BRIANNA'S STORY

EXCERPT

I was six months pregnant and I had no doubt who the father was. Marcus decided that we'd use his upstairs office for the nursery and I was clearing away some of his things when I came across his old yearbook from Yale.

As I thumbed through the pages one of the names jumped out at me like a ghost from a past life.

"Most likely to slay the ladies, Benjamin O'Mally, the black Irish Knight." There stood Ben and Marcus in fencing outfits smiling for the camera. I looked though Marcus phone book and dialed Ben's number. A woman answered.

"Hello?"

I cleared my throat. "Ah, yes, I'm a patient of Dr. O'Mally's. May I speak with him?"

"Yes, of course."

"Benjamin, it's one of your pregnant patients."

"He'll be right with you."

"Ah, how did you know I was pregnant?" I asked.

She chuckled. "My husband is the countries top fertility expert. The only women that call him are pregnant. That's how they get his home number. He takes his job very seriously."

I heard her pass the phone to him and his voice was like lightening cutting through my flesh.

"Dr. O'Mally here."

I hung up. There was nothing to say. Marcus had managed to get his way. He wanted an heir. He couldn't provide one, so his fraternity buddy did it for him. I looked back at the motto of the fencing club framed over their heads in the picture. "No deed too small or too large for the brothers of my heart."

Now, I was a deed.
Available May 2005