Reclaiming His Bride (DiCarlo Brides book 3) (The DiCarlo Brides) Page 8

  Lana was sure she was making a huge mistake. How could she have agreed to spend the day with Blake—today of all days? She should know better than to let herself be talked into spending any time with him. And yet a strange anticipation pulsed through her at the thought of having the whole day together without her sisters listening in. Maybe she could understand what happened and put the pain behind them. They baby would tie them together for the rest of their lives, after all. Being able to get along as friends would be better for their child.

  She decided to hold onto this ridiculous hope as she slid into her coat and grabbed her purse. If nothing else, he was right that she would need new clothes soon. She wasn’t showing yet, but the waistline on her skirts was getting snug. In a few weeks she wouldn’t fit in her current wardrobe anymore.

  That didn’t mean she was going into full-out maternity mode any sooner than absolutely necessary, but being prepared was good. Right?

  Joel’s Range Rover pulled into the driveway and she watched Blake get out and come up the walk. He always moved with such grace and assurance. It amazed her how he managed to look entirely unruffled by anything—no matter how major—except in his eyes. She’d seen his nervousness in the way they crinkled at the corner and the slight clenching of his jaw. She doubted he was even aware that he did it, but she noticed every detail. It was part of why she’d finally agreed to go with him. If he had really been as confident as he pretended, she would have run the other way.

  Lana pulled open the door just before he stepped close enough to knock. “Right on time, as usual.”

  “You look great,” he said after flicking his gaze over her. “As usual.”

  She allowed herself to smile. “I’m ready to go.”

  “Have fun,” Cami called to them from the base of the inside staircase, a note of innuendo in her voice.

  “Right.” Lana didn’t even look back at her older sister, who was obviously trying to get the two of them together.

  Blake helped Lana into the vehicle and circled to his own side.

  “Why are we taking Joel’s car?” she asked.

  “Mine’s not big enough, not if we’re doing serious Christmas shopping. And if we decide to pick up a few things for the baby today, we’ll need the extra cargo space.”

  “Where are you going to store baby stuff for the next six months?” she asked.

  “The spare room in my suite.” His fingers gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “It’s not being used, so housekeeping doesn’t go in often. I told them to clean it today, so it’ll be a while before they go back to vacuum again. By then we’ll have told everyone important about the baby.”

  And about us. Lana set her hand on her stomach and tried to settle the butterflies. She’d been nervous when they first discussed announcing their marriage the previous November, but to do it now after so much time had passed was much worse. The issue was compounded by the fact that Cami had made her feelings on the subject of Vegas elopements clear when Sage said Joel wanted to run off after they were engaged.

  Blake changed the conversation to his visit to the Chicago symphony when he’d been at the corporate offices the previous week. Lana settled back in her seat and talked about Chicago and the places they each liked best—avoiding discussion of the places they visited together.

  The drive down the mountain to Denver went by in a flash as they settled into an easy discussion and headed for the mall.

  Blake held doors for her, offered her first choice for stores, and waited patiently while she tried on half a dozen pair of boots before settling on a pair of slip-on boots with a buckle across the ankle, and a thigh-high pair that were practically designed for Juniper Ridge’s heavy snows.

  “Nice.” Blake said when she showed them off. “Will you still be able to wear those when your center of gravity shifts?”

  She was impressed that he thought about it, but she simply didn’t know. “They’re short heels and I guess if I have to set them aside in a few months, it’ll be okay. They’ll still fit next year.” She remembered the book she’d been reading on pregnancy and realized maybe her feet would grow and they wouldn’t fit. Oh well, then I’ll just have to buy more!

  They spent some time looking at new office attire for her that she would still be able to wear in a couple of months, and she picked out a few things for her sisters.

  They were already well-laden with packages when they entered the inside hallway to the mall. Or rather, Blake was well-laden. Though he’d only bought himself a new scarf, he was carrying most of the packages. “I’m really glad I brought you to be my pack animal,” Lana teased.

  “I live to serve.” His eyes zeroed in on a frozen yogurt place. “You up for a snack? I know what hard work shopping can be.”

  “And baby needs feeding,” she agreed. They walked over and studied the offerings for a moment while the people ahead of them ordered.

  “How are you today?” the young man asked when they reached the counter.

  “We’re well.” Blake turned to Lana. “Strawberry cheesecake swirl for you?”

  A little bounce of surprise hit her and she paused a moment before nodding. He’d remembered.

  He turned back to the cashier and ordered the swirl for her and German chocolate for himself. “You can snatch a taste or three if you’d like,” he offered after paying for the desserts.

  Lana watched the cashier pull out two cups and fill them with the yogurt. “I may just take you up on that.” She accepted the cup and spoon and they found a seat on a nearby bench.

  The mall teemed with people streaming past, their arms full of packages and checking lists, talking on cell phones, or calling across the thoroughfare to one another. “Where else do you need to stop?” he asked when they were settled.

  Lana shook her head, not sure what to do. “It’s hard to buy for the other sisters. We don’t know each other that well, and I’m still trying to get a handle on everyone.”

  He nodded. “I know, and the family has grown awfully fast in the past year, hasn’t it?”

