Authors: Erin Nicholas
“Not on the table or anything.” Marc puffed out an exasperated breath. “What does it mean?”
“Why not your bed? It’s just up the stairs,” Kat pointed out.
“It wasn’t a well-planned-out seduction or anything.” He gave up on finding out what it meant that Sabrina wasn’t telling.
“Even better,” Kat said with a grin. “A spontaneous, can’t-take-it-anymore, explosion of passion?”
“Something like that.” Marc tried hard not to think about the details of what Kat had nailed right on the head with her description. The memories of Sabrina and his kitchen would hit him at the strangest times and he wanted a repeat performance. Seriously.
Kat ran a hand through her spiky maroon hair, then leveled a sober gaze on him. “I’m guessing she’s not talking because she has some feelings about it that she doesn’t know how to explain.”
“Yeah? Is that good?”
“Could be good or bad. She doesn’t talk about her dad much either.”
Marc frowned. “She told me some. Like about his past and how he wanted her to be perfect all the time.”
Kat looked intrigued. “She trusts you. Took her years to tell me about her dad.”
“Sabrina confided in you, though?” Marc wanted to think that Sabrina had someone on her side besides—
“Nope. Luke was there.”
Uh-huh. “She didn’t tell you anything?”
“Not until we were juniors in high school. I just thought she was rebellious and not interested in all those extracurricular activities. We talked and had fun, but Luke was the one who saw her hurt and vulnerable. He was there before I was, so I think she was already used to leaning on him.”
Marc frowned, flexing and relaxing his fist. “Luke happened to be in the right place at the right time when she needed someone.” Luke had gotten drunk after Sabrina left that night four years ago and had spilled seemingly every detail of his relationship with Sabrina.
She’d needed an escape long before she was thirteen and Luke found her hiding in his tree house. Her dad had pushed her mom as hard as he’d pushed Sabrina. She had to be perfect, she had to be involved in everything, she had to be well-respected and well-liked. Rebecca had finally had enough and divorced him. She tried to take Sabrina with her when she left Justice but Bill had all the assets, impeccable character references and a long history in a supportive town. In spite of his jail time, the court agreed that his was the more stable home environment for Sabrina and the judge gave him full custody.
Sabrina had seen Rebecca sporadically for a few years, but her mom soon remarried, had two more children and they’d drifted into rare holiday visits, phone calls and e-mail.
“I guess you could say it was right place, right time for Luke,” Kat said.
“He got lucky.”
“Uh-huh.”
He looked up from glaring at her desk clock. “What?”
“You like her,” Kat sing-songed. “You really like her.”
Marc wasn’t going to deny it—because that was stupid—but he was going to be very careful with what he admitted right now. “And?”
“This is good.
You
be her baby guy.”
“Baby guy?” He raised an eyebrow. “I think that part’s already been cast.”
“I mean the guy who helps her through this whole thing. You know, the appointments, the ultrasound, the labor and delivery, the late night feedings, the diapers. Then Luke won’t have to.”
Marc stared at Kat. He wanted to do all of that.
Shit.
But it wouldn’t matter. Sabrina was going to be Nashville. With a nanny to help with all of that.
Though being there when the baby was born would be—
Didn’t matter. It wasn’t his problem, his issue, his concern.
So why couldn’t he stop thinking about it?
He frowned at Kat. Why’d she have to bring that up? Luke was— Then suddenly he got it. “You have feelings for Luke.”
Kat quickly ducked her head, her cheeks pink.
Holy crap. Kat Dayton was blushing.
“You do! You have feelings for Luke. Damn, girl, why didn’t you say so?”
“Do. Not. Tell. Him.” Kat pointed a finger at his nose. “I’ll cut something off of you that’s very important. I have scalpels and I know how to use them.”
“Why don’t
you
tell him?”
“He’s hung up on Sabrina.” She slumped back in her chair, looking dejected. “I thought maybe something could happen before she came home but—”
“But what difference does that make? If you two have something going on—”
“We don’t,” she interrupted. “The minute she showed up it was all moot anyway.”
“Why? He’s not really in love with her. Not the way he thinks he is. Or the way he wants to be. Or whatever.” The more Marc thought about it and said it, it made sense.
