04 Reilly's Wildcard

by Anne Rainey

  “Whatever, but she doesn’t need to go running to you every friggin’ time she doesn’t get what she wants.” A look of pain crossed over his face as he said, “She could’ve talked to me.”

  “Oh yeah, that would’ve been fun. You, Jeanette, and the naked and stacked Holly. A real good time for Jeanette.” He cursed. “She cares about you and if you’d stop being so damn bullheaded you’d realize you care about her too.”

  “As a friend, nothing more,” he replied, his voice louder with his anger. “There can’t be anything more between us, and you know it.”

  “Because she’s too good for you,” Reilly said, knowing River as well as he knew himself. He waved that statement away. “Yeah, I’ve heard the speech a time or two. It was bullshit then, and it’s bullshit now.”

  River glared at him. “And you’re the expert on love these days? You got a woman knocked up. Excuse me if I don’t take your advice.”

  Reilly stood so fast the chair fell backward. “You know, I think I’ve been about as patient as I can be with you.”

  “Don’t like when someone interferes with your love life, huh?”

  “River, you’re pushing me. Let it go.”

  “I have to admit, Lucy is a pretty little thing. I can see the appeal. But you’re about as ready to be a daddy as I am. Who are you kidding with this?”

  Reilly sighed. This wasn’t going to end well; he could feel it in his bones. So much for his good mood.

  “It’s now or never, girlfriend. If you don’t tell him this instant, you may never work up the courage,” Lucy coaxed her reflection in the mirror. The pep talk wasn’t really working though. Her nerves were frazzled, and she fairly trembled with emotions.

  She was in love with Reilly, which was slightly terrifying. But the man had a right to know, didn’t he? Maybe he’d say the words back, and she’d be able to breathe again.

  Lucy tugged on the hem of her oversized baby-blue shirt and gave herself one last look in the rearview mirror. “God, I’m huge.” She groaned aloud. Did all pregnant women having twins get this big? Maybe she was having triplets. “No, don’t go there,” she warned herself as terror stole through her. Motherhood was daunting enough. She didn’t need to start thinking about it in terms of threes. She squared her shoulders, left the car and headed into the restaurant. She’d wanted to surprise Reilly and take him to lunch. She could tell him how she felt over a plate of pasta, and he’d reciprocate. At least, that was how it went in her head.

  She heard raised voices as she drew closer to the office. It sounded as if Reilly and River were going a round. She was about to make her presence known, but Reilly’s bitter words froze her blood, and she went utterly still.

  “Lucy is my problem, and I’ll deal with it,” he gritted out as he came around the side of the desk to confront River head-on. “Sure as hell I don’t need you coming in here and adding your two cents.”

  “Problem?” She clutched her stomach as pain tore through her. Tears sprang to her eyes at his callous remark. She’d stupidly thought he cared. “Is that how you see me?”

  He took a step toward her. “Lucy?”

  She held up a hand. “And here I actually thought you were beginning to care.” She shook her head. “I’m such a fool.”

  Lucy turned and ran out the door. Reilly and River both called her name, but the sound of her heart shattering blocked out all other noise. The only thing she could think to do was escape.

  Reilly caught up to her just as she reached the front door of the restaurant. “Lucy, stop, please.”

  “Why?” she asked as a sharp pain shot through her abdomen. It was fleeting, so she chalked it up to stress.

  “I do care about you,” Reilly said. “I didn’t mean what I said in there. I swear it.”

  “It’s my fault,” River added, coming up behind them. “I was angry and taking it out on Reilly. He wouldn’t have said those things if he’d been thinking straight.”

  She stiffened her spine, too afraid to believe either of them. “I was coming to surprise you for lunch,” she said, staring at the floor. “I wanted to tell you…” Lucy didn’t finish her statement. She couldn’t. Not now. She needed time to think. To clear her head.

  “Tell me what, sweetheart?” Reilly softly asked.

  “I-I need to get back to work.”

  “Don’t leave it like this,” he murmured. “Come on, talk to me.”

