“Yes.”
“There’s nothing I can do to talk you out of it?” Her eyes pled with him and she played with the long chain she always seemed to wear under her shirt.
“I’m not a dirty secret, Lana, and I’m not going to treat you or our child like either of you are.” When he saw a little regret slide onto her face, he hoped it was because they were keeping it a secret and not because of their current situation. “Today would be an ideal time to break the news to your family while everyone’s here.”
She shook her head a little too forcefully. “Not today, it’ll ruin the holiday mood if Cami yells at me.”
He bit back his irritation. “You’re going to run out of excuses soon. Don’t let Cami find out from someone else. She deserves to hear it from you.”
Lana didn’t respond as she headed into the house again.
Blake fought back the twisting he felt in his gut created by dealing with his mom and frustration with his wife, and put on a smile. He’d fake it if he had to; he wasn’t going to pull down anyone else’s holiday.
Lana wasn’t supposed to work that weekend; she wasn’t on call. Still, she couldn’t help but stop at the resort to check on things and spend a little time catching up on the paperwork that never seemed to end. She had only intended to stay for a couple of hours, but before she knew it dinnertime had come and gone and she felt her stomach rumbling.
“Have you been here all day?” Blake asked from her doorway.
“Just a few hours,” she fudged. It had been more like six and the granola bar she’d pulled from her desk drawer was long gone. “I’m finishing up a report I’m supposed to have in to you by Monday. With your parents coming in, I thought you might like to have it earlier. I know things will be a little hectic next week.” As soon as she said it, she realized she shouldn’t have. Even thinking about his parents’ arrival and the subsequent disillusionment made her nerves take over.
“You have no idea.” He studied her for a long moment. “Are you nearly done?”
“Just a few more minutes and I can get out of here.” She tried not to look at him, but couldn’t help glancing his way frequently. Blake was dressed down in jeans and a deep blue sweater that echoed the color of his eyes.
“You need to eat. I’ll order something up and we can go over the report together when you finish it. I’ll be in my office if you want to join me there.” He turned and left the room.
Lana rubbed her chest, as if it would lessen the ache in her heart. In her opinion, she’d spent far too much time with him that week. They did need to review the report, though, since she had a couple of questions for him.
After sending it to him via email, Lana closed up her office and grabbed her coat and purse, locking up behind her.
Blake had pulled a chair around to sit beside his own and gestured to it when she entered his office. “I just opened your email,” he said. “Take a seat while I look it over.”
Before he finished, the wait staff brought up the sandwiches he’d ordered with an enormous piece of chocolate cake for dessert. Lana thanked the young woman while Blake signed the receipt.
They discussed business while they ate; polishing off the sandwiches and cake in no time, then set the tray aside while he discussed projections for the next quarter.
When they finished the discussion, Lana shifted her chair back from his desk. She enjoyed spending time with him too much and knew she should leave before things turned personal.
“Have you told Cami yet?” Blake asked when it was obvious she intended to leave.
“No.” She didn’t have to ask what he was talking about. She picked up her coat and started to slide it on.
“Lana, my parents are going to be here day after tomorrow. You need to tell your sisters.”
“I’m too tired to get into this tonight,” Lana said, her stomach turning. She fought back the emotions that always rose inside her when he reminded her of what they were, what they’d once had. She just couldn’t do it tonight. “Can we argue endlessly another time?”
“It’s always about another time with you,” Blake came around his desk. “I know you’re confused and upset and we have a lot to talk about, but I’ll settle for the biggest issue.”
“We’ve been over this a hundred times,” she said, fumbling with a button.
He intercepted her on the way to the door and stood in front of it. “No, you’ve avoided this discussion a hundred times. You still love me, we’re having a baby together and you refuse to listen to me at all.”
“I don’t love you anymore,” she ground out, though it was a lie.
He whirled to face her. “Really?” He reached for her shoulder, but rather than restraining her as she had first expected, his finger dipped below the collar of her shirt and pulled out the thin golden chain she always wore. Blake tugged on it, and she felt the diamond from her ring scratch her skin even as she reached up to stop him from revealing her secret. He couldn’t really know.
She wasn’t fast enough, though, and he held out the ring set he’d bought her the day after their wedding. It boasted an enormous square-cut diamond, and a gem-encrusted wedding band.
“Why do you still wear this if you don’t love me? You kicked me to the curb a year ago.”
“It’s not how it looks.” Her words were weak; it was exactly how it looked.
His brows lifted. “Don’t give me that.” His free hand dove into his pocket and pulled out a man’s ring that matched her wedding band. “Neither of us has let this go. We both still carry the symbols of our marriage everywhere. There’s something to that, Lana. You have to admit it.”
Lana grabbed the necklace, pulling it from his hand. He let her. “I know what I saw that day.”
“What exactly did you see, Lana?”
