She dropped the bag of foil-wrapped chocolates on the kitchen counter and headed into the bathroom. After reading the directions, she took the test.
Her cell phone shrilled and Lindy left the bathroom to get it. Her shoulders slumped as she read the caller ID. Shane. She certainly didn’t need him showing up on her doorstep again. Not today. She answered the call. “Hello.”
“Hi. I wanted to make sure you got home okay.”
“I did,” Lindy said. She walked back into the bathroom. The pregnancy test was exactly where she’d left it, lying on the countertop, white plastic on beige Formica.
Shane’s warm baritone rumbled in her ear. “So how are you feeling? Any better? You’ve crawled into bed, haven’t you?”
“Uh, yes,” Lindy stammered, her attention diverted by the lines forming in each of the test windows. The pink line in the larger window confirmed the test was complete. The pink line in the other window meant—
Lindy let her legs collapse out from under her as she slid down the bathroom door. Her rear hit the cool tile and she leaned back against the doorframe.
“Lindy? Are you feeling better? Do you need anything? I can be there in twenty minutes. I’m worried about you. You are feeling better, right?”
No. Lindy closed her eyes. She wouldn’t be feeling like herself again for nine months. And she never would be free of Shane Jacobsen. Not when she was having his baby.
“I’m fine, Shane,” she lied. “I’m just fine.”
Chapter Three
“Oh, my God! No wonder you were so sick yesterday! You’re pregnant!”
Uh-oh. Lindy winced before glancing over to watch Tina storm out of the bathroom, positive pregnancy test in hand. “Put down that pancake syrup and tell me the truth, Melinda Jean Brinks! This is yours, isn’t it, which means that you are pregnant!”
“Yes,” Lindy said. All night she’d been patting her flat stomach, imagining the changes she couldn’t yet feel—changes she knew would be evident in just a few months. Lindy spoke again, as if by telling her best friend she made it even more real. “Yes, I’m pregnant.”
To avoid Tina’s speculative gaze, Lindy let the syrup run over the pancakes. The trash bag rustled, indicating that Tina had disposed of the test.
Pancakes ready, Lindy used breakfast as an excuse to step out of Tina’s orbit. Once married herself, Tina was a take-charge, no-nonsense woman whom Lindy often envied. Tina wouldn’t waffle; she’d just keep going straight ahead the way she had when her husband had started cheating on her. Lindy sat at the tiny kitchen table, the small bite of pancake tasting papery against her tongue.
“I don’t know if I want to know,” Tina said, breaking the short silence, “but you know I must. On a hopeful note, Craig’s?”
“You know I don’t feel anything for him,” Lindy said, her focus still on her plate. “I feel guilty enough that he likes me, but I can’t get into him. I haven’t seen him for two months and never once did I do more than kiss him good-night.”
“So that means it’s…”
“Shane’s,” Lindy confirmed. She glanced up in time to see the look of disapproval that crossed Tina’s face when she heard Shane’s name. Lindy quickly continued, “But he doesn’t know.”
“He doesn’t know.” Tina’s tone changed abruptly as the implications of that revelation set in. “If he doesn’t know, then what are you planning on doing? Surely, no—”
“No. I’m having this baby,” Lindy said hurriedly. “I will not have an abortion, nor will I have the baby and give it away.”
The former had been something Tina had done when she was twenty, and regretted to this very day. When Lindy had lain awake all night, contemplating, she’d known that, without a doubt, she’d never terminate a pregnancy. She’d manage—somehow.
Tina’s voice cut through the sudden silence. “I’m glad. But, since you’re planning on having this baby, you are planning on telling Shane, aren’t you?”
The words were out before Lindy could think to stop them. “He doesn’t even know that we had sex.”
Tina thumped onto the chair opposite Lindy. She pushed back a wayward strand of her brunette hair. “I really think you need to tell me about this.”
Lindy stabbed at a piece of pancake, although she didn’t lift it to her lips. “There’s really nothing to tell. He threw that party for his birthday, and fool that I am, after he called me, I went. He’d been mixing alcohol and painkillers, and I got way too drunk. End of story. I, like most stupid women, succumbed to the Shane Jacobsen playboy charm.”
