CONNECTIONS: A Romantic Suspense (DESIGNER CHILDREN Book 2), page 20
Everyone looked at Kat.
“The National Reproductive Center people won’t release information to me.” Kat shoved her hair away from her sorrow-filled face. She looked like she’d aged five years since this morning.
Ashe refused to care.
“Believe me, I’ve tried,” Kat said. “They won’t break their patient confidentiality.”
“My mom.” Harris held up a finger and looked at Kat. “She’s still in town. If we can get my mother to release her records, maybe we can find something.”
Drew was nodding. “I can ask my mother too.”
“Will your mother agree to something like that?” Sunee asked Harris.
Harris’s eyebrows rose. “She’ll have to. She owes me for trying to break Sunee and I up.”
“I can call her,” Kat said.
Harris shook his head. “I’ll call. Then you can go with her to the clinic.”
“You’re kidding?” Ashe said. “Kat will report whatever she finds out. We’ll be the last to know.”
“I won’t.” Kat curled her arms around her stomach.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Ashe snapped.
“Ashe, enough,” Sunee pleaded.
“Next,” Harris said, “I recommend we have a press conference.”
Kat’s shoulders stiffened. “Are you sure you want to do that? I thought you decided no comment was your answer.”
“Passivity hasn’t kept us safe,” Harris said.
“We change the playing field.” Ashe nodded. His leg bounced up and down. “I agree. We’ve been fumbling, playing catch up, and constantly on the defense. It’s time to take the offense.”
“Kat.” Harris set his hand on her shoulder. “I think you should moderate.”
“Really?” Kat blushed.
“Absolutely.” Harris nodded. “You know the topics to stay away from. It will accomplish your goal of keeping the story as yours.”
“You want her to benefit from this?” Ashe clenched the arms of the chair. He hated the idea Kat would achieve her dream at their expense. “No.”
Drew walked over and stood behind Ashe’s chair. He put a hand on his shoulder. “Let it go. I think Harris has something here.”
“Why should we give Benedict Arnold anything?” Ashe jerked out from under Drew’s hand, jumped to his feet and crossed to the fireplace.
“Because we’re in this together.” Sunee moved to him. “If you’d stop thinking like the Neanderthal you pretend to be out on the football field, you’ll know that Kat is protecting us. She was painted into the corner and came up with the best solution possible.”
Sunee put her hand out to Ashe.
He ignored it. Everything inside him ached.
All five people in the room stared at him. The ticking of the hallway clock counted down the moments as they waited for him to soften toward Kat.
“I catch the team plane to Philadelphia tomorrow. I won’t be back until Sunday.” Ashe sighed. “When should we hold the press conference?
Kat stood and moved behind the sofa. She paced about as far from Ashe as she could get without leaving the room. “If we could get the confidential information from the fertility clinics and see if that explains anything, it would be a good lead in.”
The pace of her steps picked up. “We don’t want the press conference on Sunday. Bad news day. Monday. Monday would be best. Monday at five or five-thirty.”
She looked at Harris and Drew. “Can you get the medical records release written and signed by your mothers? Harris, at least your mother is in town. She and I could physically go to the clinic tomorrow and see if they’ll release a copy of her records.”
“I don’t have court until the afternoon. I’ll meet with her in the morning.” He turned to Sunee. “Can you come with me? My mother has a lot to answer for.”
“I start rounds by seven tomorrow,” Sunee said.
“Okay. Kat how about you?” Harris asked.
Kat shot a look at Ashe, which he ignored. “I’ll come with you.”
“I checked my messages.” Harris pulled out his phone. “Over twenty-five calls from reporters. I’m not returning any calls. I’d advise you to do the same.” He looked at Ashe. “Maybe you should call your publicist and tell her about the press conference.”
“Sure. Angie could probably find us a place to hold it.”
“We can use the station,” Kat broached. Her words were tentative, like she was trying to step on an egg and not crack the shell.
“I’ll have Angie call you.” Ashe tried to avoid looking at Kat, but couldn’t. Devastation filled her face.
“If you give me her number, I can call.” Kat’s voice cracked.
“I’ll talk to Angie. See how she wants to handle things.”
“I’ve got one more item for this meeting,” Drew added.
Harris raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”
“I’ve called a friend of mine. She’s flying into Houston Friday night. Tomorrow.”
“She’s welcome to stay here,” Harris said. “We can shoehorn her in somewhere.”
“One more thing.” Drew’s expression didn’t change. “She’s with the FBI.”
“FBI?” Harris blurted out.
“None other.” Drew quirked one edge of his mouth up in a rakish grin. “Maggie’s a friend—for now.”
“FBI. This might be useful.” Harris smiled. “Tell her we’ll throw a damn Texas BBQ in her honor if we can use her investigation skills.”
“Are we done?” Ashe asked.
“That’s it,” Harris said.
Ashe glanced one more time at Kat and escaped the room. Escaped Kat.
The next morning, Kat, in her rental car, followed Harris into his parents’ house. She worried Harris’s parents would ostracize her because she’d screwed up. After Ashe’s reaction, she expected everyone regarded her as a pariah.
