Baby, Be Mine (Holiday Brides Series) Page 3

  “And when I’m done, we need to talk about wardrobe for the funeral tomorrow.”

  “I thought we were talking about finding the guy you’re going to marry?” he called after her as she strode toward the bathroom.

  “That too!” she answered, shutting the bathroom door. Then she ran the shower water until it came out icy cold and stepped inside.

  Nikki stood beside Jack under the green canvas tent. The sky beyond them was gray, with big, dark clouds hovering above. The snow had stopped, but that didn’t take the edge off the bitter winds. Nikki gathered her arms around her, gripping her elbows for warmth. She and Jack hadn’t discussed wardrobe last night. In fact, they hadn’t discussed anything at all. When she’d emerged from the bathroom, he’d fallen dead asleep. On her bed no less. She’d had to take the other one. She cast a furtive glance his way, noting he’d dressed in a dark suit and tie, his charcoal-colored overcoat appropriately morose. She, on the other hand, wore white. Not that she could help the color of her down jacket, or the fact that her handmade scarf, hat, and mittens were brightly patterned in oranges and blues. Their base color was neutral, though: a soft beige shade, somewhere between off-white and tan. While her sweater was baby blue, her skirt, tights, and boots were jet black. So at least she was dressed right from the waist down.

  Jack elbowed her, and she realized the minister had just finished his prayer. She added her “Amen” just in time, so as not to sound out of step with the others. Not that there were many others present. There was the attorney from yesterday, somebody from the bank, she had learned, plus some sort of investment portfolio manager. Money people, every last one. Did her Aunt Mallory leave no personal connections behind? As the minister said his final words, she viewed the urn before them that contained Aunt Mallory’s ashes. It was simple but tasteful in marbled black. Nikki had taken care to lay some flowers before it. She and Jack picked them up at a small grocery store on the way over. Now she was glad they had. They were the only things that leant a bit of warmth to this perfunctory service. Though she hadn’t seen her in years, and really hadn’t liked her when she’d known her, Nikki couldn’t help but feel sad for her late great-aunt. What a depressing way to die. Truly all alone.

  The minister finished up, and she thanked him for his time. Jack slipped him some cash, and Nikki was glad he’d thought of it. Compensating the clergy hadn’t been on her mind. There’d been so much to do and arrange during their hurry to get here. She’d only received the call on Christmas Eve, and the interment was to occur just two days later. If she could get there in time, the attorney said he’d prefer to read Aunt Mallory’s will prior to the funeral. He had other commitments afterward that couldn’t be rearranged. Nikki had agreed to fly right up and meet with him the next day. The whole thing had taken her by surprise, and she was eager to get things done with. She never could have guessed the reading of the will would leave her with a whole new problem.

  After they said their good-byes to the others, Jack turned to her.

  “You want to stay until it’s finished?”

  Nikki eyed the two grave workers appointed by the cemetery to lower the urn in the ground. She felt an unexpected lump in her throat, thinking about how lost and lonely her Aunt Mallory must have felt. She had to have been pretty desperate to write that kind of crazy will. Desperate enough to want to ensure that her grand-niece wouldn’t suffer the same fate. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I think we’d better.”

  Jack nodded and stood by her, not bothering to offer further condolences or make unnecessary small talk. He knew her well enough to read her mood and could likely see she wasn’t interested in conversation. Just by being there he said a lot. And, at that precise heartbreaking moment, that was all Nikki needed to hear.

  Later, Jack steered their rental car toward the airport as Nikki stared out the window. She’d been really down since the funeral and had barely spoken during the time they’d packed up and checked out of their motel. “It was good of you to want to stay,” he told her. “Until the end, I mean.”

  “It seemed like the right thing to do.”

  “Yeah.” After a beat, he asked, “You doing okay?”

  “I’ll probably feel better once we’re on the plane.”

  “And you order a scotch and soda?” Jack knew Nikki didn’t drink much and rarely imbibed hard liquor. Except when circumstances were extreme. This seemed like one of those times.

