Three days later—less than seventy-two hours after agreeing to give “us” a try—Laurel sat at her desk at MGI, trying not to yawn. The day had gone well, but she was tired, as usual.
“Hey.” Brett placed his hands on the front of her desk, leaned forward, and brushed his lips over hers. “I’m going to miss having dinner with you tonight.”
She ignored the way her lips tingled from his kiss. “I’ll miss you, too.”
“I shouldn’t be too late, but if you’re sleepy, go to bed.” As he walked away, he glanced over his shoulder and smiled.
Her heart pounded.
Oh, no. Laurel covered her face in her hands. She’d agreed to give them a try, but she didn’t need to because…
She was in love with Brett.
Love.
Laurel wasn’t sure when she’d fallen for him, but she had. Hard.
She’d had an inkling the night of the party, but she hadn’t wanted to admit the truth.
Until now.
The chills, the tingles, and the flutters turning her stomach into a butterfly refuge couldn’t be ignored.
She loved him.
The realization concerned her. This could be bad. Really bad.
Loving Brett gave him control over her—over everything, including their baby. That was the last thing she wanted after what had happened with her parents.
What was she going to do?
When she was at Brett’s house later that day, she still hadn’t stopped worrying. Not even the sight of Henry Davenport dressed as if he’d stepped from the pages of a men’s magazine as he stood on a stepladder, hanging curtains in the nursery, made Laurel smile.
“How do they look?” Henry asked.
She studied the drapes. “Too much of the top ruffle is on the left.”
He went back to work. Not an easy task, considering the window was over six feet wide, but he didn’t complain.
Needing something to do, she adjusted the forest-green K in between the white chair rails.
Falling in love with Brett Matthews went against everything she was working toward and wanted to be. The worst part? He didn’t love her. He wouldn’t love her even though he wanted her to marry him. Logically, falling for him was stupid. Except…
How could she not have fallen in love with him?
He’d trusted her to decorate his house, relied on her to plan MGI’s investor party, taught her to handle her own finances, and supported her through the good and bad times of her pregnancy. Loving him came as natural as breathing.
Yet Laurel questioned her feelings.
Were they real or not? She needed to know even if the answer scared her. One thing was becoming clearer. Ever since arriving in Portland, she’d allowed Brett to take care of her.
She wasn’t succeeding on her own. Not by a long shot.
That was painful to acknowledge.
“Are they straight?” Henry asked.
Laurel glanced up at the window. “Too much of the ruffle is on the right now.”
As he returned to the curtains, she checked the twenty-six letters to make sure all were securely fastened to the wall.
She was working, budgeting her earnings, and saving money, but under Brett’s guidance. She relied on him for everything—from her job to the roof over her head.
If she allowed this to continue, she’d be giving up her dream of making it on her own.
Laurel’s father had sheltered and controlled her and her mother. Just as her grandfather did with her grandmother. That was the Worthington way. She had no idea about her mom’s side of the family. They’d never been a part of Laurel’s life due to a fallout that happened before she was born.
Allowing that to happen with Brett would be worse because he wouldn’t only have control over the money, but also her heart.
Not happening.
It was time to break the cycle and take charge of her own life.
Not only for herself, but also for her child, too.
Laurel had to be sure of herself. She had to know for certain her love for Brett was more than a desire for security. That her love was real and strong enough to build a foundation upon for their marriage and their family.
Once she knew that, maybe Brett’s caring would turn into loving. He would finally be able to see what they could have together.
Henry sighed, one that sounded more tired than frustrated. “What about now?”
She checked both ends and the middle. “They’re perfect.”
He climbed down to examine them. “I like the teddy bears.”
“So do I.” The simple rod-and-pocket drapes made from fabric covered with stars, moons, and teddy bears were adorable and coordinated with the bedding. “Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime.” He folded up the stepladder. “Are you going to tell me the real reason you wanted me to come over tonight? Or did you only want me to hang the curtains?”
