Circle of Friends, Part 1

by Susan Mallery

  “The plan is for us to be married for two years, then divorce. I want her to have what Jimmy would have had.”

  Andrew paled. “Half of everything? You’re giving her half of the business? It’s been in your family nearly sixty years. She’s not entitled to half of the company. Community property laws are clear on that.”

  “Not ownership, but an income from the company. I also want a trust fund set up for the child. I’ll fund it now and let it grow. Child support, a house equivalent to mine, plus a monthly allowance for upkeep.”

  Andrew swore. “Generous. I don’t usually have clients trying to give money away at the end of a marriage.”

  “I do my best not to be ordinary.”

  “You’re never that. I can have a draft ready in two days.”

  “That’s fine. I don’t know when the wedding will be, but I’ll keep you informed.”

  Andrew hesitated, then said, “Dev, are you sure? You don’t have to do this.”

  “I want to. Jimmy’s child deserves this.” So did Jimmy, but his brother was no longer around. All Dev could do was wait for the baby to be born and hope things turned out differently. That this time he wouldn’t screw up.

  * * *

  RIVERSIDE HAD STARTED out as a rural community. It was only in the past few years that it had become yet another bedroom community for the ever-growing Los Angeles and Orange counties. But even fifty years ago, there had been those with money and they had built several beautiful neighborhoods with elegant houses situated on massive lots.

  Noelle found herself driving through one of those neighborhoods on her way to Dev’s house. She’d never really been in this part of town before and she wasn’t used to seeing houses with gates and servant’s quarters and such incredible landscaping. If not for the directions she’d gotten off the computer, she would have been totally lost.

  Five minutes before their appointed meeting, she turned into a long driveway, past open wrought-iron gates toward a sprawling one-story house.

  The lawn was the kind of green that only comes when one doesn’t have to sweat the water bill. There were large, mature trees offering shady spots, and several pieces of sculpture for decoration. She saw a life-size casting of a boy and girl stretched out on a bench, each reading a book, and a young boy flying a bronze kite. In her neighborhood, lawn art tended toward pink flamingos, although a lot of people did put out seasonal wreaths or flags.

  She parked, then stepped out of her car. The sweet scent of honeysuckle filled the air. The early evening was still and warm and quiet. This was a great place for kids, she thought, knowing she and her sisters would have loved the open spaces, although the elegant artwork would have been in danger of bodily harm.

  She turned her attention to the one-story house and was grateful it didn’t rise above her in chateaulike splendor. It might go on for miles and miles inside, but with only one level she knew it couldn’t be too scary.

  She walked up the stone steps and paused in front of a large, dark intimidating door. She hadn’t known what to wear for her meeting with Dev. She hadn’t wanted to be too casual, but this wasn’t a date. In the end, she’d chosen a simple, light blue dress with tiny flowers and, despite the heat, a white jacket she’d borrowed from Lily. But even wearing more makeup than usual and high-heeled sandals, she still felt she should pop around back and use the servants’ entrance.

  Instead she knocked and waited until Dev opened the door.

  “Noelle,” he said with a smile. “Thanks for coming.”

  He motioned for her to enter the house, which she did, but speaking was out of the question.

  She’d been so worried about what she was going to wear that she’d forgotten to think about what he might put on. Instead of the dark, elegant suits she was used to, he’d changed into jeans and a Hawaiian shirt. Okay, it was in muted colors and tucked in to show off his flat stomach, but it was still a Hawaiian shirt. There were flowers on it and lots of colors and he was her boss. Bosses like him didn’t wear flowers!

  She did her best to distract herself by turning her attention to the entryway. The walls were cream-colored and the floor was a dark, highly polished hardwood. To her left she saw an elegant formal dining room. To her right, closed French doors leading to an office or study.

  There were carved moldings around the ceiling and elegantly framed paintings and photographs on the wall.

  “Your home is lovely,” she said, feeling both awkward and out of place.

  “Thanks. I’m not taking any credit. My grandfather collected art and passed it on to me. My grandmother is responsible for all the antiques. The most I’ve done is to get a decorator in here to update a few of the rooms. But my idea of high-class is a jukebox and some sports posters.”

  She doubted that, but appreciated his effort to make her feel comfortable. Not that she could ever imagine that happening.

  He led the way into a family room dominated by a huge old Spanish-style fireplace. There were large overstuffed sofas and comfy looking chairs. A built-in case held plenty of electronics, but she didn’t see a television anywhere. She eyed the big painting over the fireplace and wondered if the TV was one of those expensive wall-mounted types, hiding behind art. If she knew Dev better, she would have asked, but as it was, she gingerly settled on the edge of a sofa cushion and wished she knew what to do with her hands.

  “Do you want something to drink?” he asked. “Juice, soda, water?”

  “Just water,” she said.

  “Okay. Be right back.”

  She jumped up to follow him, then sank onto the couch. Her heart pounded in her chest and her throat was so tight, she thought she might choke. If there had been any way out of the situation, she would have bolted for freedom. But all those doors seemed firmly closed, so she was simply going to have to figure out how to get through all this. Maybe in time things would get better.

