Lila squeezed his hand. ‘Honey, Charlie came to warn us about Riley, not to tell us what to do about it, right Charlie?’
Charlie held up his hands. ‘Sure, sure, sorry if I caused offense. I’m just used to being Lila’s protector. Forgive me.’
Noah nodded tightly, his eyes narrowing and Lila sighed. ‘Okay then,’ she pulled herself up, ‘if you guys are done pissing around me, then I’ll go make us something to eat.’
Noah got up, his expression apologetic. ‘No, you won’t. We’ll get take out. That okay with you, Charlie?’
‘Of course.’
Later, when they’d eaten and Charlie had gone back into the city to his hotel, Lila and Noah lay in the bathtub together, Lila leaning back against his chest and Noah’s fingers stroking her belly bump. He drew a six on it and she giggled. ‘I know can you believe it? Only three months to go.’
‘Should we discuss names? Have you any ideas?’
Lila smiled around at him. ‘A few…but I’m scared you’ll hate them.’
‘Hmm,’ he considered, ‘well, how’s about you tell me yours and I’ll tell you mine and we’ll see where we’re at.’
‘Okay.’
‘Good. If it’s a boy…William.’
She grinned. ‘I like that. William Noah…or Noah William. Noah Applebaum II.’
‘Oh no,’ he protested, ‘I find dudes who name their kids after them so very, very conceited. What was your boy’s name anyway?’
‘Noah,’ she sulked as he laughed, ‘but I do have some spares. How about Gyjoo – Gee-shooo?’
‘What the hell kind of name is Gee-shooo.’
She grinned wickedly. ‘It’s spelled G. I. J. O. E.’
It took Noah a second then he splashed her. ‘G. I. Joe, very funny.’
‘Sorry but I really only had Noah for my boy choices, but I really do love William.’
Noah cheered. ‘So I get my choice? Victory!’
Lila rubbed her belly smugly. ‘Only if it’s a boy, mister, and as I’m baking this thing, I know for a fact it’s a girl.’
‘Oh you do, huh? Hit me with your choices then.’
‘Okay I’m doing this, top three in reverse order, okay?’
Noah sighed dramatically. ‘Just get on with it, woman.’
Lila chuckled. ‘Okay, in third place…Olivia.’
Noah thought about it. ‘Yep, nice, continue.’
‘Second place… Emeliana.’
‘Hmm, not sure, it’s nice but with Applebaum? That’s a mouthful.’
Lila pouted. ‘Then you’re probably not going to like my first choice.’
‘Go for it.’
‘Matilda.’
‘Hmm. Matilda Applebaum. Matty Applebaum. You have a deal.’
She turned and faced him, the surprise obvious on her face. ‘No way, you agreed that easily?’
‘It’s a gorgeous name for our gorgeous girl, Lila Belle. And by the way, what say we talk about making this all official?’
She stopped and looked at him, her face paling. ‘What?’
Noah grinned. ‘Don’t panic, I’m not proposing…yet. I mean, if we’re having a baby, I’d quite like him or her, Matty or Willy,’ - he grinned at her pained expression – ‘to meet my family so that means I’d like you, my darling one, to meet my family. I warn you – they are crazy.’
‘Good crazy or bad crazy?’
‘It’s a fine line.’
Lila nodded slowly. ‘Okay then, I’m all for crazy. Wow, I get to meet the Applebaum clan.’ She kissed him, her lips curling up in a smile against his mouth. ‘Any family that bred you can’t be all bad.’
Noah chuckled. ‘Thank you, I think. And sorry about earlier with Chuckles. I was oversensitive, the guy just wants you safe same as me.’
Lila sighed happily, resting her head in the crook of his neck. ‘Oh and by the way….there’s no way in hell we’re calling our son ‘Willy’.’
They both laughed and then Noah tickled her until she was screeching with laughter then kissed her until the water got very, very cold.
Seattle
‘I could have come back to the island,’ Charlie said the next morning as they sat in the coffee house, ‘You didn’t need to haul your cookies here, Boo.’
Lila smiled at him. ‘It’s no problem…in fact; I got extra time with Noah coming into the city, so it all worked out. Also, I’m going to stay at his condo here more often now that I’m not ‘in-hiding’ as such.’