  Lucy could see the genuine anguish on Reilly’s face, but she needed some space, and if she stayed, she wouldn’t get it. “I need to get back to work.” In a firmer voice she said, “We can talk tonight.”

  “I’ll meet you at your apartment at six thirty?”

  She hiked her purse up higher on her shoulder. “Yeah, that’s fine.”

  He kissed the top of her head and placed his hand over her abdomen. “Be careful driving, sweetheart.”

  She nodded and left. She didn’t even make it to her car before the tears were streaming down her face. “Damn, damn, damn. Men suck.” She swiped them away and bit out an ugly curse as she got in behind the wheel. “He didn’t mean what he said,” she told herself as his words sank in.

  But Lucy knew better. She’d been down the road of denial when she’d found out about David cheating on her. She’d thought surely there’d been a mistake then too. But there hadn’t been. The bastard. He just couldn’t keep it in his pants. The one good thing that had come out of the mess of her marriage was the realization that karma was a real bitch. As David found out firsthand when his little girlfriend had turned around and cheated on him, with a guy who made more money, of course. Lucy had wanted to laugh in his face, but since she knew how devastating it was to have your heart crushed, she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

  Lucy pounded the memory-lane thoughts into unconsciousness and started her car. “Men definitely suck.”

  Chapter Nine

  Reilly leaned against Lucy’s apartment door and waited for her to get home from work. He’d shown up early, which had given him plenty of time to think of the best way to beg her forgiveness for being the biggest ass this side of Texas. Christ, how many times must he put his foot in his mouth with her before he finally learned his lesson?

  When Lucy showed up, he noticed how tired she looked, and it worried him. Reilly immediately took her in his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he said, his stomach in knots. “I didn’t mean what I said earlier.”

  “I don’t know what you want from me.”

  God, even her voice sounded raw. Reilly pulled back enough to see her face. Her cheeks were blotchy, and her eyes were red. She looked as bad as he felt. “Won’t you talk to me, Lucy?”

  “I don’t want to be hurt again,” she blurted out, her voice so soft he nearly didn’t hear. “I can’t, Reilly.”

  His anger overrode his fear. “I care about you. Can’t you see that?”

  She didn’t protest, didn’t come back with any smartass remarks. Just stood lifelessly in his arms. He knew the argument was too much for her. It wasn’t healthy for her or the babies to get so upset. He decided to put the conversation off until they were both a little less wound up.

  “Come on,” he murmured as he took hold of her keys and opened her door for her. He let her go in ahead of him, then closed and locked the door. She put her purse on the table next to the door and didn’t protest when Reilly brought her into the bathroom. “I think a warm bath is in order. We can discuss this after you’re relaxed.”

  “I can take care of myself,” she said, a note of frustration in her voice.

  He sighed. “I never said you couldn’t, sweetheart.” Before she could close the door on him, he said, “I’ll be right here if you need anything.”

  She nodded, then quietly closed him out. As he left to make her a pot of decaffeinated tea, he became aware of something crucial. Lucy hadn’t looked him in the eye. Not once since the argument at the restaurant.

  When she emerged a half hour later looking adorable in a pair of overs
ized pink sweatpants, a baggy white T-shirt and her hair up in a towel, Reilly knew it was time to tell her how he really felt about her. That he loved her. Would always love her.

  He poured her a cup of tea and put it on the table. “Sit, please. We need to clear up a few things.”

  Lucy pulled out a chair and sat down. “I honestly don’t feel like talking.” She placed a hand over her stomach, and her lips thinned. “All I want is to go to bed.”

  He crossed his arms and waited. “You aren’t going to bed, and you’re definitely not shutting me out anymore.” He sat across from her and said, “You’re going to start by explaining to me exactly why you can’t accept my apology. Is it so hard for you to believe that I was stupid and merely said the wrong things out of anger? Men do that. We’re idiots sometimes.”

