She was his best friend.

But in the back of Jason’s mind, lying in wait all these years, was curiosity. What would it be like between them?

“I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon and decided I’d be a pretty lousy friend if I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

A broad smile transformed her expression. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll call the clinic tomorrow and make an appointment for you.”

Jason shook his head. “No fertility clinic. No doctor.” He hooked his fingers around the sash that held her robe closed and tugged her a half step closer. Heat pooled below his belt at the way her lips parted in surprise. “Just you and me.”

Something like excitement flickered in her eyes, only to be dampened by her frown. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“Let’s make a baby the old-fashioned way.”

Dear Reader,

When I set out to write a friends-to-lovers book I had no idea of the challenges involved in helping best friends since first grade find their forever love.

Jason and Ming have been there for each other through every challenge and success. They bring out the best in each other. Or they did until romance entered the picture.

Deciding to take a chance on love is not always easy, and it’s even worse for Ming and Jason because they risk losing their best friend if the relationship goes wrong. I hope you enjoy their journey from friends to forever.

All the best!

Cat Schield

About the Author

CAT SCHIELD has been reading and writing romance since high school. Although she graduated from college with a BA in business, her idea of a perfect career was writing books for Mills & Boon. And now, after winning the Romance Writers of America 2010 Golden Heart Award for series contemporary romance, that dream has come true. Cat lives in Minnesota with her daughter, Emily, and their Burmese cat. When she’s not writing sexy, romantic stories for Mills & Boon® Desire™, she can be found sailing with friends on the St Croix River or in more exotic locales like the Caribbean and Europe. She loves to hear from readers. Find her at www.catschield.com. Follow her on Twitter @catschield.

A Tricky
Proposition

Cat Schield

www.millsandboon.co.uk

MILLS & BOON

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To my best friend, Annie Slawik.

I can’t thank you enough for all the laughter

and support. Without you I wouldn’t be who I am.

One

Ming Campbell’s anxiety was not soothed by the restful trickle of water from the nearby fountain or by the calming greenery hanging from baskets around the restaurant’s outdoor seating area. With each sip of her iced pomegranate tea she grew more convinced she was on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life.

Beneath the table, her four-pound Yorkshire terrier lifted her chin off Ming’s toes and began her welcome wiggle. Muffin might not be much of a guard dog, but she made one hell of an early warning system.

Stomach tightening, Ming glanced up. A tall man in loose-fitting chinos, polo shirt and casual shoes approached. Sexy stubble softened his chiseled cheeks and sharp jaw.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Jason Sterling’s fingertips skimmed her shoulder, sending a rush of goose bumps speeding down her arm. Ming cursed her body’s impulsive reaction as he sprawled in the chair across from hers.

Ever since breaking off her engagement to his brother, Evan, six months ago, she’d grown acutely conscious of any and all contact with him. The friendly pat he gave her arm. His shoulder bumping hers as he sat beside her on the couch. The affable hugs he doled so casually that scrambled her nerve endings. It wasn’t as if she could tell him to stop. He’d want to know what was eating at her, and there was no way she was going to tell him. So, she silently endured and hoped the feelings would go away or at least simmer down.

Muffin set her front paws on his knee, her brown eyes fixed on his face, and made a noise that was part bark, part sneeze. Jason slid his hand beneath the terrier’s belly and lifted her so she could give his chin a quick lick. That done, the dog settled on his lap and heaved a contented sigh.

Jason signaled the waitress and they ordered lunch. “How come you didn’t start without me?”

Because she was too keyed up to be hungry. “You said you were only going to be fifteen minutes late.”

Jason was the consummate bachelor. Self-involved, preoccupied with amateur car racing and always looking for the next bit of adventure, whether it was a hot girl or a fast track. They’d been best friends since first grade and she loved him, but that didn’t mean he didn’t occasionally drive her crazy.

“Sorry about that. We hit some traffic just as we got back into town.”

“I thought you were coming home yesterday.”

“That was the plan, but then the guys and I went out for a couple beers after the race and our celebration went a little long. None of us were in any shape to drive five hours back to Houston.” With a crooked smile he extended his long legs in front of him and set his canvas-clad foot on the leg of her chair.

“How is Max taking how far you are ahead of him in points?” The two friends had raced domestic muscle cars in events sanctioned by the National Auto Sports Association since they were sixteen. Each year they competed to see who could amass the most points.

“Ever since he got engaged, I don’t think he cares.”

She hadn’t seen Jason this disgruntled since his dad fell for a woman twenty years his junior. “You poor baby. Your best buddy has grown up and gotten on with his life, leaving you behind.” Ming set her elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her palm. She’d been listening to Jason complain about the changes in his best friend ever since Max Case had proposed to the love of his life.

Jason leaned forward, an intense look in his eyes. “Maybe I need to find out what all the fuss is about.”

“I thought you were never going to get married.” Sudden anxiety crushed the air from her lungs. If he fell madly in love with someone, the dynamic of their friendship would change. She’d no longer be his best “girl” friend.

“No worries about that.” His lopsided grin eased some of her panic.

