The Baby Arrangement

CHAPTER THREE

QUITE A WHILE LATER, after a most satisfying time in bed, Bree and Nick moved their activities to the shower. Still breathing hard, Nick reached around Bree’s wet and sexy body to turn off the water. She was facing away from him, and when she leaned back into him, she ran her hands up and down the outside of his wet thighs. He kissed the side of her neck and pressed his hand to her abdomen. He slowly inched upward until he cupped her breast, teasing her nipple between his thumb and forefinger.

He kissed her shoulder and groaned. “You feel so good,” he whispered close to her ear before reaching for a towel for her and then one for him.

“Need help?” he asked when she turned toward him as he toweled off his hair.

She grinned back. “I think you’ve been quite enough help, thank you.”

He opened the glass shower door and exited, wrapping his towel around his waist and securing it.

“I’m starving,” he said as his stomach growled. “Want to grab breakfast?”

When she didn’t say anything, he turned to look at her. She’d wrapped her towel around her body and now held on to it tightly between her breasts. She seemed to be surprised by his question.

“It’s just a meal,” he said. “I could use some coffee and about a gallon of water. Plus food.”

“I know. But...the girls will be expecting me.” She removed the wet laundry bag from her foot and tossed it into the trash can.

“Sure. I understand. I hope they’re feeling better than we were when we woke up.” He grinned. “My head still feels like it could explode any minute.”

“Could have fooled me,” she quipped as she ran a comb through her hair. “Your head didn’t seem to bother you a little while ago.”

He chuckled. “Yeah, I think I may have found the perfect hangover cure.”

She smiled at him in the mirror and he felt an unfamiliar twist in his gut. He really enjoyed being with her. “Maybe we can get together later today. You’re here until tomorrow, right?”

“Right. We leave tomorrow. I don’t remember what time. I’ll have to check and see what the girls have planned.” She sounded hesitant.

“Is something wrong?” He suddenly felt slightly unsure of himself.

She hobbled past him to the bathroom door and turned to face him. “No, nothing’s wrong.” She smiled, a pleasant smile. Almost a sympathetic smile. One to let him down easy? “I’ve had a great time with you, Nick—”

“But that’s it,” he finished for her. He raised his hands. “Hey, I get it. A vacation fling and all that. What happens here, stays here.” He could feel his blood pressure rising as he spoke. “We both have lives to get back to.”

“You’re not upset, are you? I thought you’d be relieved that I’m not going to become clingy just because we had sex.”

He should be feeling relief. He’d come here for the same reason. To relax for a few days before returning home to the problems that were mounting for him there.

He didn’t need to add another to the list.

“You’re right. Anything more right now isn’t an option for me anyway.”

“Same here,” Bree said. “My friends say I’m married to my job.”

“And what do you say?”

“I say I’m dedicated to my company and have no time or interest in a relationship.”

* * *

AFTER NICK LEFT, Bree limped around her cabin as she slowly got dressed. She could tell that Nick hadn’t liked that she’d been the one to say that nothing would come of the good time they’d had together. She really liked Nick, but she also knew that being in a relationship would take up too much of her time and she wanted to focus on her company right now.

She braided her wet hair and made her way toward the breakfast buffet in the main lodge of the resort, although she had no appetite. Which was surprising after all the physical activity she and Nick had engaged in. In fact, the mere thought of food had her stomach reacting negatively. What she really wanted was coffee. Maybe that would help this awful hangover, because the large amounts of water she’d consumed in her cabin hadn’t done a thing for her.

As soon as she entered the large dining room, she nearly left again but was stopped by her friends waving to her. The smell of the food was upsetting her stomach even more. She was definitely avoiding alcohol for the near—and far—future.

Maybe she just needed dry toast and some precious coffee. She was well-known for not being able to function without several cups of the stuff during the day. So she headed to her friends’ table, and they pulled up another chair for her to join them. They all started speaking to her at once.

“How are you feeling?” Hannah wanted to know.

“You don’t look so good,” Amber said, not hiding the truth. “Is your foot bothering you?”

“Why don’t I get you a coffee,” Roxie suggested, and left the table before Bree could reply.

“My foot’s the least of my problems. Can someone tell me what happened last night, please?” She looked directly at Amber and then Hannah. Although after what had taken place between her and Nick this morning, it didn’t matter so much whether they had done the nasty during the night. She’d just like to fill in the missing hours in her memory bank.