“Mom?” Harris called. They’d come in the kitchen door.
No one was in the kitchen, so they poked their head into the morning room.
“She ran upstairs for a minute.” His father sat drinking his coffee and reading the paper.
Kat skirted the table and gave Harris’s dad a hug. “Hey, Senator.”
“Interesting story you had last night.” The senator patted her back.
“I’m sorry. I wish it hadn’t happened.” Kat wished she could rewind the clock and never write anything down outside of Harris’s house. Wished she could make Ashe understand she hadn’t meant to hurt anyone.
But Ashe had warned her. Harris had warned her.
And she’d kept doing things her way.
And lost Ashe.
Now she would live with the consequences. And protect the group as much as she could.
“I didn’t know you were still in town.” Harris gave his dad a hug.
“I assume you haven’t turned on your phone.” His father’s bushy eyebrow arched almost into his hairline. “Quite a day yesterday.”
“Yeah. I hope Mom gave you a head’s up yesterday.” Harris snatched a mug from the sideboard and poured coffee from the carafe, doctoring it with creamer. He held up another mug. “Kat?”
“Thanks, yes.” Although her stomach was already twisting.
“Your mother called me, but I’d already been blindsided by questions. I’m getting calls too.”
“Don’t blame Harris,” Kat said. “This is my fault. When I found out I had to do the report, I tried calling but caught almost everyone by surprise.”
Harris handed Kat the coffee mug, sat at the table and then asked his dad, “Back then you didn’t have a clue something strange happened with my conception?”
His father shook his head. “Not a clue.”
“It doesn’t matter to me how I was conceived,” Harris said. “You’ll always be my father.”
“I know.” The senator clasped Harris’s hand.
Kat wanted to steal out of the room and let them have privacy.
“Harris, is that you?” his mother called as she entered the room.
“Good morning.” Harris crossed to give his mother a kiss and hug.
Kat stood and hugged Mrs. Ashland, relieved when the hug was returned.
“Shouldn’t you be at the courthouse?” his mother asked.
“I’m heading there next, but I want you to sign this records release.” Harris pulled out the release of confidentiality and medical records and the power of attorney he’d constructed last night.
“What? Why?” His mother waved her hand over the papers.
The senator was already reviewing the document. Apparently you could send the attorney to Washington, but he’d always be an attorney.
“I already signed the release Harris created,” Kat said. “Both you and Harris will have veto power over what medical information I can report.”
“Why my records?” Harris’s mother asked.
“We’re hoping there’s a clue somewhere to help us understand what happened thirty-two years ago,” Kat said. “Drew is sending one to his mother too.”
“Drew?” Mrs. Harris asked.
“He’s the third man that was in Dr. Ashland’s study,” Harris explained.
His dad laid down the document. “This is okay to sign.”
“I have nothing to hide.” Mrs. Torrington straightened her back.
“I know that.” Harris closed his hand over hers. “But I need to understand how I was … created. This way we control the release of information. We; Ashe, Drew and I and hopefully Piper will hold a press conference Monday night. Kat will take the release to the clinic this morning.”
Mrs. Torrington looked at Kat. “I’ll go with you. Maybe it will help.”
“Thank you.” Kat smiled. “Do you think we could go now?”
“Let me get my purse.”
Harris stood, his gaze moving between his parents. “I love you both.”
“We love you too.” His mother kissed his cheek.
Envy rolled through Kat as she watched the Torrington family’s unconditional love. She wanted that in her life and knew it would never happen.
Harris left and Kat waited for Mrs. Torrington.
She swallowed back her relief that the Torringtons hadn’t cut her out of their lives.
She might not win Ashe back, but she vowed to do whatever she could to keep the reporting of this story in the group’s hands.
For once, it wasn’t her career driving her actions. Her actions were being driven by the impact on Ashe and his siblings.
And she was fine with the change.
Ashe nodded at his dad, headed farther back in the plane and tossed his carry-on into the overhead bin. He sank into his seat. None of his teammates took the seat next to him. Good. He wanted to be alone on their ride to Philadelphia.
He must be exuding a stay away pheromone. Sunee should figure out how to manufacture the drug. He bet a pharmaceutical company could make a fortune selling the stuff to all the men who’d been duped by women like Kat.
Kat. God. She’d played him, ensnared him, seduced him. And then used him to launch her career to the next level.
Never had a woman gotten so deep under his skin.
He gripped the armrests as the plane took off. The G-forces anchored him to his seat. He was glad to be grasping something solid.
He needed to get back on the field, to throw some touchdowns, take some hits. He needed to behave like Kat and concentrate on his career. Only his career.
There would be no more distractions like Kat. He’d ejected her from the game.
He should feel elated, ecstatic.
The problem?
The joke was on him. Even as mad as he was, he loved Kat.
But they were through. He wouldn’t be acting on his feelings. She wasn’t worth the turmoil.
He reclined his seat and closed his eyes. And tried not to think about her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
“Kat, do you have an update on your story of the four genetically related people born of four separate mothers?” Gretchen smiled at camera two.
