Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86710 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 434(@200wpm)___ 347(@250wpm)___ 289(@300wpm)
“Don’t look so nervous,” Jace says as we walk up to the front door. He’s carrying a colorful shopping bag in one hand. “They’ll love you and you’ll love them. Well, except for Alec. That can go either way.”
The door swings open before I can ask him what he means. Another version of Jace stands in the doorway.
“I’ll be damned,” he says and then says over his shoulder. “You have to see this, honey.”
I glance at Jace in total confusion but he’s glaring at his brother.
“What?” a female voice says behind me.
“Jace has brought a date,” Alec says.
And that is my introduction to Jace’s brother.
“Ignore that,” Jace says to me and takes my hand. “You’re an idiot,” he says to Alec. “This is my brother, Alec or Dr. Anderson as he likes to be called.”
“I do not,” Alec says swiftly, his blue eyes, so similar to Jace’s, studying me intently. “Please call me Alec and this is my wife, Ivy.”
His wife appears by his side and she gives me a warm smile. Ivy Martin. I can’t believe that I’m looking at her. I only realize that I’m gaping when Jace says, “Can you tell that Olivia is a fan?”
I snap out of it and laugh. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Please come in,” Ivy says and they move to the side to let us in.
“Where is Ryder?” Jace asks and as soon as the words are out a young voice shouts from the top of the stairs.
“Uncle Jace?” A little boy tears down the stairs and hugs his uncle. They are obviously a close family and admiration floods me.
Jace introduces me. Ryder says hello but he’s interest is on the bag his uncle is holding.
“You and Dylan spoil him,” his mother says but her tone is fond.
We all watch as Ryder pulls a T-rex headlamp from the colorful bag. “Wow,” Ryder says. His excitement is palpable and it makes me want to be a kid again.
“It can shoot water too but you can only do it outside,” Jace explains.
It’s touching to see this side of him. It reminds me of the way he held and whispered to Sarah’s baby showing that he was good with children. A lot of people in the clinic find him a little bit intimidating and not as talkative as his brother, Dylan. But he is, in the right setting.
We follow Alec and Ivy into the living room. Ryder runs upstairs with his gift. The adults sit in the living room and chat. They are a fun and warm couple and they are careful to include me in the conversation.
“I’m sorry that Alec teased you when he opened the door,” Ivy says as I help her carry the dishes of food to the table.
I laugh. “It’s fine. It was worth it to see the look on Jace’s face. He looked like he wanted to kill his brother.”
Chapter 11: Olivia
“How did you two meet?” I ask Ivy and Alec during dinner.
They look at each other and laugh, increasing my curiosity.
Jace is on my right side and I look at him questioningly. He shrugs and chuckles. “Not my story to tell.”
“The first time we met, we hated each other,” Ivy says. She rakes a hand through her wavy dark brown her and her eyes gleam. Not only is she intelligent, but she is also very pretty.
I’ve always had this image of authors as extremely introverted. People who don’t shower for days on end and spend all day in their pajamas. Silly, of course, but I don’t know any authors. It’s an odd thing coming from a magazine writer but journalists are a different breed. None of my colleagues have aspirations to write a book. They love writing short articles and stories. So do I, actually. I can’t imagine working on one project for months or years. It would drive me insane. So you see, even if we both earn our living from writing, they’re different professions that attract very different personalities.
Ivy is very friendly and chatty while Alec is reserved but very observant.
“I did not hate you. I was attracted to you,” Alec says mildly.
Ivy shakes her head. “Trust me, he hated me and to be honest, it was mutual. I disliked his superior attitude. To be fair though, he’d never been to that part of town. I was a struggling writer.”
I’m surprised by that. Ivy looks posh but I suppose years of good living will do that to you. “He came to your place before you knew each other?” I ask.
“Yes. I was a surrogate for a family friend and her husband. I got pregnant but it turned out that the clinic had used the wrong sperm.”
Shock reverberates through me. The information is given so casually that it hides the seriousness of it. I’m horrified. I glance at Jace. He doesn’t look happy that Ivy is telling that story. I don’t blame him. It’s the kind of that would damage the reputation of the clinic.