“Robert is here every night from seven to nine,” he said. “He’ll cook you anything you want. I usually just have toast and jam or a yogurt for breakfast, so I never thought it worth it to have him come for that, and I eat lunches at the office.”
“Not too shabby, Mr. Cadieux,” I said with a grin.
Even though I had a flight back to Chicago early tomorrow morning, he made a point of showing me where all of the good snacks were in his pantry. There were boxes and boxes of all sorts of cookies and crackers, and, of course, lots of Cadieux chocolate.
The living room had a grand piano that Lucas admitted he’d never touched and had actually belonged to the previous owners. If I’d had any amount of musical inclination, I’d have sat down and played, because it was stunning. I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe our future child would take piano lessons on this very piano.
It was a strange thought to have. This was the house my son or daughter would grow up in half the time.
The upstairs had five enormous suites, four off to the left of the wide staircase, and the master, along with a media room, to the right. Lucas talked about the media room like it was his pride and joy. I couldn’t blame him. If I had a movie theater with seating for ten and a fully stocked concession stand in my own home, I would’ve never stopped talking about it.
He finally led me down the hall on the other side of the stairwell and brought me to the suite in which I’d be staying.
“There’s an intercom by the window if you need anything,” he said. “I’ll be downstairs in the living room.”
I smiled. “Thanks, Lucas. For all of this.”
“It’s the least I can do.” For the first time, he reached out and touched my growing stomach. “You’re doing a lot for me.”
He retreated down the hall, and I opened the double doors to my home for the next twenty-four hours.
I had to admit that, as impressive as Lucas’s house was, it felt impersonal. There was no feeling of warmth. I supposed it was because this was pretty much a bachelor pad, a giant house that had just been his for as long as he could remember.
I didn’t want to pretend that I knew Lucas better than anyone in the world, but I knew him well enough to be sure that the décor and furnishings didn’t feel like him at all. It was old and too perfect. Impressive, yes, but it was the kind of home that could have belonged to anyone. Nothing about it made it obviously his.
Despite that, this guest suite was absolutely unreal. I felt as if I was staying in a palace. There was so much space in the room that I could’ve fit my entire spin class and all of our spin bikes and equipment in here. The bedroom was connected to the bathroom via a sitting room, complete with a full-sized sofa and massive vanity. The entire suite was decorated in tasteful pale yellows, with the intricate four-poster bed serving as a focal point.
I was beyond tempted to jump right into what I was sure had to be the world’s most comfortable bed, but I resisted; if I laid down for a nap, I couldn’t be sure I wouldn’t just sleep through the rest of the day.
I couldn’t help but wonder which of the rooms in this mansion would belong to our future child. Did I even have a right to wonder that? We were simply going to be co-parents, so I wasn’t sure if I was crossing a line by even thinking about it. Maybe it would come up during a tour of the house or in one of my conversations with Lucas.
Exhausted but exhilarated, I hauled my suitcase onto the bed and picked out a fresh outfit for me to throw on after my shower. I found myself overanalyzing my every decision. What blouse should I wear? What would strike the perfect balance of casual and fun? Would we be doing anything after the doctor’s appointment that required a particular attire?
As I lathered up my shampoo and let the hot water envelop me, my thoughts again turned to what I wanted to say to Lucas. I wanted to tell him how wonderful I thought he was, and how I wanted us to consider giving a relationship a try, despite the unusual circumstances. I wanted to ask if he felt the same way, too, or if it had all just been in my head.
I splashed water on my face, as if it would somehow wipe any trace of nerves or hesitation away. Washing my body, I pondered what it would be like to have Lucas hold my body against his again. Rinsing conditioner from my hair, I thought about how Lucas had run his fingers through my hair before we jumped into bed together in Hawaii.
It seemed like a no-brainer to tell him about my feelings. It hadn’t even been an hour since we’d reunited, and I’d almost let it slip a handful of times. But, as I let the water stream over my growing belly, I reminded myself that things were far more complicated than that. If he told me he didn’t feel the same way, I couldn’t just disappear and avoid him for the foreseeable future.
After my shower, I hurriedly threw on the outfit I’d picked out for myself, stopping only to admire the supreme softness of the bathroom towels. I didn’t want to give myself any more time to reconsider sharing my feelings with Lucas. Between my pep talk with myself about being open with him, and the feeling of wiping off hours of travels from my body, I felt renewed after the shower. I was ready for anything.
I ran my hairbrush through my hair and opted for a simple ponytail, then threw on some basic makeup and a quick coat of lip gloss.
This was it. I was really going to tell Lucas what had been on my mind.
I wasn’t sure how much I’d say to him, but whatever I did manage to get out would be enough to start a new kind of conversation. Even if this went nowhere and Lucas told me he solely wanted us to be co-parents, I knew I’d feel better for getting my feelings off my chest.
The hallway separating the guest wing from the stairwell seemed endless. I drew in a deep breath before heading down the stairs, knowing full well that my future was dependent on this moment.
