by Kari Lemor
“Next time, I’ll send my mother. She knows how to buy conservative.”
They stopped at the table inside the door to the function room. The woman at the table looked up and gasped.
“Luke Storm. You look even better than you did in high school.”
“Abigail. How are you? We’re here to check in.”
Abigail cocked her head. “We?”
Luke twisted and tugged on Elle’s hand. She’d been scrutinizing the room. “My wife, Ellie. I responded that we’d both be coming. Elle Russell-Storm.”
Elle clenched her hands around his elbow.
“Oh, my gosh. You’re the little genius girl who skipped all those grades. Well, you’ve definitely grown up. And out.” Abigail laughed, then waved her hand in the air. Shuffling some name tags, she found the two she needed and handed them over. “Dinner is a buffet, and they’ll be setting it up to start in about twenty minutes. Enjoy.”
“Enjoy,” Elle squeaked in a mock imitation of Abigail’s giddy voice once they’d cleared the table. “Highly unlikely.”
They maneuvered their way through some tables, and a few people stared at them strangely. Maybe they needed their name tags, so others knew who they were. There were some here who’d changed drastically in only ten years.
Elle spun and nearly plowed into him, her face tight.
“You okay?”
“The bitch who told me you’d run off with some slutty blonde after we’d had sex is right over there.”
A familiar voice carried over to where they stood. The fake, breathy laugh was hard to miss. Taylor Markham.
Luke swallowed hard. “I’m sorry I didn’t make more of an effort to contact you. That was my fault.”
Her eyes grew misty. “For six months, I thought I was just another of your quick lays. That you couldn’t even be bothered—”
“Never,” he interrupted, stroking his thumb over her cheek. “You’re far more to me than any other woman I’ve ever been with. Now, let’s put these on before we start mingling.” Best get away from that topic.
Luke peeled the back off her tag, then pressed it slightly below her shoulder. As he was doing his own, the voices from the group behind them got louder.
“So Taylor, tell everyone what you did at Brad’s wedding. Listen up, guys, this is a hoot.” Luke wasn’t sure who had said this. She looked familiar, but her hair was bright blue.
Taylor cleared her throat and threw her shoulder back. “So Brad and his bride had condoms made with their names on them.” She rolled her eyes. “At first I thought it was ridiculous, but then I knew I could have some fun with it.”
The half dozen people standing around kept their gazes glued to Taylor’s animated face. She always did like to be the center of attention.
“Get this…I poked holes in them with a pin. So tiny it wasn’t even noticeable, but the effect sure was. I know of two people who are due to have babies in May.”
Luke’s muscles went rigid. Elle’s face was almost the color of her hair. Taking her by the elbow, he started to turn, then Taylor’s voice rose above the rest.
“Luke Storm. I heard you were coming. Along with some ridiculous story about you bringing your wife. Right. Like you’d get married.” Taylor’s laughed echoed through the air.
Squeezing Elle’s hands, he said, “I am married.”
“What?” Taylor elbowed her way toward them through her small batch of followers. Everyone’s attention swiveled in their direction.
Elle took a deep breath and faced her. “Hello, Taylor.”
“Murielle?” That whiny, elongated way she had of saying Elle’s name infuriated him. But then her gaze lowered, and her mouth hung open. “Oh. My. God.”
Taylor glanced back at her posse and dramatically covered her O-shaped mouth, then swung back to them. “Let me guess. You’re due May twenty-second.” Her giggle made Luke clench his hand to keep from punching her.
He could practically feel the heat coming off Elle’s red face, but she held it together and he was proud of her. Framing her cheeks with his hands, he smiled and gave her a quick kiss. “And we can’t wait. We’re so excited for this beautiful baby we’re having.”
Taylor’s mouth curled in disbelief. The others waited to see what their leader would do. Luke had no need to wait.
“Great seeing you all. We’re going to find a seat, so my lovely wife doesn’t have to stay on her feet for too long.”
