A Pregnancy, a Party & a Proposal

by Teresa Carpenter

  “Finally you’ve a little color in your cheeks.”

  She gave him a cool glance. “Saying I told you so is unbecoming.”

  He shook his sandy head. “I’m just glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Thanks.” What else could she say without sounding petty? To his credit, he appeared sincere.

  To break the moment she pushed the button on her armrest. Julie appeared within moments to clear the table. But all too soon she and Ray were alone again. It was all she could do not to twitch in her seat. How to get him to move away?

  Turned out she didn’t have to do anything. Phone in hand, he stood up.

  “If you’ll excuse me, I have some calls to make?”

  She nodded and he moved across the aisle and up to another row of seats. Able to breathe freely, she refused to acknowledge she missed the heat and comfort of his proximity. Some alone time to think was exactly what she needed. She felt the best she had in days—make that weeks.

  Maybe she’d actually be able to concentrate and come up with a course of action for this abrupt change in her carefully crafted life plan. So far she hadn’t quite been able to wrap her mind around the enormity of the fact she carried a child within her. And that kept her from making sense out of the chaos in her head.

  Which left her feeling out of control and desperate to get her life back.

  Panicked, really.

  The last time she’d given up control, she’d lost a part of her soul.

  Lauren couldn’t go through that again—especially when she had a child to think of. She required her lists, her goals, her plans. She craved order, needed to be in charge. Only then could she cope.

  She stared unseeing out the window.

  Some things were obvious. Once Tori returned Lauren would tell her family. She would continue to work. She would tell Ray. It all sounded simple and straightforward. It couldn’t be more complex.

  Even telling her family. Sure, they would love and support her. She had no doubt of that. But there’d also be disappointment and concern. And questions. Personal questions, not easy to answer.

  Continuing to work would require compromise and sacrifice. Deciding between daycare and a nanny was only one decision to be made requiring careful research. She also needed to consider housing—whether to sell the duplex and move to a bigger place in a family-friendly area. It didn’t need to be done now, but it was already on her mind. A part of the mix keeping her from finding the necessary peace to deal with everything.

  Telling Ray. Yeah, she’d been playing ostrich there. She knew she had to give him the news. Yet the where and when were still questions. She had no idea how to approach him, but she did know it wouldn’t be before this deal with his grandmother played out.

  It wouldn’t be fair to distract him at this time.

  And, truly, everything else hinged on his reaction. Any plans she conceived were contingent on how involved he’d want to be.

  Her stomach roiled. The realization threatened the scant control she’d managed to muster.

  She drew out her phone and powered it up. She had a couple of her own calls to make.

  * * *

  About forty minutes before they were scheduled to land Ray roused Lauren. Halfway through the trip she’d stretched out on one of the couches and slid into a solid sleep. She hadn’t moved an eyelash when he’d dropped a blanket over her and stuffed a pillow under her head.

  She was slow to awaken. He had no idea if that was natural or not, as they’d never actually slept together. He tended not to sleep with the women in his life. Too messy.

  How fragile she looked. He traced the shadows under the fan of her lashes. She said she wasn’t sick, yet she was tired and pale and a couple of times he’d caught an expression on her face that made him think she might be fighting off nausea. Perhaps it was the aftereffects of stress. Handling her sister’s wedding during Hollywood’s biggest party season must have been a challenge, even for a pro like her.

  She was such a strong woman—quick and intelligent and in control—he tended to overlook the fact she was quite delicate.

  “Lauren.” He ran his hand up her arm, gave her shoulder a gentle shake. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

  “Hmm?” She sighed and shifted onto her side. “Ga-way.”

  He grinned. “No, I’m not going away.” Leaning over her, he pressed his lips to hers. “But I’ll join you if you’d like.” That ought to wake her up.

  “Ray...” Her lips opened under his and an arm snaked around his neck, pulling him close.

  The action put him off balance. He went down on one knee to keep from tumbling on top of her. He’d happily follow up on his offer to join her on the couch as soon as he knew her mind was as engaged as her body.

  Meantime, he sank into the kiss.

  Instantly the chemistry ignited between them. Angling his head, he slid his tongue past her lips to taste the honey of her mouth. Her sleepy response seduced him into a slow, deep exploration. The meandering journey pulled them down a path not yet taken. The softness of the moment was different but every bit as hot as their bolder encounters.

  She sighed and shifted fully onto her back. The drag of her fingers through his hair was a dreamy caress, a subtle demand for more, for longer, for slow and sensual. He willingly set the pace, lingering over each touch, each taste, each smell, satiating all his senses. Her breath sighed over his cheek and he took satisfaction in each little moue and gasp.

  Never had he burned for a woman like he did for her. And she was right there with him, her responsiveness inspiring him to new depths.

  The gradual, sultry building of passion urged him to tenderness, to lengthy kisses and gentle insistence. He worked his hand under her sweater and glided up her silky skin, seeking the bounty of her breast.

  She suddenly went very still and her hand came down on his, effectively pushing the stop button on his attempt to move their embrace to the next step.

  “Not a good idea,” she mumbled in a sleep-husky voice.

