by Rita Herron
"Hello?"
"Maddie, it's Reid."
She shoved her mop of hair from her eyes and sat up. His voice sounded strained. "What's wrong?"
"Everything," Reid said. "Lance is a mess."
Chase dropped a kiss on Maddie's hand, and she mouthed that something was wrong with her brother. Instantly alert, Chase roused and propped up the pillows for her to lean back, then took her free hand in his and held it, as if to offer support for bad news.
"Tell me what happened; was there an accident?"
"No," Reid said, "nothing like that, but I flew to Vegas because I thought Lucy was trying to break up Sophie and Lance, and then I saw Lucy dancing in this Vegas show. Did you know she and Sophie were the stars of a famous act called the Divas?"
Maddie winced. "Well, er..."
"Lucy was this Virginal Princess and Sophie's a freakin' vampire; you should have seen them—my God, I would never have imagined it."
Maddie's stomach started churning like a washing machine. "And you called Lance out there to see for himself?"
"Maybe I shouldn't have, but I thought he had a right to know."
Maddie pulled the phone away from her ear and stared at it. Her brother was an idiot. "I gather Lance didn't take it very well?"
"That's putting it mildly. He and Sophie had a big blowup, and it turns out she was lying about other things too, like her mother. Did you know her mother used to be a stripper?"
Her stomach dipped and swayed to the mattress. "Well, er..."
"Anyway, we're coming back on the first flight, and I thought you might have an idea as to how to help Lance."
Maddie squeezed Chase's hand so hard he yelped. Sorry, she mouthed, then returned to the phone. "I'll definitely talk to him."
"And when you do, you might want to explain about those rules you and Sophie cooked up for trapping a man."
Fudgecake! "Er, I gotta go." Maddie slammed down the phone and rushed to the bathroom, her stomach pitching.
Chase knocked at the door. "Come in and take your life into your own hands," Maddie yelled.
He came in anyway. "Awww, baby."
His sympathetic tone brought tears to her eyes. She hated being this emotional. And her stomach protested again, ready to toss those measly saltines she'd nibbled on earlier.
"Please leave, Chase," Maddie said, waving him away. "I'm fine."
"You don't look fine, baby." He grabbed a washcloth, wet it with cold water, and pressed it to her neck. The pregnancy test she'd taken earlier sat on the counter.
"Maddie?"
She wiped her mouth and stood on shaky legs. "Huh?"
His voice was gruff. "It's positive."
Maddie brightened and gazed into her husband's eyes, then pressed her palm to his cheek. "So it is, handsome."
The overwhelming look of love in Chase's eyes made her throat close. "And I hope it's a little boy. I want him to grow up and be just like his father."
"I... God, I love you, Mad." Tears filled Chase's eyes as he picked her up and swung her around, laughing. "I can't wait to tell everyone."
Maddie's stomach sloshed again. "Uh, honey, if you don't set me down and stop spinning, it's not going to be pretty."
Chase halted and gently let her slip to the floor, then placed a tender hand over her stomach. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I'm so excited, I want the whole world to know."
Maddie held up a finger. "Me, too, Chase, but I think we should keep it a secret awhile. I don't feel right bragging about such wonderful news when the boys are in such pitiful condition." She explained about what had happened with Sophie and Lance.
"You mean she kept all that from him?" Chase asked as he led her back to bed.
Maddie glared at him. "I'm sure she planned to tell him sometime. It's not like he didn't have some wild days."
"Yeah, but—"
"Don't you dare say it's different for women than men."
He plumped her pillows, laid a blanket over her feet, tucked her hair behind her ear. "But she was a Vegas showgirl, and she lied about her own mother."
Maddie gave him a warning look but accepted his doting. "Don't go all Mars male on me, okay? If he loves her, he should understand."
Chase opened his mouth to argue, but Maddie swooned, feigning a dizzy spell to shut him up. She felt only marginally guilty at the pure panic on his face.
She loved her husband dearly, but she had to think of a plan to reunite Sophie and Lance.
