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  After several days of being bombarded with his phone calls and messages, she had told him that she didn’t think Trent would approve of her speaking with him and asked him not to contact her again. She had been pleasantly surprised when he complied.

  Things were going very smoothly until she woke up one morning and rushed for the bathroom. After losing everything in her stomach, she had felt better and headed off to work. Unfortunately, the nausea had remained with her most of the day and she had finally told Janet that she needed to go home.

  Brianna continued to be sick, usually in the early mornings and then again in the evenings, and after the third day, she was beginning to get concerned that she had some terrible disease.

  Trent had only called once during his extended trip, although he had been able to send daily emails to her. With her illness keeping her from the office, she had been unable to retrieve the most recent ones and went to bed hoping to feel well enough to return to work the next morning.

  *****

  Trent was growing increasingly frustrated with Brianna’s lack of communication. He had heard from Janet that Pam had returned and had wholeheartedly agreed that she be given a position working with Janet in HR.

  She had been corresponding with him regularly until five day ago, when all communication had stopped. He finally called Janet to find out what was going on and was shaken to hear that Brianna had been out ill for the entire week.

  Janet had promised to check up on her after work this evening and then call him with an update. When Janet knocked on Brianna’s door, she wasn’t prepared for the sight that greeted her when the door was opened.

  Brianna heard the knock on the door and cringed at having to move. The nausea had been the worst today, and she found that if she laid very still on the couch, she could make it almost an hour without rushing for the bathroom.

  Having to move and open the door had her stomach churning again, and she barely released the latch when the urge to vomit overwhelmed her and she rushed for the bathroom again.

  Janet heard the door unlatch and saw it start to open, only to hear the occupant on the other side of the door quickly run away. Pushing open the door, she followed the sounds of someone being sick and arrived at the bathroom just as Brianna was rinsing her mouth out over the toilet.

  “Brianna, girl, you need to see a doctor.”

  Brianna turned and looked at her visitor and was never so happy to see anyone in her life. “Janet, I don’t know what I’ve got, but you shouldn’t come to close. I can’t keep from throwing up and it’s getting worse.”

  Janet ignored Brianna’s plea for her to stay away, and helped her stand up and brush her teeth. After helping her back into the living room, Janet called a personal friend who also happened to be a physician and made arrangements to bring Brianna over for a last minute appointment.

  Chapter 16

  “What?!” Brianna asked the doctor. She couldn’t have heard the doctor correctly. They had been so careful, all except that first time and that was over three months ago. She had spotted a little each month since then. There was no way she could be pregnant.

  “I ran the test myself, Miss Daughtry. You are pregnant, and based upon the fact that I can hear the heartbeat, I would say you are probably around three months along.”

  Brianna’s heart was beating so fast. A baby? She was going to have a baby?

  “I’m writing you a prescription for some vitamins and an anti-nausea medication to help with the morning sickness. I advise you to contact your family doctor and set up an appointment for regular checkups. Congratulations.” The kind doctor handed her the prescriptions and then left her to get dressed.

  Brianna got dressed in a fog. She was pregnant!

  Janet was waiting for her when she came out several minutes later. “So, are you going to live?”

  Brianna looked at her and attempted a smile, but then promptly burst into tears. Janet couldn’t imagine what news the doctor could have given her that would cause this response, unless it was really bad news. Pulling Brianna over to a chair, she wrapped an arm around her shoulders and asked for an explanation.

  “I’m…I’m pregnant.”

  Janet was in shock. Brianna was pregnant? That meant that Trent was going to be a father. This was wonderful news and maybe just the thing to get these two off dead-center.

  “Honey, that’s wonderful news. I can’t wait until you tell Trent. He’s going to be thrilled.”

  Brianna stopped crying and began to frantically shake her head, “No. You can’t tell Trent. He has that big business deal in Germany, and then he’s supposed to go to Amsterdam to look at another facility before he comes home. If you tell him, he’ll come home right away and then it will be my fault if things with either deal fall through. Promise me you won’t tell him.”

  “Brianna, be reasonable. Trent would want to know, especially since you’ve been so sick. Honey you have to tell him.”

  “No, I can tell him when he gets back and things aren’t so crazy. Maybe by then the morning sickness won’t be so bad and…”

  “Brianna, listen to me. I’ve known Trent for most of my life and believe me, you don’t want to keep this from him. Tell him now.”

  Janet tried to convince Brianna to tell Trent, but she refused to burden him with it while he was overseas. Rather than Janet calling Trent with an update, Brianna made the call herself and whatever she said must have pacified Trent because Janet didn’t hear from him again.

  Chapter 17

  The negotiations overseas went smoothly, and Trent returned to the states three weeks later to find an exhausted looking Brianna working at her desk in HR. He observed her from across the room and wondered why no one had told him she was ill. She had dark circles under her eyes, and from what Trent could see of her face, she had lost weight as well.

  Janet spied him first and gave him a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. It was forced and Trent immediately knew that something wasn’t quite right.

