How fucking conceited could I be? Maybe, just maybe if he’d let her in on his plan or had come back even a few months earlier he would have had a chance. He hadn’t, though, and now he had to live with his decisions. Anger raged inside him as he continued down Lincoln before crossing onto Fairview Street toward his parents’ home. Without pausing, Nate jogged up the wooden stairs to the apartment over the garage, Maggie panting heavily behind him. The run had been an excellent way to get back into his exercise regimen. Over the past week he’d slipped out of his routine. The need for exercise hadn’t been what had sent him out, though. Exercise in general and especially running usually helped calm him. Yet tonight it hadn’t. In fact, he felt angrier now than before he left because he realized that while he wanted to get past the wall Lauren threw up between them, he needed to respect her wishes. He couldn’t force her to let him back into her life. The best he could hope for right now was a change of heart on her part.
***
Lauren wiped her feet on the welcome mat and closed the door behind her. “Jared call you back yet?” she asked when she spotted her sister across the room.
“He’s meeting us at the hospital,” Kelly said, her face contorted with pain.
“Do you have everything you need?”
Kelly nodded as she gripped the back of a chair and groaned. “My bag has been packed for two weeks now.”
“Let’s go, then.” Lauren snatched her sister’s jacket off the coat tree and pulled open the door. “Is this your bag?” she asked, pointing to the small suitcase on the floor. When Kelly nodded, she grabbed it. “Be careful. The stairs are a little slippery,” Lauren called over her shoulder. The concrete stairs were coated with about an inch of snow. According to yesterday’s forecast, the rare late March snowstorm was only supposed to drop about three to four inches of snow, but judging by the way it was coming down, she expected the estimate to go up.
“I cannot believe it is snowing. It’s almost the end of March.”
“Yeah, well, it looks like everything is on its own time schedule this year.” Lauren opened the car door for her sister. “The baby isn’t supposed to be here yet, either.”
After Kelly made herself as comfortable as possible in the passenger seat, Lauren slammed the door closed and walked around to the other side. “I hope you and Jared decided on names finally.” Lauren pulled out onto the deserted street that hadn’t yet been touched by a plow. The last time she’d asked, her sister and brother-in-law still had not narrowed down their original list of fifteen names.
“We picked Patrick if it is a boy, and if it’s a girl it’ll either be Beth or Alexa.”
Lauren kept up a steady stream of chatter during the long ride from Kelly’s to the hospital. Most days the ride from Kelly’s house to the hospital only took about ten minutes. Today the ride took almost twenty because it seemed as if every nervous driver in Massachusetts was on the road. “You would think these people have never seen snow. I could walk to the hospital faster than this,” Lauren complained, once again stuck behind a slow-moving car. In the distance, she could see the hospital. “There’s sand on the road already, it’s not that slick.”
“You know how some people get,” Kelly said, sounding short of breath.
“You’re doing great. Hang in there.” Lauren pulled into the hospital driveway but drove past the parking garage and headed straight for the front entrance and valet parking. She opened the door while putting the car into park. “I need a wheelchair,” she called out. Immediately, the young parking attendant, who had approached the car, bolted into the hospital as another came around to help Kelly into the wheelchair.
“You ready to do this?” Lauren asked, pushing her sister through the glass doors and into the hospital’s lobby.
Kelly groaned in response, her arms crossed around her middle.
Without pausing, Lauren moved toward the elevators. “I’ll take that as a yes. What floor?”
“Third,” Kelly said, her voice somewhere between a groan and a whimper.
An hour later, Lauren sat in Kelly’s hospital room where she would eventually give birth and stay for a few days. So far though, not much had happened. After checking in, the doctor on duty had done a quick exam. A nurse had hooked up a monitor to track the baby’s heartbeat then left. So far, no one had returned. From the window, Lauren could see that the snow had picked up. And although she didn’t say anything, she feared Jared might not make it to the hospital in time. Her sister had always known that was a possibility. Jared worked near Springfield about an hour away, and even when the weather cooperated, traffic could make the trip twice as long. For that very reason, Lauren had gone to the birthing class with Jared and Kelly. But while Kelly may have prepared herself for Jared not being there, she would be heartbroken if he wasn’t.
“Do you want me to call Mom and Dad?” Lauren asked, turning her back on the window. Watching the snow would not make it stop. “Or do you want to wait until the baby is born?”
“After. I don’t want them trying to get here in this storm, and you know they would.” Kelly repositioned herself in the bed. “I don’t want you to leave, but maybe you should head out now before the roads get really bad.”
Lauren reached for her sister’s hand. “I’ll go as soon as Jared gets here.” As much as she hated the idea of waiting until the roads got worse, she wasn’t leaving her sister all alone either.
“He . . .” Kelly stopped as another contraction tore through her. “Who knows when he’ll get here? I’ll be okay. I’ll worry less if you start home now.”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily, Sis.” Reaching for the remote, Lauren turned on the television and flipped through the limited stations. “As soon as Jared gets here, I’ll go. I promise, okay?”