  “And keeps growing. Cami’s wedding is only a few weeks off, Sage is married, and do I buy something for Harrison? He’s sort of family, but not really. Kind of that in-between space.” He was the half-brother of her half-sister—not a relation, but still something. Trying to figure out how to balance the family and business relationships was harder for her, since she was everyone’s boss—everyone but Blake, anyway.

  “I was thinking Joel and Sage could use a fire extinguisher,” Blake said, straight faced.

  She elbowed him. “That’s just plain mean.” And a little behind the times since Joel’s house burned down in October.

  “Joel will laugh.”

  She let a few seconds pass. “So would Sage, actually. She’s amazingly calm about everything that happened. Sometimes I wonder if she’s just hiding things.” The night Joel’s house was set on fire would have sent Lana to a therapist for sure.

  “Of course she is. Anyone who doesn’t wake up screaming from nightmares after what she’s been through isn’t normal. And you remember all of the panic attacks she used to have. I bet they aren’t really gone.” He scooped up some of his yogurt and offered it to her. “She’ll be fine though, because she has Joel. They’re good together.”

  Lana accepted the bite of his treat and nearly moaned in delight as the chocolate and coconut flowed over her tongue. “That is amazing.”

  “Isn’t it?” He offered her another taste, waiting until she lifted her gaze to his before sliding it into her mouth. “They aren’t the only ones who are good together.”

  Lana felt the kick of electricity all the way to her toes when their eyes met and she savored the chocolaty goodness. “Our time together was never the problem.”

  He let a moment of taut silence pass. When he spoke, his voice was lower than usual. “Trust is the problem. And that’s not something I can fix on my own. You have to take the leap and believe that I’ll catch you. Or at least take a te
ntative first step and let me show you I’ll be there for you.”

  Tension stretched between them as she considered his words. “I don’t think I can do that yet.”

  He swallowed hard and nodded, then turned back to his yogurt. After a long moment passed, he changed the subject. “So I was thinking something with bling for my mom—she always appreciates jewelry. And of course, jewelry is reasonably safe for your sisters as well—maybe not so much with Sage, but the others will be happy enough with something shiny. You want to hit the jewelers next?”

  “Yeah, that would be good.” Lana told herself she was putting it behind her. She would be his friend, even if she didn’t trust him enough for more.

  After they’d burned up their credit cards, grabbed a quick lunch, and half-filled the back of the SUV, Blake lured Lana into a baby store. “Just to look,” he promised when she protested that it was too soon to buy a crib. Or two since he insisted he would have one at his place, one way or another.

  They wandered up and down the aisle looking at tiny outfits and bottles, sippy cups, diapers and changing tables, cribs and bath tubs, car seats and bouncy chairs and a thousand other little things neither of them had ever considered before. They were halfway around the room before she realized they were holding hands and talking as if there had never been any tension between them.

  “I love this.” Lana fingered some footed pajamas with ultra-soft fabric and a puppy face embroidered on the front.

  “Then we should get it.” He picked it up, along with a layette she had been drooling over and a teeny-tiny cap for a newborn.

  “But it’s so far away still, I mean, it’s not like we have to start now.” Buying things for the baby meant there was a chance someone else would learn the truth, and she wasn’t ready to spread the word yet.

  “But there’s no reason we can’t start now, either, is there? We’ll have plenty of shopping to do later, and these are little. It’s not making an announcement like buying a crib might do—though I think I might ask them to hold that one with the animals painted on the sides.” Blake took her elbow and moved her to the front of the store. “You’re what, about three months along? You’re past the likeliest chances of miscarriage, so there’s no reason not to plan for the baby now. Speaking of which,” he said as he continued on past her objections, “when is your doctor’s visit? I’d like to go with you, if you don’t mind too much. Especially when you have a sonogram done.”

  Lana nearly stumbled over her own feet when she heard that. She hadn’t even thought about inviting him to the doctor’s office. He wanted to be there? “Um, I. huh.”

  He grinned. “You can look it up and tell me later. Just think about it.” They reached a store employee and he had them follow to make note of the items they wanted to put on hold for the week. “I’ll pay now and return to pick them up on Friday.”

  Lana felt her stomach drop and she stared at him. “Friday! That’s too soon.” She grabbed onto his arm for support.

  “Honey,” Blake turned and put his free hand on her cheek. “My parents are coming to town right after Thanksgiving, and I’m telling them. The time for secrets has passed. Whether or not you tell your family is your choice, but I suggest you do it, because my mother isn’t likely to keep quiet about it.”

  Lana felt a little lightheaded. Maybe because she had started hyperventilating.

  “Whoa.” He took her elbow and leaned her back against the check-out counter. “Slow down there, you’re going to make yourself sick. You know we have to tell people.”

  “Now?” Somehow she’d been thinking if they waited long enough she would get used to the idea, but she was not ready.

  “You’d rather wait until Christmas and have them angry that we kept it quiet so long? Hasn’t it been long enough?”

  The warmth of his hand on her cheek infused her with a little calm. She sucked in a long, deep breath and saw the dark spots in front of her eyes fade away. “I just... Cami’s going to be livid. When she found out Joel tried to get Sage to make a run for Vegas, she was pretty vocal about it.”