Ming turned her attention to the Greek salad the waitress set in front of her. In high school she’d developed a crush on Jason. It had been hopeless. Unrequited. Except for one brief interlude after prom—and he’d taken pains to assure her that had been a mistake—he’d never given her any indication that he thought of her as anything but a friend.

When he headed off to college, time and distance hadn’t blunted her feelings for him, but it had provided her with perspective. Even if by some miracle Jason did fall madly in love with her, he wasn’t going to act on it. Over and over, he’d told her how important her friendship was to him and how he didn’t want to do anything to mess that up.

“So, what’s up?” Jason said, eyeing her over the top of his hamburger. “You said you had something serious to discuss with me.”

And in the thirty minutes she’d sat waiting for him, she’d talked herself into a state of near panic. Usually she told him everything going on in her life. Well, almost everything.

When she’d starting dating Evan there were a few topics they didn’t discuss. Her feelings for his brother being the biggest. Holding her own council about such an enormous part of her life left her feeling as if a chunk of her was missing, but she’d learned to adjust and now found it harder than she expected to open up to him.

“I’m going to have a baby.” She held her breath and waited for his reaction.

A French fry paused midway between his plate and his mouth. “You’re pregnant?”

She shook her head, some of her nervousness easing now that the conversation had begun. “Not yet.”

“When?”

“Hopefully soon.”

“How? You’re not dating anyone.”

“I’m using a clinic.”

“Who’s going to be the father?”

She dodged his gaze and stabbed her fork into a kalamata olive. “I’ve narrowed the choices down to three. A lawyer who specializes in corporate law, an athlete who competes in the Ironman Hawaii challenge every year and a wildlife photographer. Brains. Body. Soul. I haven’t decided which way to go yet.”

“You’ve obviously been thinking about this for a while. Why am I only hearing about it now?” He pushed his plate away, abandoning his half-eaten burger.

In the past she’d been able to talk to Jason about anything. Getting involved with his brother had changed that. Not that it should have. She and Jason were friends with no hope of it ever being anything more.

“You know why Evan and I broke up.” She’d been troubled that Evan hadn’t shared her passion for family, but she thought he’d come around. “Kids are important to me. I wouldn’t do what I do if they weren’t.”

She’d chosen to become an orthodontist because she loved kids. Their sunny view of the world made her smile, so she gave them perfect teeth to smile back.

“Have you told your parents?”

“Not yet.” She shifted on her chair.

“Because you know your mother won’t react well to you getting pregnant without being married.”

“She won’t like it, but she knows how much I want a family of my own, and she’s come to accept that I’m not going to get married.”

“You don’t know that. Give yourself a chance to get over your breakup with Evan. There’s someone out there for you.”

Not likely when the only man she could see herself with was determined never to marry. Frustration bubbled up. “How long do I wait? Another six months? A year? In two months I turn thirty-two. I don’t want to waste any more time weighing the pros and cons or worrying about my mom’s reaction when in my heart I know what I want.” She thrust out her chin. “I’m going to do this, Jason.”

“I can see that.”

Mesmerizing eyes studied her. Galaxy blue, the exact shade of her ‘66 Shelby Cobra convertible. He’d helped her convince her parents to buy the car for her seventeenth birthday and then they’d spent the summer restoring it. She had fond memories of working with him on the convertible, and every time she drove it, she couldn’t help but feel connected to Jason. That’s why she’d parked the car in her garage the day she started dating his brother and hadn’t taken it out since.

“I’d really like you to be on board with my decision.”

“You’re my best friend,” he reminded her, eyes somber. “How can I be anything but supportive?”

Even though she suspected he was still processing her news and had yet to decide whether she was making a mistake, he’d chosen to back her. Ming relaxed. Until that second she hadn’t realized how anxious she was about Jason’s reaction.

“Are you done eating?” she asked a few minutes later, catching the waitress’s eye. Jason hadn’t finished his lunch and showed no signs of doing so. “I should probably get back to the clinic. I have a patient to see in fifteen minutes.”

He snagged the bill from the waitress before she set it on the table and pulled out his wallet.

“I asked you to lunch.” Ming held her hand out imperiously. “You are not buying.”

“It’s the least I can do after being so late. Besides, the way you eat, you’re always a cheap date.”

“Thanks.”

While Jason slipped cash beneath the saltshaker, she stood and called Muffin to her. The Yorkie refused to budge from Jason’s lap. Vexed, Ming glared at the terrier. She was not about to scoop the dog off Jason’s thighs. Her pulse hitched at the thought of venturing anywhere near his muscled legs.

Air puffing out in a sigh, she headed for the wood gate that led directly to the parking lot. Jason was at her side, dog tucked beneath his arm, before she reached the pavement.

“Where’s your car?” he asked.

“I walked. It’s only two blocks.”

Given that humidity wasn’t a factor on this late-September afternoon, she should have enjoyed her stroll to the restaurant. But what she wanted to discuss with Jason had tied her up in knots.

“Come on. I’ll drive you back.” He took her hand, setting off a shower of sparks that heightened her senses.