  He returned with a glass and a bottle of water. “Do you like Mexican food?” he asked.

  She took everything and set it on the coffee table, then nodded. “Do you cook?”

  He chuckled. “I make coffee and pour cereal in a bowl. This is from a great restaurant I’ve been going to for years. I picked up a little bit of everything, so you’ll have a choice.”

  “Thank you.”

  She couldn’t imagine ever eating again, what with the nerves dancing around in her stomach, but she could probably fake eating if she had to.

  Dev sat at the other end of the sofa and faced her. “Noelle, I know this is a difficult situation for both of us. We’re strangers who have agreed to get married for the sake of a child who is probably smaller than a grape right now.”

  The grape reference made her smile and some of her tension eased a little. At least he wasn’t acting like all this was normal. She also appreciated that he was willing to take charge. Right now she couldn’t imagine having to make a bunch of decisions about anything significant.

  “So we’ll go slowly,” he continued. “We have some details to work out, and we’ll get to them, but maybe we should just talk first and get to know each other.”

  “That’s a good idea.” She poured her water, then looked at the glass. “Only I have to tell you something first.”

  She risked glancing at him. He was handsome, she thought, which was interesting but not really important to the matter at hand. Still, if she had to look at a stranger over breakfast for the next two years, Dev was a nice-looking one. He was also kind and obviously loved his brother. More good news.

  He waited patiently while she gathered her thoughts. She half stood, then sank back onto the sofa.

  “I was going to tell you I changed my mind,” she said, forcing herself to meet his dark gaze. “Nothing about this situation feels right to me. We’re not in love. As you just said, we don’t even know each other. While my pregn
ancy is a complication, it doesn’t seem like a big enough one for us to go through with this. I meant what I said before—that marriage is an important and sacred commitment and one I take very seriously.”

  “You think I don’t?” he asked.

  “I didn’t mean that, exactly,” she said, desperately wanting to look away but refusing to.

  “I do take it seriously,” he told her. “I will honor our wedding vows, Noelle. This isn’t a game to me.”

  “I didn’t think it was a game,” she said slowly, feeling that they were offtrack. She’d had a whole speech prepared and—

  “It’s not as if I’ll be dating,” he said.

  Dating? She hadn’t thought about that. He was a man who was used to being with women. Lots of different women. Maybe not at the same time, but still. She looked down and fought a blush.

  “I didn’t think about that,” she admitted. “Your side of it. I... You’ve always had women in your life.” Didn’t he have to have those women for his needs? Weren’t men supposed to have needs? In theory women had needs, too, but based on that single night with Jimmy, she couldn’t imagine why they would want to acknowledge them.

  “You’re asking about sex,” he said bluntly.

  She swallowed, then nodded.

  “I meant what I said,” he told her, using her words. “I’m not doing this to seduce you.”

  She totally believed that. She wasn’t his type at all. But if he wasn’t going to sleep with her and he wasn’t going to date, what was he going to do? Two years was a long time. She couldn’t imagine him simply doing without.

  But there was no way she could ask and they were completely off topic.

  “I appreciate the no dating thing,” she said. “It would be difficult to explain. But that’s not what I wanted to talk about. I wanted to tell you that I’d changed my mind. That I wasn’t willing to go through with this. I went home to talk to my mom and get her to help me figure out how to say all that.”

  She glanced at him and saw him watching her. There was no way she could tell what he was thinking, which was probably a good thing.

  “What happened?” he asked.

  Noelle explained about the job change and the stack of bills. “They’re still paying for my hospital stay and the physical therapy. I feel so horrible about that.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he said. “You didn’t run into the tree on purpose.”

  “I know, but guilt is such a time-honored tradition. Anyway, I realized I couldn’t burden them with another child. In a couple of years, I’ll be on my feet and they won’t have to worry about me.” She glanced down at her lap, then back at him. “I’m taking the easy way out. I wanted you to know that.”

  Noelle spoke with a combination of shame and conviction Dev had never seen before. There had been no reason for her to confess all this to him. He wondered how much of her need to bare all came from her age and how much of it was who she was inside.

  “This is me at my worst,” she continued. “If you can handle that, we’ll be fine.”

  She couldn’t have found it easy to admit what she saw as her worst fault. How many other people would have been willing to be so honest? How many others would have simply taken what was offered?

  Until this moment she’d been little more than the virgin Jimmy had knocked up. Suddenly she was a person, very possibly one he could respect.

  “If this is as bad as it gets,” he said gently, “we won’t have any problem. Don’t worry, Noelle, I have more than my share of faults. They’re just not so easy to define.”

  Her blue eyes widened slightly. “I’ve just admitted I’m using you. How can that be all right?”

  “You’re agreeing to what I offered. There’s a difference. I know exactly what I want and I’m getting it the best way I know how. You’re not using me.”

  “But...”

