she had turned 31 that summer although she still felt young but some of her friends had gotten

Married and even had babies we could get married at Christmas I have to be in La by new years’s we could have a quick honeymoon before I have to be there he had it all worked out in his head it didn’t give them much time to plan a

Wedding but she had never wanted a big wedding anyway just her family and a few friends that wouldn’t take long to organize Julie let’s do it let’s start a new life together he made it sound exciting and fun and in the headiness of the moment she nodded and he kissed her

When they came up for air she whispered yes he spent that night with her in her apartment they made love again in the morning when they woke up and she looked at her ring afterward and started to laugh oh my God I’m engaged yes we are he beamed at her and

When he left for work she went to see her mother at the store she knew Kate went in early Julie told her the news and as Kate looked at her and saw The Ring she felt like she had been shot out of a cannon another of her children was

Getting married two in a year and she didn’t know why but she still had a queasy feeling about Peter he certainly wasn’t as blatantly wrong as Zach far from it everything about Peter was right but there had always been a faint echo in her mind about him and she didn’t

Know what it was and Julie would be moving so far away Los Angeles felt like it was on another planet are you sure Kate questioned her why is he in such a hurry that seemed off to her too or maybe she was becoming paranoid in her old age she chided herself and the

Children were right that she never thought anyone was good enough for them Peter certainly had everything going for him a good job a good education a good future ahead of him he seemed like he’d be a responsible provider and father and he was attentive to her even now what

More could she want she didn’t know but Kate still sensed that something was missing everything got rushed because of his transfer to La that’s why he wants to get married so soon it was either that or breakup what about your job he says I

Don’t have to work if I don’t want to in many ways Peter was the husband every mother wanted for her daughter unlike Zach Peter was solid and yet Kate felt uneasy Julie had always seemed so vulnerable and California felt like the other side of the universe to Kate she

Was torn between being pleased and terrified for her Julie had always been her most fragile child is this what you really want Kate asked her and Julie nodded and grinned like a little girl as the ring sparkled on her finger yes Mom it is all right she said

Quietly and put her arms around her daughter then I approve she didn’t want to stand in her way if he was the man she wanted and knew it was right for her Julie had a right to make that decision Kate held her close for a moment and then mother and daughter walked through

The store arm in- arm another of her chicks was leaving the nest and all Kate could hope was that her wings would carry her well and that Peter would love her forever whatever her initial reservations about him he seemed like the kind of man who would chapter

18 Kate had dinner with Liam to catch up on all their news they hadn’t gotten together for a while he and Morin stayed in their country house in Westport Connecticut in the summer and he commuted September had been busy for him and he’d gone on several business trips

And Kate’s new online business was eating up her time in some ways it was much more timec consuming than the store and she had to constantly update the site with new merchandise she was having to look at more Estates find new sources to buy from and go to more auctions in order to

Have more to sell with a much broader base which was exciting for her she reported reported to Liam on how well it was doing as he had predicted and Bernard had promised her business had become a real money maker Liam was pleased for her how are things going

With Bernard Liam asked her cautiously not wanting to pry into her love life they told each other everything but there were still areas where they tried to be delicate and discreet although Kate usually told him when she was dating someone and he had met several of her men over the years he

Never asked for the details nor did she give them but seeing her with Bernard and sensing that they were involved had worried him for her since he was married I saw him when he was in New York the last time she said cryptically and Liam wondered what that meant it was fine are

You still seeing him Liam asked cautiously other than for business reasons actually I’m not Kate said with a slightly wistful look followed by one of resignation you were right his arrangement with his wife was not what he led me to believe in the beginning

When I saw him in Paris he acted like a free agent but I didn’t realize that he still spends vacations with her they were in Sardinia together for a month this summer maybe she dates other people too you never know what crazy deals people make with each other spoken or otherwise

In order to stay married I don’t want to share someone else’s husband I don’t need one of my own but I’m not into time shares with men he smiled at what she said he’s very upset that I won’t agree to it and thinks I’m too American about it I’m too

Uncomfortable it sounds like a deal to me he nodded and sensed that the decision had been painful for her she looked sad about it and he could tell she was uncomfortable talking about him Liam knew she was an honest honorable woman and given the risks Bernard’s situation presented and the potential

For her to get hurt he was glad she was out of it even if it was disappointing for her he knew about Justin’s baby she had called him when MRA was born and he was relieved to hear that the surrogate had relinquished the baby without a problem he had shared her concerns about

That and it was a little too Brave New World for him but she told him about Zach’s arrest and the electronic bracelet and about Julie’s recent engagement are you happy about that he asked about Peter I think so he’s a little too good to be true in some ways I know that

Sounds crazy but it unnerved me at first the kids beat me up about it and they’re probably right I just think no one can be that perfect all the time but maybe he is and she’s happy his getting transferred spread everything up they’re getting married on Christmas Eve leave

And I’m going to hate having her so far away but I guess that’s what happens they grow up and they fly away she didn’t see much of Justin in Vermont either and he was closer than LA and especially now since she was even working on weekends now that the affair with

Bernard had ended she had plunged into her work more than ever so she didn’t have time to think about what she had lost she hated to admit it but she missed him and for her work was always the best distraction I suppose it’ll happen to me

With the girls sooner or later Liam said with resignation Elizabeth seems to be serious about a boy in Madrid and Penny wants to move to London when she finishes school in Edinburgh it’ll be just my luck if they stay in Europe I thought it would be a good experience