The spicy scent of his cologne infiltrated her lungs and caused the most disturbing urges. His warm, lean body bumped against her hip. It was moments like these when she was tempted to call her receptionist and cancel her afternoon appointments so she could take Jason home and put an end to all the untidy lust rampaging through her body.

Of course, she’d never do that. She’d figure out some other way to tame the she-wolf that had taken up residence beneath her skin. All their lives she’d been the conservative one. The one who studied hard, planned for the future, organized her life down to the minute. Jason was the one who acted on impulse. Who partied his way through college and still managed to graduate with honors. And who liked his personal life unfettered by anyone’s expectations.

They neared his car, a 1969 Camaro, and Jason stepped forward to open the passenger door for her. Being nothing more than friends didn’t stop him from treating her with the same chivalry he afforded the women he dated. Before she could sit down he had to pluck an eighteen-inch trophy off her seat. Despite the cavalier way he tossed the award into the backseat, Ming knew the win was a source of pride to him and that the trophy would end up beside many others in his “racing” room.

“So what else is on your mind?” Jason asked, settling behind the wheel and starting the powerful engine. Sometimes he knew what she was thinking before she did.

“It’s too much to get into now.” She cradled Muffin in her arms and brushed her cheek against the terrier’s silky coat. The dog gave her hand a happy lick.

“Give me the CliffsNotes version.”

Jason accelerated out of the parking lot, the roar of the 427 V-8 causing a happy spike in Ming’s heart rate. Riding shotgun in whatever Jason drove had been a thrill since the year he’d turned sixteen and gotten his first muscle car. Where other boys in school had driven relatively new cars, Jason and Max preferred anything fast from the fifties, sixties and seventies.

“It doesn’t matter because I changed my mind.”

“Changed your mind about what?”

“About what I was going to ask you.” She wished he’d just drop it, but she knew better. Now that his curiosity had been aroused, he would bug her until he got answers. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Sure it does. You’ve been acting odd for weeks now. What’s up?”

Ming sighed in defeat. “You asked me who was going to be the father.” She paused to weigh the consequences of telling him. She’d developed a logical explanation that had nothing to do with her longing to have a deeper connection with him. He never had to know how she really felt. Her heart a battering ram against her ribs, she said, “I wanted it to be you.”

Silence dominated until Jason stopped the car in front of the medical building’s entrance. Ming’s announcement smacked into him like the heel of her hand applied to his temple. That she wanted to have a baby didn’t surprise him. It’s what had broken up her and Evan. But that she wanted Jason to be the father caught him completely off guard.

Had her platonic feelings shifted toward romance? Desire?

Unlikely.

She’d been his best friend since first grade. The one person he’d let see his fear when his father had tried to commit suicide. The only girl who’d listened when he went on and on about his goals and who’d talked sense into him when doubts took hold.

In high school, girlfriends came and went, but Ming was always there. Smart and funny, her almond-shaped eyes glowing with laughter. She provided emotional support without complicating their relationship with exasperating expectations. If he canceled plans with her she never pouted or ranted. She never protested when he got caught up working on car engines or shooting hoops with his buddies and forgot to call her. And more often than not, her sagacity kept Jason grounded.

She would have made the perfect girlfriend if he’d been willing to ruin their twenty-five-year friendship for a few months of romance. Because eventually his eye would wander and she’d be left as another casualty of his carefully guarded heart.

He studied her beautiful oval face. “Why me?”

Below inscrutable black eyes, her full lips kicked up at the corners. “You’re the perfect choice.”

The uneasy buzz resumed in the back of his mind. Was she looking to change their relationship in some way? Link herself to him with a child? He never intended to marry. Ming knew that. Accepted it. Hadn’t she?

“How so?”

“Because you’re my best friend. I know everything about you. Something about having a stranger’s child makes me uncomfortable.” She sighed. “Besides, I’m perfectly comfortable being a single parent. You are a dedicated bachelor. You won’t have a crisis of conscience and demand your parental rights. It’s perfect.”

“Perfect,” he echoed, reasoning no matter what she claimed, a child they created together would connect them in a way that went way beyond friendship.

“You’re right. I don’t want marriage or kids. But fathering your child …” Something rumbled in his subconscious, warning him to stop asking questions. She’d decided against asking him to help her get pregnant. He should leave it at that.

“Don’t say it that way. You’re making it too complicated. We’ve been friends forever. I don’t want anything to change our relationship.”

Too late for that. “Things between us changed the minute you started dating Evan.”

Jason hadn’t welcomed the news. In fact, he’d been quite displeased, which was something he’d had no right to feel. If she was nothing more than his friend, he should have been happy that she and Evan had found each other.

“I know. In the beginning it was awkward, but I never would have gone out with him if you hadn’t given me your blessing.”

What other choice did he have? It wasn’t as if he intended to claim her as anything other than a friend. But such rational thinking hadn’t stood him in good stead the first time he’d seen his brother kiss her.

“You didn’t need my blessing. If you wanted to date Evan, that was your business.” And he’d backed off. Unfortunately, distance had lent him perspective. He’d begun to see her not only as his longtime friend, but also as a desirable woman. “But let’s get back to why you changed your mind about wanting me.”

