Friends and Lovers (10 page)

“I’ll call her tomorrow.”

“Good.” Wes rubbed his face with a heavy hand. “Now all I have to do is figure out how to fix the mess
I
made.”

“Chocolate and a chick flick always work for me,” said Ken, his sly grin directed at his wife. He ducked the greasy napkin sailing for his head. “Missed me.”

“This time,” Sherry said with a scowl.

“Be nice or I won’t run you a bath.”

“You’re going to run me a bath?”

Ken waggled his eyebrows. “Already on my agenda.”

“You really are fantastic.”

He polished his knuckles on his shirt and beamed. “I know.”

Wes groaned. “Have a heart here, I just ate nasty pizza and I’d rather not taste it coming back up too.”

“Gross.” Sherry shuddered and eased herself up from her chair.

Ken followed her out but he paused in the doorway long enough to tell Wes, “Once Sherry’s settled you’d better have two new beers open and the cards already shuffled.”

“Cribbage?”

“Why not?”

Wes smiled and got up to raid their junk drawer. He felt as comfortable in their home as his own and he knew if Lauren would give it a chance she’d fit in just as easily as Ken had. Sure, Sherry and Ken had only been married for two years but it felt like Ken had been a part of their family forever. He’d fit seamlessly into their lives from the start. Lauren might feel like an outsider but she wasn’t, she was already part of the team, she just needed convincing.

Setting two bottles of beer on the table Wes sat back down and tapped the deck into his hands. He tossed the box aside and proceeded to shuffle the cards with the skill of a Vegas dealer.

Wes glanced at the ceiling, hearing the sounds of laughter and some serious splashing going on upstairs. If he thought that was going to lead anywhere he would have left quietly but both Ken and Sherry had divulged independently that sex was out, at least for the time being. He was safe and Ken would be back in a minute.

Still, Wes envied them. He’d never enjoyed that kind of intimacy with a woman and he craved it now. Sure he dated, sometimes one woman for an extended period, but it was more for the convenience of regular sex than the relationship. He never allowed his emotions to become part of the equation. It took a long time to figure out that he was waiting for something, or rather someone specific.

The puzzle of his perpetual detachment finally began to reassemble itself when he heard about Sherry’s efforts to conceive. His mind automatically slipped back to Lauren and he welcomed it. For too long he wouldn’t allow himself to dwell on her, though he still had the occasional dream, the odd fantasy. Whether he admitted it or not she was always there, like a pleasant memory never fully realized, but once she moved forward and asserted herself on his mind he could no longer brush her aside. That’s when Wes understood that for him, his future lay in his past, and if he wanted to make something worthwhile of his life, he needed to reconnect with Lauren. How the hell was he going to do it now?

Chapter 10

Lauren’s blanket spilled over the side of the bed, her pillow was on the floor, and what remained of the untucked sheet was twisted and only covered one leg. Her lashes had fused during the night and there was a scowl on her face only the liberal application of a cold washcloth would erase. It had not been an easy night.

For hours she’d tossed and turned, haunted by her actions and distraught by Wes’s eventual reaction. To her extreme displeasure she couldn’t turn her thoughts off. Over and over again the scene played in her head, reminding her of her thoughts at the time, the sensations, the short lived euphoria she’d felt. When she finally slept it wasn’t much of an improvement. That’s when her imagination kicked into overtime and built upon what she’d learned that afternoon.

Wes had soft lips surrounded by rough skin. She liked the stark contrasts and how his whiskers felt brushing her more delicate skin when he kissed her. She didn’t mind that he subtly schooled her when their lips sealed. She’d never been kissed like that before. Wes was the first to demonstrate that kissing was a carnal act. She’d always suspected it, but she didn’t have the evidence to back it up until now. Unfortunately, it didn’t end there.

Intimate visions of Wes plagued Lauren throughout the night. There was an element of shame, of need, of desperation when she submitted, but she always submitted and welcomed him into her arms and her body.

A persistent annoying sound jarred Lauren awake and she groped for her pillow, hoping to drown it out. She growled when she couldn’t find the stupid thing. The irritating sound wasn’t going away. She rolled over with a groan and reached out blindly for her phone, her hand hitting it hard enough to hurt her.

