Buch lesen: «Pregnancy Countdown»

Chapter One

Nora Summers thought about how the day was meant to be spent. She would have been dressed in a lovely lilac gown with a circlet of flowers on her head. She would have been watching her best friend get married. She would have spent the afternoon eating cake, drinking champagne and dancing. She would have joined her friends in trying to catch the bridal bouquet and she would have cried happy tears as she watched her best friend and her new husband leave on their honeymoon.

Instead, today she bid a last goodbye to her beloved grandmother.

Nora’s flight home was delayed for almost six hours. The airport was quiet as the cranky passengers disembarked.

“I’ll be home soon,” she murmured to herself as she trudged up the corridor toward the terminal interior. “I will be in my very lovely soft bed where I will indulge in lots of sleep.”

She moved past people waiting for the arrivals. She stopped short when a familiar figure straightened up from a leaning position against a pillar and walked toward her.

Nora decided she was dreaming. Men wearing tuxedos weren’t a normal sight at airports at 1:00 a.m. Especially not this particular man whose wardrobe consisted of blinding Hawaiian-print shirts and shorts or jeans.

“Hey, Nora.” His smile was dazzling against his tanned skin. He reached out and took her carry-on bag from her, then switched it to his left hand while circling her waist with his right. He kissed her gently on the forehead.

She wrapped her arms around him. She felt the strength of his body under his clothing. There was comfort in the familiar lime scent mingled with the warm aroma of his skin. Hints of different perfumes were added to the mix. She guessed Mark had been a very popular guy at the wedding.

“Mark, what are you doing here?” She was tired enough to feel bewildered by his unexpected appearance.

“Ginna mentioned what time your flight was due in,” he explained as they walked through the terminal. “I thought you might appreciate a ride home.”

“I do appreciate it,” she admitted. “But my flight was delayed for almost six hours. You haven’t been here all that time, have you?”

“Funny thing about airport terminals. They’re loaded with coffee kiosks and bars with wide-screen televisions.”

Nora shook her head trying to dislodge the fuzz clinging to her brain. Weariness was making it difficult for her to think clearly.

“Where are your baggage-claim tickets?” Mark asked.

“I only have my carry-on.” She gestured to the bag he held in his hand.

“How did you manage that? When Ginna goes away for more than a day she requires at least two suitcases.”

“I only needed a black dress,” Nora said dully. She was tired enough to take a nearby chair, curl up in it and go to sleep.

Mark squeezed her shoulder, offering silent comfort as they walked toward the entrance.

“I’m impressed.” She looked him over from head to toe. “What threats were used to get you into formal wear?”

He moved off a couple paces. He spread his arms out wide and cocked one hip in a fashion-model’s pose.

“Like it? It was my wedding gift to Gin. Plus she said if I showed up at her wedding wearing my favorite shirt she’d personally burn every piece of clothing in my closet. Since she’d been in a pretty crazy mood the past few weeks, not to mention she always backs up her threats, I wasn’t taking any chances.”

Nora nodded. She knew her friend would have done exactly that. “She’d invite everyone over for a barbecue and marshmallow roast.”

Mark winced. “Yeah, she does have that cruel streak.” He again flashed a smile that weakened many a woman’s knees, including Nora’s once upon a time.

They were silent as they exited the terminal and headed for the parking lot.

Mark stopped at an elegant-looking Jaguar sedan and unlocked the passenger door for Nora before going around back to open the trunk and set her carry-on bag inside.

“Your father let you take one of his cars?” She slid onto the buttery-soft leather seat.

“He said you should be picked up in style. I won’t tell you what he said will happen if I get so much as a microscopic scratch on it,” he added ruefully as he slid onto the driver’s seat.

Nora smiled. She knew Lou Walker, Mark’s father, only too well. The older man was an expert in the art of restoring classic automobiles. His family liked teasing him that he treated his vehicles like beloved children. She didn’t doubt that Lou demanded nothing less than a blood vow that Mark would protect the Jaguar with his life.

The engine purred like a satisfied kitten as Mark drove out of the parking lot.

“I won’t be offended if you want to nap on the way home.” Within moments, he was driving onto the freeway that boasted more than moderate traffic even at the late hour. “I can imagine you’re exhausted with all that flight delay.”

She smiled her thanks and leaned back against the headrest.

In no time, the gentle glide of the car lulled her into a light doze. Mark glanced at her a couple times as he drove down the freeway.

