Read Have Bouquet, Need Boyfriend Online
Authors: Rita Herron
Tags: #Contemporary, #Romance, #Erotica, #Fiction, #General
Only, no one would ever see it. Especially her subject.
Thomas.
She chuckled sardonically. When she’d been drawing, she hadn’t thought
once about her baby plan….
It was early morning before Thomas allowed himself to leave the
hospital. Even then he hated to abandon the Lackeys. The delivery had
not gone well, although they had stabilized the baby enough to transfer
it to the neonatal unit in Atlanta. He and the pediatrician in town,
Josh Redgrave, had both picked up on heart problems. The infant needed
surgery right away along with more extensive tests they weren’t equipped
to conduct at Sugar Hill General.
The Lackeys’ reaction had been difficult to handle, the situation
frightening for everyone, and Rachel’s husband had needed someone to
blame. He’d taken his distress out on his wife and Thomas.
He’d bluntly accused Thomas of not giving her proper prenatal care.
Thomas had reviewed the details of Rachel’s pregnancy a dozen times, but
his answer always went back to the genetics factor, which wasn’t the
explanation Larry Lackey had wanted to hear. Thomas understood the
problems, the anger, the denial, the inclination to blame someone,
although there was nothing any of them could have done to predict the
infant’s health problems. And unfortunately, they still couldn’t assure
the couple the baby would survive.
The memory of his lovely evening with Rebecca emerged like sunshine
breaking through thunderclouds, but he suppressed it immediately as he
pulled
off his clothes and stretched out on his bed, exhausted. The empty house
echoed with silence, the scent of furniture polish and pine cleaner
strong. No homey smells like freshly baked brownies or that
apple-cinnamony scent he’d detected at Rebecca’s.
Forget Rebecca. This house was what he wanted. Big, impressive,
perfectly decorated. The kind of place he could entertain a hospital
board, even throw a party for potential charity drives. Still, the
massive rooms weren’t as comforting in the dark of night as he’d
imagined when he’d first purchased the house. He closed his eyes and
tried to find the peace he so craved, but instead he saw the pale Lackey
baby squirming in the incubator and his forlorn parents watching helplessly.
Just like his parents had years ago with his baby brother. And just as
he had….
He fisted his hands and pounded the covers. No matter how hard he tried
and how much he learned, there would always be problem deliveries, sick
infants…
The sooner he moved to Atlanta the better.
“You look fabulous!” Suzanne shrieked as Mimi modeled a black crepe
off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her curves. “And the sapphire blue is
you, Hannah.”
Mimi giggled and wiggled her hips. “It’s nice to have some shape again.”
Hannah waved a hand. “Oh, hush, Mimi, you looked fabulous pregnant.”
“Yes, you did, Mimi,” Rebecca added, imagining her own body growing with
a child.
Suzanne held up an emerald-green backless dress. It was slinky and sexy,
as if the designer had Suzanne in mind when she’d created it. “What do
you think?”
“Try it on,” Mimi coached.
“You’ll look great in it,” Rebecca said. “Of course, with your figure
you’d look great in anything.”
Suzanne laughed. “Right. With the help of a Won-derbra,” Suzanne said.
“But it’s not so much fun when the clothes come off and the guy realizes
half the up-front is not real.”
Rebecca shook her head. “I can’t imagine any guy being disappointed in you.”
“Then tell me why Nick dumped me.”
“‘Cause he’s a fool,” Mimi said.
“An idiot,” Hannah chimed in.
Suzanne laughed again. “Thanks. I needed that. I’ve been so depressed
about the whole thing. I just can’t seem to find anyone serious. Every
guy I date in Atlanta just wants sex, no commitments. Is that what I
look like? The love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type?”
“Of course not,” Mimi said.
“That’s their problem,” Hannah said.
“Except it’s starting to get to me,” Suzanne said, sounding frustrated.
Rebecca quirked her head sideways, surprised at the sincerity in
Suzanne’s admission. She never thought Suzanne got depressed. Or that
any man dumped her.
Whereas, Rebecca’s middle name was dump. In high school, three guys had
cozied up to her, pretending interest, only to discover they really
wanted Suzanne. Memories of prom night her senior year surfaced. When
Suzanne’s date had come down with the
flu the day before the prom, Rebecca’s date had canceled right in front
of everyone in the lunch line at school, then turned and asked Suzanne
in class that afternoon. Of course, Suzanne had refused him. She’d also
ditched the other guys when she’d discovered their sneaky plan. But
Rebecca had been so humiliated.
The memories resurrected all her old insecurities. She suddenly wanted
to go home, to forget this silly shopping trip. To bury herself back in
her baggy dresses and books and art.
Oblivious to her thoughts, Suzanne pointed to a rack of custom designed
gowns. “Rebecca, get busy and try on some dresses. We still have to
check out the lingerie.”
Rebecca wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure any of these are me.” They were
too expensive. Too showy. Too revealing.
“Are you kidding?” Mimi plucked up a hot-pink dress with spaghetti
straps. “Try this one for starters.”
“Oh, and you have to try this maroon cocktail dress,” Hannah said. “This
color will drive men wild.”
“And I like this violet off-the-shoulder sheath for you,” Suzanne said.
“The color will accentuate the blue in your eyes.”
“She’s right. Play up your best features.” Mimi leaned back and gave
Rebecca a critical look. “Your eyes are definitely one of them. But you
have great curves, too. You simply need to show them off.”
“I know. Can you believe it?” Suzanne hitched out a hip. “In middle
school, she had great boobs when I was stick straight. All the boys used
to swoon over her.”
