by Ginny Baird
“Relax,” William’s brown eyes twinkled. “You won’t break her.”
Derrick held her closer, jostling Julia gently in his arms and she made another sweet baby sound. “You like this, huh?” he whispered softly. “You like your Uncle Derrick?”
She made a little gurgling noise, but it came from the bottom end. And then there was that rank stench. Definitely not peanut butter. “Maybe we need to get on with it?” he said, staring pleadingly at William.
William chortled, holding his sides. “If a picture’s worth a million bucks it would be of your face.”
Derrick set his jaw, telling himself he could do this. He could do just about anything when he put his mind to it.
“Support her head when you lay her down,” William said.
Derrick nodded and held his breath. Then he tenderly removed the diaper and got to work.
…
Meredith carried two of the newly cleaned up baby dolls through the hall and toward the den. Sally was a few steps ahead of her. The two of them had bathed the dolls in dish soap and warm water before drying them off and giving them fresh diapers. While they did that, Grandmother Margaret had tended to her dinner preparations. She’d ordered a huge lasagna from a caterer’s and now had it warming in the oven. Since she knew she’d be busy with the baby shower this afternoon, she’d thought to plan ahead.
Sally walked into the den as Meredith heard footsteps on the stairs. She peered up the staircase and suddenly couldn’t believe her eyes. William and Derrick were coming toward her, but it wasn’t William holding Julia. It was Derrick.
“Well, hello,” she said with unmasked surprise. “What’s going on?”
Derrick held Julia protectively against his strong shoulder. “Just doing a little diaper duty.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Diapering? You?”
He chuckled at her reaction and so did William.
“No worries,” William said. “He was very gentle. A lot gentler than”—he paused to laugh some more—“he was outdoors.”
“That’s a relief!” she replied, chuckling.
They reached the bottom of the stairs and Meredith scanned Julia from top to bottom. The infant appeared contented, even a little drowsy, sagging against Derrick in a relaxed way. Her heart melted at the scene, because it was so easy to picture Derrick adoring a child of his own. He was going to make a really great daddy someday. She felt a tug at her heartstrings, when she realized that any babies he’d be making wouldn’t be with her.
She glanced down at the plastic baby dolls she held, getting a grip on reality and the moment at hand. “I’d better get the twins back outside,” she said lightly. “Sally says they’re needed on the porch.”
“Oh boy,” William said. “Not more changing games?”
“Don’t think so.” Meredith laughed. “Just as decorations at this point.”
William went into the den and Derrick paused in the hall with Meredith, while holding his sweet baby bundle.
“You seem to be doing very well with her,” she said about Julia.
“I was only getting warmed up outside.” He winked, and her face felt flushed as she thought again about what a great dad he would make.
Julia gave a soft coo and he chuckled, patting her back. “Hey, little nugget. You having a good baby shower?”
Meredith grinned up at him. “I think she’s having the best.”
“How about you?” he asked. “Having fun?”
“Yeah.” Heat swept her cheeks. “You?”
“Loved the diapering game.”
“Did not.”
His voice got husky. “Loved working with you.”
He stared down and into her eyes in such an honest, telling way, she couldn’t help but wonder…no, hope…that maybe more was going on. Was he starting to like her? Really like her, like she was beginning to fall for him? When they’d been outside in the yard, there’d been that moment after the games. But no. That would be terrible. She couldn’t ruin things for Derrick and Olivia.
“There you are!” Sofia said, discovering them in the hall. “I was just looking for Julia.” Her gaze fell on Derrick and she shot him an admiring look. “Well, well, well. What’s this?”
Derrick and Meredith followed Sofia back into the den, where William laid his hand on Derrick’s free shoulder. “Announcement, everyone! My little brother just changed a baby. A real one this time, and he did a great job.”
Olivia entered the den from outdoors and her mouth fell open. Surprised by Derrick’s baby-tending skills, perhaps? Surprised and probably pleased. Of course she would be. What a happy snapshot of the future Derrick made, holding his tiny niece. Meredith’s heart thudded in a dull ache when a stunning realization hit her. She was starting to wish that would be her future, and not Olivia’s.
…
Derrick sat next to Olivia again at dinner, but his gaze kept wandering across the table to Meredith. He’d never seen her laughing as much as she had this afternoon, and he’d liked it. She’d been spontaneous and carefree, diving in with both feet and getting soaking wet. Olivia had participated, too, but every other second, it seemed, she was complaining. Which was fine. Boisterous group games weren’t everyone’s scene. It was the Albrights’ family’s scene, though.
Olivia should know that. While she hadn’t been around them in years, Derrick’s family basically hadn’t changed. Then again, Olivia had never totally fit in, not even back then. But that was pretty minor in the scale of things. What mattered was that she’d fit in with him. She’d been his first love. He’d never fallen harder. Until… He shifted in his chair recalling the look in Meredith’s eyes when she’d seen him in the hall holding Julia.
It had been a short moment but had somehow felt special between them. Intimate. He was proud of the job he’d done in taking care of Julia. He could tell Meredith admired him for it, and her admiration had warmed his heart.