Charlie stirred his coffee. ‘Are you sure that’s wise? We still don’t know where Riley is.’
‘I won’t take any unnecessary risks,’ she said, rolling her eyes. ‘No more wedding fitting rooms for me.’
Charlie winced. ‘Don’t joke about that, Lila. Was the worst day of my life.’
‘Mine too,’ she said, half smiling. ‘Charlie, I want to know what you’ve been doing, or rather who? Any chance you and Tinsley could hook up again?’
She looked so hopeful that he grinned. ‘The honest answer is I don’t know. She was dating Harry for a while.’
Lila’s mouth dropped open. ‘Harry…Carnegie?’
‘The very one. Nice guy, actually, better than – ‘
‘Charlie.’ Lila glared at him over her coffee mug.
‘Sorry, old habits,’ but he smiled. ‘Yep, they were hot and heavy for a while but then he went back to Australia.’
‘Tinsley upset?’
‘I honestly couldn’t tell you. She and I were kind of distracted with this Riley thing. I haven’t spoken to her since I got here.’
‘I should call her.’
‘Yes, I know she misses you. Lila?’
She was staring out of the window and when she turned to face him, there were tears in her eyes. ‘Charlie, I want to talk to the Carnegies, I do, but I have no earthly idea of what to say to them, especially now.’
She looked down at her swollen belly, placing her hand protectively over it. ‘I could wait until after the baby is born but I don’t want it hanging over me. Noah says to rip off the Band-Aid.’
‘Noah’s a smart guy. Look, there’s no easy way to tell them what you gotta tell them, Lila. Just do it.’
Lila suddenly chuckled. ‘Jeez, Charlie, tell me how it is, won’t ya?’
‘That’s the way we do it, Tierney.’
The waitress brought their breakfasts and Charlie fell on his pancakes as if half-starved. Lila looked at him fondly. ‘Dude, you need to get back with Tinsley. Be truthful; did you ever really get over her?’
Charlie shrugged. ‘I’m not someone who gets over things, Lila, you know that. I just go with the flow.’
‘Hmm,’ Lila squinted at him. ‘Is it wrong I want you to be as happy as I am now?’
‘No, kiddo, it’s not wrong, it’s not wrong at all. Just sometimes it doesn’t happen for people and I’m okay with it. As long as I got my girl,’ he tapped his fingertip against her cheek and she bit it, giggling.
‘Of course. Hey, listen, Noah’s asked me to go with him and meet his family.’
‘Scared?’
‘More excited. I can’t wait.’
Dr. Applebaum?’
Noah turned to the woman behind him. Joanne Hammond smiled at him and Noah smiled. They had met a few times when he had been dating Lauren Shannon; they were co-workers and Joanne had none of Lauren’s pretensions. Joanne was the trusted second-in-command of Derek Shannon - Lauren’s father – and the life blood of his PR company. He adored Joanne because she ran the place like clockwork – and put up with Lauren. Noah had met her at a company barbecue and was instantly drawn to her wit, sarcasm and cynicism. It had always irritated Lauren that Noah and Joanne were friends – which made it even more enjoyable.
‘Joanne! It’s good to see you…I think. You okay?’ He hugged her.
‘I am – but Mackie’s in for his diabetes again.’ Joanne, a small, athletic woman with dark skin and silver eyes smiled but she looked tired. Her husband, Mackie, was a war veteran who’d gotte
n depressed after he’d left the military and gained enough weight to trigger type two diabetes later in life. A good man, Mackie had been hospitalized a couple of times and Joanne, almost in her seventies now, was exhausted.
‘Come have a coffee with me while the doctor’s in with Mackie,’ Noah said now, seeing his colleague talking to Mackie, ‘then you can catch me up.’
Even the stoic Charlie was impressed when Lila showed him into Noah’s condo. ‘Okay, should have gone to medical school.’
Lila chuckled. ‘I know, right? To think he trusts us, two street kids, here alone? Shall we case the joint?’
Charlie, laughing, shook his head. ‘You know, we were never really street kids, well, not until we were old enough to be thrown out on our own.’
‘We managed.’
‘We did.’
Lila made them both drinks. ‘Let’s go out on the balcony because we’re fancy.’
‘Always a good reason.’
