Anything but Love

TWENTY

It had taken Rae a while to get a hold on her mini meltdown. Deep down, she knew Luke meant well when he’d assured her he would love their baby. It was the “more than me. Except maybe you” that had thrown her into a panic.

She didn’t doubt Luke would love his child. He was all about family. Except for that brief period in Bel Air when he’d been a total jerk, he was one of the kindest people Rae had ever known. Salt of the earth. What spooked her was the uncertainty of their relationship. Once she contacted that New York publisher, once she flaunted her socialite status and made her whereabouts known, the paparazzi would start trickling into Sugar Creek. Even if it was only one rabid cameraman, it wouldn’t be pretty.

The question beyond Could Luke handle the invasion of privacy for a while? would be Could he handle the gossip-hungry media for life? Rae could lay low, absolutely. But there would always be a reporter looking for that one sensational story—Had her mother really had a secret affair with that uber famous and uber married actor? And a photographer always hoping for that one compromising shot. Even royalty had been caught with their pants down or tops off. Those super-telescopic lenses could capture the most intimate or careless moments. What if they snapped a shot of Rae breast-feeding? Or Luke going down on her? Of the two of them making love?

What if Luke couldn’t handle the constant threat? What if he considered it detrimental to their child? Would he cut himself off from Rae and fight for sole custody? Growing up surrounded by Hollywood drama, she could name dozens of domestic disasters. Bitter divorces. Custody wars.

Those were the fears that stormed through her mind in what should have been a sweet moment—Luke pledging his love and support to their child.

“I can turn back.”

Luke’s soft, deep voice jolted Rae out of her obsessive mania. “What?”

“The closer I get to Gram’s, strike that, Rocky’s house, the more panicked you look. I was wrong to push.” He plucked his cell from his jacket. “I’ll cancel.”

Rae stayed his hand. The last thing she wanted was to be perceived as a coward. A hindrance. She’d always been a hindrance to Olivia. “No,” she said. “Let’s do this.” She refrained from elaborating. Luke had stated why he thought it was advantageous for her to mingle with key Cupcake Lovers before the official Thursday meeting and she agreed.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

Next thing she knew, Luke was hanging in the living room with his grandma and great-aunt and the attending male contingent, and Rae was standing in a state-of-the-art kitchen surrounded with women she’d considered “friends” throughout her “lost year.” Considering she’d lied about who she was, it should have been awkward. It wasn’t. It was as if she’d never left.

She didn’t trust it.

Instead of greeting her with questions—Why did you pretend to be someone else? Were you and Luke attracted to each other before or did he fall head over heels for your new, polished look? What’s a celebrity heiress like you doing in a low-profile town like Sugar Creek?—they’d drawn her into conversations about sending Valentine’s cupcakes to lonely heart soldiers and a joint club venture to bake and decorate Rocky and Jayce’s wedding cake.

“I know I didn’t send you an official invitation,” Rocky said as Rae helped her to prepare the salad. “But I would love it if you’d attend my wedding. I assume Luke will bring you as his guest, but I wanted you to know I’m hoping you’ll come.”

Rae swallowed, feeling humbled and flustered. “I wouldn’t miss it. Saturday, right?”

Rocky nodded. “Jayce suggested Valentine’s Day. But how sappy is that, right?”

“Jayce said that was your idea,” Chloe teased as she tended to several pots on the stove.

“To be honest,” Rocky said as she moved toward the fridge, “I can’t remember who brought it up first, but we decided against it. Valentine’s Day is for all lovers. We want our day to be special.”

Monica snorted. “Like that isn’t sappy.”

Rocky glanced over her shoulder at Rae. “Ignore her. I am. I’m also having a beer. Want one? Or maybe a glass of wine?” She nodded toward the other women. “These two are teetotalers these days.”

“I’m good. Thanks.” Rae hoped her cheeks didn’t look as flushed as they felt. She didn’t realize she’d feel this uncomfortable keeping her pregnancy secret, most especially from these women. She wasn’t lying outright, but she wasn’t being forthright either. When they did find out, would they feel betrayed? Again? Would they judge her, thinking she’d used the baby to rope the biggest hound in Sugar Creek? She shouldn’t care, but she did.

