SWEET ANTICIPATION (25 page)
Jordan’s gaze skipped across the date, time and location of birth, settling at last on the name. “Melanie Elizabeth Daniels,” he read aloud. “Daniels,” he repeated. “You named her Daniels. You acknowledged me as the father even before you knew the results.”
“Yes, because I was hoping that, in spite of everything else, you would be her father. She needs you—and I need you, Jordan. I’ve never loved anyone as I love you.”
Again he crushed her to him, overwhelmed with all the feelings of love he had for this wonderful, beautiful woman. He couldn’t imagine life without her and their child. He didn’t even want to think about that, because now that Lauren was back in his arms where she belonged, he would never let her go again.
“I know you don’t want me to tell you, but I can’t keep this a secret,” she went on, excitement dancing in her large blue eyes. “This is something you need to know. Jordan, your experiment was a complete success. You did it. You’ve made medical history.”
A look of pride and joy flooded across Jordan’s features. “She really is my baby,” he breathed ecstatically.
“Now you can use Melanie as proof so you can get your grant.”
“No, I would never do that. The grant is important, but not enough that I would use my own child. I don’t want my daughter’s name to become a household word. Now that I know it works, I’m sure I can find someone who is willing to take the fame along with their miracle baby.”
Lauren was relieved to hear that Melanie would not become a case in a textbook, but she hoped that someday soon he would get the recognition he deserved.
“Let’s leave right now,” Jordan said. “I want to take Melanie over to meet her grandmother this evening and maybe even her great-grandmother if we have time. I’ll even bet that they will be so delighted with our news that one of them is sure to volunteer to baby-sit for us while we’re gone on our honeymoon. And if we’re lucky, we can get started on a brother or sister for her as soon as we get back.”
“How could we be more lucky than we are right now?” Lauren asked, standing up on her tiptoes to seal their love with a kiss.
Epilogue
“If he weren’t having such a good time, I’d tell him how silly he looks running around out there with those kids.” Lauren’s lips curved into an affectionately indulgent smile as she watched her husband and daughter. “That little pink basket he’s carrying doesn’t help his mature image much, either.”
“At least Melanie is learning how to hunt Easter eggs from an expert,” Jordan’s grandmother commented. “Jordy always was the one who won the prizes for finding the most eggs when he was a little boy.”
Lauren sat on the back porch with Jordan’s mother, Janice, his grandmother and an assortment of aunts, uncles and cousins as almost a dozen small children and one grown man proceeded to search around each tree and beneath each bush in the large backyard during the Daniels family’s yearly Easter-egg hunt. It had been almost four years since she and Melanie had joined this large, boisterous group, but Lauren had enjoyed every minute. They had immediately accepted her and her baby warmly and without reproach, even after Jordan had very briefly explained the insemination mix-up. Janice couldn’t have been more pleased with her “instant” grandchild.
“Speaking of little boys,” Jordan’s grandmother spoke up, interrupting Lauren’s thoughts, “Isn’t it my turn to hold my new great-grandson? I haven’t had a chance to hold him all day.”
Janice reluctantly let the older woman take the sleeping infant out of her arms. “He’s such a little angel. Just look at that sweet face. Except for all that blond hair, he reminds me so much of Jordan at that age.”
Lauren stretched her legs out in front of her, enjoying the feel of the warm spring sunshine on the skin left bare below the cuffs of her bright-yellow shorts. She had listened, with motherly pride, to all the glowing remarks about Matthew, her and Jordan’s latest success story. This was the first family event the baby had attended since he had been born three months ago and, as with any tiny addition to the family, he had created quite a sensation.
“Matthew’s hair will probably be as dark as Jordan’s someday. The color of Melanie’s hair has already started to change,” Lauren observed cheerfully. “I know it doesn’t matter to Jordan, but I would be thrilled if all our children looked exactly like him.”
“I believe you’re a little bit prejudiced, my dear, but then, so am I,” Janice said as her gaze rested lovingly on the handsome, laughing man who was kneeling next to his small daughter. Jordan was trying to point out a green Easter egg that was almost too successfully camouflaged in a clump of grass, but Melanie was too busy trying to open the cellophane wrapping around a chocolate rabbit to care about the less appetizing orb on the ground. A smear of chocolate on the little girl’s cheek as well as brown fingerprints on the full ruffled skirt of her pink Easter dress were evidence that this wasn’t the first piece of candy she had found while her daddy was busy wasting his time finding colored eggs.
“It looks as if it’s going to be quite a challenge to clean that dress,” Lauren remarked, her thoughts echoing her mother-in-law’s. “I always thought little girls were supposed to be neat and clean, but I have to use more stain remover on Melanie’s clothes than I do on all the rest of the laundry put together. You should see the way she and Buffy look after romping in the mud, and at this time of year there are plenty of puddles to tempt them. Of course, it wouldn’t be so bad if that crazy collie didn’t think that she’s a kid, too.”
“I’ll bet they both love it since you and Jordan bought that house in the country,” Janice said. “By the way, how is your new flower shop in Friendswood doing?”
“Better than I hoped, but I haven’t been spending much time there lately. Luckily, I have a very nice, competent lady taking care of it for me until the baby gets older.”
“Is Rita stilI managing your shop in Houston?” Janice asked. “I need to arrange for some centerpieces for a dinner party I’m giving in a few weeks.”
“Yes, Rita is taking care of Pretty Petals for me and has been bringing in almost more business than she and her new assistant can handle. She was talking about hiring someone else to help out part-time.”
“I’ll stop by there and talk to her about it before you and Jordan leave. You two are still planning on going to San Francisco next week, aren’t you?” Janice asked, then added with anxious excitement, “And I’m going to get to keep the children while you’re gone, aren’t I?”
“If you’re still willing to, then we’d really appreciate it,” Lauren answered. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it a whole week without missing them so much that I’ll have to fly home early, but this trip is so important to Jordan that I didn’t want to miss it entirely. This is the major medical convention of the year and he’s going to be getting an award for his research, you know. Did I tell you about the big write-up about him and his fertility discovery that was in the medical journal last month? They were very impressed with his results.”
“I’m glad that Jordan’s work is successful, especially because of the two grandchildren it has brought me. And I’m glad that you and Jordan decided not to use Melanie and Matthew as scientific examples.”
Lauren nodded her agreement. “So am I. Jordan was certain he could find someone who wouldn’t mind letting their baby be the official ‘first,’ and apparently he had more volunteers than he expected. Since he got his grant extended three years ago, he has worked with more than two hundred couples. With a success rate of over eighty-five percent, that means he had more than enough proof.”
“Proof of what?” Jordan asked as he neared the porch and walked within hearing distance of the conversation. “Proof that I’m still the best Easter-egg finder in this family?” he joked, setting the filled basket on the top step, then bending down to lift Melanie into his arms. “Or proof that I have the prettiest kids in the whole world?” He stepped up onto the porch and leaned over to drop a kiss on top of Lauren’s golden head. “Or the most beautiful wife?” he continued with a complete lack of modesty.
Lauren smiled up at him as she felt the warm lingering caress of his fingertips against her cheek. “We happened to be discussing how wonderful you are and how proud we all are of your work.”
“Oh, is that all?” he said with a deliberately casual shrug, but the silver twinkle in his eyes showed his true delight. Then for her ears only, he added, “Are you ready to leave now so you can show me exactly how wonderful you think I am?”
“Always the diligent scientist, constantly searching for more proof,” she responded with a wry chuckle.
“Oh, no. This is not Jordan, the scientist talking, but Jordan, the man, and the only proof I’m looking for right now is how much you love me.”
“Then take me home, Jordan, my love.”
