He packed his briefcase and pulled out his phone. Lane had texted back. “Me too. Dinner?”
It was four o’clock and he told Sal he had to leave. How many roses meant I love you and I’m glad we’re having a baby? He used his phone to go to the website. Fifteen meant I’m really sorry, well that was a start. Forgetting all about the news crews, he called her office as he walked out of the courtroom. Meg picked up.
“Is she in a meeting?”
“No, she just stepped out for a minute.” Code for she’d gone to the bathroom.
“Will you tell her I called? Tell her I love her and ask her to call me. Court’s in recess for the day. I’m on my cell.” He walked out of the courthouse ignoring the reporters who were calling his name.
He had just gotten to his car when his phone rang. He knew by the ring tone it was Lane. He pushed the button to talk. “Red. I love you.”
She smiled. He’d done it again. His text had come while she was at the obstetrician thinking about him and about the life she had growing inside her. Over the last three years, he frequently called her at the exact moment she was thinking about him. He’d told her he had ESP where she was concerned. She ran her finger over the necklace she wore.
“I never doubted it for a minute.” She closed the door to her office to keep prying ears out. “Ben, where are you?” She couldn’t wait to tell him the news but she wanted to see his face when she told him.
“I just left the courthouse. I’m about to get into my Navigator. Do you need me?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “How soon can you be home?”
“I can be home in 30 minutes. Your house or mine?”
That was a good question. Their houses were only a few blocks apart. Jess was probably at her house, but Jess had said Ben’s brother Joey was flying in and Joey might be at Ben’s.
“My house. I’ll meet you at my house in 30 minutes.” She started packing up her laptop and opened her office door. She was amazed that Meg didn’t fall through.
“I’m taking the rest of the day off. I’m on my cell. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Sure, she was confused about why Ben had picked that fight. But she’d told him to let her know when he was finished with his break. She loved him. She knew he loved her. She didn’t know what the break was about, and honestly, right now it didn’t matter. She was pregnant. He was her best friend, he was her fiancé and he was the father of her baby. She trusted him.
Chapter 12
Confessions
Lane arrived at home to find the house empty. There were a couple of suspicious cars lurking near the house, but she suspected they were the paparazzi Jess had warned her about.
She changed into her Levi’s 501 button fly jeans, rubbing her tummy before she buttoned them. She pulled on a light weight, long sleeved sweater and went into the kitchen to make some herbal tea.
She heard the garage door open, and turned to see Ben. He crossed the distance in three long strides, set the roses he carried on the counter and swept her into his arms. He kissed her, she kissed him and as always when their tongues mingled, she moaned. Which was always enough to give him a huge erection, and today was no different. He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom, kissing her every step of the way. Lane made no objection, running her hands along his hair line at the back of his neck. Murmuring that she loved him.
He put her on the bed and lay down next to her. Between kisses, he confessed. “My God, I love you so much. I’ve missed you. I’m so sorry. The roses were to tell you how sorry I am. I’ve been so stupid. I was worried when Rochelle and Lila had come out of the woodwork, I was afraid that you’d get hurt, and I just wanted to keep you safe. Staying away was the only way I could think of. I’ve been miserable without you.”
She put her fingers on his lips to quiet him. “Before you say anything else, there’s something I have to tell you.” She removed her fingers from his lips and kissed him. She took his hand and laid it on her abdomen. “I love you. Ben, have you ever thought about having kids?”
God this was torture. He knew. Jess had told him, but he couldn’t let Lane know he knew. But until this morning, he’d never thought about having kids of his own. “We have three kids.” He kissed her. “Do you want more kids? What I think is if you want a dozen, we’ll have a dozen.”
She laughed. “Well, probably not a dozen, but I think at least one more.” She kissed him and leaned to whisper in his ear. “I’m pregnant.”
He smothered her with kisses. “So, now we do have to get married. Jess is here, let’s call Father Palmert. We already have the license. We can do this tonight.”
They had gotten their marriage license weeks before and it was good for six months. He wasn’t planning on giving her any time to think about it, no time for anyone to change their plans. No time for crazy ex-girlfriends or crazy women who wanted to be girlfriends to interfere or for basketball buddies to get in the way. No kid of his was going to be born outside the bonds of matrimony.
“How long have you known,” he asked tracing his fingers along her abdomen.
She told him the story of how she’d fainted the day before, how the doctor had thought Mick was her fiancé and had told him she was pregnant before she even knew.
He leaned up on one elbow and looked into her eyes. “Mickey knew you were pregnant before I did?”
“Ben, I didn’t tell him. It was a misunderstanding. He knew before I did. Believe me, my preference would have been for you to be the second to know.”
“The second?”
She laughed. “Well, I thought I would be first.” And she kissed him. He was so cute.
“God, I want to make love to you.” He rubbed her abdomen. “Is it safe?” He wasn’t going to do anything to risk hurting either her or the baby.
She laughed. “Safe except for the possibility of Jess or Jamie coming home and catching us.” She kissed him. “But I’m willing to take the risk if you are.”
At Jess’s insistence, Ben had asked permission from her kids before he proposed. Jamie, the youngest, had told him it was okay as long as he didn’t think he was going to spend the night. He’d had a similar conversation with Jake a month or so earlier. Of course, once they told the boys that Lane was pregnant, it would be clear that ship had sailed.
He kissed her. “I’m a little worried about him finding out that you’re pregnant before we’re married.” Just after he’d proposed, he had told Lane that Jamie had put him on notice that he wasn’t allowed to spend the night. So on the three occasions they’d had sex, they’d either gone to his house or waited until Jamie, who was the only one still living at home, was gone.
He’d had the sex talk with both Jake and Jamie years ago. He’d told them there are three basic rules. Rule 1: No means no and stop means stop no matter how much you think stopping is going to kill you. Rule 2: Never have sex with a woman who is too incapacitated to say either no or stop. Rule 3: always, always, always use protection.
A pregnant Lane would tell the boys immediately that he’d broken one of his own rules.
Chapter 13
a merry chase
Jess and Joey had lunch in the Board Room at Bellini’s. Ben was right, it was the one place where the press couldn’t get to them. Joey hadn’t told Tony or Papa that he wasn’t Pauli. That was clear to Jess, and no one seemed to be surprised to find Pauli and Jess sitting in the Board Room having lunch in the middle of the week.
Joey knew that at this moment, the Bellinis had a singular goal and it was to keep Jess safe. If the paparazzi were descending on Kansas, then it was just a matter of time before the lunatic fan knew where she was too.