For them I didn’t think they’d want to stay how’s your mom by the way where’s she off to next keeping up with Louise allowed them all to live vicariously through her world traveling and Adventures she’s not going anywhere right now she doesn’t admit it but I think finding herself in a hospital in

Beijing and Francis breaking her arm on their last trip may have slowed her down a little if she ever gets really sick Halfway Around the World it could be complicated and very unpleasant she never had any mishaps before and the sprained ankle wasn’t serious but it was a wake up cool I

Think she wants to go back to Hong Kong and Shanghai next year and they are both very civilized she might go to Singapore too she wants to use the Mandarin she learned and Francis loved the shopping Louise was more likely to come home with artifacts and local crafts but Francis

Loved buying clothes anywhere and was a frequent visitor to Kate’s store they lingered over dinner talking about her business again and holiday plans Kate was having the whole family to her house for Thanksgiving as usual and Julie was planning to have her wedding dinner there too since she was going to invite

So few people she only wanted the family and a handful of friends and Peter wasn’t close to the people he’d met in New York in his brief two years in the city and neither his brothers nor his parents were coming it was too complicated for them over the holidays

And Peter had said they preferred to visit him and Julie in LA in the spring so it was going to be a tiny wedding Kate and Liam left each other outside the restaurant and she went home Julie called her that night about some of the wedding plans there was a florist

She wanted to use and she thought she had seen a wedding dress she liked she was going to copy it and modify it she want to wear something short for such a small wedding and she was going to have it made where she worked after she designed it that way she could have

Exactly what she wanted and she had found a perfect heavy Ivory satin for the design she had in mind the wedding was less than 2 months away everyone came to Thanksgiving except Zack and izy she was in bed with bronchitis and Zach didn’t want to go

Alone and it was a relief not to have Zach there but Justin and Richard came with the baby with even more equipment since she was 2 months older than at their last visit she was sweet and Lively and everyone had fun with her and Kate was beginning to adjust to the idea

Of being a grandmother on the day of the wedding the florist arrived at Kate’s apartment and transformed it into a flower garden with moss and branches small vases of white Fria and lies of the valley and sprays of tiny white orchids Julie had told them exactly what she wanted and

Kate was stunned at how perfect it was Julie always had a vision that went beyond what others would have planned and that night on Christmas Eve at 8:00 after the 6:00 service the family gathered at Trinity Grace Church Julie was wearing a short Ivory satin dress

With a wide belt in the same fabric and cinched in Waist a high standup collar and just enough cleavage to be enticing but not too much so the sleeves of the dress were long she had added Ivory satin pumps with the usual high heels she preferred the dress had a 1950s

Feeling to it and was reminiscent of Dior Kate a black lace cocktail dress by an unknown designer Grandma Lou was in emerald green which looked well on her and Izzy had found a loose red dress to fit over her growing belly she was 6 months pregnant and looked very pretty and the

Men were wearing dark suits only the family was present at the ceremony the few friends that had been invited were coming to the house at 9:30 for a late dinner served as a buffet Julie had wanted seafood and there there were Lobster and fresh crab on the menu

The wedding cake had been delivered that afternoon it was a very small wedding but every detail had been impeccably thought out by the bride Julie and Peter looked ecstatically happy during the ceremony it was entirely appropriate but Peter couldn’t keep his eyes off her in the Chic sexy dress Julie looked very

Stylish she wore her hair in a loose bun with the same tiny orchids threaded into it that she carried in her bouquet and they left the church as husband and wife Julie’s friends who worked in fashion had dressed for the occasion and Liam and morine were there although they

Stayed only briefly so they could go to midnight mass with their daughters it was a happy and intimate evening that was enhanced by the warmth of Christmas the baby slept peacefully all evening in Kate’s bedroom and her fathers checked on her every few minutes and had set up a monitor with a camera

In the bedroom so they could see what she was doing and if she woke up Kate noticed that Willie was texting a lot that night but he always did keeping tabs on his various women and his friends to see what they were doing and if he was missing anything give it a

Rest wool Justin teased him no one does anything on Christmas Eve you never know Willie laughed at him and slipped his phone into his pocket someone had just sent him an Instagram and he didn’t want his brother to see it hot new Romance Justin asked him as they went

Back to the buffet for more Lobster maybe Willie said noncommittally he was 25 and seemed more grown up lately and he was doing well at his job which was so technical none of them understood it Izzy and Zach seemed peaceful she sat on the couch and he had

An arm around her shoulders rubbed her belly from time to time and brought her dinner so she didn’t have to get up he was sweet with her and he looked respectable that night and even was socks and a suit as he had bought him but no matter what he said or wore he

Always exuded the bad boy image that was so much his style Julian I he talked about the baby for a few minutes Izzy had warmed up to the idea and they had found out that it was a boy and Zach was very pleased with himself I’ll come home when you have it

Julie promised I don’t want to miss that it was due in March and Richard had been giving her advice about everything she’d need bu for the baby which made both sisters giggle when he walked away and a bigger apartment to put it in Julie whispered their house looks like a

Children’s department store now they were both still over the top about MRA and the whole family teased them about it the bridal couple left at 1:00 a.m. to spend the night at the plaza where Peter had reserved the bridal Suite everything had been packed at Julie’s apartment the day before and the

Movers were coming the day after Christmas to send it to La Peter and Julie were going to spend Christmas day with Kate and the others and fly to Hawaii that night for a week’s honeymoon Peter had to start work at the LA office on the 2nd of January and before they