“I didn’t want you,” she corrected, one side of her mouth twitching. “Just a few of your strongest swimmers.”

She wanted to make light of it, but Jason wasn’t ready to oblige her. “Okay, how come you changed your mind about wanting my swimmers?”

She stared straight ahead and played with the Yorkie’s ears, sending the dog into a state of bliss. “Because we’d have to keep it a secret. If anyone found out what we’d done, it would cause all sorts of hard feelings.”

Not anyone. Evan. She’d been hurt by his brother, yet she’d taken Evan’s feelings into consideration when making such an important decision. She’d deserved better than his brother.

“What if we didn’t keep it a secret? My dad would be thrilled that one of his sons made him a grandfather,” Jason prompted.

“But he’d also expect you to be a father.” Her eyes soft with understanding, she said, “I wouldn’t ask that of you.”

He resented her assumption that he wouldn’t want to be involved. Granted, until ten minutes earlier he’d never considered being a parent, but suddenly Jason didn’t like the idea that his child would never know him as his father. “I don’t suppose I can talk you out of this.”

“My mind is set. I’m going to have babies.”

“Babies?” He ejected the word and followed it up with a muttered curse. “I thought it was a baby. Now you’re fielding a baseball team?”

A goofy snort of laughter escaped her. Unattractive on ninety-nine percent of women, the sound was adorable erupting from her long, thin nose. It probably helped that her jet-black eyes glittered with mischief, inviting him to join in her amusement.

“What’s so funny?” he demanded.

She shook her head, the action causing the ebony curtains of hair framing her exotic Asian features to sway like a group of Latin dancers doing a rumba. “You should see the look on your face.”

He suppressed a growl. There was not one damn thing about this that was funny. “I thought this was a one-time deal.”

“It is, but you never know what you’re going to get when you go in vitro. I might have triplets.”

Jason’s thoughts whirled. “Triplets?” Damn. He hadn’t adjusted to the idea of one child. Suddenly there were three?

“It’s possible.” Her gaze turned inward. A tranquil half smile curved her lips.

For a couple, triplets would be hard. How was she going to handle three babies as a single mom?

Images paraded through his head. Ming’s mysterious smile as she placed his hand on her round belly. Her eyes sparkling as she settled the baby in his arms for the first time. The way the pictures appealed to him triggered alarm bells. After his father’s suicide attempt, he’d closed himself off to being a husband and a father. Not once in the years since had he questioned his decision.

Ming glanced at the silver watch on her delicate wrist. “I’ve got seven minutes to get upstairs or I’ll be late for my next appointment.”

“We need to talk about this more.”

“It’ll have to be later.” She gathered Muffin and exited the car.

“When later?”

But she’d shut the door and was heading away, sleek and sexy in form-fitting black pants and a sleeveless knit top that showed off her toned arms.

Appreciation slammed into his gut.

Uninvited.

Unnerving.

Cursing beneath his breath, Jason shut off the engine, got out of the car and headed for the front door, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch her before she crossed the building’s threshold.

Four-inch heels clicking on the tile lobby floor, she headed toward the elevator. With his longer legs, Jason had little trouble keeping pace. He reached the elevator ahead of her and put his hand over the up button to keep her from hitting it.

“The Camaro will get towed if you leave it there.”

He barely registered her words. “Let’s have dinner.”

A ding sounded and the doors before them opened. She barely waited for the elevator to empty before stepping forward.

“I already have plans.”

“With whom?”

She shook her head. “Since when are you so curious about my social life?”

Since her engagement had broken off.

On the third floor, they passed a door marked Dr. Terrance Kincaid, DDS, and Dr. Ming Campbell, DDS. Another ten feet and they came to an unmarked door that she unlocked and breezed through.

One of the dental assistants hovered outside Ming’s office. “Oh, good, you’re here. I’ll get your next patient.”

Ming set down Muffin, and the Yorkie bounded through the hallway toward the waiting room. She headed into her office and returned wearing a white lab coat. When she started past him, Jason caught her arm.

“You can’t do this alone.” Whether he meant get pregnant or raise a child, he wasn’t sure.

Her gentle smile was meant to relieve him of all obligations. “I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t doubt that.” But he couldn’t shake the sense that she needed him.

A thirteen-year-old boy appeared in the hallway and waved to her.

“Hello, Billy,” she called. “How did your baseball tournament go last month?”

“Great. Our team won every game.”

“I’d expect nothing else with a fabulous pitcher like you on the mound. I’ll see you in a couple minutes.”

As often as Jason had seen her at work, he never stopped being amazed that she could summon a detail for any of her two hundred clients that made the child feel less like a patient and more like a friend.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” Without waiting for him to respond, she followed Billy to the treatment area.

Reluctant to leave, Jason stared after her until she disappeared. Impatience and concern urged him to hound her until he was satisfied he knew all her plans, but he knew how he’d feel if she’d cornered him at work.

Instead, he returned to the parking lot. The Camaro remained at the curb where he’d left it. Donning his shades, he slid behind the wheel and started the powerful engine.

Two

When Ming returned to her office after her last appointment, she found her sister sitting cross-legged on the floor, a laptop balanced on her thighs.