“They didn’t swoon. They gaped and whispered all kinds of moronic
cracks,” Rebecca said in horror. “I hated it.”
“Well, enjoy it now.” Mimi pushed her toward the dressing room. “With
your body and sweet personality, you’ll be a great catch for some lucky
guy.”
“Maybe even a doctor,” Hannah said.
Rebecca’s face felt hot. Had Hannah and Mimi guessed that she was
attracted to Thomas? Had they told him?
Mortified at the thought, she gathered the dresses and hurried into the
fitting room. Seconds later she teetered out wearing the violet dress
along with a pair of sparkly gold heels Mimi had unearthed earlier at a
sale rack and convinced her she had to have. The crisscross of the back
revealed a lot of skin without being too risque, and the length fell
nicely just below her knees. But the clingy fabric hugged every curvy
inch of her. She felt half-naked, as if every fatal flaw she had was
flashing like a cheap neon sign.
“You look fantastic,” Hannah said.
Suzanne whistled. “No doubt. You have to buy that one.”
“Those have-sex-with-me shoes will snare any man,” Mimi said. “Mark my
words.”
Rebecca checked the price tag on the dress. “I don’t know-“
Suzanne held up a warning hand. “Don’t argue, sis. I’ll pay for it.
Consider it an early birthday gift.”
“He’ll probably want to take off the dress and just do it with you in
the shoes,” Mimi said.
Rebecca’s face blanched.
“Mimi,” Hannah said with an eye roll, “you’re incorrigible.”
Mimi batted innocent eyes. “Well, he will.”
Suzanne grinned. “She’s right. And you have to call us and tell us all
the juicy details the morning after.”
As if there were going to be a romantic rendezvous with juicy details
and a morning after. Rebecca ducked back inside the fitting room to
change, heat flushing over her entire body.
Three hours later the girls left the shopping mall, each with several
packages. Rebecca had a new wardrobe. Suzanne and Mimi and Hannah had
dragged her from store to store, selecting casual clothes as well as
dating clothes, everything from jeans and sweaters to casual slacks and
silk camisoles and T-shirts to party dresses, shoes and lingerie. Then
they’d stopped by the cosmetic counter for a quick makeover, then
browsed through the bath shop for bubble bath and oils along with
scented candles and lotions and body sprays.
Like she needed a lot of dating clothes and bubble bath and body sprays!
And the underwear…ohh, her skin tingled just thinking about the soft
scraps of decadent lace. She had never felt sexier than when she’d tried
on the skimpy pieces, just like Mimi promised.
What would Thomas think of the selections?
She shook her head, unable to believe her own straying thoughts. Thomas
would not see her underwear.
“We’re going to the baby department,” Mimi said.
“I have to find Maggie Rose something to wear to the party, too.”
“You’re not going to dress Maggie in those pink frilly dresses, like the
ones you refused to wear, are you, Mimi?” Hannah asked with a wink.
“Well, she’s a little young for belly dancing clothes or sequins,” Mimi
said. “But maybe we can find something in between.”
The girls laughed, but Rebecca’s heart fluttered. She’d give anything to
be picking out her own baby’s clothes.
“While they visit the infant department, let’s call Dad’s office and
stop by if he’s in,” Suzanne suggested. “We can talk to him about Grammy
Rose’s party.”
Rebecca resisted the urge to balk. As much as she dreaded seeing her
father dote on Suzanne the entire party, her grandmother would be
disappointed if he didn’t attend.
But what if he and Uncle Wiley broke out into a fight and ruined the
surprise party?
Thomas had a terrible Saturday. Instead of catching up on the latest
medical journals, which he usually did on his day off, he couldn’t
concentrate for worrying about the Lackey baby. He’d phoned the Atlanta
hospital only to be put off twice. The doctors had been running tests,
concurring, administering more tests. Then they’d had to meet with the
Lackeys.
The diagnosis included extensive surgery involving the baby’s heart and
lungs. He would stay in the hospital for weeks. And still there was the
off chance that he might not survive.
Thomas reviewed every sonogram he’d taken during Rachel’s pregnancy,
looking for any details that might have clued him in to a problem, but
found nothing. The realization that he couldn’t have detected the boy’s
health problems alleviated some of his anxiety but also made him feel
weak and powerless, limited by mankind and technology. He needed more
expertise, more cutting-edge technology.
He paced the confines of his office when a knock jerked his head up.
Otis Sandier had phoned him first thing this morning. He’d pulled
together a work crew of teenagers to paint the exam rooms and would
complete the project sooner than Thomas anticipated.
“We’ve finished the first three rooms,” Otis said. “We can get the
others done tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to work on Sunday,” Thomas said.
Otis shrugged. “The boys want to. They’re all trying to earn money for
their senior trip.”
Thomas shrugged. “All right.”
As soon as the crew left, the place felt empty and quiet. Just like his
big house would, which was the reason he’d had to leave this morning.
His own doubts and fears had echoed off the ten-foot ceilings all night.
Frustrated but not knowing where he intended to go, he grabbed his keys
and headed to the yellow Mustang. His Porsche should be ready in a few
days, he’d have to tell Rebecca so she could stop worrying.
Rebecca. He’d tried not to think about her today. About how her neck had
tasted. About that artwork and the passion he sensed within the quiet,
shy girl who’d painted it.
He zipped out of the parking lot, telling himself he
would not go to see Rebecca. Not tonight. Not when he felt needy and lonely.
But he ended up at her apartment anyway. Knocking on the door. Wondering