Left on Christmas Eve Peter thanked his mother-in-law warmly for a perfect wedding it was just what they had wanted he hugged Kate and told her that it meant a great deal to him to have someone so wonderful as his mother-in-law Kate felt faintly skeptical as he said it and then chided

Herself for being cynical he was the opposite of Zach Peter was polite appropriate responsible protective of her daughter and kind to her and Julie’s grandmother what more did she want but she didn’t know why any time he paid them compliments or showed respect Kate didn’t feel it was sincere Julie left

Her mother’s apartment looking like she was floating on a cloud Izzy and Zach left shortly after the bride and groom she said she was tired but both brothers and Richard stayed longer in their mother’s living room and so did Grandma Lou Who was full of energy and in great

Form she was going to Santa Fe New Mexico after Christmas to visit friends since she had nothing else planned Justin admitted that he was sad that Julie was moving so far away he wanted her to really get to know milagra but jile had said they’d probably be

Transferred again in a few years the f that Peter worked for moved people around a lot she looks so happy he said wistfully I think Peter is perfect for her and it’ll be a nice change for her not to have to work for a while and just enjoy being married before they have

Kids he and Richard had discovered how much work it was having a baby but they loved it even though their Carefree days were over milagra run their world their social life had ended when she arrived which bothered Richard more than Justin they hadn’t had an evening with friends

Or gone to a movie since she was born he and Richard had been talking for the past few weeks about whether or not they wanted another one soon Justin like the idea of having them close together while they were already steeped in mra’s baby needs rather than waiting until she was

Older and starting all over again and they agreed that they wanted two kids they knew it would be tight financially but they were willing to make the necessary sacrifice es Alana had told them she would do it again and sherley said she might too when they asked her

Although she said she would only do it one more time she said her body was beginning to show the wear and tear of four pregnanes but they needed the money if they wanted to do it Alana had said she would start giving herself hormone shots again on her next cycle so Justin

Was pushing Richard for a decision before either woman changed her mind it had all worked so well before that Justin didn’t want to have to to use a different donor or find another surrogate they knew and trusted both which was a major plus but they didn’t mention anything about it at Julie’s

Wedding dinner or on Christmas because it was a decision they wanted to make themselves without input from anyone else they had learned that lesson the first time when Julie and Peter left on Christmas day they all went downstairs to throw the rose petals the florist had

Provided and then Julie and Peter got in a cap to go to the airport for their moon in Hawaii it had started snowing and Julie was beaming it was a scene Kate knew she would never forget and Justin put an arm around his mother’s shoulders as they went back upstairs

After the couple had left when they got back to the apartment Richard was holding the baby and she was crying and her cheeks were flushed she felt hot to the touch I think she has a fever Richard said worried I think we should call the doctor or take her to someone here

On Christmas day why don’t we wait Justin said practically they had a thermometer at their friend’s apartment it reminded Kate of the days of kids sick on holidays having to change Clans every 5 minutes or sitting up all night for an earache or a fever that had been

Her life for many years and Richard and Justin were just starting out Richard looked panicked but Justin was calm they left a little while later and as he followed shortly after Willie took his grandmother home and then gave the driver an address up town he settled

Back in the cab looking happy and sent a text that said I’m on my way be there in 10 minutes and then he looked out the window and smiled at the falling snow as the cab sped up town Izzy went to lie down when they got home it had been a

Busy two days and she was beginning to feel the weight of the baby though she’d had no problems Zach went to watch football in the living room and poured himself a glass of wine she fell asleep and it was 10:00 when she woke up and went to check on

Zach in the living room he had fallen asleep too and was passed out on the couch with an empty bottle of wine on the table in front of him she knew he was drinking a lot these days and he was bored he had nothing to do and she had

Been unusually busy at work for the past month with end of the year legal work to do for her clients she still wanted Zach to get a job and was planning to talk to him about it again seriously after the holidays he had to do something he couldn’t just sit around

The house drink watch TV and meet up with his seedy friends she was afraid he’d get into trouble again if he continued doing that his remaining Idol was a bad idea her Law Firm was closed the week between Christmas and New Year and they spent some nice time together

But couldn’t go anywhere because of Zach’s probation restrictions the electronic anklet confined him to a specific area which included New York City but nothing Beyond so the house in East Hampton was out of bounds until the anklet came off they both really missed it and hated being stuck in the city every weekend

But it was a small price to pay for keeping him out of jail they had talked about going out with friends of his his on New Year’s Eve but Zach thought they were boring and it would be fun to watch the ball come down in Times Square and

Go there to see it live Izzy worried it would be crowded and cold and she didn’t want to get jled by the crowd but he was such a big kid about it that she agreed she was going to make a nice dinner for them that night and zap went off to see

One of his friends in the afternoon and came back in great spirits he was in a festive mood when he kissed her and she went to shower and change before she finished cooking dinner then she she remembered something she had forgotten to ask him and ran back to the living

Room wrapped in a towel and as soon as she walked in on silent feet she saw him with his head bent over something and saw that he was holding a piece of glass and snorting a line of coke she stopped dead in her tracks and stared at him with her heart beating

Faster what the hell are you doing she said in a loud voice and he jumped and turned to see her with the powder dusting his nose and upper lip and falling into his beard oh for Chris sake is it’s New Year’s Eve don’t be so uptight uptight she said advancing on

Him still holding the towel around her uptight remember me I’m the attorney who had to beg and plead and practically promised to give the assistant DA a blow job to keep you on probation got you into rehab and kept you out of prison with that anklet you’re wearing