Now her hormones had kicked in, she just couldn't scheme and argue at the same time.
* * *
Reid had never seen his brother so brooding before. They should have kept that damned bachelor pact intact.
He had no hopes about seeing Lucy again. Although while he'd lain awake, he had images of her on top of him again. Lucy as Lucy. Lucy as the Diva Virginal Princess.
A man's fantasy come true.
But Lucy hated him for bringing his brother there. Although he was surprised she hadn't thanked him.
After all, she had gotten what she wanted—Sophie and Lance were not even speaking, much less together.
The airline registration attendant gave him and Lance a suspicious once-over. They both looked rough. Lance hadn't slept the night before either, and this morning neither one had shaved or showered.
"Listen, you have to get us on this flight," Lance pleaded. "I don't care if it costs extra; I can't stay in town another minute."
The woman glanced up. "Is there an emergency? Death?"
Lance drummed his hand on the counter. "Not exactly. But please see what you can do."
"I can put you on standby, but I can't assure you that you'll both make the flight."
"Fine," Lance said.
Reid nodded. "No problem. If one of us gets on, take it, Lance. I'll catch the next one."
They turned to take a seat when Reid spotted Lucy and Sophie rushing toward the desk. "Uh-oh."
"Blast it all to hell," Lance muttered. "I can't believe this."
Lucy gave him a scalding look, then jutted her chin and hugged Sophie to her, steering a wide berth past them. Lance cut his eyes away from Sophie, but Reid saw the pain on his brother's face and wanted to choke somebody.
The Virginal Princess and the Virginal Vampiress—how appropriate. He wondered who had thought of the names.
* * *
"Dag-nab it," Lucy muttered. "What the heck are they doing here?"
"Probably the same thing we are," Sophie said in a desolate voice.
Lucy squeezed her sister's hand, worried sick. Sophie looked so pale, and she'd been so quiet, almost emotionless, that she was downright scared her sister had sunk into a trance. She'd have to consult her spell book and see if she could find something to revive Sophie's spirits. Really, she'd feel better if she would scream and yell at her, or cry and throw something, anything but this mind-numbing, pitiful silence.
"Well, if they're on the flight, we'll take the next one." She coached Sophie to the counter. "We have a reservation. I called this morning. Lucy and Sophie Lane."
"I told you not to come back with me," Sophie whispered while the woman checked their IDs.
"You shouldn't be alone right now, Soph."
"But what about the show?"
Lucy laughed. "The understudy is going to take over this week, and Sassafras will be well by Wednesday. Garrison already had a special guest lined up, too, so he'll be fine."
The attendant handed them back their IDs. "You have the last two seats, ladies. Have a nice flight."
Lucy leaned over the counter, pointed to Reid and Lance, and whispered, "Are they on the flight?"
The woman quirked her head sideways. "Standby."
"Good."
"Is there a problem with those men?" the woman asked.
"Actually, I heard them outside talking. They sounded suspicious to me," Lucy answered in a low voice.
Sophie poked her, but she continued. "I think you should have security check them out. They look dangerous, don't you
think?"
The woman slid her glasses down her nose and peered over Lucy's shoulder. "Actually, I thought the same thing myself. Maybe I will call."
"Lucy, you are fiendish," Sophie said in a hiss.
"They deserve it." After all, she'd been harassed just because she'd had her Sleepover, Inc., kit with her. The boys should suffer simply for being men.
The woman punched a call button behind the counter and a security guard appeared. Lucy turned and grinned as the guard approached Reid and Lance and escorted them away.
Sophie desperately needed a diet Coke. A migraine had threatened all morning and she was starting to see spots, but had a flashback of the six-pack Lance had given her with the silly balloon dates, and ordered a real Coke instead. She might never be able to drink diet soda again.
While they waited for the flight to board, she and Lucy avoided Reid and Lance. When the boys had returned from security, they'd both looked furious. Reid had started toward Lucy with a threatening gleam in his eyes, but Lance had restrained him, earning another suspicious glare from the security guards.