  To Reilly’s delight, a furious gleam lit Lucy’s eyes. He recognized it as a good sign. At least she felt something. The cold-shoulder treatment from her scared the hell out of him. “I refuse to be a problem, for you or anyone else,” she gritted out as she tugged the towel off her head and placed it over the back of her chair.

  “You aren’t a problem,” he whispered as he leaned closer and took her hand in his. She was warm, too warm actually. He looked at her face and noticed she was actually sweating. “Are you feeling okay?”

  “I’m pregnant. Of course I’m not okay.” She yanked her hand out of his.

  “Stop it,” he gently demanded, frustration lacing his voice. “You will explain what is upsetting you and we will get this out in the open, once and for all.”

  Lucy’s gaze shot to his. Her lower lip trembled, and he had the horrible suspicion she was about to cry. “I was a problem for my dad too,” she explained. “Annabelle and I heard it our entire lives. I refuse to be another man’s problem, Reilly. I simply won’t go through it again.”

  God, she broke his heart when she talked about her childhood. “Ah, sweetheart.”

  Now the tears did fall. He’d never seen a woman sob so uncontrollably, and he began to worry for her and the babies. “You’ve got it all wrong, Lucy. It’s not what you think. I swear to you.”

  Her head shot up, and she glared at him. “I know what I heard. You can’t…” Her words trailed off as she clutched her stomach.

  Reilly’s entire body went on high alert as Lucy’s eyes grew wide and her face turned ghostly pale. He stood and came around the table just as she doubled over. “Is it the babies?”

  “I-I think my water broke,” she bit out, “and I’ve been having contractions off and on. I-I think I’m in labor.”

  All while he’d been arguing with her? Jesus, he was an ass. “Why didn’t you say anything, sweetheart?”

  She shook her head. “At first it felt like some minor cramps, nothing to worry about.” She paused before adding, “Apparently it wasn’t cramps.”

  The fear in Lucy’s voice prompted Reilly into action. In two strides, he was across the kitchen and grabbing his cell phone and keys off the counter, where he’d tossed them earlier. When he reached her side again, Reilly leaned down and kissed Lucy on the forehead, then told her softly, “I will be by your side every step of the way, sweetheart. You’re not to worry. Do you hear me?”

  “Reilly, please, I’m not even eight months along yet. I don’t want to lose the babies.” Her feathery voice quivered, and it broke his heart.

  He stroked her brow and murmured, “Have faith, sweetheart. It’s going to be okay. Remember, the doctor told you that a lot of twins are born early. It’s normal.”

  She nodded. “I-I love you, Reilly,” she gritted out through the pain as he helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry I was so angry.”

  Her words sent enough adrenaline through his system that Reilly felt like he could leap tall buildings. “Just breathe. We’ll have plenty of time to talk about all that.”

  Tears streamed down her cheeks. “What if—”

  “No, don’t go there.” Her broken sobs were killing him. Nothing was going to happen to Lucy. She had to be okay. “You are the mother of my children, and we will raise these babies together.”

  She started to say more, but he hushed her with a kiss to her lips and gently ushered her toward the door and out of the apartment. Once they were on their way to the hospital, Reilly glanced over and noted Lucy’s clenched teeth and her tight grip on the door handle. To see her in pain and unable to do anything about it sent a surge of helpless frustration through him. She was so fragile, her life so precious to him. It sickened him that she was going into labor thinking he didn’t love her, that he viewed her as a problem he’d been forced to deal with. But now wasn’t the time to deal with it. He’d have all the time in the world later to set her straight. And he’d damn well tell her over and over how much he loved her.

  By the time they reached the hospital, he’d already called his mom and let her know Lucy was in labor. He’d asked about her going into labor early, and his mother had assured him the babies would be fine. Lots of babies were born early, she’d explained. He forced himself to think positive. The babies and Lucy would both be fine. They had to be, because the alternative was too terrifying to consider.