“He’s worried about her and wants to help her,” Kat said. “That’s all it takes. No matter what else he’s doing, the minute she calls he jumps. I know that for a fact.”
This sounded interesting. “Tell me more.” He leaned back and rested his hands on his stomach.
She looked at him for a minute. Then apparently decided to share and leaned forward. “In high school there was this party at Danny Riser’s house. Sabrina didn’t feel good so she wasn’t there but Luke and I both were. We hung out all night and talked. With no Sabrina. Then there was this moment. I knew he was going to kiss me. I almost couldn’t breathe. It was going to change everything. And then she called. She wanted ice cream.”
Marc knew his eyes were wide. “You liked him even back in high school?”
“The point is,” she said with a frown, “the second she called, he left.”
“But she was sick.”
“The same thing happened in college.”
“You and Luke almost kissed?”
“We
did
kiss.”
Marc was loving this. “I had no idea.”
“Yeah. Exactly. He never told you and it never happened again. We were in the dorm, she was at a dance, you were—” She tipped her head. “I don’t know where you were.”
“Probably on a date.”
She smiled. “Right. I’m sure. Anyway, we were in the dorm alone, watching a movie and he turned toward me, stared at me for a second, then pulled me in and kissed me. In fact, it got pretty hot.”
Marc was
loving
this. “Did you—”
“Sabrina called. She was bored at the dance and wanted Luke to come pick her up. Which of course he did immediately.”
“If her date wouldn’t bring her home Luke didn’t really have a choice.”
“She didn’t even ask her date to bring her home.”
Marc thought about that. “We both know that they’ve always had a somewhat dysfunctional relationship.”
“Yeah. And now she’s back so it’s starting up again. Unless
you
can make sure she doesn’t need Luke.”
“She
doesn’t
need Luke.”
“She doesn’t
need
anyone,” Kat agreed. “But neither of them believe that. And Luke doesn’t have a reason to leave her alone.”
“But you’re in love with him,” Marc pointed out. “And he’s not in love with her.”
“Once they’re married it won’t matter, will it?”
It was true. Luke would marry for life. “Are you going to help me break them up then?” he asked.
She looked at him for several seconds. “You want to break them up?”
“Yeah.” That much he knew for sure.
“For Luke’s sake? Or hers?” She paused. “Or your sake?”
“Maybe I want to do it for
you
.”
“As long as you have a reason.” She gave him a grin.
“So how do we do it?”
“I think we have to concentrate on her. She said maybe to Luke. Get her to say no.”
“You think I can do that?”
“Look, I know she got knocked up by a guy who didn’t even give her his real first name and took all her money but—”
Marc pushed out of the chair. “She was robbed by the guy she slept with?”
Kat hesitated, then said, “The baby’s father is some scumbag con-artist who got her drunk, seduced her and then drained her accounts.”
Marc closed his eyes and breathed in deep through his nose. It was official. He’d fallen for Sabrina Cassidy. He knew because in the past he would have thought it kind of funny and even fitting that she’d gotten taken advantage of when he’d seen her take advantage of Luke so many times.
But now he just really wanted to kill someone.
Namely the scumbag con-artist.
Sure, because the guy deserved it. And because he’d stolen from her and likely several other women. But also because he’d had her infatuated with him—at least—and in his bed and he’d decided to walk away. There was no amount of money worth that.
What an idiot.
“He’s long gone. She reported it to the cops, but the guy was slick and knew what he was doing. Anyway, a lawyer assured her that she could safely protect the baby from ever being found by this guy.”
“She went to a lawyer?”
“She knew a guy who worked in a law office and he asked someone.”
“Did this guy sleep on her couch at one point in time?”
“How’d you know that?” Kat asked, genuinely surprised.
“Never mind. What were you saying about her getting knocked up?”
“I was saying that even though she got knocked up on what was essentially a one-night stand, she doesn’t usually do that casually. The fact that you’ve had sex means something, the fact that she’s talked about her dad means something. I think there’s a lot here that means something. I think you could convince Sabrina that Luke isn’t her only, or even her best, option.”
