Irresistible Lies (9 page)

“That’s
what I keep telling him,” Lacey said, patting her husband’s hand lovingly.
“He’s going to be a great dad. The best in the world.”

“You
wouldn’t have said that if you had known him in college, right Grace?” Tom
asked. “We were all pretty crazy back then.”

“We
all drank too much,” Jamie said.

“Way
too much,” Grace said, laughing. “Especially Nick and Tom. They were
practically professional beer pong players.”

“We
were,” Nick said proudly. “No one could beat us. Remember sophomore year when
we won that competition at Paulie’s Bar? We won that big bottle of vodka. Best
night of my life.”

Lacey
playfully smacked him on the shoulder. “Excuse me.”

“Okay,
maybe the second best.”

Grace
pulled a face. “It was one of the worst nights of mine. We had to finish the
bottle that night because they wouldn’t let us take it home with us.
Disgusting. I got so sick the next day.”

“We
all said we’d never drink again,” Nick said.

“And
now look at us,” Jamie said, grinning. “We own a brewery.”

They
spent the rest of the meal reminiscing about their wild nights in college and
catching Grace up on all that she had missed. At one point, Jamie grabbed the
hand that was resting on her knee and just held it, and she didn’t push him
away. His grip felt nice and reassuring, just like old times.

With
these familiar people surrounding her, she was getting sucked right back into
the past. The problem was that it was a good past, a happy past, and with Jamie
holding her hand she was content to stay there a bit longer than she should.

But
the meal soon came to an end, and she reluctantly let him go.

When
it was time to clear the dishes, the men insisted on doing them, which Lacey in
her condition clearly appreciated. Grace guessed she was about seven or eight
months pregnant and remembered what it was like to be at that stage. She was
impressed with the amount of energy Lacey seemed to have.

“I’m
so glad Jamie brought you here,” Lacey told Grace when they were seated on the
couch in the living room, waiting for the men to finish clearing up. “I’ve wanted
to meet you for the longest time, and I know how much all of the guys have
missed having you around.”

“Really?”
She was surprised to hear that.

“Of
course. Especially Jamie. He talks about you all the time.”

She
felt herself blushing. “We were very close friends once.”

“Oh,
I know all about that,” Lacey said, winking at her.

Grace
changed the subject. “How did you meet Nick?”

Lacey’s
eyes lit up. “I was hired as the marketing director for the brewery two years
ago, and we fell in love. Within three months, we were engaged. I’ve never been
happier.”

Ah,
so Lacey was the marketing director Grace was going to be working with. She had
been picturing someone more corporate and was glad that wasn’t the case.

“Nick
is a great guy,” Grace said. “I’m so happy for you both.”

“I
can’t wait until the others get married,” Lacey said, sighing. “I love them
all, but it would be nice to have other women around. And what lucky women they
would be. Good men are hard to find.”

“That’s
true,” Grace said.

Lacey
looked at her expectantly, but she didn’t say anything else. She wondered what
Lacey thought she knew about Jamie’s past, and what Jamie had told her about
their relationship.

“They’ve
been offered a lot of money to sell the brewery, you know, but they made a pact
that they never will,” Lacey said. “Did Jamie tell you that? They want to pass
the brewery onto their children someday. It’s going to be family-run forever.”

Great.
Grace thought of Jake and felt guilty, yet again. Apparently she had robbed him
of a father and his legacy.

Then
again, Jamie wouldn’t have gone through with opening up the brewery if he had
known she was pregnant. So, really, Jake would have lost out on his share of
the family business either way.

“It
seems like you all have a great thing going here,” Grace said, forcing a smile.
“The business seems to be thriving.”

“Yes,
but it’s thriving a little too much. We’re having trouble keeping up with the
expansion. We’re going to have to take on more people. And with me going on
maternity leave, I could really use some help with marketing and publicity.”

Lacey’s
eyes suddenly lit up, and Grace saw the light bulb turn on over her head. “Hey!
You’re not looking for a job, are you?”