“You don’t remember?” Amber asked, while Hannah seemed to go slightly pale.

“I wouldn’t be asking if I remembered.”

Roxie set a cup of black coffee in front of Bree. One whiff of it nearly did her in, and she pushed the cup away.

“You really must not be feeling well,” Hannah said unnecessarily. “You never turn down coffee. Can I get you something else?”

When Bree could answer without gagging, she said, “Maybe dry toast.”

“I’ll be right back.”

“Thanks,” Bree whispered as Hannah left the table.

“Maybe you should go lie down for a while,” Roxie suggested.

Bree shook her head. Her hands flew to her temples as she reminded herself not to shake her head unless she wanted the feeling of a jackhammer through her skull. How had she managed to have incredible sex with such a terrible hangover? Obviously, her body had compensated for her discomfort. Not that sex with Nick had been anything but spectacular.

“I’m not going anywhere until I find out what happened last night.” She paused, squinting her eyes. “Were we on a boat?”

The women grinned. “Yep,” Amber said. “Nick and his cousin, Pete, took a boat here from San Juan. Too bad you don’t remember anything because you were having a great time.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t very good at the drinking game we were playing,” Hannah said as she set a plate with dry toast in front of Bree. “That’s probably why you don’t feel so good now.”

Bree gave her a forced smile, knowing better than to nod her head. “Nick told me about Pete. They were raised as brothers after Pete’s parents died.”

A collective “oh” came from her friends.

“See, Rox, all the more reason for you to give Pete a chance,” Amber told her.

Bree looked to Roxie. “You and Pete?”

Roxie shook her head vehemently. “No way.” She looked at Amber and addressed them all. “You know Jim and I are still together. Things may be a bit rocky, but there’s no way I’d cheat on him.”

The women had been a little relieved when Jim moved away, hoping that he and Roxie would eventually call it quits. It wasn’t that they didn’t like Jim—they just didn’t think his and Roxie’s relationship was one that would last. Jim was a nice guy, but he could be picky. There were restaurants he wouldn’t try because he was sure he wouldn’t like the cuisine. He hated horror movies and Roxie loved them. And, worst of all, he had a problem with her spending any free time with Bree, Hannah and Amber. He wanted her all to himself.

“We all know you’d never cheat on Jim. Maybe Pete just wants to be friends.” Bree picked up a piece of toast, even though she didn’t really want it, hoping it might soak up whatever was upsetting her stomach. She took a few bites and kept them down with difficulty. Thinking she might be able to drink the coffee now, Bree pulled it closer. But as soon as the aroma reached her, she pushed it away again.

If she tried to drink it, she’d never keep it down. So now, on top of a hangover, she’d probably have a caffeine headache, too.

“I don’t think friendship has anything to do with whatever Pete wants.” Roxie shook her head vehemently. “Even if Jim weren’t in the picture, Pete’s not my type.”

Bree came to her friend’s rescue and changed the subject. “I think I’ll take Roxie’s advice and go back to my cabin to rest,” Bree said. “Maybe I’ll feel better when I wake up.” She rose slowly, the room tipping slightly as she did. “Please promise me that you’ll never let me drink that much again.” She gave a little wave and slowly made her way out of the room.

* * *

WHILE NICK HEADED to the marina from Bree’s cabin, he wondered why he cared whether Bree wanted to spend more time with him or not. It wasn’t like he would ever see her after this. He didn’t even know where she lived.

There was a lot they didn’t know about each other. He realized that they hadn’t even shared last names.

“Hey, buddy,” his cousin said from the galley when Nick came aboard the boat. “You must have had a good night.” From the way Pete looked this morning, he had probably been just as drunk as Nick and Bree.

“I wish I could remember it,” Nick said as he helped himself to a cup of coffee. “I know we were doing shots here, but I don’t remember how I got to Bree’s cabin.”

“Ha! The girls walked both of you back to the lodge. Seemed like they were trying to get you two together.”

Well, they’d succeeded, hadn’t they? “And you weren’t part of that conspiracy?”

Pete put up a hand. “Hey, I’ve been telling you for months that you need a social life, but I can’t take credit for whatever happened between the two of you.” Pete cocked his head to the side. “So what did happen?”