“There are three chairs in the room. You should use one.”

“I like sitting on the ground.” With her short, spiky hair and fondness for natural fibers and loose-fitting clothes, Lily looked more than an environmental activist than a top software engineer. “It lets me feel connected to the earth.”

“We’re three stories up in a concrete building.”

Lily gave her a “whatever” shoulder shrug and closed the laptop. “I stopped by to tell you I’m heading out really early tomorrow morning.”

“Where to this time?”

For the past five years, her sister had been leading a team of consultants involved with transitioning their company’s various divisions to a single software system. Since the branches were all over the country, she traveled forty weeks out of the year. The rest of the time, she stayed rent-free in Ming’s spare bedroom.

“Portland.”

“How long?”

“They offered me a permanent position.”

Her sister’s announcement came as an unwelcome surprise. “Did you say yes?”

“Not yet. I want to see if I like Portland first. But I gotta tell you, I’m sick of all the traveling. It would be nice to buy a place and get some appliances. I want a juicer.”

Lily had this whole “a healthy body equals a healthy mind” mentality. She made all sorts of disgusting green concoctions that smelled awful and tasted like a decomposing marsh. Ming’s eyes watered just thinking about them. She preferred to jump-start her day with massive doses of caffeine.

“You won’t get bored being stuck in one city?”

“I’m ready to settle down.”

“And you can’t settle down in Houston?”

“I want to meet a guy I can get serious about.”

“And you have to go all the way to Portland to find one?” Ming wondered what was really going on with her sister.

Lily slipped her laptop into its protective sleeve. “I need a change.”

“You’re not going to stick around and be an auntie?” She’d hoped once Lily held the baby and saw how happy Ming was as a mom, her sister could finally get why Ming was willing to risk their mother’s wrath about her decision.

“I think it’s better if I don’t.”

As close as the sisters were, they’d done nothing but argue since Ming had divulged her intention of becoming a single mom. Her sister’s negative reaction had come as a complete surprise. And on the heels of her broken engagement, Ming was feeling alone and blue.

“I wish I could make you understand how much this means to me.”

“Look, I get it. You’ve always wanted children. I just think that a kid needs both a mother and a father.”

Ming’s confidence waned beneath her sister’s criticism. Despite her free-spirited style and reluctance to be tied down, Lily was a lot more traditional than Ming when it came to family. Last night, when Ming had told her sister she was going to talk to Jason today, Lily had accused Ming of being selfish.

But was she? Raising a child without a father didn’t necessarily mean that the child would have problems. Children needed love and boundaries. She could provide both.

It wasn’t fair for Lily to push her opinions on Ming. She hadn’t made her decision overnight. She’d spent months and months talking to single moms, weighing the pros and cons, and using her head, not her emotions, to make up her mind about raising a child on her own. Of course, when it came right down to it, her longing to be a mother was a strong, biological urge that was hard to ignore.

Ming slipped out of her lab coat and hung it on the back of her office door. “Have you told Mom about the job offer?”

“No.” Lily countered. “Have you told her what you’re going to do?”

“I was planning to on Friday. We’re having dinner, just the two of us.” Ming arched an eyebrow. “Unless you’d like to head over there now so we can both share our news. Maybe with two of us to yell at, we’ll each get half a tongue lashing.”

“As much as I would love to be there to see the look on Mom’s face when she finds out you’re going to have a baby without a husband, I’m not ready to talk about my plans. Not until I’m completely sure.”

It sounded as if Lily wasn’t one hundred percent sold on moving away. Ming kept relief off her face and clung to the hope that her sister would find that Portland wasn’t to her liking.

“Will I see you at home later?”

Lily shook her head. “Got plans.”

“A date?”

“Not exactly.”

“Same guy?” For the past few months, whenever she was in town, her sister had been spending a lot of time with a mystery man. “Have you told him your plans to move?”

“It’s not like that.”

“It’s not like what?”

“We’re not dating.”

“Then it’s just sex?”

Her sister made an impatient noise. “Geez, Ming. You of all people should know that men and women can be just friends.”

“Most men and women can’t. Besides, Jason and I are more like brother and sister than friends.”

For about the hundredth time, Ming toyed with telling Lily about her mixed feelings for Jason. How she loved him as a friend but couldn’t stop wondering if they could have made it as a couple. Of course, she’d blown any chance to find out when she’d agreed to have dinner with Evan three years ago.

But long before that she knew Jason wouldn’t let anything get in the way of their friendship.

“Have you told him about your plans to have a baby yet?”

“I mentioned it to him this afternoon.”

She was equally disappointed and relieved that she’d decided against asking Jason to help her get pregnant. Raising his child would muddle her already complicated emotions where he was concerned. It would be easier to get over her romantic yearnings if she had no expectations.

“How did he take it?”

“Once he gets used to the idea, I think he’ll be happy for me.” Her throat locked up. She’d really been counting on his support.

“Maybe this is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re on the wrong path.”

