Page 1 of Love In Harbor Falls
CHAPTER1
Adalyn
I stood in the master bathroom of our multi-million-dollar penthouse, holding the white stick in my hand that I’d held every month for the last year and a half. The same disappointment fell over me as my eyes filled with tears when I saw only one pink line. Anxiously, I waited with the hope that a second line would appear this time. But just like all the other months, it never did.
I threw the stick in the trash can, quietly walked down the stairs, and into my husband’s office, where he was finishing up work for the night.
“Well?” He glanced up at me from behind his black-rimmed glasses.
I shook my head in disappointment as I stood there with my arms folded, trying to hide the overwhelming pain that coursed through me.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, getting up from his seat and wrapping his arms around me. “We can try again next month.”
“It’s been a year and a half, Darren. I don’t understand. The doctor said after my miscarriage that I would have no trouble getting pregnant again.” Tears streamed down my face.
“I know.” He kissed my head. “Maybe the timing isn’t right. Why don’t you go up to bed, and I’ll make you a cup of tea?”
I nodded and headed up the stairs. I suffered a miscarriage two years ago when I was sixteen weeks pregnant. It took me a long time to accept the fact that it wasn’t meant to be. Now, I doubted if I was ever meant to be a mother because now, at the age of thirty-four, my biological clock was ticking away. My previous pregnancy was a surprise and one that wasn’t planned. We’d been married for a little over a year and wanted to wait at least two years before starting a family. But it happened, and I was so happy.
Climbing into bed, I pulled the covers over me and waited for Darren to bring my tea. It was a rare night he was home and not working late at the office, like he did most nights. I reached over to my nightstand and picked up my phone, sending a text to my sister, Hannah, who was a fashion designer living in SoHo. We were only two years apart, and she was my best friend.
“I took another test, and it was negative again.”
“Aw, Addy, I’m sorry. Let’s meet tomorrow morning for breakfast, and we can talk about it.”
“I wish I could, but I have to be at the museum early. A new collection is coming in.”
“Then how about lunch?”
“That might work. I’ll let you know tomorrow.”
“Okay. Chin up. It will happen. Love you, sis.”
“Love you too.”
Darren walked into the room and handed me a cup of piping hot chamomile tea.
“Here you go, sweetheart.”
“Thank you. Are you coming to bed?” I asked with the hope he’d say yes.
“I still have some work to finish, but I’ll be up soon.”
“It’s already eleven o’clock.”
“I know what time it is.” A small smile crossed his lips as he leaned over and kissed my forehead.
When he left the room, I sighed as I brought the cup to my lips and sipped my tea. I needed my husband right now. I needed to feel his arms securely around me as I tried to get over the fact that I wasn’t pregnant again. As much as I wanted to believe that I was his first priority, like he always stated I was, I wasn’t. His number one priority was his work.
He worked for his father’s company—a hedge fund firm that his grandfather started with only one hundred dollars to his name. Once his father retired, Darren became CEO and took over the billion-dollar company. When we first met, I knew his work was important, as was mine at the museum. Both of us were career-driven, which was one reason I fell in love with him. But I knew there were times when our relationship had to come first.
CHAPTER2
Adalyn
I stepped into the museum with my head held high and Louis Vuitton sunglasses that covered my tired eyes. A new art collection was being delivered, and it was my job as an art curator to set up a special exhibition.
“Good morning, darling,” Luis, my assistant, said as he hooked his arm around me. “What’s with the sunglasses? It’s a perfectly cloudy day outside.”