The Baby Contract

After Noel left, I remained at the window considering his advice. It wasn’t like I hadn’t heard it before.

Hell, Anne had often given similar advice. But now with Harper refusing to see me and Anne’s insistence that when our deal was done, she’d be gone, I knew I had to do something different than what my instinct told me which was to hold her closer.

I had work that needed to be done, but Anne was the only thing I could think about.

I left my office. “I’m out for the rest of the day. Only send emergency calls to me, otherwise have someone else deal with it or I’ll do it tomorrow.”

My secretary’s brow rose but she nodded. “Is everything okay?”

She probably thought I was off my rocker. I rarely delegated my own work or left early.

“It will be.”

At least I hoped so. My track record for fixing relationships wasn’t good.

My first stop was a high-end boutique that sold maternity clothes. As I looked through the clothing, I could picture Anne, round and full with our child.

“Can I help you?” a store saleswoman asked me.

“I want one of everything in here delivered to my house, today. Can you do that?”

Her eyes widened. “Ah…”

“I can arrange delivery if you can’t.”

“One of everything?” She scanned the store. It held a mix of casual clothes all the way up to fancy gowns. All for pregnant women.

“Yes.”

“Okay. What size?”

Anne was similar in size and stature as Harper, so I gave her Harper’s size. If the clothes didn’t fit, I’d just buy her new ones.

Once I had that settled, I went to the closest florist to my home. “I want enough flowers to make a room fragrant with the scent.”

“It doesn’t usually take too many, depending on the room size and the flower.”

I shook my head. “I want to fill the room. I want lots of bright colors.” That was what Anne was for me. She was like a bright fragrant flower bringing light and color back into my life. “I’ll buy the whole lot if that’s what it takes.”

The florist’s brows rose to her hairline.

“We’ll take care of it, sir.” Another woman appeared from the back.

“Can you deliver them today? I need them in the room by this afternoon.”

“We’ll take care of it.”

The first florist gaped, but the other one smiled as she took my credit card.

I headed home. I knew Anne was out having lunch with Lane. I’d wondered why Harper wasn’t going to be with them, but I felt certain Anne wouldn’t tell me.

She felt guilty about her lies, and I supposed keeping Harper’s secrets was one way she could alleviate it.

Of course, I still had tabs on Harper and knew she was looking for a new home. Perhaps it was time I called off my PI and security on her. If I was going to have a chance at having her in my life, in my child’s life, I needed to bend a little.

I remembered Anne’s concerns about Harper knowing about us. It filled me with doubt about my plans. What if I did all this and she still didn’t want me? What if her friendship with Harper was more important than me? My hand hovered over my phone, ready to call and cancel my orders.

“Mr. Erickson.”