Fiance for Keeps

by Gail Chianese

  “A baby?” His mom brought her hands up in tight fists, trying her best not to clap. She bit down on her lip, glancing nervously between Cherry and Jason. At their nod, she jumped up and down and hugged Kevin. “Oh my gosh, I’m going to be a grandma. I’m so happy for you both. Not that I wasn’t going to be one, what with the girls coming into my life, but they’re not babies anymore and don’t like to be cuddled.”

  She stopped short on her way to hug the mom-to-be and pulled back. “You don’t mind, do you? I know I’m not Jason’s biological mom, but I’ve loved him like he was my own for far longer than I can remember not loving him.”

  Cherry got up and took his mom’s hands in her own. “I’d be honored. I know how much Jason loves you, and a child can never have too many grandmothers to spoil him or her.”

  Kevin stepped up, gave Cherry a quick hug, and shook Jason’s hand. “Congratulations.”

  “Thank you both. I’m glad the wedding is soon, though. My clothes are already a little snug. Of course, that could be the nightly visits with Ben and Jerry.”

  “And that is why, chica, Dave and I moved our wedding up to the first weekend in May. The boys will have to take a vacation until then, as you are not wearing yoga pants as my matron of honor,” Tawny teased and shook her head. “Seriously, she showed me a pair in royal blue last week and said those were her wedding pants. My mom would flip. Then again . . .”

  “You two will have to get hot so our kids can grow up together,” Jason said to Dave. “You too, Bro.”

  “Someday, Cupid.”

  Denise turned to look at him, her brows drawn down, and her earlier, easy smile had disappeared.

  “Kevin, darling. I’ve got some sparkling cider in the fridge. Would you mind helping me with it, while I get the glasses? We’ve got weddings and babies to celebrate.”

  His mom and Kevin slipped off to the kitchen and the group turned to talking about the next lacrosse game and getting together afterward, as well as Dave and Tawny’s Habitat for Humanity project. Everyone except Denise, who remained unusually quiet. As the glasses were passed out, she shifted, adding distance between them. She joined in for the toasts, but her confident look had disappeared.

  “Hey, is everything okay?” he asked, trying to separate them from the others for a moment of privacy.

  “Yeah, sure. I just noticed the time. I need to get going. I forgot I need to swing by my place before I head into work.”

  “When you get off, why don’t you come over and I’ll make you breakfast?”

  “That sounds nice.” Her eyes drifted toward the others and then back to him. “You know, I’m still suffering from jet lag. I’ll give you a call, okay?”

  Where had he heard that before? Oh, yeah, after their weekend together last October.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Something was in the water and she needed to find the source because if she wasn’t careful, she’d end up married, pregnant, or crazy.

  Or maybe all three.

  Ever since she’d left Dena Nichols’s celebratory dinner party, Denise hadn’t had much time to think. Was it a full moon? Hadn’t they just had a full moon? She’d swear that for the past few weeks—no, make that months—every day had felt like a full-moon cycle, with the crazy ruling her life. How else could she explain signing the contract to go on the show, being surrounded by brides-to-be and pregnant women, and thinking she and Brody stood a chance of making it again?

  “Hey, there you are.” Jenna walked up to Denise and leaned against the sterile white wall. “What a night. I haven’t even had a chance to tell you congratulations.”

  “On?”

  “Your fellowship.” Jenna tilted her head to the side, probably wondering if Denise had lost her mind.

  “Oh, right. I officially start next week, but until then—”

  “The thing is, I’m worried about you,” Jenna interrupted.

  “I’m fine. Why would you be worried?”

  Her friend fidgeted, looked away, shoved her hands in her pockets, and shifted. Normally, Jenna blurted out whatever was on her mind, so this must be big.

  “Just say it,” Denise said.

  “It’s a bad idea. There’s a reason Brody’s back in your life, but if you take the fellowship, you’ll never know what that reason is because you won’t have any time for him and you. Plus, I see how you are around kids. I see the look of longing on your face when you gaze at a sweet baby, and I see the sadness steal over you when you think no one is looking.”