She supposed she couldn't blame them for being angry, but told herself not to apologize.
Eventually they'd all wound up at the coffee shop, then the rest rooms, and now back in the waiting area. There were two empty seats beside her and Lucy, but Reid and Lance had opted to stand on the far side to avoid being near them.
Let them sit on the floor, for all she cared.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we'll begin boarding now," one of the airline attendants announced.
"We'll start with all first-class passengers and those who need assistance."
Sophie stared at their ticket and willed the process to move quickly.
Several minutes later she and Lucy had boarded and were settling in when a man and a rail-thin woman across the aisle jumped up. "You have to let us off; we have an emergency."
The chubby man waved his cell phone. "Miss, miss, my son called. They're having their baby and we have to get off the plane!"
The attendant rushed forward and cleared the aisle; the chubby man pushed forward, his wife shrieking, "I'm going to be a grandmother; the baby's two weeks early, but it's coming. Let us through!"
"We have to be there," the man yelled. "I told Geraldina not to push!"
Sophie laughed, but her laughter ended abruptly when Lance and Reid appeared, weaving down the aisle. She glanced at the two now-empty seats across from them and realized the Summers boys were going to nab them.
For the next five minutes she and Lucy combed the aisles, begging someone to change seats, but a teenage sports team who wanted to sit together filled the plane, and the airline attendant gave them the evil eye, her final warning to sit down.
Sophie slumped back into her aisle seat next to Lucy, who took the window, because Sophie got dizzy when she flew and couldn't look outside when the plane was moving. Across from her Lance sat like a pillar of stone, his big hands folded in his lap, his face turned the opposite direction.
She did the same, although she closed her eyes so she wouldn't get motion sick, and hugged her pride. Pride was, after all, the only thing she had left.
Not only did Lance hate her, but she'd upset her mother as well. Maybe she should take that job and leave Savannah forever....
* * *
Three days later Sophie had wallowed in misery until she was tired of hearing her own voice whine. Their special Mother's Day programming was extended for the following week—seeing all the families reunited only reminded her of her own divided one. She'd phoned Deseree a dozen times, but she hadn't answered or returned Sophie's calls. She probably didn't want to talk to her daughter who had treated her own mother so poorly.
Next week would be even more difficult. They were starting the series on weddings, with a featured couple who would marry on the show. Sophie had fantasized about having her own wedding with Lance, but that was merely a fantasy.
She still hadn't returned his shirt.
He had sent a crew to finish the renovations, though, a definite statement that he was finished with her.
And now she had to endure a birthday celebration: the big three-oh.
As soon as she entered the cafe, Maddie enveloped her in a hug. "Happy birthday, Soph."
"I don't feel much like celebrating," Sophie admitted.
"I know, sweetie, but we're going to anyway." Maddie dragged her toward a back table, where she had ordered a pitcher of Cosmopolitans. Sophie plopped down, anxious to have the evening over.
Maddie sipped a glass of water. "You look terrible. We have to do something about it."
"There's nothing to do," Sophie said, "but forget Lance."
"Ahh, you're not giving up, are you?" Maddie asked.
"Don't tell me you have a plan?" Sophie said. "Lance is still seething over the seven-rules-to-trap-a-man thing."
Maddie dipped a chip in the spinach-avocado dip, and Sophie poured herself a Cosmopolitan, then started to pour Maddie one, but Maddie shook her head. "I'm holding off tonight."
"Really, what's up?"
"Little stomach bug," Maddie said, although she didn't quite meet her friend's eyes.
"Has it been going on long?"
Maddie shrugged, her cheeks turning pink. "I'm fine, really; it's nothing."
But Sophie knew her friend too well, and she also knew Maddie and Chase had talked about having a baby. She put two and two together. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" Maddie nearly spilled her soda on her blouse. "Uh, whatever makes you think that?"
"You are," Sophie accused. "I can see that light in your eyes. That's great, Maddie!"
Maddie giggled and leaned closer to her. "I know, I'm so excited. I want you to be the godmother, too."