“And…”
Lindy dropped the fork and pushed her barely touched breakfast plate away. “Best sex of my life and he doesn’t remember a thing.”
“Oh, honey!” Tina reached over and enveloped Lindy in a huge bear hug. “I’m so sorry. But haven’t I been warning you about him?”
“Yes, and I admit it, I knew better.” Tears brimmed in Lindy’s eyes but she sniffed them back. No more tears. She’d cried enough over Shane Jacobsen. “You’re right, I know better! But I couldn’t help it. It was like someone took over my body and set me free to indulge in my greatest fantasy. And indulge I did. And I know I have no excuse for my behavior.”
“That’s good, I guess,” Tina acknowledged.
“But I love him. Or is it just obsession? Whatever it is, he’s my Willoughby. You know, like in Sense and Sensibility? I know he’s wrong for me, but I can’t help myself from caring. Why can’t I be sensible?”
“Lindy, it’s okay to admit you love him, and it’s okay to hurt.” Tina pulled Lindy closer. “I know you love him, and believe me, he doesn’t deserve you. I wish that somehow you’d find that Colonel Brandon who will love you. I know he’s out there, and you know I’ll be here for you, like always, whatever you decide.”
“I know. Thank you.” Lindy let herself rest in her best friend’s arms, the way she’d been doing ever since high school.
“Nothing has an easy answer anymore,” Lindy finally said. “My pregnancy will be obvious in a short while. It’s not like I can hide it!”
“Shh,” Tina said gently. She drew back slightly. “You’ve got a little time to figure things out. And this apartment is big enough for a baby. At least for now. And you have that new job to consider. The pay will be a big help. So eat your breakfast.”
“I just hope it stays down,” Lindy said as Tina pushed the plate of pancakes back in front of her.
“It will,” Tina said. “Think positive. For a while, Shane won’t know. And if nothing else, you can always tell him the baby’s someone else’s.”
Lindy shot Tina a dirty look. “Okay, scratch that,” Tina said. “Just when is your last day again?”
“Like I told you, I’m giving my notice tomorrow. That way I will have stayed a month, like I told him I would.”
“Well, that’s something to be thankful about,” Tina said, more to comfort herself than Lindy. “So let’s think positive. After about two weeks you’ll never have to see Shane again. After all, he never goes to Jacobsen Enterprises and I doubt he ever will, not so long as he can spite his grandfather with it. Now, my dear, I have to go to work. I’m actually on local flights for a while, running back and forth from here to Chicago. Leave a message on my cell phone if you need me. I get a thirty-minute break between flights.”
“Okay.”
Tina stood. “Lindy?”
Lindy looked up and Tina smiled. “Stop feeling sorry for yourself, honey. You are a survivor, and you’re going to have a baby.” Tina’s face clouded for a moment and then her expression softened. “And as much as I hate to say it, it’s Shane’s baby and you love him. You have to tell him.”
Panic gripped Lindy. Yes, it was the right thing to do, telling Shane. But not now. Not until she had herself together. Not until she freed herself from her love-sick obsession with Shane. And rid herself of the Shane-standard she judged other men by. Maybe then she could tell him. But not now. She took a steadying breath.
“I can’t tell him, Tina. I don’t want my baby to suffer visitation like I had to. I don’t want my baby passed between two parents and get caught up in their endless differences. No, I don’t want that, not even for the child support money. I thought of that last night. No joint custody. It’s best he not know. I’m not going to tell him.”
“I still think you should tell him. Who knows? Maybe he’ll do the right thing and marry you,” Tina said, without much enthusiasm. “Even I have to admit that although he’s a playboy, he is a Jacobsen and they do have a tendency to do the right thing.”
And how often had Lindy thought of that? Being Mrs. Shane Jacobsen was her wildest dream. But trapping Shane into it? Never.
“I tortured myself with that too,” Lindy said. “I could be Mrs. Shane Jacobsen. But he doesn’t love me. He doesn’t love anyone. I mean, look at all those other women. Make love with Shane Jacobsen and it’s a ticket to flowers, jewelry and a quick goodbye. And I don’t want a loveless marriage, or to expose my child or myself to a philanderer. I’d rather be alone.”
“He could grow to love you. You’ve sung his praises, and you do know him better than I do. You’re the one who’s worked successfully with him for three years.”