“I don’t need the universe to tell me anything. I have you.” Although Ming kept her voice light, her heart was heavy. She was torn between living her dream and disrupting her relationships with those she loved. What if this became a wedge between her and Lily? Or her and Jason? Ming hated the idea of being pulled in opposite directions by her longing to be a mom and her fear of losing the closeness she shared with either of them.

To comfort herself, she stared at her photo wall, the proof of what she’d achieved these past seven years. Hundreds of smiles lightened her mood and gave her courage.

“I guess you and I will just have to accept that neither one of us is making a decision the other is happy with,” Ming said.

Jason paced from one end of his large office to the other. Beyond his closed door, the offices of Sterling Bridge Company emptied. It was a little past six, but Jason had given up working hours ago. As the chief financial officer of the family’s bridge construction business, he was supposed to be looking over some last-minute changes in the numbers for a multimillion-dollar project they were bidding on next week, but he couldn’t focus. Not surprising after Ming’s big announcement today.

She’d be a great mom. Patient. Loving. Stern when she had to be. If he’d voiced doubts it wasn’t because of her ability to parent, but how hard it would be for her to do it on her own. Naturally Ming wouldn’t view any difficulty as too much trouble. She’d embrace the challenges and surpass everyone’s expectations.

But knowing this didn’t stop his uneasiness. His sense that he should be there for her. Help her.

Help her what?

Get pregnant.

Raise his child?

His gut told him it was the right thing to do even if his brain warned him that he was embarking on a fool’s journey. They were best friends. This was when best friends stepped up and helped each other out. If the situation was reversed and he wanted a child, she’d be the woman he’d choose to make that happen.

But if they did this, things could get complicated. If his brother found out that Jason had helped Ming become a mother, the hurt they caused might lead to permanent estrangement between him and Evan.

On the other hand, Ming deserved to get the family she wanted.

Another thirty minutes disappeared with Jason lost in thought. Since he couldn’t be productive at the office, he decided to head home. A recently purchased ‘73 Dodge Charger sat in his garage awaiting some TLC. In addition to his passion for racing, he loved buying, fixing up and selling classic muscle cars. It’s why he’d chosen his house in the western suburbs. The three-acre estate had afforded him the opportunity to build a six-car garage to house his rare collection.

On the way out, Jason passed his brother’s office. Helping Ming get pregnant would also involve keeping another big secret from his brother. Jason resented that she still worried about Evan’s feelings after the way he’d broken off their engagement. Would it be as awkward for Evan to be an uncle to his ex-fiancée’s child as it had been for Jason to watch his best friend fall in love with his brother?

From the moment Ming and Evan had begun dating, tension had developed between Jason and his brother. An unspoken rift that was territorial in nature. Ming and Jason were best friends. They were bonded by difficult experiences. Inside jokes. Shared memories. In the beginning, it was Evan who was the third wheel whenever the three of them got together. But this wasn’t like other times when Ming had dated. Thanks to her long friendship with Jason, she was practically family. Within months, it was obvious she and Evan were perfectly matched in temperament and outlook, and the closer Ming and Evan became, the more Jason became the outsider. Which was something he resented. Ming was his best friend and he didn’t like sharing her.

Entering his brother’s office, Jason found Evan occupying the couch in the seating area. Evan was three years older and carried more weight on his six-foot frame than Jason, but otherwise, the brothers had the same blue eyes, dark blond hair and features. Both resembled their mother, who’d died in a car accident with their nine-year-old sister when the boys were in high school.

The death of his wife and daughter had devastated their father. Tony Sterling had fallen into a deep depression that lasted six months and almost resulted in the loss of his business. And if Jason hadn’t snuck into the garage one night to “borrow” the car for a joyride and found his father sitting behind the wheel with the garage filling with exhaust fumes, Tony might have lost his life.

This pivotal event had happened when Jason was only fifteen years old and had marked him. He swore he would never succumb to a love so strong that he would be driven to take his own life when the love was snatched away. It had been an easy promise to keep.

Jason scrutinized his brother as he crossed the room, his footfalls soundless on the plush carpet. Evan was so focused on the object in his hand he didn’t notice Jason’s arrival until he spoke.

“Want to catch dinner?”

Evan’s gaze shot toward his brother, and in a furtive move, he pocketed the earrings he’d been brooding over. Jason recognized them as the pearl-and-diamond ones his brother had given to Ming as an engagement present. What was his brother doing with them?

“Can’t. I’ve already got plans.”

“A date?”

Evan got to his feet and paced toward his desk. With his back to Jason, he spoke. “I guess.”

“You don’t know?”

That was very unlike his brother. When it came to living a meticulously planned existence, the only one more exacting than Evan was Ming.

Evan’s hand plunged into the pocket he’d dropped the earrings into. “It’s complicated.”

“Is she married?”

“No.”

“Engaged?”

“No.”

“Kids?”

“Let it go.” Evan’s exasperation only increased Jason’s tension.

“Does it have something to do with Ming’s earrings in your pocket?” When Evan didn’t answer, Jason’s gut clenched, his suspicions confirmed. “Haven’t you done enough damage there? She’s moving on with her life. She doesn’t need you stirring things up again.”

“I didn’t plan what happened. It just did.”