  He groaned and tested her resolve, sweeping his thumb across the warm flesh of her stomach. She gasped and tightened her hold, but the knit of her sweater separating her grasp from his was a thin barrier to his persistence.

  “Shh, Dynamite,” he whispered against her lips, “you’re dreaming.”

  “Liar.” Her lips lifted in a smile under his and then she turned her head aside. “My body is too alive for me to be asleep.” She pulled his hand free of her clothes. “We agreed no touching.”

  “You started it, wrapping yourself all around me.” He kissed a path up her jawline to whisper in her ear. “Let me finish it. We can start the no touching when we get to New York.”

  She moaned deep in her throat—a sound he took to mean she was tempted, if the look in her golden eyes meant anything.

  “Uh-uh.” She planted both hands on his chest and pushed. “I did not start it. You kissed me first. When I had no resistance. Unfair, Ray.”

  He let her up, slid onto the couch next to her when she pushed into a sitting position. “Spoilsport.”

  An arch glare came his way. “Really?”

  The show of ire along with her mussed hair and just-kissed lips was too sexy for words. Made him want to take up where they had left off. Forget about apologizing. Besides, he still maintained she’d started it. His had been a mere peck on the lips; she had taken it to the next level.

  Not waiting for a response, she rolled her eyes, then glanced back at him. “Why did you wake me?”

  He checked his watch—much safer than contemplating her. “In ten minutes we begin our descent. I thought you’d like to freshen up before we buckle up.”

  “Oh. I would, thanks.” She made her escape.

  While she did her thing he went through his email and texts. The car service
he used in New York advised that a driver was waiting. His meeting with the mayor was confirmed. And Mamó couldn’t wait to see him.

  With a sigh he slipped the phone into his pocket. This trip was long overdue. Sure, he saw his family regularly, stopping off in New York or flying them to him two or three times a year. But he rarely went back to the old neighborhood. Certainly not for any length of time. Too many memories he’d rather not deal with.

  Lauren came back, looking as calm and fresh as when she’d first boarded the plane. Something he envied, considering he still ached from their recent bout of passion. He earned another glare when he settled in the seat next to hers, and those luscious lips opened ready to protest, but the pilot came on, demanding they buckle up.

  The landing went well and soon Ray saw Lauren seated into a sleek black town car. She promptly slid to the far side of the bench seat, leaving at least a foot between them, and pulled out her tablet, effectively shutting him out. Within a few minutes they were swallowed by the late-afternoon traffic headed through the borough of Queens to Queens Village.

  His grandmother lived in a two-family, two-story pitched-roof house on a postage-stamp-sized lot. He’d tried to upgrade her to a bigger house on a larger lot in a better area, but she refused to move. She’d lived in her house since she’d moved in as a bride and intended to stay until the day she died. Rather than argue, he’d paid off the mortgage, bought out the neighbors so his aunt could move in, and made sure the house remained sound and safe.

  “We’re here,” he said as the pale gray building with its white filigree fence came into view.

  Lauren leaned close to look out the window. “Quaint house.”

  He explained his attempt to relocate her. “I told you she was stubborn.”

  Cars overflowed the driveway and street, forcing the driver to double park. Ray stepped out and turned to help Lauren. Leaving the driver to bring their bags, Ray threaded their fingers together, more for his benefit than hers, and climbed the brick stairs to the front door. It flew open before his knuckles connected with the wood.

  “Ray!” Aunt Ellie pushed open the screen and pulled him into a big hug. “It’s so good to see you. Come inside.” She stepped back, dragging him with her, and by extension Lauren. “Everyone—Ray is here.”

  Pandemonium broke out. Women of all ages launched themselves at him. He barely recognized most of them but he hugged them anyway, one-armed. Because he was not letting go of Lauren. Behind him he heard her fielding greetings.

  “Hello.”

  “Hi.”

  “Nice to meet you.”

  “I’m Lauren.”

  These were his grandmother’s, aunt’s, cousin’s friends. He got that they were proud of him and wanted to show off. So he smiled and nodded and forged ahead.

  He froze when he spied Mrs. Renwicki. The smug look on her face reminded him of her granddaughter, Camilla. And, bang, the past was right in his face.

  Turning his back on it, he finally broke through the crowd of people and furniture, and there was Mamó. Short and plump, her white-gray hair woven into a braid and pinned in a bun on top of her head, just as he always pictured her. She rose from her floral wingback chair and framed his face in her wrinkled hands.

  “Ray, my boy, I’m so happy to see you.” She kissed him on the cheek.

  “Mamó, you look great.” He gave her a full-on hug. “I’ve missed you.”

  “Then you should visit more often.” She admonished him. “But you’re here now, and you’ve brought the beautiful Lauren with you.”

  “Yes.” He met Lauren’s guarded gaze as he wrapped his arm around her waist and drew her forward. She was a trouper for putting up with this gauntlet. “Thanks,” he whispered before turning to his grandmother. “Mamó, this is—”

  “This is Lauren!” Mamó broke in, taking Lauren’s hands in both of hers. “Your fiancée.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LAUREN BLINKED AT Ray’s grandmother, the word fiancée echoing through the room. Or was it just through her head?