“Please. A little reality check here. I’m his PA, his girl Friday who does the mundane chores that he could do himself if he wanted to. He only needs me because it makes him look as if he’s really working, contributing. He’s just too rich to think of lowering himself to do the work I do.”
“Lindy! I never heard you talk this way. You’ve never painted Shane so bad.”
Lindy took a cleansing breath and tried to rein in her emotions, without success. “No, I’m not overreacting. He’s a clueless, spoiled man. I doubt he could ever have feelings for me, I’m so far from what he thinks his ideal woman is. No, I couldn’t stand myself taking him away from his dream woman. Even if I don’t think she really exists, it’s not right to trap him into marriage. We’d end up driving each other crazy, hating each other. Best he never know.”
Tina’s expression was sympathetic. “Lindy, think about it a little more. Don’t make any rash decisions. I’ll talk to you tonight. I’ll be home. Let’s do spaghetti. I’ll cook.”
Lindy smiled for the first time since she’d discovered she was pregnant. Spaghetti and microwave popcorn were the only things Tina could cook. “Okay, you’re on. I’m sure there’s a jar of sauce here somewhere.”
“Great. I’ll pick up some French bread and a bag of tossed salad on the way home. I want you to hang in there and call me if you need me.” With that, Tina disappeared from the kitchen.
Lindy looked at the microwave clock and grimaced. She got up and scraped the uneaten pancakes into the trash can. Breakfast was over. It was time to go face Shane Jacobsen.
“HEY, HOW ARE you feeling?”
“Great,” Lindy lied as she stepped into the living room of the pool house about thirty minutes later. “Must have been a twenty-four-hour bug or something.”
Shane’s blue eyes narrowed as he ran his gaze over her. Lindy tried not to flush, and she was relieved that he seemed to buy her story. “You do look a lot better. There’s a bit of a glow on your cheeks. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” Lindy replied. She brushed past him, deliberately averting her eyes so that she couldn’t see up close how his suit flattered his body. She could still remember touching him, as if the dastardly, decadent deed had just been done yesterday and not over a month ago.
Just two more weeks. She could survive two more weeks of seeing Shane everyday. Right?
“What did you say?” She turned toward Shane. He was grabbing his briefcase.
“I said we need to hurry or we’ll be late. Remember? We have to be off-site today for meetings. Grab your stuff.”
Lindy nodded. In all the anxiety about her situation, she’d forgotten she had a hectic workday ahead of her.
Shane had already taken one step out of the door. “We’ll do lunch somewhere downtown. If you have any preferences let me know. It’ll make up for having to stop by Jacobsen Enterprises today. Unfortunately, Grandfather beckons.”
He did? Lindy frowned. That was new. But she didn’t have time to question Shane further. Instead, she grabbed everything she needed, and then, for the rest of the morning and early afternoon, the day passed as if nothing had ever changed between them.
Despite what she’d told Tina, Shane did “work.” Together, they spent the morning touring inner-city child-care centers and attending board meetings. At each stop, Shane impressed Lindy by the way he truly listened to the various organizations’ requests for Shane Jacobsen Foundation funding.
Even lunch at Kemoll’s went well. The fettuccini Alfredo was al dente, and she successfully managed to keep it all down. At three o’clock sharp, she and Shane arrived at Jacobsen Enterprises.
With its tropical-oasis look, complete with waterfall, the immense multi-story atrium lobby in Grandpa Joe’s headquarters never failed to impress Lindy. She automatically glanced back over her shoulder to where the portraits of Joe Jacobsen, CEO, and his son-in-law, Andrew Sanders, President, hung over the entry doors. On another wall were logos from the various companies that made up Jacobsen Enterprises: Grandpa Joe’s Good Eats; Jocobsen’s, a chain of restaurants; the signature eatery, Henrietta’s; a restaurant-supply firm and a microbrewery. A small chill passed through her. This was where she was going to work.
“Mr. Jacobsen.” The cute little receptionist seemed slightly flustered as Shane approached, and as always Lindy felt her annoyance grow. Yes, Shane did look handsome in his custom-tailored suit and, yes, his surfer-blond hair and charm and natural good looks were appealing. But did every woman he ran into have to act like a star-struck teenager?