That you’re so proud of if it weren’t for me they’d have revoked your probation and put you in prison 6 months months ago and I’m uptight and what was the point of 3 months of rehab if you’re doing lines she was horrified all right I’m sorry he said

Dusting his face off but she saw that he set the piece of glass down carefully so as to preserve what was left of the cocaine and it was quite a bit she wondered if he had more in a bag in his pocket and she realized now that he’d

Been drinking too he looked hopped up and the coke was already taking effect or maybe he’d had some before I want you to get rid of that stuff now if you get caught with drugs again you’re dead the cops won’t even wait for a hearing the

Judge will put you away on a probation violation and talk about it later I’m not throwing out high-grade like this he said grinning at her this stuff is great get rid of it she said menacingly I don’t want that in my house but she was sure he had more and it

Could be hidden anywhere you’re a fool if you keep playing with it you’re going to wind up in prison and there won’t be a damn thing I can do next time you’ll be a three-time loser they can put you away for 15 to life the very thought of

It made her shudder and she could feel their baby moving inside her as though the baby was upset too maybe it was the adrenaline pumping through her veins don’t you care about this at all she said poting to her stomach I don’t want him to have a father in prison neither

Do I Zach looked suddenly angry and aggressive and I don’t want him to have a father who’s whipped either you can’t tell me what to do all the time Izzy get a job go to work make some money be responsible stay off drugs that’s not who I am you knew it when you

Met me I like a party I’ve never worked in my life what do you expect me to do sell shoes at Mac’s maybe if that’s all you can do you can’t sit around and do nothing forever she was fighting back tears as she saw the effects of the Coke in his eyes he

Was flying high now why not what the do I care about working you make enough for both of us it was true but that was no reason for him to do nothing and sit around snorting Coke I don’t want you doing drugs she said trying to stay calm I’m not going

To get caught here what are you going to do call the cops you bought it somewhere that’s how you get caught I bought it from my old dealer he cool he knows me tear rolled down her cheeks as he said it her life felt totally out of control

He just didn’t get it and didn’t want to why are you always pressuring me about something just let me be I don’t tell you what to do why are you always trying to cut off my balls he looked vicious as he said it I’m not I just don’t want you

To do drugs or get arrested you’re on probation and I don’t want drugs in our life a little happy powder might do you some good loosen up he was getting increasingly hostile as he said it and he wed walked toward her and left the piece of glass with the rest of the coke

On the table get off my back he said as he strowed past her he wasn’t usually like this with her she knew it was the drugs and he must have done a lot because he was suddenly very speedy and volatile she didn’t think he’d hurt her but he might do something stupid without

Meaning to in the haze of the cocaine and she took a step back as he grazed past her and grabbed the keys off the hall table to a truck he had rented recently where are you going she asked looking frightened none of your business I’m tired of being chained up like a dog

In a yard with this godamn anklet it’s New Year’s Eve I’ll go wherever I damn well want to you can’t she said trying to snatch the keys from him but he yanked them away and pushed past her as he headed to the front door Zach please it’ll come up on their screen

Immediately if you go out of the area you’re allowed to them he said in a fury and you too he slammed the door behind him and when she opened the door into the hallway he was gone she could hear him thundering down the stairs in his biker boots he hadn’t even

Bothered to put on a coat and it was cold outside he had abandoned the line of coke on the table which made her suspect he had more on him somewhere he was wasted she didn’t know what to do she couldn’t call the police to stop him or

Find him and she was terrified he’d drive out to The Hamptons or someplace worse where he’d either get caught or his ankl would set off an alarm and they’d look for him and find him in the condition he was in she was sobbing when she walked into the apartment and sat

Down she stood up then took the glass with the coke on it and washed it down the drain in the kitchen sink her hand was shaking so badly that she bumped the glass on the foret and it cut her hand she wrapped it in a kitchen towel and

Went to lie on her bed she tried calling his cell phone and he didn’t answer she wrote him a text and told him she loved him and begged him to come home and then she saw his cell phone sitting on the couch when she went back to the living

Room he had forgotten it and she had no way to reach him he was out in the stratosphere somewhere doing what he wanted snorting coke and drinking and God only knew what else and something bad was going to happen if he didn’t come to his senses but he was high on

Drugs now and she knew there was no stopping him she went to put her clothes on she put on the maternity jeans she had to wear now with one of Zach’s flannel shirts over them and slipped her feet into a pair of old loafers New Year’s Eve had lost all

Importance all she wanted was for Zach to come home safely and after that they’d have to figure out what to do next he needed to go to rehab again she wondered if he’d been doing coke for a while although she thought she would have known but maybe not but right then

At that moment she knew he was at risk of doing something crazy and she had to stop him but she didn’t know how and without a phone she had no way to reach him and she didn’t know his friend’s phone numbers or his password to access

Them they were all dead beats and drug addicts and Zach still saw them on his own time not with her she didn’t even know who most of them were or their right names that part of his life was very dark she had kept away from it and

Urged him to give it up too she thought he had but apparently not she sat on the couch for hours unable to eat or think or even cry after a while she just sat there waiting to hear from him and praying for him to come home all she

Wanted was for him to find his way back come to his senses and say as he did when he screwed up oh baby I’m sorry she could hear him say it in her head she just prayed he wouldn’t call her to say it from jail if he got arrested again or

