Circle of Friends, Part 3 Read online

  “Hey, how do you figure? There were two of us doing the wild thing that night.”

  “Exactly. But if you hadn’t kissed me like that, I wouldn’t have given in.”

  He’d been about to get defensive, but now there was no need. “My kissing won you over, huh?”

  She shifted away from him. “Don’t take that as a compliment. I didn’t mean it that way.”

  “Right. Being a good kisser is a bad thing.”

  “It is when it gets two strangers in trouble,” she muttered. “Don’t you dare get smug on me. I couldn’t stand it.”

  He was feeling a lot of things, but smug wasn’t one of them. Right now what he wanted most was a chance to kiss her again and cause her to lose control. Not his most sensible plan, he admitted, but a guy could dream.

  “Besides,” she continued, “our more pressing problem is your family. You know those guys are going to talk to your sisters and then what? They’ll tell your mom and everyone will think we’re dating.”

  And that statement was the answer, he thought suddenly. “Dating isn’t a bad idea.”

  She stared at him. “Excuse me? How is that going to help?”

  “We can use this. Dating would be the next logical step, under the circumstances. If we were serious about working on a relationship, I mean. So we date. Or tell my family we’re dating. We can even act like we’re dating. Then, in a couple of months, we’ll tell everyone things didn’t work out. Relationships fail all the time. The family will think we really tried and get off our backs and we’ll be free to work out things as we want to.”

  She tilted her head. “I like it,” she said slowly. “You’ll be okay with your family and they won’t think I’m awful.”

  “They don’t think that now.”

  “You didn’t see the looks on those guys’ faces,” she told him.

  Carter felt his fingers curl into his palms. He had been delighted when his sisters had gotten married. The more guys in the family, the better, as far as he was concerned. But knowing they’d made Rachel uncomfortable had him thinking about pounding each one of them into a bloody pulp.

  “Okay, we’re pretend dating,” she said. “We’ll need some sort of plan and schedule. You won’t be able to see anyone else while this is going on. It wouldn’t look right.”

  “Not a problem,” he told her, consciously letting go of his anger. “I’m swearing off women again.”

  “Are you sure you want to do that?” she asked, her voice teasing. “Look at what happened the last time.”

  “Not my fault. You were too tempting to resist.”

  She leaned back and laughed. “Oh, please. Me?”

  “Yes, you. Don’t you consider yourself a temptation?”

  The smile lingered, bringing light to her green eyes. “Not even on my best day, but it’s sweet of you to say so. Now about your job.”

  The quick change in topic didn’t give him much time to brace himself. Had they told her the truth or not?

  “Want to see a pay stub?” he asked.

  “Not especially. But why did Frank and the others act so strange when I reminded them you worked in a motorcycle shop? You’re not on probation, are you?”

  He chuckled and held up his right hand. Good news—they hadn’t told her. “I swear I have never been arrested, convicted or incarcerated. Ever.”

  “That’s encouraging. They’re all cops and firefighters. Don’t they approve of what you do?”

  “I...”

  He found himself not wanting to lie to her. She was going to have to know eventually and if she reacted badly, better now than later.

  There were rules about who could know and mothers of unborn children fell in the “yes” category. But it was more than just that. There was the woman herself and how carefully she would protect the information.

  “What are you thinking?” she asked. “Should I be scared?”

  “No. But I will need you to give your word that you won’t tell anyone what I’m going to tell you.”

  “Or you’ll have to shoot me?” she asked. “What are we talking about? I can’t figure out if I should laugh or make a run for my car.”

  “I’m a cop working undercover. This job at the motorcycle shop is part of my cover. I’m working on a case involving counterfeit parts brought into this country from overseas.”

  She blinked. “You’re a...”

  “Police officer.”

  “But your hair is so long.”

  He laughed then and, without thinking, pulled her close. “Damn, Rachel, you’re never boring.”

  She held herself stiffly for a second before relaxing into his embrace. “You haven’t known me long enough to be bored,” she murmured. “That could come later.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  His body reacted to her nearness with a predictable rush of blood and need. But he kept the embrace light. They weren’t going to do that again, remember?

  He released her and straightened. She studied him.

  “They know about the earring?” she asked.

  He grinned. “It’s all part of the assignment. I have a gun and a badge if you want to see them.”

  “No, thanks. I believe you. So that’s why your brothers-in-law acted so strange. They were surprised I didn’t know the truth.”

  He shrugged. “Probably.”

  “Your mom can’t like what you do. She must worry all the time.”

  “She’s used to it. I come from a long line of cops. My grandfather, my great-grandfather. My dad was one. He died before I was born.”

  She winced. “I’m sorry. Was it work-related?”

  He nodded. “A drunk driver got him while he was on patrol.”

  “Oh, Carter. That must have been so awful for your mom and your sisters. And for you, growing up without a dad.”

  “I appreciate the sympathy,” he said, “but it’s not necessary. I don’t know any different.”

  “Everything is so complicated,” she said. “How did that happen?”

