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“Who’re you kidding? I still see you sneak in here when you need to de-stress.” Chantal slipped off her stilettos and tucked her feet under her. “Not that I blame you.” She swept her arm wide, encompassing the room. “I love this place too. Do some of my best thinking in here.”

Chantal rarely talked about her early days as a dancer and Adele cherished this rare moment of bonding. She’d better make the most of it, because in six months conversations with her friends would be interspersed with wails and blubbered demands.

“Do you ever miss it? The dancing?”

Chantal’s eyes misted over for a moment, before she blinked. “I’ve come too far to miss it.”

“Know the feeling.”

Chantal quirked a brow. “Hasn’t been that long since you swapped tassels for a calculator?”

Adele wasn’t talking about her switch from burlesque to accountancy. Not that she’d tell Chantal. No one knew about her past, just the way she wanted it.

“I swear there’s something magical about this room,” Adele said, trailing her fingers across the dresser. Picking up a foundation stick, perfume spritzer, mascara wand, before putting them down. Toying with fake eyelashes and sequins. Twisting satin ribbons around her fingers. “Even when the girls were packed in here before a performance, there’s a tranquility I never found elsewhere.”

Studying her with renewed interest, Chantal nodded. “Me too.”

Afraid she’d cry—damn hormones—Adele said, “Must be the hairspray fumes making us high.”

Chantal cleared her throat. “Could be.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, lost in their private memories, when the door creaked open.

“Is this a private party or can anyone join?”

Adele stiffened at the sound of Jess’s perky voice.

She liked Reid’s sister but as her hand unconsciously fluttered toward her stomach, Adele knew she’d need to put on the performance of a lifetime if Jess mentioned her brother.

Chantal shot her a quick glance and Adele nodded.

“Come on in, sweetie,” Chantal said, sitting up and patting a space on the chaise sofa. “Just reminiscing about the good old days.”

“You sound like you’re ancient,” Jess said, stopping to give Adele a quick hug before doing the same to Chantal. “Must be some amazing anti-wrinkle cream you use.”

Jess dodged a pinch from Chantal and Adele forced a laugh that sounded stilted at best.

Way to go with pretending everything was normal.

If Jess picked up on any awkwardness, thankfully she didn’t say. “I’m leaving next week.”

Chantal made smooching sounds. “Off to see that sexy Aussie.”

Jess blushed, her natural reaction endearing her to Adele even more. “I really miss him.”

“Then what are you doing here?” Chantal waved toward the door. “Why don’t you fly out early?”

“Too much stuff to take care of.” Jess locked gazes with Adele, the steely glint in Jess’s eyes very off-putting. “Including giving my brother a lobotomy.”

Adele’s heart stalled at the mention of Reid, before galloping at a million beats a minute. Was she so desperate to hear the slightest mention of the guy that she’d put herself through hell, trying to sit here and act calm when now was the perfect time to excuse herself from the room?

“What’s the ravishing Reid done this time?”

To Chantal’s credit, she didn’t glance in Adele’s direction as she asked the question. Not that it mattered. Adele could feel heat flushing her cheeks neon red regardless.

“Made an ass of himself,” Jess said, shooting Adele a quick glance before returning her attention to Chantal. “I swear the dufus is head over heels, never seen him like this before, but because he’s never had a relationship ever he has no clue how to go about having one.”

Shock tore through Adele’s carefully constructed indifference.

Reid had never had a relationship? Ever?

Yet he’d wanted one with her after knowing her how long?

“Guys like that need one of two things,” Chantal said, holding up two fingers. “A helping hand to guide them in the right direction or a swift kick up the ass.”

Jess laughed and Adele managed a wan smile as both girls glanced in her direction. “So what’s it going to be, Adele? Are you going to help my Neanderthal brother or kick him to the curb?”

Jess’s bluntness rendered Adele speechless as she scrambled for something to say, other than the truth.

“Because he told me how he presented his offer to you.” Jess rolled her eyes. “You’ll be pleased to know I punched him several times for wanting to have a relationship with you, yet wanting to keep you secret because you work here.”

“Good girl,” Chantal said, draping an arm across Jess’s shoulders and squeezing. “You always could keep that brother of yours in line, even back in Craye Canyon.”