Impulsive behavior from his plan-everything-to-death brother? Jason didn’t like the sound of that. It could only lead to Ming getting hurt again.

“What exactly happened?”

“Lily and I met for a drink a couple months ago.”

“You and Lily?” He almost laughed at the odd pairing. While Evan and Ming had been perfectly compatible, Evan and Lily were total opposites. Then he sobered. “Just the once?”

“A few times.” Evan rubbed his face, bringing Jason’s attention to the dark shadows beneath his eyes. His brother looked exhausted. And low. “A lot.”

“Have you thought about what you’re doing?” When it came to picking sides, Jason would choose Ming every time. In some ways, she was more like family to him than Evan. Jason had certainly shared more of himself with her. “Don’t you think Ming will be upset if she finds out you and her sister are dating?”

Before Evan could answer, Jason’s cell began to ring. With Ming’s heart in danger and his brother in his crosshairs, Jason wouldn’t have allowed himself to be distracted if anyone else on the planet was calling. But this was Ming’s ringtone.

“We’ll talk more about this later,” he told his brother, and answered the call as he exited. “What’s going on?”

“It’s Lily.” There was no mistaking the cry for help in Ming’s voice.

Jason’s annoyance with his brother flared anew. Had Ming found out what was going on? “What about her?”

“She’s moving to Portland. What am I going to do without her?”

What a relief. Ming didn’t yet know that her sister was dating Evan, and if Lily moved to Portland then her relationship with her sister’s ex-fiancé would have to end.

“You still have me.” He’d intended to make his tone light, but on the heels of his conversation with his brother moments before, his declaration came out like a pledge. “Do you want to catch a drink and talk about it? We could continue our earlier conversation.”

“I can’t. Terry and I are having dinner.”

“Afterward?”

“It’s been a long day. I’m heading home for a glass of wine and a long, hot bath.”

“Do you want some company?”

Unbidden, his thoughts took him to an intoxicating, sensual place where Ming floated naked in warm, fragrant water. Candles burned, setting her delicate, pale shoulders aglow above the framing bubbles of her favorite bath gel. The office faded away as he imagined trailing his lips along her neck, discovering all the places on her silky skin that made her shiver.

“Jason?” Ming’s voice roused him to the fact that he was standing in the elevator. He didn’t remember getting there.

Damn it. He banished the images, but the sensations lingered.

“What?” he asked, disturbed at how compelling his fantasy had been.

“I asked if I could call you later.”

“Sure.” His voice had gone hoarse. “Have a good dinner.”

“Thanks.”

The phone went dead in his hand. Jason dropped the cell back into his pocket, still reeling from the direction his thoughts had gone. He had to stop thinking of her like that. Unfortunately, once awakened, the notion of making love to Ming proved difficult to coax back to sleep.

He headed to his favorite bar, which promised a beer and a dozen sports channels as a distraction from his problems. It failed to deliver.

Instead, he replayed his conversations with both Ming and Evan in his mind. She wanted to have a baby, wanted Jason’s help to make that happen, but she’d decided against it before he’d had a chance to consider the idea. All because it wouldn’t be fair to Evan if he ever found out.

Would she feel the same if she knew Evan was dating Lily and that he didn’t care if Ming got hurt in the process? That wouldn’t change her mind. Even if it killed her, Ming would want Evan and Lily to be happy.

But shouldn’t she get to be selfish, too? She should be able to choose whatever man she wanted to help her get pregnant. Even the brother of her ex-fiancé. Only Jason knew she’d never go there without a lot of convincing.

And wasn’t that what best friends were for?

Fifteen minutes after she’d hung up on Jason, Ming’s heart was still thumping impossibly fast. She’d told herself that when he’d asked if she wanted company for a glass of wine and a hot bath, he hadn’t meant anything sexual. She’d called him for a shoulder to cry on. That’s all he was offering.

But the image of him sliding into her oversize tub while candlelight flickered off the glass tile wall and a thousand soap bubbles drifted on the water’s surface …

“Ready for dinner?”

Jerked out of her musing, Ming spun her chair away from her computer and spied Terry Kincaid grinning at her from the doorway, his even, white teeth dazzling against his tan skin. As well as being her partner in the dental practice and her best girl friend’s father, he was the reason she’d chosen to become an orthodontist in the first place.

“Absolutely.”

She closed her internet browser and images of strollers disappeared from her screen. As crazy as it was to shop for baby stuff before she was even pregnant, Ming couldn’t stop herself from buying things. Her last purchase had been one of those mobiles that hangs above the crib and plays music as it spins.

“You already know how proud I am of you,” Terry began after they’d finished ordering dinner at his favorite seafood place. “When I brought you into the practice, it wasn’t because you were at the top of your class or a hard worker, but because you’re like family.”

“You know that’s how I feel about you, too.” In fact, Terry was so much better than her own family because he offered her absolute support without any judgment.

“And as a member of my family, it was important to me that I come to you with any big life-changing decisions I was about to make.”

Ming gulped. How had he found out what she was going to do? Wendy couldn’t have told him. Her friend knew how to keep a secret.