He’d always thought Nora was one of the most beautiful women he’d ever known. Tonight was the first time he’d ever seen her looking weary and dejected. Her skin was pale and her emerald-green eyes weren’t flashing their usual fire. Even her copper-penny hair had lost its luster. She looked like a woman who’d lost an important part of her world. Which he knew she had.

Nora and her grandmother had been close. The elderly woman had raised her after Nora’s father abandoned his family, and her mother retreated into herself. She never talked about it much, but Mark guessed that she wasn’t more than five or six when it happened. Nora had been helping his sister, Ginna, plan her wedding when she’d received word her grandmother was dying. Nora had immediately flown to Seattle and remained with her grandmother until the end. Mark had been looking forward to dancing with Nora at the reception, but it wasn’t to be. While Ginna had recited her wedding vows to Zach, Nora had attended her grandmother’s funeral.

All it took was Ginna’s mention that Nora was returning that evening for Mark to suggest he pick her up. His reason being, after the week she’d had, Nora shouldn’t have to worry about finding transportation home.

Nora and Mark had dated for a few months a couple of years ago. The only description he could give to their relationship then was stormy. He recalled times she’d appeared insecure, which he couldn’t understand since he’d never given her a reason to doubt his fidelity. His father had raised his sons to revere the opposite sex, and if there was one thing Mark was good at, it was revering women. To this day, he didn’t know the exact reason why Nora had broken up with him.

“NORA. Nora,” The male voice whispered her name. “Hey, you’ve arrived at your castle, Sleeping Beauty.”

Her lids felt leaden as she strained to lift them. “I don’t think I can move. Could you just wave a wand and pop me into my bed?”

Mark chuckled as he climbed out of the car. “Sorry, I left my wand at home. Besides, with my luck, you’d end up in a parallel universe.” He walked around to the passenger door and opened it. “Let’s just try it one step at a time, shall we?” He took her hand and helped her out. He gazed at the house, frowning. “Has anyone been staying there while you were gone?”

“Just dust bunnies.” She looked in the same direction. “Oh, the lights. I put a few lamps on timers so it wouldn’t look as if the place was deserted.”

“Good idea.” Mark left her long enough to pull her bag out of the car’s trunk.

He was on her heels as she entered the house.

“Thank you for picking me up,” she said, reaching for her carry-on.

“Wait a minute.” He set the bag down. “You don’t think I’m going to leave without checking the closets and under the bed, do you?”

Nora laughed. “Everything is fine, I’m sure of it.”

“I don’t see the Brumb anywhere around.”

“I wouldn’t have left Brumby alone this long. He’s staying at the Canine Castle,” she said, explaining her dog’s absence.

“Ah.” Mark nodded. “Five-star facilities for the discriminating canine. Since he isn’t around to keep the place safe, I consider it my duty to ensure everything’s all right.” He wandered toward the back of the house.

Nora walked into the family room and set her purse down on a table. She could hear doors opening and closing. She was grateful she’d picked up her clothes before she left for Seattle. Looking around the room, she felt as if she should be doing something, but had no idea what.

Inside, she felt numb. All she wanted was to be left alone so she could lie down and give in to tears. Again.

“All’s safe,” Mark announced, coming into the room.

Nora managed a brief smile although she felt as if her lips were ready to fall apart along with the rest of her.

“Thank you again for picking me up.” She none too subtly herded him toward the front door.

He held up his hand in a stop position. “One more thing. I’ll be right back.” He walked outside.

“Mark!” Her protest was ignored as he walked swiftly down the front walk.

She stood in the open doorway and watched him take something out of the car. He returned carrying a small pink box.

“Ginna asked me to give you this,” he told her, handing her the box.

Nora held the box in one hand and opened it with the other. A soft gasp escaped her lips as she stared at a slice of white cake decorated with delicate lilac flowers. She knew the filling was tart lemon and the frosting rich enough to send anyone into immediate sugar shock. She, Ginna and Cathy, Ginna’s mother, had sampled more than their share of wedding cakes before the final decision was made. She blinked rapidly to keep the tears at bay. It didn’t work. She looked up.

“This is so sweet of her,” she whispered.

“Aw, Nora, don’t cry,” Mark pleaded, getting that panicked look all men get when facing a tearful woman. “I’m no good with tears.” He took the box out of her hand before she dropped it, and gently pushed her toward the family room.

