Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Abby

Six months have flown by and here we are, surrounded by velvet drapes and crystal chandeliers. The ballroom is full of donors with deep pockets and alive with the sound of laughter. I adjust my feathered mask and scan the crowd for familiar faces. It’s the annual Owen Foxworthy Foundation fundraiser, named after our brother who died from ARPKD, and Maggie has outdone herself with this year’s theme of a masquerade ball.

“Any sign of the megabucks donor?” Maggie asks, her eyes twinkling behind her golden mask.

I shake my head. “No idea. For all we know, he could be standing right next to us.”

“Or she,” my sister corrects me playfully. “It’s a shame we’ve never been able to thank them properly. Half a million each year, and we don’t even know the person’s name.”

“Do you think they might be part of the Facebook group?” As the administrator of the official OFF page, I’ve seen firsthand how passionate our supporters are. “Could be any number of people, really.”

“Could be,” she says with a nod. “Keep an eye out for anyone who seems particularly interested in the cause.”

As we continue mingling, a wave of nausea washes over me. I clutch my stomach, scrunching the tight black material of my dress between my fingers as I try to maintain my composure.

Maggie is by my side to steady me in an instant. “What’s the matter? Are you okay?”

“It’s just the fertility drugs,” I reassure her. My periods have always been irregular, so I’ve been started on treatment to ensure I ovulate.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry.” Maggie bites her lip, hesitating before speaking. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I reply with a smile. “It’s only a bit of nausea here and there, and the odd headache. Mostly I’ve just been sort of… frisky lately. No big deal.”

But this doesn’t elicit the smile I’d assumed it would, and I feel my stomach drop with worry as chews her lip and stares at me with an unreadable expression. Oh no, did something else bad happen?

“I, um…I have some news. I was going to wait a few more weeks to be sure, but if the hormones are making you sick…”

I don’t like the sound of this. Especially since she didn’t say it was good news. Still, I’m trying to keep the concern out of my tone. “What is it?”

“I’m, um… I’m pregnant.” She looks at me wide-eyed, half apologetic, half excited. “Looks like the drugs I took for the previous rounds of IVF might have kick started something.”

“Uh,” I manage, shocked to my core and not sure what I’m feeling right now. “Wait, you’re…what?”

“We were so careful, and I wanted to wait a little while to tell you, just in case. But it just happened. I was late last month, and first I thought it was just stress, but then the days kept passing and it still didn’t come and…and I was scared my eggs had all died off or something. I didn’t want to worry you, so I went to the doctor but the tests came back, and she said…well, she said it wasn’t actually all that uncommon for natural pregnancy to occur once the stress of failed IVF treatments finally stopped, and…” Her words were coming out rushed, and at some point she’d come forward and clutched both my hands between hers tightly, as she tried to stem her excitement.

My mind races, trying to process this unexpected information. “Are you serious?”

“Completely serious. It feels like a miracle. A true miracle.”

I’m still shocked, still processing, but I can tell how happy she is, and that makes me smile as I pull her in for a hug. “That’s amazing, Mags. Congrats.”

“We still haven’t passed the danger zone, and anything could happen… I’m trying so hard not to be excited, but this is all thanks to you, sis.”

My brain is still comprehending the news, the miracle that’s occurred and what that means going forward now, but I still find it in myself to snort at her declaration. “Please, Maggie, I literally haven’t done anything yet—”

“You have,” she insists. “Without your support, without your selflessness, I would have never had the stress-free environment that let this happen. You’re the best sister in the entire freaking universe.”

I feel myself blush behind my silver mask as she leans forward and engulfs me in the tightest hug, and I squeeze her back as the news finally settles in my mind. She’s pregnant, she finally did it. She’s getting the family she’s always dreamed of, and I couldn’t be happier for her.

She smiles behind her mask and rests a cautious hand over her still-flat belly as we pull away. “But we should probably wait a while before we celebrate too much. It’s still a high-risk pregnancy. Very high-risk.”

“Right. Of course.” I still can’t help but grin back at her. “We’ll just take it one step at a time.”

Some high-stakes donors approach her then and she turns towards them, but I excuse myself before she introduces me, taking myself outside for some fresh air. I’m happy for my sister—really, truly happy—but I still need a minute to digest the news and what it means for me, particularly since I’ve just started my treatments. Do I stop now? Keep them going just in case anything happens to this new miracle? My mind is racing with worst case, best case, and every unlikely case scenario in between, and I pause to lean against the low, ornate sandstone wall that surrounds the patio outside the doors.

“Beautiful night, isn’t it?” A deep voice with a mild but distinctly Russian accent interrupts my thoughts. A distinctly sexy Russian accent, I have to admit.

I look over to see a tall, masked man standing nearby. His dark suit looks expensive and is perfectly tailored to his muscular body. Between the accent, the body, and the confidently sexy smirk he’s giving me, my curiosity is piqued. My body is reacting, too. Totally blaming it on the hormones.

“Sorry,” I say, extending a hand to shake. “It’s hard to tell with these masks on, but I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Alec.” His big hand covers mine in a firm grip. “Pleased to meet you, Miss Foxworthy.”

That’s the downside to organizing the fundraiser—everyone knows our names even if we don’t know theirs.