  Relocating and starting over where no one knew her past sounded better all the time. Not that she couldn’t handle a little tough love from her family or friends, but wow, talk about a direct blow to her heart. If the comment had come from her mom, it would have pissed her off and she could have let it roll, but she hadn’t expected her best friend to deliver such a crushing hit. No one knew better than Denise how much she longed to hold the little one she’d lost or how her heart broke when she handed her nephew Xander back to his mom, knowing her arms would remain empty.

  “I’m fine. Thanks for your concern, but you needn’t worry about me.”

  Jenna winced at the words.

  “Dr. Saunders, ambo is a minute out. Got a woman in advanced labor. Dr. Green is stuck in traffic and OB is slammed,” Kris called out.

  “Guess we’ll see,” Jenna muttered under her breath.

  “Get one set up,” Denise instructed over her shoulder as she headed off to scrub up.

  The EMTs pushed the gurney into exam room one and the doctor in Denise pushed all what ifs with Brody and thoughts of personal loss to the side. She introduced herself, checked the patient, and smiled. “I want you to push on three. One, two, three.”

  For the next hour, the outside world ceased to exist as Denise coached her patient, telling her when to push and when to hold so she could clear the baby’s airway. Supporting the child’s head, Denise scanned both mother and child for signs of distress, glanced at the monitors tracking vitals, and fought tears of joy as she witnessed one of life’s most precious moments.

  Pride and an overwhelming mix of happiness and sadness overcame her as she looked into the dark blue eyes of the little boy before handing him to his mom. Denise didn’t know what to make of the strong emotions flowing through her. She caught Jenna watching her, chewing on her bottom lip with a look of concern in her eyes.

  Denise turned to the new mom. “How are you feeling, Hannah?”

  “Like I climbed to the top of the world—exhausted and ecstatic. I’m just sorry little Patrick’s dad couldn’t be here. He’s flying in from Chicago.”

  “I hear I missed all the fun.” Dr. Green, a gray-haired man in his early sixties, stepped into the room. He walked over to where one of the nurses was finishing up her tasks with the baby. “Apgar?”

  “Nine, doctor.”

  “Good, good, and our new mom?” He did a quick exam of Hannah before turning to Denise, who brought him up-to-date on the delivery.

  “Excellent job. You’re going to make a great addition to the women’s health staff.”

  Denise thanked him, congratulated the new mom again, and excused herself. Tears blurred her vision as she hustled down the hall. Someone called out to her. She turned a corner and ducked into the first room she could find. Great, a supply closet. How cliché could she get?

  What the hell is wrong with me?

  The delivery had gone as smooth as silk. Not one hiccup and both mother and child were fine, so why the tears? She could understand if she’d lost one or both or even come close. Shouldn’t she be out passing out fake cigars for the new arrival? High-fiving or fist bumping her colleagues? Something happy. Not sitting on a cold floor in a dark closet, rocking back and forth as tears streaked down her face.

  The door squeaked open and Jenna poked her head in. “There you are.” Jenna sank to her knees across from Denise. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

  When Denise didn’t answer her, Jenna pulled her hands away from her face and he
ld them in her lap. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did earlier. You’ll do great in women’s health. I think baby Patrick is proof of that, and what happens between you and Brody is none of my business. Please ignore your interfering friend and say you forgive me?”

  Denise sucked in her breath to bring the sobs to a quiet sniffle. With her free hand, she wiped the dampness off her cheeks and brought her knees up in front of her. “It’s not that. I don’t know what’s wrong.” She’d been running different illnesses through her head, checking for matching symptoms. It’d be so much easier to blame her crying jag on being sick, but it was more than that.

  “There’s nothing to forgive. You only did what a true friend would do, make me pull my head out of my a—Well, let’s go with make me look at the situation with a clear head.” A deep breath helped steady her nerves. “Working around pregnant women will be hard, but I also think, given my history, it’ll make me a more empathetic physician. As for Brody, I don’t know what’s going to happen there.”