  “We made a baby.”

  Her eyes widened slightly. “I’m still not comfortable thinking about that. Could we avoid the topic?”

  “Not for much longer.”

  “I know, but we have a plan, right? Pretend dating.” She grinned. “Does that mean you bring me plastic flowers instead of real ones?”

  “Would you like that?”

  She glanced around the apartment. “I have plenty of real ones, so I’m good.”

  He started to ask what she would like instead, but stopped himself. Pretend dating meant putting on a show, not getting involved in any way. They could be friends, but nothing more.

  Friends who sleep together, he thought hopefully, and then reminded himself he’d sworn off women again. He had to. Look at what had happened with Rachel.

  Women were the root of all the trouble in his life and he would be better off if he could simply walk away from them.

  Then Rachel smiled and he found himself wanting her again. Okay, so he would swear off women after they worked this pretend dating thing out. Maybe they could figure out a way to have pretend sex. That could be fun.

  * * *

  RACHEL SMOOTHED THE foil on top of the casserole she carried. “I hope this is okay. I didn’t know what to make. I don’t cook a lot but my seven-layer bean dip is really popular at all the teacher potlucks at school. Of course, free food is rarely criticized, so maybe that’s not a good standard. Should I have made something else? An entrée? Or dessert? Is bean dip enough?”

  Carter pulled his front door shut and stared at her. “You do that a lot, don’t you.”

  Rachel found herself momentarily caught up in his brown eyes and the little crinkly lines that formed when he smiled, like now. She had
to shake her head to clear her brain.

  “I’m sorry, what was the question?”

  He chuckled and took the casserole dish from her. “You get wound up when you’re nervous. I like it. Of course the best way to get you back on earth seems to be to kiss you and we both know that’s not a good idea, so we’re going to need another plan.”

  She wasn’t so sure. Carter’s kisses tended to totally clear her mind and as nervous as she felt right now, she wouldn’t mind forgetting the reason.

  “We’re walking?” she asked as they moved past his truck and her car.

  “No point in driving.” He paused and pointed across the street and down one house. “That’s where Mama lives. Merry is next to her. Liz and Shelly live in the other direction. Three houses down and that one on the corner.”

  “That’s really close,” she said, surprised he would plant himself in the middle of all that family.

  He sighed as they crossed the street. “Yeah, I know,” he muttered. “I wasn’t thinking when I bought this place. It’s too close. One of these days I’m going to move.”

  “Still, you enjoy your family and that’s nice.” She could appreciate the need to stay connected. If her parents and brother were still alive...

  She pushed the thought away. Not going there right now. She was nervous enough without adding a little heartache to the mix.

  She distracted herself by remembering how great Carter had been about the dating issue. He could have gotten upset, but he hadn’t, which made him a good guy in her eyes. Of course he’d already proved himself a good guy by how he’d reacted to her pregnancy. Now that she thought about it, she’d pretty much been one disaster after the other where he was concerned.

  They reached the front door of his mother’s house. Carter walked in without knocking and yelled, “We’re here.”

  Rachel could hear voices coming from the back of the house, then Nina Brockett hurried out to greet them.

  “Late as always. Some mothers would take that as a message. Some mothers would think their only son was trying to say he was no longer interested in visiting his old mother.”

  “Some mothers are just a little too dramatic for their own good,” he said, bending down and kissing her on the cheek. “You remember Rachel.”

  His mother, an attractive, petite woman smiled broadly at Rachel, then held out both her arms. “Of course. Welcome, welcome.”

  Rachel found herself hugged, then kissed on the cheek. “Thanks for having me, Mrs. Brockett.”

  “Nina. I insist.” She nudged Carter with her elbow. “We’ll have her calling me Mama like everyone else before too long, eh? So what’s this? You made something. See? A girl who can cook. That’s new for you. A step up. Come, come. We’re all in the kitchen. No matter how nice I make the rest of the house, everyone wants to be in the kitchen.”

  “It’s Carter and Rachel,” Nina called as she led the way into the overly crowded kitchen. “Carter, remind her who everyone is. Oh, what’s this, dear?” She took the casserole dish from Carter.

  “A seven-layer dip,” Rachel said. “Carter mentioned you always had chips on hand.”

  “You didn’t have to bring anything, but I appreciate that you did. Very thoughtful. Carter, she’s thoughtful. Did you notice?”

  Rachel felt herself blush but before she could say anything, she was caught up in another confusing round of introductions.

  There were too many people in the small space. Adults, kids, a large dog.

  Carter pointed to his sisters. “Merry, Liz and Shelly,” he said. “Their husbands are Adam, Frank and Gordon.”

  She recognized the three men who had visited her the previous week, although now that they were in casual clothes instead of their uniforms, she wasn’t sure who was who. As for Carter’s sisters, she was pretty sure that Merry had short dark hair and Shelly had long brown hair, but if anyone got a haircut, she was in trouble for sure.

  “And you remember Jenny, from the Blue Dog Bar, right?” Carter asked.

  Jenny?

