Now and Forever (19 page)

“Ugh. A very pregnant one.”

“You’ll look amazing, sweetie. What are you guys planning?”

“We haven’t decided. Something nontraditional, though.”

“I’ve got it!” Dani said, leading Emma into the kitchen to sit down. “You can have it in our high school gym. Ask all the cheerleading bitches from high school to be your bridesmaids and then shove them all to the ground on your way down the aisle, throw up the double bird and yell, ‘I’m marrying Cole Marlowe, bitches!”

Emma smiled and shook her head. “Yeah, that sounds really classy.”

“I’d do it. I love it when the girls who were shitty to me in high school find out I’m engaged to a hot surgeon.”

Emma smiled and surveyed the loose string on her coat. She loved Dani, but the nagging sadness in her chest just wouldn’t budge today. How could she make wedding plans that didn’t involve her parents? She’d never imagined that. Here she’d been so concerned with her fairytale image of a wedding to Cole being shattered by her pregnancy, and it was something completely unexpected that had done it instead.

“You’re upset,” Dani said, pulling out a chair and sitting down next to Emma at the kitchen table.

“Yeah.” Emma sniffled and shook her head. “My parents . . . well, my dad . . . still hasn’t come around.”

“I’m sorry.”

“The thought of getting married without them there . . . it makes me sad. I know it’ll create hard feelings that won’t go away. My mom will be crushed if they aren’t at my wedding. And will they want to be there when I have the baby? Will they want to know the baby?”

“Of course they will, Em.” Dani took Emma’s hand and squeezed it. “I know your parents. Your dad’s reaction was a big surprise, for sure. But time dulls anger. Maybe you should try talking to him again.”

Emma shook her head. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m an adult and Cole and I love each other. We love this baby, too. If my dad’s more concerned about people at our church whispering about us, that’s his problem.”

“Just don’t let this ruin your moment. You and Cole deserve a wedding that’s nothing but happy. I know you love your parents, but Cole and your baby are your immediate family now. Don’t lose sight of that.”

“Yeah,” Emma said softly. “Layla’s wedding will be awkward as hell with my parents there.”

“When is that?”

“June, I think. Pretty close to my due date.”

“That’s a ways away. One step at a time. Where’s your mom in all this?”

“She calls me and we talk about the bakery and stuff, but never about Cole. I’m afraid things will never be the same. Cole’s parents won’t even speak to mine because they’re so upset about how my dad treated him.”

Dani’s brow furrowed. “They’re still nice to you, though, right?”

“Oh, definitely. Nicer than ever. Cole and I went over there last night and showed them the ring and told them we’re getting married. His mom was so happy. She couldn’t stop crying. They insist on sending us on an exotic honeymoon.”

“That’s nice of them. You guys could use a break right about now, I’m sure.”

“Yeah. Between being pregnant, the arrest and getting engaged—”

Dani cut in. “Wait. Who got arrested?”

“I haven’t told you about it yet, have I? Cole got arrested, but it’s all been cleared up now and the charges got dropped.”

“What? Cole got arrested? The golden boy?”

Emma smiled at her. “He’s not golden, Dani. He leaves his dirty socks on the floor and puts the milk carton back in the fridge with less than a sip left in it.”

“My image of him is ruined!” Dani cried dramatically. “Just tell me he’s not a premature ejaculator.”

“Oh, no. Hell no. Quite the opposite.”

“I knew it,” Dani said, giving Emma a dirty look. “He probably gives you oral every fucking day, too. You’re so lucky.”

“Not every day, no,” Emma said, laughing. “What’s up, aren’t you getting any?”

“I am, and it’s great. But I’m still not over you getting it on with Cole Marlowe. Do you remember when we decided to sneak into the boys’ locker room so we could hide and watch him take a shower?”

Emma groaned and covered her face with her hands as she recalled the summer day from her freshman year. “Oh, God, I do. And then we chickened out while we were waiting but we had to hide in the locker room until the janitor finished cleaning it.”

“I had the smell of sweaty socks in my nose for like a week,” Dani said, laughing. “And when we got back to your house and your mom asked what we’d been up to, you were like, ‘Nothing! Nothing at all! Why are you asking us that?”

Emma felt her smile receding.

“Sorry for bringing up your parents,” Dani said.

“No, it’s okay.” Emma sighed. “Maybe things are supposed to be this way.”

“Or maybe they’ll work themselves out.”

