A Tricky Proposition

by Cat Schield

  If not for the evocative scents of cooking, she might have spent what remained of the day in bed, but her stomach growled, reminding her she hadn’t had anything to eat except the power bar she’d bought at the airport. She got dressed and went to the kitchen to investigate.

  “Something smells great.” Ming stepped off the back stairs and into her kitchen, surprising her sister.

  The oven door closed with a bang as she spun to face Ming. “You’re home.” Lily’s cheeks bore a rosy flush, probably put there by whatever simmered on the stove.

  Even though both girls had learned to cook from their mother, only Lily had inherited their mother’s passion for food. Ming knew enough to keep from starving, but for her cooking was more of a necessity than an infatuation.

  “You’re cooking.”

  “I was craving lamb.”

  “Craving it?” The dish was a signature item Lily prepared when she was trying to impress a guy. It had been over a year since she’d made it. “I thought you were going to be house hunting in Portland this weekend.”

  “I changed my mind about spending the weekend.”

  “Does this mean you’re changing your mind about moving?” Ming quizzed, unable to contain the hope in her voice.

  “No.” Lily pulled a bottle of wine from the fridge and dug in a drawer for the corkscrew. “How come you’re home so early? I thought you were gone all weekend.”

  Ming thought of the chardonnay she and Jason had shared. How he’d fed her grapes and how she’d enjoyed his hands on her skin. “I wasn’t having any fun so I thought I’d come home.” Not the whole truth, but far from a lie. “I didn’t get a chance to tell you before you left town last week, but Terry wants to sell me his half of the practice. He’s retiring.”

  “How are you going to manage a baby and the practice all by yourself?”

  “I can handle it just fine.”

  “I think you’re being selfish.” Lily’s words, muffled by the refrigerator door, drove a spear into Ming’s heart. She pulled a bowl of string beans out and plunked them on the counter. “How can you possibly have enough time for a child when you’re running the practice?”

  “There are a lot of professional women who manage to do both.” Ming forced back the doubts creeping up on her, but on the heels of her failure with Jason this weekend, she couldn’t help but wonder if her subconscious agreed with Lily.

  What if she couldn’t do both well? Was she risking complete failure? No. She could do this. Even without a partner in her life to help her when things went wrong, or to celebrate the triumphs?

  She was going to be awfully lonely. Sure, her parents would help when they could, but Lily was moving and Jason had his racing and his career to occupy him. What was she thinking? She would have her child and the practice to occupy her full attention. What about love? Marriage?

  She brushed aside the questions. What good did it do to focus on something she couldn’t control? Planning and organization led to success, and she was a master of both.

  With her confidence renewed, she poured wine from the bottle Lily had opened. As it hit her taste buds, she made a face. She checked the label and frowned at her sister.

  “Since when do you drink Riesling?”

  “I’m trying new things.”

  “This is Evan’s favorite wine.”

  “He recommended it so I bought a bottle.”

  “Recently?”

  “No.” Her sister frowned. “A while ago. Geez, what’s with all the questions? I tried a type of wine your ex liked. Big deal.”

  Lily’s sharpness rocked Ming. Was her sister so upset with her that it threatened to drive a wedge between them?

  Ming set down her wineglass. “I’m going to run over to Mom and Dad’s and pick up Muffin. Is there anything you need me to get while I’m out?”

  “How about a bottle of wine you prefer?”

  Flinching at her sister’s unhappy tone, Ming grabbed her keys and headed for the door. “You know, I’m not exactly thrilled with your decision to move to Portland, but I know it’s something you feel you have to do, so I’m trying to put aside my selfish wish for you to stay and at least act like I’m supportive.”

  Then, without waiting for her sister’s reply, Ming stepped into her garage and shut the door firmly behind her. With her hands shaking, she had a hard time getting the key into the ignition of the ’66 Shelby Cobra. She’d chosen to drive the convertible tonight, hoping the fresh air might clear away all the confusion in her mind.