Noah’s balcony had astonishing views over Elliott Bay and they put their feet up as they settled back into the uber-comfortable deck furniture. The day was bright and cold and the Olympic Mountains soared high on the horizon.
Lila looked over at Charlie. ‘Chuckles, can I ask you something?’
‘Anything.’
‘Do you think I get involved with too many rich men? I never intend it that way.’
Charlie laughed. ‘Lila, have you looked in the mirror? You attract every type of man. And it’s only really been Richard and Noah – two entirely different situations. Everyone else you’ve dated has been pretty low rent.’
‘Don’t say that, they were all great guys – one of them especially,’ she grinned at him. ‘You’ll always be my first love, Chuckles.’
‘Right back at ya, Saddlebags.’
Lila almost snorted her juice out of her nose. ‘That’s so cruel, but hilarious. I’m going to be huge soon at this rate.’
‘You could be the size of Madison Square Garden and still be the most beautiful girl in the world.’
‘Honey tongue!’ She giggled as he doffed a pretend cap. ‘Stop flirting with me, Chuckles, I’m gestating.’
‘Fair point,’ Charlie sighed. ‘Look at that view. God, I miss this city.’
Lila swigged a gulp of orange juice. ‘You could always move back here.’
Charlie looked over to her and smiled. ‘I can’t follow you around my whole life, sweetheart. Besides, if you want me to get with Tinsley again…’
Lila threw her arms in the air. ‘Yes!’
‘There you go.’
‘I want you to get married and have a million kids.’
‘Steady on, girl.’
‘Then come live here in Seattle.’
Charlie sighed. ‘Jeez.’
Lila grinned and then gasped, bending forward and clutching her belly. Immediately Charlie was alert. ‘What? What is it, Lila?’
Lila didn’t answer for a moment then looked up, her eyes shining. ‘She just kicked. That’s the first time I’ve felt it. Oh my god, Charlie, give me your hand.’
She grabbed his arm and placed his hand over her belly. She stared at him, smiling. Charlie started slightly then removed his hand.
‘This isn’t right, it should be Noah…’
‘He’s not here, doofus,’ she grabbed his hand. ‘Noah knows how these things work, you can’t have perfect timing, He’ll just be glad I had someone I love to share the moment.
Noah tried to smile as he balanced the phone between his neck and shoulder and changed out of his white coat. ‘Darling, that’s wonderful. I can’t wait to get home but my dad’s asked me to meet him for dinner after work. Will you be okay for a couple of hours?’
‘Of course, I’ll order takeout, get Charlie to stay with me. I’m so excited though, Noah, I can’t wait for you to feel her.’
Noah chuckled. ‘You’re convinced it’s a girl, aren’t you?’
‘You betcha. Well…say hi to your dad for me, tell him I’m looking forward to meeting him.’
‘Probably better if I tell him about you first…then somehow try to work in ‘Hey, dad, also, you’re going to be a grampy!’.’
Lila laughed. ‘Well, good luck with that, buddy. I love you.’
‘Love you too, beautiful.’
On his way out, he stopped by to see Joanne and Mackie. Mackie was asleep and Joanne was sitting by his bed.
Noah – ever the doctor – checked Mackie’s charts. He tried to keep the grimace off his face but Joanne knew him too well.
‘Yep,’ she said, ‘Mackie’s circling the drain. His words, not mine. But he won’t buck up and take responsibility for his health. He eats, Noah, from the minute he gets up to when he goes to sleep. Maybe not always unhealthy stuff but you know as well as I do, anything in excess…’
Noah nodded, sighing. ‘Sure do. Look, has he tried any psychotherapy to deal with his eating disorder?’
‘A bunch of them. Nothing sticks. He’s resigned to dying, Noah, says he’d rather die happy.’
Noah was irked. ‘And what about you?’
Joanne just looked at him and he nodded. ‘Yeah, I know. Listen, I have to go meet my dad.’
Her eyes lit up. ‘You going to tell him about the baby?’
Noah smiled at her expression. ‘Yeah…wish me luck. Hey, listen, don’t say anything to Lauren, will you?’
Joanne rolled her eyes. ‘As if I would. Good luck with your girl, Noah, you deserve a sweetie.’
‘I’ll come by tomorrow, see how things are.’
