He looked down at Nicky. She gently rubbed the side of her stomach, keeping her eye on Erin.
He knew how much Erin was giving up for him. Knew how much she might regret her decision. And he also knew he had some serious thinking to do.
***
Erin leaned back with a hot chocolate in her hands and sighed. The house was quiet. Sublimely quiet. No children were having tantrums and no adults were wandering around looking for the bathroom or the kitchen. Complete and utter bliss reigned supreme.
Jake nudged her foot with his. “So, Miss Socialite extraordinaire. That was an impressive lunch.”
She grinned, trying to imagine how forty people had squeezed into her home. “It was the least I could do. Sam’s banned everyone from going near the ranch. Nicky’s dying to see what he’s been up to, but he’s being extra secretive. Are you sure you don’t know what’s going on?”
He grunted. “What time are Nicky and Emily arriving here tomorrow?”
Closing her eyes, she let her mind drift. “Eight o’clock. The hairdresser arrives at nine thirty, and makeup arrives at ten-fifteen.” She grinned at him. “I’m sure Stephanie could fit you in for a blow-wave and an eyebrow wax before the big event.”
He patted his face protectively. “There’s nothing wrong with my eyebrows. I think I’ll keep away from you lot until my scheduled pickup time. Sam and the guys are giving me a hand to decorate the bridal car. As long as you’re all ready to go, we’ll head toward the church just after eleven.”
With a smile in her voice, Erin said, “Sounds like a plan to me. Thanks for your help today.”
“No problem.” He swallowed the last of his drink. “It’s about time I left you to your beauty sleep. But before I go, show me which rooms we’ll be painting next weekend.”
Erin reluctantly let him pull her to her feet. “I thought we could start with the smallest room first.” She led him across the hallway into the spare bedroom. “I’ve stripped the wallpaper and sanded the walls. It’s just a matter of sealing them and then we’re all set to go with the top coat of paint.” She picked a color chart off some boxes, piled in the corner. “What do you think? It’s not too yellow, is it?”
He looked down at the sample and held it up to the wall. “A stunning shade of cream if ever I saw one.”
Erin rolled her eyes. She watched with pride as he ran his hand along the walls. She knew that if she didn’t get the prep work right, the finished product would look awful.
Jake frowned as he moved closer to the stack of boxes in the corner.
Following him with her eyes, she held her breath. She’d left the boxes in the room a couple of nights ago. She didn’t think anyone would see them before she dropped them off at Nicky and Sam’s home.
Jake paid extra attention to the labels. “000-00 and 00-1. Don’t tell me you’ve got explosives stored in here?”
Looking across at him, she felt her blood rush to her feet. “They’re just some things for Nicky. I’m taking them around to her place after the wedding.” She crossed her fingers, hoping he’d move on and not notice the catch in her voice.
Fat chance.
Piercing blue eyes caught her in a stare that stripped her nerves raw. Wiping sweaty palms on the legs of her jeans, she waited to see what he’d do next.
“Erin Reynolds. I do believe you’ve just told me the biggest fib of your sweet life.” He waited patiently.
She squirmed under his stare. The last time a man she loved saw those clothes he’d bolted out the door before she’d had time to put the lid back on. She didn’t know what reaction she’d get from Jake, especially after telling him she didn’t want to have a child with him.
Squaring her shoulders, she jutted her chin out, daring him to mess with her. “Fine. I’ll show you.”
She grabbed the top box, tearing the lid off. Her breath caught as she gazed down at the clothes inside. She carefully held up the precious cargo. A tiny knitted cardigan and matching booties sat in the palm of her hand.
“Four zeroes. Suitable for a newborn.” Reaching into the box, she pulled out a yellow outfit with rabbits sewn on the front. “Velour jumpsuit, also newborn.” Digging further into the box, she pulled out a white shawl. It was so fine it looked like a spider had woven each thread. “Mohair wrap. Suitable for all ages.”
