“I still don’t like it. He hasn’t even had time in his oh-so-busy schedule to come over and meet me. You deserve a man who loves you. Every guy isn’t like Brian.”
Raina pulled her hand back. “I know that.”
“Do you? I want so much more for you. I want you to find what I have with Jackson.”
Raina ignored the disapproving look on her sister’s face. “Don’t give me that look. Everyone isn’t lucky enough to be in twu-wuv like you two lovebirds.”
Ridley took another bite of spaghetti. “Um hmm. Well, I hope you know that you don’t need a surrogate or an egg donor, anyway. You know I’d do it if you needed me to.”
“I have a feeling that you’ll be busy having your own babies in the very near future. If you aren’t pregnant already.”
“What? I am not pregnant,” she whispered. “Why are you saying that? Do I look like I’ve gained weight?” Tears immediately sprang to her eyes.
“For starters, you’re usually a watering pot but even you aren’t this weepy.” Raina reached across the table and brushed Ridley’s tears away. “Plus, your boobs are huge. I’m so jealous.”
Ridley’s eyes widened before she burst out laughing.
“It looks like we’re missing the fun.”
Raina froze and then turned slowly. Jackson and Nick stood in the doorway, watching them. As usual, Nick looked GQ-fine in a suit and tie with his dark, curly hair slicked back. His golden-brown skin tone was slightly lighter, as if he’d been holed up in his office instead of outside in the sun. He was quite a contrast to Jackson, who looked like an advertisement for some kind of Caribbean drink in a casual Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, his skin gleaming a deep bronze.
Jackson, as usual, made a beeline for Ridley. He picked her up and then sat down in her chair with her in his lap.
“What are you girls out here talking about?”
Ridley giggled and settled back into his embrace. “Just girl talk.” She looked up at Nick. “I didn’t realize you were here already, Nick. Are you hungry? I made plenty.”
He smiled indulgently at her and shook his head. “I already ate, but thanks.”
His eyes came to rest on Raina and she suppressed a shiver. “Hi, Raina.”
“Hi.” When she couldn’t think of anything else to say, she turned back to Ridley. “I’ll get started cleaning up before I go.” She jumped up and pushed her chair under the table. Nick moved back so she could walk past him.
“You don’t have to do that. It’s not much,” Ridley protested.
“No, I want to,” she assured her. Boy, did she want to. “I’ll see you guys later.” She deliberately didn’t look at anyone in particular when she said it.
Anything was better than sitting here awkwardly with the man who made her wish for impossible things.
* * * * *
NICK WATCHED RAINA until the back of her brightly patterned T-shirt disappeared behind the sliding glass door.
You would think that months of forced interaction would have made it easier to be around her. But instead, it seemed even harder to breathe. Mainly because being around Jackson and Ridley made him more aware of everything he didn’t have.
He sat in the chair Raina had vacated and stretched out his legs. When his foot hit something, he pushed back to see what it was and spied a paper pamphlet under the table near Ridley’s chair. He reached down to pick it up.
Sperm donation?
When he saw the title, he immediately shoved the brochure in the inner pocket of his suit jacket.
He turned back to Jackson and Ridley and found them deep in whispered conversation. Although they were still high on the lovey-dovey scale, Jackson and Ridley seemed tenser than usual today. Could this be the reason? Were they having fertility problems? It made him sad to think that his brother hadn’t confided in him, but he could understand not wanting to talk about this kind of thing.
He crossed his arms, feeling the sharp edge of the pamphlet beneath his jacket. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Ridley patted Jackson on the chest. “I’ll just go help Raina. She always insists on cleaning up when I cook, which is really sweet but she puts everything back in the wrong places.”
“No, Ridley, I actually wanted you to stay.”
Her mouth fell open into a little “oh” of surprise. He tensed under her scrutiny. It wasn’t like he’d never talked to Ridley before. But, he supposed, it was rare for him to have an extended conversation with her. It was a little awkward after everything that happened when he’d thought she was Raina and kissed her. He hadn’t held anything back in that wild exchange. His jaw ached at the memory.
His brother hadn’t held anything back when he’d punched him afterward, either.
“Of course I’ll stay,” Ridley finally said. “What did you want to talk to us about?”
Nick couldn’t look her in the eye. It felt invasive, like he’d violated their privacy by seeing the brochure. But he couldn’t unsee it and what they needed to talk about was more important that any feelings of embarrassment this conversation was sure to bring.
“Well, it’s pretty well-known that the Alexander men have… you know… no issues fathering kids.” Nick wouldn’t have thought it possible, but he blushed for the first time in two decades.
“Um, I guess so,” Jackson replied. “I mean, there’s four of us and then, well I guess Auntie Maria’s kids don’t count in this case, but Uncle Stewart has six kids, right? Or he could have more by now and we wouldn’t even know. I wish he and Dad would let their feud go. It’s ridiculous that they’re still at odds for something that happened years ago. In fact—”