Meredith laughed at some joke William made, and her eyes sparkled in the candlelight. He’d always known she was attractive, but he’d never fully given her credit for how beautiful she was with her long dark hair and that bold, beautiful smile of hers. Then again, Olivia was really great-looking, too, and she was the one he was supposed to be making an effort with.
She leaned toward him and whispered, “I love being around your family. They’re so much fun.”
Did she mean that? “Yeah, but a little rowdy sometimes.”
“A lot rowdy,” she said, her tone bordering on disapproval and Derrick winced. “Not that I mind it!” she self-corrected. “I think they’re—great.”
After the meal, Derrick and Sally offered to carry the dirty dishes into the kitchen. Once it was just the two of them there, Sally said, “Interesting seeing you and Olivia back together.”
“We’re not ‘back together’ yet.”
“She’s here. That must mean something.”
“Mostly, it means she came for Julia’s christening.”
Sally set her stack of dishes by the sink and began rinsing them off. Derrick opened the dishwasher and started loading it as she handed him things. “Grandmother says Meredith’s mission is two-fold. Is it true that her show might get syndicated?”
“Yeah, that’s what she’s hoping.”
“Well good for her!” Sally smiled and continued working. “I like Meredith. She’s fun.”
“I’ve always liked Mer… Meredith, too,” he said, his throat going raspy.
“Liar,” Sally said, but she was laughing. “I was here last summer.”
“Yeah, and so was I.” His mind drifted back to that moment on the dock and the urge he’d had to kiss her. He’d had that same urge today after the baby game, but the timing had been so wrong and they’d been surrounded by all the others.
“How about Olivia?” he asked Sally, wanting to get to the bottom of this.
“How about her?”
“Come on, you know what I mean. Do you like her? Do you think she’s fun?”
“Um.” Sally pursed her lips. “Olivia and I have never totally seen eye to eye.”
“Yeah, and why is that?”
“I’ve never told anyone in the family this, but of course Sofia knows. When Olivia interned at our office, her work was very slipshod, Derrick. Sofia took her under her wing…cut her a lot more slack than I did. I actually don’t think her heart was in it. Going into the law.”
“That can’t be all there is.”
Sally blew out a breath. “Okay. I’ll spill.” She met his eyes, looking so much like their mom, but years younger. “I never thought she was right for you.”
“What? Why not?”
“I mean, physical attraction’s fine. I get that she’s very pretty.”
“But—?”
“She doesn’t appreciate you, Derrick, and all your talents. Never has. Olivia is all about herself.”
He found that hard to believe. “Wait. Does Mom think that, too?”
Sally’s eyebrows arched but she didn’t betray whatever she and their mom had talked about.
“Well, maybe things have changed,” he said a bit too defensively.
“Hmm.” Sally shrugged, but she’d planted a seed of doubt in his heart. “Maybe.”
…
They had dessert and gifts in the den after dinner. Grandmother Margaret had ordered a sweet “It’s a Girl” baby shower cake from the same bakery where she’d picked up the other goodies, and everyone had a slice. Derrick tried not to think about Sally’s comments in the kitchen but they niggled at him just the same.
“You all right there, bro?” Brent asked quietly, leaning toward him where they sat on one of the sofas.
“Yeah, fine. Why?”
“Not sure. You just seem a little quiet.”
“It’s a baby shower, Brent.”
“Gotcha.” His brother chuckled. “It’s left me pretty speechless, too.”
Olivia was in a club chair on Derrick’s other side, fawning over each new unwrapped present, while Meredith eyed her skeptically from across the room. Sally wasn’t the only one who didn’t cotton to Olivia. He had a sneaking suspicion that Meredith didn’t like her much, either. Yet, he didn’t know why. It wasn’t like Meredith and Olivia had a history together the way Sally and Olivia did. The only thing Olivia and Meredith had in common was him.
Meredith caught Derrick looking at her and she smiled. It wasn’t a fake smile, either, but a genuine one like she was having a really great time. Olivia pasted on a sunny face but it was hard to know what was going on underneath. Her veneer wasn’t tougher than Meredith’s, because—there was no denying it—Meredith was tough. It was more like it was harder to see who Olivia really was on the inside. With Meredith, her personality bubbled up to the surface like an erupting volcano, whether she wanted it to or not.
He remembered Meredith’s advice to him about making Olivia believe he really noticed things about her. He’d not been doing such a great job with that and he needed to work harder. He’d do well to focus on the goal of them getting to know each other again, seeing if there’s something still there, instead of letting ridiculous notions pop into his head about kissing Meredith. Even though they were getting along better, Meredith didn’t like him in a romantic sense. She was putting up with him in interest of her television deal.
He needed to keep that front and center in his mind. Meredith was here for one reason and one reason only—her career. Helping him with his love life was a convenient way to further that goal. Would she be at this baby shower if she hadn’t lied to save face about her lack of relationship? No. If she’d actually been thinking about him, she’d have reached out without needing his services as a fake fiancé.