Emma wanted to agree, but she couldn’t bring herself to lie. Her dad wouldn’t apologize out of the blue, and she wasn’t going to be the one to smooth things over. He’d been rude and insulting not just to her, but to Cole. She could forgive him for his startled reaction to her news, but the way he’d treated Cole wasn’t something she thought she’d be able to move past.

***

Daniel stepped into Layla’s office and closed the door behind him. She looked up from the e-mail she was writing, prodding Daniel to speak with an expectant gaze.

“Uh, your two o’clock is here.”

Layla glared at him. “That’s nice, but it’s five ‘til. And what’s with the personal message delivery? You usually just buzz me.”

“Well, this guy looked at me like I was insane when I asked him to have a seat.”

“Is it Ben?”

Daniel’s cheeks flushed. “No, I know what he looks like. Six and a half feet of sexy is hard to miss. Those blue eyes are divine.”

Layla smiled to herself and glanced at the schedule on her computer screen. “Oh, Brian Winston. Yeah, he thinks he’s a pretty big deal.”

“But he’s not?”

“I suppose he is, but if he’s early, he can wait like everyone else. I’m done with this email, actually, but I don’t want to flatter him by running out there, you know?”

Daniel smiled and leaned against the back of the closed door. “We could talk about hot guys for three minutes.”

“That’s always fun,” Layla said. “Are you seeing anyone?”

Daniel shook his head. “I’m having a flirtationship with a guy at the coffee shop down the street, but that’s it.”

“What’s he look like?”

“Tall, with short sandy hair and amazing green eyes. And a body that makes me weak in the knees. His name’s Jackson.”

“Ben’s coming in at three. Let’s close the office and all go down there for a coffee break so I can check him out.”

Daniel’s fair cheeks darkened. “Just don’t say anything to him. I mean, I think he’s flirting with me, but I’m not totally sure.”

“No worries,” Layla said. “I can be subtle when I want to.”

There was a rap on the door that made Daniel jump. He opened the door and Brian raised his brows and glanced at his watch. “Can we get started, Layla? I’ve got a three o’clock at my office.”

“Sure. Come on in.” Daniel gave Layla a fake haughty expression behind Brian’s back as he left the room and she suppressed a smile.

“Long time, no see,” Brian said, sitting down.

“Just a few days.” Layla slid on her reading glasses and pulled out her thick McHenry Enterprises file.

“Feels like longer. How about dinner tonight?”

She glanced up at him and then quickly went back to focusing on her file. “Thank you, but I’ve got dinner plans with my fiancé.”

“Ah. Who’s the lucky guy?”

“His name’s Ben Montrose. He’s a detective.”

Brian scoffed and crossed an ankle over his knee. “A cop? Huh. I’d have pictured you with someone more . . . powerful.”

“Ben’s quite powerful, actually. At least in all the ways that matter to me.”

Brian gave her a skeptical glance. “Maybe you haven’t been exposed to all the ways a man can be powerful, then.”

Layla shifted in her chair. “Well, you aren’t paying me to discuss my private life, so let’s talk about this acquisition you emailed me about. I’ve finished the land records searches and the title work is almost done.”

“Excellent. Are you free Friday night?”

Layla looked up at him, feeling a flare of annoyance. Hadn’t they just discussed this?

Brian continued before she could respond. “I’m hosting a dinner event at a hotel downtown for investors in my new company. I’d love for them to meet you. And we could also discuss some performance-based stock options for you.”

“Um, okay, I can come by for a little bit.”

“Excellent.”

He focused on work for the rest of the meeting, and Layla walked to the lobby with him when they were done.

“Until next time, Miss Carson,” he said, sliding on his sunglasses as he left.

Ben was waiting for her in the lobby, and he’d stood up from the chair he was sitting in. He was giving her a look as he followed her into her office.

“I don’t like the way he was looking at you,” he said.

Layla rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Looking’s not a crime, Ben.”

“You noticed it, too, didn’t you? And I’m a cop so if I want to arrest someone for looking at my woman I will.”

“He’s just a playboy. I’ve heard he gets around, so he probably looks at all women that way.”

“Well, you should only meet with him at your office. And make sure someone else is here when you do.”

Layla laughed off his concern. “I have to go to a dinner thing with him at a hotel downtown Friday night.”

“A hotel?” Ben practically yelled. “Fuck that. You’re not going to a hotel with him.”

