A Pregnancy, a Party & a Proposal

by Teresa Carpenter

  The confrontation confirmed his worst fears. His most humiliating moment remained fresh in the minds of the community that had borne witness to it.

  His faithful friend was at the ready, and he lifted the camera to his eye and took a few shots. He sought out Lauren with the lens. Seeing her soothed his ravaged nerves. She balanced a half-empty plate on her lap. Her honey-brown eyes blinking repeatedly spoke of her fight to stay awake. It was barely nine—six by west coast timing—but she couldn’t keep her eyes open. Knowing her, she had started her day before six. And travel could be exhausting enough without suffering from a stomach ailment.

  Ray strolled across the room to rescue her tilting plate. “Time for you to go to bed.”

  “The party is still going on,” she protested as he pulled her to her feet.

  “And it can continue without us.” He handed her plate off to his cousin and led her to his grandmother. “Mamó, Lauren is exhausted. We’re going to leave for the hotel.”

  “Oh, no.” Mamó waved off his statement. “You’re both staying here. I made up your room special for you, with new sheets and towels.”

  He gritted his teeth. He loved his family, but he preferred the privacy and autonomy of a hotel in the nation’s largest city.

  Plus, he hadn’t missed the singular use of “room”—as in Lauren and him in the same sleeping quarters. He couldn’t do that to Lauren. She’d already made a huge concession by allowing the faux engagement to stand. He wouldn’t force her to share his room.

  “We don’t want to put you to extra trouble.” Ray chose an explanation she’d understand. And it was true, too. “Plus I have appointments in the city.”

  “Oh...” Disappointment turned Mamó’s smile upside down. “But we’ve already taken your things up to your room.” Resignation rang heavy in her voice. She turned to Lauren. “Would you prefer your own room, dear? Is that it? There’s a daybed in the sewing room. It’s a bit dusty in there—I confess I haven’t been in the room for several months—but it won’t take long to spruce it up.”

  Drat. He should have had his assistant call her with his itinerary, but he’d been busy arranging siting plans with the mayor’s office. Ray usually stayed in the city when he visited. He never stayed long, for precisely this reason.

  He hated seeing his grandmother upset. A glance at Lauren showed her following the conversation with a slight frown drawing her delicate eyebrows together. Her sleepy eyes lifted to his and he saw the words forming on her tongue. He forestalled her so she’d know exactly what she was getting herself into.

  “It’s best if we go to the suite at the hotel. I did promise Lauren her own space. Plus, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t have to be concerned about caring for houseguests.”

  “You know I don’t mind. But if it’s what you prefer...” All animation drained from Mamó’s face. “I was so looking forward to cooking you breakfast, like old times.”

  Lauren reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay, Ray. I’m fine with staying here if you’d like.”

  Now he really felt torn. He’d much rather stay at the hotel, but the option of holding Lauren in his arms through the night brought a whole new element to the situation.

  Generally he arranged his amorous adventures so he ended up alone in his own bed. He found it helped alleviate complications over the long haul. But for once a woman was less inclined for entanglement than he was.

  In their month-long fling only one memorable encounter had occurred in a bed. He’d run into her at a hotel where she and her sister had been working a holiday party for Garrett. Ray had dragged her out a side door for a few heated moments. She’d quickly put the brakes on because she’d been working, but he’d sent a room key to her and after the event she’d met him upstairs.

  It had turned out their stolen moment hadn’t been as private as he’d thought, because the next morning a picture of a torrid embrace between the two of them had hit the tabloids. Who would have predicted that moment would have led to this one?

  “If Lauren is okay with it, then I’m not going to say no to your pancakes.”

  In the end his purpose for being here motivated his decision. His worry had lifted during the party as Mamó had seemed like her old self. Watching the light fade out of her now tore at his gut. The fatigue stamped on Lauren’s fine features added weight to Mamó’s request. Staying here benefited both women at this point. And, truly, if he wanted to get Mamó out of her funk he needed to give a little too. Disappointing her on his first day was not a smart move.

