Page 40 of Stick to the Deal
“Yup, for our birthday girls’ night tradition. You should come.” I stiffen and Reginald strokes my hip soothingly.
“I’d hate to interrupt a tradition. Plus, it was a long flight from London. I’ll rest here and leave you ladies to it.”
I grab his hand and the carry-on bag. “Come on, I’ll get you settled in while Anna pees.” Shooting daggers over my shoulder at my friend, I tug Reginald to my bedroom. I point out the area in the closet and three drawers I’d cleared out in case he ever came by, and sit awkwardly on the edge of the bed as he looks around.
He walks over and tugs me to my feet. “Are you staying over?”
“Probably not with the baby there. I’ll let you know either way, though.”
He nods slightly and drops a kiss to my temple. Some of the tension reduces. “Ok, have fun with your friends. Tomorrow we can celebrate your birthday together.”
The kitchen is empty when I return. A flush sounds from the powder room off the living room. Quick as a snake, I grab the socks and put them in my bag. My fingers itch to pick up the book and shoes. The water is still running in the bathroom, so I clutch them both and move them to the mantle over the electric fireplace before darting back to my bags in the entryway.
When Anna reappears, I usher her to the door, anxious to leave the apartment as quickly as possible. The ride to Brianna’s house is quiet, Anna growing tired of my one-word answers to her probing questions about Reginald. She’s practically vibrating by the time we enter the house.
I wonder how long it will take her to take the first shot.
Turns out it’s exactly 3.5 seconds.
“Nicolette forgot to mention how handsome her husband is,” Anna calls out as we walk into Brianna and Colin’s living room.
“She didn’t have to. A simple google search will show you that.” Bree looks drained as she sways with a fussy Nora in her arms. Her faithful dog, Riley, tracking her motion intently from his perch on the couch.
“You looked him up?” I set my bags down and plop onto my normal spot on the love seat.
She adds a little knee bend to the swaying. “Well, you’ve been annoyingly secretive about the whole thing. Gorgeous wedding pictures, by the way. I told Colin we need to go to Sweden for a bit the next time we fly out to the Dublin office.” She turns back to Anna with sharp eyes. “What happened?”
Dammit. I really should find dumber friends.
“He’s at the penthouse. I walked in on the two of them all wrapped up together.”
Two sets of eyes turn to me. One set, cobalt blue, wide with surprise. The other, chocolate brown, burning with victory.
“That’s a tad dramatic. I was thanking him for my present and hugging him.”
Brianna jerks back. “Since when are you a hugger?” Nora’s fussing escalates into full yells as her mother stops rocking. Riley starts barking, clearly giving Bree an earful on his opinion of her parenting style.
“Is Nora ok?” Colin, Bree’s husband, rushes in from their bedroom, looking equally haggard.
Oh, for Christ’s sake. This is the last thing I need. Blindly, I grab the wine from my bag, twisting off the cap, and taking a swig directly from the bottle. Yes, even heiresses drink twist tops.
His eyes dart around the room, finding no immediate danger, he gently takes his daughter from his wife. His large hand engulfs the baby’s back as he holds her. Nora gives a fitful breath and squirms against his chest before settling slightly. “What’s going on?”
“Nic’s husband is in town.” Bree’s gaze softens as she watches her family together.
A ping of longing unfurls in my stomach. I quickly drown it in wine.
Colin turns to me, eyes widening in shock. “Right now? And you left him at your apartment?”
“It was a surprise visit.” Three hard sets of eyes stare me down. I block them out of view with the end of the bottle as another guzzle tickles down my throat. “Besides, he’s jet-lagged, anyway.” The excuse sounds lame even to my own ears.
The truth is, I’m still not entirely sure why I’ve been so adamant about keeping Reginald separate. It’s probably tied to old habits.
I’ve been keeping my London life and personal life separate for half a lifetime. Part of it probably stems from noticing that Reginald doesn’t particularly enjoy socializing. There’s some other reason that lurks just at the edge of my mind. I’m reticent to dive too deeply, though, afraid of what I might discover.
Nora lets out another whimper, saving me from further questioning. Bree sighs and goes to take the baby back, but Colin stops her. “I got her,a ghrá.”
“Are you sure?” She looks conflicted.