He set the bag on the coffee table and turned to face her.

“You treat injured people for a living. Some of them must cry,” she sniffed. Her face crumbled with fresh tears.

“Yeah, but I don’t know them.” He reached out and pulled her into his arms. He bestowed awkward pats on her back while looking as if he was ready to run at any minute.

“I’m sorry,” she sobbed into his jacket. “Maybe I’m just tired. It’s been a traumatic week.”

“Hey,” he said gently, now softly rubbing her back. “You’ve had a lot going on. Ginna told me she wanted to go with you and you told her no. Maybe you should have let her so you wouldn’t have been alone.”

“And have her postpone her wedding? No, I wanted her to go ahead. There was nothing she could have done in Seattle. Besides, think of the commute from Newport Beach. She had a wedding to attend, since she was the guest of honor.” She tried for a bit of humor, but the stark look of misery in her eyes belied it. The last thing she would have done was ruin her best friend’s wedding.

“There is definitely something she could have done. She would have been with you,” Mark pointed out.

Nora shook her head but said nothing. She wrapped her arms around his waist. It had been a long time since she’d been in a man’s arms. She’d forgotten how good it felt. All week she’d run on sheer nerves and coffee. She’d sat there and watched her grandmother’s spirit leave her. Now she felt as if a big piece of herself had gone missing. Growing up, she’d only had her grandmother to count on when her father left her and her mother. Then her own mother had mentally abandoned her daughter. With her grandmother gone, Nora was now truly alone.

All of a sudden she knew just what she needed.

“Please stay, Mark. I don’t want to be alone tonight,” she whispered against his shirtfront. When she felt his body tense, she started to pull back. “I’m sorry. I’m tired. I don’t know why—” Her words were cut off by the swift descent of his mouth on hers.

NORA’S DREAM involved lying in front of a cozy fire. She felt so comfortable that she thought about stretching out under her lovely soft blanket to keep this comfy feeling.

She smiled as the heat wrapped itself around her. Then her sleepy mind realized something touching her wasn’t all soft and fluffy and comfy. In fact, it felt pretty firm. And male.

Her eyes flew open.

She wasn’t lying in front of a fire. Yes, there was a soft fluffy blanket, but it was draped down around her ankles. The warmth she was experiencing had to do with something more than any flames. A gentle rumble resembling a snore sounded in her ear while a hand settled in a warm possessive position over her breast. She didn’t miss that she hadn’t bothered putting on a nightgown last night. An equally naked male body was lying spoon-fashion against her back. Then she noticed the male body was definitely aroused, and that had her memory replaying everything in living color.

Oh my God! What have I done?

Nora’s first instinct was to jump out of bed and put as much distance between her and temptation as she could. Her second instinct was to snuggle back against the human furnace that was keeping her so warm and toasty. Perhaps give a couple of wiggles to wake the rest of him up. Or maybe she’d just try to breathe, because she was positive all the air had left her lungs.

For now she settled for holding her breath. She stealthily made her way out of bed without waking her companion. She crept into the bathroom and carefully closed the door behind her.

She flipped the light switch and winced as the bright light poured down on her. Perhaps checking herself in the mirror wasn’t such a good idea. She moaned softly as she leaned across the counter to get a closer look at herself.

Her hair looked as if it had been through a wind tunnel, while her cheeks were much too rosy for someone who must have had maybe a good half hour’s sleep for what remained of last night.

This wasn’t the mirrored reflection of a woman who was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack. Her eyes sparkled with brilliant emerald lights, her normally pale skin was flushed with color and, if she wasn’t mistaken, there was the slightest hint of a satisfied smile curving her lips.

“Oh my God,” she moaned again. “I look like a woman who spent last night making the kind of wild incredible love that you only read about in books.” She noted how languid her movements were as she stretched her arms over her head. She stared at her reflection again, leaning over the counter until her nose almost touched the glass.

“It’s not as if I picked up a stranger in a bar and brought him back home for incredible sex. It’s not as if I’ve just had a one-night stand,” she whispered to her image. “All right, it was a one-night stand because this can’t happen again.” A whimper escaped her lips. “Oh my God, I had sex with my best friend’s brother,” she whispered to her image. “I had heart-stopping, mind-blowing, wild, crazy lovemaking that deserved nothing less than a triple-X rating.”