“We woke up in bed together—”

Pete perked up.

“—fully clothed.”

Pete’s shoulders slumped. “Damn, I thought you were gonna say—”

“I know what you thought. But I’m telling you what happened.” At least part of it. For some reason, he wanted to keep his time with Bree to himself. For now. Possibly for always.

Besides, what difference did it make, since he’d probably never see her again?

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Nick said, remembering that Bree had been anything but disappointing. He sat down with his mug of coffee.

“You’re the one who should be disappointed,” Pete said.

“Why’s that?”

“She was supposed to be your first step to taking back your life.”

Nick leaned forward, his eyes open wide as he asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Getting Tracy out of your system.”

“Oh.” Pete had been saying the same thing for months. He’d never been a fan of Nick’s ex, and having her call off their wedding the week before the date hadn’t ingratiated her to Pete. “Doesn’t matter anyway. She’s really dedicated to her career and says she has no time for relationships.”

Pete nodded. “That’s right. I remember Roxie—who, by the way, is damn hot—telling me about what their company does. Helps women, lends them money and stuff.”

“Yeah, that sounds about right.”

Pete’s eyes widened. “Hey, I think I’ve got the answer to all your problems.”

“I doubt that.”

“Listen. Bree’s company lends money, so why shouldn’t she loan some to you to save your restaurant?”

Nick shook his head. “Did you miss the part about how she only loans money to women? That kinda leaves me out of the running.”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“Please tell me you’re not thinking I should sleep with her to make a good impression?” He was pretty sure he’d already lived up to her expectations.

“I wasn’t, but that’s not a terrible idea. Seriously, though, she’d probably lend you money if she got to know you better.”

Well, that wasn’t going to happen.

“And, there’s also the fact that while the restaurant isn’t completely female-owned, it is partially female-owned.”

“What do you mean? You and I own the restaurant.” What was Pete talking about?

“Okay, now don’t get mad, Nick. But you know how we needed help when things went south?”

“How can I forget?” After his ex, Tracy, dumped him, he’d gone into a funk, not paying enough attention to what was going on at The Fresh Pantry, the restaurant he’d opened three years ago. To make matters worse, at the same time, he’d found out an employee was stealing from him and his food supplier had been overcharging him. His world had imploded all at once, and now he was struggling to keep his restaurant afloat.

“So I went to Auntie Em,” Pete said, referring to Nick’s mom. “She was happy to help.”

“What money did she use?” Please don’t say she borrowed from her 401(k).

“She took a loan from her retirement account,” Pete said.

Nick slumped over. “I can’t believe you went behind my back—both you and my mom. Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because Auntie Em didn’t want you to know. But now you need to know so that you can hit up Bree for a loan. See how it’s all working out perfectly?” Pete looked hopeful.

How could he ever ask Bree for money now without her thinking he’d slept with her for just that reason? What a mess.

CHAPTER FOUR

NICK HAD BEEN home from the island almost two weeks, and every single day his cousin had asked him the same question.

As soon as he saw Pete enter the restaurant’s professional kitchen, Nick stopped chopping herbs for a new pork marinade he was trying out and waited for it.

“Have you called Bree about loaning the restaurant money yet?” Before they even left the island, Pete had looked up Bree’s company online and discovered that it was located in Northern Virginia, not too far from where Nick’s restaurant was located.

Pete had obviously come straight from his engineering consulting office because the top button of his pale green dress shirt was open and his navy-and-green tie was loosened and hung at an odd angle. Thanks to Pete’s hard work over the past several months, the company he worked for had been awarded a big government contract. But now that he didn’t have to put in so much overtime, Pete had more time to bug Nick about talking to Bree.

Nick sighed and began chopping garlic while he spoke. “For the last time, I’m not going to ask Bree for financial help.” He hadn’t told anyone, including his cousin, about sleeping with her, and he planned to keep it that way. The only problem with that plan was that Pete wasn’t buying Nick’s reason for not calling Bree.

If he called her at all, it would be to ask to see her again on a personal basis, certainly not for money. But he hadn’t called her yet because she’d made it clear on the island that she didn’t want him to. She’d brushed him off again when she and her girlfriends and Pete and Nick had met before leaving the island. Not that he could blame her. She seemed to want to keep their very brief fling a secret and in the past.