There it was, out in the open, the question she’d been avoiding because it forced her to bring up the images. She could still see him leaning brow to brow with Fiona, touching her hand, taking the pencil from her and scribbling something. He’d looked up into her eyes and touched her shoulder in the intimate way of lovers. Lana had seen the same look pass between her father and his mistress and been sure at first that it had been her imagination—only it hadn’t been and this wasn’t either. It couldn’t be. “I saw you whispering with her, touching her and ...” Her jaw slammed shut, unable to continue.
“You saw us discussing a design,” he said, striding to his desk. “Do you want to know what it was?” He yanked open the desk drawer and tossed a cherry-wood box onto the desktop. “Go ahead, open it.”
Lana reigned in the sickness her memory always brought forth and stared at the box, wondering if she could handle anymore. “I really ought to go.”
“Not until you open the box. Just look.” His voice was perfectly controlled, determination on his face as he watched her.
Feeling as if everything were falling apart, she flipped open the wooden box and saw a silver necklace lying inside, a diamond and citrine pendant hanging from it. A matching set of earrings adorned the center of the box. It was exquisite. Perfect. She made herself suck in a breath when she realized she’d not taken one in several seconds.
“Merry Christmas, Lana. Since you wouldn’t let me give them to you last year.” This time his voice was low and a little sad.
Did she believe him? She wasn’t sure, but the thought that he’d actually been ordering her a necklace and not cheating was almost worse than the alternative, when she considered her accusations. On the other hand, he could have bought it afterward, as a cover for his actions. She stepped back from the box, from the desk, and looked at him. “How do I know that’s what you were doing?” And if it were true, why didn’t he come after her when she left?
His brow furrowed in hurt and anger. “Even now you think I’m lying.”
“You have no idea what I saw my dad do, the way he snuggled up to that woman, just the way you did. Or I thought it was.” She paused to consider again how they had interacted and was bewildered b
y the possibilities.
“But you can see there’s a chance you were wrong, can’t you?” He paused as if to give her an opportunity to respond. When she didn’t, his shoulders slumped, but he pushed a little harder. “You have to give me a chance, Lana. You have to give us a chance. What we had ...”
She turned toward the door, but didn’t walk out. She just needed a moment without him in her line of vision to consider it all very carefully. “I’m having an issue with trust right now. I don’t know if I can change that overnight.”
His voice came out soft, beseeching. “I don’t expect you to. Just don’t throw away all possibilities for us.”
She didn’t respond.
“At the very least, think of our child. He or she deserves parents who can at least communicate. We can start with friendship and work our way to more, if you want to.”
The yearning in her heart was so strong it was all she could do to hold back. She couldn’t throw away her pride and return to him if she wasn’t sure, absolutely sure that she could trust him. No matter what she’d told herself, she didn’t think she could ever be just friends with him. “I need to think it over, Blake. Give me a few days.”
He let out a deep breath and his voice filled with disappointment. “If that’s what you need, it’s yours. But I’m still telling my parents this week.”
She hoped he was serious about giving her a little time, because she couldn’t handle him pushing her again before she’d had a chance to get it all straight in her own head. Lana nodded and headed for the door, leaving the jewelry where it was.
“You don’t like the necklace?” he asked.
“No, yes. I mean, it’s beautiful. So are the earrings. They’re all perfect.” And that made her feel even worse if he was telling the truth about Fiona. She looked back at him. “But I can’t take them if I might not give you what you want. You hold onto it for now.”
The snap of the box shutting followed her into the reception area between their offices and was almost as loud and final as the click of the outer door closing behind her a moment later.
Blake greeted his parents in the hotel lobby, kissing his mother’s cheek and sharing a quick, manly hug with his father. Standing beside his mother was her personal assistant, a sweet blond dressed in a crisp blue dress-suit without a wrinkle in evidence, despite the long flight. Charity, he remembered and greeted her by name. “It’s nice to meet you again.”
“Thank you.” Charity looked around her, her gaze encompassing the surroundings. “It’s a beautiful hotel. You must be very proud to be working here. Getting the place ready to open must have been quite a project.”
“Yes, it was. But it was very rewarding seeing it all come together. I’m afraid I got the best part of the project—Mr. DiCarlo had most of the red tape and muddy site considerations to deal with.” He slid away from the topic and turned to his father, who was still a little stiff when discussion came up about the hotel. He’d been trying to acquire the same piece of land for the hotel chain he worked for, but had been outbid and outmaneuvered by the wily George DiCarlo. The two men had been long-time rivals and his father hadn’t been quick to get over the loss of the property, though publicly he claimed it had been only one of several locations they were considering it that he was much happier with their new location in New Mexico.
“I hope your flight was comfortable.” Blake took the key cards for his parents’ and Charity’s rooms and gestured to the bell boy, who had already loaded all of their bags onto a cart. “Let me show you your rooms. I made sure everything was in place about an hour ago.” He’d talked to Jonquil about fresh flowers, Rosemary about a fruit basket, and Sage about some special toiletries that would impress his mother. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to find fault with the accommodations.
