Chapter 39

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I wasn't sure what Welch might have discovered about Ella – if that even was her name. Several times over the last two weeks I'd had to stop myself from calling him for an update, but now the time had arrived, I was unsure I wanted to know whatever he'd exposed. With two hours before Welch was due at Medina, I was a nervous mess.

"Are you ok?" Anastasia asked once Gail had left the kitchen area.

I shrugged. I couldn't say yes.

"Why don't you come upstairs? I'll feed Teddy and we can lounge around in bed."

I let Ana lead me up to our son's room. Picking Teddy up from his crib I held him enjoying his clean baby scent. Somehow that helped calm me down.

"No matter what he's discovered, it won't change how we feel about you. You know that, right?" Ana said.

"I know that," I said, still out of sorts.

"Come on. This guy will want my breasts in a minute." Sure enough, Teddy started stirring.

"I understand the appeal, Mrs. Grey," I retorted, following her through to our bedroom where she removed her T-shirt. Cross-legged and bare-chested in our bed, she held her arms out for Teddy, smiling at him as she brought him to her chest.

 Cross-legged and bare-chested in our bed, she held her arms out for Teddy, smiling at him as she brought him to her chest

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Sitting on the sofa in the formal lounge, my knee bounced up and down with nerves. At almost eleven, Welch would be here any moment now.

"Are you sure you want me there?" Ana asked from her place beside me on the sofa.

"Absolutely," I replied unequivocally. "I need you here with me, baby."

Taking Ana's hand in my own, I ran my thumb in circles over her knuckles soothingly. Ironic since I was the one radiating tension! At two minutes to eleven, I heard the front door.

"Mr. Grey? Your mother is here," Gail announced, leading Grace into the lounge room.

"Hello darling, I didn't expect to see you home? I was passing on my way to lunch with your sister and thought I'd drop by and see how Teddy is?"

"Grace," Anastasia greeted standing up and giving my mother a quick hug. "You were right – it was wind! We tried the warm bath, and it did the trick. But he didn't get to sleep until 4:30 am!"

"Which meant neither did we," I added, "so I took the day off."

"Oh! Why don't you all come to lunch with Mia and me? She said you haven't seen her in weeks..." There was a hint of reproach in Mom's tone.

"I've been busy," I said, not meeting her eye. While things would eventually return to normal between Mia and me, I wasn't thrilled with the role she'd played in the bachelor party fiasco. "And we can't lunch today – we have an appointment."

Right on cue, Gail showed Welch in.

"Is this about Ella?" Grace asked, recognizing Welch from her meeting with him, and suspecting the reason for his presence in our home.

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