Checking It Twice (10 page)

With the front door secured behind her, she shrugged from her winter gear and stashed everything in the hall closet before starting up the gas fireplace in the living room and plugging in the Christmas tree lights. The festive, multicolored sparkle show shimmering off the fragrant balsam branches and pile of presents didn’t immediately lift her spirits.

Deciding her mood needed a stiff boost, she trudged to the liquor cabinet. While she rummaged for drink fixings, the doorbell rang. Her heart leapt in traitorous hope, only to plummet a second later when she realized the odds of her visitor being Nick or Kevin were slim to none. Nick didn’t even know where she lived. As for Kevin, not too likely he’d show up with the way he tore out of her parking lot like a bat out of hell.

Snuffing her disappointment as best she could, she went to answer the door. Her glum mood evaporated when she spotted Lacey standing outside stomping snow from her boots.

“What are you doing here?” Jana glanced past Lacey to the accumulating blanket of snow on the front lawn. “I can’t believe you were driving in this, you crazy blockhead.”

“You really should consider becoming a writer for Hallmark, what with your gift for flowery endearments.” Rolling her eyes, Lacey brushed some of the powdery stuff from the sleeves of her coat. “I heard about what happened this afternoon. I wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

It took a moment to realize Lacey was referring to the scene at the Dockside, not the infinitely worse one at Wicked Delights. “Did Bram crab to you about me?”

“No, he’s worried about you too. We all are.” Lacey shivered, drawing Jana’s attention to the fact they were standing around talking in the cold like a pair of idiots. Make that soon-to-be-frozen, popsicle-ized idiots.

Snagging Lacey’s cuff, Jana dragged her inside and closed the door, sealing off the chill. “I was just about to make a cocktail. Care to join me?”

“Thanks, but I’ll pass.”

“Why? You preggers?” She grinned at the joke, but Lacey remained quiet. Suspiciously so. Her mouth dropping open, Jana stared at her friend. “No. Freakin’. Way.”

Lacey grimaced. “I wasn’t going to say anything until my doctor confirms the at-home pregnancy tests I took.”

“Well, how many did you take?”

“Five. They all came back positive.”

“Girl, I’m pretty sure that means you’re pregnant.”

“I know. But I want to be sure.”

She scanned Lacey’s expression, looking for any clue regarding her emotions. “So, is this a good thing?”

“I admit to being a basket case at first. I mean, I recently got on the Pill to
not
get pregnant.” Lacey blew out a breath before smiling sheepishly. “But now that it’s had some time to sink in…yeah, I think it is good. My parents are ecstatic, if you can believe it.” Lacey’s cheeks pinkened. “Although I guess that shouldn’t surprise me. They were a lot faster at accepting my unusual relationship than I was initially.”

It’d taken Lacey almost a month after moving in with Bram and Ry to come clean with her parents. Recalling all the late-night phone calls spent calming Lacey’s nerves, Jana squeezed her friend’s hand. “What do the boys think?”

Lacey’s face immediately glowed at the mention of her men. “Bram and Ry are excited beyond words. They’re already picking out paint chips for the nursery. You’d think they’d at least wait until we find out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

“Are you…?”
Ah hell, just spit it out.
“Are you going to do a DNA test once the baby’s born?”

“No. Far as we’re concerned, the baby is a product of all of our love. Ry and Bram are equal daddies in this.”

Jana shook her head. “Wow, you’ve come a long way since last year.”

“I finally realized what was important.”

Taking in the undeniable happiness radiating from Lacey, Jana squeezed her in a tight hug. “I’m so happy for all of you. But I’m especially happy for Baby Embryo—because he or she is getting the world’s most awesome auntie.”

Snorting, Lacey unwound her scarf. After stashing that and Lacey’s coat in the closet, Jana led the way into the living room. Lacey plopped onto the overstuffed club chair, her gaze sweeping the room. “I really like the changes you’ve made in here.”

