by Tamie Dearen
“Not the last time I checked.” She chuckled, dabbing a sleeve at her watery eyes as she straightened.
Bran’s hand grasped her wrist. “Please. Don’t go.”
“I’m right here. I’m not leaving.” She sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, hoping no one would read more into their relationship than the dependent boss that he was.
Jarrett collapsed in a nearby chair, wiping the sweat off his forehead. “Thanks for your help, Cole,” he hollered in a sarcastic voice, ripping off his tux coat and loosening his tie. He leaned back and closed his eyes, propping up his feet.
“I couldn’t help,” Cole objected from the outer room. “Branson would’ve killed me.”
“Cole?” Branson’s face hardened as he jerked upward. “Where is that son-of—”
Steph jumped to cover his mouth with her hand. “I’m alive, Branson. Cole didn’t do anything.”
His brows furrowed in confusion as he flopped back against the pillow again.
“Will someone explain to me what’s going on?” Steph demanded. “How did he get like this? I thought you guys were watching after him.”
“Carina can tell you all about it.” Finn kicked Jarrett’s feet aside and dropped onto the footstool. “Go ahead, Carina. Tell Stephanie how you put cannabis in Branson’s drink.”
“Cannabis? You mean marijuana? Isn’t that illegal?” Steph wondered if they had filed a report.
“It’s legal in Nevada.” Carina leaned against the bedroom door, as if she wasn’t sure she was welcome inside the room.
“It’s legal to buy it and consume it in a private residence,” Finn clarified. “It wasn’t legal for her to bring it in the hotel or put it in his drink.”
“Were you trying to kill him?” Stephanie’s muscles trembled from head to toe. How she wanted to spring at Carina and rip out her hair!
“I only put in a couple of dropperfuls. How was I supposed to know he’d have a bad reaction?” She ventured around the perimeter of the room, moving to the other side of the bed to stare down at Bran.
Steph tried to cross her arms, but Branson held fast to her wrist. “Why put anything in his drink at all?”
“To help him relax, so we could have a private conversation.” Carina’s contrite expression vanished in an instant. Her eyes sent daggers Steph’s direction.
“I’m assuming he didn’t give you permission to drug him. Isn’t that a crime of some sort? Assault, maybe?”
“You’re right, Stephanie.” Finn regarded Carina with narrowed eyes. “Maybe we ought to call the police.”
Branson broke the tense mood with a sonorous snore, and Steph pulled her hand free.
“Carina…” Cole sauntered into the room. “Why don’t you share the real reason you tried to make Branson fly high as a kite? I don’t believe for a minute you only wanted to talk to him.”
“And while you’re at it,” Jarrett added, “you can tell us why you’re so anxious to get married. What girl wants a quickie wedding instead of a big deal with a long white dress and all the trimmings?”
To Stephanie’s utter amazement, Carina started crying. “Fine! I’ll tell you why,” she sobbed, “I wanted a quick wedding because I’m pregnant.”
The room darkened, and Stephanie gripped the bed cover, balling it in her hands. Her chest felt so tight, she could barely breathe.
Carina’s pregnant. Steph should’ve known. No wonder her boobs looked bigger. And why else would she have been so desperate to rush the wedding? How she must’ve laughed while feeding Steph that story about not being able to have children. And Steph, trying to follow MawMaw’s advice, had pitied her.
“Miraculous healing, Carina.” Steph cleared her throat to steady the warble in her voice. “Earlier tonight you told me you couldn’t get pregnant.”
“I refuse to apologize.” Carina sniffed, but her eyes looked suspiciously dry. “I did what I had to do to save my marriage. My baby needs a father.”
“You don’t look pregnant.” Cole leaned back against the wall and folded his arms across his chest.
“I am. Here’s the proof.” She opened her small clutch and unfolded a paper, tossing it on the bed beside Steph. A sonogram.
Steph didn’t want to look at it. Using her crutches, she moved across the room, as far as possible from the offensive paper. She pulled out a desk chair and plopped down.