“Sure,” she said. “That’s only fair.”

“That’s why I’m here to tell you that I’m going to retire and I want you to take over the practice.”

This was the last thing she expected him to say. “But you’re only fifty-seven. You can’t quit now.”

“It’s the perfect time. Janice and I want to travel while we’re still young enough to have adventures.”

In addition to being a competitive sailor, Terry was an expert rock climber and pilot. Where Ming liked relaxing spa vacations in northern California, he and his wife went hang gliding in Australia and zip lining through the jungles of Costa Rica.

“And you want me to have the practice?” Her mind raced at the thought of all the things she would have to learn, and fast. Managing personnel and finances. Marketing. The practice thrived with Terry at the helm. Could she do half as well? “It’s a lot.”

“If you’re worried about the money, work the numbers with Jason.”

“It’s not the money.” It was an overwhelming responsibility to take on at the same time she was preparing for the challenge of being a single mom. “I’m not sure I’m ready.”

Terry was unfazed by her doubts. “I’ve never met anyone who rises to the challenge the way you do. And I’m not going to retire next week. I’m looking at the middle of next year. Plenty of time for you to learn what you need to know.”

The middle of next year? Ming did some rapid calculation. If everything went according to schedule, she’d be giving birth about the time when Terry would be leaving. Who’d take over while she was out on maternity leave? She’d hoped for twelve glorious weeks with her newborn.

Yet, now that the initial panic was fading, excitement stirred. Her own practice. She’d be crazy to let this opportunity pass her by.

“Ming, are you all right?” Concern had replaced delight. “I thought you’d jump at the chance to run the practice.”

“I’m really thrilled by the opportunity.”

“But?”

She was going to have a baby. Taking over the practice would require a huge commitment of time and energy. But Terry believed in her and she hated to disappoint him. He’d taken her under his wing during high school when she and Wendy had visited the office and shown her that orthodontia was a perfect career for someone who had an obsession with making things straight and orderly.

“No buts.” She loaded her voice with confidence.

“That’s my girl.” He patted her hand. “You have no idea how happy I was when you decided to join me in this practice. There’s no one but you that I’d trust to turn it over to.”

His words warmed and worried her at the same. The amount of responsibility overwhelmed her, but whatever it took, she’d make sure Terry never regretted choosing her.

“I won’t let you down.”

Crickets serenaded Jason as he headed up the walk to Ming’s front door. At nine o’clock at night, only a far-off bark disturbed the peaceful tree-lined street in the older Houston suburb. Amongst the midcentury craftsman homes, Ming’s contemporary-styled house stood out. The clean lines and geometric landscaping suited the woman who lived there. Ming kept her surroundings and her life uncluttered.

He couldn’t imagine how she was going to handle the sort of disorder a child would bring into her world, but after his conversation with Evan this afternoon, Jason was no longer deciding whether or not he should help his oldest friend. It was more a matter of how he was going to go about it.

Jason rang her doorbell and Muffin began to bark in warning. The entry light above him snapped on and the door flew open. Jason blinked as Ming appeared in the sudden brightness. The scent of her filled his nostrils, a sumptuous floral that made him think of making love on an exotic tropical island.

“Jason? What are you doing here?” Ming bent to catch the terrier as she charged past, but missed. “Muffin, get back here.”

“I’ll get her.” Chasing the frisky dog gave him something to concentrate on besides Ming’s slender form clad in a plum silk nightgown and robe, her long black hair cascading over one shoulder. “Did I wake you?” he asked, handing her the squirming Yorkie.

His body tightened as he imagined her warm, pliant form snuggled beside him in bed. His brother had been a complete idiot not to give her the sun, moon and whatever stars she wanted.

“No.” She tilted her head. “Do you want to come in?”

Swept by the new and unsettling yearning to take her in his arms and claim her lush mouth, Jason shook his head. “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about earlier today.”

“If you’ve come here to talk me out of having a baby, you can save your breath.” She was his best friend. Back in high school they’d agreed that what had happened after prom had been a huge mistake. They’d both been upset with their dates and turned to each other in a moment of weakness. Neither one wanted to risk their friendship by exploring the chemistry between them.

But in the back of Jason’s mind, lying in wait all these years, was curiosity. What would it be like between them? It’s why he’d decided to help her make a baby. Today she’d offered him the solution to satisfy his need for her and not complicate their friendship with romantic misunderstandings. He’d be a fool not to take advantage of the opportunity.

“I want to help.”

“You do?” Doubt dominated her question, but relief hovered nearby. She studied him a long moment before asking, “Are you sure?”

“I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon and decided I’d be a pretty lousy friend if I wasn’t there when you needed me.”

A broad smile transformed her expression. “You don’t know how much this means to me. I’ll call the clinic tomorrow and make an appointment for you.”

Jason shook his head. “No fertility clinic. No doctor.” He hooked his fingers around the sash that held her robe closed and tugged her a half step closer. Heat pooled below his belt at the way her lips parted in surprise. “Just you and me.”

Something like excitement flickered in her eyes, only to be dampened by her frown. “Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?”

“Let’s make a baby the old-fashioned way.”

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