“I wanted to speak with you, too.” So much was at stake. She was determined to make this work. With Brett at a business dinner, this was her best chance. She’d met Henry when she was sixteen at a debutante ball. He was seven years older and had treated her like a little sister. Since then, he’d visited her in Chicago. Once she turned twenty-one, he’d invited her to his infamous birthday parties. She trusted him, which she couldn’t say about many of the people she’d once considered her friends. “Were you serious about hiring me to decorate your house?”
“Yes,” Henry said, much to her relief. “Are you considering it?”
“I am.” Confidence overflowed so much she almost didn’t recognize her voice. She picked up the tiebacks and then fastened the first one to the wall. “I spoke with Renee Bernard, the designer who helped me, and she wants to hire me as her assistant. I would have medical benefits, and she doesn’t have a problem with maternity leave. She offered to help pay the tuition for design classes, too.”
“And if you presented me as a new client—”
“I haven’t mentioned you to Renee.” Laurel didn’t want to give Henry the wrong idea. “I wanted to make sure she wanted me, not your business.”
Henry grinned. “You’ve come a long way.”
“I’m trying, but I have further to go.” Laurel had no choice but to succeed with a baby on the way. She attached the other tieback to the wall. “I only wish I’d realized it sooner.”
“What does Brett think?” Henry asked.
She blew out a breath. “He, uh, doesn’t know yet.”
Henry’s smile faded. “He’s not going to like you leaving MGI.”
“He might,” Laurel countered, but her heart knew the truth. “Okay, he won’t, but I don’t see any other way. If I don’t stand on my own two feet, we won’t stand a chance at…”
“Love?”
Nodding, she touched her belly. Junior had brought them together, but she and Brett had to figure out a way to remain that way long term. That meant she had to do her part first. “I believe we can be a family, but I need to be sure of a few things before that can happen.”
“When you accept your position with Renee, get me a copy of her contract and find out the amount of retainer she requires.”
“Oh, Henry.” Laurel blinked back tears of joy. She hugged him. “Thank you.”
“That’s what friends are for.”
“You’re a great friend.” She felt renewed, confident. Nothing could stand in her way. Laurel took a step back. “Now I have to find an apartment—”
“I have a two-bedroom guesthouse. It’s small, but charming in its own The Pioneer Woman-meets-Martha Stewart kind of way. It would be perfect for you and the little one.”
“I couldn’t.”
“You could, and you should. You’d be down the street from Brett. Think how convenient the location will be after the baby arrives.”
It would be convenient. But she wouldn’t gain her independence by leaving Brett’s house, only to rely on Henry. “I’d want to pay rent.”
He laughed. “I’d expect you to pay rent.”
Part of her wanted to jump at the offer, except Henry wasn’t known for his frugal living. She could only imagine how much living in his guesthouse would cost. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m sure the rent would wipe out my savings.”
Henry’s forehead wrinkled. “I thought the ring would cover your debts and leave you with a little nest egg.”
She tried to make sense of what he was saying. Tried and failed. “What are you talking about?”
“Your wedding ring from Reno.”
“You mean the Titanic-sinking-iceberg of a cubic zirconia?”
“Oh, no.” Leaning against the wall, he rubbed his forehead. “Do you still have the ring?”
Henry’s pained expression worried her. “In my room.”
“Get it.”
She hurried to her room, grabbed the ring, and returned to the nursery. “Here.”
He took the ring. “You, of all people, should be able to tell this isn’t a cubic zirconia.”
She studied the ring—the pure color, the faceted cut, the heavy weight, no flaws. Of course, she didn’t have a jeweler’s loupe. “If it’s not zirconia, what is it?”
“A diamond.”
Her mouth dropped open. “But that means it’s worth…”
He nodded.
Her chest tightened with an odd combination of relief and regret.