Grace
laughed. “No, but I appreciate the thought.”

“What
a shame. You would be perfect!”

“I’m
already doing marketing for the brewery,” Grace said, touched that this woman
who hardly knew her wanted to offer her a job.

“It’s
not the same as being here every day, working in house. You can do so much more
here and really get involved with all aspects of the brand. It’s wonderful.”

“I’m
sure, but there’s a lot I can do from Virginia, and this way you’ll have an
entire agency of resources at your disposal, not just one person. Let me give
you my card.”

Lacey
accepted the card with a sad smile. “Well, if you change your mind, you know
where to find me.”

“Thanks,
Lacey.”

At
that moment, the men came out of the kitchen. Grace and Jamie said a quick
goodbye to everyone, knowing they would see each other in a few hours at the
fundraiser.

“What
did you think?” Jamie asked her as they made their way to the parking lot. He
reached for her hand again as if on impulse, and she let him take it.

“They
haven’t changed much,” she answered with a smile. “I’m happy about that. And
Lacey is wonderful.”

“And
the brewery?”

“It’s
incredible. All of this... your life... it’s incredible. I can see why you’re
so happy.”

“I’m
a lot happier now that you’re a part of it again.” His smile reached his blue
eyes, and she saw sincerity there.

But
she could never be a part of this. This was just a glimpse of what her life
could have been.

Still,
she said nothing, not wanting to ruin a perfect moment.

Chapter 8

Grace
stood in front of the full-length mirror in her dress, staring at her
reflection.

Her
long hair was down in loose curls, and she was wearing more than her usual
light makeup. She had lined her top lashes in black and put on a few coats of
mascara, making her large brown eyes look even bigger. She was wearing a silky black
shift dress that she found in the back of Caroline’s closet. It covered up her
chest but was short enough to be appropriately sexy for a 27-year-old woman,
and with her strappy high heels, the effect was a little startling.

Grace
couldn’t remember the last time she had worn something like this or, frankly,
looked this good. Any nightlife she had had ended the day she found out she was
pregnant. Even on her dates with Charlie she didn’t really dress up. With a
full time job and a four-year-old, she didn’t have the hours it took to
properly paint her nails, do her hair, fix her makeup, and everything else that
looking sexy required.

Looking
at herself like this, she once again found herself wondering what life would
have been like if she hadn’t gotten pregnant so young and if she and Jamie had
stayed together.

She
wouldn’t trade Jake for anything in the world, but she had given up a lot of
when she became a mother. Maybe instead of looking at this trip to New York in
a negative light, she should look at it as an opportunity. For one night, she
could be just Grace, the carefree, young woman in a sexy black dress.

Or
not.

Just
the thought of it made her feel guilty. She was already having far too much
fun.

She
heard a knock on the connecting door and went over to unlock it, remembering
with a sigh her earlier promise to herself to keep it closed.

That
hadn’t lasted long.

Jamie
was standing on the other side, all perfectly toned six-foot-three of him. For
a moment, she felt just like she used to in college, looking up at him and
thinking about how incredible it was that he had wanted to be with her.

“Hi,
there,” she said, unable to help but smile.

“Oh,
wow.” Jamie ran his eyes up and down her figure, making her blush. “Grace, you
look stunning.”

“Thank
you.”

She
could tell he meant his compliment when he couldn’t look away. “That dress. I
don’t even know what to say.”

“It’s
Caroline’s.”

“Don’t
give it back to her.”

The
look he gave her made her knees a little weak.

“You
look good, too,” she said.

And
he did. He was wearing a fitted black suit with a white shirt and skinny black
tie, and he had shaved, leaving just a faint hint of blonde stubble on his jaw.

He
moved further into the room, and she peeked at them in the mirror as they
passed it, wanting to see how they looked next to each other. With both of them
matching in black, she had to admit they made an attractive pair.

“Are
you excited for the gala?” he asked.

“I’m
a little nervous,” she told him honestly.