  Reaching Brianna’s work are, he wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her ear as he whispered, “Miss me?”

  Brianna felt the arms wrap around her at the same time she smelled his cologne. Closing her eyes, she relaxed into his hold and tried to keep the tears at bay. Losing the battle, they spilled over the edges and ran down her cheeks. How she wished they weren’t at work and he could just hold her for the next year. The last three weeks had been torture and she still had to explain to him that he was going to be a father. Janet was sure he would be happy with the news, but they hadn’t even discussed a long-term future together and she didn’t want to make him stay with her if that’s not what he wanted.

  Trent turned her around and was stunned to see the tears running down her face. Clasping her head between his hands, he gingerly kissed her lips and then her eyes, feeling his heartbreak at the look of sadness in her eyes. Had something happened while he was gone? Was it her mother?

  Pulling her from her chair, he picked her up and made a beeline for the elevator. After reaching the top floor, he sent Pam home early, wanting to have some privacy with Brianna.

  He sat down on the couch and kept her in his lap. Something was bothering his woman and he intended to fix it now. “Brianna, tell me what’s wrong.” Brianna almost laughed at the arrogance behind his words. How like Trent to demand she tell him what was bothering her, as if it would all just magically fix itself.

  Brianna pushed herself off his lap, and avoided the hands that tried to keep her there. She needed some distance from him, just in case Janet was wrong and Trent wasn’t interested in being a father right away. She needed the distance to steel herself from the hurt that would follow his rejection.

  Taking a breath, she turned and faced him and watched as his eyes took in her appearance. She knew she had lost weight in her face, but there was no denying the effect of her pregnancy on her breasts and waistline. She was just over three months pregnant, but her small stature and slim build had made
the baby bump visible much earlier than on other women. Anyone looking at her would immediately assume she was pregnant.

  Brianna watched as her condition became apparent to Trent. His eyes were fixated on her stomach and couldn’t seem to look away. When he continued to sit there, not moving or saying a thing, she finally broke the silence, “Well, say something. Please?” she hated that her voice sounded so needy on the last word.

  Trent looked up into eyes that were full of doubt and took the steps that brought him to her. Reverently, he placed his hand upon her stomach, while grabbing her behind the neck with the other and kissing her like she held the last bit of oxygen on earth.

  Brianna was so relieved, and all of the nights of worry about Trent’s reaction faded away with his kiss. She returned his kiss and many minutes later, she found herself back in his lap on the couch. She related finding out she was pregnant, and when he got angry that she hadn’t called him about her illness, she explained why. While he understood her reasoning, he made her promise to never keep something this important from him again.

  *****

  The next several weeks flew by as preparations were made for the wedding of the year. Trent had insisted that they get married immediately so the baby would have his name upon being born, and so that Brianna would not have any other reasons to avoid moving in with him.

  Brianna was so happy, she readily agreed to everything Trent suggested. He made her cut back her work hours, and hired a personal driver for her. He even moved her mother into a room in his house and hired a private nursing company to provide round-the-clock supervision and care for her. Brianna had once again cried at his generosity, something she seemed to be doing a lot of lately.

  News of their marriage made the national headlines, and when she received the strange bouquet at work she really didn’t think anything of it. It was an arrangement of calla lilies and miniature red roses, and the card had an inscription in a foreign language.

  Brianna showed it to Trent that afternoon when he came to walk her out and he had demanded to know how long she had been making nice with Marco Bresi. Brianna hadn’t realized that the card was written in Italian, but Trent had. The flower arrangement was significant as well. Trent told her later that evening that he had sent a similar arrangement to Serena’s funeral.

  Brianna had been so repulsed at the significance of the gift that she had immediately thrown the beautiful flowers in the trash. She didn’t understand Marco’s obsession with getting revenge on Trent, and Trent admitted he didn’t understand it either. Serena had been dead for almost three years. Brianna felt sorry for Marco and hoped that somehow he would be able to find peace and accept his daughter’s death for what it was.

  As the time drew nearer for Brianna to give birth, she quit working and found satisfaction in helping out with some of the local charities. The local Children’s Hospital became the focus of her attention and she attended numerous fundraisers, with and without Trent by her side.

  Trent was so proud of his wife. She had struggled with her self-image and trying to figure out how she would fit into his social circle when he had first met her. Now, she was setting the trends and people were following in her footsteps.

  With proper therapy, her mother had begun to get some use of her left side back and was able to carry on a conversation now without stumbling over the words. Brianna had never been so happy.

  As part of a campaign being promoted by the hospital, she agreed to a photo shoot in their home, particularly focused on the nursery and childproofing a playroom. She was featured, sitting in the professionally decorated nursery, on the cover of 5280, a local Denver magazine and received numerous messages and well wishes for a quick delivery and healthy baby.

  The week before her delivery date, she was visiting Janet at the office when a phone call came in for her. Since she was there, she took the call and was stunned to hear Marco Bresi on the other end.

  “Brianna, how nice to hear your voice. I was under the impression that you had quit working in light of your delicate condition.”

