The Baby Arrangement

by Tara Taylor Quinn

  About The Bouncing Ball, sure. Just like he ran most of his big business decisions by her. But...

  “Told me what?”

  “You need to talk to her, Braden. If she didn’t tell you...it’s not my place... I’m not getting in the middle of it.”

  He could hear children’s voices in the background, as though Julia was out in a playroom.

  “No, that’s good,” he said. “It’s just...well, I tried her cell and she didn’t answer. Should I be concerned?”

  “Try her again. Maybe she was on the phone.”

  Hanging up, he tried Mal’s cell again. She picked up on the second ring.

  “Hey, just calling to let you know I’m in town,” he said. “I drove down early this morning.” He told her about the water leak. She knew the account well. It had been his first big one. They’d celebrated the signing of that deal with a weekend in Cabo.

  She asked a couple of questions about the situation, wanting to know why the city thought they weren’t responsible for their own plumbing, if anyone knew yet what had caused the leak. And then she said, “Okay, well, keep me posted,” in a tone of voice that sounded like she was ready to hang up.

  “I don’t see your car in the parking lot,” he said, not wanting to hang Julia out to dry. The woman hadn’t meant to clue him in to anything Mallory hadn’t wanted him to know.

  “I’m working from home this morning. Going over the finances.”

  That was it. Nothing more. She did like to do her financial rundowns at home, so she could be certain she wouldn’t be interrupted. But usually she did them in the evenings. He’d never known her to miss work for it.

  “You feel okay?”

  “Yep.”

  “Any morning sickness?”

  “Nope.”

  He tried to remember back when she was carrying Tucker and to figure out what could possibly be going on with this pregnancy that would “alarm the kids.”

  Nothing. He had nothing.

  He didn’t like it.

  “You want to meet for a quick lunch?” he asked her.

  “Can I get back to you on that? I’m expecting a call and I need to be able to talk freely when it comes in.”

  “Sure, okay. And everything’s good with you?”

  “I’m fine, Bray. Just preoccupied this morning. Lunch sounds nice. I’ll let you know if something changes and I can’t make it.”

  They agreed on a place and time and he hung up.

  He was disgruntled for the rest of the morning.

  * * *

  Half an hour before she was due to meet Braden for lunch, Mallory was dressed, choosing a calf-length, loose, T-shirt tank dress she’d found at a flea market over the weekend. She was ready to go, but she still hadn’t heard from the doctor’s office.

  She had looked at The Bouncing Ball’s books. She just hadn’t followed any one thought process long enough to do them any good. Finally acknowledging her lack of concentration, she’d taken a hot bath with a reality show playing in the background. Then she’d done her hair and makeup while listening to old sitcoms.

  What she hadn’t heard was the ringing of the phone. And she had to leave soon.

  She really wanted to see Braden. At some point soon she was going to have to tell him some of the things she’d realized about herself. And she owed him an apology. But not that day.

  Right then, all she wanted was to see his lazy smile, watch him consume his lunch like it was his last meal and hear about the Mason account.

  She wanted things to be good between them, for the friendship that had seen them through the past three years to survive.

  Five minutes before she needed to leave, she called the doctor’s office, explaining her predicament.

  “The results didn’t come in this morning,” the woman who answered the phone told her. “We generally don’t get the afternoon delivery until after two, so you’re safe. Enjoy your lunch.”

  Tearing up she thanked the woman. Then, taking a deep breath, she told herself to get a grip and hurried out the door.

  * * *

  Braden headed out for lunch ten minutes earlier than he might have if he hadn’t spent the morning being visited by various scenarios of what could possibly be wrong with Mallory.

  She’d said she was fine, but she hadn’t said anything about the babies.

  Surely, if something had happened to them, she wouldn’t be fine.

  No matter what it was, there’d be a way to handle it. There always was.

  Still, he’d feel better knowing what it was he might be helping her handle.

  If she’d needed his help, she’d have called.

  And so it went. All morning long. Anytime he had a break in between calls.

  Which, thankfully, hadn’t been often.

  He knew the second he saw her being seated at the table that something was up. She had a small furrow between her brows and her lips were tight. Until she saw him approaching. Then she smiled.

  The light in her eyes gave him a lift.

  “Bad morning?” he asked as he took his seat across from her at a little table for two by a column in the middle of the well-known sandwich shop.

  She shook her head, but he didn’t believe her.

  She’d stayed home to go over the books. Was her problem financial? Had something happened with the business that she wasn’t telling him about?

  But how would a phone call regarding her financial situation upset the kids?

  Maybe the problem was with one of the parents from her daycare?

  A flashback to the year before reminded him of the couple who’d come into the daycare, claiming that one of Mallory’s kids was the abducted son of a woman from Mission Viejo. She’d called Braden immediately and they’d met with the couple to discuss the situation.

