Bedding the Bachelors Box Set (Books 1-3) (54 page)

“Gail?” Lucy asked.

When her mother’s expression crumpled and she dissolved into tears again, Lucy knew.

Her big sister, her first best friend, her first confidante was dead.

“Milly…” her mother murmured.

“Milly is home with the nanny,” her father said.

“Milly?” Lucy asked.

Her mother looked up. “Gail and Mason’s baby. She’s six months old.”

Oh God. Gail had had a daughter and no one had told her? She shouldn’t be surprised. And she wasn’t blameless. While it was true neither her parents nor Gail had tried to contact her to make amends, Lucy had tried only once—when she’d left her cell phone number on Gail’s answering machine. For fifteen years, she’d let hurt feelings and pride dictate her actions and now…

She sobbed, a broken sound that sounded more broken because of the way she tried to hold it back. Somehow, Lucy’s mother was returned to the embrace of her husband. Then Jamie had his arm around her.

She looked up at him. “I need to see her,” she said. “I need to—I need to say goodbye.”

His expression solemn, he nodded. “Okay, Luce. We’ll see her together.”

She closed her eyes in relief. As independent as she was, his presence strengthened her.

“Thank you, Jamie,” she said.

It wasn’t the last time she’d say those words to him that night. She said it after they saw Gail’s lifeless form and Lucy said her final goodbye. She said it after Jamie spoke with her mother and father, then guided her through the process of getting her back home. When the car got to Lucy’s apartment building, she turned to him to say thank you yet again, as well as goodbye, but he simply guided her out of the car, picked her up in his arms, and carried her inside. Surprised and feeling too weak to resist, she leaned her head against his chest.

By the time Jamie tucked her into bed, she was practically asleep.

“I’m going to sleep on the couch,” he said.

But before he could walk away, she somehow managed to ask, “Can you stay here? Just for a while longer?”

He looked back at her. Hesitated. Then nodded. “Of course.”

He kicked off his shoes and climbed into the bed with her. As she shifted to turn on her side, he pulled her close so that he was spooning her back. She felt him kiss her temple.

“I’ve missed you, Jamie. I’m so glad we’re still friends.”

“Me, too, sweet thing,” he said. “Me, too.

She let out a shuddering sigh. He really was a very nice man. He would make someone a wonderful partner. An excellent husband. But not her, she reminded herself.

Not her.

Seeing her parents—especially her father—had reminded her she could never fit into Jamie’s affluent world. Could never toe the line the way that would be expected. Could never meld into the mold that others would want to put her in.

But despite that knowledge, for the first time in over fifteen years, she wished she could.

Two weeks later

“How are you doing, Lucy?” Grace asked.

The other woman had her legs stretched out in front of her on the comfortable lounge chair that sat on the deck of Melina’s beautiful home. Lucy had arrived in Vegas earlier in the day and the three of them were enjoying some alone time together while Melina’s twins, Charlie and Tabitha, slept and while Max and Rhys made final preparations for the opening of their new magic theater the next night. Lucy figured Jamie was also in town, but she was trying to put that fact out of her mind.

Unfortunately, she had too many things she didn’t want to think about; obviously her sister’s death was number one on the list. It was virtually all she’d been able to think about and for the first week following Gail’s death, Lucy had hibernated in bed with her shades drawn, crying more than she’d ever thought it was possible for a human being to cry. She’d been overwhelmed by grief and regret and guilt…but even though she’d asked them not to visit or come to the funeral, Melina, Grace, and Jamie had kept in touch.

They’d been the support she’d needed to finally crawl out of bed and start living again.

Today was the first time she’d actually seen Grace and Melina since Gail’s death and funeral, and she knew her friends were worried about her.

“I’m doing okay. It’s been tough. It’s weird, you know…we didn’t have a relationship for the past fifteen years, but she was my first best friend. In spite of our differences and all the years that went by, I never stopped loving her.” Even to Lucy’s own ears, her words sounded hollow. If she’d loved her big sister so much, why hadn’t she put aside the past and mended fences with her? One lousy phone call in fifteen years hadn’t been much of an effort. She hated that hurt feelings and pride had come between them, but she also knew it had been more than that. Her sister had not only chosen Mason over her, but in doing so, she’d helped Lucy feel like a pariah—even though her sister had known how hurtful that would have been to Lucy, who’d often cried in her arms because she never seemed to fit in.