“What!” she snapped.

“Lauren?” There was an unmistakable giggle on the other end.

“Sherry?” Lauren tried to orient herself.

“Right in one. I have a proposition for you.”

Oh hell, so did her brother last night. “I’m listening.” She yawned.

“I was wondering if you’d come over and help me organize my nursery. You know, put all the gifts away? I’ll make a nice lunch.”

“But it isn’t even breakfast yet.”

“It’s after eleven.”

“No kidding?” Lauren peeled her eyes open and looked at the clock.

“No kidding. Didn’t you sleep last night?”

“Not much.”

“Sorry to hear that. Anyway, I was really disappointed I didn’t get to talk to you more yesterday, and I was hoping you’d give me a little time, you know, just the two of us. What do you say?”

“How’d you get my number?”

“Wes. What do you say?”

“Will he be there?”

“He doesn’t have to be, I can kick him out if you want.”

“He’s there already?”

“He spent the night. He and Ken were playing cards and getting sloshed for hours after I went to bed. I didn’t have the heart to shift him off the couch since I took his room away from him and put a crib in it.”

“He had a room with you?”

“Only until he got his own place. I helped him find it. You should see it. It’s really cute.”

“I saw it—briefly.”

“You did?”

“It was nothing. A quick stop.” Lauren groaned again. “Is Wes planning to hang around?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t want to wake him. He’s still out cold. Kind of cute actually. I put my pink throw over him. I can’t wait to see how he reacts to that. It’s covered in hearts.”

This was not the Sherry she knew, the one who didn’t have a sweet word to say about her brother. Odd.

Lauren sighed. “I can’t make you kick out family.”

“Sure you can. Just say the word.”

No, she really couldn’t. As awkward as she felt seeing Wes again she couldn’t insist on something so bitchy. What had he done really except kiss her? It wasn’t a crime. In fact, judging by her dreams, he made the right decision. So she was uncomfortable now, why should it be his problem? And alienating the man of her dreams, literally, was downright foolhardy. She realized last night that life without Wes, in whatever shape or form, would be unendurable.

Nope, the easiest way to move through a difficult situation was to face it head on. Running away from Wes and avoiding him was not an option. It was time to bite her lower lip, all the way through if necessary, and be a woman not a shrinking little girl.

“What time?” Did she just hear a relieved sigh on the other end?

“I was going to suggest noon, but that doesn’t give you much time. I have ham and potatoes about to go into the oven, don’t be later than one, okay?”

“Wait, I don’t have your address, and I’ll need directions.”

“Let me get Ken. If I give you directions you’ll never get here.” Sherry covered the mouthpiece and bellowed for her husband.

“Lauren?” He had a nice, soothing voice.

“Ken?”

“Can’t wait to meet you in person.”

“Me too.” She smiled at the sincerity in his voice. If she was any kind of judge, Sherry had picked a winner.

“Have you got a pen or pencil?”

“All set.”

“Okay, take the five-eighty…”

* * * *

Sherry and Ken lived in a newer development of townhouses abutting the Black Briar Country Club. Their unit was on a cul-de-sac overlooking the course, and the only people Lauren saw were driving after their golf balls on little carts. She had no trouble identifying their place because Wes’s car was parked in the driveway right in front of the garage. She parked along the curb. Tugging her purse off the passenger seat, she looked at the front door with trepidation.

“You can do this,” Lauren told herself impatiently.

She climbed out of the car and took a moment to simply stare into the deep azure sky and take several calming breaths.

“Here we go,” she said, mentally prodding herself to the front door.

Though she might be an emotional mess on the inside you couldn’t tell by the outside. She was wearing her favorite, most flattering jeans and one of her new tops with a scooped neckline and buttons running up the front. It hugged her close and looked as gorgeous as the sky overhead. She hoped it would give her a boost of confidence. If not, she’d have to fake it.

Lauren pressed the doorbell and gasped when the door immediately opened. Apparently they were watching, or at least listening for her.

“Lauren?” the unfamiliar man asked hopefully.

“Ken?”