As he drove to the restaurant to meet his father, he thought about spending the next fifty years with Lila, as Joanne had done with Mackie. Would they still be as devoted? He had never been more sure of anything. He and Lila were best friends, They were each other’s protector, mind, body and soul.
Noah Applebaum had grown up seeing first-hand what an unhappy marriage could do. His father, Halston, had been a terrible, violent husband to his mother, even when she was dying of cancer. More than once, he, Noah, had stepped between them and taken his father’s blows. When his mother had finally died, she’d kissed Noah and told him that she was happy to go and to get away from his father.
But his mother’s death had changed his father. A full-on breakdown followed and intensive therapy at the most expensive spas in the world and his father was someone else entirely. The first thing he’d done when he returned to Seattle was seek Noah out and apologize. And it wasn’t some sappy apology culled from a program; it was a genuine from the heart plea, not for forgiveness but for a second chance. And his dad hadn’t held back; he began a foundation to combat domestic abuse, gave interviews where he freely and ashamedly admitted to being an abuser, and was a committed public speaker on the subject. Noah, already in his twenties and cynical hadn’t been convinced of the turnaround until he reluctantly attended one of his father’s events. After some speeches, his father asked for a volunteer from the audience, for a woman who had been badly abused. There was hesitation and eventually a small bird-like woman had come to the front.
Hal Applebaum had asked her to stand opposite him, and then he met her gaze. ‘I am your husband, your brother, your demon, your nightmare. I am standing here stripped of every bit of anger. Say what you always wanted to say, scream your rage at me, tell me everything you wanted to say when you were being abused.’
The woman had been nervous at first, her voice barely audible, but as she began to speak, to vocalize her hurt, her pain, the atmosphere in the room was electric. Noah found himself almost unable to breath as the woman started to yell, scream pull at his dad’s shirt, express every ounce of pain her abuser had visited on her and his dad just took it. When the woman’s sobs had quieted, Hal took her hands.
‘I’m not your husband,’ he said softly, ‘and you’re not my wife. He never apologized to you and my wife never heard me apologize. This won’t make up for that but I think it will help both of us. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that this happened to you, there is n
o excuse for all the hateful things you heard, for the pain inflicted on you. You are strong and kind and beautiful and any man who treats you less than a goddess is not worthy of you. I’m so, so sorry.’
The look on his dad’s face – Noah knew that not only was he talking to the tormented woman in front of him, he was talking to Noah’s beloved mom.
Afterward, he’d approached his dad. The two men stared at each other, then Noah held out his hand and his dad broke down. Tears rolling down his face, he pulled his son into a hug.
‘I know this doesn’t make anything right,’ he said, his voice breaking, ‘but I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.’
It hadn’t solved their problems overnight but they worked on it. Now Noah enjoyed a warm but separate existence from his father. He had remarried, a lovely woman called Molly, and now his father lived in Portland with her and Molly’s teenage son, Kyle. Kyle and Noah bonded quickly and now Noah considered Kyle a brother. The younger man had graduated summa cum laude and now worked as a journalist in Kuala Lumpur.
Noah walked into the restaurant and saw his father and Molly waiting for him. They hugged him hello and they chatted easily while they were seated.
Halston smiled at his son. ‘I hear great things about your work, son. Saul Harlow says you could be the youngest Chief of Surgery in a generation.’
Noah thanked him. ‘But, actually, Dad, Molly, there’s something else I have to tell you – something pretty big.’
And he told them about Lila and the baby. Both Hal and Molly were surprised, shocked and then delighted. ‘Well, this is extraordinary news,’ Hal clapped his son on the back, ‘Congratulations, Noah, that’s wonderful.’
‘So exciting,’ Molly squeezed Noah’s hand, her soft face lit up. Noah grinned at them.
‘So, I want you to meet Lila – you will love her.’ His smile faded a little. ‘I should tell you…she used to be engaged to Richard Carnegie.’
‘Wait,’ his dad frowned, ‘She’s the young woman who was attacked, right?’
‘She was stabbed, yes,’ Noah’s mind went back to when he’d first met Lila, ‘They still haven’t found the person who did it so we’ve had to up security.’
His Sweet Torment: A Bad Boy Billionaire Romance Page 93