  Lucy tried to sit up, but her back was still hurting, so she gave up and lay back down. Lordy, every muscle in her body ached, including a few she hadn’t even known existed. Clearly childbirth was no picnic, especially when delivering twins. The thought of ever going through it again made her cringe. Of course, she wouldn’t change a thing. Her babies were gorgeous identical twin boys, perfect in every way, even though they’d decided to greet the world early. They didn’t weigh as much as they should and needed to be monitored, but they were the most beautiful babies Lucy had ever seen. They had heads full of dark hair, just like Reilly. When Lucy recalled the way she’d blurted out her feelings moments before Reilly had rushed her out of the apartment, her face flamed in embarrassment.

  “Reilly, we should probably, um, talk.”

  He strode to the bed, grasped her hand and began to massage his thumb over the back of it. “Are you in pain? Do you want the doctor, sweetheart?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing like that. But, our conversation before…all this happened… We need to finish it.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to it?” She nodded, and Reilly sat next to her on the bed, then brought her hand to his lips and kissed each fingertip. “I love you with all my heart,” he said in a low, sexy tone. “I could not be happy without you in my life. I don’t view you as a problem. Nor do I feel that way about our babies. You’re a blessing to me, Lucy.”

  Her heart swelled with hope for the first time since hearing that awful conversation. “I was so afraid you were only putting up with me because of the babies.”

  He frowned and stroked her hair away from her face. “You should know better than that, sweetheart. Have I not shown you how much I care? Wasn’t I the one planning a romantic getaway? Wasn’t I the one vowing to your sister that I would take good care of you? Why would I do any of that if I didn’t care?”

  She felt awful for suspecting he could be so cold. How could she make such a huge mistake? She nearly threw up when she thought of how close she’d come to leaving him. “I’m sorry, Reilly. So sorry I doubted you. I love you so much, and it scared me. I never wanted to be so vulnerable with a man again. David destroyed my trust.”

  Reilly leaned down, placing both hands on either side of her body, caging her in. “Say that again. I sort of like hearing it.”

  She laughed. “I love you, and I’m sorry for doubting you.”

  His lips brushed hers, gently, sweetly; then he lifted a few inches. “I shot off at the mouth. I’m the one who should be apologizing. You were just guarding your heart.”

  “You know, I’m glad Dad called. It forced me to realize how completely shallow the man is. How shallow he is compared to you. You’re one hundred times the man he ever was.”

  “I pity him, to be honest,” Reilly said without a hint of remorse. “He lost two
terrific daughters. One of them just happens to be the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I know what I must look like right now, and beautiful isn’t a word I’d use to describe it.”

  “You are the stunningly gorgeous mother of my children,” he reiterated, his deep voice sliding over her skin like velvet. “And you belong to me. Always.”

  Reilly pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with such warmth and tenderness that Lucy’s eyes welled with tears. She’d been swept away with passion by Reilly’s kisses, but this time his love washed over her, and Lucy absorbed every ounce of it. He brushed gentle pecks to her forehead and cheeks before he straightened. “I’m so damn glad you came to the grand reopening of the restaurant.”

  “Me too,” she rushed out as she cupped his cheek. “And I have two healthy babies now who look very much like their father.”

  Reilly puffed up with pride. “Have you thought of names for them?”

  “Well, I’ve been thinking, and nothing really feels right.”

  He chuckled. “And we have two to decide on, not just one.”

  Her eyes widened. “Exactly. I was nervous about being a mother before. Now I’m twice as nervous.”

  “Earlier, when Mom was pacing the halls, she suggested we name one of them after Dad and the other after our granddad. Chet and Cameron. What do you think?”

  “Chet and Cameron,” she said, trying it out. “Yeah, I like those. They’re strong and trustworthy, like their father.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and murmured, “Mom’s going to be over the moon when she finds out.”

  “I’m over the moon right now,” she replied, feeling another sappy moment coming on. “I love you, Reilly Jennings.”

  “I love you, Lucy Rice.” A noise outside the room caught their attention. Reilly glanced toward the door. “I’d better go let the Jennings bunch in before they break down the door.”