Jess returned Chantal’s hug before glancing back to Adele, who still hadn’t composed a suitable response.

“I know the whole thing seems pretty untenable, but if you’re half as crazy about my brother as he is about you, you should try to work things out,” Jess said, her imploring expression tugging at Adele’s heart strings.

“It’s not that easy,” Adele said, needing to come up with something that didn’t remotely sound like
‘you think it’s complicated now, wait ’til you hear I’m having his baby.’

“Relationships never are,” Jess said, shrugging. “But I can honestly say, my brother’s one of the good guys and if he has feelings for you, he’s loyal and loving and will do right by you no matter what the obstacles.”

Crap. Adele didn’t want Reid doing right by her. That would be the worst-case scenario, him finding out about this baby and giving up his career, sacrificing his dreams, because he
wanted to do right
by her.

“I’m not trying to interfere, honest, but I think he’s halfway in love with you,” Jess said, her voice quivering a tad. “And if you feel anything for him, you owe it to yourselves to give it a go.”

Adele tried to swallow the lump of emotion lodged in her throat, but the harder she tried the larger it grew, until the unthinkable happened.

She burst into tears.

Jess flew to her side and wrapped an arm around her, which only made Adele cry harder, great snot-clogging sobs that choked.

“I’m so sorry, sweetie, I didn’t mean to make you cry.” Jess reached for a tissue box and held it out.

“Not your fault,” Adele said, between hiccups, as she swiped a bunch of tissues.

“Hormones.” Chantal’s murmured proclamation made the same impact as a foghorn on a still night, echoing around the room until it’s all anyone could hear.

Adele’s horror stifled her sobs as she glared at Chantal, who mouthed ‘sorry’ before grimacing in mortification.

“That time of the month, huh?” Jess said, staring at Adele with renewed interest.

“Yeah,” Adele mumbled, trying to hide her monumental lie behind a bunch of tissues as she blew her nose.

Sadly, Jess was as smart as her brother, as her curious glance swung from Adele to Chantal and back again.

Adele willed her not to make the obvious connection. Willed it with every fiber in her being.

But she saw the exact moment Jess put two and two together and came up with baby makes three.

“No freaking way.” Jess stared at Adele’s stomach in round-eyed wonder. “You’re pregnant.”

Adele could feign many things—a past she didn’t care about, her true feelings for Reid—but no way could she tell a blatant lie to his sister.

Chantal muttered, “oh boy,” as Adele reluctantly nodded.

Jess’s mouth gaped, as she stared at Adele like she was carrying alien spawn rather than a niece or nephew.

“I’m assuming the baby’s Reid’s?”

Jess’s blunt question should’ve made Adele angry but she didn’t blame Reid’s sister for being protective.

“Yeah, the baby’s his,” Adele said, placing a hand over her stomach when Jess continued to stare at her like she expected her to give birth at any second. “And I don’t want him to know.”

Jess leaped off her seat like she’d been electrocuted. “Why the hell not? He deserves to know—”

“You said it yourself. Reid would do right by me,” Adele held up her hand when Jess appeared ready to butt in again, “and I don’t want him sacrificing his career out of obligation.”

Confusion clouded Jess’s eyes for a moment before her shoulders slumped in defeat. “You’re protecting him from making a choice.”

Adele nodded, glad Jess understood. “You know your brother better than I do, but from the time we’ve spent together he’s a pretty special guy. I don’t want to ruin his life.”

Jess gnawed on her bottom lip in indecision. “But a baby…could change everything…”

“It could, but it’s not fair to put him in a position to choose.” Adele spoke with a quiet authority, the same tone she’d used on her mom countless times when she’d go off on one of her drunken rants.

She’d never known what pushed her mom to drink, had given up insisting she get help when she fell off the wagon time and time again. Adele had supported them both and when the going got tough, she did what she had to do to survive.

And that was the one thing she had to remember whenever she felt remotely sentimental about her baby’s father.

Reid could never know about her past. That meant keeping him away from her future.

“Well, I think she should tell him,” Chantal said, holding up her hands in surrender when Adele shot her a death glare. “What? You already know what I think, it’d be good to get Jess’s perspective.”

