Page 43 of Cayden

“Easily the most beautiful pregnant woman I have ever seen….” He had a musical accent that brought up visions of wild blue sea and green palm trees. Of course, Blair had made friends with him and knew he was from the island of Jamaica and had come to the States only a few years ago.

She inquired of his wife and two kids and listened while he told her about a few problems that he was having at the project where he resided.

Cayden was not surprised to hear her tell the man, ‘Blacka’, as he liked to be called, that she was going to get someone to see to the fencing of his property.

They spent quite a bit of time there before leaving for the park. He watched as she devoured a chocolate and strawberry swirl as she sat on the park bench and fed the ducks.

“The sign clearly states that you should not be doing that.” She had left a piece of her bread for the precise purpose.

“I think they just put that up there for a conversation starter.”

“Or it could be that they don’t want anyone feeding the ducks,” he teased. The area was quiet, with just a few people taking walks along the pathways, He had been true to his promise, to make certain there were no reporters hanging around.

“I love the feel of the spring breeze on my skin.”

Taking her hand, he interlaced their fingers. “Have I told you what a remarkable woman you are?”

Turning her head, she gave him a curious stare. “What brought that on?”

“You inspire me to do better, be better. I love you, Blair Andrea Caruso.”

Her eyes went damp. “And I adore you, my darling husband.”

Wrapping his arms around her, he hugged her tight.

Chapter 11

“We come armed with reinforcements.” Leesa announced, the minute the group of women were shown into Blair’s elegant gold and cream salon.

“I thought it was just you and Kelly.” She could have wept with joy as the women filed in one behind the other. First came Leesa, sweeping into the room with her usual flamboyant grace, a dazzling smile on her lips and bearing an enormous basket of what looked like babies stuff, including an enormous stuffed pink bear.

She was followed by Kelly, who had her own basket, then there was Monique, trailing behind with several items in her arms, enough so that it almost covered her face. And…, Blair let out a startled scream as she stared at the woman she had not seen in ages.

“Tianna? What! How are you here?”

Princess Tianna Ricci moved gracefully across the carpet to kiss her on the cheek. “There is such a thing as private jets and God! I am beginning to sound like my husband.” She plopped down on a comfortable chair next to Blair and slipped out of her stylish ankle length boots.

“I had some business to do in the States as well as checking on mom. When the girls told me they were dropping by, I had to come. Ah here comes another surprise.” They all grinned as Hailey swept into the room, with her own arms loaded.

“Some of your staff are on their way up with more things. Darling, you are huge.” She made the announcement in her own inimitable way as she walked over and sat next to Tianna. “How the hell are you able to move?”

“In slow careful movements.” Tears glistened in her eyes as she stared at some of the most powerful women in the world, right here in her salon.

For the past few weeks, she had alternated between acute despair and hopelessness. She had been making even more frequent trips to the bathroom and her ankles, and every part of her body was swollen. “

The contractions (false ones of course) came frequently and her husband and the entire staff were feeling the brunt of her abject misery.

She was into her seventh month and scheduled for a C-section at the end of April which was two weeks away. The babies were doing okay, and wonders upon wonders, she had gotten her heart’s desire. They were having two sets of twins – two girls and two boys.

A team had been hired to transform three bedrooms to accommodate the quadruplets, and she was only allowed to monitor the progress from afar, by using a device. Cameras were already set up in all the rooms, so she could see what was going on.

She felt fat and useless and on top of it, her husband was barely touching her. Oh, he would do his duty by rubbing the cream on each night, but he had started staying in one of the other rooms because of how restless she had become.

With the frequent trips to the bathroom and her inability to find a comfortable spot on the huge bed, she was making it hard for him to fall asleep. And he needed his sleep. With the springcomes the harvesting and the marketing, which was keeping him so busy.

“This is a ‘no tears’ zone.”

She sniffed them back. “It comes with the territory. You brought me gifts.” She stopped when two maids came in with several gift bags and placed them on a table in front of the window.

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