this affects Cameron. I know that means it’ll affect you too.”
“Don’t be sorry. You gave your little girl life. You fought for her when no one else would.”
“There wasn’t any other option. I knew Tony would have agreed. I had to defend her.” Anna lowered her voice. “I just wish I hadn’t been so naïve going into the whole thing. I never dreamed anything could make Dr. Peterson want to abort his own child.”
“Or whoever’s child she is.”
“Right.” Anna’s eyes widened. “I guess he wouldn’t be the father either. And here he’s demanding that I get an abortion.”
“It’s messed up, isn’t it?”
Anna glanced over her shoulder at Avery, who was closing her drawer, bright pink swimsuit in hand. “Avery, why don’t you and Logan pick out some movies to take with us?”
When Avery left, Anna turned to Jordan. “He’s hiding something, that’s for sure. Which has got to be why someone is canvassing this street, pretending to look for a little girl.”
“Joelle has no idea what that secret would be?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What did her husband say when she asked him whose egg he used?”
“I don’t think she’s confronted him yet.”
Oh no. Joelle was in trouble. Or about to be. “Anna—”
Her eyes widened. “I need to warn her.”
Jordan waited while Anna called, prayed the woman would answer, that she hadn’t said anything to her husband yet.
But Joelle didn’t answer.
Anna called again. Left a message telling her not to say anything to anyone—if she hadn’t already. And asking her, begging her, to call right back.
The silent cell phone shook in Anna’s hand.
“She really was my friend, Jordan. She celebrated with me the whole time I was pregnant with Avery, even though she still couldn’t have a baby. We talked about God, about family, about how hard life could be—” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her.”
“You can’t worry about that, Anna. Not right now. We need to take care of you and the kids.”
“And Sophie.”
Yes, Sophie. “Did you contact the hospital?”
Anna nodded. “I let them know that something was going on and to be extra careful about anyone who might try to get to her. The nurses there know me. They’ll take this seriously.”
Good. One less thing, maybe, to worry about. “What else can I do?”
“Pray. Pray that…” Anna stared at Avery’s bed, searching the covers as if for some thought or the right words. “Pray that this stops. For your sake. For Cameron’s. For all of ours. Cameron’s right. I can’t live like this forever.”
Chapter Eight
Anna and the kids were settling into the hotel room when Dillan called Jordan. “We’re here,” he said. “What do you want us to do?”
“Are you in the lobby?”
“Still in the car. Should we wait here?”
“That might be best. Give me a couple minutes. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay.”
“Wait, Dillan?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you watch who comes in and out? Maybe someone who drives in and just stays in their car? Watching?”
He chuckled. “Like us?”
Jordan smiled as she hung up.
Anna looked up from tucking a suitcase into the closet. “Was that Cameron?”
“No, my brother. He’s here, keeping an eye on things in the parking lot. I wonder if Cam’s seen… anyone.”
Anna glanced at the far bed where the kids were huddled around a tablet. “I’m not sure if I want him to or not.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Her phone rang, and Cam’s picture popped up. “Here’s your brother.” She answered. “So where are you?”
“I’m home, actually. Watching everything from my front door. Ever seen Rear Window ? I’m feeling a bit Jimmy Stewart-ish right now.”
“Does that make me Grace Kelly?”
“That sounds about right. When are you going to come over and feed me and let me admire how beautiful you are?”
Anna peeked at Jordan, a smile across her
“Don’t be sorry. You gave your little girl life. You fought for her when no one else would.”
“There wasn’t any other option. I knew Tony would have agreed. I had to defend her.” Anna lowered her voice. “I just wish I hadn’t been so naïve going into the whole thing. I never dreamed anything could make Dr. Peterson want to abort his own child.”
“Or whoever’s child she is.”
“Right.” Anna’s eyes widened. “I guess he wouldn’t be the father either. And here he’s demanding that I get an abortion.”
“It’s messed up, isn’t it?”
Anna glanced over her shoulder at Avery, who was closing her drawer, bright pink swimsuit in hand. “Avery, why don’t you and Logan pick out some movies to take with us?”
When Avery left, Anna turned to Jordan. “He’s hiding something, that’s for sure. Which has got to be why someone is canvassing this street, pretending to look for a little girl.”
“Joelle has no idea what that secret would be?”
“I don’t think so.”
“What did her husband say when she asked him whose egg he used?”
“I don’t think she’s confronted him yet.”
Oh no. Joelle was in trouble. Or about to be. “Anna—”
Her eyes widened. “I need to warn her.”
Jordan waited while Anna called, prayed the woman would answer, that she hadn’t said anything to her husband yet.
But Joelle didn’t answer.
Anna called again. Left a message telling her not to say anything to anyone—if she hadn’t already. And asking her, begging her, to call right back.
The silent cell phone shook in Anna’s hand.
“She really was my friend, Jordan. She celebrated with me the whole time I was pregnant with Avery, even though she still couldn’t have a baby. We talked about God, about family, about how hard life could be—” She covered her mouth with her hand. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to her.”
“You can’t worry about that, Anna. Not right now. We need to take care of you and the kids.”
“And Sophie.”
Yes, Sophie. “Did you contact the hospital?”
Anna nodded. “I let them know that something was going on and to be extra careful about anyone who might try to get to her. The nurses there know me. They’ll take this seriously.”
Good. One less thing, maybe, to worry about. “What else can I do?”
“Pray. Pray that…” Anna stared at Avery’s bed, searching the covers as if for some thought or the right words. “Pray that this stops. For your sake. For Cameron’s. For all of ours. Cameron’s right. I can’t live like this forever.”
Chapter Eight
Anna and the kids were settling into the hotel room when Dillan called Jordan. “We’re here,” he said. “What do you want us to do?”
“Are you in the lobby?”
“Still in the car. Should we wait here?”
“That might be best. Give me a couple minutes. I’ll call you back.”
“Okay.”
“Wait, Dillan?”
“Yeah?”
“Will you watch who comes in and out? Maybe someone who drives in and just stays in their car? Watching?”
He chuckled. “Like us?”
Jordan smiled as she hung up.
Anna looked up from tucking a suitcase into the closet. “Was that Cameron?”
“No, my brother. He’s here, keeping an eye on things in the parking lot. I wonder if Cam’s seen… anyone.”
Anna glanced at the far bed where the kids were huddled around a tablet. “I’m not sure if I want him to or not.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Her phone rang, and Cam’s picture popped up. “Here’s your brother.” She answered. “So where are you?”
“I’m home, actually. Watching everything from my front door. Ever seen Rear Window ? I’m feeling a bit Jimmy Stewart-ish right now.”
“Does that make me Grace Kelly?”
“That sounds about right. When are you going to come over and feed me and let me admire how beautiful you are?”
Anna peeked at Jordan, a smile across her
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