“I was thinking of painting the wall behind the TV a chocolate brown.” Or maybe cocoa, to match Nick’s eyes. Then again, green was also a dreamy color. If she could find the perfect complement to Kevin’s hazel—

A pointed cough issued from Lacey, breaking through Jana’s mental color swatching. “Kevin mentioned he was going to stop by your store.”

“Yeah, he did. About an hour ago.”

“Did you two get things worked out?”

“Not exactly.” Reminded of the torment in his eyes while he’d stared at her and Nick, she swallowed hard and trekked to the liquor cabinet. She poured a double shot of apple brandy and took a swig, willing the warm buzz trickling through her veins to speed up enough to numb her heartache.

“He cares for you,” Lacey said gently. “A lot. Take it from someone who spent fifteen years hiding from her feelings.”

“Apparently tonight is all about people sharing Kevin’s feelings for me.”
Everyone except Kevin.
Grunting, Jana kicked back the remainder of her brandy.

“He hasn’t left for Vegas yet. Who knows what could happen between now and then?”

Swiveling, she gave Lacey a squinty look. “That almost sounded like a dare.”

Lacey offered an innocent smile. “Double dog ya.”

The mention of double brought her thoughts careening back around to another of her enormous dilemmas—her mutual attraction for Kevin and Nick. Pursing her lips, she crossed to the couch and perched on the arm, absently rubbing the base of her glass along her knee. “How do you deal with being in love with two men?”

If Lacey was surprised by the question, her expression sure didn’t give her away. Probably she was used to being asked that by now. Or maybe it was something she’d mulled over on her own countless times. “I would never have thought I’d be okay with it, but now I can’t imagine it being any other way. The thought of not having Ry and Bram in my life…it’d be unbearable.”

“Hmm.”

Something sharpened in Lacey’s gaze. “Why do you ask?”

“No particular reason.”

Lacey’s cellphone suddenly blared the opening bars of “Who Let the Dogs Out”, saving Jana from having to elaborate further. Convinced she’d dodged a bullet, she listened to Lacey’s side of the conversation with Bram. After reassuring him that Jana was okay, Lacey promised to head home before the roads got too wicked and hung up with a sweet
Love you
directed to Bram and another he was instructed to deliver to the worriedly pacing Ry.

Wistfulness stirring, Jana eyed Lacey. “You guys really have built the perfect relationship, haven’t you?”

“It’s far from perfect, but it works for us.” The shrewdness returned to Lacey’s expression. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

“No.” Jana glanced toward the bay window and the snow whipping against the glass. “You better hit the road before this becomes a full-scale blizzard.”

“Subtle, Jana.”

Chuckling, she slid from the arm of the couch as Lacey stood. “I just don’t want Bram kicking my ass if you skid off the road. Really.”

The twitch of her nose more than relaying that she’d seen through that bullshit, Lacey walked with her to the front entrance. She tugged on her coat and scarf, hugged Jana goodbye and dashed out to her SUV, her form an indistinct blur amongst the flurries of snowflakes. Once Lacey’s taillights disappeared into the snowy dusk, Jana closed the door and slid the deadbolt home. Traipsing back into the living room, she surveyed the liquor cabinet, debating the feasibility of one more drink. Indulging in another brandy might harsh the mellow from the first one. Deciding not to take the risk, she pivoted away from the cabinet and journeyed down the hall to the bathroom instead.

One of the first things she’d splurged on after buying the house was a complete remodel of the master bath. She’d paid through the teeth to have the old tub-and-shower combo ripped out and replaced with a clawfoot tub, but it’d been more than worth it. The depth was perfect for soaking her cares away. Amazing coincidence, since that was precisely what she aimed to do.

She stripped from her clothes and pinned her hair up with a butterfly clip. Sitting on the edge of the tub, she dialed the faucet on and reached for her favorite ginger-scented bath salts while the hot steam enveloped her. A second later she sank into the swirling, fragrant water with a deep sigh of pleasure. Propping her feet on the lip of the tub, she wiggled her toes. The sight of the pink and purple stars Lucinda had so artfully designed only served to remind Jana of the date she’d planned with Kevin for the upcoming weekend. Shortly after that, he’d be leaving for Vegas. And leaving her behind. Heaviness wedged behind her sternum.

