The Billionaire's Best Friend (The Sherbrookes of Newport) (17 page)

Christopher focused back on the game and shot the enemy solider on the screen.
“Enjoy the movies.”

With their plans set for the evening, Lauren along with Callie, Sara, and Charlie headed out for a girls-only evening, which started with dinner at an Italian restaurant. Like just about everything in and around Greenwich, the restaurant catered to society
’s elite and it showed. The name of the restaurant wasn’t lit up in bold neon colors. A canopy led from the sidewalk, where a valet took the car, right up to the carved wooden door. Inside, a maître d’ in a three-piece suit greeted them by name and escorted them to a table in a corner of the restaurant. Fine linen tablecloths covered each table in the dimly lit establishment. Fresh flowers in crystal vases graced each table, along with long slender candles in silver candelabras, providing an intimate atmosphere. If all that wasn’t enough to make Lauren aware of how out of place she was, each place setting at the table had enough utensils to fill her silverware draw at home.

However, like the other times Callie had taken her to the places in her new life, Lauren tucked her unease away and followed Callie
’s lead. So when the maître d’ handed her an open menu containing a selection of wines and cocktails, she accepted it with a thank you. Looking down at the menu, she tried to forget about the discreet glances the other restaurant patrons threw in their direction.

Even the restaurants and clubs she frequented overpriced their alcoholic drinks, so when she did order one she favored those that were least expensive. A quick scan of the menu showed she couldn
’t do that tonight. No dollar amounts were listed next to any of the drinks. Just another reminder of the clientele that frequented the restaurant, and the fact that within this group she was the outsider. The only one who couldn’t easily afford her portion of the tab tonight, not that Callie would let her pay. As with previous times they’d gone to restaurants like this, Callie would insist on covering the whole check. Lauren hated having Callie foot the bill for her, and they’d disagreed about it in the past. At the same time, places like this would put a dent in her monthly budget, so they’d reached a compromise more than a year ago. Whenever Callie visited her in Massachusetts, Lauren paid for meals, but when she visited Callie in either New York or Connecticut, Callie covered dinners out. While not the ideal agreement, it worked.

If I married Kevin, Callie wouldn
’t need to cover my portion at places like this.
As soon as she had the thought, she bent her head in disgust. Money should be the last thing influencing her decision.

“
And what can I get for you tonight?” the uniformed waiter asked, once Sara finished placing her cocktail order.

“
I’ll have an Espresso Martini.” Unprepared, Lauren automatically named one of her favorite cocktails and reached for her dinner menu. When the waiter returned for their dinner choices, she wanted to be prepared.

“
I’ll have a sparkling water,” Callie said when the waiter turned toward her.

“
I’ll put this order in while everyone looks over the menu. So, please take your time making your choices. If you have any questions, please ask.” The uniformed waiter smiled then stepped away.

“
You’re not having a drink?” Lauren closed the menu, food no longer on her mind. Callie didn’t drink a lot, but in a social setting like this she would normally join in.

Rather than comment, Callie shrugged and looked down at her menu. The dismissal of the question set the gears in Lauren
’s brain in motion. The last time they’d been around alcohol at the retirement party, Callie had skipped it as well. Not to mention when she stopped by to wish her a happy birthday, she’d opted for herbal tea instead of coffee. Then this morning she’d looked pale as a ghost and tired.

“
Callie, are you feeling okay?” Even as she asked the question, she suspected the answer.

Callie met her stare.
“Of course, why?”

“
You haven’t been yourself.”

Before Callie answered, the waiter reappeared.
“Please excuse me, but the chef wants you to know that if you cannot find anything to your liking on the menu, he will prepare anything you wish.”

We are definitely not at The Davenport.
Lauren clenched her fists under the table, hoping to still her nerves. The Davenport, where they’d held her mom’s retirement party, had given them a hard time when they’d asked if guests could have a choice of sides to accompany either their beef or seafood dinners. Yet here, the chef offered to prepare something special in the event they didn’t find what they desired on the menu.

Across the table, Charlie lowered her own menu and joined the conversation.
“She’s right. You looked awful this morning and last night you fell asleep early.”

Dropping her eyes, Callie chewed on her bottom lip.
I’m right.
Lauren almost sprung to her feet to hug her friend, all thoughts of where they were gone, but she held back until Callie made it official.

“
This cannot leave this table, but I’m pregnant.” A smile bright enough to light up a coal mine spread across Callie’s face. “We’re waiting until Warren and Elizabeth come back from South America to tell them.”

A strange combination of emotions rippled through Lauren
’s chest. The joy and excitement made sense. After all, this was her closest friend. She loved Callie like a sister. The pain and sadness took her by surprise, and for a brief second envy surged through her as well. At one time she’d almost had a baby. Nate’s baby. The same emotions always came when a friend announced a pregnancy, yet tonight they were stronger perhaps because of her recent run-in with Nate.

Get a grip.
Lauren bolted to her feet and hugged Callie as everyone else offered their congratulations.

“
I’m only fourteen weeks, but I had an ultrasound last week, and the heartbeat looked strong.”

Discussion of a new baby slowed only long enough for the waiter to take everyone
’s entree order then it went right back.

“
I hope you don’t mind diapers because I cannot see Dylan changing one. Jake, yes, Dylan, not in a million years,” Charlie said, moving the conversation away from how Callie felt.