“Oh, oh,” Taylor waved her hand in their direction. “You have got to sit with us, so we can get this big story. We’re over near that front corner.”
Luke nodded, then guided Elle to the opposite back corner. The few people sitting there hadn’t been in any of their classes and gave a casual hello as they sat.
When the food was served and their table called, Elle gave a tiny shake of her head. “I’m not hungry. You go get something.”
“You can’t…” he started but understood what she was going through. Well, maybe not. He’d been popular in high school and could withstand some teasing. Elle had never been so lucky.
He picked up two plates together and heaped the top with as much food as it would hold. When he got back to the table, he set the empty one in front of her and positioned his plate close. “Take what you want from mine. I won’t eat all that.”
That got a smile from her, and she forked some of his steak tips and mashed potatoes onto her plate. He didn’t even complain when she took both rolls, the pats of butter, and left him all the vegetables.
As they ate, they chatted with the people at their table. Elle stayed quiet and concentrated on her food, smiling now and then.
Thinking about what Taylor had done had his anger kicking up again. But when he really thought it through, he was glad for what she’d done. It had gotten Elle to marry him, and they were having a baby. Something he was absolutely looking forward to.
Elle had sat at the table so their backs were to the rest of the room, and she never once peeked over her shoulder to see anything else. His peripheral vision gave him a glance at some of the people as they passed by on the way out of the room.
Several of the crowd made comments as they walked past. Nothing rude or derogatory, but the subject matter was definitely Luke and Elle’s baby. He could see Elle growing more distant as the time went by. When Taylor came back from the ladies’ room, she steered close to their table.
“Poor Luke,” she said to the blue-haired woman next to her. He never had figured out who she was. “Forced to marry Murielle to keep his kid from being a bastard.”
Blue Hair clucked her tongue and gave them a side long glance. Elle didn’t see it, but she’d heard the comments.
Leaning toward him, she whispered, “I don’t know why I let you talk me into coming here.” Her voice hovered between anger and sorrow.
He slung his arm around her shoulder. “I’m sorry. It’s been ten years. I thought it would be fun seeing old friends again.”
Her eyes blazed. “Your old friends. I didn’t have any friends from high school. Remember? I was the freak kid who wasn’t even old enough to need a bra when I started at Brookside. No one wanted to be my friend. Now, excuse me while I go to the ladies’ room.”
Luke had never been at a loss for words, but right now he didn’t have any that would make this situation better.
Chapter Seventeen
This bathroom was the nicest one Elle had ever been in. Each stall had three solid walls and a full door that went almost the whole way to the floor and ceiling. Only a three-inch crack showed on the bottom and top. There was no gap on each side for nosy people to slyly peek in, and each toilet had an actual lid that closed. She was sitting on one right now having been in here for over ten minutes. Maybe she’d just stay here for the rest of the reunion. There were six stalls. Doubtful anyone would notice.
Except they’d notice she was gone, because they couldn’t make fun of her anymore. Not within earshot, which of course was the only way to do it. Taylor-style.
>
The stalls next to her creaked open, and two women started squealing about how long it had been and how amazing they looked and could you believe how many guys had lost their hair and their waistline? Sounded harmless enough. With any luck, she’d escape unscathed.
“Have you seen Luke Storm, though? Now, there’s a man who aged very well.” Elle froze, yet couldn’t deny their statements.
“Oh, my God. Yes, he did. I heard he just got back from deployment overseas. All that training and those fitness routines paid off. Too bad he’s married now.”
The first woman laughed. “Yeah, she’s a lucky lady. I wouldn’t mind having him in my bed every night. So gorgeous. I heard he has a great job, too. He’s an engineer. They make good money.”
Like Elle would ever marry someone just because they had a decent salary. No, she’d done it because she was stupid enough to get pregnant. Because of Taylor’s tricks and deceit.
“Luke’s such a nice guy.”