Closing her eyes, she took several calming breaths, willing her previous tranquility to return. The cordless sitting on the sink console let out a shrill ring, making her jolt and causing water to slosh all over the place in protest. Damn it, she’d forgotten she’d left the stinkin’ phone in here this morning. It was tempting to let it go to voicemail, but the chance of it being an emergency made it impossible for her to ignore the call.

Scooting to the foot of the tub, she cranked off the splashing faucet and reached for the phone. With an impatient jab of her thumb, she clicked the Talk button. “Hello?”

A brief silence stretched on the line before a throat cleared. “I’m sorry.”

Kevin’s voice both a balm and a knife to her weary emotions, she clutched the receiver in a tight grip. Several more beats of silence ticked by.

“Jana, you there?” Unmistakable worry underscored Kevin’s soft demand.

“Yes.” She could practically feel his relief sweeping through the line.

“I thought you might have hung up on me.”

“I wouldn’t do that.”

“No, but I would have deserved it.”

“Why did you leave?” Her heart thudding faster, she scooted back into a reclining position. “Is it…is it because of Nick and me kissing?”

“No.” A rough exhalation crackled through the receiver. “Maybe. I was shocked as hell to see him there. And then you…and him… How the fuck do you even know each other?”

“He’s been selling me products for a little over a year.”

“Oh.” Another tense silence. “He’s a great guy. I’m glad you found someone, Jana.”

The quiet sincerity in his voice increased the pressure in her chest. “We’re not together.”
I don’t have either one of you.
The ache expanding in her heart, she shifted in the tub, disturbing a small wave of water.

“What was that?”

“I’m taking a bath.”

Even more interminable silence. “I should let you go.”

“No.” She’d already stripped her soul to him. What difference did it make if she was physically naked now? The second the thought entered her mind, a heady streak of awareness blazed through her.

This was as naked as she’d ever been with Kevin. And might possibly
ever
be with him. It didn’t matter that he couldn’t see her. In a way, it was even more exciting that he couldn’t.

“Mmm.” Giving full rein to the throaty murmur, she rested her neck on the padded plastic pillow attached to the tub and closed her eyes again.

“I’ll call you later, okay?” A husky, desperate edge had entered Kevin’s tone.

“No. Talk to me now. Please.” The hot, silky water stroked her skin like a lover’s caress. Her nipples beaded, breaking the surface of the steamy water.

“I don’t have anything to say.”

“I can give you some inspiration.” Wiggling into a more comfortable position, she grazed her fingertips over her breasts, circling her puckered areolas. “Tell me what you’d do if you were here in the tub with me right now.”

His harsh inhalation leaked through the receiver. “Jana, I can’t do this.”

“Yes, you can. The way you touched me the other night,
God
, it was amazing. I want that again, so badly. Even if it’s only through your voice. Your words. Please.”

“I shouldn’t have done that. It wasn’t right to lead you on. Make you think it could be anything more than a one-time thing.”

“D-do you regret doing it? Making me come?”

He remained quiet for a second. When his voice finally appeared, it was noticeably husky. “No. I loved making you come.”

Her skin flushed. “Then do it again. Right now. I’m naked, wet and ready for anything you want to do to me.”

“I…”

She waited, her breath suspended. Seconds stretched into infinity.
If he’s hung up on me, I’m going to freakin’ kill him.

“I’d wash your hair.”

The vise let up on her lungs. Despite her relief, consternation still prodded at her as she considered his statement.
Wash my hair? That’s kind of…not what I’d been hoping for.

“I love your hair. It always smells like flowers.”

“It’s my shampoo.” She reached for the bottle resting in the jam-packed caddy. “Organic botanicals and biotin.” Holy shit balls. Were they really discussing shampoo right now? Talk about the worst attempt at phone sex in the annals of time. “Okay, you’re done washing my hair. Now what are you doing?”