Caught in possession of drugs or committing some other crime there would be nothing she could do if he was even caught speeding and they searched him they would arrest him immediately it was 2 a.m. when she glanced at the clock in the living room midnight had passed without her noticing

In it and then it was 4:00 a.m. and she still hadn’t heard from him and finally just after 5:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day she closed her eyes and fell asleep on the couch she hadn’t heard from Zach all night she had called the house in East

Hampton and he wasn’t there she had no idea where he was but at least he hadn’t called from jail chapter 19 the sun was streaming in the windows when the phone rang and woke izy up just after 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day she leapt toward it and grabbed it praying it was

Zach and he was okay he had probably come down from the coke by then and was calling her to apologize but it wasn’t him it was the police and her heart sank as a leftenant Kelly identified himself she knew what that meant he had been arrested the

Night before it was why he hadn’t called her either they hadn’t let him call or he was too embarrassed to tell her he was in jail or too stoned is it about my husband she sounded breathless as she asked and the officer was startled and didn’t answer for a

Minute I yes it is he was serious and subdued is he in jail no he not her spirits Rose for an instant as the leftenant said it thank God Zach hadn’t been arrested after all where is he she was smiling as she held the phone to her ear with a shaking hand

Can I talk to him I he had an accident on the Long Island Expressway last night just before the exit to East Hampton there was a lot of ice on the road Izzy interrupted him before he could tell her the rest she couldn’t stand the suspense and he was speaking slowly and

Deliberately she didn’t care about the weather conditions where was Zach is he in the hospital is he okay no is’s not the leftenant hated calls like this but they were his responsibility as the officer in charge the highway patrol had called him because of the address on Zach’s papers

He was driving over 100 m an hour he hit an 18wheeler went across the divider and was killed instantly I’m sorry after he had said it Izzy sat in total silence for a minute with the phone in her hand he what are you sure she sounded like she was fading away and

Felt like she was going to die herself how could that happen how could Zach be dead leftenant Kelly had to be wrong where is he not that it mattered now he was gone her husband and the father of her unborn child was dead he’s at the hospital in Long Island where

They took him there running some substance tests on him we need to know if he was under the influence for our report the driver of the 18 wheeler was killed too and two other vehicles were involved we’ll be bringing him to the mor this afternoon you can identify the body and

Claim him now after 6:00 I’m very sorry he said again thank you she said shaking from head to foot and she was aware that the baby had stopped moving too as though he also knew that his father had just died without thinking she dialed her mother’s number and Kate picked up

Immediately she was planning to take Francis and her mother out to lunch she was in good spirits and had spent a quiet night at home Bernard had sent her a text to wish her a happy New Year and she had ignored it she smiled when she

Saw the call was from Izzy when she picked it up hi sweetheart Happy New Year she froze when she heard is’s voice Zach is dead he was killed in an accident last night and then she started to sob hysterically and Kate couldn’t understand what she was

Saying are you okay were you with him the baby he drove out to East Hampton alone we had a fight it’s not your fault is whatever happened you didn’t do it he was driving you went there Kate rushed to reassure her Izzy was blaming herself but I upset him Izzy sobbed

Pitifully into the phone I’ll be there in 5 minutes Kate grabbed her coat and purse and flew out of her apartment she gave a cab driver a $20 bill and told him to get her to his his address as fast as he could it wasn’t

Far and she had just enough time to call both her sons and tell them she didn’t know the details but but she knew that Izzy would need their help and she told Justin to call his grandmother and tell her Kate couldn’t take her to lunch but

Not why yet Kate want to know more before she told her mother do you know what happened mom Justin asked in a shocked voice no I don’t she said they had a fight oh God maybe he was drunk I’ll call you later she said quickly they had just gotten to his his

Address and she thanked the driver and jumped out and pressed the intercom to is’s apartment she buzzed her mother in without asking who it was Kate didn’t wait for the elevator but ran up the stairs and was out of breath when she rang as his doorbell and a he let her in

She looked ravaged and collapsed in her mother’s arms with her big belly between them and Kate was relieved to feel the baby kick she led izy to the couch and I he told her a disjointed somewhat cleaned up version of what had happened she left out the coke at first and then

Finally admitted it to her mother but whatever he had done however foolish and irresponsible he had been now he was dead and Asi loved him they had been married for eight months to the day and now she was a widow and her son would have no father when he was born she

Cried in her mother’s arms for many hours and Willie showed up at the apartment and brought food for them he looked shaken to see the condition his sister was in and he sat quietly in the living room while Kate made Izzy lie down for a while and she cried herself

To sleep and then Kate came back to sit with her youngest son what do we do now Willie whispered she has to identify the body at the morg after 6:00 Kate said in a grim voice I can do that Willie said sbly he had never seen a dead body

Before but at least he could do it for his sister they talked for a while in Whispers And low voices and Justin called his mother to tell her he was on the way he had to bring the baby because Richard was going to work the next day

And they had no sitter but Kate was grateful that he was coming and she knew that Izzy would be too they couldn’t reach Julie because she was on a plane coming back from her honeymoon but Justin said he’d call her that night and he was sure she would come home they all

Wanted to be there for their sister Izzy slept for 2 hours and cried again when she woke up they had to make arrangements for the funeral and she wanted to call Zach’s father and let him know although she’d never met him or spoken to him before and his grandmother

Had had another stroke recently and had dementia now so she didn’t think she should call her Kate called the funeral home while they were waiting to go to the morg and they said they’d make the necessary arrangements and have somebody there to get the body and Kate had