“Don’t
be. You’ll be the prettiest girl in the room by a mile, not to mention one of
the smartest.”

She
laughed. “
One
of the smartest?”

“You’re
right, what am I saying? The smartest, by far. You’ll charm everyone there.
Hold on, I have something for you.”

He
went back to his room and came back seconds later with a bottle of champagne
and two glasses.

“You
didn’t have to do that,” Grace said, a little touched. Champagne had always
been her favorite.

“I
figure you had better have champagne now since you’ll have to drink beer at the
gala,” Jamie said, grinning. “Seeing as you
are
representing a brewery.”

“It’s
a tough job, but someone has to do it,” she said with a grin, taking a glass
that he poured for her. “Thanks, Jamie.”

“You’re
very welcome.” He took a seat on the loveseat and gestured for her to join him.
“Come sit. We have some time before we have to leave.”

She
sat down, sipping her champagne.

“How
is it?”

“Fabulous.”
She smiled at him, a feeling of gratitude coming over her. “Jamie, thank you
for all of this. This hotel, the champagne. You didn’t have to do all of this.
I would have been happy with a motel room, honestly.”

He
brushed her words aside. “Don’t be ridiculous. This is nothing.”

“No,
it’s not. I have to tell you honestly, I was not looking forward to coming to
New York with you. But this day has been really great, and I’m kind of excited
about this gala. I don’t really get to do things like this often. You know, get
dressed up and go out.”

He
frowned at her. “Why not? Charlie doesn’t take you out?”

“It’s
not that.” She chose her words carefully, watching the bubbles in her champagne
rise to the top of the glass. “It’s difficult to find the time. I’m busy.
Charlie’s busy, too. He runs a business.”

“So
do I,” Jamie said. “I’d take you out. I’d want to show you off.”

She
took a big sip of champagne and looked away. She was conscious of Jamie’s eyes
on her, watching every movement.

“I
don’t want to talk about Charlie,” he finally said.

“Okay.”
She didn’t want to either, truthfully, but she wasn’t up for analyzing that at
the moment.

“Tell
me something.” He moved closer to her on the couch to top off her champagne
glass. “What did you first think when I showed up at your office?”

“Honestly?”
Grace bit her lip, wondering how much she should say.

“Yes.”

“I
was horrified.” She felt the first effects of the champagne relax her. True to
her size, it didn’t take much.

“Why?”
he asked.

“It
was like seeing a ghost. What did you first think when you saw me?”

He
shrugged. “I was happy.”

“Now
you’re just making me feel bad for my answer.”

“I
don’t understand why you would be horrified.”

She
was taken aback by his confusion. “I was horrified because... I thought I’d never
see you again.”

“And
you were happy with that idea? Never seeing me again?”

Grace
sighed. “Jamie, I’ve had five years to get over you.”

“And
you did.”

“Yes,
I did.” She bit her lip. “Didn’t you?”

His
eyes were blazing blue, and she couldn’t believe what she saw there. Was it
possible that Jamie was still in love with her?

He
looked away and laughed. “Of course I got over it. Like you said, it has been
five years, Grace.”

“I
know,” she said, feeling stupid. “Sorry, I didn’t mean...”

“It’s
okay.”

She
drank more champagne, feeling awkward and embarrassed.

“So
you haven’t missed me?” Jamie asked.

“Missed
you?”

“Yes.
Didn’t you miss me? We went from being madly in love to nothing in less than 24
hours.”

His
voice was so calm and detached, she didn’t know if her answer really concerned
him or not.

“Of
course I missed you,” she finally said. “I thought about you every day for a
long time.”

If
she were being honest, she still thought of him every day. How could she not,
with their son being his spitting image?

Their
eyes met. He was going to say something, she could tell, but then he seemed to
change his mind. “I have a lot of questions for you.”

“Like
what?”

She
was probably going to have to lie her way through half of them.

“Why
didn’t you take that job in New York City? You were so excited about it.”

“How
do you know I didn’t?”