They grinned at each other and he took a step back and waved her through. “Come in, come in. Sherry’s just checking lunch and I’m kicking Wes’s, pardon my French, ass at video golf. Have you ever played it?” He took her purse and hung it on a hook.

“No, video games aren’t really my thing.”

“Sherry’s either, but she’ll bowl once in a while just to please me.” He chuckled. “It’s harder for her now that her center of gravity’s shifted, and I have absolutely no qualms about exploiting it.”

Lauren laughed and followed Ken around the front closet—and stopped short. Wes was kicked back on the couch, one foot resting on the coffee table. He was fiddling with the controller in his lap. He looked up and met her eyes and whatever he was doing must have fizzled because Ken leaped into the air with an ecstatic whoop.

“I am a god!” Ken announced to the world.

Wes laughed. “Lucky bastard is more like it.” His warm eyes swung back to Lauren and he smiled. “Hi. I’m glad you came over. Did you find the place okay?”

Lauren felt her face flush with heat but she managed to nod. “Yes. Ken’s directions were perfect.”

Wes rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law. “At least he can do something right.”

“Hey, I kicked your ass.”

“Only because I looked up. Good luck when I’m paying attention.”

“Not my problem that your Achilles heel is beautiful women.” Then Ken swung around on Lauren and said, “You’re welcome in my home anytime.”

“It’s the only way he can win,” Wes explained.

Ken snorted. “In your dreams. You know—”

Sherry waddled in shaking a big meat fork at the guys and cut her husband off. “Knock it off, you two. I’ve had about all I can stand of your video game pissing contest. It’s stupid. Honestly, you’d think I was living with a couple of ten year olds.”

Lauren bit her lip, but she was shaking with the giggles when she followed Sherry into the kitchen.

“Let me put this fork down then I’ll give you a tour. Wait—first things first.” Sherry opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne. “Hair of the dog, Sunday style. Care for a mimosa? The boys are already ahead of you there.”

“Sure.”

Sherry opened a cupboard and sighed in exasperation. “Would you mind getting down one of these glasses for yourself so I don’t have to call Ken? My stomach is in the way, and I’m not allowed on a stool anymore. My balance is off.”

“No problem.” Lauren grabbed a stemmed glass and set it on the counter.

“Thanks.” Sherry pulled a pitcher from the fridge and with champagne in one hand and orange juice in the other, poured both at the same time so they mixed automatically.

Leery about the potency of the drink, Lauren sampled it cautiously, but it was perfect. Sherry must have made more than a few of these in her day.

Sherry turned back from closing the refrigerator and her eyes lingered on the glass in Lauren’s hand. “It’s been so long since I had even a lousy glass of wine and I can’t say when I’ll have my next because I’m going to be breastfeeding too.”

“Poor you.”

“Well, there are compensations, but boy do I miss a good buzz sometimes.”

“I’ll bet.”

“You ready?”

“Lead on.”

They left the large, airy kitchen with its warm light oak cabinets and coordinated table for the living room again. Lauren tried not to react when she felt Wes’s eyes follow her up the staircase.

The beautiful light cream carpet in the living room was carried up the stairs and down the hall. Noting its pristine condition Lauren had to smile because she knew its days were numbered. Working at a shelter where kids came and went Lauren understood better than they probably did that there were stains in their future. If they were smart they’d go with something speckled, something capable of hiding all the mishaps.

Sherry waved casually at the first door. “Bathroom.”

Lauren peeked inside. The long stone vanity glowed from the burning nightlight and she only had a second to appreciate the lovely foil wallpaper before they moved on.

“Our room,” Sherry waved vaguely, continuing down the hallway.

Lauren peeked in and saw the master bedroom, modest in size but beautifully decorated, like the rest of the townhouse.

“Here we are.” Sherry stopped at the last door and reached inside to lift the switch.

The nursery was painted a soft sky blue with wispy clouds flitting across the deeper blue ceiling. The walls had birds and butterflies here and there and in one corner, a tree seemed to be growing out from the floor and its leafy branches reached across the ceiling.

“Who painted this?” Lauren asked in breathless wonder.

“I did. You like it?”

Lauren nodded. “I love it.”

Sherry beamed with pleasure. “Come on.” She walked inside and stopped at the crib. It was full of baby shower booty.