As Lucy was speaking, Melina brought out the iced tea. She handed Lucy and Grace glasses, then sat on the other side of Lucy and took her hand.

“What about the baby? Have you been able to see her?”

“Not yet. She wasn’t at the funeral.”

Lucy stared into her drink as even more guilt and regret overwhelmed her. It made her so sad that she hadn’t known about Milly while Gail was alive. There was no way of knowing, but sometimes she thought if she had known, the baby would have been the thing to bring the sisters together again.

She took a sip of her tea then looked up and smiled at her friends, who were watching her with worried expressions. “All I can do is move forward, right? I’ve called Mason’s sister Diana a couple of times and she’s let me talk to Milly on the phone. She’s a gurgler and cooer just like your babies, Melina. I’m hoping to get to visit her soon.”

“That’ll be wonderful, Lucy,” Melina said.

“How was it at the funeral?” Grace asked. “I wish you’d let us go with you.”

“You know I appreciated the offer but…” Lucy shook her head. “I needed to go alone. Most people didn’t even know who I was.”

“What about your parents?”

“I could actually see the pain etched into my father’s face. He ignored me, but my mom…she grabbed me and hugged me so tight when I got there.” Lucy closed her eyes at the memory. “I wanted so badly to ease her grief but it just didn’t seem to be my place.”

“I’m sure they felt the same way, Lucy. That they knew you were hurting and wanted to comfort you, too. Did you get a chance to talk about a future visit?” The hope in Grace’s voice was obvious. She’d often said Lucy was only hurting herself by allowing the rift between her and her family to continue after all these years. Lucy knew she was right, but how could she even begin to repair fifteen years of separation at a time when her parents had just lost Gail? No, it was best to let them grieve in peace.

She simply shook her head, but Grace didn’t let the matter drop as she’d expected her to.

“Maybe this is the time, Lucy. I know reconnecting with them isn’t going to be as easy as sliding off a greasy log backward, but they’ve already lost one daughter for good.”

Lucy couldn’t help smiling at Grace’s words; it was always a treat when she threw a southern idiom into her speech. But even though she knew her friend meant well, she’d never experienced being an outcast in her own family. “I can’t replace Gail and I’m still not the kind of daughter they want.”

“Lucy—” Melina began

Lucy interrupted even as she blinked back a sudden rush of tears. “I’m sorry, ladies, but I’d rather not talk about it. I appreciate the two of you always being here for me more than I can say, but let’s talk about something joyful—like the grand opening tomorrow.”

After several seconds of awkward silence, Grace said, “Jamie will be there.”

Lucy let out a genuine if slightly watery laugh. “You’re like a bulldog, aren’t you?”

“What?” Grace said, innocently. “I was changing the subject, like you asked.”

“He’s in town already,” Melina added. “Rhys told me they had lunch earlier. He’s here for his sister’s fiancé’s bachelor party tonight. He and his friends were in the limo when they picked up Max and Rhys.”

“Those men are all so different yet all so incredibly sexy,” Grace said.

“Different how?” Lucy asked, surprising herself by how curious she was about Jamie’s life outside the university. “I mean, he talked to a few of his friends on the phone sometimes when we dated. I even saw a picture of one of them—a cutie in a fire fighter’s outfit. But he never told me much about them.”

“The fireman is Ryan,” Melina said. “Very handsome. Looks a bit like the boy next door until you see his devilish smile.”

“Definitely the tom-cat’s kitten. There was also this mysterious guy with sunglasses,” Grace said. “Luke, I think. He looked like he could be carved out of granite. He had this quiet intensity about him. Like a cop. Or a drug lord. Knowing Jamie, I’m betting cop.”

“I’d take that bet,” Lucy said. “What about the friend who’s marrying his sister?”

“That’s Eric,” Melina said. “Super model gorgeous in a buttoned-up kind of way.”

“So who’s left?”

“Cole, who looks like a cross between a Mack truck and a clean Hell’s Angel. And Gabe. So exotic and elegant, but so obviously a bad ass. I can just imagine the sound of women sighing and panties dropping when that crew walks by.”

“Well, I’m sure it’ll be a fun time,” Lucy said even as she wondered if Jamie would avail himself of any of those pantie-less women. How would he let loose with his friends? Strip clubs? Lap dances? More? She felt something perilously close to jealousy but quickly shut the emotion down. “I still don’t know what I would have done if he hadn’t been there when I found out about Gail. He’s called several times since, checking up on me. He offered to attend the funeral with me, too, did I tell you that?” Just as it had with her friends, his offer of continuing support had thoroughly touched her.

