Vicky looked crushed. “I didn’t think ofthat. I mean, I thought once I proved paternity… wouldn’t that beenough to force their hand?”
Jason shook his head. “Unfortunately, no.They can buy the results that they want from the paternity test andwe don’t have time for that.”
“Then, what am I going to do? Jason, he hasto be the donor!”
“And he will. Your plan is not unworkable.It’s just…incomplete. We might be able to make it work but you’regoing to have to trust me. You’ll need to use the Rutherford familyname. She needs to know that you have the full weight of our familybehind you.”
She was more nervous than ever now. Shedidn’t want to have to drag the Rutherford family into this but,would if it would get her the results she needed. “Jason, I can’tsay the honorable thing and tell you not to get involvedbecause...” Vicky buried her head inside his chest. “I can’t loseAngel. It would break me.”
“Vicky, in my heart you and Angel are alreadyRutherfords. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you or her sothere’s no need for you to ask. As your man, I’m going to doeverything I can to fix this situation.”
Jason sat and just held her for a few momentsuntil she could control her tears. “You okay?”
“Yes.”
“Good because we don’t have any more time towaste. It’s time you called her.” Jason handed Vicky his cellphone. Vicky pulled out Ryan’s business card and dialed the numberon the back. Jason held Vicky the entire time.
“Hello, Mrs. Carter? This is Vicky Martin,you don’t know who I am yet but I need to talk to you.”
“This is Mrs. Carter? I’m sorry do I knowyou?”
“No. You don’t. However, we both have a common interest in senator,Ryan Carter.”
“And exactly what interest might thatbe Ms. Martin?”
Vicky took a deep breath “I don’t really knowhow to say this so I will just say it. I have a daughter that is inneed of a very important surgery. Without it, she will die.However, she has an extremely rare blood type and before they canperform the procedure she will need a blood transfusion…..from herfather. He is a match. I’m calling you because I need Ryan todonate that blood…..for our daughter.”
Alicia was standing next to her bed whenVicky dropped that bit of information. She had to sit down and makesure she’d heard her correctly. “Ms. Martin, are you trying to tellme that Ryan is the father of your child?”
“Yes, I am. Ryan doesn’t have much time tohelp her. He will need to be here in Atlanta within the next fewhours otherwise Angel won’t…survive. I need your help to make thathappen.”
Alicia closed her eyes. She knew that one dayRyan would slip up and make a mess of things. She hoped today wasnot that day. “I’m sorry Ms. Martin. I just don’t believe I can’thelp you. Do you know how many women have called me with some crazystory about my husband? You are not the first and probably won’t bethe last. I hope things work out for you and your daughter but Ican’t help you. Good bye Ms…” Alicia was about to hang up thephone.
“No don’t hang up! Look, I don’t want to haveto do this but Ryan Carter needs to be here for his daughter. Weare at First Methodist Hospital in Atlanta. If Ryan is not here inthe next 3 hours I will be forced to go to the papers with thisstory.”
Alicia hissed at Vicky “You little Bitch! Wehave friends at all of the Minnesota papers. Nobody will print anunsubstantiated story about the future governor of Minnesota!”
“Look, I don’t want to bring this type ofattention to myself or my daughter. But, she is fighting for herlife and I will if I must! I’ll do anything and talk to anyone tosave her life. I have the full support of my fiancé, JasonRutherford and his family John and Miriam Rutherford.”
Alicia paused for a moment. She was veryfamiliar with the Rutherford’s. Especially Jason Rutherford. He wasengaged to Bridget Reed, an old acquaintance from the BrookingsBoard. The Rutherford’s held a lot of clout in Minnesota.
Alicia decided to tread very carefully, “NowI know you are lying. Jason is engaged to a very close friend ofmine.”
“No, Jason is standing right next to me.Would you like to speak to him?”
Alicia was going to call her on her bluff“Yes, I would as a matter of fact.”
“Very well” Vicky handed the phone over toJason.
“Alicia, this is Jason Rutherford. I canunderstand how this may be a shock for you and pretty difficult todigest but time is not on our side. Everything that Vicky has toldyou is the truth. We need your help. No one wished things weredifferent more than we do but Ryan is Angel’s biological father.Without his help we are going to lose our little girl. I will notstand by and watch that happen. So, right now I’m pleading but, ifRyan isn’t here within the next 3 hours, our family, and thatincludes my fiancé, Ms. Martin, as well as MY family will becalling a press conference.”
“Jason, this is so low. How could you dothis? It’s obvious this woman is a gold-digging, social climbingleech. If she isn’t lying, you do realize she most likely trickedRyan and now she has somehow convinced you to marry her! Are youkidding me? What is wrong with you men that you’d allow what’sbetween a woman’s legs to destroy you?”
Alicia closed her eyes and frantically rubbedher forehead. She knew that if this Martin girl had convinced JasonRutherford that the little girl was Ryan’s, then whether the childwas his or not Ms. Martin might be a convincing figure to thepublic. “Let’s
