Circle of Friends Complete Collection

by Susan Mallery

“Five, I think,” she said, fighting the urge to tuck her hands behind her back. If she didn’t accept a ring, maybe none of this would really happen.

  But then Mr. Gaston held out a plain band to her and she found herself slipping it on her finger.

  The band made it over her knuckle, but it was a tight fit.

  “Five and a half,” the older man said.

  As she watched, he shifted through trays of stunning diamond engagement rings. They sparkled and winked and seemed to all be very large and impressive.

  He removed a single tray and set it on the table. “All these are the right size,” he said. “So, young lady. What do you like?”

  There was nothing not to like, she thought, wishing she hadn’t tried so hard to eat a little dinner. The fajitas were sitting heavily in her now tense stomach.

  Dev stood next to her. “Not your style?” he asked in a low voice.

  “They’re lovely,” she whispered back, “but they seem very expensive.”

  He chuckled, then kissed the top of her head. There was nothing romantic or sexual about the action, she thought, slightly stunned. It was something one would do to a favorite niece or cousin. Still, she felt comforted.

  “Didn’t we already have the money talk?” he asked. “Come here.”

  He took her hand and drew her to the table. She was so caught up in the feel of his warm, strong fingers touching hers that she didn’t pull back when he picked up an emerald-cut solitaire and slid it onto her finger.

  She’d imagined this moment since she’d been a little girl. The soft lights, the romantic music, the love in her husband-to-be’s eyes as he slid the engagement ring on her finger. She’d never thought she would be in a strange house with a man she barely knew after agreeing to a two-year marriage of convenience while pregnant with another man’s child.

  Her life was practically a reality show.

  “Not this one,” she said, staring down at the stone. While it was beautiful, it seemed cold.

  He took it off, but kept hold of her hand.

  She let him, more aware of his touch than the rings. He picked up several different ones and put them back before finally taking a ring with a large center cushion-cut stone flanked by small baguettes.

  “I think this one,” he said as he slid it on. “What do you think?”

  The ring was amazing. Pretty and big, without being gaudy. It seemed to suit the shape of her hand and her fingers. Which was all good, but it was still the biggest diamond she’d ever seen in her life.

  “Will your insurance cover this?” she asked.

  He laughed, then touched his free hand to her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  “Do you like it?” he asked.

  She didn’t know what to say to that. How could anyone not like the ring?

  “Can you stand to wear it?” he amended.

  “Of course,” she said quickly. “I didn’t mean to imply—”

  He cut her off with a shake of his head. “I know what you meant. Is this one okay?”

  She nodded without looking at the ring. “You’re being very generous.”

  “I know this is difficult,” he said quietly. “Whatever happens, I want you to be happy.”

  She would never have imagined him saying something like that to her. For the first time since finding out she was pregnant, some of the fear faded and the future didn’t look quite so bleak.

  “I want you to be happy, too,” she said.

  “Good. Then we’re agreed.”

  She wasn’t sure if he meant the happy thing or the ring. Either way, she had the thought that maybe the next two years weren’t going to be as difficult as she’d first imagined.

  CHAPTER THREE

  “WHY DOES THE yarn always hate me?” Crissy asked as once again her project quickly tangled into a complete mess.

  Noelle did her best not to laugh at her friend’s distress. Crissy tried really hard in their knitting class, but it did seem as if she were always making a disaster instead of knitting the current project.

  Crissy held up her two needles and the raggedy yarn falling off of one. “What am I doing wrong?” she asked, sounding both frustrated and near laughter.

  Rachel leaned over and fingered the uneven stitches. “You’re not even casting on right,” she said. “Give it here. Let’s start over and see if we can get this going.”

  Crissy handed over her needles, then winced as Rachel began unraveling everything.

  Noelle carefully worked her needles, counting and making sure she kept up with the pattern. This was the first week of their intermediate class. They’d moved from simple squares and a shawl to a vest.

  “Now cast on,” Rachel said, leaning over Crissy’s arm. “How many stitches do you want?”

  Crissy looked at the pattern. “Twenty-five.”

  She worked laboriously, then grinned when she’d finished that first row.

  “Much better,” Rachel said.

  Crissy beamed.

  Noelle watched them, noting how Rachel’s dark hair and Crissy’s auburn curls looked against each other.

  With everything else going on in her life, Noelle had almost decided not to take the class, but now that she was here with her friends, she was glad she’d come.

  She’d met Crissy and Rachel four months ago, when all three of them had come for their first class. Rachel had learned to knit as a teenager but hadn’t picked up needles in years. Crissy and Noelle had been complete novices and totally uncoordinated. Lucky for them, Rachel had sat at their table and talked them through the first few lessons.

  Soon they were meeting after class for a late dinner, as they did tonight. Noelle waited until they were seated in the small restaurant at the other end of the strip mall and had placed their orders before she spoke up.

  “I have something to tell you,” she said.

  Instantly both Rachel and Crissy looked at her. “You’ve been a little quiet,” Crissy said. “I’d wondered if something was up. Are you all right?”