“I’m sure it will be just fine, sweetie,” his mother said. She took his arm, leaving her husband and assistant to trail behind them. Though her husband was the one with the important job, Juliette held leadership positions in an impressive array of social organizations and charities. She often left Charity home for a day or two, but this time insisted she couldn’t be separated from her assistant, whose duties veered into nearly every realm.
Charity was young to have obtained a job with his mother—whose assistants were usually much closer to her own age rather than a few years Blake’s junior, but she was the daughter of a friend, and from the way Juliette had been pushing him toward Charity the past few times they’d been in proximity, Blake knew his mother had ulterior motives.
Charity was a nice girl, very organized, friendly and skilled at handling his mother—a major benefit. Unfortunately, he just wasn’t interested, and doubted he would have been even if Lantana had never come into his life.
Since Charity’s room was on the way to his parents’ suite, Blake stopped there and let her take a look around. The bell hop dropped off her things, then followed down the hall to the Bahlmann’s suite.
Though Blake had double-checked every detail of the room himself less than an hour earlier, he took another cursory glance around as his parents scrutinized the room. Everything was in order from the flowers on down.
“It’s nice enough, Blake,” Juliette said in vague satisfaction. “It’ll do just fine. Now, do say you’ll join us for dinner tonight.” She touched his wrist, then gestured expansively. “I so need a chance to catch up with you. This place is a world removed from Georgia. I’ve never been so cold, and the snow just piles all around you, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does. But that brings a lot of skiers, which is good for business.” He smiled pleasantly, knowing she was there to visit him, not to involve herself in outdoor activities, and some complaint about the weather was inevitable.
“Always the bottom line for you, isn’t it?” she said with a pat on his cheek. “Just like your father that way,”
He smiled tightened, but didn’t respond. His father started complaining about the view, the temperature of the room and the inconvenience of the room layout. Charity joined them a moment later after dropping off her things in her suite and interrupted his father’s lists of room defects—all of which were in his imagination.
“I ought to get back to work. I have a conference call in a few minutes,” Blake said when the bell hop was long gone.
“I hope we’re going to see something of you while we’re here.” His mother frowned. “You’re always so busy.” She ran a finger over the rim of the lamp, then studied her finger, checking for dust. Her dissatisfied expression didn’t give away whether she found dust and was unhappy, or didn’t and was unimpressed.
“Of course I’ll be around, Mother. I’ll join you for dinner.” He leaned in and gave her cheek another kiss. “See you in a couple of hours. Six as usual?”
“Yes, dear. I’m sure you and Charity will have a lot to catch up on.”
Blake merely smiled as he exited the room, though he was already starting to wonder if these would be four insanely long days. Yes, he and Charity would have a lot to catch up on, if he had any intention of getting to know her better—which he didn’t.
He considered the dilemma as he took the elevator back to his office on the second floor. Making a decision, he walked past the office manager and into Lana’s office without pausing to check her schedule.
“You have a moment?” he asked when she looked up from the papers on her desk.
She sat back in her chair, her eyebrows rising. “If it’s only going to be a moment. I have a lot of paperwork.”
“I can be direct.” He shut the door to give them audio privacy, even if the window in the door meant others could see them interact. “My mother expects me to join her for dinner at six where she intends to throw me together with Charity. I’d like it if you joined us.”
Her brows lifted in a mix of surprise and disbelief. “So I can watch a gorgeous young woman flirt with you all evening. That sound like so much fun.” Lana’s tone and expression said the exact opposite.
; He scowled. “I’m not going to flirt with Charity when I have you—and before you argue that I don’t have you, we are still married, technically, and we’re having a baby and that’s close enough for me.”
She held his gaze for a long moment, then finally nodded in acceptance. “Are you still planning to tell them about us and the baby tonight?”
He hesitated. “They’re here until Saturday. I’ll keep news of the marriage and baby until Friday night to give you a little more time, but I won’t let them leave without knowing.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue or try to talk him out of making the revelation. “Then you don’t need me there tonight.”
Blake continued, “This child is going to be their grandchild, I would like you to get to know them better. They’ll be a part of our son or daughter’s life—and therefore your life—and it’s important to me that you can get along.”
She pressed her lips in a tight line for a long moment. “How do you intend to explain my presence without telling them about the baby or the marriage?”
Blake walked around the desk, sitting on the corner, so close in front of her that she shifted back a little as if she felt hemmed in, despite the escape route around the back of the chair. “I thought I’d make it clear that I love you, and you’re part of my life,” he said. “We can tell them about the rest later.”
She clasped her hands on her lap, squeezing her fingers together until they turned white. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. It’s going to make things with Charity awfully hard, isn’t it?” She gave him a half smile, though the joke fell flat.
Her flippant attitude irritated him, but he didn’t let it into his voice. “Lana, don’t be an idiot.”
A smile teased her mouth in response. “I’m still not sure how I feel about us.”
“You don’t have to decide right away, just give me a chance to show you what I am.”
Lana licked her lips and nodded. “I’ll be there, and I’ll do my best.”
Reclaiming His Bride (DiCarlo Brides book 3) (The DiCarlo Brides) Page 10