  The drive to her parents’ house was accomplished in record time thanks to the smoothly purring 425 V8 engine. She really should sell the car. It was an impractical vehicle for a mother-to-be, but she had such great memories of the summer she and Jason had spent fixing it up.

  After her spat with Lily, she’d planned to join her parents for dinner, but they were meeting friends at the country club, so Ming collected her dog and retraced her path back to her house. A car sat in her driveway. In the fading daylight, it took her a second to recognize it as Evan’s.

  Because she and Jason were best friends and she knew there’d be occasions when she’d hang out with his family, Ming had made a decision to keep her interactions with Evan amicable. In fact, it wasn’t that hard. Their relationship lacked the turbulent passion that would make her hate him for dumping her. But that didn’t mean she was okay about him showing up without warning.

  Ming parked the convertible in the garage. Disappointment filled her as she tucked Muffin under her arm and exited the car. She’d been hoping Jason had stopped by. He hadn’t called her or responded to her text.

  When she entered the house, the tension in the kitchen stopped her like an invisible wall. What the heck? Evan and her sister had chosen opposite sides of the center island. An almost empty wine bottle sat between them. Lily’s mouth was set in unhappy lines. Her gaze dropped from Evan to the bowl of lettuce on the counter before her.

  “Evan, this is a surprise.” Ming eyed the vase of flowers beside the sink. Daisies. The same big bunch he always gave her after they’d had a difference of opinion. He thought the simple white flower represented a sweet apology. He was nothing if not predictable. Or maybe not so predictable. Why had he shown up on her doorstep without calling?

  Lily didn’t look Ming’s way. Had her sister shared with Evan her dismay about Ming’s decision to have a baby? Stomach churning, she set Muffin down. The terrier headed straight for her food bowl.

  “What brings you here?” Ming asked.

  “I came by to… Because…” He appeared at a loss to explain his reason for visiting.

  “Are you staying for dinner? Lily’s making rack of lamb. I’m sure there’s enough for three, or I should say four, since usually she makes it for whomever she’s dating at the time.”

  Evan’s gaze sliced toward Lily. “You’re dating someone?”

  “Not dating exactly, just using him for sex.” Ming lowered her voice. “Although I think she’s ready to find someone she can get serious about. That’s why she’s moving to Portland.”

  “And the guy she’s seeing.” Since Lily refused to look up from the lettuce she was shredding, Evan directed the question at Ming. “She can’t get serious about him?”

  “She says they’re just friends.” The Yorkie barked and Ming filled Muffin’s bowl. “Isn’t that right, Lily?”

  “I guess.” Lily’s gaze darted between Ming and Evan.

  “So, when are you expecting him to show?”

  “Who?”

  “The guy you’re preparing the lamb for.”

  “There’s no guy,” Lily retorted, her tone impatient. “I told you I was craving lamb. No big deal.”

  Ming felt the touch of Evan’s gaze. She’d been using Lily’s love life to distract him from whatever purpose he had for visiting her tonight. Something about Evan had changed in the past year. The closer they got to their wedding, the more he’d let things irritate him. A part of her had been almost relieved when he call
ed things off.

  What was he doing here tonight? She glanced at the daisies. If he was interested in getting back together, his timing was terrible.

  “I’m going to head upstairs and unpack,” she told them, eager to escape. “Evan, make sure you let me know if Lily’s mystery man shows up. I’m dying to meet him.”

  “There’s no mystery man,” her sister yelled up the stairs at her.

  Ming set her suitcase on the bed and began pulling clothes out of it. She put everything where it belonged, hamper and dry cleaning pile for the things she’d worn, drawers and hangers for what she hadn’t. When she was done, only one item remained. A white silk nightie. Something a bride might wear on her wedding night. She’d bought it in San Francisco two days ago specifically for her weekend with Jason.

  Now what was she supposed to do with it?

  “Ming?”

  She spun around at the sound of Evan’s voice. “Is Lily’s date here?”

  His gaze slid past her to the lingerie draped over the foot of her bed. He stared at it for a long moment before shifting his attention back to her.

