Billionaire Games Boxed Set 1-3 (46 page)

“What, pray tell?” her mother beseeched her.

Tasha looked back at Andre. “James Maurice de Laurent.”

“It’s perfect.” Andre touched the baby’s face and then looked back at Tasha. “I suppose I should go out and tell his audience that James Maurice has arrived!”

Nola stood up. “No, let me.” She looked at Andre, then Tasha. “You three need a few minutes alone together.”

Andre looked at Nola. “Thank you. I think that’s a fine idea.” He gave her a smile and sat down in the chair at his feet.

Nola laid a gentle hand on Tasha’s arm. “I’ll be right outside.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Tasha smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. She watched her mother leave, then turned back to Andre. “We have a baby boy!” A cry of happiness broke from her lips.

“And he’s perfect.” Andre caressed the baby’s cheek. Slowly he lifted his gaze to Tasha. “Just like his mother.” He gave her a deep, loving kiss.

“Wow…” She gushed. “That’s some reward for bearing your child.”

“I was just buttering you up.”

“Oh…?”

“Do you have any idea how hard it’s going to be to pry Papa away from his first grandson?”

Tasha plastered on a stern look that almost hid the smile curving on her lips. “You’re really going to have to think up something good to make that up to me.”

“Well, James does need a little sister.” Andre winked, and pressed his lips to Tasha’s once more. She slipped her free arm up to Andre’s head and brushed her fingers through his hair as they kissed. The baby stretched and cooed.

Life was never so good for the second-born son of the de Laurent family.

THE MARRIAGE FIX

by

Sandra Edwards

The Marriage Fix

Copyright © 2013 Sandra Edwards

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from Sandra Edwards.

Published by SE Press

United States of America

Electronic Edition: August, 2013

13-Digit ISBN: 978-1-934342-18-3

ASIN: B00E6K842G

Edited by Jennifer Lawrence.

Cover by Sandra Edwards. Image obtained from Fotolia.com.

This book is a work of fiction and all characters exist solely in the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Any references to places, events or locales are used in a fictitious manner.

CHAPTER ONE

HANG TEN WAS LOCATED ON THE COAST between Santa Monica and Malibu, about a mile from Lecie de Laurent’s inherited California home.

From the front, the restaurant looked like an old warehouse that’d been constructed out of salvaged wood from ships that’d seen better days. The roof was tin, the windows single-paned. It didn’t look like the kind of establishment you’d typically find in southern California. But the parking lot was always full.

There were two entryways; the one on the left opened up to a bar that showcased hot bands playing hip music. The second door led into an open deck restaurant, and beyond it, a beachside dining patio, overlooking the Pacific.

Lecie de Laurent and her friend Deidra Ferguson had discovered the place three weeks ago, shortly after arriving in southern California. While the food, music, and ambiance were all splendid, there was another benefit to constant visits to the establishment. Hang Ten’s owner, Nick Matthews, was drop dead gorgeous—and on the verge of getting married. Literally.

But there was no harm in looking. And Nick was fun to look at. Chestnut brown hair sun-kissed with golden highlights, brown eyes the color of chocolate, a smile that dented his cheeks with dimples, and a trim, athletic body was enough to keep Lecie occupied for hours.

On this Friday evening in the bar, there seemed to be an unofficial party going on for Nick and his fiancée Ginny, who were getting married tomorrow.

They sat at the bar, surrounded by their friends. Drinks and high spirits were flowing. Nick looked happy, and Ginny, well, she was just…there, donning a faceless expression. Lecie couldn’t tell if Ginny was happy or excited or just plain bored. Maybe she was just nervous.

“See how she looks?” a woman in the booth behind Lecie said to her companion. “She looks inconvenienced. That’s not right for a woman who’s marrying a guy like Nick Matthews—tomorrow. Hell, I’d be loving life right about now.”

There was truth in what the woman was saying. Something about Ginny’s demeanor was off for a bride on the eve of her wedding.

“I thought she’d be happier,” Lecie said to Deidra sitting across the booth from her.

“Who?” Deidra’s brow furrowed.

“Ginny.”

Deidra glanced over her shoulder and lingered that way for a while before turning back to Lecie. “You going to stop coming here now, after tomorrow?”