“I’ve found that if I already have a drink in hand,” Rocky said, “it’s easier to avoid partaking in Daisy’s Cocktail of the Week. I swear she picks the most disgusting recipes.”

“Far be it from Daisy to be unadventurous,” Chloe said with a smile.

“Even Luke gagged on last week’s creation,” Rocky said.

“I missed that one,” Monica said as she sliced lemons for the iced tea. “Most disgusting ingredient?”

“It wasn’t the taste so much as the texture. Something called a Cement Mixer. Bailey’s Irish Cream and lime juice,” Rocky said. “The combination made the Bailey’s curdle in your mouth.”

“Eww,” Monica said.

Chloe shuddered.

“Hence my beer,” Rocky said.

“I can’t take it,” Rae said.

“Just say you’re still recovering from that bout of food poisoning,” Chloe said. “That’ll get you a free pass from Daisy.”

“I’m not talking about the cocktail,” Rae said. “I’m talking about you guys. You’re acting as if I never left. As if I’m Rachel. But I’m not. I mean we have the same personality pretty much, but … Don’t you want to know why I did it? Why I lived under an assumed identity for a year?”

“Of course we want to know,” Monica blurted.

Chloe elbowed her best friend. “We figured you’d tell us when you were ready.”

“Or not,” Rocky said. “Maybe it’s none of our business. What we know is that you came back to Sugar Creek to help the club and to revive Sugar Tots for the children and parents of this community.”

“We know you inherited a fortune on your birthday,” Chloe said. “Most twenty-five-year-olds would’ve gone on a trip around the world.”

“Or opted to spend the winter in Tahiti or some other tropical isle,” Monica said.

“Instead you’re here,” Rocky said. “In this frozen, freaking cold tundra.”

“We’re giving you the benefit of the doubt because you’re here for selfless reasons,” Chloe said.

“Not entirely selfless.” Rae clasped her hands so as not to wring them. “Some of my happiest days were the days I spent working with the children at Sugar Tots, the nights I spent baking cupcakes with the Cupcake Lovers. I may have kept to myself, but I absorbed every word, every action. I got a dose of how it should be between friends and family. Of good people with the best of intentions. Of the simple life. I can’t have that life in L.A. and certainly not within my mother’s circle—the only circle I know aside from this one.”

Rae blew out a breath and went out on an emotional limb. “I hid out in Sugar Creek to escape certain pressures having to do with my upcoming inheritance. I didn’t want to deal with my mom or my influential stepfather and their intrusive advice. I wanted to prove that I could make it on my own—with or without fame or fortune. In the process I learned a lot about myself. You know that saying, home is where the heart is?”

“Your heart’s here,” Chloe said.

“With Luke,” Monica ventured.

“Luke’s certainly a draw,” Rae said. “I developed a crush the first time I laid eyes on him. It snowballed and there was this kiss and then…” She glanced away. “There’s this connection. I can’t explain, but we’re going for it and … we’ll see.”

The women traded a look then focused back on Rae. “Just remember,” Rocky said. “Anything, anyone, worth having is worth the fight.”

“How to say this,” Chloe ventured. “Luke has a lot of female admirers.”

“He’s notorious for playing the field,” Monica said.

“A natural born charmer,” Rocky said.

“A huge flirt,” Chloe said. “Half the time I don’t even think he means anything by it.”

“But if you’re the jealous sort,” Monica said.

“Or the shy sort.” Rocky picked the label on her bottle. “Not that I’m trying to scare you off, Rae, but Luke loves people. Loves to socialize. I’m not sure he’ll ever be a homebody.”

Monica nodded. “If you’re looking for a homebody—”

“I’d be better off with Sam?” Rae stared back at the women, sensing they had her best interest at heart and probably Luke’s as well. Still, she was pretty fed up with being pushed toward the man everyone considered her perfect match. “To be perfectly clear,” she said in a calm but firm voice. “I don’t love Sam.”

“Do you love Luke?” Monica winced when Chloe gave her another jab. “What? Like I’m the only one who wants to know?”

“Yes. Yes, I do,” Rae said. She glanced toward the closed kitchen door, envisioned Luke enduring one of Daisy’s nasty cocktails just because she was his grandma, his senior, and it was the nice thing to do. “I think I’ve always loved him, which probably sounds crazy.”