If she’d known about the ring in April, her life would be so different. Laurel would be, too. She wouldn’t have had to sell everything she owned. She wouldn’t have had to leave Chicago for Portland. She wouldn’t have fallen in love with Brett.
Henry slipped the ring onto her finger. “The ring was your reward for participating in the tacky wedding adventure.”
Laurel stared at the sparkling stone with disbelief. “The diamond is real?”
“Yes.”
Colorful prisms of light reflected off the stone, dancing on the walls. “And it’s mine?”
“Yours.”
Her vision blurred. She felt as if she were dreaming. At any moment, the alarm would blare and she’d wake up. No ring on her finger—only a cheesy bauble tucked away with her pearl earrings. “Does everyone who participates get a reward like this?”
“Some get more than others,” he said with a hint of mischief.
Henry had money to burn, but why would he spend so much on…? Her gaze jerked from the ring to his eyes. “You knew I was broke.”
“I knew.”
Only one other person besides her parents… “Charles told you.”
Henry nodded.
Her rat of an ex-fiancé. She clenched her teeth. “He promised not to tell anyone what was happening with my father.”
“Kingsley lied. He called to tell me about breaking up with you, and to inform me I should uninvite you to the April Fools’ bash due to your financial and family situation.” Henry frowned. “I only wish you would have told me yourself. I thought we were good enough friends.”
“Oh, Henry, we were—are—but I thought if I was poor, you wouldn’t…”
Ashamed, she stared at the floor.
“I may be a snob, but I’m a loyal snob.” With his fingertips, he raised her chin. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
“Yes, you are.” His caring expression reassured her. “I was wrong to judge you the way I did.”
“I forgive you.” A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes. Leave it to Henry to get a kick out of this. “And now that you have the ring, you can afford whatever rent I charge for the guesthouse.”
The ring was really hers. She wouldn’t have to rely on Brett… “Oh, oh my.”
“Are you okay?” Henry held onto her arm. “Is it the baby?”
She covered her mouth with her hands. “I can do this on my own, can’t I?”
“Yes, you can.”
And then reality hit. Laurel forced herself to breathe.
“I need to do this myself.” She removed the ring, took a deep breath, and handed it to Henry. “If I accept the ring—”
“You earned it.” He slipped the ring back on her finger. “The roll of the dice selected the couple. Whoever ended up the bride was destined to get the ring.”
“Whoever?
His sheepish grin told her the answer.
She shook her head. “You rigged your own adventure.”
He started to protest before raising his hands in the air. “The dice were loaded, but don’t let foolish pride stand in the way of getting what you want and giving your baby a family. Each participant gets a reward. The ring was yours.”
If she got one, then so did… “What was Brett’s reward?”
Henry’s grin spread to his twinkling eyes. “You.”
♥ ♥ ♥
The dinner with community leaders dragged on too long, but Brett considered the time well spent. On his way home, he stopped and picked up flowers at the grocery store. He needed to speed up their “trying,” because Brett wanted to marry Laurel before Junior was born to give both his last name.
As he entered the house, voices sounded. He hurried to the family room. Laurel sat on the couch next to Henry.
The cozy sight sounded warning bells in Brett’s head. As his stomach clenched, his fist tightened around the bouquet he held.
Don’t read too much into it.
Still, his collar threatened to strangle him. “Hi.”
Laurel’s warm smile did nothing to take away the chill inside him. “How was your dinner?”
Every muscle tensed. “Long.”
Henry rose. “That’s my cue to leave. I’ll speak with you tomorrow,” he said to Laurel. To Brett, he said, “Good night” and left.
Brett waited until the door closed. “What was Henry doing here?”
“Helping me hang the drapes in the nursery. My balance has been a little off. I didn’t want to climb on the ladder.”
“I would have done it.”
“I figured you’d be tired when you got home.”
He was, but he didn’t want Henry taking over in his house. Brett was the one who should be hanging the curtains in the nursery. “How do they look?”
“Perfect. All that’s missing is a crying baby.”
