Money (The Keatyn Chronicles Book 10) (8 page)

“
A few
—”
I start to ask.

The tech, who has been clicking away, interrupts me.
“
Eight weeks and two days for this one.
”

“
This
one
?
”
 

“
Yes,
”
the doctor says with a grin.
“
Show her.
”
 

The tech zooms out, and I can see that there are two little dark circles with two little flickers inside.
 

“
Twins,
”
the doctor says.

“
Twins?
”
I repeat in shock.
“
Is that why I
’
m starting to show so early?
”

“
Yes. And it
’
s why your hormone levels are higher than normal. I suspected twins, since multiples run in your family, but wanted to be sure. Aiden will be pretty excited by this news, don
’
t you think?
”

“
Yeah, he will be.
”
I shake my head and look down at my the side of my hand, remembering when Inga read my palm in St. Croix years ago and predicted how many children I would have.

“
Um, hang on,
”
the tech says.
“
Look at this.
”

“
Zoom back out,
”
the doctor instructs.
“
Well, will you look at that sight. Something doctors don
’
t see very often. Triplets.
”

“
Triplets?
”

“
Yes, your mother was one of only two naturally conceived sets of triplets I
’
ve had the pleasure of delivering. You will be number three. Congratulations. I
’
m glad you have some scheduled time off toward the end of your pregnancy. You
’
re going to need it.
”
 

When the ultrasound is over, he hands me a photo and sends me on my way.
 

 
When I get inside the town car waiting to take me to the studio, I burst into happy tears as I think about how I
’
m going to tell Aiden the news.
 

And when.

Vanessa
’
s Estate - Holmby Hills

VANESSA

Peyton is at my house. I discreetly texted her on Sunday and told her I wanted to redecorate and asked if she was free today.

“
So, I want to get rid of everything and start over. Can we do it fast?
”
 

Peyton is surveying the family room.
“
Do you really want to get rid of
everything
?
”

I nod.
“
Yes.
”
 

“
But look at the lines on this.
”
She runs her hand across the back of a chair.
“
And this chair is leather. The fabric will stand up to kids and can be dressed down. You have so many amazing things to work with. I
’
ll take an inventory of all the furniture, move it out to the garage, and we
’
ll start over, bringing in pieces where they will work.
”

“
I guess that
’
s okay, if you can use some of it in a casual way. I just want it to be comfortable.
”

“
Do you want
any
formal rooms? What about your dining room, living room, and the ballroom?
”

“
I can tell you that the only time I used those rooms were when Bam
’
s family came to town. I
’
m pretty sure his mother sleeps fully dressed and made up.
”
Peyton laughs.
“
You have kids. Make this house a place where they
’
d feel comfortable.
”

“
I still think you need a few spaces that are more formal. For when you entertain, like during the holidays.
”

“
That
’
s a good point. So a few sort-of formal spaces.
”

Peyton studies me.
“
Are you doing all this for Dawson?
”

“
No, actually, I
’
m doing it for myself. I need a fresh start. Dawson and his girls were just the catalyst that made me realize it.
”

She gives me a smirk.
“
I like how you
’
re dressed today.
”
I look down at my cutoffs and bare feet.
“
I haven
’
t seen you in something like that since I met you on the beach. And I think that was the only time.
”

“
These are probably the same shorts,
”
I laugh.
“
I need to find myself in this house, if that makes sense.
”

“
It does,
”
she says, scribbling something into the margin of the list she
’
s making.

“
Can I ask you a personal question?
”
I inquire.

“
Sure,
”
she says.

“
If you and Damian divorced and you had never had children of your own
—
if you couldn
’
t have children
—
would you adopt or would you assume that if you couldn
’
t have them you weren
’
t meant to?
”

“
I would adopt. Even if I were single. I wouldn
’
t let my circumstances get in the way of my desire to be a mother.
”

“
I need to show you one of the rooms that I don
’
t want redone.
”
I grab her hand, take her upstairs, and show her the playroom.
“
I
’
d like this room to stay the way it is.
”

“
This room looks nothing like the rest of the house,
”
she says, studying the decor.

“
Maybe that
’
s why I like it.
”

“
Are you thinking about adopting, Vanessa?
”

I nod. Now that I
’
ve told Dawson about not being able to have children, I
’
m able to tell her, too.
“
After my miscarriage, the doctor told me that I couldn
’
t have children.
”

Peyton gives me a hug, her large baby bump crashing into me.
“
Oh, Vanessa, why didn
’
t you tell us? That
’
s such a devastating blow on top of losing your baby.
”
 

“
Yeah, it was. It wasn
’
t just Bam
’
s infidelity that sent me on my downward spiral.
”

“
I
’
m glad you
’
re back at the top.
”

“
Me too.
”

“
You seem really happy.
”

“
I am. You and Dawson
’
s wife, Whitney, were close, right?
”

“
Yeah, she was my best friend for most of high school. I saw in
The Keatyn Chronicles
movies how Keatyn sort of revolted against you. I did the same thing to Whitney. But, really, I was revolting against myself.
”

“
I saw the movie. Um, did you stay in touch with her after all that? I get the feeling there
’
s something surrounding her death that Dawson isn
’
t telling me.
”

“
I went to her funeral even though we didn
’
t stay friends. I felt bad for Dawson and his girls. All I really know is that she sent the girls to stay at his parents
’
house the night she did it, and Dawson was the one to find her. But, other than the fact she took her own life, I don
’
t really know any other details. I
’
m still good friends with his older brother, Camden. He hated her, but after she died, he hated her more for what she did to Dawson.
”

“
Right, but what did she do to him?
”

“
Isn
’
t killing herself and leaving him with two small children to care for on his own enough?
”

“
Yes, of course, but there
’
s more to the story. Last night, Ava said their mom spent all of their dad
’
s money and that
’
s why they moved in with their grandma.
”

“
Now that you mention it, I did think it a little odd that Dawson moved in with his parents right after it happened. You
’
d think for the girls
’
stability he would have wanted them to stay in their home. But I assumed he moved because he needed the emotional support of his family.
”

“
But if he didn
’
t have money, why didn
’
t he work for two years?
”

“
I know he quit to take care of the girls, but I assumed it was because he had the money to do so.
”

“
Keatyn knows the whole story, but she won
’
t tell me. She says it
’
s his story to tell.
”

“
Well, then, you should ask him,
”
Peyton says, moving out of the playroom and peeking into each bedroom as we talk.
“
When we redo the bedrooms, would you like something more suited to younger guests?
”
 

“
Yes, and Ava is almost a teenager, so let
’
s do this room in something she would think is way cool. And Harlow loves horses, so maybe something equestrian but still girly?
”

“
Got it. How soon do you want this all done?
”

I raise an eyebrow at her.
 

She laughs.
“
Yesterday, right?
”
 

“
Yeah. Pretty much.
”

“
Why don
’
t you get out of my hair, while I go spend some time in each room and think about what I want to do. Tomorrow, I
’
ll do some shopping and have workers empty everything out, so we can start with a clean slate. We
’
ll move everything out to the garages, and I
’
ll bring some pieces back in to use in different ways. It
’
s going to be a bit of a disaster for a few days. Can you handle that?
”

“
I can.
”

“
Seriously, Vanessa, is there anything in this house that you love?
”

I sigh.
“
I love my closet a lot, and I think all the oriental rugs are beautiful, particularly the golden one in the area off the billiards room.
”

“
What do you like about your closet?
”

“
It
’
s the one room that I decorated only to my tastes.
”

She squints her eyes and says,
“
Then that
’
s where I need to start.
”