She made it through the first half of the evening news before her normally calm brother-in-law raced into the room. Jared’s hair stood on end as if he’d spent the last few hours running his hands through it. His tie had been loosened and left to hang at an odd angle around his neck. Without pausing, Jared rushed to his wife’s side and kissed her. Then tearing off his jacket he tossed it onto the other empty chair in the room and turned toward Lauren. “The roads are shitty already and every idiot driver is out there.”
On the drive over they had been a little slick but nothing she couldn’t handle. Lauren had lived in New England all her life, so this was hardly her first snowstorm. But for Jared to complain, they must be really awful. He’d lived up in Bangor, Maine, for several years before moving to Massachusetts, and the winters up there were much worse than here.
Lauren leaned over to give her sister a hug. “Now that Jared’s here, I will go. One of you better call me right after the baby is born, though. I don’t care what time it is.” Coming around to the other side of the bed she gave Jared a hug, too. “I mean it, right after.”
Only after getting a promise that they’d call, Lauren left. As she waited for the valet attendant to bring around her car, she watched the fat snowflakes swirling through the sky. The few cars and trucks on the road were moving slowly, their windshield wipers fighting the trail of salt left behind as a large snowplow cleared a path down the road. Why did her sister’s water have to break tonight? Yesterday would have been a much better day. She may do it every year, but she hated driving in the snow. She didn’t mind a snowstorm once it ended and the roads were clear, but during the storm itself, well, that she hated
“Drive carefully, ma’am,” the valet said before closing Lauren’s door for her.
With both hands, Lauren gripped the steering wheel, her knuckles turning white as she eased onto the street toward the highway. Though well into rush hour, the traffic on the road remained light.
Cranking up the windshield wipers, she turned the car onto Route 3. So far she’d seen two accidents and had slipped on ice twice. Both times her car’s ABS brakes kicked in, bringing the car to a stop before she ran through the stop signs. That was the good news. The bad new
s was, she was only halfway home. Up ahead another stop sign appeared like a bright red beacon in the white snow. A gust of wind swept over the car, nearly blinding her. Taking in a slow steady breath, she pried her hands from the steering wheel when the car stopped. For a second, she thought she heard a grating sound sort of like metal rubbing against metal.
It’s your imagination. After wiping her hands on her pants, she gripped the steering wheel and crossed the intersection. Once again the grating sound rumbled through the car. That’s not my imagination. Lauren knew next to nothing about cars, yet even she recognized the sound as a bad sign. Just let me make it home.
The farther she drove, the louder the sound became. Then about a half mile down the road she finally pulled over. Driving the car the way it sounded couldn’t be safe. Of all the nights for her car to act up it had to be tonight in the middle of a snowstorm. At least she’d gotten Kelly to the hospital. Now she had herself to worry about. Ever since she’d started driving, she’d belonged to MAA, Massachusetts Automobile Association. In the event of a breakdown or flat tire, they’d come out and either tow the car or fix it so she could get it to a garage. She didn’t use it often, but whenever she did she was grateful for the service. Lauren pulled out her cell and dialed the number. After several rings a male voice answered.
“It may be a while before we can get to you,” the operator said, after Lauren explained the situation. “We have had numerous accidents requiring tows. Sit tight, and we will get to you as soon as we can.”
Sit tight? As if she had much of a choice. It wasn’t as if she could run out and get a coffee. “Any idea how long it might be?”
“Minimum of an hour.”
“Thank you.” After all, what else could she say? Complaining wouldn’t make a tow truck appear any faster. With a flick of her wrist, Lauren tossed the phone back into her bag and leaned between the bucket seats to reach the sweatshirt in the backseat. She’d thrown it back there so she could take it to school on Monday to keep in her closet. Now, though, the extra layer would come in handy. The heat had only been off for a few minutes, but already the temperature in the car was dropping.
Nate kept his speed a good ten miles per hour below the speed limit as he drove down Route 3 toward home. The high winds combined with the heavy snowfall made visibility poor. Yet he didn’t mind the storm, or at least he wouldn’t once he made it home. It had been a while since he’d experienced a good New England snowstorm. Outside, the headlights of his Mustang illuminated a red Mini with a ‘Love to Dance’ bumper sticker on the back. He knew that car. After all, how many red Minis could there be in the area with a bumper sticker like that? Not many. And even if it wasn’t Lauren, whoever it was needed help. No person in his right mind . . . or her right mind . . . would be pulled over for fun on a night like this. Without any hesitation, Nate pulled up behind the parked car, put his in neutral, and approached the tiny car.
The inside of the Mini was dark, but through the driver-side window he could make out Lauren huddled in the front seat with her arms wrapped around herself. What had she been thinking to come out tonight? The conditions downright sucked. No one should be out unless absolutely necessary. If he’d known they’d get this bad on his way home, he would’ve camped out at the office tonight. Without considering what Lauren’s reaction might be, he rapped his knuckles on the window. Immediately, Lauren’s body jumped and her head whipped around toward him. The look on her face went from fear to shock and finally relief.
“What the hell are you doing out here?” Nate demanded once she opened her car door.