“You mean a sleeping peacefully baby.”
“Isn’t that what I said?” She motioned to the flowers in his hand. “Are those for me?”
Brett handed them to her. “Yes.”
“Thank you.” She stood. “They’re lovely.”
As she walked to the kitchen, he followed. “They reminded me of your perfume.”
Laurel sniffed the colorful bouquet before pulling out a vase. “They do. How sweet of you.”
He didn’t notice any other flowers. At least Henry hadn’t come bearing gifts.
She filled the crystal vase with water and then arranged the flowers inside. “I’ve been thinking about my job at MGI. We both know I’m not the greatest at office work.”
He leaned against the counter. “You’ve been holding your own.”
“Barely.” She bit her lip. “I doubt I’ll ever get beyond where I am. I’ve decided I’m going to resign.”
“That’s wonderful.” Brett’s tension disappeared; his muscles relaxed. Thank goodness he’d purchased an engagement ring. If only he had the diamond solitaire with him instead of in his safe upstairs. “You’re making the right decision.”
She wet her lips. “You think so?”
“Yes.” His support seemed to surprise her. How could she think he’d let his wife work? “There’s no reason for you to continue working.”
“I’m going to keep working.”
He didn’t understand. “Where?”
“With Renee. She wants me to be her assistant.”
He tried to comprehend what Laurel was saying. Why would she work once they married?
“I can take design classes and learn—”
“What about the baby?” he asked, interrupting her.
“Oh, I’m not talking about starting classes next week,” she explained. “I won’t go to school until the baby is old enough to be left alone for a few hours.”
Brett wanted to be supportive, but he thought she would prefer staying home full time with Junior. He wanted her to do that. “You enjoy decorating that much?”
“I love interior design, and I want to make it my career.”
Her eyes shone with a confidence and passion he hadn’t seen before. Brett might not want this, but Laurel did. Marriage took compromise. At least that was what he’d read somewhere. “You’ll be great.”
“Thanks.” Gratitude filled her voice. “I also want to move out. See how things go with some distance between us.”
His gaze darkened. “We don’t need any distance.”
“I’m talking space, not miles.” She rearranged a lily so the flower was at the center of the vase. “I won’t be that far away. Just down the street at Henry’s.”
At Henry’s. Brett’s defenses went up. “No.”
Laurel did a double take. “What did you say?”
His throat thickened. “I won’t let you.”
Eyes wide, she stared. “Excuse me?”
“You’re not living with Henry.”
“I’m not living with him. I’m renting his guesthouse,” she said as if she were spending the night in a hotel. “It’s the perfect place for me to live since I’ll be working on his house.”
“You’re not working on Henry’s house.” Brett would enroll her in the best interior design program around. Laurel was his. No way he would let Davenport win this time around. “I can offer you more than whatever Henry did.”
Her forehead creased. “This isn’t about you or Henry.”
“No.” The word shot out as fast as a bullet. Brett’s heart dropped to his feet. He finally understood. “It’s about you and Henry.”
Brett had lost.
He’d never stood a chance with Laurel.
She may have pretended his past didn’t matter, but Laurel Worthington was no different than any of the other women he’d known. Money—make that old money—was all that mattered to her.
“You finally realized what marrying a Davenport would do for you.” The words left a bitter taste in Brett’s mouth.
“Marrying Henry Davenport would be like living in Disneyland.” She laughed. “It might be fun, but after a while, you’d want a break from Fantasyland.”
“With Henry’s money, you of all people wouldn’t need a break.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, this isn’t funny anymore.”
“I’m not joking.” Brett crossed his arms over his chest. “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, after all. Your mother will be thrilled with your latest catch.”
“Unbelievable.” Glaring, Laurel slapped her palms against the granite countertop. “After everything we’ve been through, that’s what you think of me?”
“You’re the one with her sights set on Henry.”
“You’re way off base.” She planted her hands on her hips. “I’m doing this for us. No other reason.”
