Designer Genes by Diamond Jacqueline

Author:Diamond, Jacqueline [Diamond, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K. Loren Wilson
Published: 2013-10-10T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Everything had gone well that morning. Even the leaky pipe had timed its break perfectly, drawing Carter out of the garage so Buffy and the other ladies could set up shop.

She should have known something would go wrong. Something always did.

But not this crushingly wrong. The stunned expression on Carter’s face worried her. She’d betrayed his trust, and they both knew it.

If only she hadn’t taken off for Texas like a ninny. She should have contacted him first and arranged a meeting with lawyers standing by. Stiff and awkward as it might have been, at least he wouldn’t believe she’d double-crossed him.

“I should have told you sooner.” The words sounded as inadequate to her as they must to Carter.

He stared at the paper in his hand. “I’m Allie’s father? How is this possible?”

Buffy perched on the edge of the couch. “The clinic made a mistake. It was a careless accident.” She babbled on, hoping to stem the tide of dismay. “Things like that aren’t supposed to happen. Usually, from what I’ve read, clinics have double and triple checks at every stage of fertility treatments. Especially the kind involving injections and transfers and donations.”

“That doesn’t explain what you’re doing here,” he continued doggedly. “As I understand it, you don’t work for them anymore, so you can’t be here on the clinic’s behalf.”

“Of course not! I’m not representing them, I’m representing Allie.” Heaven knows, that was true. “When I found out you were her biological father instead of my husband, I couldn’t think straight. After a while, I got this idea that it would be better if I told you in person. Kind of idiotic, huh?”

He’d gone as stone-faced as a statue. “If you came to Texas to tell me, why didn’t you?”

Buffy swallowed hard, because she didn’t have a good answer other than her own cowardice. “After I met you, I figured it would be cruel to break the news without some preparation.”

“Exactly what I kind of preparation would that be?” Carter growled.

“I was trying to explain things gradually. I didn’t do very well, did I?” She tensed, fearing an explosion. From where she sat, Carter looked so tall, he must have grown three or four feet in the past few minutes. Or else she’d shrunk.

“Doctors ought to be careful about these things,” he said gravely. “How did they screw up so bad?”

“The director claimed their scanner was on the fritz. Then a technician misread the numbering code, and the nurse failed to double-check. He assured me he’s completely revamped the procedures since then.”

“It’s just plain unforgivable,” Carter said. “I’m surprised lawsuits haven’t put them out of business.”

“Me, too,” Buffy agreed. “That still leaves us to deal with the consequences.”

He clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace. Embarrassingly aware of the nature of her fallen possessions, Buffy went to stuff them into the drawers. They could be sorted and folded later.

Carter spoke at last. “How did you learn about this mistake?”

“Roger was trying to avoid supporting his daughter, so he insisted on a DNA test.

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