  “Oh...” Lauren’s smile froze in place while her mind scrambled for an appropriate response. Did she carelessly laugh it off, politely deny the allegation, or go along with the crazy suggestion?

  This broke so many of her rules. What was Ray thinking? Was the tight grip on her elbow warning or encouragement?

  She angled her head up and around, her gaze meeting his. The shock in his eyes reassured her that his surprise matched hers.

  “Mamó—” he began, and Lauren sighed, willing to let him handle the unexpected claim. “We’re not—”

  “Forgive me,” Mamó rushed in, cutting him off. She kissed Lauren’s cheek, color high in her cheeks and a look of pleading in her pale blue eyes. “I know you wanted it to be a surprise, but I couldn’t resist sharing the news with my closest friends.” Her gaze flitted to an older woman across the room before lifting to meet her grandson’s eyes. “Please say it’s all right.”

  Behind her, Lauren felt Ray’s chest expand in a heavy sigh. “Mamó, I don’t know where you got your information, but—”

  The hands holding hers shook as the older woman nearly crushed Lauren’s fingers.

  “Of course we forgive you,” Lauren rushed to say. It was good to know Ray would uphold his promise to her, but she couldn’t let him embarrass his grandmother in front of all her friends.

  The way he suddenly relaxed told her it had been a difficult decision.

  “Thank you,” Mamó breathed in Lauren’s ear as she hugged her.

  A chorus of congratulations rang out and a few people rushed at them to offer a new round of hearty handshakes and some hugs.

  Ray handled it like a pro, reminding Lauren of his short stint as an actor before he’d moved behind the camera.

  “I want to see the ring,” Kyla demanded, pushing to the front. She grabbed Lauren’s hand, only to frown at her naked ring finger. Kyla turned the look on her cousin. “Where’s the ring, cuz? I expected to see at least a couple of carats.”

  “We thought we’d ring-shop while we’re in town.”

  Oh, he was good. He handled the crowd of women like a pro. He charmed them all. He was attentive, a little flirtatious, and slippery as an eel. But Lauren didn’t relax. There were too many questions, too many people, too many opportunities to mess up.

  “Food’s ready,” Ellie called out.

  Lauren hid a grimace, the thought of food too much, but her stomach growled. She placed a hand on her belly, trying to decipher her body’s mixed signals as the rest of the guests eagerly moved into the dining room.

  “You okay?”

  Ray appeared in front of her. It was the first moment they’d had alone since walking through the door.

  “Listen, I’m sorry about the whole engagement thing. Especially after I promised nothing like this would happen. I’ll talk to Mamó and see if we can’t get it all straightened out.”

  Lauren shook her head. “I think it’s too late for that.”

  “Yeah,” he agreed, a frown pulling his golden-brown brows together. “She got herself into a pickle. Thanks for not embarrassing her.”

  “Of course.” She sent him an arch glance. “She obviously wants to see you settled down.”

  “And bouncing a baby or two on her lap,” he bit out. “It’s no excuse for putting us in this position.”

  Mention of a baby put a tremble in her muscles. She locked her knees and tried for practical. “We knew she was hopeful of a deeper relationship when we headed east,” she reminded him. “If we stick to our rules we’ll be fine.”

  “I’m glad you’re taking this so well.” He placed a hand in the small of her back and directed her toward a table laden with food. “You can still expect an apology.”

  She sighed, seeing his persistence as a
need to control the situation. But she also respected his desire to honor his promise and protect her. Then she reached the food table and all thought left her head as hunger took over.

  Grabbing a plate, she filled it with salads, fruit, and meat. She reached for a roll as Ray handed her napkin-wrapped utensils.

  “Good to see you have your appetite back.” He kissed her on the top of her head.

  Okay, she could take that as patronizing or affectionate—neither of which suited her. Deciding to ignore him, she took her plate and found a single seat next to his cousin Kyla. He frowned at her choice and ate standing up near the mantel.

  Lauren smiled around a bite of potato salad and listened to the surrounding women talk about tomorrow’s party. They were excited because there’d be dancing, but a comment about lack of partners had Lauren glancing around the room. Many of these same people would be guests at the party, and the ratio hit at about three women to each man. Hmm, maybe she could help with that.

  A tall, gray-haired gentleman with a dignified bearing hovered around Mamó. A flare of awareness tingled through Lauren, signaling a connection between them. Interesting... Must be a strong link. She rarely experienced the matchmaking sensation without Tori nearby to bolster their shared talent.

  The topic moved on to where she should shop for her wedding rings. She stiffened for a moment, then gave a mental shrug. What the heck? She could get behind a fictitious shopping trip.

  Thirty minutes later Ray was standing chatting with Mamó’s neighbor when Mrs. Renwicki joined them. She gushed over his engagement.

  “I’m so happy you’ve finally put Camilla behind you.”

  Mamó’s neighbor nodded and patted his arm as the other woman went on.

  “My granddaughter is happily married, expecting her third child. It’s time you found some happiness too.”

  The woman had some nerve, throwing Camilla in his face. He wondered if she knew of the great-grandchild her precious girl had thrown away. Having nothing to say to her, he excused himself and walked away.