He
took a sip of champagne and shrugged. “Something you said earlier about living
with your sister for five years. I figured it out.”

“Oh.”
She frowned, racking her brain for an easy excuse. “Caroline needed me. She was
alone in Virginia, and she was going through a rough time. I moved in with her
to support her.”

“A
rough time? Did something happen?”

She
shook her head emphatically. “No, she was just stressed with graduate school
and teaching and all of that, and I wanted to be there for her. I also felt
like, because she’s the most important person in my life, it just made more
sense for us to be in the same area. There was nothing left for me in New
York.”

“I
see.” He leaned his arm against the back of the couch, and she moved forward to
avoid accidentally touching him. “And you enjoy living with Caroline?”

“She’s
my rock,” Grace said, smiling at the thought of her sister. “She keeps me
strong. I count on her for everything. Probably more than I should. But she
never lets me down.”

Jamie
frowned.

“What?”

“I
was just thinking... That’s what you used to say about me.”

So
it was. “Jamie...”

He
stood up. “It’s okay, Grace. Finish your champagne. We are going to be late.”

This
was the second time today Jamie had cut off a conversation about their
relationship. It was like he wanted to say something but was holding back,
waiting for something. Grace wished she could read his mind and find out what
he was thinking, but his expression was unreadable. She stood up and smoothed
out her dress.

“Where
is your purse?” Jamie asked.

“On
the chair.”

While
he grabbed it for her, she downed the rest of her champagne. She had a feeling
she was going to need it.

JAMIE
COULD NOT keep his eyes off of Grace.

He
didn’t want to go to the gala. He didn’t want other men to see her in that dress.
He wanted to drive them to his home address, bring her up to his bedroom and
make love to her for hours, and then he wanted to hire a moving van to bring all
of her stuff up from Virginia and keep her there with him forever.

He
almost laughed, thinking of what her reaction would be if he told her that.

He
was trying so hard to impress her and make her see that if she just gave him a
second chance, they could have a life here together. There was a place for her
all ready and waiting, right here beside him. He could give her anything she
ever wanted.

The
problem was she didn’t seem to want any of it anymore.

She
had been impressed with the brewery, he could tell. She had been happy when
they were with their old friends. She seemed to enjoy spending time with him. But
it wasn’t enough. Something was still holding her back.

What
the hell was it?

Jamie
was quiet the whole ride to the gala, lost in thought. Tomorrow morning, they
would be back on a plane to Virginia, separated by much more than a connecting
door in a hotel room. Tonight was his last chance.

So
he smiled at her, turned on the charm and forced himself to stick to the
script. No matter how much he wanted to at the moment, he couldn’t take her
back to the hotel and seduce her into seeing what was right in front of her
face. He had to take her to the gala and play the part of the gentleman.

If
it didn’t work, well, seduction was always a solid backup plan.

“What
are you thinking about?” Grace asked him as they pulled up to the gala. She
turned her sweet brown eyes on him, and he wished he could give her the honest
answer.

I love you.

When
did such simple words become so complicated?

“I
was thinking about how beautiful you look,” he told her. It was true. She did
look stunningly beautiful, even if her dress was a little short for his
comfort.

She
smiled at the compliment. “Thanks, Jamie.”

“You
ready for this?”

She
nodded, and he stepped out of the truck first and held the door open for her.
They were at the front entrance to the brewery, which Grace hadn’t seen
earlier. She held onto his arm as they made their way inside, a gesture that
was probably subconscious but touched him, regardless. When they had dated, she
nearly always walked beside him with her arm in his.

“Holy
moley,” Jamie heard Grace whisper when she saw what awaited them.

He
laughed. “I’m sorry?”

“I’ve
been trying not to curse anymore,” she said, looking around in wonder. “It’s a
grown-up thing. Jamie, this place...”

It
was pretty impressive, if he did say so himself.

The
front entrance hall of the brewery was a spacious room with unfinished hardwood
floor and barrels of beer lining one of the walls. The other walls were brick,
like the outside of the building.