  Rachel turned and found herself staring into the smiling face of the pretty female bartender.

  “Hi,” Jenny said. “Good to see you again.”

  “Hello.”

  Rachel opened her mouth and closed it. She didn’t know how to politely ask what the woman was doing here. Staying in touch was one thing, but like this?

  “I’m an ex-girlfriend,” Jenny said, obviously reading Rachel’s confusion. “Carter and I dated for a while about...what, five years ago, I guess.”

  Carter put his arm around Rachel’s shoulder. “We broke up, but would she go away? Not even for money.”

  Jenny lightly punched him in the arm. “You never offered to pay me to leave. I might have left then.” She smiled at Rachel. “Carter’s a great guy, but he does seem to hang on to his women. Even when he dumps us.”

  Rachel didn’t know what to think. She’d never been in a situation like this, and she wasn’t sure what she should say or do.

  “You dumped me,” Carter said. “I’m sure of it.”

  “Sorry, no,” Jenny said with a smile. “But don’t sweat it. I’m grateful.” She turned back to Rachel. “Carter broke my heart, so I decided to date someone totally inappropriate. It turns out, Dan was the love of my life.” She held up her left hand and wiggled her ring finger. The diamond band there sparkled impressively. “We’ve been married three years now.”

  Just then a little girl burst into the kitchen. “Tanya stole the ball and she won’t let me play.” After her announcement, she burst into tears.

  “I’ll handle this,” Merry said. She picked up the child and carried her back outside. Jenny excused herself and went with her.

  Rachel found herself being offered a drink—she chose flavored water—and a chair, which she declined. A few minutes later, in a relatively private moment, she turned to Carter.

  “You and Jenny really went out?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Yeah. But it was a long time ago. It doesn’t mean anything.”

  “I don’t mean to be rude or too curious, but why is she here?”

  “Sometimes my mom and sisters like one of my girlfriends enough to keep her around even after we stop going out. It’s made for some entertaining holidays, I can tell you.”

  “You mean several of them will join in with the family?”

  “Sure. It’s okay if they bring a date, but when they’re single, it’s a little uncomfortable. Or they become close friends. I dated this other woman, Shawna. She and Jenny got so close they were in each other’s weddings.”

  She was torn between wanting to get the facts and wondering if she’d crossed the line into the land of too much information.

  “I’m not sure this is a completely normal family,” she murmured.

  He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath on her ear. “I can tell you that it’s not, but that’s what makes it so much fun.”

  She was aware of every part of his body. The need to lean in—to touch and be touched—was powerful and just a little scary.

  “So, how are you two getting along?”

  Rachel jumped as Nina appeared from nowhere with a plate of tiny quiches.

  “We’re good,” Carter said as he took three quiches, placed them on a napkin and handed them to Rachel. “How about you? Having fun?”

  His mother ignored the question. “A baby changes everything. Have you thought of that? It’s not just you anymore. There’s another life.”

  Rachel was glad she hadn’t taken a bite. She had a bad feeling that she would have choked.

  “You’re kidding,” Carter said as he collected a couple of quiches for himself. “Another life. Huh. I didn’t know that. I just thought, ‘Hey, a baby. We’ll keep it on the bookcase.’”

  His m
other glared at him. “I’m being serious.”

  “You’re meddling,” he said. “We talked about that.”

  His mother turned to Rachel. “You’re a sensible girl. What do your parents say about all this?”

  Rachel opened her mouth, then closed it. She cleared her throat. “My parents are gone. They died in a car accident when I was twelve. My baby brother was with them and he was killed as well.”

  She felt Carter’s gaze on her. Nina touched her arm. “So it’s just you? You have no other relatives?”

  Rachel managed a smile. “I’m okay.”

  “Of course you are,” the older woman said. “You have us, now. We’re your family. We’ll be there for you. No matter what. You have a problem, you call. Promise?”

  Rachel felt a tightness in her throat. “Thank you.”

  Nina smiled and moved away.

  “She’s trying to be supportive,” Carter said when they were alone.

  “I know. She wants me to feel welcome. Better that than stoning me or something.”

  “We gave up stoning a while ago.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Mama’s a little over-the-top,” he said. “But she’s right. You do have all of us now.”

  “Wherever will I put you?” she asked, her voice deliberately teasing. There was already so much going on today, she didn’t need an emotional moment to push her over the edge.

  Just then one of Carter’s sisters walked over. Rachel was pretty sure it was Liz.

  “I’m glad you two agreed to get married,” she said. “Mama is so excited. She was starting to think no one would ever trap Carter.”

  Rachel winced. “I didn’t exactly trap him.”

  “Sure you did, but don’t worry about it. He’s had it coming for years.”

  Carter sighed. “Thanks for the support, sis.”

  “No problem. I’ve always taken care of my baby brother. Oh, Tanya, honey, no. That’s breakable. You put that down right now.”

  Liz fled across the room.

  “You didn’t trap me,” Carter said in a low voice. “We’re in this together, making our own decisions.”