I slap my hand against his chest because I can’t believe he’s asked. “Of course it is. She’s not a whore.”
“Did she do it on purpose so he’d marry her?”
Wow. His opinion of Addison is even worse than I thought. “No. She hasn’t even told him yet because she’s terrified he’ll tell her to get lost.”
“Zac’s not in the best place to take on a baby right now, but he’d be a motherfucker to turn her away. You think he’d do that?”
I’ll kill him if he does. “I don’t believe so because I know he loves Addison.”
“Haven’t they discussed marriage?” he asks.
“She says they never talk about it and it’s eating at her. That’s another reason she hasn’t told him. She wants to figure out his thoughts about marrying her without a baby in the equation.”
Jack Henry shakes his head. “Shit. Those two are in a damn mess. So glad that’s not us.”
“I know.”
“Did you tell her we’ve decided to have a baby?”
I wanted to so badly but it was the wrong time. “No. I couldn’t after she told me she was knocked up.”
“Don’t worry about it, love. It’ll all work out for them.” I know. My best friend and I will be pregnant together if all works out the way I hope. Our babies will be born close together. It may not seem like it now but it’s actually pretty perfect.
“You’re right. Zac’s crazy in love with her and he’ll drop on his knee as soon as he hears her say the word baby.”
It’s only been a few weeks since we were in Sydney to celebrate Jack Henry’s birthday, but now it’s time to return to my in-laws for mine, although my actual birthday isn’t for a few more days. The best part is that I get out of doing the cooking this time and Chloe, a professional chef, is preparing dinner. Another plus? Margaret is baking my cake of choice. Chocolate—yes, sweet baby Jesus—definitely chocolate. I could easily become hooked.
I finish packing early and go out to Jack Henry’s office to see how much longer he’ll be. I’d like to get to Henry and Margaret’s early so I can talk one on one with Chloe since I’m certain she’ll be inviting Ben tonight. I’d like for that to go a little smoother this time around.
Jack Henry isn’t over the whole Ben thing and I don’t suspect he will be any time soon. He still hates him for pursuing what he considered his. Too bad he failed to inform me that I belonged to him. It would’ve saved us a lot of grief and time apart, but I know in my heart that everything happens for a reason.
I tap on Jack Henry’s half-opened door. “Hey, handsome. I wanted to see how much longer you’d be.” I stop dead in my tracks when I see the leggy brunette in a short skirt reaching across his desk—across him. Her blouse is so low cut, I expect a nipple to jump out if she stretches any harder.
He appears oblivious to what she’s doing—of course he would with me standing right here—but how can he be? It’s so blatantly apparent that she’s trying to make him notice her great rack. Hell, they’re so nice, they catch my attention.
“This is Bianca, the intern I hired for the semester.” I remember him saying he took on an intern but he never mentioned it was a female and he damn sure didn’t tell me she was hot. “This is my wife, Laurelyn.”
I smile and offer my hand. “It’s a pleasure.”
“I’ve heard a lot about you.” Hmm … funny. I haven’t heard a single word about her.
“I hope all good.”
“Absolutely.”
“I’m finishing up, babe.” Jack Henry uses a red pen to circle an area on the map they’re looking at. “This entire section needs to be scouted for downy mildew. I’ve seen a few suspicious areas and it’s imperative to head it off early. You’ll be looking for yellow oil spots on the leaves. The infected ones are usually on the outside of the canopy but not always. You can find it on the top too.”
I understand very little of what he’s just said but she does. He’s speaking vineyard, and she understands it perfectly.
“Got it, Jack.” She’s calling him Jack? I don’t like that. With the exception of Mrs. Porcelli, all of his employees call him Mr. McLachlan. This woman’s not even a paid employee; she’s an intern.
“I’m finished here if you’re ready to go.”
Oh boy, am I ever.
We’re not fifteen minutes into the drive when I can stand it no longer. I have to ask. “You’ve not mentioned Bianca. When did she come to work for you?”
“December.”
Oh hell. He’s been working with this woman for two months and hasn’t mentioned her once? What gives? “Why haven’t I seen her before today?”
“She’s rotating through the vineyards. This is her first week at Avalon.” A beautiful woman has been roaming around my home vineyard for a week and I didn’t know? What kind of dumb-ass wife isn’t aware of that?
“I find it a little strange she was dressed in a short skirt and low-cut blouse for intern work. Wouldn’t that be a little inappropriate for scouting?”
“She was dressed like that because she had an appointment in town this morning. She won’t go out scouting in that.” He glances at me and then back at the road. “Where are you going with this, L?”
I recall the way her breasts were thrust in his face. “She looked like she was trying to breastfeed you when I walked into your office.”
“You’re being ridiculous. I’ve known that girl since she was a child. She’s Mr. Brees’s granddaughter. You remember him, right? One of my very good clients who gave us the tickets to Madama Butterfly. Accepting her as an intern is a favor to him.”
He’s wrong. That child is all grown up and, outfit aside, I saw something in the way she maneuvered her body around him. She wanted him to want her. I know because a woman has the gift of intuition and mine is screaming at me, Beware of this woman, Laurelyn. She wants your husband.
He doesn’t see it, or maybe he just refuses to admit it to me, but my radar is on high alert. I won’t be taking my eyes off her any time soon. “Of course I remember who Mr. Brees is. He’s responsible for my first opera house orgasm.”
“Really, L? You’re giving Randall Brees, a man who very much resembles a Keebler elf, credit for that orgasm?”