  Mallory had been noticeably upset by the whole thing, and seeing that could upset the kids.

  So, yeah, maybe it was something with a parent.

  She ordered tea from the waitress who approached. He did the same.

  “I’m assuming, since you’re here, your call came in?” Her business was her business, he reminded himself. She could share with him or not at her discretion. But not knowing what was going on wasn’t sitting well with him.

  Mallory shook her head. “I had confirmation that it will be sometime after two,” she told him and looked at her menu.

  She wasn’t going to tell him.

  So he let it go. He looked at his own menu, though suddenly he didn’t give a damn what he ate.

  “Mallory?”

  She glanced over at him.

  “Please, tell me what’s going on. What’s this call you’re expecting?”

  Her frown was full-scale, her hair jumbling around her shoulders as she shrugged and shook her head at the same time.

  “Julia told me you stayed home to get it because it could upset the kids. She thought I knew what it was about. And she clammed up the second she realized I didn’t.”

  “Oh.” She watched him, seeming to consider something.

  “Don’t blame her. She’s got your back completely.”

  “I know that. I’m sure she’ll tell me about your call as soon as we next speak.”

  He was sure of it, too, which had been part of the reason he’d said what he had. But only partly. He mostly wanted her to tell him what was going on.

  How did a guy fix something if he had no idea what to fix?

  “It’s nothing,” she said now. “Nothing that you can do anything about.”

  He didn’t know that. Not until he knew what it was.

  “You know you don’t have to take on every single one of my problems, Bray.” Her smile was calm, almost serene.

  That didn’t set well with him, either.

  “I know you can make it just fine on
your own. I’m not trying to imply otherwise, even to myself. Or to think that I’m the save-the-day guy. I know full well I’m not. It’s just...”

  He needed her to understand. “I think about you,” he told her. “I’d like to know that you’re okay and—”

  “I’m okay,” she interrupted and he held up a hand.

  “And to know that if something’s bothering you, enough so that you stay home from work, and I’m right here and know something’s going on, that—Oh for God’s sake, Mal, please tell me what’s going on.”

  She grinned, but it lasted only a second.

  “I had a genetic defect positive come back on some blood work last week. The doctor isn’t worried. It’s not all that unheard of for this particular test to show false positives. I had a more in-depth test done on Thursday and I’m expecting the results today.” She met his gaze the entire time she delivered the news.

  And then she glanced at her menu as though there really was nothing big going on.

  “You’re telling me that the babies have something wrong with them?” And she hadn’t called him immediately?

  “Did you call Tamara?” he asked when she didn’t answer.

  “Yesterday,” she said, turning the page of the menu. She was studying the thing like she couldn’t make up her mind what she wanted.

  He knew what she was going to order, so she must, too.

  Reaching across the table he took her hand. She glanced over at him, a sheen in her gaze that was unmistakable.

  Mallory wasn’t as undisturbed as she seemed.

  “You going to have the cranberry-and-turkey salad?” he asked.

  She nodded.

  He let go of her hand.

  And they ate lunch.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The second he’d seen a hint of the emotion boiling up inside her, he’d shut down. Mallory recognized the response.

  And so she did what their friendship required. She ate lunch. As much of it as she could get past the lump in her throat.

  Her babies needed nourishment no matter what they were facing. Most particularly considering what they might be facing. They could have more than the normal challenges ahead of them.

  Braden chatted about the Mason situation. The pipes in question became the responsibility of the owner when they were so many feet from the street. And an insurance policy, acquired by Mason before Braden Property Management was in the picture, required a rider to cover them. Braden had gotten a quote from a plumber to fix the problem. And he and Mason had decided to cover the cost.

  They were also adding the underground plumbing rider to all of Mason’s property policies.

  She heard it all as she sat there, watching him. But she couldn’t help the worry and fear from taking residence in her mind, as well.

  On their way out to their cars, she finally explained the test to him. “It was a genetic disorder blood test. It looks for chromosomal abnormalities. That can be anything from a lack that often leads to death within the first year of life, or ones which could still provide a perfectly normal life expectancy. It could be trisomy 21, Down syndrome, which could be high functioning or not. There are others. A lot of them mean some level of developmental delay. If the babies are identical, it will most likely affect both of them. If they’re fraternal, meaning they come from two eggs, it could go either way. The test seemed to indicate that it’s not the most severe. And the doctor specifically stated that she wasn’t particularly worried.”

  She smiled at him. “I’ve weathered worse, Bray. I’m going to be fine, no matter what we find out.”

  He didn’t look convinced. He walked her to her car, waited while she let herself in and then shut the door behind her.

  When he still stood there, she rolled the window down.

  “Call me,” he said. “When you hear, call me.”

  She nodded.

  She’d have done so anyway.

  He was her friend and she needed his support.