“Yeah, right.” Brett didn’t believe her. He’d known that once but had forgotten. He gave her credit for her acting abilities. “I’m sure all of Henry’s money—”
“Money isn’t the most important thing—”
“Money is everything.” She’d come to Brett for a job to earn money. She was the one leaving him for…
She was leaving him.
His legs gave out. He fell back against the counter. His insides—his heart especially—felt as if a man-eating tiger were devouring them. A tiger with the initials LW.
“As you’ve implied, over and over again.” Her eyes darkened. “You know, you can’t take your fortune with you.”
“Your father did.”
The color drained from her face. Her lower lip quivered. Staring at the flowers, she took a deep breath.
Brett hadn’t meant to hurt her. Well, yes, he had, because she’d hurt him. He’d allowed himself to fall into her trap again. To trust her when she said she believed in him, in the two of them, in a family.
The silence increased the tension between them, pushed them further and further apart.
“You’re jealous,” she said finally.
He expected her to sound angry, but she wasn’t. Her tone was sympathetic. Calm.
Brett didn’t want her sympathy. He didn’t need it. “I’m not jealous.”
She shook her head. “You’re still that scared little boy with patches on his jeans, peeking in the window to see how the better half lived, never realizing he was the better half. Not the people inside the big house.”
Her disappointment in him was unmistakable, but he didn’t care what she thought. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Laurel frowned. “I feel sorry for you, Brett Matthews. You could have anything you want in the world, yet you focus on what you can’t have. Money isn’t everything. Who you are is so much more important than your net worth. I started to believe—no, I did believe—we had a chance to be a family, but I was wrong.”
No, he’d been wrong. Utterly and completely wrong. And he was losing the most important thing in the world because of it—his child.
Brett’s stomach burned. He felt physically ill.
“You don’t love yourself,” she added. “How could you ever love Junior or me?”
“I never said I loved you.”
“No, you didn’t. How noble of you.” Tilting her chin, she stared into his eyes. “Well, I loved you, or at least I thought I did.”
She loves me.
A part of him wanted to grab onto her and never let go, but that was his foolish half. Brett couldn’t believe anything she said, especially a declaration of love. He glared at the flowers to keep from watching the lies roll off her tongue.
“But love isn’t always enough.” Her voice broke. “I’d rather live in poverty than let wealth define who I am. I won’t allow you to taint my baby with your misguided beliefs about money the way my father did with me.”
“Here.” She removed a ring from her finger and then handed it to him. “Did you know this is a real diamond?”
The rock-sized jewel from their Reno wedding rested on his palm. “Why are you giving it to me?”
“Because you need the money much more than I do.”
♥ ♥ ♥
The door slammed, the sound echoing through the house.
Brett stood in the entrance to the living room. The only thing that seemed to be working was his heart that somehow kept beating. His lungs were functioning, too, since air went in and out, but everything else…
One phone call from Laurel, and Henry had come running. The man hadn’t spoken to Brett, simply carried Laurel’s suitcase out of the door. After all these years, Henry was still coming out on top. Some friend he’d turned out to be.
Not a friend.
That was the problem.
Brett had never been good enough for anything other than investing Henry’s fortune. Their relationship was a working one, never a friendship.
Emotions churned within Brett—relief at learning the truth about Laurel and dread at what the future held. No matter how he and Laurel had parted tonight, their lives would be entangled because of Junior. She would not keep his child from him. Brett would do everything in his power, no matter the effort or the cost, to be a part of Junior’s life.
As Brett trudged to the front door, his footsteps thudded against the hardwood. He clicked the deadbolt into place, sealing the finality of Laurel’s departure. Tomorrow, he would change the locks and reset the security code. He would call his housekeeper to make sure she didn’t let Laurel or Henry into the house again.
