Page 32 of The Billionaire's Baby
Adira was excited because Lynette was coming in from London. She’d be taking a cab from the airport in a few hours and, like Favian’s family, she would be staying until the baby was born and probably after New Year’s.
Lynette now had three contracts with Favian to build gaming software that would make them both a very lucrative profit. It meant Lynette would be spending more time in New York and Adira was happy her friend would be close by more often. Adira was in the nursery folding and putting away clothes, blankets and other items that kept being delivered. Favian went a bit crazy with online baby shopping and between the boxes from him, Lynette, Remy and assorted family members it seemed she was in the nursery every day reevaluating space and putting things away. At the family dinner later that night, she was going to put a ban on anymore shopping for the baby.
She looked up from her task as Suzie came to the nursery door. “Adira, we’re going to the market for dinner groceries and will stop by our house before coming back here. Do you need anything?”
Adira smiled and shook her head. “I’m great, Suzie. You go on and do what you need to. I’ll find some lunch later. It’s icy out there so be careful.”
Suzie waggled her finger at Adira. “No walks outside in this icy weather. We don’t need you sick or slipping. In fact, I should have Mason—”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” Adira said. “Suzie, go on. Lyn will be here soon and I promise I won’t be going outside. Favian will be home in a few hours.”
Suzie nodded and narrowed her gaze. “Remember, you promised me. I won’t make any homemade ice cream if you lie to me.”
“Yes, Madre,” Adira said as solemnly as she could, trying not to laugh. She loved Suzie to no end and actually loved her mothering nature, even the threats of no dessert. She blew the matronly woman a kiss. “Get going, lovey. I’ll be here when you get back.”
“Adios.” Suzie waved and left.
“Adios,” Adira called back and returned to her task.
After folding a few more baby clothes and going through the cutest baby socks she’d ever seen, she was finally done and took her time getting up off the white recliner that graced the room. She was looking forward to sitting there and nursing the baby while looking out through the big bay window. Just as she got up, the beep-beep-beep of the security system went off. She frowned. Suzie usually turned it on via remote when she left the house for any reason.
Maybe she forgot something, Adira thought and stepped outside the nursery. “Suzie, did you leave your purse in the breakfast nook again? That was where I saw it this morning.”
But it wasn’t Suzie she saw coming up the stairs. It was Hillary. Shock registered and then just a little fear entered Adira’s heart. Hillary looked perfectly put together as usual and her eyes kept moving from Adira’s face to her belly.
“Hillary, how did you get in? The locks have been changed.” Adira took a step back.
Hillary held up her hands as she took the last step onto the second floor landing. “No, don’t run. Don’t call Favian, please. I just want to talk.”
“That doesn’t explain how you got in. What do we have to talk about?” Adira kept her voice low and watched Hillary cautiously. Every step forward the woman took Adira took one in the opposite direction. The little circular dance brought Hillary by the door of the nursery and Adira close to the stairs.
“I got my friend to pay off the locksmith and get me an extra set of keys. I-I didn’t get invited to the wedding and you’re pregnant. Let’s start there,” Hillary said. She looked into the nursery. “It looks nice.”
“Thanks, I guess. But, Hillary, you really haven’t been the nicest person,” Adira pointed out. “I’m sure you’re great, but you’ve went about things the wrong way.”
“Well, you can fix that, can’t you? Talk to Favian for me,” she said. “He loves you. He’ll listen to you.”
“I can try, but Favian makes up his own mind and I won’t use my love for him or what he feels for me to manipulate him,” Adira answered. “He’s been through enough with women doing that to him. In the end, it has to be his choice.”
Hillary’s lips curled up in a sneer. “Listen to you. It’s like you’re this chaste school girl with morals and codes. Honestly, who talks like that? What do you have that pulled him to you and away from me? Does he really believe those lines?”
The conversation had turned as she expected it would and that was enough for Adira. “Okay, it’s time for you to go. You broke in and I don’t have to stand here and listen to you beg me to intercede for you and then insult me in the next breath. Please leave.”