“Kelly needed a ride to the hospital. On the way home the car started making a god-awful sound. Now it won’t start at all. I’m waiting for the tow truck, but they’re very busy tonight.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms.
Nate took a step forward prepared to wrap his arms around her and keep her warm, but he stopped himself just in time. He’d lost the right to touch her a long time ago, and he may never earn it back. Her behavior the other night at her house proved that much. “How long have you been out here?”
Lauren pushed up her sleeve to check her watch. “About fifteen minutes. They said it would be at least an hour before they got here.”
“Come on, you can wait in my car until they get here, and then I’ll drive you home.”
Lauren didn’t argue. She grabbed her things and followed him back to his car. After they were both inside, he cranked up the heat. Though she hadn’t complained, she looked half-frozen.
“Thanks for stopping,” Lauren said as she spread her hands out in front of the air vents.
“Anytime. Is Kelly okay? Did she have the baby?”
“Not yet. At least when I left the hospital she hadn’t. Her water broke earlier tonight, so I think she will have the baby soon. Jared promised to call after the baby is born.”
Turning down the heat to keep from melting, he said, “Your parents must be excited. This is their second grandchild, right?”
“Third. Matt has two kids. Jenny just turned three, and Connor is almost six.”
“My nephew turned six this month.”
Lauren reached out and readjusted an air vent. “I know. David and Connor are both in Mrs. Parker’s kindergarten class.”
“I can’t believe that woman is still there.” Mrs. Parker had already been a veteran teacher when they’d been in her class.
“I think she just enjoys teaching, and she’s good at it. All the kids love her. Even the ones that don’t get her as a teacher.”
“She was one of my favorite teachers,” Nate said. “Do you remember that puppet she used when she read stories?”
For the next hour they shared their good and bad memories from elementary school. When flashing lights finally pulled up in front of Lauren’s car, Nate reached for the door. “Looks like the tow truck is here.”
“It’s about time. I’ve never had to wait this long before for them to come.”
Quickly the tow truck driver attached Lauren’s car to the truck. After giving her the name of the garage he was towing it to, he pulled away from the curb, once again leaving them alone.
“We should go.”
When Nate opened the car door for her and, as he headed down Route 3, they didn’t speak at all. Under different circumstances he would’ve tried to get her talking again. Their earlier conversation had been relaxed and enjoyable. For the time being, however, he decided his concentration should be on the road rather than words. The road conditions had deteriorated while they’d waited for the tow truck and visibility stunk. Once he got her home safely maybe they could talk. Or perhaps he could talk and, hopefully, she’d listen. Since his visit to her house, he’d decided to honor her request and not bother her again—and hope maybe miracles did exist. But with Lauren so close now, he found himself wondering if he should try just one more time. During his last attempt he’d only scratched the surface of what he wanted to tell her before her date arrived.
Nate’s blood started to boil at the thought of Lauren with her date. Where had they gone that night? What had they done when they returned? Nate clenched his jaw at the questions. None of it was any of his business. Acknowledging the fact didn’t undo the knots in his stomach.
“I really appreciate the ride home,” Lauren said, breaking the silence in the car for the first time. “I don’t know what I would’ve done otherwise.”
“Glad I could help.” The car skidded to the right as he turned onto her street. Almost all of the houses were ablaze with light. It seemed as if everyone had decided to hunker down for the night and wait out the storm at home. In fact, Lauren’s house was only one of two houses that didn’t have lights on.
“JoJo is going to love going outside in this. I’ve never seen a dog like the snow as much as she does.”
Speaking of dogs, he should probably call and ask his mom to let Maggie out. He’d been gone for hours, and who knew how long it would take him to get home. Before he left Lauren’s he’d call
. Although, knowing his mom, she had probably already stopped in his apartment to let the dog out and feed her.
“If you need a ride to the garage, call me.” Nate stopped in front of her garage. She’d probably call Kevin or Kyle or whatever the guy’s name was, but he wanted her to know he was there for her, too.
Lauren pushed open the door but didn’t move. “You shouldn’t be driving anymore tonight.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Cocking her head to one side she looked at him then glanced out the window. “Why don’t you stay here tonight? The roads are lousy, and I have a spare bedroom.”
He’d envisioned spending the night with her many times over the years, but none of those visions ever included him using a spare bedroom. “You sure Kyle won’t mind?” he asked, taking a guess at the guy’s name.
“His name is Kevin, and no he won’t mind.” Lauren pushed the door open more. “I’ll run in and open the garage door so you can park in there.” She didn’t wait for a reply. Jumping out, she trudged across the snow-covered walkway and into the house. Seconds later, the garage door went up, and Nate drove inside.
When he’d left work hours earlier he’d cursed the slow traffic leaving the city and the weather. Now, sitting in Lauren’s garage, he didn’t mind it so much. By nature Nate didn’t buy into the whole everything-happens-for-a-reason belief. Yet, at least in this case, events out of his control were throwing the two of them together for the night. And even though he’d told himself to back off and leave her alone, he planned to make one last attempt at breaching her defenses.
The Billionaire's Best Friend (The Sherbrookes of Newport) Page 5