Called Liam and he was stunned and sorry for Izzy and offered to do whatever he could for them but there was very little anyone one could do except be there for Izzy Izzy still couldn’t believe it had happened and was hoping it was some kind of mistake as she and her mother and

Willie got in a cap to go to the morg the body had been brought to the city from Long Island she had reached Zach’s father on his cell phone earlier he said he was in Sydney Australia on a boat and there was no way he could come to New York he was somber

And offered dizzy his condolences But he sounded as though Zach was someone El’s son I’m sorry to tell you that if your baby was already born Zach’s portion of the trust would have gone to him but in the case of an unborn child his share of the trust reverts to the other

Beneficiaries of the trust so there will be nothing for your baby he said clearly as though that was why she had called I don’t care is he said in a choked voice that’s not why I called I just wanted you to know in case you wanted to come

To his funeral but you were never there for him when he was alive so I guess it’s not surprising you’re not coming now that he’s dead Zach’s father was shocked by what she’ said more so than he had been about his son’s death I’m sorry I can’t come he attempted to sound

Sincere but didn’t Zach had been a headache to them all his life and he was only surprised his son had lived that long Zach was dead at 36 and his wife a widow at 33 the hour they spent at the morg was unim ably Grim two men from the funeral

Home were there to remove the body and take it to the Mory Kate had called Willie identified the body and said it was Zach while izy sobbed in her mother’s arms and nearly fainted as two sympathetic policemen watched one of them discreetly told Kate that they had removed the electronic anklet since it

Was no longer needed and they thought the family would want to allow the deceased to be buried with dignity and not as a convicted felon Kate thanked them and they left before Zach’s body was removed and went back to Kate’s apartment where she tucked her daughter

Into her own bed she brought her a cup of soup which is he refused and then she fell asleep before Justin arrived with the baby at 9:00 how is she he asked desperately worried about his sister he had thought her choice of husband was a bad one but

He had never imagined it would end like this about the way you’d expect Kate said and went to make them all a salad and some sand SES and Grandma Lou had called to see if there was anything they needed but Kate said they didn’t so Louise left them in peace Kate had

Called her earlier and told her the news she didn’t want her to hear it from someone else Justin was waiting to call Julie in California he knew their plane from Hawaii was landing at 8:00 and she’d be home at 9:00 which would be midnight in New York they didn’t know yet when the

Funeral would be but Kate assumed it would be in a few days and Julie would want to be there for iizzy the honeymoon in Hawaii had been ayic they’d spent 3 days on Maui at a fun Lively Hotel and four days on lenai at an incredibly romantic location Peter had planned an arranged

Everything they spent hours on the beach swimming snorkeling and had romantic dinners every night it was like a dream he was the perfect husband and they held hands all the way to LA on the plane it was going to be hard going back to real life once they landed in La Peter was

Starting his new job the next day and he was excited and a little nervous about it Julie didn’t bother turning on her cell phone on the way home from the airport and then remembered to do it when they walked into the apartment his company had given them a

Furnished executive apartment to stay in until their own things arrived Peter had already picked out a villa for them in West Hollywood but jie hadn’t seen it yet except AC online she could hardly wait to explore their new neighborhood and home her furniture from New York and

His from his apartment was due to arrive in 2 weeks unless there was snow on the way but the executive apartment was very nice she stuck her phone in the charger and it rang immediately when she plugged it in it was Justin he told her the news

And she looked shocked as Peter listened to her end of the conversation it was obvious something terrible had happened but he couldn’t tell to whom Julie was pale when she hung up and turned to Peter Zach was killed in a car accident last night she said thinking of her sister Justin had

Said she was asleep so Julie couldn’t talk to her how awful for your sister especially with the baby Julie nodded thinking how terrible that would be for her but Julie was grateful she hadn’t been in the car with him I have to go home tomorrow she said looking

Distracted trying to think of everything she had to do since they had just arrived this is your home now he said in a firm voice sounding almost like a parent I know she smiled at him and put her arms around him to kiss him but I

Have to go back to be with my sister no you don’t he looked completely unaffected by what she’d said of course I do we’re all very close I can’t let her go through this without being there for her she couldn’t imagine not going to azy she doesn’t need you she has your

Brothers and your mother and your grandmother that’s more than enough at first Julie thought he was kidding but he wasn’t Peter wasn’t close to his family and he didn’t understand a family like hers and the bond they shared they never let each other down their mother had inculcated that in them that

Families were forever forever and stuck together no matter what it’s not the same Peter I’m her sister she’s pregnant and her husband just died of course I have to be there for her you do not I’m your family now and your first responsibility is to me I’m starting a

New job tomorrow and I need you with me she was stunn to realize he meant it I don’t want to argue with you about it Julie said as gently as she could but there’s no way I’m staying here while my sister buries her husband you’ve had new

Jobs before she’s never buried a husband it was crystal clear to her she shouldn’t have married him anyway he was a dirt bag and I’m not surprised he was probably drunk or on drugs Julie suspected that too but didn’t say it that doesn’t change the fact that my sister is devastated now my

Brother said she she’s in terrible shape she’s better off without him I hope she loses the baby too Julie was horrified by what he said it was so unlike him to be so brutal and unkind this was not the man she knew she didn’t pursue the point with him she

Took her phone into the bathroom and booked a a 9:00 a.m. flight she’d have to leave the apartment at 700 and she was due to land in New York at 5:00 p.m. local time he lost the whole day traveling East with the time difference but it was the best she could