“Don’t worry, it’s in the ballroom. Highly public.”

Ben’s face was set in an angry expression. “Yeah, that’s how it starts out. Then it’s, ‘oh, we’ve had too much to drink, we should just stay here tonight’. Then he’ll say the only rooms left only have one bed. Next thing you know you’ll be bailing me out of jail for murder.”

“Relax.” Layla laughed and walked around her desk to hug him. “Celibacy is making you edgy. Want to mess around in here? We’ll close the door. I don’t think Daniel would care.”

Ben just glared at her. “No. If that guy lays a hand on you, I’m gonna fuck him up.”

“Deal. I’m starving, let’s get lunch.”

“I’d only wait ‘til three for lunch for you,” Ben said, taking her coat from the hanger on the back of her closet door and holding it up for her to slide into. “I’m so fucking hungry I could eat the ass out of a rat right now.”

“Mmm, appetizing.”

Ben winked at her. “Where do you want to go?”

“Can we go to the coffee shop down the street? I want us to check out a guy down there.”

“Uh . . . check out a guy?”

“Yeah, for Daniel. You know Daniel’s gay, right? He’s got a crush on a guy who works at the coffee shop and we need to go see if the guy likes him back. And if he’s worthy of my awesome secretary.”

Ben tugged gently on the end of her ponytail. “You know I’d also only check out a dude for you, right?”

Layla smiled and kissed him softly. “I’ll make it up to you. Tonight I’ll cook you dinner and you can fuck me on the kitchen counter. I want it so hard I’ll be sore tomorrow, baby.”

“Tease,” Ben said, smacking her ass as she opened the door.”

“You don’t want to come hard before dinner?” she asked, smiling sweetly at him.

He gave her a puzzled look. “No, not the sex. The part about you cooking.”

Layla smacked his bicep. “Fuck you, Montrose.”

“Damn right, baby. Soon.”

***

Shawn Carson always seemed like such a mellow guy when he was just the neighbor across the street during Cole’s teenage years. He’d knocked on this front door so many times to collect the $10 a week Mr. Carson paid him to mow the lawn back then. And when he and Emma had gotten together, he’d started walking through this door with her for visits with her parents.

But today, he was back to knocking. A cold winter breeze blew through just as he held up his hand to knock. A sign? Probably. But things were already so bad that he could hardly make them worse.

It was Eliza Carson, Emma’s mom, who opened the door.

“Cole,” she said, smiling. “It’s good to see you, honey.”

“You too.” Cole shifted nervously. “Is Mr. Carson home?”

“Yes. Come on in.”

She stepped aside and Cole walked in, missing Emma’s familiar presence next to him. It felt odd to be in her parents’ home without her.

Eliza sighed and met Cole’s eyes. “We miss you and Emma. I’m sorry things happened like they did.”

“We miss you guys, too,” Cole said.

“Everything’s good with the baby?”

“Yeah. We had a doctor’s appointment last week and it was good. She’s feeling better now, too.”

“Good.” Eliza’s eyes glazed with tears. “Why don’t you come back to Shawn’s office and talk with him in there?”

Cole nodded. He was dreading this conversation, but he reminded himself this wasn’t about him, but Emma. She didn’t even know he was here.

Eliza stopped in front of Cole after just a few steps. She turned and looked at him. “I’m so glad you’re here.”

Her lower lip quivered. She was on the verge of breaking into tears, and Cole didn’t know what to say. He didn’t have to think about it long, because she turned back around and led him to Shawn’s office, a dark, masculine space filled with golf memorabilia, bookcases, two leather chairs and a large desk.

Emma’s dad looked up when they walked in.

“Cole came to see you, Shawn,” Eliza said, patting Cole’s arm. “I’m sure you’d love to sit down and have a
nice
conversation with him.”

Shawn cleared his throat and stood. “Sure. Come on in, Cole. Have a seat.”

“Would either of you like iced tea?” Eliza asked, lingering in the doorway.

“I’d love some, honey, thanks,” Shawn said. “Cole?”

“Um, sure. Tea sounds great, Mrs. Carson.”

She pulled the door closed and departed. Cole took a deep breath and gripped the arms of the leather chair he was sitting in.

Shawn rolled his office chair up to his desk and folded his hands on it. Cole felt like a kid in the principal’s office. “Before you say anything, Cole, I want to extend my apology. It’s overdue, and I should have been the one to come to you with it.”