“Oh yes, Mr. Jacobsen, I saw you coming so I’ve had the executive elevator sent down for you.” The receptionist smiled a bit too brightly for Lindy’s taste, and she wished the myopic Plain Jane that used to sit behind the desk hadn’t been promoted.
“Thank you,” Shane replied with a warm smile of his own, while the receptionist blushed. Lindy set her own lips in a politely professional line as she followed Shane. Every time Shane visited Jacobsen, Grandpa Joe insisted he use the executive elevator. Since Shane didn’t work for the company, the lift had to be sent down to pick him up.
Of course, when she went to work for Jacobsen, she would be in the regular elevators like everyone else. Her little cubicle would be nowhere near the executive floor.
They stepped inside the lift, and the ride to the executive floor was quick.
“Hello, Shane,” Grandpa Joe’s secretary said as she rose to greet them. “He’s waiting for you. Mr. Sanders is already with him.”
“Thank you.”
Within moments, Lindy had a courtside view as Shane discussed his grandfather’s latest idea, blending some of his personal foundation bequests with those of Jacobsen Enterprises. Watching the men interact fascinated Lindy. Didn’t Shane know how good he was at holding his own with the two men? Did he not see the potential that he had to do even more by working with his family instead of against them?
An hour later, the meeting ended when Andrew, Grandpa Joe and Shane had wrapped up the last bit of business. Shane turned toward her, and Lindy shuffled some papers to avoid eye contact. “Lindy? I’ve got to go to Andrew’s office for a moment. You can come with me or—”
“She can wait here,” Grandpa Joe interrupted. “Didn’t you tell me that she’s been sick? Don’t make her do more than necessary, Shane.”
“I’ll wait here,” Lindy said.
“We’ll only be a moment,” Andrew reassured her, as he closed the doors.
“Ah,” Grandpa Joe said as he returned to sit next to her on the leather couch. “Now that we’re alone we can finally talk openly. Have you told Shane of your situation yet?”
“No,” Lindy admitted. “I plan on giving him my two weeks notice tomorrow. I’ll tell him then that I’m
coming to work for you.”
Grandpa Joe’s Jacobsen blue eyes darkened slightly. “Oh no, dear. You misunderstood me. I’m not worried about your leaving Shane. I wanted to know if you’d told him that you’re having a baby.”
Lindy’s jaw dropped open. “Baby? What baby?”
Grandpa Joe reached over and patted her hand. “Oh, my dear. I’m sorry again. I poleaxed you, I guess. But you see, I have a gift about these things. I always know when there’s a Jacobsen baby on the way. I knew with Henrietta’s, Lilly’s, and I even knew before Sara did that she was pregnant with Shane. I’d say you’re due in January and that you’re having a boy. So I take it you haven’t told Shane that he’s going to be a father?”
“Shane is, I didn’t, I…” Lindy faltered.
Grandpa Joe patted her hand again. “You’ve worked for him for three years and even though he’s too dumb to see what’s right in front of his nose, I’m not. I’m guessing it was you that left that little mark on his neck, and that at the same time he left you a small present.” Grandpa Joe reached for the leather container that held tissue. “Now don’t cry, Lindy. This isn’t a tragedy. I’d be honored to have you for an in-law.”
To stop the tears, Lindy blew her nose. “He doesn’t even know.”
“Well, of course not. But you’ll tell him about the baby, he’ll do the right thing and marry you, and you’ll both live happily ever after. That’s how these things work. Trust me.”
“He doesn’t even know we had sex.” Lindy pulled her hand out of Grandpa Joe’s and covered her face. “I shouldn’t have. I didn’t mean…”
“Why don’t you tell me about it.” The tone of Grandpa Joe’s voice brooked no arguments, and Lindy knew she didn’t have a choice. After making Grandpa Joe promise not to tell Shane about the baby, she quickly filled him in on the whole situation.
“So, you see, I can’t tell him and I don’t want him trapped into marrying me. He doesn’t love me, and I won’t settle for less.”
“I can respect that,” Grandpa Joe said. He nodded thoughtfully and refilled Lindy’s glass of water. “But eventually you’ll have to tell Shane. He will figure it out, you know.”
About Last Night... Page 5