Maybe it was safe to come out now. These women didn’t seem too judgy.
“Sure, he is, but he’s also slept with half the women in the seacoast area. I don’t know if I’d trust him not to cheat on me, especially if I was huge and pregnant. His poor wife.”
The other one laughed. “Right? At least he had the decency to marry her. Some jerks simply take off once they get what they want.”
Another stall door creaked, and Elle sank back down on the lid. She might be stuck in here all night. That wouldn’t be a bad thing.
The outer door opened, but the sound of water splashing in the sink let her know someone was still out there. She stared down at her feet, wondering if people had memorized what she was wearing. The cute, black ankle boots had kept the dress from being too fancy, and they also hid the swelling she’d been getting lately. With only a small heel, they didn’t hurt her feet as much.
“The coast is clear if you want to come out now. They’re gone and took their snark with them.”
The voice sounded familiar, but Elle couldn’t place it right away. For some reason, though, she didn’t equate it with someone horrible. Getting to her feet took a moment, then she cracked open the stall door a tiny bit.
“Hi, Elle.” Janine Broussard stood there, a half-smile on her face.
Janine had been in quite a few of the higher-level classes that she and Luke had been in. While she hadn’t exactly been best friends with Elle, she’d never made fun of her or treated her poorly either.
“Hey.” Elle turned the water on and began soaping up her hands. If she stood here long enough, maybe Janine would leave so they wouldn’t have to have any kind of conversation. That would probably be best.
“Don’t listen to anything those bitches have to say. They aren’t married and don’t have any prospects of getting married.”
If they were the women Elle thought they were, they’d hung around with Taylor in high school. “They sure have a lot of guys after them. Taylor, too.”
Janine snort laughed. “Taylor has guys after her for one reason only. Same reason she was so popular with them in high school.”
Elle had never analyzed why some kids had more followers than others. All she’d known was that she’d never had any.
Janine waved her hand. “Think about it. Taylor doesn’t have a great body. She’s short, kind of squat with a thick waist, and she’s got that pig nose, all turned up and flat.” Janine pressed her finger against her own nose, and Elle couldn’t help but laugh.
“True. But she had something that made her popular.”
“Yeah, she was The Initiator.”
Elle cocked her head. “The Initiator?”
Janine shrugged. “Any guy who was still a virgin went to her to get some experience. She had plenty.”
“Hmm. Luke said she was his first.” Should she have squealed on her husband like that? Janine had never been a gossip. It was unlikely she’d start now.
“I think Taylor was the first for most of our class. In her small little mind, she liked being able to be everyone’s first. Thought it made her special. All it really did was give her a reputation as a slut. They only wanted her for that one reason.”
Elle shook her hands in the sink, then reached for some paper towels.
Janine was still rubbing her hands with the one she’d taken a minute ago. “It’s the same reason those bitches were talking about you. They worshiped Taylor and thought they had to be just like her and for a short time they’d become popular. But we’ve been out of high school for ten years. Time to grow up. We’re twenty-eight now.”
Elle hated to point out she was only twenty-four.
“Right now, Elle, lots of these guys are looking for something with a little more substance.”
That’s what Luke had said the night of her cousin’s wedding. She rubbed her belly, never wanting this child to think she didn’t love him or her with all her heart.
Janine pointed to the door. “Those ladies aren’t exactly the kind of person a guy wants for the mother of his child.” She indicated Elle’s baby bump. “You are.”
“You heard Taylor. It was an accident. Sort of.”
“Nah.” Janine grinned. “It was simply Luke taking his time and waiting for you to get old enough.”
Elle laughed. “You’re crazy.”
“I was in lots of classes with you two. The guy protected you like a knight with his fair lady. Let’s face it, teenagers are stupid and cruel.”
Taking a deep breath, Elle said, “Some don’t actually outgrow it.”
“True. But Luke defended you to anyone who tried to make fun of you. Whether you were there or not.”