“Yes, Gretchen.” Kat smiled at her camera, wishing she could tell the viewing public what a barracuda Gretchen really was. “On Monday at five-thirty, here at KTEX5 we will host a press conference. District Attorney Torrington, Texans’s quarterback Bristol, world famous gambler Phoenix, have made themselves available. I’m checking with Dr. Piper Ashland. She’s at the hospital with her mother.”
“Speaking of the Drs. Ashland, is it accurate that the woman in the coma was our car accident Jane Doe from back in early June?”
“That’s right, Gretchen.” Kat’s cheeks hurt from her forced smile. How had Gretchen gotten that information? “It was Torrington and Bristol who identified Jane Doe as Dr. Elaina Ashland.”
Kat wasn’t going to explain how Ashe and Harris knew Dr. Ashland.
“Such a coincidence.” Gretchen looked at Kat. “I understand you’ll be the press conference moderator.”
“I’m looking forward to helping the public understand how four people, born of four different women, can be more closely related than siblings.”
The male anchor piped in. “Our Facebook account is going wild with speculation. Hopefully you’ll shed light on the science behind this discovery. Thanks Kat. After the break, Lyle will be back with sports.”
The red light on the camera in front of Kat went out. She waited until the count of ten and then stripped off her mike.
Gretchen set a hand on Kat’s arm. “I’ve asked Lucille to let me be moderator. You’re not … independent enough.”
“I talked to Lucille.” She shook off Gretchen’s hand. “If I’m not moderator, there won’t be a press conference.”
Gretchen’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll see about that.”
Kat held it together long enough to stop at her desk and grab her bag. It was time to head home.
Maybe she should do that. Head to her condo instead of Harris’s place. The memory of Ashe’s anger would forever taint the energy in Harris’s house.
Of course Ashe had left for Philadelphia this morning. At least he wouldn’t be there to shoot daggers from his cold eyes until he returned Sunday.
Maybe she could figure out different living arrangements before he returned.
She wasn’t a coward. As much as she would like to bury her head in the sand and forget the story, she couldn’t. She and Sunee needed to discuss what the medical records revealed.
It was time to finish what she’d started.
If the press conference needed a scientist, they had two already. Sunee and Piper. She’d ask them to be part of the panel.
“Hey Leroy, how’s it going?” she asked the security guard. “How’s your granddaughter?”
“Good. Real good.” Leroy smiled at her. “Thanks for letting Carly follow you around the studio last week.”
“It was a pleasure to have her. I hope her paper turned out.”
“She got an A.” Leroy grinned. “Now she wants to be a reporter, like you.”
A screwup? No one should want to be like her. “Carly has my phone number if she wants to talk, but she’s only in high school. Things change.”
“Don’t I know it,” Leroy said. “You looked good on the desk tonight instead of doing a remote report.”
“Thank you.” Gretchen hated it when she was allowed on set. “Any chance you could escort me to my car again?”
Ever since the fire, she’d requested a nightly escort.
“Sure ’nuff.” He stood. “You usually don’t ask for an escort.”
“After being in that fire, I don’t take much for granted.” Not her job, her friends or her love life. Which was now nonexistent.
Oh how she wished Ashe would forgive her.
Mendel Campus and Research Center
Iowa
“No!” Simon slammed his open palm onto his desk.
Marie jumped. “Simon?”
He turned down the volume on the streaming of the Texas station that had carried the story about the Ashland children. “Didn’t you hear? They’re planning a press conference.”
“If they knew about us, about Mendel, don’t you think they would have said something?” Marie asked.
“I …” He shook his head. “We can’t take a chance. The daughter might know something. Dr. Ashland might be conscious.”
Although it was possible Dr. Ashland never knew her partner had sold the protocols to Mendel.
It was time to find and introduce himself to Dell’s contact at the Legacy Group. He’d have to go to Boston to do that.
“I’ve reviewed the information we have on the protocol transfers,” Marie said. “I’ve scoured the files. Dr. Ashland was not involved.”
“But we don’t know what her partner told her.” He hit speed dial on his phone.
“Gavin, did you watch the news?” Simon tried not to shout in the phone but couldn’t lower his voice. Ever since Dell had died, his life was out of control.
“Yes,” Gavin said. “They will all be together at the press conference. We can take them out then.”
Simon tapped out a cadence on his desk. “I don’t want that conference to happen. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, sir. Any means necessary?”
“Absolutely.”
Simon’s hand flexed into a fist. What did this gaggle of people know about how they were created? Could they tie anything back to the Mendel Foundation?
One thing he knew. They wouldn’t live long enough to tell anyone.
Houston
Piper jerked awake and nearly fell out of the lounge chair in her mother’s hospital room.
“Honey, your phone’s ringing.” Suzie, her mother’s nurse, was replacing her mother’s IV.
“Oh.” She searched for her phone. She got very few calls lately. It was in the small pocket of her backpack. “Hello?”
“What’s-s-s going on out there?”
“Uncle Victor?” Was he drunk?
“Yes-s-s! What is this about a press conference?” Anger filled his voice.
“How did you hear?” She stalled, not sure what she could tell him.