The idea that Olivia had floated about Meredith having an interest in him was flat-out wrong. Olivia didn’t know Meredith like he did. Amazingly, he was getting to know her pretty well. He knew that she was smart and funny, and that she had a great sense of humor. She was certainly a lot of fun to be around. More fun than he might have imagined last summer, when neither of them had been able to resist taking pot-shots at the other.
His mouth twitched when he realized he’d actually enjoyed some of that bantering, too. If hindsight were foresight, he might have followed through on that attraction by taking her in his arms on the dock in the moonlight. But their relationship probably wouldn’t have gone anywhere then, just like it wasn’t going anywhere now. If “Matchmaker Meredith” had a million matches to choose from, it was very unlikely she’d pick him.
He frowned. Once she hit it big, and she became more of a known celebrity than she was already, she was going to have more options than ever.
Chapter Twenty-Two
The evening wound down, with folks breaking off to say goodnight. All the presents had been unwrapped and their dessert plates were empty. Sally gave Julia a cute baby outfit, and his grandparents, her first U.S. Savings Bond, which was honestly so them. Meredith and her aunt had picked out some classic baby books, and Olivia had thoughtfully purchased an assortment of “spa day” items for Sofia, so the new mom could pamper herself. Derrick told Sofia and William that he’d bring his present by tomorrow.
Everyone thanked Sally for the party and Grandmother Margaret for the great meal, before parting with hugs and goodbyes. Meredith waited in his SUV while he said good night to Olivia near the path to the guesthouse.
“What a great day,” she said, grinning up at him. Olivia removed her hat and auburn hair spilled past her shoulders. “Really memorable, all of it.”
Derrick nodded. “I know Sofia appreciates you being here. William, too.”
“Julia’s adorable.”
“Yeah, she is.” He tried to drum up his enthusiasm for “romancing her.” It was all about the little things he needed to pay attention to. He studied her green eyes, hunting for something flattering to say, but commenting on their color seemed lame.
“You’ve changed your eyebrows,” he said, noticing the finely arched lines.
Her hand shot up covering them. “My what?”
“Your eyebrows. Are they different?”
She flushed self-consciously. “I’ve been going to a different salon for threading.”
“Threading? What’s that?”
Her color deepened. “Never mind.”
“In any case. I just wanted to say…you look very nice.” He cleared his throat. “Even better than before.”
“Oh well, thanks.” She viewed him curiously. “You look great, too.”
“But it’s not all about looks, is it?” Sally had been wrong about that. Dead wrong. There was a lot more to him and Olivia than physical attraction. Wasn’t there? And where was that physical attraction anyway? As beautiful as she was, he wasn’t feeling it.
“What? No. Of course not.”
“What matters most is who we are inside.”
“Yes.”
“And that is?”
She eyed him suspiciously. “Is this a trick question?”
“No, I…” Derrick pursed his lips. “I just wanted to point out what matters.” And maybe find something new to grab hold of, because so far, things had felt just like they had ten years ago when they’d separated. Only minus the heated animosity.
“Derrick,” she said seriously. “It’s what’s inside of us that first drew us together. Our passion! Our spark!”
He shifted on his feet, knowing those things were great. But they weren’t exactly standalones.
“We’ve always had that.” She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. “Can’t you still feel it?”
Uh no. The fact was he didn’t. Not exactly.
But he would need to soon—if they were going to have a shot at reconnecting.
<
br /> She tilted up her chin and he got what she was hoping for.
She was angling for a kiss.
His throat tightened. No. This was wrong.
He abruptly stepped back and her hand dropped to her side.
“I’m sorry, Olivia.” He swallowed hard. “I think we’d better call it a night.”
She looked crestfallen and he felt like a heel for hurting her. “Going already?”
“Meredith’s waiting. I need to drive her home.”
“Funny how she’s staying at the cabin,” Olivia said.
“I already explained that. We’re friends.”
He understood that he needed to tell her about the fake fiancé story before she stumbled across it herself, but now didn’t seem like the right time. Not with Meredith sitting in his SUV. He wanted time to calmly talk to Olivia, hopefully without any of that shouting that used to transpire between them.
“You and I need to talk,” he started and then realized how ominous that sounded. “I mean, there are some things I need to tell you.”
“But not now?” she said, looking disappointed.
“It might take longer than a minute.”
“And a minute’s all you’ve got, isn’t it?”
“At the moment, yeah.”
“Okay fine.” She sighed, sounding resigned. “I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow. Yeah.” He backed away. “See ya.”
As soon as she headed toward the carriage house, Derrick climbed into his SUV and slammed shut the door.
“Everything okay?”
He glanced at Meredith as she sat in the shadows. He was so jumbled up in his head, talking was the last thing he wanted to do. “Yeah. Sure.”
“Things went pretty well today with Olivia, huh?”
He made a three-point turn in the drive. Not really. “Yep.”
From his sideview he saw her adjusting her seatbelt. “The frozen yogurt must have been good.”
“It was.”