  Noelle nodded. She was close to her mom and her sisters, but sometimes she wanted relationships outside of her family. While she didn’t know how she was going to break the news of her pregnancy and marriage to her parents, telling her friends didn’t seem so scary.

  “I’m going to have a baby,” she said.

  Her friends stared at her.

  “Not tonight,” Rachel said. “Because if you are, I need to know. I’m starving and I’ll eat fast.”

  Noelle laughed. “Not tonight. In about eight months.”

  Crissy’s green eyes widened. “Jimmy’s the father, isn’t he?” She reached across the table and touched Noelle’s arm. “You learned he’d died what, four weeks ago, and now you’re pregnant? Are you all right? Are you terrified? I’d be terrified.”

  Under any other circumstances, the three of them would never have met and become friends. Crissy was thirty, the owner of a small chain of gyms for women. Rachel was twenty-five and a kindergarten teacher. Noelle was the baby of the group, but they never made her feel younger or out of place. Right now, with everything going on in her life, Noelle appreciated their support more than she could say.

  “I’m still trying to figure out what I feel,” Noelle admitted. “Jimmy being gone sort of changes everything.”

  “You have to tell the family,” Rachel said firmly. “They have the right to know a part of Jimmy lives on.”

  Crissy wrinkled her nose. “But then they’ll get involved before Noelle knows what she wants to do. What if she wants to give the baby up for adoption? I mean that makes the most sense.” She turned to Noelle. “You’re still in college. There are so many deserving couples out there who would be fabulous parents.”

  Rachel shook her head. “She’s not going to do t
hat. Besides, the family has a right to know.” She looked at Noelle. “Didn’t you say Jimmy has a brother?”

  “Yes. Devlin Hunter.”

  “There you go,” Rachel said. “Maybe he wants to be a part of his late brother’s child’s life.”

  “So some guy is going to raise Noelle’s baby?” Crissy asked. “I don’t think so.”

  “I never thought of adoption,” Noelle admitted. There hadn’t been time. One second she’d seen the writing on the stick and the next, Dev knew, too. “But it’s not an issue. Jimmy’s brother knows about the baby and he wants us to get married. I wasn’t sure I would agree at first, but now I do. So we’re engaged.”

  She thought about the diamond ring tucked in the back of her lingerie drawer. Should she have brought it to show them? Should she—

  She realized both women were staring at her as if she’d suddenly morphed into a zebra. She’d thought the baby announcement had been shocking enough, but apparently this one was worse. Their eyes were wide, their mouths open.

  Crissy recovered first. “Maybe you should start at the beginning,” she said.

  Noelle explained about taking the test in Dev’s office and what had happened afterward. She left out the part about her parents being in debt. That wasn’t something she wanted to share.

  She talked about how Dev had reacted and his proposal. As she told the story, she still found it difficult to believe this was happening.

  “Are you insane?” Crissy asked, then winced. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that to come out so harshly. But are you insane?”

  Rachel shook her head. “In a way, it makes sense. Dev is doing what his brother would have done.” She frowned. “Jimmy would have married you, right?”

  “He said he wanted to,” Noelle said, although she wasn’t completely sure he would have come through.

  “So it’s just one brother stepping in for the other,” Rachel said. “It could happen.”

  “Not in my neighborhood,” Crissy said. “Weren’t you in love with Jimmy? How can you marry his brother?”

  “It’s a marriage of convenience,” Rachel said. “All the rules are spelled out. This isn’t about being in love. It’s about doing the right thing. Dev wants to take care of Noelle and the baby. I think that’s great. They’ll always be family and be connected. Family is everything.”

  As her friends continued to argue the point, Noelle realized she hadn’t thought of the fact that she and Dev would always be in each other’s lives in one way or another. The baby would bind them together the way children always bound parents together.

  Parents. She had trouble thinking of herself that way, although for Dev, it was a familiar role. He’d raised Jimmy for years. Knowing he would know what he was doing made her feel better about marrying him.

  He’d been great about everything. Kind and generous and patient. Okay, and gorgeous. Under other circumstances...

  She mentally put on the brakes. What was she thinking? Dev wasn’t interested in anything but a business deal. Besides, what about Jimmy?

  Had they been in love? She honestly didn’t know. She’d felt more strongly about him than she had about any other guy she’d dated. She’d cried when she’d heard he died and had missed him. But love? What did love feel like? How could anyone be sure?

  Crissy smiled at her. “We just want you to be happy. And look at the bright side—no more first dates for a long time. That’s thrilling.”

  Rachel nodded her agreement. “Is this what you want?”

  Noelle thought about Dev and how he was willing to be there for her and the baby. How she would now be able to protect her parents from more financial burden and still pursue her nursing degree.

  “I wouldn’t have chosen to get pregnant,” she admitted. “But if I had to then I’m glad Dev is willing to marry me and give the baby a name.”

  “Then ‘yay’ Dev,” Rachel said. “Wouldn’t you know that the youngest of the group is the first to get married.”

  Crissy looked at her. “Do you want to be married? You’ve never said anything.”