His body reacted to the memory of their one morning together, and he nearly sliced his finger.

He hadn’t been able to get her off his mind since he’d returned home, and it wasn’t only the sex he recalled. Their sniping banter had been very entertaining. He’d never had that kind of connection with Tracy. Bree had lit a fire in him with just a spark from her sharp tongue. Maybe that was what Tracy had realized when she’d called off their wedding—they had lost their spark...or maybe it had never been there.

“Are you even listening to me?” Pete asked in a tone that revealed his frustration.

Nick blinked and looked up from the cutting board. “Sorry. What did you say?”

“I said I don’t buy that you won’t ask Bree for money because you don’t want to take advantage of your friendship. I know that you haven’t had any contact with her since we left the island. Not much of a friendship.”

Nick agreed that was a weak excuse, but it was the only one he’d been able to come up with. That and the fact that Bree’s company lent money only to female-owned businesses. Even though Nick’s mom had a partial stake in the restaurant, she wasn’t the majority owner. He didn’t know why Pete wouldn’t just drop it.

“Nick, don’t you realize you’ll lose this place without financial help?” He spread his arms wide to encompass the restaurant Nick had opened by using every penny he had.

“We’re still pulling in a solid number of customers every night, even on weeknights,” Nick said.

Pete shook his head slowly. “That’s not enough, buddy, and you know it. The restaurant needs a shot of cash now or you’ll lose the lease on the building.”

Nick gritted his teeth. He blamed himself for the mess they were in. He’d been so focused on his breakup with Tracy and paying off wedding expenses that he hadn’t seen what was going on around him. He’d let things get out of his control, and you couldn’t run a successful business like that. But learning a few weeks ago that he might lose his restaurant had been a wake-up call.

“I’m working on some other things, Pete.” That was true, but they were pie-in-the-sky ideas that would take time before they produced a profit—nothing that would bring in fast cash. “And don’t forget that restaurant week starts in a few weeks. That always brings in customers.”

“It’s just not enough, man. We need cash now.”

“Hello, boys.” Nick’s mother appeared just in time to stop the conversation. She was in her midsixties but was often told she could pass for late forties. He’d witnessed younger men flirt with her while she worked at the restaurant’s hostess station, a job she’d taken on part-time when they’d opened. She’d been his most dedicated employee, only taking off the week his dad passed away.

“Hi, Mom, what are you doing here?” Nick asked as she presented her cheek for his kiss. The restaurant was closed Mondays, which was why he’d thought he’d have the kitchen to himself to work on new recipes.

“Can’t a mother come by to see her son?” Her tone was slightly haughty but mostly teasing. She looked at Pete. “I even lucked out and get to see both of my sons at once.”

Nick rolled his eyes. “You work here, Mom. We see each other every day.” He set down his knife. “So what’s up?”

His mom smiled and winked at Pete. “He always sees through me,” she said.

Pete grinned. “I have to say I’m also wondering what you’re up to, Auntie Em.” Nick’s mother’s given name was Emily, but most people shortened it to Em. When Nick’s parents had adopted Pete after his own parents died in a car accident when he was eight, Nick’s mom suggested Pete call them Mom and Dad if he was comfortable doing so. Pete had acquiesced when it came to Dad, but, after seeing The Wizard of Oz, he’d always called Nick’s mom Auntie Em and wasn’t about to call her anything else.

His mother pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at Pete, probably surprised that he hadn’t automatically taken her side against Nick for once.

“As a matter of fact,” Nick’s mother said to Pete, “I’m glad you’re here, too.” She began digging through her purse until she came up with a few slips of paper. “A friend of mine is opening a pop-up restaurant tonight, and I’d like you both to come with me.” She looked expectantly at them. “It’s more like an open house or cocktail party. My friend is showcasing her tapas menu and wants to generate some financial interest in the restaurant she’s hoping to open.”

Nick looked at Pete, who shrugged, and then back at his mother. “Who is this friend?” With his restaurant in the heart of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia, he was usually pretty savvy about what was going on with other restaurants in the area.

She didn’t meet his eyes, instead concentrating on moving things around in her purse. “No one special. Just someone I met at my yoga class. She’s a lovely woman. We went for coffee the other day, and she invited me to come tonight and to bring a few people.”