“I know he deflected attention from me when I was with him. I didn’t know he did it at other times, too.”
“Yep. If you weren’t in hearing range, he’d get downright nasty.”
“Which means lots of kids insulted me even when I wasn’t around.”
Janine leaned against the sink. “Sure, they did. They were jealous. But never Luke. He told everyone that you were smarter than the whole school, and he said it with pride. Because he was your champion. And he didn’t care what anyone thought of him, so he was free to tell them off if they were a jerk.”
“Thank you for telling me this, Janine.” All her life she’d hated how difficult high school had been. But without Lukas Storm, it sounded like it would have been a whole lot harder.
After tossing the paper towel in the trash, she went off to find her husband.
Luke glanced toward the door one more time as he plunked some dessert on a plate. Elle loved sweets and hopefully some chocolate or sugar would help her feel better. If she ever returned from the bathroom. Should he get someone to go check on her? But who?
“I’m so sorry, Luke,” Taylor’s fake, breathy voice came from behind him.
Pivoting, he tried to wipe the scowl from his face but knew he wasn’t successful when she flinched.
“Seriously, Luke. I didn’t mean to make it so you got stuck with Murielle. I can’t believe you actually married her. I didn’t think you were the marrying type.”
“Only a jerk doesn’t take care of his responsibilities.”
“If I’d realized you were so protective, I would have gotten pregnant when we were screwing.”
Luke cocked his head. “We were sixteen. You wanted to have a baby at sixteen?”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “No, but I am sorry. You poor thing.”
“Actually, I’m not sorry. I’m excited about having this baby, and being with Ellie is the best thing I’ve ever done.” After digging his phone from his suit coat pocket, he scrolled through his pictures, then held the screen toward Taylor.
“This. This is what got me through my time overseas. The thought of Ellie back here waiting for me. All I could think about was her and how much she meant to me. Now, we’re married and having a baby.”
Taylor pursed her lips. “You want a baby?”
Luke nodded and stared at Elle’s picture again. “I se
e my brother, Erik, and his kids, and for the first time I can say I’m a little jealous. I love being with my niece and nephews and can’t wait to have my own kid running around.”
He tucked the phone back in his pocket, then stared straight at the woman in front of him. “So I guess I should say thank you. Even though it was a dick move with the condoms, I appreciate what you did. I’d planned to pursue Ellie once I got back, but the baby made it so much easier to convince her to marry me. Let’s face it, we all know I wasn’t the most monogamous guy around. But Ellie made me rethink that lifestyle.”
The forced smile on Taylor’s face showed her annoyance, and Luke wanted to laugh. Instead, he patted her on the shoulder, grabbed the dessert plate, and crossed the room. Elle had just entered, so he waylaid her and guided her to their table.
After placing the dessert down, he took her hand and gave her a peck on the cheek. “We can’t let them get to us.”
Elle’s face tightened. “They aren’t getting to you. Only me. You’re just the poor sap that got roped into marrying me. I told you this wouldn’t work. You should have come by yourself and then you could have pretended you were wild and free like before.”
“But I’m not, and I don’t want to be. I like being chained to you, because it means you’re chained to me. I have to tell you this jealousy thing is strange. My control is being tested every time one of these guys ogles your backside.”
One of Elle’s eyebrows rose. “Ogling? Right. You go ahead and call it that. Somehow, I don’t think that’s what they’re doing.”
Luke skimmed his hands over her hips and around to her back, staying just shy of the ass he’d mentioned. “Oh, I’ve done enough ogling in the past to recognize it when I see it.”
Her lips twisted to the side. “In the past, huh?”
“Most decidedly in the past. I have the most gorgeous wife in the world, so there’s no reason for me to ogle anywhere else.”
“I don’t know.” Elle glanced around the room. “There are some ladies here tonight that are incredibly sexy. Much better than the beach ball you’re holding.”