Circle of Friends, Part 1

by Susan Mallery

  “That’s fast,” she murmured.

  Las Vegas. She had an immediate picture of a tacky chapel and an Elvis impersonator performing the ceremony. A far cry from the large, elegant affair she’d always pictured for herself. She imagined her sisters as her bridesmaids and her father giving her away.

  Dev surprised her by reaching across the table and touching her hand. “You’ll have your dream wedding next time,” he said.

  How had he known what she was thinking? “Las Vegas is fine. It makes the most sense.”

  His dark gaze settled on her face. “I thought we’d wait until we’d been married a few weeks before telling your family about the baby.”

  She nodded slowly, liking the warmth of his fingers on hers. “That’s for the best. The wedding will be enough for them to take in at first.”

  She didn’t want to think about how everyone would react. Her mother would be hurt to be excluded from such an important event and her father...her father would want to be sure she really loved Dev.

  She didn’t know how she was going to get around that question, so she would have to do her best to avoid it.

  So much to think about, she thought as their salads arrived. So much change so quickly.

  “I thought it would be less complicated to tell your parents after the fact about the wedding,” he said. “When we get back, we can drive over and tell them it’s done. Then you’ll move into the house.”

  Noelle put down her fork and stared at him. Of course she’d known that getting married meant living in the same house, but she hadn’t thought through the reality of moving into Dev’s home or moving out of her own.

  “There are two guestrooms joined by a bathroom,” he continued. “That should work for you and the baby. I have a cleaning service that comes in once a week.”

  She knew people hired them, but she didn’t know anyone who did. “I can clean the house,” she told him.

  He smiled. “You don’t have to. The house is big, plus there’s the pool house. Besides, you’ll be busy with college and the baby. Your education is important, Noelle. I know getting pregnant screwed up your plan, but I want to make sure when we get divorced, you’re well on your way to achieving all you want.”

  “I find it hard to talk about getting married and divorced in the same conversation,” she admitted. “I saw a couple of my friends yesterday and I’m going to ask you the same question they asked me. Are you crazy?”

  “Not that I’m aware of, although I’ve heard the psychiatric patient is always the last to know. What are you worried about?”

  She liked that he didn’t dismiss her concerns or try to convince her everything was fine.

  “Nothing specific, just this isn’t anything I ever thought I’d do. I don’t know how I feel anymore. The baby isn’t real to me. I haven’t had any symptoms. Just what that stick told me.”

  “Do you think the stick is wrong?”

  She shook her head. “No, I’m guessing it’s right. We’re talking about getting married and I don’t even know how old you are.”

  “Thirty.”

  Okay. One question down, four thousand left. “What do you expect from me when we’re married? You have a cleaning service. Do I greet you at the door and ask you about your day? Have dinner ready? Is our marriage going to be more Brady Bunch or Married with Children?”

  “How about The Simpsons? I think you’d look great with blue hair.”

  She eyed him. The humor surprised her, but in a good way. “You don’t look anything like Homer.”

  “I could try.”

  “Please don’t.” Dev was handsome and elegant, in a James Bond sort of way.

  “Noelle, we’ll make this relationship what we want it to be. I’d like us to be friends first. That’s going to take some time. If you want to cook, I won’t say no. I’m tired of take-out and frozen dinners. If you aren’t interested, that’s fine, too. I don’t have any rules.”

  “But I like rules,” she told him. “I like things neatly defined.”

  “An unexpected pregnancy has a way of changing the rules.”

  She knew he was right. “What about decorating or entertaining?”

  “You can change anything in the house except my study. I have the name of the designer I used. You can call her or pick someone else, or do it yourself. As for entertaining...” He hesitated. “Let’s get used to being married, first.”

  “Okay.” She drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. “You know, you can change your mind about marrying me.”

  He shook his head. “I’m committed to this, Noelle. Are you?”

  Sometimes she felt she was doing the right thing and others she felt she was flirting with disaster. But she’d made up her mind and given her word and she was going to keep it.

  “This is what I want,” she said.

  “Then Marge and Homer Simpson it is.”

  * * *

  NOELLE CHECKED THE purchase order against the packing slip, then compared both with the bill from the supplier. Part of her job included random audits on all the departments. The computer would generate a list of purchases or sales every month and she would walk through the entire process to make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. She then wrote up a report for Katherine, her boss, who passed it along to Dev.

  In the past, she’d never much thought about him reading her findings or critiquing them. All her feedback came through Katherine. But now all that was different—at least on her end. Did Dev notice the e-mails that came from her? Did he think of her differently now?

  Not that she would ask, she thought humorously. There were already enough awkward conversations without her throwing one more into the mix.

  Katherine, a tall blonde in her late fifties, paused by Noelle’s desk. “If you have a minute, could I see you in my office?”

  “Sure.” Noelle saved her work on the computer and followed her boss down the hallway.

  Katherine’s office was next to Dev’s and while smaller, was still bright and beautifully decorated. The muted colors blended with the dark wood furniture. Had Noelle wanted to stay in business, she thought that Katherine would be the perfect role model. The woman had started out working in shipping and had risen to be second in command to the president of the company. Nothing happened at Hunter Manufacturing without Katherine knowing about it.