  She laughed lightly, her dark mood brightening. “You really do know me.”

  “I’ve had a few years on the job,” he quipped back.

  “Oh, so I’m work now, am I?”

  His lips twitched in a smile. “You can be.”

  “Fine, you can think that.” She adjusted her shoulder harness and repositioned herself in her seat. “Just don’t tell that to Dean.”

  “Dean?” He was Nikki’s last boyfriend. They’d broken up eight months ago. “What’s he got to do with anything?”

  “That’s where we’re starting. My most recent mistake makes the most sense.”

  He stared at her, then set his gaze back on the road. “I wish you could hear yourself talking.”

  “I am hearing myself, and I think I’m making perfect sense. Dean’s the logical choice. He’s my most recent…involvement. He’s smart, hot, and just a little bit sexy.”

  Jack blinked.

  “Okay. Sexy enough. I could have his baby, I think.”

  He couldn’t believe she was actually going to do this. Cave to her aunt’s ridiculous request. “So, you’re going to what? Just walk right up and ask him?”

  “No. I’m going to suggest we meet in the park.”

  He knew that Nikki and Dean had met in Boston Common. She’d been pet sitting for a neighbor, and he’d been out walking his dog. Their leashes had gotten tangled just like in some silly romantic comedy. “You’re going to get nostalgia working for you?”

  “That and a little bit of cash. I’ll explain the whole thing to him.”

  “But Dean doesn’t need the money. He does well enough in business.”

  “Everybody can use an extra million.”

  Yeah, even me. Although, if Jack were to marry Nikki, it certainly wouldn’t be for the money. He glanced her way, spying her jaw set in that determined fashion that said she believed she’d come up with a great idea and was prepared to act on it.

  “It won’t be so bad,” she told him. “I actually liked Dean.”

  “Yeah, but like and love are two separate things.”

  “Yes, like I love my mother and my baby brother, and have developed a deep…affection for a barn full of cows, including Big Mama.”

  “You’re determined to do this, aren’t you? What if Dean doesn’t work out?”

  “Gosh, Jack.” She sounded mildly offended. “It’s not like I don’t have options.”

  He knew that much was true. If “options” was a code word for exes, Nikki had plenty.

  “If Dean’s not interested, I’ll talk to Jeremy. And then Gordon.”

  “Kurt?

  “Even Peter.”

  “Geez, Nikki. Are you sure about this?”

  “In the past twenty-four hours, I’ve thought a lot about it. Yes. Tons of places in the world have arranged marriages. People marry for lots of reasons, including benefiting their families. In a way, it’s nothing new. I’ll just be upholding a centuries-old tradition that still plays out in many parts of the planet today.”

  “But this is America. The US of A.”

  “That means I get to make my own choices, doesn’t it? Do whatever I decide is right for me?”

  If only he could believe it was right. But everything about this whole twisted scheme screamed wrong, wrong, wrong! “I thought the deal was you were only getting married for a year. Just long enough conceive.”

  “Maybe we’ll grow to love each other,” she said a bit wistfully.

  He stared at her in disbelief.

  “Really! It happens all the time.”

&nbs
p; “Most often, I’ve seen it happen the other way. People start out head-over—”

  “Will you stop being such a pessimist, for just one second? I mean, once we have a child between us, it only makes sense to give it a go.”

  Jack massaged his forehead with one hand while keeping the other firmly on the wheel. Maybe he was the one who needed a scotch and soda. Heavy on the scotch. Better make mine a double.