“
She’s got a point. I’m not sure he knows what a diaper even looks like. Jake and Christopher could handle diaper duty, but Dylan . . .” Sara shook her head, her voice trailing off. “He’s going to need some help.”

Lauren agreed. If Dylan managed to change a diaper without assistance the world would probably end. Regardless, even if he didn
’t, he’d make a wonderful father. What about Kevin? What kind of a father would he make? The thought rushed in, even though she’d promised herself not to think about him again till tomorrow.

If they married, children would follow. In many ways, Kevin was like Dylan. Yet while she saw Dylan struggling with certain aspects of parenthood like dirty diapers and midnight feedings, she pictured him very involved in his son
’s or daughter’s life. His and Callie’s children would not only have the best money could offer, but they’d have the love and attention of both parents. Could the same be said about Kevin? If he viewed marriage as a business contract, how did he view parenthood?

Nate would be an excellent father.
The thought forced aside her questions about Kevin. He may not be able to provide the same monetary security, but he’d love and protect them like no other.

“
What do you think, Lauren? Can Dylan handle diaper duty?” Callie asked, humor in her voice.

Lauren
’s eyes snapped up to meet Callie’s, and the look she got from her friend said it all. Callie knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. “You’ll drill it into him, chickie.” She forced humor into her voice. “I’ve seen you teach fifth graders to write multi-paragraph essays. If you can handle that, you can teach Dylan anything. He’ll be an expert diaper changer in no time.”

Chapter 10

Other than her time with Callie and her family in Greenwich, Lauren had kept herself isolated from everyone since Kevin
’s proposal. She hadn’t even visited her new niece. It had to stop. She needed to make a decision so she could get on with her life. However, while marriage to Kevin seemed ideal one moment, the very next it struck her as what could be the biggest mistake of her life. Of course when it did that, thoughts of Nate were involved, which triggered a whole other set of emotions. So, until she sorted everything out, she planned to keep her distance from anyone who might guess something was up. Only Callie knew the situation, and Lauren wanted it kept that way. If too many people got involved, she’d be bombarded with opinions, only making her decision more muddled and difficult.

“
What do you think, JoJo?” She stretched out her legs alongside the dog on the couch. “Should we check out the evening news or watch last night’s
Do You Have What It Takes?
” The dog rolled over and buried her head between the pillows.

Lauren switched on the TV.
“The news it is.” Grabbing the nail polish on the end table, she half watched as she applied a new coat to her fingernails and waited for her frozen dinner to heat in the microwave.

“
Although details are still coming in, we do know that one FBI agent is dead and another is in critical condition after a routine interview turned deadly this afternoon.”

The nail polish slipped from her hand and landed on her jeans at the news anchor
’s announcement.

“
Officials have not released any names pending notification of the families, but we do know that both agents work out of the FBI office in Boston. The shooting took place in a home located in Chelsea this afternoon. There is no word on who they were interviewing at the time. We will provide you with more information once it becomes available.” The news anchor looked over at her co-anchor, who launched into the next big story of the night.

Agent dead.
Another in critical condition
. The words repeated over and over. Her heart jumped from her chest to her throat as she sat frozen, the light pink nail polish dripping all over her jeans.
Nate.
She needed to know he was okay. Ignoring the mess, she raced into the kitchen where her cell phone sat on the counter, and punched in Nate’s cell number which she’d saved in her phone after he had called her. The phone rang several times before switching over to his voice mail. She left a short “call me” message then dialed his parents’ number. Like her first phone call, it rang numerous times before Mrs. Callahan’s voice clicked on and told her to leave a message.

Who else could she call? His brother might know something, but she didn
’t have his number. Her heart squeezed at the image of Nate in a hospital bed, or worse.
He’s fine. He didn’t answer because he’s busy.
Once he checked his messages he’d call her.

From the other room, she heard the news anchor launch back into the story, telling viewers they
’d just learned that the suspect himself had been injured during a high-speed chase while attempting to flee.

“
I can’t wait.” Without bothering to turn off anything, Lauren grabbed her car keys.

Exactly how she got from her house to his place, she
’d never know. The drive was a blur of fear and anxiety. Somehow she managed to pull into the empty driveway near his parents’ house ten minutes later. From the outside, his parents’ house looked empty, and she saw no sign of life in the apartment over the three-car garage either.

Please be home. Please be home.
The words repeated over and over as she ran across the driveway and up the stairs. When she banged on the door, a dog inside barked.

When the door opened a few heartbeats later, Lauren paused long enough to realize it was Nate standing there. Then she lunged at him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“Lauren what—”

As the gut wrenching fear she
’d felt mingled with sudden relief and love, she could do nothing but kiss him, cutting off whatever he’d been about to say.

Nate
’s arms circled around her, and she slanted her mouth over his then tugged on his bottom lip until he opened for her. For the moment, nothing mattered but kissing him. Proving to herself that he was safe. Focused on the man and his mouth, she didn’t notice when he moved his hands up to her shoulders until he pulled her back.

“
You can greet me like that anytime, sweetheart. But I think I missed something.”

Lauren opened her eyes. Nate stood before her wearing a white undershirt and jeans. A heavy five o
’clock shadow covered his face, as did a smile. Heat rushed to every inch of her body at the sight of him and the memories of what they’d done as teenagers in this apartment merged.

Explain yourself
. She sent the brief command to her mouth. She couldn’t blame him for being confused. One day she was telling him she needed time and the next she was attacking him at his front door.