“Not so crazy,” Rocky said.

“I haven’t told him,” Rae said, feeling a little panicked now. She didn’t want to scare Luke off. She was already scaring herself. Everything was moving so fast and she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was all too good to be true.

“Well, he should definitely hear from you first,” Chloe said with a smile.

“Don’t worry, hon. One thing about this family—blood and associated,” Rocky said with a nod toward Chloe and Monica. “We know how to keep a secret.”

“Interesting dinner.”

“I’ll say.”

Jayce placed a pile of dirty plates on the counter.

Rocky started rinsing while he dropped a soap disk in the dishwasher.

Brewster trotted in behind them and sniffed the floor for crumbs.

“The canine vacuum,” Rocky said.

“I’ve got to break him of that,” Jayce said.

“You say that every night.”

After a couple of licks, Brewster curled up on a braided rug and Rocky and Jayce settled into their routine. Since Chloe did the majority of cooking on Sundays, Rocky had insisted she handle the cleanup after everyone left. Jayce had insisted on helping, making it a couple thing, which made it kind of nice. They had some of their best discussions while putting their dining room and kitchen back to rights.

“I think Rae might be pregnant,” Rocky blurted.

“What? Why?”

“There were signs.”

“What signs?”

Rocky passed Jayce the first rinsed of several food-caked dishes. “For one, she’s not drinking alcohol. She declined my offer when she stopped over the other night, then again earlier in the kitchen. At dinner, Dev poured wine for everyone at the table except for Chloe and Monica. Only Rae never touched hers. At one point, Luke discreetly swapped his empty glass for her full one.”

“Maybe she doesn’t drink.”

“I’ve seen her drink. Not a lot, but typically, when offered, she at least sips at wine or beer. Another thing,” Rocky said. “Did you notice how often she excused herself to go to the bathroom? Chloe mentioned that as one of her first symptoms. Having to pee a lot more.”

“Crossing into the too-much-information zone, Dash.”

“Did you notice how attentive Luke was?”

“He’s always affectionate with women.”

“In a playful way. This was different. The way he kept touching her and holding her hand. The way he looked at her. It was almost … protective.” She passed Jayce another plate then two cups. “You’re a PI. Half of your job is observing. How could you not notice?”

“I noticed.”

“Lastly—”

“Why would a dog like Luke commit to an exclusive relationship with a woman he barely knows?”

She raised a brow. “What are you, a mind reader?”

“A PI. I deduced your train of thought.”

She grinned. “Smart-ass.”

Jayce moved in behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions, babe. Rae’s a knockout. Her face, her body.”

“Thanks for pointing that out.”

He spun her around and tugged on her braid. “Can’t compare to you in my book. But you have to admit, physically, she’s Luke’s type. Plus she’s sweet and motivated. Hard not to get swept up in her enthusiasm about kids and education.”

“Her plans for Sugar Tots are pretty impressive,” Rocky said.

“Considering her background and the fact that she’s worth a fortune, you also have to admit she’s down-to-earth.”

“Amazingly down-to-earth.”

“Maybe Luke’s serious about Rae because he’s seriously in love.”

“Luke’s been in love a million times. Ask him. He’ll tell you.”

“Maybe this is the real thing.”

“Or maybe he screwed up and got her pregnant and now he’s trying to do the right thing.”

“I guess we’ll find out. That’s not something you can hide forever.”

“True.” Just then Rocky’s cell rang. She glanced over to where she’d left it on the counter. “It’s Mom.”

“Calling to talk about the wedding, no doubt.” Jayce kissed her forehead. “Take it. I’ll finish loading the dishwasher.”

Rocky slid out of Jayce’s arms, giddy at the thought of chatting with her mom about girly bridal stuff. Totally out of character given Rocky had always been a bit of a tomboy, but she’d been in love with Jayce since she was a kid. And considering their rough road, this wedding was more than a dream come true. It was a miracle. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

“Is Jayce with you?”

Rocky scrunched her brow. “Standing right next to me. Why?”

“I have some troubling news sweetie. It’s about your daddy.”