What was left of her hopes went up in smoke. She and Branson could never be together. He wasn’t like Jeff. Bran would never abandon his child. She tried to keep an impassionate expression, though she felt like dying. It would’ve been better if Bran had never said those sweet things to her. If only she could forget his words. Instead, the scene would replay over and over in her brain, reminding her of what she almost had.
Finn stood, his shoulders stiff, stomped to the bed and picked up the sonogram, studying the image as if he could detect her subterfuge. His tone was accusing. “How far along are you?”
She hesitated. “Twenty-two weeks.”
Steph’s eyes dropped to Carina’s flat abdomen. It wasn’t fair she was that far along and not showing, but tall women had an advantage. With her short torso, Steph’s tummy started expanding early, almost the day she conceived.
“I’m not surprised.” Jarrett counted on his fingers. “I have four older sisters, six nieces and two nephews, so I learned more than I ever wanted to know about pregnancy and childbirth. I noticed you ordered a salad at lunch, but only ate saltines. My youngest sister lived on saltine crackers the first twelve weeks she was pregnant.”
“Exactly. Is that enough proof for you?” Carina pushed her already-plumped-up lips into a pout.
“It’s not us you have to convince—it’s Branson.” Finn offered a hand to Jarrett, who rose from his comfortable chair with a reluctant wince. Finn continued, “You can explain everything to him tomorrow morning, assuming he’s awake and in his right mind. He’ll decide whether or not he wants to file charges.”
With disheveled hair and his tux coat across his arm, Jarrett moved to stand beside Cole. “Wonder if he’ll do it.”
Finn shrugged. “Who knows?”
“You think Branson would press charges against the mother of his child? No way,” Carina scoffed. “Once he finds out he’s going to be a father, I expect he’ll decide to make good use of that marriage license while we’re here in Vegas.”
Stephanie exchanged a glance with Finn. It was even more impossible than he knew.
“Still no reason to do it here, this weekend,” Finn argued, leaning over the bedside to stare at his friend, whose chest rose and fell in peaceful sleep. “I know Branson, and he doesn’t like being pressured into anything.”
“Why didn’t you tell him before, Carina?” Jarrett asked. “You must’ve known for a while.”
“I had personal reasons,” she answered, tersely. “The important thing is I’m pregnant with Branson’s child, and we should get married immediately.”
“You’re not considering an abortion?” asked Cole in an acid tone.
“I suppose I might, if Branson doesn’t marry me. I’m not planning to be a single mom.”
Cole’s face reddened. He whipped around and strode toward the door. “That’s it. I’m outta here. See you guys later.”
“Cole, wait!” Jarrett went after him, and the door closed behind them.
“What’s wrong with him?” Carina asked.
“None of your business.” Finn took off his tux coat and laid it across the chair. Then he sat on the footstool and untied his shoes, kicking them off.
“What are you doing?” Carina asked, crossing her arms.
“Getting comfortable.” He took off his tie and began to unbutton his shirt, exposing a well-muscled chest. “I’m spending the night on that couch.”
“We don’t need you anymore,” she argued. “Bran is fine. I’ll stay with him while he sleeps it off.”
Finn’s answering glare was fierce. “After what you did tonight, there’s no way I’m l
eaving my friend alone with you. So you might as well go to your room and get your beauty sleep.”
Stephanie’s tense muscles uncoiled. With Finn on guard, Branson wouldn’t reveal their secret—at least not to Carina. As the adrenaline faded from her system, she remembered she’d come next door with wet hair and no makeup. In contrast, Carina appeared as fresh as when she first emerged from her room for the evening.
Steph’s hands snaked up to smooth her damp tresses, and she tucked her chin toward her chest. Pushing up on her crutches, she hobbled toward the bedroom door. “Guess I’ll head back to bed, since the crisis is averted.”
“Don’t leave yet. I want to speak to you alone.” Finn sent a pointed look toward Carina.
“You can’t make me leave,” Carina sputtered, her cool composure cracking.
Finn’s expression hardened to granite, and Steph caught a glimpse of the formidable man who’d built a multi-billion-dollar empire, along with his friends. She shuddered, glad his fury was aimed at Carina instead of her. “Try me,” he growled.
