“She’s unhappy with the Raffords,” Nick reaffirmed patiently.
“Alicia came from that same poor background, but she appreciated money.”
“I can imagine,” Nick remarked drily, thinking his brother got tangled up often with women after his money. “In a way, it’s refreshing to meet a woman who doesn’t put the dollar first.”
“Refreshing? It’s damned stubborn. She’s letting emotions cloud her judgment and she isn’t giving the baby a fair shake.”
“She was unmovable,” Nick said, hanging on to patience. “Maybe if I try again in a few months she will have thought it over and softened up about it.”
“Nick, time is important to me. It grows shorter by the day.”
“Your doctors say you are doing fine. Let’s wait a few weeks—Christmas is coming and maybe the holidays will change her mind. I’ll talk to her again sometime,” Nick said, astounded at the words coming out of his mouth. He didn’t want to argue with Grace Wayland again, but his sympathy went out to his dad. “I’ll try again soon. We won’t give up.” When he stood, Eli crossed the room.
“I don’t want to give up. This is my grandson. I’m sticking to what I want, to know him and give him our family name.”
Nick nodded. “I tried, Dad. I better go. I have an eleven-o’clock appointment. I’ll let myself out.”
On his way out, Nick checked in with the nurse and the staff, then left. Relieved to have broken the news to his dad, he wondered whether his dad would give up. Nick didn’t want to argue further with Grace. With a little time maybe his dad’s feelings about the baby would cool, although Nick knew that was probably wishful thinking. His dad was like a dog with a bone over something he wanted and couldn’t have. He would go after it and hang on like crazy.
Nick shifted his thoughts to business, running over the information he had been given for a morning appointment to discuss a land acquisition in the Dakotas. Wrapped in thoughts about business, he continued to the twenty-story building in downtown Dallas that housed the Rafford energy company.
Business occupied Nick for the rest of the day until late afternoon, when his direct line rang and he saw it was a call from his dad.
“I knew it,” he said under his breath, wondering what scheme his father had hatched during the day to pressure Grace about the baby. His father wouldn’t discuss it over the phone, so Nick promised to drive out and see him after work. He replaced the receiver and spent another hour working before closing up.
As he walked through his secretary’s station he smiled. “See you tomorrow, Jeananne.”
“Have a good evening,” she answered.
“Thanks, I will,” he said as he left, wondering if his father was going to make another plea that would mean dealing with Grace. He couldn’t imagine any other reason for the request to drive out and see him again. They went months without seeing each other. Twice in one day had to mean something was brewing.
Nick drove through the estate, up the winding driveway past the statuary and fountains. He continued to the back, the easiest way in, greeting the staff and heading this time for his father’s favorite living area.
Still in his cardigan and slippers, Eli smiled. “Thanks for coming. I want to talk further about this problem of Michael.”
“I figured you did.”
“Would you like to join me in a drink? I have a fine bottle of red wine.”
“Sure, Dad. Let me,” Nick said, crossing the room to the bar where a bottle of red wine had already been placed on the counter with two crystal glasses beside it.
He uncorked the bottle to pour the Pinot Noir.
“So how are profits this month?” Eli asked.
“Better than last month,” Nick answered, picking up their drinks. “I have a land deal in North Dakota that will be good I think.”
“I don’t worry that you’ll ever spread yourself too thin even though you do take risks.”
“You recognize you have to take risks,” Nick said. “I learned that from you.”
“Here’s to success,” Eli said, lifting his glass of wine.
Nick sat in a navy wing chair facing his father and lifted his glass. “I’ll gladly drink to that. So what’s up?”
Eli smiled. “I’m aware how persuasive you can be when you want to be. I’m going to do a little arm-twisting myself. Nick, I want my grandbaby in my life. I’m counting on you to see to it that my wish is granted.”
“I’ve tried. With Bart signing away his rights and declaring that he wanted nothing to do with the baby, there’s little I can do.”