Moving closer to her, Jake looked down. The open box was full of baby outfits. Most of them still had their price tags attached. “I take it you haven’t been out shopping in the last few days?”
She put the clothes back in the box and looked up. She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, holding on for dear life. Wrapping her arms around her waist, she gazed at him, waiting for him to do or say something. For someone that relied on a keen sense of observation and quick intelligence to get him through each day, he was pretty slow on the uptake.
He frowned at the boxes. Finally, a glimmer of understanding replaced the confused look on his face. “Are you lending them to Nicky?”
She shook her head. No. She wasn’t lending her the clothes, not now. They were for Nicky to keep. Jake stared at her like she was a specimen under a microscope. She didn’t know whether she’d be quarantined with the bubonic plague or treated more kindly like a flu vaccine.
Taking another look inside the boxes, he pulled out a fluffy pink coat. It looked like it belonged on a doll and not a tiny human. His fingers absently stroked the fur as he looked across at her. “Nicky must be thrilled that you’re giving these clothes to her.”
Erin swallowed. She followed his hands with her eyes as he put the pink jacket back in the box. “She doesn’t know. I thought I’d surprise her.”
He nodded. “How long have you been collecting them?”
“About three years.”
He didn’t say anything, just stared at her with the same serious expression on his face. “Why are you giving them to Nicky?”
“I thought she might as well get some use out of them. I won’t be needing them anytime soon.”
He stuck his hands in his pockets and frowned at the clothes.
She carefully put the lid back on the box, clicking the hinges closed. Taking a deep breath, she felt the heat of his stare on her face. “Well. That’s that then.” She risked a quick glance at him. “It’s okay. They’re just baby clothes.”
He folded his arms across his chest, glaring at her.
She couldn’t believe the gall of the man. Here she was, giving away boxes of baby clothes she’d treasured for years, and the man didn’t even have the decency to believe her half-baked explanations. Any other male would have taken what she’d said at face value, moving onto the next topic of conversation. But not Jake. He had to stand there, dissecting every nuance of her speech until she just about screamed.
“Do you want me to give you a hand to drop them off?”
Her heart plummeted. In a panicked voice she said, “No.”
His gaze tore straight to hers.
She tried to calm her voice, tried to look as though the boxes of clothes meant for her babies didn’t matter. “I mean, no. But thanks. I can do it myself.”
Erin couldn’t think of anything worse than having him with her when she handed the clothes over. In fact, she planned on doing a drop and run when Nicky and Sam were on their honeymoon. It was a cowardly way to face her demons, but they were her demons and she’d face them any way she chose.
If Nicky was around when she dropped the boxes off, she’d put her through an interrogation about why the baby clothes were coming her way. And that discussion would lead to Jake. And babies. And a contract that was going nowhere. Knowing how stubborn Nicky could be, she’d probably try and make her take the boxes back home.
Last night, Erin had done a whole lot of thinking about her future. Giving Nicky her baby clothes was the beginning of a new chapter in her life, an opportunity to focus on other things. Like the man standing beside her.
But not now. She needed to get Jake out of the room and off home before sh
e lost the plot completely. Breaking down in a crying heap wouldn’t make him believe that she’d made the right decision. She felt exhausted. She felt disappointed. And above all, she felt sad for what could have been. “Come on. I’ll see you out.”
He hesitated.
Setting her mouth in a grim, determined line, she scowled at him.
He reached for her hand as they walked down the hallway, cocooning her cold fingers in his warm ones until she felt pins and needles prickling her skin. When they reached the front gate, he wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her nose. He stood looking down at her, as if there was something more he wanted to say but didn’t know where to start.
He gave her anther quick hug and let her go. “I’ll see you tomorrow at eleven. Have a good night’s sleep.”
Erin watched him drive off down the street. Walking back inside, she headed straight for the kitchen. She needed her secret stash of chocolate. Just when she thought life was ticking along nicely, something always came along to shake things up. In the last two months that something had been a six-foot-five, black haired, hunk of a lawyer, who’d managed to lodge himself firmly in her heart.