Jess swore and shook her head. “My brother has feelings for you. Genuine feelings that are sending him into a tailspin. But his career is his life and a baby…even a quickie wedding wouldn’t keep the gossip mongers at bay.”

Adele stared at Jess in horror. “No way in hell I’d marry Reid out of obligation.”

“Not even to save his career?” Jess’s eyes narrowed, sizing her up. “It could be the only way out of this—”

“No.” Adele wrapped her arms around her middle. “I’m not bringing a child into a marriage ultimately filled with recriminations and bitterness and regret.” She moved in for the kill. “Your niece or nephew deserves better than that.”

Some of the tension pinching Jess’s mouth eased, as her lips curved into a soft smile. “I’m going to be an auntie…”

“Sounds pretty fucked up to me,” Chantal interjected, making loopy circles at her temple. “Jess gets to have a place in this kid’s life but the father doesn’t?”

An uncomfortable silence grew until Adele muttered, “Tell us how you really feel.”

Chantal shrugged. “I have. Not that it’s making any difference.” She pointed at Adele’s belly. “That kid needs to know its father. It’s the right thing to do.”

Before they could stop her, Chantal stomped out of the room, leaving Adele to face whatever else Jess wanted to dish out.

They didn’t know each other well enough for Adele to confide her many fears, the main one being what if Reid discovered the truth, gave up his career and ended up hating both her and their child in the process?

“Did Chantal tell you about her mom withholding the truth about her dad?”

Adele nodded. “I can understand why she feels so strongly about this.”

“Yeah, but you don’t need the added pressure,” Jess said, strolling around the dressing room, touching the velvet walls, toying with the feather boas, as if she had no idea what she was doing. “Ultimately, this is your decision, and I’ll support you whatever you choose.”

For the second time in the last half hour, emotion clogged Adele’s throat. Jess trusted her enough to do the right thing. It meant a lot.

“And Reid won’t hear about your pregnancy from me.” Jess made a lip zipping motion across her mouth. “But promise me one thing.”

Adele blinked against the burn of tears. “What?”

“From what I’ve heard so far, you’re thinking solely about Reid. How this will affect him. His career. His life.” Jess jabbed a finger in her direction. “I want you to consider carefully what would make you happy in all this. What about
you
? What
you
want?”

Adele bit back the ultimate truth:
I want it all. The kid. The husband. The happily ever after
.

Sadly, she’d been a realist for too long and knew she’d only get one out of those three, and a beautiful baby would have to be enough.

Ensuring her voice didn’t quaver, she said, “I want this baby to be happy and loved and cherished.”

Three things she’d never had as a child and she’d do whatever it took to make it happen.

“My brother’s going to miss out on so much…” Jess bit her bottom lip and took a few moments to compose herself before continuing, “Word of advice? I wasted ten years of my life because I was too scared to go after the guy I loved. Don’t make the same mistake.”

Adele nodded, hoping she wouldn’t spend the next six months battling the urge to bawl, as Jess gave her a quick hug.

“I’ll be in town for the next week before heading to Sydney.” Jess plucked at her sleeves, before stilling her fiddling fingers. “Maybe we can get together before I go?”

Touched by Jess’s uncertainty, Adele nodded. “I’d like that.”

Jess smiled, the similarity to her brother snatching Adele’s breath. “Great. I’ll call you.”

It wasn’t until Jess had left that Adele realized how relieved she was to get Reid’s sister’s input.

Not the ideal scenario, having Jess learn the truth, but to her credit Jess had handled the situation with diplomacy, care and understanding.

Adele should be rapt. Nothing had to change and she now had the support of her baby’s aunt.

Instead, all she could think about was Jess being able to watch this child grow and Reid couldn’t.

Life wasn’t fair. If anyone knew the truth of that statement, she did.

She had to focus on this baby and ignore the tiny, fractured pieces of her heart that continued to bleed whenever she associated her child and Reid together.

Reid couldn’t let his baby sister head to Australia for months without saying goodbye. And that meant a trip to Vegas.

His excuse, he was sticking to it.

So what if Jess had responded to his text last night with a short and sweet OUT WITH CHANTAL & ADELE, CHAT LATER? It had nothing to do with the fact he’d rearranged his schedule for the next forty-eight hours and jetted into Vegas this morning. Yeah, right.