"Oh, I'd be thrilled," Sophie squealed. "Does Chase know yet?"
"Yes, and he's so excited," Maddie whispered. "He wanted to tell everyone, but I'm making him keep it a secret. I don't want Lance and Reid to know just yet, not with..." Maddie lowered her voice, "with everything that's going on."
Sophie squeezed Maddie's hand. "Don't worry, Maddie, I won't tell Lance about the pregnancy. But I can't wait to hold the baby! I can just see the little one now!"
* * *
Lucy couldn't believe her ears. She'd walked in on the tail end of the conversation, but she'd heard Sophie say she wasn't going to tell Lance about the pregnancy, then that she couldn't wait to hold the baby.
Dear God, was Sophie pregnant?
She wouldn't tell Lance. She couldn't wait to hold the baby. What else could she mean?
Now that she thought about it, Sophie had been sick all week, emotional, not eating, even sloughing off her usual intake of soda—no wonder the break with Lance had upset her so badly.
Momentary disappointment trickled through her that Sophie hadn't told her first instead of Maddie, which meant that somewhere deep down Sophie still blamed her for the breakup with Lance. She was also aware that now Sophie was not only alone, but pregnant and alone, and that it was all Lucy's fault for being selfish.
But there was a baby to think about now. A tiny innocent life that had been created in love. And this tiny little life would be her niece or nephew. A niece or nephew she could not let be brought into the world without its father.
Not the way she and Sophie had.
She could barely contain herself from congratulating Sophie, and bragging that she couldn't wait to be an aunt. But both Maddie and Sophie clamed up tighter than a virgin in a male strip club when she approached, shutting her out. After she slurped down most of the Cosmopolitan pitcher—not surprised when Sophie pushed her own away—she gave her sister the gift she'd bought; the number sixty-nine item from her catalog.
"To help you get Lance," she told her. A few minutes later, she hopped a cab. She had made a mess of things before, and it was up to her to fix them now.
After the taxi dropped her off she stood, slightly woozy and light-headed, on Reid's doorstep banging on his door for all she was worth. She
could have sworn he'd peeked out the window and seen her, then ducked inside and had refused to answer.
Damn, insufferable, infuriating, rat-fink man. Why God had created that Y chromosome was beyond her.
She banged again, and yelled, cursing him to the moon, then finally took her credit card from her purse and picked the lock. The door screeched open, and she clunked inside, scanning the dim interior as she yelled his name. The apartment reeked of stale pizza and beer. But thankfully she didn't see any woman's lingerie scattered inside.
Reid was slumped on a ratty-looking sofa, surfing the channels. "Where'd a Virginal Princess learn to pick locks?"
"Vegas, where else?"
He flicked her a quick glance, then returned to the TV. Some boring ball game blared from the set. He turned up the sound. "Well, pick your way back out and go on back there."
"Not until you listen to me."
He grunted and started to stand, but she tottered over to him, nearly falling over a pair of smelly tennis shoes. With a sigh, she snatched the remote.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"
Her bracelets jangled as she waved her arms around. "We have a major crisis. We can't sit back and do nothing."
Reid rested his elbows on his knees and glared at her. "What crisis? Did you lose your spell book?"
"This is not about me. Well, not directly. Actually, it affects both of us, and Lance and Sophie." Lucy rubbed at her head and paced. "No, it's bigger than all of us."
Reid folded his arms. "Lucy, did anyone ever tell you that you talk in circles?"
"Only an idiot wouldn't be able to understand me." She slapped her forehead. "Oh, wait, you're a man; you don't have a brain."
"Maybe if you just came right out and said what you mean..."
"I mean I'm concerned about the baby."
The color drained from Reid's face. He jumped up to grab her arms but swayed. "Oh, my God, you're pregnant?"
Lucy swatted at his hand. "I'm what?"
"You... I... we're—"
Realization dawned and nervous laughter bubbled inside Lucy. "No, Reid, I'm not pregnant."
"Then what baby are you talking about?"
Had she seen a moment of disappointment mingled with the panic? "Sophie and Lance's."