After trying endlessly to think up the “right words” and having come up with nothing, I’d made my peace with the fact that I would just have to blurt out whatever came to my mind. Maybe I’d tell him how much I’d enjoyed us sleeping together, or maybe I’d tell him I wanted to consider being a family, us and this baby.
I was practically skipping as I made my way down the stairs, a newfound confidence forming within me. This was the same Lucas who’d flirted with me that first day in Mocha Madness. Maybe this had all been destined from the start.
It was then that I noticed the sound of Lucas’s voice carrying through the open hallways and sky-high ceilings. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but it seemed as though he was having a serious phone conversation. He did not sound pleased.
A knot formed in my stomach as I realized that, whatever I had planned to tell him, it was going to have to wait.
Chapter 16
Lucas
I couldn’t believe the words on the other end of the phone, so I repeated my question. “Are you serious?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Cadieux,” the secretary said. “I can assure you this is a rare occurrence at our practice. Dr. Legrand doesn’t cancel unless it’s truly an emergency.”
“I understand.” I wasn’t sure I did, though. I felt awful that Zoe had flown all this way just to have our appointment canceled. “When can he see us?”
“Does the same time tomorrow work for you?”
I furrowed my brow, trying to imagine my schedule, but decided that anything on the agenda could be pushed to the wayside for this appointment.
“We’ll be there.”
I thanked the secretary for calling and turned around to find Zoe standing at the bottom of the stairs. Now I had to break the news to her.
“What’s wrong?” she asked.
Clearly, my frown was still plastered across my face. Even though it was only a one-day delay, I felt terrible about the change of plans. She had to be as anxious as I was about the appointment, if not more anxious than me.
“I’m so sorry, Zoe,” I said. “Dr. Legrand has had a family emergency. He won’t be in the office today, but he has availability at the same time tomorrow.”
Zoe looked
down at the hardwood floors. She didn’t look sad, or even mad. Maybe slightly disappointed.
“Oh. I, uh, guess that’s okay.”
“He’s the best obstetrician in the country. I promise, if there was anyone else as good as him, I’d already have us on our way. I just don’t want to do the scan with anyone else.”
That was the truth, and that was the only satisfactory answer I could give her. The change of Zoe’s plane ticket would be no big deal. Maybe a few hundred dollars, a thousand, at most. I’d spent much more than that on far more frivolous things, and it would certainly be worth it for peace of mind.
“Really, it’s fine,” she assured me. “I just don’t want to miss any more work. I don’t have a ton of paid leave left, and I don’t like leaving anyone else in charge of my department unless I have to.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “I think I can help with that,” I teased. “I have a good friend on the management team that might be able to have your back.”
As funny as I found it that she was worried about missing work when she was doing it on behalf of her company’s CEO, I admired Zoe’s work ethic. Despite all of the work stress we talked about, I could tell she really loved her job. She was always the first person in a meeting and the one who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind in said meeting. She came up with ideas for the company when she was out of the office, based on the world around her.
Even though I obviously had major pull within the company, I would never ask her to miss more work unless it was necessary. Besides, what was another day or two?
But I knew it was about more than just missing work. She’d mentally prepared herself to get to see our baby on the sonogram today. I’d done the same. An extra twenty-four hours may not have seemed like a lot when you were waiting for a piece of mail or a test grade, but I was sure it would feel like an eternity when it meant ensuring that our baby was safe and healthy.
“I apologize,” I said. “I wish there was something I could do.”
“It’s not your fault, Lucas,” Zoe said. “These things happen.”
I thought about the expression that had been on Zoe’s face when she’d walked into the room. I’d been so caught up in hoping she wouldn’t be too upset about the change in appointment time that I hadn’t realized until now how distracted she’d look.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“You looked like you wanted to say something when you came downstairs.”
Zoe shook her head. “Nope. Nothing really.”
I knew I ought to drop the subject, but I couldn’t help feeling curious. I wanted Zoe to feel comfortable opening up to me. After all, we were going to be raising a child together. Well, as together as two parents living on different continents could.
“Well, I already cleared my schedule this afternoon for the appointment,” I said. “So, what do you say we make the most of it? How do you feel about a tour around Brussels?”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”
“Nonsense! It would be my pleasure!”
Zoe smiled. “Then I’d love to.”
I called my driver, Arnault, and arranged to have him meet us outside the house. As we got ourselves ready, I found myself increasingly glad that the appointment had been pushed until tomorrow. It would give Zoe and me the opportunity to spend time together outside the context of a doctor’s office.
“Do you need a better pair of shoes, or will those do?” I asked. “I was thinking we might start with a great walking trail in the Sonian Forest. It’s the perfect day for that.”
I pictured the beautiful, wooded area and meandering pathways that I’d spent many a day at in my childhood. I wasn’t sure why exactly I’d decided that was where I wanted to take Zoe for the start of our tour around Brussels, but it felt right.
Zoe looked down at her slip-on shoes. “These should be fine,” she said. “Plus, they’re all I brought, so they’re pretty much my only option.”
