Page 13 of Flynn

"I want to finish this before I get to the meeting at three."

"Darling, you have to eat."

He sent her a brief, distracted smile as he emailed his very efficient assistant, instructing her to reschedule several meetings he had lined up for the morning. "I have things to attend to," he said.

"Well, if you won't join me-" They both looked up at the sound of knocking on the door.

"Come in," Julia called out.

Flynn squelched a sigh of impatience when a maid came in, wheeling a splendid tea service.

"It's fine, Margaret; I will do the serving."

With a nod, the woman hurried out of the room and closed the doors behind her.

"I don't have time-"

"I suggest you make some." Julia wheeled the tray towards a low-slung green and gold brocade sofa beneath a large bay window. In front of the couch was a sturdy oak table polished to a high sheen.

"I asked Mrs. Gunther to prepare blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs." She looked at him with a beaming smile as she poured the freshly squeezed orange juice into two glasses. "Remember when you turned fourteen, and we could scarcely afford oranges?"

His expression softened, and he felt the annoyance melt away. She had done so much to make his life easier; surely, he could put aside work for half an hour to have breakfast with her.

Pushing away from his desk, he joined her on the sofa, a smile touching his stern mouth. "You stopped at the corner store and asked the proprietor to give you the oranges that were not fit to be sold. Then you came home and squeezed oranges, minus the pulp."

Taking the chilled glass from her, he sipped the delicious citrus drink, his smile deepening. "It was a far cry from what we have now."

Passing him a plate laden with food, she smiled at him proudly. "You made that happen, and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that you are my son."

He felt the lump clogging his throat and had to put aside his juice. Taking her hand in his, he lifted it to his lips. "I am the fortunate one." he countered softly. "I have you for a mother, and you never gave up on me."

Julia felt the tears burning the back of her eyes. "Now you are on the verge of having your child, hopefully, a son, and you will discover that there is nothing you wouldn't do for him."

Squeezing her hand, he reached for his plate and ate in companionable silence with her.

Chapter 4

"I have done the hormone treatments and will be going in tomorrow for the transfer," Ryleigh promised to give regular step-by-step updates to Julia as soon as the process began.

It had been two weeks since the unpleasant scene at the charity benefit and the subsequent catty and unkind remarks in the gossip columns of the newspapers. Glen had tried to reach out to her again, but she had refused to speak to him.

Now, she was plunging herself into this project, and she was. She would have to keep her emotions out of the entire thing to not get hurt again. Michael had warned her that it was not going to be easy. "You will be carrying an embryo, which will grow into a baby, for nine months. There is no way on earth you will not feel anything."

"How do you feel about all of it?" Julia asked her in concern. She had not seen Ryleigh since the function at the hotel two weeks ago and had been concerned that after what happened there, she would be crying.

"Splendid." She told the woman with a smile. "I have been doing some research, and of course, at that well-equipped clinic, the doctors are always ready to offer more information. Hopefully, I will be able to call and tell you in a matter of weeks that I am pregnant."

"Flynn and I are on tenterhooks waiting to hear the results."

"How is he doing?" Ryleigh had caught a glimpse of him at the function, but he had not approached her, preferring to do everything through his mother and his very pricey lawyers.

"Handling the entire matter very well by working as usual," Julia told her with a breathless laugh. "My son is a workaholic. I suppose it boils down to the fact that we were destitute, and he had to fight tooth and nail to get to where he is now."

"What he has accomplished is something to be extremely proud of." Ryleigh had never officially met the man but had read about him in various financial magazines and had noticed remarks such as: 'A master at his game,' Ruthless in his dealings' and- 'clawing his way to incredible success.'

Julia beamed at that as she picked up her glass of water. She had been the one to choose the restaurant, somewhere quiet and deliberately understated. "I am so proud of him."

"So, you should be." She told the woman with an absent smile. She had noticed a few curious stares, which added to her lack of appetite. She was tired of being the center of attention, tired of being reminded of what a failure she was at romance.