  “Did something happen earlier, before your shift?”

  “We celebrated his mom’s upcoming wedding and met the charming man she’s going to marry and Cherry announced she’s pregnant.” Her eyes welled up until she squeezed them shut to hold back the tears. “He wants kids, Jenna.”

  “Who? Cherry’s husband? I should think so, or hope so, because she’s preggers.”

  Denise shook her head. “No, Brody. The guys were teasing him that he needed to catch up and he said ‘someday.’ It wasn’t so much what he said but how he said it, with this longing in his voice and a wistful look on his face. He couldn’t tear his gaze off Cherry’s stomach.”

  “Oh.” Jenna sat back against the shelves, her mouth hanging open. “You’ve never told him. Denise, you’ve got to tell him what happened. If you want a life with him, you’ve got to tell him about your medical history.”

  “I know, but I can’t just blurt out that I have a better chance of winning the mega Powerball than I do of getting pregnant. Why couldn’t I have fallen in love with one of the other guys? At least then there wouldn’t be all this extra baggage to cart around, and if I’d thought for one minute that Brody had changed his tune and wanted kids, I would have sent him packing that first day, regardless of what the producers wanted. I never would have let it get this far.”

  “How far are we talking? Are you two engaged again?” Jenna whispered, not that anyone could hear them inside the small closet.

  A small laugh escaped. “We may as well be. I told my mom this morning, and his mom and friends all know we’re dating again.”

  “Has your mom booked the church yet?”

  “I wouldn’t be surprised. Hopefully, she’ll be too focused planning Chel’s big fat Greek wedding. Not to mention the arrival of Elysia’s twins and Dena Nichols’s wedding and Brody’s best friend’s wedding. Whatever you do, don’t drink the water.”

  Her friend nudged her with her shoe. “Maybe you should guzzle a gallon or two.”

  Denise pushed up to her feet and dusted off her rear. “With my luck, instead of married and happily expecting, I’d end up crazy.”

  They opened the door to hear her phone buzz, followed by Jenna’s.

  “Ah, but then you could be on the same train as the rest of us around here.” They read their texts as they walked out of the closet.

  “And it looks like they’ve arrived with the next batch of passengers. Ambo in two minutes.”

  Brody heaved another box of his mom’s stuff into the bed of Jason’s truck. This would make their second load and they had at least another two to go, and that didn’t include the furniture. Where they were going to stash all this stuff in Kevin’s already full house, he had no idea.

  Not his monkeys, not his circus.

  He’d been summoned to move boxes, nothing more.

  Besides, he had his own issues to deal with, like prepping for an associate to join him at work and figuring out his relationship with Denise.

  Leaning on the side rails, he took in his childhood home. They didn’t own it. His parents never had had more than two dimes to rub together, much less put a down payment on a house. Nonetheless, the two-bedroom bungalow had been home.

  “Figures. We’re busting our humps and he’s out here slacking.” Dave dropped the box he carried into the last empty spot and moved over for Jase.

  “You’re out of shape, Bro. You need to get out from behind that desk of yours and join us on the job sites more often.”

  “Silent partner, remember?”

  “Someone needs to look up what silent means,” Dave teased.

  “Up yours, Farber. I stay out of the running of Valentine Rehab.”

  “Unless it suits you not to.” Jase nodded toward the house. “Seems strange to think of your mom living anywhere else.”

  Yeah, he was still trying to wrap his brain around the changes. It’d be a while before he’d be able to drive past the little blue house and think of it as anything other than his mom’s. It was good, though. The move would allow him and his mom to put the past behind them, where it belonged. No more haunting memories assaulting them when they entered a room. It was time for new memories to be made.

  “No stranger than my parents being back together,” Dave said. “I keep waiting for the fights to come, but they’re all smiles and lovey-dovey. It’s like slipping into an alternate reality.”