He felt a knot in his stomach. “Maybe.” The fact that he felt anxious about it probably meant that he believed her.
He could tell Sabrina that he didn’t want her to marry Luke because
he
was in love with her. But that would logically mean he wanted her to be with
him.
Marry him. And she just might do it. The feelings he was having weren’t completely one-sided, but even more, he could also offer her what she most wanted—stability.
Which seemed great. Except that he wanted her in Nashville. Not because he didn’t want her with him, but because he needed her to be happy. Even if it wasn’t with him. As long as she was going after her dream.
“So what’s the plan?” Kat asked.
Nashville. Definitely.
But he had to keep her from doing something stupid with Luke before the plane could take off.
It felt strangely like he’d been in this position before.
Chapter Eleven
Sabrina shifted on the exam table, crinkling the paper she lay on, pulled the hospital gown down and sighed loudly.
If Kat thought she was putting a needle in her arm, she was nuts.
“The best thing would be an IV at this point,” Kat said as she came through the door.
Sabrina glanced at her quickly. “I assume that means a needle?”
“Yes.” Kat’s head was bent over Sabrina’s chart.
Sabrina glared at her even though Kat couldn’t see it.
This was a routine OB check up. She was going to have a thousand of them. But she was nervous. She didn’t know what she was doing. What if she was screwing things up already? She’d wanted to call Marc to come with her. She wanted someone to hold her hand, reassure her, ask questions that she wouldn’t think of. But she couldn’t impose on him like that. She knew she should have called Luke. But that didn’t feel right either. Which was crazy since he had, basically, signed on for all of this. He’d asked her to marry him, knowing she was pregnant. It made sense that he would expect to be present for things like this.
But she hadn’t called.
“Otherwise things look pretty good but the baby’s heart rate is still high. We’ll keep monitoring you for now. You—” she pointed a dark purple fingernail at Sabrina, “—need to relax.”
“What is going on?”
She whipped her head toward the doorway so fast she was almost dizzy. Marc.
Sabrina was sure her heart monitor showed a spike or two.
“She’s okay. A little dehydrated. We’re monitoring her and the baby,” Kat said soothingly. She didn’t seem surprised to see Marc.
But why did she think she had to talk soothingly to him?
“What are you doing here?” Sabrina asked.
“I asked Josie why you weren’t at the restaurant yet and she told me you had a doctor’s appointment.”
“And you thought you should come?”
“I didn’t think you would mind.”
The look in his eyes made her swallow hard before she answered. He looked worried, almost hurt. As if he was prepared for her to tell him that this was none of his business.
“I don’t mind at all.” She was thrilled to see him—as usual. But especially here. Which was weird. Kat was her best girlfriend, her
doctor
, and yet she felt better having Marc here.
“Wish you’d told me ahead of time.”
“Wish I’d known you wanted to know.”
Marc looked right at her. “You’re right. I’ve never said, ‘Hey Seattle, I give a shit what happens to you and the baby, let me know if you need anything.’ I didn’t know I had to say it in so many words.”
She swallowed at the intense look of—something—in his eyes. It was a combination of frustration and possessiveness that made her squirm and want more at the same time.
“You know what you’re getting into?” Luke strolled into the room.
Marc drew himself up taller. “Yeah. I do.”
“What are you doing here?” Sabrina asked, shocked to see him.
“I asked Josie where Marc was and she told me that he was at a doctor’s appointment with you.”
“Sabrina’s fine with me being here. Right?” Marc asked, turning to her.
She nodded, unable to speak at the moment. There was a lot of tension zinging around the room suddenly.
“What do you know about pregnant women and babies?” Luke asked.
“I know what colic is. For sure.” He gave Sabrina a quick half smile.
She felt a hiccup in her heart beat. She smiled back.
“Do you know about placenta previa?” Luke asked.
Marc shot a concerned look at Kat. “Is she spotting or bleeding?”
“No. Dehydrated. That’s it.”
Kat looked impressed and Sabrina assumed he was right about that symptom. Still, they were talking about her uterus and…stuff. “Hey, I—”
“You’ve been doing more studying,” Kat commented to Marc.
Sabrina frowned at Kat. More studying? And what did Kat know about it?