More strangled whimpers left Nora’s lips. She braced her hands against the sink edge, feeling light-headed as she tried to concentrate on regulating her labored breathing.

She straightened up and pushed her hair away from her face. Nothing but an application of shampoo and conditioner would help her tangled tresses.

She took the quickest shower in history, all the while praying Mark wouldn’t wake up and decide to join her. After last night, she wasn’t sure she could resist him.

Last night.

A heated tingling started way down in the pit of her stomach at a memory that was sending some very real pictures to her mind. All in incredibly living color complete with sound effects.

She moaned and quickly twisted the knob to cold. It took a lot of willpower not to shriek as the icy water rained down on her head.

“It was temporary insanity. It was temporary insanity.” She turned the four words into her personal mantra.

By the time her body temperature equaled that of the South Pole, Nora felt prepared to face the day.

And Mark.

MARK WOKE UP feeling as if he’d conquered the world, and it had nothing to do with the comfortable bed he was lying in.

He rolled over hoping to find a warm and willing Nora lying beside him, but no such luck.

He settled for lying back and thinking about the previous night.

He’d only planned on picking Nora up at the airport and depositing her safely at home. He was lucky enough to still have both sets of grandparents, so the idea of losing a loved one was foreign to him. But he’d figured that Nora would be feeling pretty low when she got back. The least he could do was make sure she didn’t have to go home alone.

What he hadn’t expected was to have her in his arms and later find himself in her bed.

When they had dated, their relationship hadn’t moved to the intimate stage. Not that he hadn’t tried. But instead of charming his way into her bed, he had found himself out in the cold.

To this day he still wasn’t sure why Nora had broken up with him. If that hadn’t been bad enough, she had tripled the action by doing it on Valentine’s Day.

Since that day, Nora had treated him as if he were a carrier of the worst kind of plague. At one point he’d even gone so far as to ask Ginna why Nora had broken up with him. All his sister had done was give him one of those haughty sniffs she did so well and inform him that if he wanted to know that badly, he’d have to ask Nora directly. Since she hadn’t been returning his phone calls, that hadn’t been an option for him.

That had been two years ago and he still hadn’t found the nerve to ask Nora what caused the breakup.

He’d been stunned when she told him she didn’t want to be alone last night. At first he’d kissed her as an attempt to comfort her. The last thing he would have done was take advantage of a woman who was vulnerable, but dammit, she’d felt so good and so right in his arms. Then when she’d asked him to make love to her, he couldn’t think of anything else but banishing the shadows from her eyes. Calling what they’d shared mind-blowing was an understatement. If he hadn’t woken up in Nora’s bed, he would have been convinced it had been nothing more than a hot fantasy dream.

He was in the midst of remembering every incredible minute, when the door opened and Nora breezed in.

She looked more animated than she had when he’d picked her up at the airport. Her copper-penny hair was piled up into one of those complicated twists secured by a tortoiseshell clip. He was disappointed that she was covered up by a deep emerald-green plush robe that fell to her toes. He preferred seeing her bare skin flushed with desire. But he’d settle for the coffee cup she held in her hands.

“Good morning,” she greeted him with a bright smile and a light kiss on the mouth. She stepped back before he could deepen it. She handed him the cup. The rich aroma of coffee tempted his nostrils. “There’s a razor and clean towels in the bathroom,” she informed him. “I’ll have breakfast ready by the time you’re done.” She smiled at him again before she exited the room.

“I would have been willing to sacrifice myself as the main course,” he told the closed door. Since she didn’t return, he settled for climbing out of bed and walking into the bathroom, where he found his tuxedo hanging neatly on the back of the door. The last he remembered, his jacket had been abandoned somewhere in the hallway and the pants tossed on the floor just before they fell onto the bed.

Mark turned on the shower and tested the temperature before stepping into the cubicle. He surveyed the array of shower-gel bottles lining the shelf.

“I can either smell like a sugar cookie, fudge brownie or key lime pie,” he murmured. “Whatever happened to plain old vanilla?” He finally settled on key lime pie, thinking it would be similar to the lime-scented shaving foam he used. He soon discovered it wasn’t even close.

It wasn’t Mark’s first time in a woman’s bathroom, but it was the first time he’d been in Nora’s. Deciding he had the time, he did a little exploring. A closet revealed a colorful supply of towels in tangerine, turquoise, lime and lemon colors. The bath towels were oversize, the dimensions perfect for a man. He wondered how many men had showered in her bathroom. He quickly decided it wasn’t something he wanted to think about.