  “I’ve wanted to talk to you about something.”

  Her pulse jerked. He was so solemn. This couldn’t be good. “You have? Let’s go have dinner and chat.”

  He put up his hands as she started for the door. “This is something we need to discuss, just us.”

  Nothing that serious could ever be good. “You know, I’m in a really good place right now.” She pulled her hair over one shoulder and finger-combed it into three sections. “The practice is booming. Terry wants me to buy him out.” Her fingers made quick work of a braid and she snagged a scrunchy off her nightstand. “I’m happy.”

  “And I don’t want that to change. But there’s something you need to know—”

  “Dinner’s ready.”

  Ming cast her sister a grateful smile. “Wonderful. Come on, Evan. You’re in for a treat.” She practically raced down the stairs. Her glass of wine was on the counter where she’d left it and Ming downed the contents in one long swallow. Wincing at the taste, she reached into her wine cooler and pulled out a Shiraz.

  Over dinner, Evan’s sober expression and Lily’s preoccupation with her own thoughts compelled Ming to fill the awkward silence with a series of stories about her trip to San Francisco and amusing anecdotes about Wendy’s six-year-old daughter. By the time the kitchen was cleaned up and the dishwasher happily humming, she was light-headed from too much wine and drained from carrying the entire conversation.

  Making no attempt to hide her yawns, Ming headed upstairs and shut her bedroom door behind her. In the privacy of her large master suite, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the shower. The warm water pummeled her, releasing some of the tension from her shoulders. Wrapped in a thick terry-cloth robe, she sat cross-legged on her window seat and stared out over her backyard. She had no idea how long her thoughts drifted before a soft knock sounded on her door.

  Lily stuck her head in. “You okay?”

  “Is Evan gone?”

  Lily nodded. “I’m sorry about what I said to you earlier.”

  “You’re not wrong. I am being selfish.” Ming patted the seat beside her. “But at the same time you know that once I decide to do something, I give it my all.”

  Lily hugged Ming before sitting beside her on the window seat. “If anyone is going to be supermom it’s you.”

  “Thanks.” Ming swallowed past the tightness in her throat. She hated fighting with Lily. “So, what’s up with Evan?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I came in tonight, he looked as grim as I’ve ever seen him. I figured he was explaining why he showed up out of the blue.” Ming knew her sister had always been partial to Jason’s older brother. Often in the past six months, Ming thought Lily had been the sister most upset about the broken engagement. “You two became such good friends these last few years. I thought maybe he’d share with you his reason for coming here tonight.”

  “Do you think Jason told him that you want to have a baby?”

  “He wouldn’t do that.” Ming’s skin grew warm as she imagined where she’d be right at this moment if she hadn’t run out on Jason. Naked. Wrapped in his arms. Thighs tangled. Too happy to move. “I know this sounds crazy, but what if Evan wants to get back together?”

  “Why would you think he’d want to do that?” Lily’s voice rose.

  “I don’t. Not really.” Ming shook her head. “It’s just that after I told Jason I wanted to get pregnant, he was so insistent that I’m not over Evan.”

  “Are you?” Her sister leaned forward, eyebrows drawn together. “I mean Evan broke up with you, not the other way around.”

  Ming toyed with the belt of her robe. The pain of being dumped eased a little more each day, but it wasn’t completely gone. “It really doesn’t matter how I feel. The reasons we broke up haven’t changed.”

  “What if they did? What if the problems that came between you were gone? Out of the picture?” Lily was oddly intent. “Would you give him another chance?”

  Ming tried to picture herself with Evan now that she’d tasted Jason’s kisses. She’d settled for one brother instead of fighting for the other. That was a mistake she wouldn’t make again. She’d rather be happy as a single mom than be miserable married to a man she didn’t love.

  “I’ve spent the last six months reimagining my life without Evan,” she told her sister. “I’d rather move forward than look back.”