I laughed, having forgotten that she’d expected to be here for only twenty-four hours and spend a good chunk of that time either sleeping or sitting in a doctor’s office.
“We’ll stop somewhere and get you some sneakers if you need a better shoe. And you’re up for walking? If not, we can do something else. I don’t want you to feel any discomfort.”
“Lucas, really, it’s sweet of you to be concerned, but I’m pregnant, not on my death bed. I’ve been going to my regular fitness classes, so I can assure you a leisurely stroll will be just fine.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at that; Zoe was one feisty woman, all right.
I waited until my driver honked his usual signal, then led Zoe out to the front pathway. For whatever reason, this drive, though longer than the one from the airport, felt far less forced and uncomfortable. I offered up some suggestions to Zoe for where we should spend the rest of the day after the forest, and we decided that we’d visit one museum, followed by a surprise place that I wanted to show her, finishing up the day with dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants.
I had to admit that the look on Zoe’s face was laughable when she found out that my favorite eatery in all of town was a small, rundown sidewalk café.
“All the money in the world, and that’s your favorite?” she teased.
“You can’t help what you like!”
Zoe grinned. “That’s actually really refreshing,” she said. “I’ve met my fair share of rich businessmen in my years at Borroni, and, though it’s likely none of them were as wealthy as you, all of them were far more snooty and self-important.”
“Money may come and go, but people will never forget how you treat them.”
“I like that.”
“My dad used to tell me that,” I said. It was the first time I’d said the words aloud since my falling out with Benoit. “But I’d be equally ridiculous to not acknowledge my privilege at all, and he taught me that, as well.”
“Your dad sounds like he was a great man.”
The emotion in Zoe’s voice caught me off guard. I’d never met someone who took such a genuine interest in me and my history. Most people I met struck up a conversation with me because they recognized my last name or knew that I had money. Zoe had talked to me that first day in the coffee shop before knowing if I had hundreds or billions of dollars to my name.
“Sir, we’ve arrived,” Arnault said.
I looked out the window at the familiar array of trees and bushes and pathways. As was always the case with gorgeous weather around here, the forest was crowded with a mixture of families, tourists, and athletes. It had to have been a good ten years since I’d last been here. It hadn’t changed a bit.
Zoe seemed to be as taken by the picturesque views as I was. From the moment we stepped onto the walking trail, all she could do was look around and soak it all in.
“Shall we?” I asked, holding my arm out in the direction of the path in front of us.
Instead of responding, Zoe half-walked, half-skipped along the trail and gestured to me to follow. She was certainly full of surprises.
We snapped the occasional picture on our smartphones, but, for the most part, we simply enjoyed each other’s company. Though I was by no means an expert, I told her what little I did know about the forest.
“So, what made you decide to bring me here out of what I’m sure are the many wonderful places in Brussels?” Zoe asked.
Of course I could trust her to voice the very question I’d been asking myself.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I spent a lot of time here as a child, when my parents used to bring me here for picnics and bike riding. As a teenager, I used to meet friends here to go running.”
“And now?”
“Now, I don’t even own a bike, the only picnic I’ve had in the past decade was the one we had on the beach, and my workouts are usually whenever I can squeeze them in at my home gym.”
Being so open and honest felt cathartic. I felt like I c
ould tell Zoe anything—except about Benoit. I kept coming too close for comfort to telling her about my estranged brother, but something was holding me back.
If I had to guess, I was worried that Zoe would see my lack of a relationship with my brother as a reflection of my ability to be a parent. I didn’t want her to have any doubts. It was hard enough coming to terms on my own that Benoit and I might never speak again, but I didn’t want Zoe to have to be exposed to that part of my life.
“Well, it’s really beautiful here,” Zoe said as we continued on the trail. “I’m glad you brought me.”
“Me too.”
“This reminds me of a much larger, more scenic version of a park back home.”
“Oh yeah?” I asked, intrigued.
“Water Hill Park,” she said. “And yes, the name is ridiculous, especially considering there is, in fact, no water on the hill. But there is a humungous hill. There are lots of small pathways like this one, and you can never get lost as long as you follow the trail, since they all connect back to the giant hill. I used to go with my parents and brother when we were kids.”
“That’s sweet. It sounds like fun.”
Zoe nodded and looked down at the ground just in time to avoid face-planting over a stray branch. I grabbed her arm to help her steady her grip, but she didn’t even miss a beat as she continued.
“It was the best. All the kids in town used to pray for snow just so we could sled down the hill. Back then, we called it a mountain. It was the highest peak we’d ever seen.”
“Your hometown sounds great,” I said. “I’d love to see it sometime.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I wondered if I’d crossed a line. That sounded like something a romantic partner said, not someone who was merely a future co-parent.
I couldn’t deny that it was true, though. I found myself wanting to know everything about Zoe. Her hometown clearly meant a lot to her, which made it mean a lot to me by extension. I wasn’t sure if it was right to feel that way, but I couldn’t help it.
The Deal With Triplets Page 12
