“When Greg could see Cord wasn’t about to give up until he found you, he told him he knew where you living, but that you had sworn him to secrecy. He told Cord you were so bitter, you never wanted to see him again.”
Ashley was trying hard not to take any of it in, but with every word uttered, she could feel a distinct chill taking over her body.
“Cord said he didn’t buy that, and wanted to meet with you face to face, to see for himself that you were all right.” She gave an elegant shrug of her silk-clad shoulders. “At that point Greg felt compelled to do something, so he suggested the clinic, and said he would try to get you to cooperate.”
Don’t listen to her, Ashley.
“Obviously it worked,” Sheila continued. “What surprises me is that you fell for that bit about his nonexistent smoking problem. But now that I think about it, you probably didn’t. In fact I have every suspicion to believe you were glad to be rescued this close to having your baby. Of course your pride wouldn’t allow you to go crawling back to Cord, not after that exit you made.”
Ashley started to feel sick to her stomach.
“The clinic provided you with the excuse to cling to him and has helped you save face. As for Cord, he’s now satisfied that you're not lying destitute in some dark alley on the wrong side of the tracks where most likely you were born. When you think about it, all in all it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly since Cord fathered your child.”
No matter that you’re dying another death, don’t run from this, Ashley. Don’t give her the satisfaction.
“Yes. He did. What do you mean, it couldn’t have worked out more perfectly?”
To Ashley’s shock Sheila’s eyes suddenly filled with tears, a sight Ashley never expected to see. “Since I know you never lie, then that truly is miraculous news.”
“Don’t pretend you’re happy for us!” Ashley lashed out.
Sheila shook her head. “I’m not pretending. You don’t understand. You see I, too, am expecting a baby.” Ashley heard Sheila’s words but was in no state to comprehend them.
“There’s a man I’ve been seeing on an occasional basis,” Sheila went on talking, “but we’ve been taking precautions because neither of us has a desire to marry, let alone have a baby. Naturally my pregnancy came as a great shock.
“Of course if I don’t want to stay pregnant, then I need to do something about it right away. It’s the real reason I stopped by the hospital the other night to talk to Cord. I wanted to discuss when would be the best time to take off from business to go into the hospital to end it.
“But, Ashley—when you two told me you were pregnant with Cord’s baby, I realized that meant I could be carrying Cord’s baby, too. You see, all the times we’ve made love, we’ve never taken precautions because we thought he was impotent.
“In fact because the other man and I always used protection, it leads me to believe this baby probably is Cord’s, a second miracle child.
“If that’s the case, I intend to go full term. You don’t know how hard Cord’s father and I tried to have children. He wanted another son to carry on the business because he knew Cord hated it.
“I wanted to give him that son, but he was killed too soon for that to happen. Whoever dreamed I might be able to fulfill that hope through Cord.
“Imagine, Ashley—both of us pregnant with his children.”
Ashley knew her body was standing there, but she felt like she had somehow escaped it and no longer had the power to make it function.
“Now that you know, would you do a favor for me?” She reached in her handbag and pulled out what looked like a business card. “Here—” She pushed a card in her hand. “Will you see that he gets this? It’s a reminder of the next appointment with my obstetrician. If Cord needs verification that I’m two months along, he’s free to call him at that number any time.”
On the verge of being violently ill right there on the stairs Ashley muttered, “Your story is unbelievable, Sheila. But even if you are pregnant with some man’s child, if you think for one second Cord won’t insist on DNA testing to ascertain paternity, then you don’t know him.”
“Oh— I plan to have that done the second the baby is born. If Cord’s not the father of my child, then I’m going to put it up for adoption. That’s the reason why I made an appointment to see Sister Bernice. I have it on your authority that she takes the best care of orphans.”
Sheila was the woman Sister Bernice had been talking to?
“By the way, how soon can I expect you and Cord home? We have a lot of plans to make. It looks like we’re going to have to get busy preparing two nurseries.”
“You’re lying, Sheila. Now get out!”
The other woman hunched her shoulders and started for the front door.
“I realize you don’t believe me. But there is one way to learn the truth. Call Greg since you trust him so implicitly. He’ll verify everything I’ve said.”
CHAPTER NINE
Be home, Greg.