  *

  At a little after 8:00 p.m., Jason sat in his car and stared at Ming’s house. When she’d left him in Mendocino, his pride had kept him from chasing after her for a little over two hours. He’d come to California to spend the weekend with Ming, not to pace a hotel room in a frenzy of unsatisfied desire. Confident she wouldn’t miraculously change her mind and return to him, Jason had gotten behind the wheel and returned to the San Francisco airport, where he’d caught a 6:00 a.m. flight back to Houston.

  He hadn’t liked the way things had been left between them, and her text message gave him hope she hadn’t, either. After catching a few hours of sleep, he’d come here tonight to talk her into giving his strategy one last shot.

  But the sight of his brother’s car parked in Ming’s driveway distracted him. What the hell was Evan doing here? Had he come to tell Ming that he was dating her sister? If so, Jason should get in there because Ming was sure to be upset.

  He had his hand on the door release when her front door opened. Despite the porch light pouring over the couple’s head, he couldn’t see Lily’s expression, but her body language would be visible from the moon.

  Ming’s sister was hung up on his brother. And from the way Evan slid his hands around her waist and pulled her against him for a deep, passionate kiss, the feeling was mutual.

  It took no more than a couple of seconds for an acid to eat at Jason’s gut. He glanced away from the embracing couple, but anger continued to build.

  What the hell did Evan think he was doing? Didn’t he care about Ming’s feelings at all? Didn’t he consider how hurt she’d be if she saw him kissing Lily? Obviously not. Good thing Jason was around to straighten out his brother before the situation spun out of control.

  A motor started, drowning out Jason’s heated thoughts. Evan backed out of the driveway. Jason had missed the chance to catch his brother in the act. Cursing, he dialed Evan’s number.

  “Jason, hey, what’s up?”

  “We need to talk.”

  “So talk.” Considering the fact that Evan had just engaged in a long, passionate kiss, he wasn’t sounding particularly chipper.

  “In person.” So he could throttle his brother if the urge arose. “O’Malley’s. Ten minutes.”

  The tension in Jason’s tone must have clued in his brother to Jason’s determination because Evan agreed without protest. “Sure. Okay.”

  Jason ended the call and followed his brother’s car to the neighborhood bar. He chose the p
arking spot next to Evan’s and was standing at his brother’s door before Evan had even turned off the engine.

  “You and Lily are still seeing each other?” Jason demanded, not allowing his brother to slide from behind the wheel.

  “I never said I was going to stop.”

  “Does Ming know?”

  “Not yet.”

  “She’ll find out pretty quickly if you keep kissing Lily in full view of Ming’s neighbors.”

  “I didn’t think about that.” Evan didn’t ask how Jason knew. “I was sure Ming wouldn’t see us. She’d gone up to her room.”

  “So that made it okay?” Fingers curling into fists, Jason stabbed his brother with a fierce glare. “If you intend to flaunt your relationship, you need to tell her what you and Lily are doing.”

  “I started to tonight, but Lily interrupted me. She doesn’t want Ming to know.” And Evan didn’t look happy about it. “Can we go inside and discuss this over a beer?”

  Considering his mood, Jason wasn’t sure consuming alcohol around his brother was a wise idea, but he stepped back so Evan could get out of the car. With an effort Jason unclenched his fists and concentrated on soothing his bad temper. By the time they were seated near the back, Jason’s fury had become a slow burn.

  “Why doesn’t Lily want Ming to know?” Jason sat with his spine pressed against the booth’s polished wood back while Evan leaned his forearms on the table, all earnest and contrite.

  “Because I don’t think she intends for it to go anywhere.”

  If Evan wasn’t running the risk of hurting Ming all over again, Jason could have sympathized with his brother’s pain. “Then you need to quit seeing her.”

  “I can’t.” Despite the throb in his brother’s voice, the corners of his mouth relaxed. “The sex is incredible. I tell myself a hundred times a day that it’s going nowhere and that I should get out before anyone is hurt, but then I hear her voice or see her and I have to…” He grimaced. “I don’t know why I’m telling you this.”