Chapter Four

Ratfink doctor! Of course, Dr. Hagan knew on which side his bread was buttered, since Rashid was the one paying his outrageous fees. She should have known the doctor would call him. She glanced behind him. “Where is Crystal?” Maybe she’d be more reasonable.

“Waiting for me to bring you to the house.”

At that, her attention snapped to his face. “I’m not going to the beach. I’m headed home to my apartment when I leave here.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at her. “You either come with me so we can take care of you, or you’ll stay here in the hospital, doctor’s orders. Now which will it be?”

Gail stared at Rashid in horror. She didn’t want to stay with them. This whole situation was awkward enough. “Why can’t I go home?” She was startled to hear a whine in her voice.

He planted his hands on the rail and leaned forward. “You can’t go home alone because according to what you told Dr. Hagan, you haven’t been eating.”

“It’s not my fault I can’t keep anything down. Blame this child of yours.” Gail placed her hand over her stomach.

Rashid’s eyes followed the motion of her hand, staring at her stomach for a few moments before returning his gaze to her face. She was shocked to see the blatant possessiveness in his expression before he blanked it out. “I am blaming my child for this. That is why you are coming with me. I have a list of foods and beverages you should be able to tolerate, as well as your prescription for the anti-nausea medicine Dr. Hagan recommended. By the time we get to the house, Crystal will have everything prepared. We will care for you and see that you don’t overdo it. For the next two weeks, you are restricted to bedrest.”

“Two weeks?” she echoed. “What about my job?”

“What about it? You’re no good to them the way you are, and you definitely don’t need the money. Don’t you think your welfare and the health of this child are more important than your job?” he said sternly.

Gail knew he was right but things were changing too fast. She was trying to hold on to what was familiar with both hands; afraid if she didn’t she’d be swept away. When she’d agreed to be Crystal’s surrogate, she’d forgotten the complete disruption pregnancy caused in a woman’s life. She was only two months along and already she was sick of all the hormonal changes this baby was taking her body through. Maybe she shouldn’t have been so quick to reject the psychological counseling offered by Rashid’s legal staff before she’d signed the agreement.

“You’re right,” she finally told him. “I’m just trying to keep my life as normal as possible. Things just aren’t happening the way I imagined. Your house is fine, for now. We’ll need to stop by my place so I can pack enough clothes to tide me over. I have enough leave time to cover the next two weeks.” Actually, she had enough paid leave time to take off the next six months.

Rashid gazed at Gail, silently acknowledging normal had gone out the door the minute he’d received the call from the doctor an hour ago. He hadn’t known how much he wanted this child until he’d feared losing it. This emergency phone call had reminded him too much of the ones he’d received concerning Crystal. He sat silently listening while Dr. Hagan came in with final instructions, then left when the doctor did so Gail could dress.

He wanted this baby. It shamed him to admit just how much he wanted it. He’d thought he could be satisfied with just the love of his wife, but now that his embryo was growing under the heart of another woman, he realized just how much he had deceived himself. Crystal had been right. Not about being less of a woman because she couldn’t give birth, but correct when she said he wanted a son. One to continue his family name. He would be happy with a daughter, if that’s what God chose to bless him with, but in his deepest heart, he wanted a son. A house full of them.

He looked at the woman who had made all of this possible as she stepped from behind the curtain, and felt gratitude well up within his heart. She was going beyond the norms of friendship in doing this for them. For her to be willing to bear a child for someone else, especially knowing how devastating the loss of her own son had been for her, was beyond extraordinary.

He’d never really given much thought to his wife’s friend. At first, Gail had come with the territory—a kind of ‘love me, love my friend’ package he’d accepted when he married Crystal. Then he’d met Jason and by virtue of familiarity, the men became good friends. At that point, Gail had simply been Jason’s wife. As men do from time to time, they’d spoken of their wives and families and he’d known Gail was a good wife. Jason never had anything but good to say about her as a wife and as a mother. Other than Crystal, Rashid really couldn’t have picked a better or more honorable woman to be the mother of his child if he tried.

This had to be difficult for Gail. Her routine, her very life was being disrupted by this pregnancy. She was basically giving up a year of her life to make their dream come true. Money couldn’t compensate for this kind of love. He was going to do everything within his power to see she was well taken care of.

It was the least he could do.