I gaze up at him, noticing that his eyes are a warm green behind his half-mask, and find myself curious. I can see the perfectly groomed black hair, the chiseled jaw with just a hint of stubble, the straight nose and softly smiling lips below…but with half his face hidden, I can’t help but feel I’m only seeing half of him.

“Please call me Abby,” I say, still holding onto his hand. Still enjoying the warmth of his touch. “Might be easier to talk if we take off our masks.”

“Might be.” He gives a half shrug, clearly not rising to my bait. Is it so bad that I want to get a better look at him? “But I kind of like the mystery, don’t you?”

“Well, if you won’t give me even a little peek…” I let that hang in the air before nodding, and leaving my own silver mask where it is. “Then yeah, I guess the mystery is also fun. Although it seems a bit unfair that you know exactly who I am, but I only get a peek at you.”

He laughs. “Revealing too much might get us both in trouble. You might not want to associate with a man like me, and I would much rather keep you in conversation a little longer.”

I’m not sure whether I should laugh along with him or be on guard. Surely he’s just playing around with the whole ‘mysterious stranger’ thing, but something about the way he says it makes me side-eye him for a moment.

“That’s a bit dramatic,” I finally say with a smile and a raised eyebrow. I decide we’re playing, because it seems a little unlikely that he’s an escaped convict or anything like that, and I turn to lean a hip against the wall and stare at him more directly. “You’re not dangerous, are you?”

“Not to you, no.”

For some reason a little shiver goes down my spine, and I’m not sure if it’s a warning intuition or a shiver of arousal as his soft, well-shaped lips pull into another slow smile.

“I admire what you and your sister are doing,” he says before I can figure out how to reply to that, and he leans his own hip against the wall in a mirror of my casual stance. “Your cause means a great deal to me.”

I blink. “Really? That’s surprising. I mean,” I pause and shake my head. God, what am I saying? Did those words just come out of my mouth? “Sorry, no. That’s not what I meant. Not surprising. Just, um…”

His charming smile grows a little wider behind his mask. “I understand. But yes, my childhood friend died from ARPKD.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry.”

“It was a long time ago. Sasha and I were close—more like brothers or cousins, really—and I still think about him often. Especially on occasions like this one.”

“I’m sure Sasha would be grateful for what you’re doing,” I say quietly, knowing what it is to lose someone close. “And thank you for your donation.”

He shrugs. “I figure I should do at least some good with my money. In the end, though, it’s just a number. You, however… You provide hope when all seems lost. You’ve dedicated your life to something good, something helpful. It is an incredible thing you do, Abby Foxworthy.”

The compliments and his sincerity have me flustered, but in the best possible way. “I think it’s a beautiful way to honor my brother’s memory, and I think it’s the same for you. For Sasha, I mean. Nobody can do everything, but the fact that you care enough to do what you can… That means something. It does.”

His smile changes somehow, although I can’t put my finger on why. It feels sort of sad, or maybe wistful, and he shakes his head and turns away, leaning his elbows on the wall and looking out into the night.

“Perhaps you would not say so if you knew me better,” he mutters.

“Maybe,” I say as I watch him. “Or maybe I still would.”

He chuckles before turning back to look at me, warm eyes sparkling behind his mask. “You flatter me because I’m a donor. But you and your sister both have done an amazing job, and you should be proud of yourselves. I’ve been following your progress since the beginning, and it’s been incredible to watch how far you’ve come in such a short time.”

I smile at his words, feeling humbled and grateful all at once. It’s moments like this that remind me why I do this work—to make a difference in people’s lives, even if it’s only one person at a time.

Together, Maggie and I have organized successful fundraisers for medical research into ARPKD, provided financial aid to families affected by the disease, worked with hospitals to improve patient care, and established community education programs about living with the disease. We’ve also created a support network for those affected by it and for their families so they can find comfort in knowing they’re not alone in their struggles.

Alec’s admiration for our work fills me with a sense of pride. And the fact that such a handsome man—and probably wealthy, if his expensive suit is anything to go by—is seemingly taken with me enough to compliment me so highly for my work is definitely a bonus.

He has an air of charisma that draws me in, making me want to know even more about him. He really is the whole package, and I can’t help but want to sit here and let him compliment me all night long.

But I know I should get back inside and mingle with the other guests. After all, this is a charity event, and there are people to meet and conversations to be had.

I take one last look at Alec, feeling a twinge of disappointment as we part ways. “Thank you for sharing your story with me,” I say. “I hope we can find more time to talk this evening.”

He gives me a charming smile that sets my heart racing. “I would like that very much, Abby. Until then, enjoy the rest of your evening.”

I watch as he walks away, admiring the way his suit fits him like a glove. I can’t help but wonder who he really is and what he does for a living. There’s something about him that intrigues me, and I can’t wait to find out more.

As I make my way back inside, I can’t help but think about Alec and the way he made me feel. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this kind of attraction to someone, and it both excites and scares me. I can’t even just blame the hormones, because they haven’t exactly made me feel attracted to anyone so far. Just…frisky, in general.

But this is different, I think as I pass through the doors and into the chandelier-lit ballroom, this is most definitely interest in a specific and mysterious stranger who refused to remove his mask.

But I have so much going on in my life right now with the foundation, and now what’s about to come next with Maggie. The last thing I need is to get involved with someone.

But then again, maybe it’s exactly what I need.