The best and worst thing was that even with all his baby issues she knew she wouldn’t have had it any other way.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Open up. We’re here.”
“You can’t be serious,” Erin groaned, as she stumbled down the hall in her pajamas. Flicking the lock on the front door, she stood back as Nicky hurtled down the hall shouting, “I need coffee, fast!”
Erin rubbed her eyes. “You’ll need to put more water in the coffeepot.”
The sound of gushing water filled the hall. Emily pulled a big case into the living room. “Jeez, Nicky. What have you got stashed in this bag?”
A voice yelled from the kitchen, “Essentials.”
Erin’s brain still hadn’t moved past Nicky’s coffee run. She followed Emily into the living room. Makeup, brushes, tissues, and lotion were being stacked in neat little piles on the table in the middle of the room.
Yawning, Erin asked, “What are you doing here so early?”
“According to Nicky, I talk like a runaway train in my sleep. She said she hasn’t had a decent sleep in three nights, which I firmly dispute, given the snoring coming from the other side of the wall.” An impish grin crossed Emily’s face. “Anyway, we thought we might as well wake you up if we’re already awake.”
“And Emily doesn’t have any coffee at her place,” Nicky yelled from the kitchen.
Emily stuck her nose in the air, sniffing disdainfully in Nicky’s direction. “Oh, please. I’ve decided to keep my body pure and not pollute it with artificial stimulants.”
A scoffing noise erupted from the kitchen. “What do you call all the bourbon you downed last night? Therapeutic medicine?”
Emily rolled her eyes in disgust. “It’s alcohol. It kills off bad bugs.”
Nicky appeared in the doorway, cradling a steaming cup of coffee in her hands. “Well, all I can say is that you must have drowned enough nasties in that tiny frame to last a lifetime.” She took a grateful sip from her mug. “Ah. Nectar of the Gods.”
Erin looked bemusedly between her friends. “I don’t mean to state the obvious, but where’s the wedding dress?”
Nicky nearly dropped her mug of coffee. Emily fell over backward as she scrambled to get to her feet. “Quick, Nicky! The car’s unlocked and the dress is sitting on the back seat.”
Both girls streaked out of the house. Erin sat down on the sofa, taking a long sip from Nicky’s coffee. So much for a quiet start to the day.
***
Four hours later, Erin sat on a chair in the kitchen as the hairdresser back-combed her hair in an energetic frenzy. She looked at her reflection in a mirror they’d propped against a wooden box on the table. The wicked witch of the west stared back. “Are you sure this will work?”
The hairdresser laughed. “Leave it to me. You’ll look sensational.”
Erin wasn’t so sure.
Nicky quietly sipped what must have been her sixth cup of coffee and nibbled on some muffins Emily had found in the pantry. Looking nervously at her watch Nicky asked, “What time’s Jake arriving, Erin?”
“Eleven o’clock. I think you should switch to water. That coffee is giving you Alzheimer’s – that’s the fourth time you’ve asked me when he’s coming to pick us up in as many minutes.”
Emily muttered something under her breath that sounded remarkably like, “I told you so,” as the makeup artist brushed foundation on her face.
Nicky stood up, hopping from one foot to the other. “I’ve got to pee. What am I going to do if I need to use the bathroom during the service?”
Erin groaned. She’d never seen Nicky so nervous about anything. “Go to the bathroom. You’ll be fine. Just don’t drink any more coffee.”
***
Pulling up outside Erin’s house, Jake felt quite pleased with himself. The sun was shining and there wasn’t a gray cloud in sight. It was a great day for a wedding and an even better day for the round of golf he’d enjoyed with Sam and his brothers.
After he’d been beaten on the golf course, Sam had given him a hand to tie the ribbons on one of the hired 1975 Daimler Convertibles. Nicky’s dad was dressing the other car and picking Sam up in about ten minutes.