  Chapter Three

  A few days later, Jack huddled under an umbrella and sipped from his coffee. Tiny icicles rained down from the sky in spiky jabs, prickling his neck and bare knuckles. He’d been in such a rush to get here, he’d forgotten to bring his leather gloves. She’d only given him an hour’s notice about the meeting. That was just like Nikki. She was impetuous and emotional, and so last minute. Undeniably, he found those things charming. But Jack also knew Nikki well enough to guess she wanted to barrel through this first attempt before she lost her nerve. Jack clutched his paper cup as she approached. She wore a luminous raincoat that matched the bright red polka dots on her umbrella. Waves of luscious brown hair spilled out from beneath her knit cap as her blue eyes sparkled. She strode past him and whispered, “Wish me luck…”

  “Luck!” he called after her, but he didn’t mean it. The last thing he wanted was for Nikki to go marrying another guy. At the far end of the park, he spied Dean standing by a hedge abutting the lake, his tall, lean form framed by Boston’s highest buildings. They stood like gloomy towers in the fog, but nothing could feel more dismal than the ache in Jack’s heart. He’d scarcely slept last night, tossing and turning over this whole ordeal. In the end, he’d decided the best thing he could do was play along. Nikki was headstrong enough to forge her own path, and any resistance she encountered would only lend that much more zeal to her quest. If Jack took it easy—even acted supportive—Nikki was sure to see the error of her ways.

  Dean spotted Nikki, and his expression brightened. They embraced briefly, umbrellas tilting backward as an icy stream of rain shimmied down between them. Both laughed and wiped their clothing, appearing to chat easily over small talk. He was probably asking her how she’d been, and she was likely suggesting he help her make a baby. Jack felt his neck flash hot and his temples pound at that last thought. It was hard to forget what had transpired in their motel room when he and Nikki had been kidding around. From one moment to the next, they’d morphed from long-time friends into potential lovers. It had lasted only a second, but Jack had felt that fire down to his very core. He wondered if Nikki had sensed it too.

  Suddenly, Dean seemed taken aback. He thrust his hands to the side, setting his umbrella askew and letting his head get drenched in the process. He didn’t seem to notice the rain as he stared agape at Nikki. Then he began speaking rapidly, righting his umbrella in one hand, then pulling something from his coat pocket with the other. It was a wallet. He flipped it open. What on earth? Did she require identification? Or a sperm count?

  Nikki took the billfold and studied something inside it, her face falling. I see, she appeared to be telling him. Who knew? Then she flipped the thing shut with a shrug.

  Dean tucked the wallet in his pocket and shook his head. The next thing Jack knew, Dean was shaking his finger at Nikki. Scolding her, he supposed, for the very idea as she backed away. Nikki cast a tight grin in Jack’s direction, knowing he was waiting. Dean wheeled toward him. Wait a minute, he seemed to think. Jack’s been watching? Dean’s voice was harsh, cracking in the morning air as she retreated quickly toward Jack and he barked after her, “That’s rich, Nikki! Just rich!” He shook the heavy moisture from his umbrella, then straightened it and strode away. Nikki scurried toward Jack.

  “Didn’t go so well, I take it?”

  She was out of breath, little puffs of air appearing between hot-pink lips. “It was awful. He was awful. And to think I might have married him!”

  “Hmm, yes.”

  “After all this time, I thought he still might care.”

  “You were together three years.”

  “That’s what I told him. Exactly.”

  “What was in the wallet?”

  “A picture of Mary Ann, and—get this—her three kids!”

  “Who’s Mary Ann?”

  “His wife!”

  “Guess you’re a little late.”

  “Here’s the horrible thing. Dean used to say he’d never have kids.”

  “Then, why did you—?”

  “He said not at least until he turned thirty. Which would have been perfect, since he’s twenty-nine and a half.”

  She gazed at him, desperation in her eyes. “And now he’s gone and gotten the package deal!”

  “Well, you have been apart a while.”

  “Eight months? That’s more than a kid a quarter!”

  “But they’re not his—biologically, I mean. Right?”

  “Mary Ann’s his old college girlfriend. They broke up after school, and she married someone else.”

  “It apparently didn’t last.”

  “She told Dean she’d never forgotten him. That he was the only guy she’d ever loved. I guess he decided the feeling was mutual.”

  “Ouch. He said that?”

  “Said what?”

  “That Mary Ann was the only woman he’d ever loved?”

  “Thanks for rubbing it in, Jack. I didn’t even think about it that way.”

  The wind picked up, rustling her raincoat and billowing their umbrellas.