  He shook his head. “We’re both going to come out ahead on this deal. You’ll get to spare your family the expense of the baby and the embarrassment of their oldest daughter being pregnant and unmarried. I get to take care of my brother’s child, be a part of his or her life and make sure the baby has the family name. It’s a fair trade.”

  “Not for you,” she said stubbornly. “This is costing you a lot.”

  “It’s only money.”

  She stared at him. “How can you say that? It’s a lot of money.”

  He shrugged. “Which I’ve always had. Giving some away isn’t very meaningful because I’ve never done without. I work for a living, but only because I chose to.”

  “You say that as if you don’t like what you do and you don’t work hard. I’ve read the reports and you’ve doubled the size and the profits of the company since you took over. That doesn’t happen by chance.”

  He was surprised she knew that. “My point is, I’ve never done without so I won’t miss what I give you. Don’t make me out to be a hero, Noelle. I’m getting everything I want at very little cost to me. Don’t forget that.”

  * * *

  THEY HAD DINNER in the kitchen. Noelle liked the round table next to the bay window and the view of the side yard, which was probably thirty or forty feet deep.

  They shared fajitas, enchiladas, rice, beans and chips. Dev had a beer with the meal, but didn’t offer her one. She wasn’t surprised—not only was she underage, but she was now pregnant.

  Pregnant—it didn’t seem possible. She didn’t feel any different. But she knew what had happened and her luck wasn’t good enough for the test to be wrong.

  “We have a lot of logistics to work out,” he said. “But I think we’ve dealt with enough stress for tonight. Are you willing to put them off for a while?”

  She nodded. No doubt his logistics were about things like living arrangements and when they would get married. She could go a long time without dealing with those.

  “I don’t have any relatives,” he continued, “but I will have to meet your family.”

  “I know,” she said with a sigh.

  “You could try to be a little enthused,” he teased. “I don’t eat with my hands.”

  She smiled. “I can see you have very nice manners. It’s not that. It’s just...everything. We’re all really close and I don’t know if I can fool them. I mean, they know I’ve been dating someone at work and my mom’s been bugging me to bring him around, but why would they believe you’re interested in me?”

  He frowned. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  She shrugged, not willing to say out loud that she wasn’t all that special. “You’re different from the other guys I’ve dated.”

  “Older, you mean.”

  “Well, that, too.” She wondered if her parents could be tricked. “I’ll write up some information on my parents and sisters for you. Just a few notes so you can convince them we’ve been together for a while.”

  “Good idea. I’ll do the same about myself. We’re going to have to act as if we’re in love.”

  In love. He said the words so easily. She’d never said that to a man. How many times had he whispered the words to someone?

  “What were you like growing up?” she asked instead of dealing with the love issue.

  “I was a typical kid,” he said. “I liked sports, didn’t like school all that much, hated girls, had lots of friends.” He smiled. “I got over the girl thing.”

  She smiled back. “I’ve heard.”

  “My mom died when I was sixteen and Jimmy was six. That changed things.” His expression tightened. “My dad couldn’t handle the pressure, so he took off.”

  “That’s so sad,” she said, not sure how any parent could abandon his children.

  “My grandfather stepped in and he was great. So I did okay, but it was harder for Jimmy. There was the big age difference. We’d still been close until
Dad left. Then we grew apart.” He took a drink. “Maybe he resented me taking over and being in charge. I don’t know. The older he got, the less we got along.”

  Something about the way he told the story made her feel bad. As if he had regrets and they still hurt him. But before she could think of what to ask, the doorbell rang.

  Dev glanced at his watch. “Right on time,” he said as he stood. “Come on. You’ll like this.”

  She had no idea what he was talking about but she followed him into the foyer. He opened the door and shook hands with a small, older man carrying a wide briefcase.

  “Noelle, this is Frank Gaston. He owns Gaston Jewelry.”

  “Mr. Gaston,” she said, shaking hands with him.

  Mr. Gaston smiled at her, then turned to Dev. “She’s very pretty. I hope you’ll be happy together.”

  Dev smiled at her. “I’m sure we will be.” He led the way into the dining room and indicated that Mr. Gaston should put his case on the table.

  “I asked Frank to bring over a selection of engagement rings. I thought this would be easier than going to a store together.” He moved next to her and lowered his voice. “Don’t worry. You don’t have to wear the ring until we’ve figured out how we’re going to tell your family.”

  She nodded because speaking was impossible.

  He was buying her an engagement ring? She’d only been pregnant since that morning. Okay, since she’d been with Jimmy, but she’d only known about it for fourteen hours. Everything was happening so quickly. She felt as if she were living her life on fast-forward. She wanted to slow things down and let her head stop spinning, but Mr. Gaston was already opening the case and asking her if she knew her ring size.

  “Five, I think,” she said, fighting the urge to tuck her hands behind her back. If she didn’t accept a ring, maybe none of this would really happen.

  But then Mr. Gaston held out a plain band to her and she found herself slipping it on her finger.

  The band made it over her knuckle, but it was a tight fit.

  “Five and a half,” the older man said.