  He didn’t speak at all for a moment, though the look on his face seemed uncertain. “Let’s finish here and I’ll take you somewhere to eat. It’s been too long since lunch.”

  Lana considered pushing the point with him, but didn’t know what to say, or what she expected him to say. Instead she nodded and let him finish what he was doing.

  In twenty minutes they were seated in a darling little restaurant with low lights, plenty of space and privacy between tables, and flute music filling the air. “How did you find this place?” Lana asked.

  He smiled. “I talked to one of our concierges. She used to work at the Four Seasons, so I figured she’d know a spot like this.”

  “Tell her kudos from me.” Lana played with her goblet until Blake slid his fingers over hers, claiming them again.

  “I’ll do that. I figured after the hustle and bustle, a nice, quiet place to relax would probably be welcome.” He fiddled with his knife on the tabletop.

  “Definitely. I might just melt into the seat from exhaustion.” She’d felt the pull of tiredness for a couple of hours, but had kept pushing on to get through more of the shopping, even when he’d offered to take a break. She was nearly done purchasing for everyone, though, so she felt entitled to relax for a while. The rest would have to be done online or at the boutiques in Juniper Ridge.

  “I’m sorry. You could have told me.” His fingers brushed over hers, a soft caress that sent shivers up her spine. “I should have paid closer attention to you.”

  “I thought you were watching me pretty close,” she said with a smile. His eyes had hardly left her for most of the day. Oddly, that hadn’t bothered her like she expected. “But I would have said to stop for a break if I really needed one.”

  “You work too hard. I love that you’re so determined, but you need to take care of yourself.”

  “Since I’m pregnant,” she finished the thought.

  His fingers tightened on hers. “No, because you refuse to admit you have limits, so you keep working even when you should take a break. Which has always been the case, but is even more relevant now. I love you and don’t want to see you sick because you don’t know when to stop.” His gaze was direct.

  Did he love her, really love her? Lana’s father had said that he loved her mother, but he stepped out on her all the time. Was that love? Did Blake understand what that meant to her? That she couldn’t live the way her parents had? “I don’t know how to respond when you say things like that to me.”

  “Because you don’t think you work too hard, or because you can’t believe I love you?”

  She stared at their joined hands again. He’d been wearing his wedding ring when he picked her up, a reminder of what today signified. “Dad told me he loved my mom.”

  “That’s not love. Not the kind of love we have, anyway,” Blake dismissed. “I’ve been thinking about that for months now, wondering how he could ever cheat on a woman like your mother and still claim he loved her. She was like a candle, burning so bright and warm that she drew others to her.”

  Tears rose to Lana’s eyes. His description was perfect. “I didn’t know you’d met.”

  “A few times, when I was first working at the New York resort. I was head of guest services then, and she was the sweetest person I’d ever met; charming, beautiful and welcoming to everyone.” He grinned at Lana. “At least I thought she was the most charming woman alive, until I met you.”

  Lana pulled her hand away from his and wiped at the tears streaking her face. She wasn’t going to respond to his comment about herself. He understood how to use charm a little too well for her comfort sometimes. “I just don’t understand him. How could he? Why would he do that? How could she live with him if she knew? And how could she not know, or at least suspect, when it went on for so many years? Decades.” She met his eyes. “I could never live like that, Blake. I like my sisters fine, but I can’t help but remember
that they exist because my dad...” She looked away, trying to hold back tears again. Stupid hormones.

  Blake rose and came around to her side of the small, round table. He crouched beside her. “I would never do that, baby. You’re too important to me. Please, you just have to give me a chance.”

  When she didn’t respond, not sure she trusted herself at that moment, he reached out and brushed the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs. She gave a half-laugh. “Hormones. Rumor has it that you’re in for worse than you’ve seen today.”

  “No problem.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead, then pulled away, sitting in his chair again. “That kiss didn’t make me a liar, did it? Was it okay?” he teased.

  “I don’t know. It was pushing the rules for the day,” she joked back, glad he was lightening the serious conversation. His action had been just what she needed.

  “If I say five Hail Mary’s can I be forgiven?”

  “You’re not Catholic,” she reminded him, fighting to keep a smile at bay.

  “Hmm, right. I wonder if it still works.”

  She laughed, unable to help herself. “Nope, and since I’m the one you need forgiveness from, we’ll have to find a more appropriate penance.”

  Blake tapped his oh-so-kissable lips for a moment, then smiled. “How about if I carry all of the bags in from the car?”

  “Sounds fair to me. It’ll take you a lot of trips.” For a moment her eyes slid back to where his fingertip touched his lips. Feeling her throat tighten a little and her mouth go dry, she pulled her gaze away.

  Their entrees arrived and he changed the subject. “So, what are we going to do about our ghost?”

  She grimaced. “I don’t know. Joel is going to add a few extra cameras that no one else knows about that aren’t part of the main system and can’t be hacked with the others, but we still have to catch this person in action. I don’t understand why someone would want to cause all of this trouble. What do they expect to gain?”