Once he finished, he towel dried his hair and worked to make himself as presentable as a morning-after visitor could be.

Mark left his jacket in the bathroom as he followed his nose to the kitchen. The homey aroma of food cooking sent his appetite level up several notches.

Damn, if he didn’t feel like the man of the house going in to have breakfast with the woman of the house. He stopped abruptly. Now where had that come from?

WHO KNEW?

Nora felt her pulse rate start to speed up as sultry images again invaded her mind.

Mark’s family liked to tease him that he never moved any faster than he had to. Last night, Nora had learned that was very true. The man knew how to draw lovemaking out until she’d been gasping and crying out for him to put her out of her misery. He had ignored her pleas, and when he finally did release her, she felt as if she’d been shot out into space among the stars.

She was positive she still hadn’t come down.

Nora concentrated on putting last night in a logical perspective. It wasn’t working. She didn’t want to call last night a mistake, but the word was blinking in bold red letters inside her head. She feared making love with Mark was the first step down a path she didn’t dare travel. She told herself she could make it easy. She could blame the event on unsettled emotions. She’d been grappling with mind-numbing grief that had evolved into the need to connect with another living being. Mark holding her last night had fed that need.

She tried to tell herself that it could have happened with whomever had been holding her last night, but Nora had never been a good liar.

Come on, Nora, call it what it was. A one-night stand.

Sure it was. The earth spun around, the stars fell down around us. I’m still in shock.

Making love was different with Mark. They shared a past, even if that past hadn’t included their being lovers. After they broke up, she’d told herself it was easier because they hadn’t been lovers. That had been because she wasn’t completely sure of Mark. For a man who’d been given more than the usual allotment of charm, he’d never provided her with any reason to distrust him. But she had always felt it could happen at any time. Mark had only to flash one of those devastating smiles of his and women fell all over him. Literally.

Nora never stopped to think that it was her own insecurity that pushed her away from Mark. That what her father had done to the family had remained in the back of her mind and affected any chance of Nora finding love because she was afraid she would be left behind the way her mother had been. She never stopped to think that the breakup might have been her fault, not Mark’s. Nora couldn’t live with the fear that one day, Mark might be tempted to leave.

“Something smells good.”

She whipped around so fast the small pitcher she was holding slipped from her fingers. Only Mark’s quick reflexes kept it from shattering on the floor. He set the jug on the counter.

“Pancakes?” He eyed the golden-brown circles on the hot griddle.

“Sourdough pancakes,” she explained, picking up a plate. “What with my being gone a while, I didn’t have too many supplies in the house, but I did have my sourdough starter and I had some freeze-dried eggs to use along with some sausage from the freezer. I’m surprised I had as much in there as I did.” She nodded toward the coffee pot. “There’s juice in the refrigerator if you want any. Glasses are in the cabinet.”

“Want some?”

Been there, done that.

She banished her mocking private voice to the far reaches of her brain. The man was merely inquiring if she wanted orange juice.

“Yes, thank you.” She slowly poured more of the pancake batter onto the griddle. At least she could hold on to her composure on the outside.

It wasn’t the first time a man had spent the night in her bed. Although, for many months, the only male who had been there was Brumby, her beloved bulldog.

A few minutes later she handed Mark a plate heaped high with pancakes, sausage and a couple of scrambled eggs. The look of bliss on his face rivaled Brumby’s when he was given a beef bone.

“Tell me about the wedding,” she requested when she sat down across from him.

“The usual. Everyone was dressed up like grown-ups, Zach looked as if he was ready to pass out at any moment, Ginna looked gorgeous,” Mark replied. “The only hitch was the nephew-to-be, Trey, taking his ring-bearer duties too seriously. When big brother Jeff untied the ribbons to give the rings to Zach, the little guy pretty much threw a fit. He said loud and clear that he was to protect the rings and Jeff couldn’t have them. Trey’s sister, Emma, told him to shut up and stop acting like a baby. That broke up any solemnity the service had.”

Nora smiled at the idea of Zach’s twins adding a few surprises to the ceremony. “Who caught the bouquet?”

“Our aunt Minnie pretty much trampled the competition,” he replied. “Six marriages and she’s still hopeful she’ll eventually get it right. I give her credit for perseverance.”