Carina’s nostrils flared. “Fine. I’ll go. But I’ll be back first thing in the morning. You can’t keep us apart.”
As the door clicked shut behind her, Finn’s countenance softened. He pointed with a jerk of his chin. “Let’s sit out here on the couch for minute. How’re you holding up?”
“Exhausted. Stressed.” She limped after him and crumpled onto the sofa, fatigue settling deep into her bones. “But I’ll be fine.” I have to be.
Finn closed his eyes tight, like he was fighting a headache. “I hope you won’t desert Bran. I think you’ve been good for him.” He folded his hands in his lap and stared at his fingers. “But… this pregnancy—if Carina’s not lying again—really throws a wrench in my plans. I thought he’d finally come to his senses. He was ready to back out of the relationship, but now…”
“He’s gonna marry her, isn’t he?”
The muscles contracted along his jaw. “If he thinks it’s the right thing to do, he’ll do it. Even if it makes him miserable.”
“You think it’s the right thing to do?”
Both of Finn’s shoulders lifted. “I don’t know what I think. You might be able to influence him. Honestly, he could support this baby without marrying Carina.”
“But that’s not the only factor. He’ll want to be in the baby’s life, right?”
“For sure.” Finn pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know what this means for you… for your job. If he marries her, I’m afraid Carina will make your life a living hell.”
“It’s okay,” she said, as if she was blowing it all off. “I’d already planned to quit. Carina hates me, so I don’t see how I could stay.”
“Why not try to talk him out of the marriage, instead of leaving? He trusts you. He’ll listen to you. And Monday morning, you’ll have him all to yourself.”
“I don’t know. I’ll think about it. I have to be able to sleep at night.”
“By that reasoning, I guess Carina’s a vampire.” Finn chuckled. “You’re the innocent one in all this… you and Ellie.”
“And Laurie,” Steph added. “I can only afford to pay her because of what Branson pays me.”
He sat forward, resting his arms on his legs. “I was teasing, before, when I offered you a job. But this time, I’m not. If you have to quit, I’ll match whatever Branson’s paying you.”
Steph was already shaking her head no. “I can’t let you do that. You can’t hire me because you feel sorry for me.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” He held up a silencing palm. “I may seem like a teddy bear, but I didn’t get where I am making decisions based on sentiment. I’m certain you’d be an asset.”
“We’ll see.” She refused to commit, though at least the job offer soothed her financial worries. And maybe Finn would have an “in” to get the new CF medicine cheaper. “Are you gonna report this to the police?”
“I don’t know. We’ll see when Bran wakes up.” He pushed his hair off his forehead. “For now, I want to protect him in case he ends up in a custody battle. We should keep that marriage certificate out of Carina’s hands. I think she could use that as an argument against him in court. Last night, I thought it would be a funny joke, but now…” He twisted his mouth in a grimace. “Now, not so much.”
“She won’t find it. I’ve got it.”
“Maybe you should give it to me and let me destroy it.”
No way that’s happening. She pursed her lips. “It’s safe with me.”
His eyebrows lifted. “Okay. I get it. You don’t trust me because of the whole marriage license trick.”
She tried to laugh, but it came out as an irritated cough. “It wasn’t a pleasant surprise to discover both our names on there.”
“Mad at me?”
She squinted at him from the corner of her eye. “Let’s just say, you might want to hire a food-taster until I cool off a bit.”
His familiar grin was back. “Yeah, Branson was steamed, too. It wasn’t intentional, though. I couldn’t follow my original plan. With Carina staring daggers at you, I thought the clerk might wonder why you two were getting married.”
A huge yawn escaped before she could cover her mouth. Maybe I’m already asleep, and I’ll wake up and find out this was only a nightmare. “I think I better go to bed before I pass out right here on this couch.” She struggled to her feet.
“I plan to tell Branson the news when he wakes up, before Carina can spring it on him. I’ll personally guarantee they won’t be getting married here in Las Vegas.”
You got that right. Unless Bran is into polygamy.