“What’s tomorrow have to do with anything?”

“Well, he will be married.” Deidra shrugged and grabbed her drink. “It just doesn’t seem right, drooling over a married man.”

“My brother’s a married man,” Lecie said with a tight jaw. Deidra’s lingering crush on Lecie’s brother Andre was no secret to anyone. And even though Andre had been happily married long enough to have a two-year-old son, that hadn’t stopped Deidra from pining away for him.

“Point taken.” Deidra laughed a little and sucked her drink up through her straw.

In the past year, Deidra had lost a little weight, gotten a new hairstyle with some colorful blonde streaks over auburn highlights, and traded in those awful wire-framed glasses she used to wear for contacts. The new look had given Deidra a confidence that she’d always lacked.

Lecie and Deidra had left Deidra’s grandmother’s house in Florida about a month ago with their sights set on California. Lecie hadn’t told Papa she was leaving Florida to go to California. His daughter alone in America, without a chaperone? As Camille and Tasha would say, Papa would hit the roof.

Lecie’s American sisters-in-law had taught her plenty of American slang, and she was glad of it. While her accent would identify her as foreign, she didn’t want to stand out as a complete oaf.

So far, Lecie and Deidra were enjoying their independence, and neither would be ready to leave California anytime soon.

The display lit up on Lecie’s phone lying on the table. She glanced at it. Papa. By now, surely he knew that she and Deidra were no longer at Deidra’s grandmother’s house in Florida. He’d know where she’d gone and he wouldn’t be happy. Lecie hit the ignore button and pushed the phone aside. She would have to answer to Papa sooner or later, but not tonight.

“Your father again?” Deidra asked. Lecie nodded. “If you keep ignoring him, we’re going to wake up one morning, very soon, with one, or both, of your brothers knocking on the door.”

N
ick Matthews gazed into his fiancée’s gray eyes. She gave him a smile that he knew was forced. Maybe it was the crowd. Maybe she was tired. Maybe she was just on edge about tomorrow. Ginny had a habit of worrying about anything and everything that could go wrong.

He stroked her silky dark hair back out of her face and rested his hand on her shoulder. “You want to go?” he asked. She nodded. “Everything okay?” he added, just to make sure.

She nodded again, and pushed her soft drink away. Ginny wasn’t much of a drinker, and she had little tolerance for those who did. “I should get some rest. Don’t want dark circles under my eyes tomorrow.” She gave him a slight smile, but he knew it wasn’t genuine because it never made its way to her eyes. They remained empty, bored. Or maybe she was just tired. Or simply didn’t like being around all the people drinking.

“So I guess you’re set on this
spending-tonight-apart
thing?” Nick chuckled when he said it, even though he wasn’t feeling a whole lot of amusement.

Ginny nodded. “Yes. Yes, I am.”

“Come on, Gin.” Nick turned on the charm, which seemed to work on every woman but Ginny these days. Still he tried. “I’ve been staying at the hotel across the street, to please you, all week. I want to come home. To my wife.”

Nick didn’t get why he couldn’t come to the house this past week. Her excuse—she didn’t want to jinx the wedding—was plausible enough, but since when had they adhered to tradition? They’d been living together for two years. It wasn’t like the wedding night was going to be something new for either of them.

“I won’t be your
wife
until tomorrow,” she said in a firm, no-nonsense voice. When she got like that, she was unshakable.

“Okay.” Nick’s heart thudded dully in his chest. If they weren’t getting married tomorrow, Nick might start to feel like Ginny was avoiding him. “Let me talk to Dean,” he said. “Then I’ll drive you home.”

Ginny shook her head. “I’ll take my car.” Her glance darted away from him. Before he could utter a single word of the counter-argument coming together in his head, she said, “Otherwise, I’ll have no way to get to the church tomorrow. You can’t see me before I walk down that aisle.” The seriousness in her tone squelched Nick’s desire to laugh. It wouldn’t pay to piss off his fiancée the night before the wedding.

“Can I at least walk you outside?” he asked, half-offended at her determination to remain apart from him.

“I’d like that,” she cooed.