“Maybe you should have him around more often,” Grace said with a slow smile.

“He has his own life in Los Angeles, and it’s an extremely busy one now that’s he’s working with his father again. Besides, he’s not what I need.”

“What’s that?” Melina asked. “A good friend, a shoulder to cry on, a handsome face, a hot body, and an intelligent mind?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. He’s a nice guy who comes from an upper class background. I’d never be accepted in his world and I’d get tired of trying to be what people expect me to be.”

“You’re being ridiculous about all of that,” Melina told her, far more bluntly than Lucy would have ever expected. Obviously seeing she’d taken Lucy aback, she quickly said, ‘I’m sorry, Lucy, but as much as you tout living only for yourself, you let the opinions of others matter too much. You’re fun and refreshing to be around. All you have to do is be yourself and acceptance will come. There are always going to be people who don’t accept you for whatever reason. That’s just life. You deal with it and move on.”

“She’s right,” Grace said. “Besides, Jamie cares an awful lot about you. Even if there are those who don’t understand you at first, he’d do everything he could to make sure you’re accepted and treated well.”

“Besides myself,” she said, trying to explain, “the only people I need acceptance from is the two of you. I’m not going to grovel for it from anyone else. Even if Jamie championed me, that kind of thing gets old fast. Imagine having to defend your significant other against things that people say, which in my case would probably all be true. I don’t conform and therefore I make people uncomfortable. In high society, I’m like a red rubber duckie in a bathtub full of yellow ones.” Of course, Mason had used much more hurtful words when he’d broken up with her. And so had Lucy’s father, when he’d been
encouraging
Mason to break up with her. Words like “vulgar,” “shameless,” and “embarrassing.”

“Your dad just knows we’re not suited. Sometimes I love being with you, Lucy,” Mason had said when he’d told her things were over. “But sometimes you embarrass me. Like when you went skinny dipping after the homecoming picnic. And showed up in that skimpy dress for my cousin’s wedding. And when you cuss too much…”

Squeals came from the baby monitor on the table, jarring Lucy from her thoughts.

“Oh, there are my twin terrors,” Melina said with a smile.

Lucy blinked, shaking off the painful memories, and clapped her hands. “Yay! I was afraid they’d sleep all day. I can’t wait to see them.”

“Let me get them changed and I’ll bring them out,” Melina said.

When she was gone, Lucy asked, “So where’s the bachelor party?”

Grace laughed.

“What?” Lucy asked. “I’m just curious what kind of boys’ night out a billionaire plans.”

“It’s at Divine.”

“Rick Tyler’s club? Isn’t that where they have Open Strip Night? It’s going to be pretty wild.”

Melina walked back in with a baby in each arm just as Grace said, “It sure is. Max and Rhys were like two peas in a pod—they didn’t even want to go. We had to convince them to go for Jamie and have some fun. Max swears he’ll be home in an hour.”

“Rhys, too,” Melina said. “He says he’d rather be here playing with his babies.”

Lucy held out her arms and said, “I can see why.” Melina put both Charlie and Tabitha in her arms and Lucy said, “Look at you two, you’ve gotten so big!”

She received a gurgle and a coo in response. “They’re so smart. I think they’re trying to talk already. Oh Mama, you are going to be in so much trouble when these two are teenagers. Imagine not only having the prettiest girl in the school, but the best looking boy, too.”

“Rhys already says he has a baseball bat to leave at the front door and beat away all the prospects,” Melina said.

Lucy cooed and gooed and baby-talked with the twins for half an hour before they began to fuss and Melina said they were ready for a bottle. Lucy insisted on carrying Tabby in while Grace carried Charlie. They watched Melina heat the pumped breast milk for the bottles and Lucy asked if she could feed her.

Melina handed her the bottle and Lucy took Tabby into the living room, sat in the big, comfy rocking chair, and rocked and sang to her while she drank her bottle. Lucy looked around at Melina and Rhys’s home. It was filled with wedding photos and pictures of their babies. There were playpens and toys strewn here and there, and the whole place smelled like baby powder. Sometimes Lucy wished that she could have all of this. Not the big house or the big bank account or even necessarily the babies, but the powerful and enduring love between Melina and Rhys, and Grace and Max.