  * * *

  Braden was on his phone before he’d left the parking lot, arranging to stay in San Diego for the night. He’d had a dinner meeting that evening in L.A. that had to be rescheduled, and appointments in the morning, but he was able to fill his calendar in San Diego for the rest of the afternoon and set up a couple of video calls for the next morning.

  He’d established a system that would allow him to work from either location, and it was serving him just fine.

  He called Anna and let her know his business in San Diego was taking longer than he’d expected. She didn’t ask if he’d be seeing his ex-wife while he was in town. He liked that about her. She didn’t get all up in the drama of a situation.

  He planned a sit-down with William, glad to have some time to spend with the man who kept his life running on time and on target.

  In the meantime he was able to book a cancelled spot with the new physical trainer in the gym on the bottom floor of his building.

  Up until his former trainer had been arrested—for having kidnapped his son—Braden had trained twice a week. He needed to get back with it.

  The workout was good. He kicked it, hard, and came out sweating so much he stank. Showering off in his office suite, he changed back into his suit and looked at his phone. Three thirty and still no call from Mallory.

  He’d had the cell on and with him in the gym. He’d even left it on the counter by the shower.

  He couldn’t plan his evening until he knew that Mallory wouldn’t need him for anything. Not that there’d be much he could do. He wasn’t a doctor. Or a miracle worker.

  But he’d told her to call.

  A knock sounded on his door.

  “Come in,” he barked, so not like him. He settled an apologetic smile on his face as the door swung inward.

  Mallory stood there, a grin all over her face. She closed the door behind her.

  “We’re good,” she said as she advanced. “Everything’s fine.”

  Just when he was going to congratulate her he went weak for a second. He told himself it was because he’d pushed his muscles hard and probably needed a salty drink.

  “They’re fine?” he asked, standing in place so he didn’t make an idiot of himself.

  “Yep.” She was right up to him, standing there, looking all expectant.

  “What?”

  “You want to know what we’re having?”

  What we’re having, he repeated to himself, making note of the word choice.

  “You know the sexes?”

  “It was an option on the test,” she told him.

  “So?”

  “Girls. We’re having two girls. And they’re pretty sure there’s only one sac which means they’re identical. They’ll be able to tell that more clearly later, and it’s still not for sure. They can do a DNA cheek swab after they’re born to be absolutely certain.”

  Girls. Mallory was having two girls.

  No boys who would need him.

  It fit. It was right.

  Pulling her to him, he held her tight.

  Just so thankful that all was well.

  * * *

  She didn’t mean to kiss him. There was no place in Mallory’s plans for anything but the most platonic of friendships with Braden, but with her body pressed up against his, her breasts tingling from the contact with his chest, she didn’t think about plans. She didn’t think at all. Lifting up ever so slightly, she brought her lips closer to his. Watching them the space between his mouth and hers faded. The first touch was hello. The second... Mallory devoured the taste of Braden, the familiar touch of his tongue, the way his mouth said more to her in a kiss than it ever did with words.

  She moaned, instantly needing more. Thinking about the quickest way to get her sweet spot free, about reaching for the zipper on his fly. Her entire being burned with that one touch
of their lips. Bringing out the wild woman he found in her.

  She didn’t know who sprang back first, would like to think they’d both done so simultaneously.

  “What was that?” she asked, out of breath, when he stood there looking almost pained.

  “Yeah, I don’t know,” he tried for a chuckle.

  Backing away, she moved toward the door. “I know you’re busy.” Half panting still, she was relieved one of them had stopped them before they’d made an irrevocable mistake. And was sad, too. “I just got a bit carried away there with the good news. Emotionally and all.”

  “Yeah,” he said, standing right where she’d left him.

  She was almost through the door when he called her back. “Mal?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m glad they’re okay.”

  She nodded.

  “And that they’re girls.”

  She was, too. Boys would have been just as great, just as special. But Tucker was Tucker. For now, he was her boy. And she had two little girls coming who’d know his name from the very beginning. They’d grow up learning to love the big brother they’d never met.

  They’d know their father, too.

  From a distance.

  With girls on the way, there was no way she could even think about more than friendship with Braden. If he thought handling Mallory’s emotions was too much, she could just imagine what he’d be like with pubescent twin girls running around.

  His frustration with emotional outbursts was one thing she’d protect her girls against. They were never going to be ashamed of who and what they were. Not as long as she was alive and in control.

  And if she taught them right, they’d be fine even after she was gone.

  Her lips were still tingling, her tongue still tasting Braden, long after she’d left his office. And that was something she’d have to get control over, too.

  Immediately.

  Praying it was just pregnancy hormones amping up her sex drive, she went to the daycare and put her mind to tasks that mattered.

  * * *

  Braden couldn’t get her kiss off his mouth. He couldn’t get the feel of her body out of his mind. He couldn’t get rid of his hard-on long enough to think straight.