  Rachel shrugged. “I wouldn’t mind a family of my own. I’ve always thought about that. What about you?”

  Crissy shook her head. “I don’t get the whole kid thing. And giving birth? Way too many fluids.”

  “I agree with the fluids,” Rachel said with a grin. “But what about a man to come home to?”

  “That would require dating,” Crissy told her. “I don’t date. Especially first dates. They’re the worst. Besides, I have a cat. He’s more than enough. I have friends and a great life.”

  Noelle laughed. “What about a really cute guy?”

  “He’s a really cute cat. Seriously, I’m fine being single. I never had that burning need to bond with someone.”

  Noelle wondered why. Didn’t everyone have a biological need to connect? She knew she’d always imagined herself getting married and having a family. Funny how now she was doing both, and neither felt especially real.

  * * *

  “THANKS FOR AGREEING to go from the office,” Noelle said. “I know you offered to go from my house, but I haven’t told my parents about you yet and...”

  Her voice trailed off.

  Dev glanced at her, then returned his attention to the road as he drove to the restaurant. “We were both at work. It’s fine.”

  She was obviously nervous and he was willing to admit the situation was unusual.

  “You’re being really nice about everything,” she said. “I’ll get better at this, I promise. I just need a little time.”

  “We both need that,” he said, knowing it was true. “That’s why we’re having dinner—so we can work out the logistics. Decide when I’m going to meet your parents and what we’re going to say to them.”

  She nodded.

  She was sensible, he thought. He’d been watching her in the office and she seemed good at her job. Katherine said she was well-liked. Together, he thought, wondering what she’d seen in his brother.

  On the heels of that came guilt. Guilt over what had happened to Jimmy and guilt for taking what his brother had lost—his girl and his baby. Something Jimmy—were he alive—wouldn’t understand. Of course, if Jimmy were alive, none of this would be an issue.

  Dev reminded himself he didn’t want Noelle, he was simply doing the right thing. Still, he felt regret and wished Jimmy were here to be the one to marry her.

  At the restaurant, he handed the keys to the valet and then walked around the car, put his hand on Noelle’s back and guided her into the restaurant. Once there, he gave his name to the hostess and they were shown to a quiet table in the corner.

  “This place is very nice,” Noelle said with a smile as she was seated with her back to the main dining area. “I’ve heard about it, of course, but I’ve never eaten here.” She wrinkled her nose. “We don’t eat out that much and with my friends, we do more lunch kind of stuff.”

  She accepted the menu the waiter offered. Dev reached out for his, but realized the young man wasn’t paying attention to him at all. Instead he seemed mesmerized by Noelle. It was only when the server had left that Dev looked at her, really looked, and saw her as others would. As a young woman rather than just the girl who had dated his brother.

  She was pretty, he thought with some surprise. Her skin was smooth and pale, her eyes a dark blue. Long blond hair hung well past her shoulders. Her dress hugged full curves although he remembered a narrow waist and hips.

  Her body got his attention and his body responded automatically. The sudden arousal and heat stunned him. What the hell? There was no way anything was going to happen between them. She was pregnant and his brother’s girl. What was wrong with him?

  He focused on the menu and pushed all other thoughts from his mind, although a lingering heat remained. Noelle wa
s nothing but someone in need. She was going to be like a sister to him. A much younger sister. There could never be anything between them.

  Unfortunately his promise to keep his vows popped into his head just then and he mentally groaned at the thought of two years of celibacy. Two very long years. Yet the thought of cheating wasn’t appealing, either.

  “Everything looks great,” Noelle said as she read the menu. “Are there any dishes you recommend?”

  They talked about the menu until they ordered, then Dev leaned back in his chair. “I have some paperwork I want you to look over,” he told her. “My lawyer wrote up an agreement. It’s very straightforward and there aren’t any surprises. The details are as we discussed. The baby will have Hunter as his or her last name. There will be a trust set up for the child, along with child support and a monthly income for you. When we divorce, you will be able to buy a house. With real estate values going up so much, I didn’t set a specific value. Instead, I’ve specified the type and size.”

  The waiter arrived with their drinks. Dev picked up his. “Your copy is in the car, along with a list of lawyers who are familiar with this kind of agreement and a letter saying I’ll pay for the consultation.” He leaned forward. “I’m serious about this, Noelle. Don’t take my word for what I’m telling you. Have someone knowledgeable look the document over and give you an opinion.”

  The more he insisted on her getting her own legal advice, the more she felt she didn’t need it, Noelle thought. But she would do as he asked. It was smart and he was making it easy.

  “I know you’re not trying to cheat me,” she said. “I’m not concerned.”

  “You have no reason to trust me.”

  That made her smile. “Dev, when you found out I was pregnant with your brother’s child, the first thing you did was propose. You never asked for a test to prove the baby was Jimmy’s, you didn’t accuse me of trying to trap him or you. I appreciate all that. You’re the kind of man who does the right thing. I respect your principles.”

  He stiffened and she wondered what she’d said that was wrong. Before she could ask what, he said, “We need to discuss the wedding. I think sooner is better than later.”