The Baby Arrangement

Hannah spoke up again. “Thank you so much, Nick. Bree could have really been hurt if she’d hit the floor.”

“Yes, thank you, Nick,” Bree echoed, without putting much feeling into it. “This is the second time you’ve been there to catch me before I fell.”

“The second time?” Hannah asked.

Bree made the mistake of glancing at Nick again and this time they locked gazes. She cleared her throat, unable to look away. “Yes, the first time was on the island. Remember—I told you guys—that’s how we met.”

Nick nodded slightly and his lips twitched.

Jerk. She knew where his mind had just gone. And now she was thinking about them in bed again, too.

“Would you please put me down now?” As much as she enjoyed being held by him, she needed to remember that he’d been deceitful by not telling her he lived near her, and just a few minutes before she’d been telling him exactly what she thought of him.

He carefully set her down in an office chair that someone had rolled in front of him. “She could probably use some water and a cool compress,” he said to the room at large.

“I’m fine,” she insisted, but was glad she was seated.

Amber handed her a glass of water, and she sipped it.

“Thank you all for your help.” She kept her tone businesslike and turned away from Nick to address Hannah. “How do I get back to the dining room?” She was beginning to feel the small office’s walls close in. She stood up slowly, not wanting to further embarrass herself. It took a few seconds to right herself, especially since she was wearing four-inch heels.

Hannah gripped her elbow. “I’ll show you the way. Why don’t I get an Uber to take you home?”

Bree shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I don’t want to go home.” That wasn’t completely true, since she still felt a little light-headed, but she blamed that on having too little to eat. “I’ll get some food and then I’ll be okay.”

When they reached the dining room doorway, a mature, petite woman with blond hair came rushing toward them. “I wondered where you were.” The woman was speaking to someone behind Bree, and that was when she realized Nick was trailing behind her.

“Hi, Mom,” Nick greeted the woman.

Mom? His mother was here?

Nick put an arm around the woman’s shoulders and guided her away from Bree, who could still hear the woman’s questions as they kept walking. “She passed out? And you caught her? Who is she? Do you know her?”

Bree couldn’t hear his answers, because he was speaking much quieter than his mom.

“Bree?” Roxie sounded as if it wasn’t the first time she’d addressed her. Bree hadn’t even seen her approach.

“What?” Bree answered.

“I think you should go home.”

This overblown concern needed to end now. “And I think you’re all worried about nothing. I got a little dizzy because I haven’t had enough to eat today and it’s warm in here. That’s it. Period. The end.” She paused for effect. “Now I’m going to get a plate of food. Anyone else?”

Only Hannah came with her, leaving Amber and Roxie alone, probably to discuss how to convince Bree to leave. Well, she’d show them. She grabbed a plate and added one of everything to it. Like before, the smell of the food didn’t sit well with her, but she was determined to get something into her stomach.

“There are a few chairs over there if you’d like to sit,” Hannah offered.

“Lead the way,” Bree said.

As soon as they sat down, Bree contemplated her plate. Maybe it was the mixture of smells that caused her stomach to flip-flop. She obstinately picked up an empanada and took a large bite. The taste was delicious as long as she didn’t inhale. She put the rest of the savory turnover back onto her plate, thinking she’d try something else next. She chose a stuffed olive and that was a huge mistake. Before she could even take a bite she had to swallow, carefully controlling her gag reflex. She dropped the olive back onto her plate and stood up. “I need to go to the ladies’ room.”

Hannah pointed to the hallway where they’d just been. “On the right. Want me to come with you?”

Bree didn’t have time to speak—she just shook her head and took off before she embarrassed herself again. This time it would have been by throwing up in the middle of the restaurant.

* * *

NICK HAD BEEN keeping an eye on Bree from across the room. And not just because something was obviously wrong with her, though he would never admit that if asked. She’d made it clear on the island that she wasn’t interested in pursuing anything with him. Which made her anger over them living in the same city even more perplexing.

But people didn’t faint for no reason. Now, as she hurried back down the hallway to the restroom, he had a hunch—from her greenish complexion and her hand over her mouth—that she was about to puke her guts out.

He leaned down to whisper in his mom’s ear. “Mom, would you do me a favor and go into the ladies’ room to check on Bree? I don’t think she’s feeling well.” His mom had stayed by his side while they’d sampled the food.

She handed him her nearly empty plate. “Of course.” She gave him a questioning look. “You never answered me before. This woman is someone you know?”

He could hear her matchmaking gears turning. “She’s someone I met recently. I’m just concerned, that’s all.”

His mother nodded and left to check on Bree. She’d continue the interrogation later, he was sure.

“Hey, hero.” His cousin nudged him as he came to stand next to Nick.

He rolled his eyes at Pete’s teasing. “Knock it off.” He noticed Pete was alone. “Where’s your date?”

“She’s around.” Pete shrugged. “She’s just someone I met in line for coffee yesterday.”

Nick slowly shook his head. “You’re such a player.”

Pete chuckled. “Speak for yourself. Hey, I gotta say, that was a great way to get close to Bree. Sweep her off her feet.”

“She passed out, knucklehead.”

“Sure, sure. But now you’ve got an in. She owes you. Play on that when you ask for financial help.”

“Shh!” Nick looked around to see if anyone might have overheard Pete. “Keep your voice down.”

“But you’re gonna do it, right? You need help right away, so running into her tonight must be fate.” Pete urged, “Don’t wait too long. The restaurant’s in real trouble, you know.”

Nick knew it, but he didn’t want to ask Bree for help, period. Nick spoke quietly. “I told you, I have other ideas that I’m working on to bring in more money.”

“Maybe I should ask Bree,” Pete suggested. “You’re obviously too chicken to bring up the subject. Or maybe you’re too tongue-tied when she’s around.” He switched to a singsong tone. “You like her!”

“No!” The word came out louder than Nick had anticipated. He lowered his voice. “No, don’t ask her. I’ll handle it.” Which wouldn’t mean asking Bree for a loan, even if Pete took it that way.

Man, he had enough to worry about with the restaurant, and now his cousin wouldn’t give him a break on this loan idea.

Pete finally left Nick when Pete’s date came to drag him off to show him something. Nick stood by himself for a few minutes until his mom and Bree returned to the dining room. His mom gave him a look that said he’d been right about having her check on Bree, who had lost the green tinge to her complexion but now was beyond pale.

His mom turned Bree over to her friends, who had stepped forward en masse to help. They must not have seen how sickly she’d looked as she’d hurried out of the dining room.