Do Peter didn’t speak to her again until they went to bed they had both unpacked their clothes from their honeymoon and jie had packed a small bag full of warm black clothes for New York and he turned to her as they got into bed you’re not

Going are you Julie his voice was cold and hard yes I am he had to know right from the beginning how important her family was to her this was not negotiable for her or for him apparently I’ll never forgive you for this if you do he said in an icy tone

And tears filled her eyes as he said it Peter please be reasonable I have to go to Zach’s funeral for iszy this could be a deal breaker for me he warned her in a menacing tone and she slept into bed feeling as though a stranger had come

Home from her honeymoon with her why are you so angry about it I won’t stay long I don’t care how long you stay when you walk out of here tomorrow I’ll know where your loyalties are and they’re not to me of course they are I can love my

Family and you she said gently in a loving tone no you can’t and you’d better understand that right now your loyalties have to be to me always at all times I come first now it sounded crazy to Julie as he said it but she didn’t argue with him she wondered if she had

Tapped into some childhood issue of his he Haden had a problem about her family before the wedding this was new he turned his back on her in bed that night and they had been making love day and night on their honeymoon and he treated her like a stranger when they woke up

The next morning she put her arms around his neck and tried to kiss him and he pushed her away and got out of bed he didn’t speak to her again until he saw her dressed and ready to leave you may find the locks changed when you get back

He warned her and she looked him straight in the eye I love you Peter and I love my family I’ll be home soon I hope the job goes well today I’ll call you when I get in I don’t want to hear from you until you’re back here where

You belong I’m not going to put up with this again you’d better be damn clear about that he had never said anything like it to her while they were dating or during their brief engagement he had been loving and adorable and kind to her and her family

And now he wanted to control her and be all powerful in her life this isn’t slavery she said in a soft voice before she left it’s marriage she wanted to add that he’d better be damn clear about that too but she didn’t want to add fuel

To the fire and he looked furious with her when she left she went outside and got into the cab she had called and thought about him all the way to the airport she had no idea why he was behaving so strangely but maybe it was just as well that something like this

Had happened early he needed to know that she had not traded her family for him there was room for both in her life and her going to New York had just proved that to him she felt better when she boarded the plane he must have just

Had some kind of Macho brat fit maybe due to the stress of starting the new job and she was sure he’d be fine when she got back all she wanted now was to see her family she had left them a week before and who could have expected this

When Julie landed in New York she went straight to her mother’s apartment she knew all of them were there Izzy had gone home to get some clothes but she was staying with her mother Justin was sleeping on the couch the baby in her travel bed and Willie at

His own place Julie was going to camp out on the other couch they all want to be together even if it was cramped it reminded them of their childhood Kate had gone to the store and brought back some things for herself and Julie to wear and she had sent Jessica

To a maternity store to buy a black dress for Izzy there was going to be a wake the next day and a funeral the day after and then it would be over and izy would have to live the rest of her life without him nobody had commented on what

A mistake the marriage had been nor would they although it had crossed their minds Izzy had told her mother the whole story about his arrests his drug use and finding him snorting lines in the living room on New Year’s Eve and his storming out of the apartment Kate had continue to remind

Her that it wasn’t her fault but I he felt terrible anyway Justin looked relieved the minute his twin walked in he put his arms around her and asked about the honeymoon and she told him it had been like a dream she didn’t tell him about Peter’s strange behavior when

She left it was so atypical for him that it really didn’t matter she had sent him a text when she arrived but he didn’t answer and Grandma Lou came over with dinner from a nearby restaurant that night she looked appropriate in Samba black and was pleased to see her other

Granddaughter the Wake the following night at the funeral home was morbid the casket was there and I he almost collapsed no no one came except the family and Liam without Moren he stood close to Kate and he talked to all of her children and admired the baby Justin had brought with

Him to the funeral home and then he left so as not to intrude on Izzy who was distraught he gave Kate a warm hug before he left and told her to call him if they needed anything they went out for a Chinese dinner afterward and everyone’s mood lifted a little Willie

Succeeded in teasing azy and making her smile and just surprised them all while Kate held the baby she’s going to have a brother or sister Justin said in a calm normal voice as the others stared at him who is Julie asked he couldn’t have meant they were having another baby so

Soon it didn’t make sense she thought she had misunderstood MRA we had to make a quick decision with Alana’s cycle she’s moving to London for a while so we wanted to see seized the opportunity while we had it since she was willing to be an egg donor again

It’s not going to be easy but we both like the idea of having two kids close together even though it will take some juggling to do it so they harvested her eggs the day before I came down here sherley agreed to do it again too so if

It all goes well they’ll be putting the fertilized embryos into her in a few days he said looking proud and happy so we’re on our way again the baby will be due in September they’ll be 13 months apart I’d rather do it that way it’s simpler to have

Everyone in Diapers at the same time this time Kate made no comment nor did is he since the surrogacy had worked well for them before but they were startled anyway two babies were going to put a huge strain on him and Richard financially which Kate thought was

Unwise but it was a decision they had a right to make they were both intelligent men and she and Tom had had their babies very quickly too and Grandma Lou had been just as worried about her are you going to have a lot more Willie asked his brother

Casually no this is it we don’t want her to be an only child two is just right for us three would be too much everyone nodded as though it sounded totally reasonable which his mother knew it wasn’t and less than novel he’d been working on was a major hit they’d be

