The Baby Bonanza. Jacqueline Diamond

have.”

      “You may have to get in her face, so she can’t brush you off.”

      Edmond tilted his head. “May I share something with you that I’ve discovered about relationships?”

      “Sure.” Lucky admired how much Edmond had grown and changed while reconciling with Melissa. “Lay it on me.”

      “It’s important to respect her choices,” Edmond said.

      “Even if you disagree with them?”

      “Especially if you disagree with them.” Thoughtfully, the lawyer added, “And especially when she’s the person who has to deal with the consequences.”

      “But Zora keeps repeating the same boneheaded mistakes,” Lucky protested.

      “I suspect she understands her ex-husband better than either of us,” Edmond said. “Legally, she’ll have to inform him about the babies once they’re born, but until then, she might have reason to be cautious.”

      Lucky only knew Andrew by reputation. “I suppose it’s hard to predict how a guy will react to that kind of news.”

      “Exactly.”

      The circumstances might not be perfect, but this was a situation of Andrew’s own making. Any decent guy would accept responsibility. However, the man had proven repeatedly that he didn’t care about honor or decency. “Thanks for the words of wisdom.”

      “You’re welcome.”

      “Oh, one more thing,” Lucky said as they both rose. “Does Zora have a sister named Zady?”

      “I believe that’s her twin,” Edmond said.

      “Thanks.” A twin. Damn! By applying for the job, Zady had put Lucky in a delicate position. He felt as if he ought to alert Zora, but her sister’s application was confidential.

      He set off for the cafeteria, anxious to arrive before Zora finished eating so he could get her opinion about his discussion with Edmond. As for her mysterious twin, he’d better leave that hot potato alone.

      * * *

      BEING AROUND PERFECT people filled Zora with a sense of inadequacy. It was balanced by a fervent desire to figure out how they did it.

      Take her obstetrician. Six feet tall with dramatic red hair and green eyes, Paige Brennan was a doctor, mother to an eighteen-month-old daughter and wife of the head of a detective agency. Everyone admired and adored her, including her nurse, Keely, who could barely stand most people.

      Busy as she was, Dr. Brennan had fit in Zora’s exam during her lunch break. The woman was a step from sainthood.

      As she sat on the examining table, Zora doubted she could ever develop such an air of confidence. As for inspiring others, she’d settle for earning their good-natured tolerance.

      “Surely you have some questions,” the doctor said after listening to the babies’ heartbeats and reviewing Zora’s weight gain and test results. They were fine considering her stage of pregnancy. “You never mention any problems.”

      “Am I supposed to?” Zora had been raised to consider complaining a sign of weakness.

      “Frankly, yes.” The tall woman draped her frame over a stool. “At thirty-two weeks with a multiple pregnancy, you must be having trouble sleeping, and your ankles are swollen. As I’ve suggested before, you should be on bed rest.”

      “I can’t afford it,” Zora said. “I don’t have a husband to wait on me.”

      “What about the rest of your family?” the doctor asked.

      “My mom and stepfather live in Oregon.” She’d rather not have either of them around. And there was no sense bringing up her twin, perfect Zady with her ideal husband and kids, whom their mother never failed to mention when she talked with Zora.

      The doctor’s forehead creased. “Is your mom flying down for the birth?”

      “Not if I have anything to say about it.” Her mother would expect to be catered to, regardless of the circumstances. She’d be no help with a baby. At home, Mom waited on Zora’s surly, demanding stepfather, but her attitude toward her daughters—toward Zora, at least—was just the opposite.

      Dr. Brennan regarded her with concern. “Have you chosen a labor partner?” At every visit, she’d recommended Zora sign up for a birthing class.

      “I won’t need one for a C-section.” Although twins didn’t always have to be delivered surgically, Zora preferred to play it safe.

      “If that’s what you want, okay.” The physician nodded. “But remember that what we call bed rest doesn’t necessarily require staying in bed. You can relax at home and perform routine tasks as you feel capable.”

      “I feel capable of working.” To forestall further objections, Zora added, “And providing ultrasounds doesn’t harm the babies. It’s not like X-rays or mammograms.”

      “But it does require standing on your feet all day. And for safety’s sake, you should stop driving.” Paige raised her eyebrows commandingly.

      Zora was having trouble reaching the pedals in her car. “I could ride to work with my housemates.” Rod, whose car frequently broke down, cadged rides from others, so why shouldn’t she?

      Keely chose that moment to step in from the hall. “I can drive her.”

      “Excuse me?” Paige blinked at the unexpected comment.

      “If I rent a room in their house, Zora can ride with me.” The nurse mustered a faint smile.

      “I thought you had a roommate,” Zora said.

      “So did I. Can we talk at lunch?”

      “Sure.”

      The obstetrician cleared her throat. “Keely, would you provide Zora with an after-visit summary and schedule an appointment for her in two weeks?”

      “Yes, Doctor.”

      The doctor typed a note into the computer. “Zora, call me if you have any problems, such as spotting or contractions, even if they don’t hurt. Okay?”

      “Will do.” Zora accepted the nurse’s assistance in rising from the table.

      Once she was dressed, she tucked the printed summary into her purse and walked to the elevator with Keely. With her neck thrust forward, the woman’s aggressive stance reinforced the impression of her as a difficult personality. Zora hoped she hadn’t erred by suggesting Keely move in with them.

      “What’s the situation with your roommate?” she asked as they descended. The office was only one flight up, but in Zora’s condition, that might as well be ten stories.

      “She’s in Iowa taking care of her mother,” Keely said. “She only planned to stay a week but that’s changed. Last night she emailed and asked me to ship all her stuff to her.”

      “That was short notice. Your rent must be due next week.” It was the first of the month.

      “That’s right. I’m glad you mentioned the vacancy.”

      “Everything’s subject to Karen’s approval,” Zora warned.

      “I’ll stop by her office later.”

      It sounded like a done deal. At least Keely would be an improvement on Laird.

      In the cafeteria, the blend of voices and aromas filled Zora with eagerness to share this new development with Lucky. Where was he? Her gaze swept past the food serving bays and across the crowded room.

      She spotted him sharing a table with a thin and most unwelcome companion: Laird. The psychologist was talking a mile a minute, oblivious to Lucky’s irritated expression.

      Zora would