  “I’m sorry, Nikki. Really, I am.” In a strange sort of way, he saw it was true. He hated seeing that disappointed little pout. Besides, he was mad at Dean for being crass. He could have said a polite no, thanks without shoving it in Nikki’s face that he’d never loved her. At least not as much as Mary Ann. He must not have wasted any time in saying I do once the two of them hooked up again.

  She met his gaze. “You wouldn’t believe what he said about you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yeah, and that was before he knew you were in the park.”

  Jack leaned toward her. “What did he say?”

  She blinked hard. “Just that it would be impossible for me to form a real relationship with any man as long as Jack was along.”

  “Hey!” He didn’t know why, but he didn’t like the sound of that. Then, secretly, he wondered if it was true. If the roles were reversed, he wasn’t sure he’d be so understanding.

  “Ludicrous, right? What an inane thing to say.”

  “Totally stupid.”

  “Then, when he saw you were here, he really flipped out.”

  “I caught that part.”

  She heaved a sigh and shivered.

  “We need to get you out of the rain.”

  “Yeah, and you’ve got to go to work.” The truth was, he did. He was already an hour late, but he knew the boss would cut him slack. His boss was not just his dad, he was also one of Nikki’s biggest fans. Plus, he was a huge proponent of helping out distressing damsels. Yeah, he said it that way because he knew Nikki was the one who gave Jack the biggest headaches. He also thought she was funny and sweet and “just as cute as a button.” He’d known her since she was a kid, when she and Jack had first started hanging out.

  “When do you go in today?”

  “Four o’clock.”

  “Night shift?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Stop by later for some fish and chips? I’ll even toss in a draft beer.” Jack helped his dad run a restaurant by the water. His dad managed the place while Jack kept the books. One day, his dad hoped to turn the operation over to Jack completely, and Jack wouldn’t be opposed. He loved chatting with the customers at The Wharf and had a great time shooting the breeze with the fishermen who brought in their daily catches.

  “Girl can’t refuse an offer like that.” She flashed him a smile, and his whole world seemed warmer. “Besides, we’ve got to plan our next move.”

  “Move?”

  “Jeremy,” she answered, like that was so logical he should h
ave thought of it.

  “Oh right,” he said, his heart sinking a bit. “Jeremy.”

  “Ow! Watch it, will ya?”

  Nikki pulled back the straight pin, realizing she’d just poked the poor man’s shoulder. She was taking the jacket in to adjust for the slope in his shoulders, as well as for the fact that one of his arms was longer than the other.

  “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll try to be more careful.”

  He studied her in the mirror with cool, gray eyes. “Yes, do that, won’t you?”

  Nikki’s face heated under his stern gaze. She couldn’t afford to mess this up. She’d already had two customers complain to her boss today.

  She nodded and continued marking the seam, taking extra care with her work. She finally finished, then adjusted the jacket. “Better?”

  He turned to study his own reflection, pivoting from side to side. “I think it’s an improvement. Don’t you?”

  “You look exceptional,” she said in her best, polished tone.

  He eyed her skeptically.

  “No, seriously. The cut is perfect on you now.”

  He shook out his arms, then turned to get a rear view, glancing over his shoulder. “You’re right!” He surprised her with a smile. “It works.”

  Nikki smiled in return, sighing inwardly with relief.

  “How soon can you have this ready?”

  “Tuesday?”

  He twisted his lips, then pulled a billfold from his pocket and extracted some cash. He pressed a large bill into her hand. “Can I convince you to have it ready by tomorrow?”

  Nikki looked down in shock to see it was a hundred. “Sir, I can’t—” She tried to hand it back to him, but he nodded her off.

  “Nonsense. I know it’s extra work: a rush job.”

  She attempted to return the money again. “I really can’t accept tips.”

  “It’s not a tip. It’s an incentive.”

  She met his eyes. “Incentives either.”

  “That’s too bad.” He plucked the bill from her fingers. “Then I’ll have to take my business elsewhere.” He removed the jacket and handed it to her as she stood there dumbstruck.