  “Excellent.” Mamó clapped her hands together. “I’ll show you up.”

  “No need.” He kissed her cheek before pulling Lauren after him toward the stairs. “I know the way.”

  “It was a lovely party,” Lauren said over her shoulder.

  “Thank you, dear. I look forward to getting to know you better tomorrow.”

  “Goodnight, Mamó,” he called.

  Upstairs, he opened the door to his childhood room and ushered Lauren inside. He half expected the room to be the same as when he’d left for UCLA fifteen years ago. Luckily the movie posters, twin beds, and blue plaid bedspread were long gone. Instead the walls were painted a pale green and a queen bed stood in the middle of the room, covered by a sage comforter with brown swirls. A large rug in reverse colors was spread across the hardwood floor.

  Well, most of it had changed. He grinned when he focused on the art. Movie posters, but instead of being tacked to the wall these were framed behind glass and they were posters for his movies.

  “Nice touch.” Lauren walked to the window and pulled the chocolate-brown curtains closed. “She obviously keeps up with your work.”

  “When I left for Los Angeles she asked me to send her memorabilia of all my work. I didn’t realize it was going on the walls.”

  “She loves you. It was sweet of you to agree to stay.”

  He shrugged. It shouldn’t be a big deal. It wouldn’t be if his grandmother had agreed to move from this neighborhood. He felt powerless here.

  “I’m not the one who wanted separate rooms,” he pointed out, slowly stalking her into the corner of the room.

  When her back hit the wall, her hands hit his chest.

  “Stop right there.” She cocked her chin up and looked down her pretty little nose at him. “Nothing has changed.”

  He groaned and dropped his forehead on hers. “Please don’t tell me I’m going to be sleeping on the floor.”

  “That won’t be necessary.” She kissed his cheek, then slipped away. Their suitcases sat at the end of the bed and she moved to lift one of hers onto the comforter. “We’ll share the bed, but the no touching rule still stands. As much as possible, anyway. We’ll sleep facing away from each other.”

  He laughed and picked up his camera. “You’re joking, right?”

  “I’m not, actually.” She rocked on her heels, frowning at the lens directed at her. “I don’t have the energy to joke.”

  With her confession he realized she was actually swaying on her feet.

  She pulled a toiletries bag from her case along with a nightgown. “New rule: no nudity in this room. Including socks.”

  “Socks?” He got the no nudity—not that he liked it. But what was the deal with socks?

  “Yes, socks. No stripping down to your socks and pretending you’re not naked.”

  He cocked his head and tugged on the end of her pale ponytail. “It sounds like you’ve used these rules before.”

  “No,” she denied. “But I know how men think. So don’t bother pushing the limits. Not only would it be a cop-out, but let me just warn you: the socks alone look isn’t sexy.”

  “Don’t worry—it’s not a look you’ll ever see on me. Now, you...” he leaned close to whisper in her ear “...are free to prance around in stocki
ngs anytime you want.”

  “Not going to happen.” She used the hand clutching her nightgown to push him back. “The rules are for both of us. So do you agree?” She scowled at him until he came out from behind the camera and nodded. “Good. Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to use the bathroom first.”

  “Go ahead.” He pointed to a door in the corner. “You can use that door or the one in the hall.”

  “Thank you.” She skirted around him. “Quit aiming that camera at me. The rules make this a safe zone. There’s no need to hide.” And with that she disappeared into the bath.

  He set the camera down. How did she do that? See straight to his soul?

  No one had ever questioned why he carried a camera. He’d picked up Mamó’s small automatic camera not long after his parents had died. Happy to have him show an interest in something—anything—she had given it to him. For a long time he had hidden behind it. It was a world he controlled. He supposed old habits died hard.