As he headed toward the kitchen, he stopped to flick off the light switch in the living room. Despite all the furnishings, he sensed an emptiness. Yet…
Touches of Laurel were everywhere, from the paintings on the wall to the pillows on the sofa. He loved how she’d decorated the room, the entire house, but the reminders of her would be too much. Maybe Renee would refer him to another decorator who could redo the house from top to bottom. Brett wouldn’t go back to living the way he had. He didn’t want a place where he stored his stuff. He wanted a home. That was what Laurel had created with her decorating and her presence.
She was gone, but that didn’t mean he had to stop doing the things he now enjoyed, like spending more time here than at the office, cooking dinner instead of eating in restaurants, and reading baby name and childcare books.
He would be doing those things alone, but that was better than doing them with…her.
Climbing the stairs, he straightened a photograph of himself and his mother that Laurel had hung. At the top of the stairs, he picked up one of her slippers that she must have dropped on her way out.
The door to her room—make that the guest room—was open. He stepped inside to leave the slipper there in case she wanted it back.
Except for the stripped bed, the room looked unused. The closet doors were opened. Only empty hangers remained. He tossed the slipper onto the floor below them.
She was gone.
Gone for good.
The truth hurt more than it should.
Something on the nightstand caught his eye. He took a closer look—a snow globe.
His breath caught.
It was the one he’d given to Laurel on their wedding night after seeing her admire the tacky souvenir at the chapel—a wedding gift, so to speak. He couldn’t believe she’d kept the snow globe and the ring he’d placed in his shirt pocket earlier. She’d left him two reminders of their folly in Reno, while she’d taken the most important one with her.
Junior.
Brett wound the snow globe. As the music played, he closed his eyes, picturing Laurel walking down the aisle to him. One day, she’d be doing the same with Henry….
No, she wouldn’t.
His eyelids flew open.
If she’d wanted to marry Henry, why had she come to Brett in the first place? And if she were only after money, why had she given him the ring?
Because Henry had enough money.
No.
What had he done? Said?
His heart seized. A black hole spread throughout him. He’d been…
Wrong.
Caught up in the past and his out-of-control emotions.
Laurel Worthington wasn’t after Henry. She was following her heart, reaching for her dream. She wanted to be a good mother, a role model for Junior. Most importantly, she wanted to do it on her own, not become a carbon copy of her mother. Laurel had shared those things with him, but he hadn’t listened. With his ears, yes, but not with his heart.
He hadn’t heard her. Not really.
No wonder she hadn’t wanted to marry him when she first arrived in town or now.
He’d never given Laurel the right reasons to marry him. He’d offered her the world, but not himself.
Not…his heart.
Brett had been doing everything for the wrong reasons. Not only with Laurel and Junior, but throughout his entire life, too. If he’d felt sick before, that was nothing compared to the twists and knots forming inside him.
Laurel had told him she loved him.
Instead of believing her, he’d assumed she was lying and been cruel.
His foolishness pressed down on him.
Holding onto the snow globe, Brett struggled for a breath. He’d been a fool. A jealous fool.
By clinging to the heartaches and so-called injustices of his past, he was missing out on the present and also the future. All he wanted was to be accepted and loved for who he was. Laurel had done both. But he hadn’t cared, hadn’t realized…
Brett wound the knob on the bottom of the snow globe again. As the two doves spun around and the “Wedding March” played, he sank to the floor.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
His words mocked him.
He’d accused Laurel of being like her mother, when he wasn’t so different from his father who’d done the wrong thing, too.
How had that happened?
Brett had strived to be the polar opposite of the man who’d fathered him, yet he’d failed. Failed Laurel and Junior. Being a father wasn’t only about providing income, buying things, or being a figurehead. A father also needed to support, to nurture, to love. As did a mother.
Junior needed a mother and a father. Laurel and Brett had been half-wrong, but together, they were right. Together…
How could he have been so stupid?
Because he was misguided. He thought money would make him happy, but all the wealth in the world couldn’t buy the most important thing—love.
Somehow, he needed to show Laurel what he’d learned. The question was…how?