He patted the gleaming white bodywork, glancing down at his watch for what felt like the hundredth time. Driving one of the wedding vehicles wasn’t a problem, but he’d been given strict instructions not to be late. What was it about weddings that had everyone paranoid about the time?
Before he got a chance to ring the doorbell, Emily threw the front door open, disappearing back down the hall. She raised her arm in the air in what he hoped was a backhanded wave, yelling at Erin that he’d arrived.
Nicky sat on the edge of a chair in the living room, looking stunning, but slightly queasy. “Are you okay?”
She nodded carefully. “I’ve drunk too much coffee. I feel like I’m going to puke.”
He looked at all the white satin and lace and decided he’d better get a bowl. He rushed to the kitchen, flinging cupboards open, frantically searching for something Nicky could be sick in.
Emily poked her head around the kitchen doorway. “What are you looking for?”
Jake whacked the top of his head on the breakfast bar. “Shit,” he muttered, as he grabbed an old ice cream container. “Out of my way. Nicky’s going to vomit.”
Emily beat him down the hall, grabbing a towel from the bathroom on her way through.
“Erin!” Emily bellowed, “Get out here with a cold wash cloth for Nicky. She feels sick.”
Jake heard a thump from the back bedroom and the sound of running water. A minute later Erin hobbled into the room. She moved closer to him and the scent of roses washed over his body.
Her hair had been twisted into a knot on the top of her head, drawing his eye down the length of her neck and around to the soft swell of her breasts. Inky blue silk wrapped around her body, falling to the ground in a soft pool of fabric. Her eyes were focused with concern on Nicky, her lips slightly parted, as she whispered words of encouragement to her friend.
“Here Jake, give this to Nicky. I’m going to get a fan.”
He jumped as Emily held a glass of water under his nose.
Water sloshed near the rim as she moved it around, trying to get his attention. Clearing her throat, she said, “Now would be good.”
Grabbing the glass, he held it in front of Nicky. She looked at him with a miserable expression on her face.
“I can’t drink it. I’ll pee all through the ceremony.”
His eyebrows rose and his mouth dropped open. When it dawned on him that he’d heard her correctly, he couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing.
The thought of Nicky running out of the church at regular intervals to use the bathroom had his eyes watering. And that didn’t even account for the logistics of aiming for a
toilet seat under all the puffed up layers of satin.
Erin stared at him like he was mad, then her lips twitched and her eyes gleamed with laughter. She looked at Nicky, moving the washcloth away from her face. “Come on gorgeous. Maybe a glass of water would help dilute the caffeine.”
Nicky reached for the glass, barely managing a small sip before Emily blasted them all with gale force winds from a fan she’d pulled into the room.
Emily lunged for the glass of water, tipping at an alarming angle over Nicky’s dress. The fan blew the fancy knot at the back of Emily’s head to smithereens, spilling masses of red curls around her shoulders. She dropped the glass onto a table, using her spare hand to try and catch the mop of hair flying in all directions.
Erin fell flat on her bottom, smothered in a billowing cloud of white satin and tulle. Nicky sat in the middle of the chaos. She gripped the ice cream container with one hand and held her tiara on her head with the other.
Emily dodged the cold blast of air and yelled something across the room. She turned the fan off at the wall and looked at her watch. “It’s five past eleven,” she shrieked. “We’ve got to leave.”
Jake sat up and wiped his eyes.
Bedlam erupted around him as three crazy females rushed to fix what gale force winds had managed to destroy.
Emily’s hair was teased and twisted until it sat back in a fairly good imitation of where it had begun. Nicky drank the glass of water and made a hasty exit to the bathroom. Erin managed to find her missing shoe and came back with a bag of makeup and a box of aspirins clutched in her hand.
As soon as Nicky had finished in the bathroom, Emily flicked some more makeup on her face and they made a mad dash to the car.
Forever Wishes (Montana Brides, Book 4) Page 18