  “Marco. Yes, I have cut back my hours. Was there something you needed? “

  “I’ve been meaning to call and ask if you received my flower arrangement. The one I had sent over to congratulate you on your marriage. I realize it’s been several months, but time flies when one is conducting business worldwide.”

  Brianna wasn’t sure what game he was playing, but found that she didn’t like being in the middle of it, “Marco, I did receive your flowers and then promptly threw them in the trash. Did you think that Trent wouldn’t realize it was just like the flowers he sent to your daughter’s wedding?”

  Marco laughed, “Good. I was hoping he would see the significance. He took my daughter and grandchild from me and I’m never going to let him forget that.” The hatred in his voice was unmistakable, even across the phone line.

  “Marco, I don’t think we have anything else to say. You are wrong in your understanding of how your daughter died. Trent had nothing to do with that. I’m sorry for your loss, but I really would like you to leave us alone. Leave me alone.” Brianna didn’t wait for a reply, but quickly replaced the receiver.

  Sensing someone behind her, she turned to see Trent lounging in the doorway, “Are you okay?”

  Brianna nodded, “I just feel so sorry for him. He’s wasting his life trying to revenge his daughter’s death. How did you know I was talking to him?”

  “Janet called me. She was concerned that he would upset you and with you so close to delivering…,” Trent shrugged his shoulders.

  Brianna pushed herself up from the chair and placed a hand on her aching back. She had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions all morning, and now her back was hurting something fierce. Rubbing one hand on her lower back, she gave Trent a smile, “I think I’m ready to go home.”

  “Good. So am I.” Trent kept a watchful eye on his wife as he led her out of the building. He was secretly timing her contractions, amazed that she hadn’t yet realized she was in the beginning stages of labor.

  Having given the driver instructions to take them to the hospital, he smiled at Brianna and rubbed her back on the short drive. Hopefully, by this time tomorrow he would be holding his new daughter. Ultrasound had confirmed the sex of the baby several weeks ago and he envisioned a miniature replica of Brianna.

  **

  Upon arriving at the hospital, Brianna smiled, not surprised that her husband had known she was in labor before her. He always seemed to be one-step ahead of the rest.

  Her doctor was already waiting for her and after a quick check, immediately took Brianna into the delivery room. Because of the size of the baby, a C-section had already been deemed necessary, and several hours after arriving at the hospital, Trent was looking through the nursery window at a very healthy baby girl.

  Brianna had been taken to her room and had yet to see their daughter. Walking down the hallway, he looked again at the snapshot he had taken of their daughter with his phone. Brianna had gotten a quick glimpse of their daughter right after the delivery, but had yet to hold her child.

  As soon as she was settled, the nurses had promised to bring their daughter down to the room. Trent couldn’t wait to see his wife holding their child for the first time.

  Entering her room, he was happy to see her looking relaxed and pain free. “Hey, momma, how’re you doing?”

  Brianna gave him a tired smile, “Good. Can I see her? Is she okay?”

  Trent leaned down and kissed the mother of his new child, “She’s perfect, just like you. The nurses are going to bring her own in a few minutes.”

  Brianna smiled, “I can’t wait to see her.”

  Trent pulled his phone from his pocket, “I took a picture of her a few minutes ago, look.” Trent handed his phone over and watched as Brianna got a look on her face of pure love. There was nothing more beautiful than a mother looking at her child.

  When several minutes passed and the nurses didn’t arrive with their d
aughter, Trent pushed the call button.

  The nurse entered, expecting to see the happy couple cuddling their newborn daughter and was shocked to find them still waiting on her arrival.

  “Hi, Darcy is it,” Trent asked, reading the nurses name form her tag, “I was wondering if you could check on our daughter. I was told they would be bringing her down and my wife hasn’t had a chance to hold her yet. C-section.”

  Darcy swallowed and quickly replied, “Just let me go check on that for you. I’ll be right back.”

  Darcy literally ran to the nursery window. Tapping on the glass, she got the head nurse to exit, “Where is the Coldwell baby? They’re asking for her to be brought down to the mother’s room.”

  “The grandfather took her fifteen minutes ago.”

  “No, he didn’t,” Darcy emphasized that with a shake of her head. “I just came from that room and they don’t have their baby, and there’s no one else in the room.”

  “Call security immediately and ask for a Code Pink. They’ll lock down the hospital and seal the exits until the baby can be found.”

  “Whose going to tell the parent’s that their child is missing?” Darcy asked, silently praying it wasn’t going to be her.

  “I’ll go. Ask security to pull the surveillance tapes and bring them up immediately. I’m hoping that the parents can help identify whoever is posing as the child’s grandfather.”

  Darcy nodded and ran back to the nurse’s station to make the call.

  Stephanie Belkins had worked as the head nurse for the newborn nursery for fifteen years and had never had a child abducted. It just didn’t happen. As she approached the mother’s room, she saw a security team approaching with a laptop loaded with recent surveillance footage.