  “Hey, boys.” Brody’s mom walked out of the house carrying a tray. “Iced tea and cookies to restore your energy levels. We’ll hold off on the furniture and bedroom stuff until I get back from my honeymoon. After all, I still need a place to sleep for the next thirteen nights.”

  The guys dug into the cookies while his mom hopped up onto the tailgate of the truck to keep them company. “You boys have to promise you’ll stop by just like you’ve always done, and bring Cherry and Tawny with you. I may be getting married, but nothing’s changing where you’re concerned. You’re my boys, my family, and Kevin really wants to get to know you. He always wanted more kids, but his wife couldn’t have them, so he sees this as a double blessing.”

  “You can count on us, Mrs. N,” Jase said. “Where are you two crazy kids going on your honeymoon?”

  “Bermuda. I can’t wait to walk on a pink beach. Not to mention the warmth.”

  “Tell me about it. A week ago I was in California and it was sunny and seventy. Come home to snow flurries and freezing my butt off one day and roasting the next,” Brody grumbled.

  “New England, she’s a bipolar bi—” Dave stopped at the raised eyebrow from Brody’s mom.

  “I’m going to go in and clean up my mess. I’ve got some cookies stashed inside for the girls. Make sure they make it home.”

  Her tone had all three muttering “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Brody, dear, will you see Denise later? I’ve got a bag for her too.”

  He rubbed at the back of his neck, not really sure of the answer. She hadn’t called or texted when she got off work, which could have meant she was too tired to remember or pissed off. Running scared? Freaked out? If she didn’t call before her next shift, he’d use the cookies as an excuse to stop by.

  “I’ll make sure she gets them, Mom, and thanks.”

  Neither Jase nor Dave made a move. One stood drumming his fingers on the side rails and the other looked off into the distance. For two guys who had moaned and groaned about giving up their morning with their ladies, they didn’t seem to be in a hurry now. But Brody knew their signs. They had something on their minds and neither wanted to be the one to bring it up.

  “What’s up, guys?”

  Jason looked to Dave, who looked back in turn. Brody, not in the mood for more guessing games, turned to walk back into the house. He didn’t need their bullshit.

  “Man, married life has made you soft, Cupid,” Dave blurted out. “So, Bro, what’s the deal with you and Denise? Do we still hate her?”

  That stopped him in his tracks. He threw his head back and
counted to ten. If only he knew. Well, the second question was easy. It was the first that drove him nuts.

  “I’ve never hated her, Fubar.” He turned around to face his friends. “I wanted to. Tried to, but you know what they say about that fine line. Guess I could never step over into the dark side. So no, don’t hate her. Although I appreciate the loyalty.”

  “Until the bitter end, Bro.” He held out his fist, and Brody thought about leaving him hanging, changing his mind at the last second and exchanging a fist bump.

  “You know, with bringing her last night, your mom is going to have certain expectations for the two of you right?” Jase asked.

  “The thought crossed our minds. I’ve kept out of her relationship with Kevin, so I’m sure Mom will do the same for me.”

  Both guys snorted in response.

  “What?”

  “You want us to believe you didn’t run one background check on the doc?” Jason shook his head and clamped his hand on Brody’s shoulder. “I’ll believe that when elephants in pink tutus fly across the sky.”

  “Bro, did you hit your head while in California or just soak up too much sun? She’s your mom. It’s her job to stick her nose in your business and, according to my mom, it’s her—and I quote—‘God-given right’ to worry about you until her last breath and then some.”

  Brody rubbed at the back of his neck and rolled his head around, attempting to loosen the invisible noose. “She’ll be too busy with her wedding, and Denise’s mom has her sister’s to fuss over. We should be in the clear for a while. At least long enough to figure this thing out between us.”

  “Are you kidding? They each have two down and you two are the only ones left. I’m betting they’ll gang up and pull together. You better keep your guard up.” Dave lifted the tailgate and shoved it shut. “If not, Denise is going to cut and run again.”

  Brody grabbed his friend as he headed toward the house. “Why do you say that? Did Tawny say something to you?”

  “No. It was the look on her face last night,” Dave said.