Page 17 of Conail

"I understand and it goes without saying that I have no desire or inclination to discuss any of it." Yasmine told him coolly, hackles rising at the superior look on the man's lean and attractive face. "How soon?"

"As soon as you sign on the dotted line. Your lawyer will go through the fine print with you. After you sign, the documents will be collected, and the procedure begins." He cleared his throat. "You will have to do your part by tracking your cycle and temperature, but Dr. Vivian Greene will explain all of it to you. Any questions?" He looked around the room and when he encountered silence, he opened his briefcase and took out the wordy document. "As soon as you sign, a check will be deposited into your account. Half of the agreed upon amount." Snapping the case shut, he indicated the ending of the meeting. "Eleanor?"

"Could you wait for me in the vehicle?"

The man hesitated briefly and then nodded.

She waited until she heard the front door close before turning towards Yasmine. "You have to forgive Errol; he's been a lawyer for almost fifty years and happens to be the best. He's also a family friend." She beamed, hands clasped in front of her. "I owe you. It's not about the money; I will always be grateful to you for agreeing to do this."

"I'm doing it to save the farm." She said stiffly. It sounded so clinical, like she was selling her soul.

"I am grateful nonetheless." She rose gracefully, sensing that this was not the time to press her point. Passing a hand over her pearl pink jacket, she turned to look at her friend, a silent look passing between them.

"I'll see you out, Eleanor."

Yasmine waited until the two women had left the room before leaning back and closing her eyes. "I'm now starting to feel the pressure." She admitted.

Madeline had been leafing through the documents, reading swiftly. "It's very concise." She murmured. "And clear cut." She glanced at her friend. "And the amount of money is staggering."

"Which is why I am going through with it. That lawyer is intimidating." She pressed a hand to her stomach.

"What am I?" Maddy snorted. "Chopped liver? I would have you know that I was one of the best in my firm—I'm a shark, honey."

Yasmine turned her head to stare at the petite woman with the tidily styled chignon and the powder blue jacket over the trim jeans and had to laugh.

"I'm sure you are. Oh God, Maddy, what the hell am I doing?"

"Saving your family. I saw the look on your mother's face and know that she's very relieved."

"Okay, I'm doing this for my family. Right." Pressing a trembling hand to her stomach, she closed her eyes briefly. "Let's sign on the dotted line. I want to get started as soon as possible."

Outside, Eleanor reached for her friend's hand as they made their way to the vehicle. "It's starting."

"It is." Maeve linked their fingers. "And we're hoping for the best."

"Nonsense, darling. We're hoping for more. I will see you later in the week."

She slid into the back seat as the driver opened the door for her.

Settling back against the snug leather seat, she reached for the glass of champagne Errol held out for her.

"Thanks. What do you think?"

"The contract is iron-clad—"

"Errol, if I wanted your opinion as a lawyer, I would have asked." She told him mildly, eyes laughing at him over the rim. Over the years, he had come to mean a lot to her. After her husband's death, he had been there for her through everything. She knew he had feelings for her and was just now taking notice of it. She had told him she wanted to take things slow—she was determined to see to her son's happiness before taking care of her own.

Lifting the delicate hand she had on the seat between them, he brought it to his lips. "I don't approve of your matchmaking efforts." His blue eyes twinkled. He had loved her for too many years to count, including the time she had been married to his best friend. And would do anything for her. "I don't want it to backfire. And to my knowledge, Conail has no intention of getting involved."

"He will." She uttered confidently.

Chapter 6

"Do you want to give up?" Madeline asked the question quietly as she turned to look at her friend. Summer was passing and the leaves of the trees were changing. The brutal heat was giving way to chills and soggy weather. But even through that, the humidity could be felt. There was a murmur of storms ahead.

"It's been only two months," Yasmine pointed out. Half of the money had already been deposited into her account and was spent. The greenhouse was under construction and two local men had been hired to help till the soil. Repairs were being done on the roof, in case the report and rumors were true about the storm. The doctor and his nurse had been to the farmhouse four times already to check on the status. They had left this morning without saying a word. She had been examined thoroughly with the assurance that nothing was hindering her from getting pregnant. Yet, she wasn't.

"And you're exhausted," her friend pointed out.

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