“Whatever. He made his bed, so to speak. I guess he can lie in it.” She pretended her heart hadn’t been ripped out of her chest and tossed on the ground.
Finn’s sympathetic expression told her he wasn’t buying her indifferent attitude. He walked beside her to the front door and held it open while she clomped into the hallway on her crutches.
“For what it’s worth, Steph, I’m sorry you got caught in the middle of this mess.”
“Not as sorry as I am.”
Chapter 19
Stumbling on a dead body in the dark, Steph’s blood pressure skyrocketed. On the outside, she held it to a gasp, but inside she screamed, adrenaline coursing through her veins. The audiobook playing through her earbuds was the only thing that kept her sane on the plane ride home.
Even with what should’ve been a riveting story in her ears, she watched Branson from the corner of her eye. Finn chose a seat beside him, never allowing Carina a moment’s privacy with her fiancé. It seemed Finn still opposed the marriage, though Stephanie was resigned to it.
I’ll be fine. I don’t need him.
Hadn’t she gotten along fine before she met Branson? She didn’t need any man in order to survive. Her first husband had taught her never to put her trust in someone else. She’d been so enamored with Bran, she’d almost forgotten that lesson. Luckily, Carina’s big reveal had reminded Steph she could only rely on herself.
She allowed the terror of the story to envelop her mind and distract her from depressing thoughts for the next hour. The bump of the plane touching down on the private landing strip jerked her back to the real world. Within ten minutes, the driver delivered them to the estate complex, allowing her to escape without having a single conversation with Branson. Thank goodness. Her sham composure would’ve crumpled if he’d confronted her. She counted on the next twelve hours to pull herself together so she could face him in the morning, at work.
Elated to see her mom, and even more excited about the picture of Elvis with a personalized message, Ellie never questioned Steph’s mood. Laurie, on the other hand, challenged her the moment Ellie went to bed.
“Okay, what happened?”
“I told you,” Steph opened her eyes wide. “I twisted my ankle.”
“You know I’m not talking about your foot. What was it? Did you and Carina have a knock-down-drag-out fight in Las
Vegas?”
Laurie patted the couch cushion beside her, and Steph hobbled over and dropped onto it like a sack of stones.
“Nothing happened. Nothing important.”
“Then tell me what unimportant thing happened to make your eye twitch like it always does when you’re upset.”
Steph rubbed at her eyes with the backs of her hands. “Everything’s fine. I’m mostly tired.”
Laurie’s perfectly arched brows pulled low over eyes so dark her pupils disappeared. Any attempt to escape without spilling her guts to her best friend would be futile. For the next hour, Steph spewed out the whole story. Well, almost the whole story. She omitted a few pertinent details, such as the part about Elvis and the wedding chapel. Nor did she mention Bran’s kiss or the declaration of love.
When Steph finished the tale, Laurie’s mouth hung open so wide Stephanie could see her tonsils. “Carina’s pregnant?”
“Yes, and she made it quite clear she detests me with every fiber of her skinny little body. Do you think I’m an awful person for hoping she gets really bad stretch marks?”
Laurie shook her head, a glower shadowing her usually animated face. “No one deserves to look that perfect.”
“But she’s gonna be the mother of Branson’s child. I can’t wish bad things on her.”
“Why not? A little creative ill-wishing might lift your spirits. Only on Carina, not the baby.”
“Hmmm…” A grin pushed its way onto Steph’s lips. “My face broke out like crazy when I was pregnant. I’m thinking a blemish or two for Carina would be nice.”
“Forget that. I’m praying for a plague of boils.”
Steph snorted through her fingers. “Good one. You’re so much more inventive than I am.”
“While we’re at it, let’s go for some swelling. Give her fat feet with sausage toes.” Laurie stretched her arms wide to illustrate the enlargement goal.
“Yes!” Steph cried, caught up in the contagious enthusiasm. “Perfect.”
“And hemorrhoids,” Laurie pointed a finger to the sky.
“You’re inspired.” Steph gave a mock bow. “I’m awed by your presence.”