  Lauren wasn’t herself tonight. Sure, she’d pressed her rules on him, but she lacked her usual sass and fire. The trip had obviously taken a lot out of her. Hopefully the faint shadows under her eyes and her low energy would go away after a good night’s sleep. It unsettled him to see her out of sorts. At least her stomach seemed to have settled down.

  While he waited for her to finish in the bathroom he checked the dresser and found the drawers were empty. Hiking his suitcase onto the bed, he swept the contents up in one arm and dropped them into the bottom drawer.

  He eyed Lauren’s open case and decided to help her out. Her stuff went in the top and middle drawers. Then he emptied her garment bag into the closet. Their shoes went on top of the stacked luggage in the bottom of the closet.

  Once he’d finished the unpacking he settled in the lone armchair and tapped his fingers on the brown Pleather arm. He glanced at his watch: just after ten. No way was he sleeping anytime soon. Especially in that tiny bed with Lauren tucked up next to him. Not with a no touching rule firmly in place.

  Hell. He scrubbed his hands over his face. It was bad enough being back in his old neighborhood, with all the memories waiting to trip him up, now he had to deal with a faux engagement.

  He closed his eyes and just for a moment pretended it was real, that he and Lauren were on the brink of starting a life together. He saw the future spread out before him, complete with Lauren at his side and a beaming Mamó cradling a baby in her arms. The wonder of it felt so real he had to shut it down.

  The shower was turned off in the next room. He walked over and gave a brief knock. A muffled acknowledgement came from the other side.

  “Hey, I’m going to rejoin the party for a while.”

  The door opened a crack and one golden eye peeked at him. “Okay, thanks for letting me know.”

  “Leave space for me,” he taunted her, hoping to spark some of her fire.

  “I will,” was her quiet response. “Goodnight.”

  “Night.” He sighed.

  The door closed. He pressed his hand to the wood and assured himself she’d be her old self in the morning. Then he grabbed his camera off the dresser and headed back to the party, the option of spending time with the matriarchs of his old neighborhood only slightly better than the torture of lying awake in a platonic bed with Lauren.

  * * *

  Lauren leaned against the bathroom door until she heard the bedroom door click. The door of the bedroom she shared with Ray Donovan.

  What had she been thinking?

  She’d been so careful to outline her conditions for accompanying Ray, with separate rooms right at the top. Plain and simple: Mamó had got to her. The pleading in her eyes, the resignation on her face... Until that moment Lauren hadn’t seen the depression Ray feared, but seeing the loneliness in the older woman’s eyes had made Lauren sad. No way could she deny her. Lauren loved her family, and couldn’t imagine her mother’s reaction if she tried to stay at a hotel when she visited.

  Of course not every family was as close as hers. How she longed for a cuddle with her mom.

  Wanting to take advantage of Ray’s absence, she hurried to brush her teeth and slip into her nightshirt—an oversized T-shirt that fell to her knees and hung off her shoulder. It was the most comfortable and least appealing sleep garment in her wardrobe. She’d brought it for the comfort, but was glad for its lack of allure now she was sharing with Ray.

  Yawning, she moved into the bedroom. The thought of unpacking filled her with dread. Her limbs felt so heavy she could barely lift them. The bed looked inviting. She wanted nothing more than to pull back the comforter and climb in.

  Wait. She blinked at the empty spread. Where did her suitcase go?

  She scuffed around to the other side, thinking Ray must have set it aside. Nope. Next she opened the top drawer of the dresser. She stared down at the contents, blinked, and stared a moment more, her mind slow to accept the notion of Ray unpacking for her. But there was the evidence.

  Tears stung her eyes. How sweet. Seriously, she could kiss the man.

  Good thing he wasn’t around or she might break another rule.

  The contents of the drawer needed straightening, but it was good enough for tonight. She tucked her dirty clothes into a corner and shoved the drawer closed. All things considered, Ray had been pretty decent today—taking care of her, sticking to the rules even when it upset his grandmother, unpacking her things.