Nick stood, reached for her hand and looked at the bartender. “Pete, if you see Dean, let him know I’ll be right back.”

“Will do.” Pete didn’t miss a beat as he continued mixing drinks.

Holding onto Ginny’s hand, Nick led her through the bar toward the exit. “I wonder where Dean went?”

“Knowing Dean, you might find him in the parking lot with some girl.” She giggled, an odd response from Ginny when the subject of Dean Triplett came up. Dean was Nick’s best friend and the director of the Kevin Matthews Community Center, a local hangout for kids, for which Hang Ten was a key benefactor. Ginny could stomach Dean as Nick’s best friend, but Nick’s affiliation with the community center, not so much.

About six months ago, Ginny had suggested that Hang Ten break its affiliation with the community center, that there were better things they could be doing with five thousand dollars a month. But Nick had been adamant about his support of the community center that bore his brother’s name. Without Hang Ten, the center would likely close within a few months. Nick couldn’t let that happen.

Outside, Nick leaned in to kiss Ginny, but she turned her head, presenting her cheek. Confusion muddled his head, but he kissed the spot she offered. Ginny had been doing some odd things lately, like kicking him out of the house because she wanted them to have a traditional wedding night. This shouldn’t surprise him. But the thing was, there was nothing traditional about cutting out the sex a week before the wedding.

“You sure everything’s okay?” He studied her face, as if it’d provide some kind of clue. It didn’t.

“Perfect.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then?” Suddenly, he wanted to hear her confirm it.

“Be on time,” she said, and got in her car.

Nick lingered outside long enough to watch her leave, then he went back inside to find Dean. He’d been awfully quiet the past couple of days. Nick wanted to know why.

A quick check back in the bar, but no sign of Dean. Nick did notice and nodded at the cute little blonde and her measurably less attractive friend as his gaze rolled past their table. They’d been coming in a lot during the last couple of weeks, and he’d figured them for new to town or on vacation. The blonde was definitely Nick’s type, even more so than his fiancée, which still boggled his mind. Girls with dark hair rarely caught his eye. But Ginny had, and now he was one-hundred percent committed to her. That didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate an attractive woman though, and this one was.

Next stop in his search for his missing best friend, Nick sought out Keri, one of Hang Ten’s hostesses. He found her in the outdoor patio dining area, and asked, “You seen Dean around?”

“I think I saw him go into your office.” She pointed back toward the interior of the building, then took off.

His office. That’s the one place Nick hadn’t looked, although he should have. Dean was prone to using his office to make phone calls. And that was okay with Nick. The restaurant and bar were usually too noisy.

Nick found Dean inside his office, sitting behind the desk with his cell phone pressed to his ear. Nick dropped to the couch against the wall to the left of the door and waited for Dean to finish his call.

Dean looked at Nick, nodded, then said into his cell phone. “Yeah, okay. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He waited a few seconds, listening, before disconnecting the call. Dean looked at Nick, saying in a half-hearted tone, “This economy is killing us.” He deposited his cell phone into his jacket pocket and shook his head. “Man, if not for you and Hang Ten, I don’t know what the community center would do.”

“I’m just glad I can help. The kids need somewhere safe, recreational, and creative to hang out after school and on weekends.” Nick leaned forward, clasping his hands between his legs. “As long as Hang Ten is profitable, we will help.”

“I really do appreciate that.” Dean lowered his head.

“What is it?”

Dean lifted his gaze but kept his head low. “Well you know, I don’t like to play that card. Especially with you.”

“Dean…” Nick shook his head. “You know I’ll help the center any way I can. I’ve already given you eleven grand this month.” Six thousand more than Hang Ten’s monthly donation to keep the center up and running.

“Well that’s just it.” Dean had a subtle, uneasy inflection in his voice. “Ginny never gave me the second check for the six thou for the new computers.”

What?
Nick had specifically asked her to do that a week ago. And she’d bitched about it for two days.

Nick went to his desk and pulled a checkbook from the middle drawer. “I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding.” He reached for a pen and began scribbling out the details on the check. “She’s been busy. Maybe she couriered it over and it got lost in the shuffle or something. Anyway…” He handed Dean the check. “Here you go, bud. I’ll ask her about it tomorrow.”