  Noelle sat on the chair opposite the desk and waited. Katherine smiled at her.

  “Dev’s gone this afternoon,” she began. “I’m telling you that so you won’t worry about him interrupting us or hearing our conversation.”

  Okay, so they weren’t going to discuss Noelle’s performance. “All right.” Then she realized that Katherine and Dev had been working together for years and it was very likely he’d told her about the impending marriage.

  Katherine confirmed her guess when she said, “I understand congratulations are in order.”

  Noelle shifted in her seat. What on earth was she supposed to say? “I know it probably seems fast,” she mumbled. What would Katherine think of her?

  But her boss’s eyes remained kind. “Life has a way of making things interesting. Still, I can’t tell you how sorry I am to lose you.”

  “I’m not excited about quitting, either,” Noelle admitted. “But under the circumstances, it seemed best.” Being Dev’s assistant’s secretary would be more than a little awkward once the marriage took place.

  Katherine studied her intently. “I knew you were dating Jimmy. He was an interesting young man. Dev put a lot of effort into his brother.” She paused. “Jimmy was fun, but not necessarily someone you would want to trust with your future. Dev is a good man. I’ve known him since he was a teenager. You can trust him, Noelle. I wanted to wish you the best and tell you that I hope you’ll consider the possibilities.”
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br />   Noelle didn’t know what to say. Had Katherine guessed some version of the truth? It sounded like it. Noelle was confident Dev wouldn’t say anything without telling her first.

  “I agree Dev is a good man.” That fact made all of this possible.

  “He deserves someone to love him. There have been...disappointments in his life.”

  Disappointments? More than Jimmy’s death?

  It occurred to Noelle that she knew very little about the man she would be marrying. He took responsibility, he was kind, but who was he really?

  Katherine smiled. “I think the two of you will be very happy together.”

  “Thank you,” Noelle murmured and found herself wishing that were possible.

  * * *

  UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, Dev would consider himself something of a catch. He had a career, owned a successful business and whoever married him would never want for money. He thought of himself as a good person at heart, although there were plenty of flaws. Still, he’d never had a problem attracting or keeping women around.

  He’d also never dated a minister’s daughter before and wondered what, exactly, Noelle’s parents would make of him. He was a few years older, but that could be a plus. They didn’t know about the baby, so they wouldn’t be expecting a sudden wedding.

  As he parked in front of the modest two-story home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, he reminded himself that he was doing the right thing for the right reason. Somehow he would convince Noelle’s parents that they were made for each other.

  At least he should have an easier time of it than Jimmy would have. His little brother had been every parent’s nightmare. Wild, hard-living and willing to do anything on a bet. Not a recipe for happiness.

  An unexpected pang of loneliness startled him. Damn. He didn’t want to miss his brother, but it seemed that he didn’t have a choice. Just when he least expected it, he found himself wanting to tell Jimmy something. Like now. His brother would think the entire situation was a badass joke.

  Or would he? Maybe Jimmy would resent Dev stepping in for him—taking what should have been his.

  As he climbed from the car, Noelle burst out of the front of the house.

  “You’re here,” she said as she approached.

  “Did you doubt me?”

  “I thought about running away,” she said with a smile that didn’t erase the fear in her eyes. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through.” She glanced back at the house. “Okay, everyone is here. It’s just a barbecue, right? No big deal. My parents are really nice. My sisters will try to torture you, but don’t let them. I’m pretty sure I’ve already told you everything you need to know.” She bit her lower lip. “Do you think we can fake them out? I don’t know if I can. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m afraid I’ll throw up.”

  She was the most honest woman he’d ever known, he thought humorously. No one else he’d ever dated would have confessed any of that—especially the throwing up part.

  She looked pretty in a pale summer dress, with her long hair in a loose disarray of curls. Her eyes were dark with apprehension and her mouth trembled.

  His gaze settled on her lips, and without thinking, he bent down and kissed her. The light touch was meant only to distract her, although he enjoyed the brief sensation of softness and heat, and wouldn’t mind repeating it. Not that he would.

  Apparently it worked because confusion and shock replaced the fear.

  “You kissed me,” she said as if she could barely believe it.

  “Is that a problem?”

  “What? No. It’s good, in case anyone was watching.”

  “Now breathe and relax. We’ll be fine.”

  Fine? Fine? Noelle could think of a lot of words, but fine wasn’t one of them. Devlin Hunter had kissed her. On the lips. And she’d liked it.

  Oh, sure, it obviously hadn’t been significant, but still. Now he’d taken her hand in his and they were walking toward the house.

  The handholding, like the kiss, didn’t mean anything. From what she’d seen so far, he was a man who liked to touch. That was good to know because when the baby came he or she was going to need a lot of physical contact. She liked that Dev wouldn’t be a standoffish father. The fact that his almost brotherly kiss had caused her brain to shut down was immaterial. And strange.