Very strapped for money and already were and he hadn’t had time to work on the book since August when the baby was born and Richard is fine with it Kate asked it’s a sacrifice for him too Justin nodded and as he asked Julie when she was going back to change the

Subject when you don’t need me she smiled at her older sister and as he squeezed her hand and leaned over and kissed her gratefully thank you for coming it means a lot the look in her eyes made Peter’s anger irrelevant and Julie was sure his threats were Hollow he would get over it

When she got back and since she didn’t have a job she could make her own decision about when to go back she loved Peter passionately but her family still came first they had made the arrangements as quickly as possible to get the nightmare behind izy as soon as they could the

Funeral was as horrible as everyone expected Izzy was Brave and stood strong with her mother on one side and Justin on the other a few people from is is Law Firm had seen the obituary and came out of respect for her Zach’s father didn’t he had said he would notify Zach’s

Mother but izy never heard from her Francis came with Grandma Lou and Liam and Morin came their daughters had gone back to Europe and Richard came down from Vermont for the day it was a small mly crew and they drove to the cemetery in two limousines with the baby and the

Burial was brief and sad Izzy was sobbing uncontrollably as her brothers led her away and Julie followed with Against All Odds Danielle Steel chapter 1 on a hot sunny day in June Kate Madison drove her 10-year-old Mercedes station wagon through Greenwich Connecticut until she reached Midpoint Drive and followed the directions she

Been given until she arrived at tall iron gates she pressed a buzzer and said her name when a male voice answered a moment later the gates swung open and she drove slowly onto the property the grounds and Gardens were impressive and there were beautiful old trees lining

The driveway she had been in the area many times before though never to this particular estate the woman who had owned it was a well-known Society figure who had only stopped going out shortly before she died at night 9 to two before that she had been one of the Grande Dames of New

York Society a generous woman who was best known for her philanthropy she had no children and had been on the best dressed lists for years mostly for her vast collection of French Oak kachu which looked fabulous on her even at her great age the woman’s clothes were being disposed of by two

Nieces who were finding the project far more tiresome than they had expected both were in their 60s and lived in other cities and their husbands were Executives of the estate they had already made arrangements with sbe’s to sell the jewelry had consigned the furniture to Christies to auction and were keeping

Some of the more important art the rest was either being donated to museums or sold privately through a dealer in New York and all that remained to deal with now was their aunt’s wardrobe which filled three enormous rooms that had previously been bedrooms in her spectacular house the deceased had been

A small very thin elegant woman and her nieces couldn’t imagine who her clothes were going to fit the coats maybe many of which were voluminous and she had some magnificent Furs but the dresses were minute they had contacted Kate store still fabulous after reading about it on

The internet when a friend in New York recommended it to them Kate had disposed of the friend’s mother’s wardrobe too and she’d been very pleased with the results Kate herself and still fabulous had a golden reput in New York as the best most elegant resale shop in the

City located in SoHo she sold clothing that she bought outright occasionally at auctions or she sold things on consignment so she had no initial investment she only sold clothing which was in impeccable condition or brand new she had some wonderful vintage pieces but most of what she sold was current and still

Fashionable her customers loved her store opening it had been a dream Kate had heard for many years before she finally could she was Adept at combing resale stores herself out of necessity and she loved the hunt for beautiful things when Kate’s husband died when she was 29 leaving her with four young

Children she had worked at Bergdorf Goodman for 5 Years first as a sales girl then as a buyer of designer clothes she was well-versed in new designer clothing too but the thrill for her was in finding unique pieces some vintage some and in the 18 years she had owned still

Fabulous she had gone to Paris many times to buy exceptional items at auction that others often overlooked she bought only the most pristine items in perfect condition and they had to be still wearable and look Chic she liked older more historical vintage pieces as well but she bought

Them judiciously or took them on consignment in case they didn’t sell if they looked ridiculous were out of style or in poor condition she didn’t want them in her store she remembered many of the really beautiful and exceptional pieces she had sold where they came from and kept meticulous records of who she

Had sold them to her prices for important designer clothes were high but fair Kate got out of the car in Greenwich pounded the heavy brass knocker smartly and a moment later a butler in a starched white jacket opened the door Kate felt a blast of cool air

From inside and was relieved to realize the house was air conditioned it would have been too hot to go through the closets otherwise examining heavy winter clothes and Furs along with the rest it was obvious that she was expected and she was respectfully led into a wood paneled Library by the

Butler she could see at a glance that the walls were lined with rare leatherbound books many of which were probably first editions and worth a fortune the family was selling them at christe’s too they were keeping very little of their aunts estate Kate was enjoying looking around

Discreetly and was standing at the open French windows with a view of the exquisitely manicured Gardens it was not the first time she had been in a home like this to evaluate and buy items from an estate a secretary appeared a few minutes later apologized

For being late and led her to the locked rooms that were the woman’s closets they were any woman’s dream and a sight to behold as the young woman turned the lights on there was row after row of impeccably hung garments many of them in individual cloth bags and several racks

Of fabulous Furs and there were specially built cupboards for hats handbags shoes and drawers for her custom-made underwear satin night gowns scarves and gloves there was one entire closet of evening gowns many of which Kate knew she couldn’t use nowadays most of her clients even the most social ones LED

More informal lives she might be able to take a dozen or so of the beautiful gowns but there were at least 200 there in Black pastel and brilliant colors and always with evening bags and shoes to match one of the closets contained mostly French oat Couture from important

Designers many of whom no longer existed The Collection was worth a fortune