  Well, except for the kiss on the plane.

  She pressed her lips together to squash the smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. She would not let the man seduce her again. No doubt he’d be back to his regular dictatorial self tomorrow. She’d be better able to deal with him then.

  Giving in to her weariness, she burrowed into the queen bed, staying strictly to her side.

  After all, rules were rules.

  * * *

  Mamó fell asleep in her chair as the last guests were leaving. Ray helped Kyla and Ellie on cleanup by carrying the dirty dishes to the kitchen while they put the food away and loaded the dishwasher. When he came back from taking out the trash, Aunt Ellie shooed Kyla off to bed.

  Kyla folded her dishtowel and hung it over the stove handle. “Only because I have work in the morning.” She stopped by Ray to kiss his cheek. “Welcome home.”

  He punched her in the arm. “Good to see you, too.”

  “Ow! That hurt.” Rubbing her arm, she made for the door leading next door. “Bully.”

  “Girl.”

  “And proud of it. Night, Mom.” Kyla stuck her tongue out at Ray just before she disappeared.

  He grinned and turned to his aunt, slipping his arm around her shoulder. “It’s good to be home.” He nodded toward Mamó. “How is she doing?”

  “Sound as an old horse. But she’s been down a lot lately. It was good to see her so up tonight. You being here is going to be good for her.”

  “I hope so.” His gut clutched at the concern in his aunt’s eyes. “Don’t they have meds for depression these days?”

  “Yes, but she wouldn’t take them even if she agreed to go to the doctor and get properly diagnosed. You know how she is about taking medicine. I’ve been checking out the internet to find natural remedies through diet and exercise.”

  “That sounds great.”

  “Of course the best thing would be—”

  “For me to get married? Come on, Ellie, that’s not fair. And announcing it to the neighbors isn’t going to magically make it happen.”

  Ellie groaned. “I know. I’m so sorry.”

  “Oh, I know where to place the blame. And we’ll be talking in the morning.”

  “Don’t be too hard on her. Mrs. Renwicki was being particularly obnoxious about Camilla—going on about her expecting her third child. Not only was Mom upset on your behalf, but I�
��m sure she was thinking those could have been her great-grandkids.”

  “Not in this lifetime.”

  “No, of course not. Obviously Mom lost it for a moment there.”

  All too familiar with Mamó’s desire for him to marry and produce a great-grandbaby, Ray rolled his head over the hunched muscles of his shoulders. To keep from giving her false hope was one of the reasons he kept his affairs private.

  “Yeah, well, it’s not just me she’s involved in her fabrication,” he reminded his aunt.

  “Gosh, you’re right.” Ellie’s worried gaze went to the ceiling, towards where his room was situated. “Will Lauren try to take advantage?”

  He barked out a laugh. “Not likely. But there were a lot of people who bore witness to Mamó’s announcement.”

  “Oh.” Ellie covered her mouth with her fingers. “You think someone will leak the news? But these are friends of the family.”

  “Who will see nothing wrong with sharing the knowledge with their friends and family. So, yeah, I expect word to get to the press within a couple of days.”

  Something he needed to warn Lauren about. She might not have been so quick to give in to Mamó if she’d realized the news would become public.

  Which meant he owed her an apology as well as his appreciation.

  “Ray...” Ellie fretted, regret in her hazel eyes.

  “Don’t worry about it. I’ll call my assistant, get him started on damage control.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Do you need help getting her to bed?”

  “No.” She patted his hand. “I’ve got her. I just need to finish cleaning up. You head on up. I hope we weren’t too overwhelming for Lauren?”

  “No, she’ll be fine. She’s close with her family so she gets it.”

  “Good. She seems nice.”

  “She is.” To most people. She liked to bust his chops, but he knew she’d get along with his family. If only to spite him. He actually looked forward to her giving him guff again. It would mean she was back to her old self.

  “Why don’t you take care of Mamó and I’ll finish up here?”