  As they reached the front door, she had the sudden horrifying thought that there was the tiniest possibility that she was attracted to Dev. But she’d been dating Jimmy and was carrying Jimmy’s baby. And Dev was only doing this to take responsibility—something he did on a regular basis.

  They had a very logical, well-thought-out agreement. There was no way she was going to muddle that by being attracted to him. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t what she wanted.

  Just a fluke, she told herself. Nothing more. And as of this exact moment, it would never happen again.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  NOELLE HYPERVENTILATED ALL the way to the front door. She was nervous and scared and still wondering about the kiss. But before she could pick a dominant emotion, they were in the house, and Tiffany, the baby of the family and already annoying at fifteen, yelled, “Noelle’s boyfriend is here, Mom.”

  Dev squeezed her fingers in reassurance. At least that’s what she thought it was. That or he was expecting her to bolt and he was doing his best to keep her in place.

  Noelle led him through the living room, into the kitchen, where her mother stood chopping vegetables for a salad.

  “Mom, this is Devlin Hunter,” Noelle said, then swallowed. “Dev, my mother. Jane Stevenson.”

  “Mrs. Stevenson,” Dev said easily and offered her mother his right hand.

  Noelle’s mother looked up. Her eyes widened slightly in shock, then she smiled and shook hands with him. “Nice to meet you, Dev. Welcome. Please call me Jane. I hope you like chicken and burgers.”

  “Who doesn’t?” he asked easily.

  Her mother glanced at Noelle. “Your father is in the yard. Go on and introduce Dev. Then you can come back and help me with the rest of the food.”

  Noelle nodded and walked Dev through the kitchen and laundry room, then out into the backyard.

  Her father stood by a large barbecue. He had on a ridiculous chef’s hat and an apron that said in bold green letters, “I’m Irish. Kiss the cook.”

  “That doesn’t apply to you,” she murmured in Dev’s ear.

  “Good to know. I have to draw a line somewhere.”

  That made her laugh, so for a second she forgot to be terrified as she introduced Dev to her father.

  “Daddy, this is Devlin Hunter. Dev, my father, Robert Stevenson.”

  Dev released her hand and nodded at her father. “Sir.”

  Her dad raised his eyebrows. “I like the sir part, but Bob is fine. Unless you’d like to call me Sir Bob.”

  Dev grinned. “Is it important to you?”

  “I can live without it.”

  There was a large shriek from the edge of the pool. Noelle turned and saw eight or ten teenaged girls either in the pool or lying around it.

  “My sisters,” she said with a sigh. “And some of their friends. I’ll bore you with them later.”

  “Good idea,” her father told her. “Don’t frighten him off just yet. Let’s lull him into a false sense of security and then we’ll let the girls loose.” He glanced at Dev. “Want a beer?”

  Dev’s surprise was obvious. Her father laughed.

  “Yes, I can be a pastor and still drink beer.”

  “Good to know. Whatever you’re having.”

  Her father held up his can.

  “I’ll get it,” Noelle said and hurried back inside the house.

  She found her mother still making salad, but as soon as she enter
ed the kitchen, her mother turned on her.

  “You said you were dating a guy from work, Noelle. I thought you meant someone stocking shelves or something. He’s the president of the company.”

  Her heart sank. Were they going to be found out so quickly.

  “I know, but he’s—”

  Her mother cut her off with a quick wave of her head. “I’m not complaining. He seems very nice and obviously he’s smart. He’s also well-off. I’m impressed.” Her mother laughed. “Oh, my. I sound like the mother in Pride and Prejudice, when she got so excited about someone having an income of four thousand a year.”

  “He’s older,” Noelle said tentatively, not sure she was hearing correctly. Did her mother actually approve? “There’s ten years between us.”

  “I know. Maybe with one of your sisters I’d worry, but you’ve always been sensible and mature. I’m sure that comes from being the oldest. He won’t bore you like the boys your age.” She grinned again, then lowered her voice. “Don’t tell your father I said so, but he’s very good-looking.”

  Noelle laughed. “Yes, he is,” she said as she looked out the window and saw Dev standing in conversation with her father. “Sexy, even.”

  “Definitely sexy.”

  She’d just been saying the words, but as she watched him laugh, she noticed the shape of his mouth and how broad his shoulders were. He wore yet another Hawaiian shirt tucked into khaki shorts, and his lean muscles were clearly displayed.

  He was good-looking, she thought in surprise as she felt a faint tingle. And funny and charming and smart and pretty much everything she’d ever wanted. But not for her. Theirs was a marriage of convenience. She was carrying Jimmy’s baby. Having a relationship with his brother was wrong on so many levels. It wasn’t to be, she thought wistfully. Not ever.

  * * *

  DESPITE THE LARGE crowd of teenagers, everyone sat down together to eat. Instead of a table, they sprawled on the lawn in the shade of an old tree, even Noelle’s parents.

  Dev found himself surrounded by her sisters and on the receiving end of some serious grilling.

  “How long have you and Noelle been going out?” one of the sisters asked. They were all blond-haired, blue-eyed California types and there was no way he could tell them apart.