Trish Wylie - Her Unexpected Baby

He unfolded his arms to mimic her earlier statement. ‘“Slap in the face, up yours, Dana” thing?’

‘Exactly.’

‘So it’s tit for tat?’ He nodded wisely. ‘I’m still going with my “That’s mature” response.’

Dana stood up and walked round her desk to retrieve her overcoat. ‘I knew you wouldn’t understand.’

‘Because there’s more, and I damn well know it.’ He blocked her way when she lifted her bag and tried to leave. ‘So what is it?’

Blue eyes glared at his chest for a moment before eventually looking up. ‘Since he walked out on Jess and me he’s become Mister Successful—Mister Everything-He-Wasn’t-When-He-Was-With-Us. And meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’ve just about managed to hold my head above water.’

From the emotion he saw in her eyes he knew she was being honest, and it affected him. His voice softened of its own accord. ‘You’ve done okay.’

That was how much he knew. ‘Yeah, sure—just okay. Nothing special, nothing amazing, nothing at all in my personal life. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to turn up at that reunion and have everyone talking about how poor Dana has only just coped without good old Jim.’

He mulled her words over. Somehow he knew there was more to this story. And he wanted to know what it was. Maybe there was more to Dana Taylor than the whole Little Miss Perfect thing she did so damn well.

She didn’t like him much. He knew that and was quite happy with it, in fact, because the feeling was mutual. But he could be a nice guy when he tried. And maybe, just maybe, if he tried being nice the one time she might be less of a nightmare to work with. She’d owe him, in fact. Adam liked that idea.

‘Okay. I’ll be your date.’

‘ADAM offered to be your date? Really?’

Dana blinked across at her sister-in-law. They’d become close incredibly fast, considering Dana’s lack of trust for new people. But it hadn’t taken long for her to see how much her brother Jack loved Tara, and within a short period of time it had become obvious why. She was special. If a tad…well, unusual at times.

At that precise moment they were curled up on the sofa in Jack and Tara’s living room. Tara, nearly five months pregnant, was wearing a huge T-shirt with an arrow that pointed down to her stomach and the words ‘Bun in the Oven’ emblazoned across her chest.

‘Yes, and my face must have looked exactly like yours does now when he said it.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I think I stood with my mouth open long enough to catch flies.’

‘And then you said…?’

‘I said he had to be kidding.’

‘And he said?’

‘That it was a genuine offer. And Wouldn’t it get me out of a hole?’ She mimicked his voice.

Tara grinned, her grey eyes wide. ‘So you said…?’

‘That in order for it to get me out of a hole it would have to be believable, and we weren’t exactly a match made in heaven.’

Tara waved her finger in the air. ‘You’ve got a point there.’

‘I thought so,’ Dana sighed. ‘I mean, who on earth is going to watch the two of us together for more than sixty seconds and not recognise the fact that we can’t stand each other? That man could make a nun commit murder.’

‘You’ve mentioned that. Jack finds it hilarious.’

‘He would.’

‘Though you have to admit…’ Tara looked thoughtful for a moment, then spoke over the rim of her cup. ‘Adam definitely fills the requirements for an “in your face, Jim” date.’

‘Possibly.’ She’d already admitted that fact to herself on the drive over, although it had taken ten miles before she’d allowed the thought to take root. In fact, she’d done the whole ‘pros and cons’ list again, as it happened. If there was nothing else about Dana she was at least logical. She thought things over. Assessed them carefully. Very carefully.

Adam as a partner was just too ridiculous.

‘Walking in on his arm certainly wouldn’t do your reputation any harm.’

‘Until he opened his mouth.’

Tara smiled as Dana sipped at her tea. It never ceased to amaze her, the differences between Jack and his sisters. Especially this one. Whereas Jack was a spontaneous, off-the-cuff guy, who followed his heart in everything he did, Dana was at the complete opposite end of the scale. Sometimes it was as if the very thought of losing control of anything around her was just too big a step for her to take.

Then, just every so often, there would be a tiny glimpse of her that matched her brother. But those glimpses were rare. Rare and a wonder to the beholder.

Dana really had no idea of her own worth as far as Tara could see.

‘Aw, c’mon, Dana—he could charm the pants off the entire room within about twenty seconds of getting there, and you and I both know it. He’s a man’s man, as well as every woman’s idea of a complete stud muffin.’

Dana mulled the words over for a moment and then sighed. ‘But not the type who’d date a woman like me. It’d be completely and utterly unbelievable, and that’s why it would never work.’

‘Why wouldn’t you be the type of woman he’d date?’

Dana’s eyebrows rose slightly at the question. Then she shrugged. ‘I’m not glamour model material. I’m more…hell, I don’t know…the kind of woman that a bank manager would date.’

‘You fancy your bank manager?’

That drew the required smile. ‘You’d know the answer to that if you ever saw him. The only attractive thing about that man is the fact that he controls my overdraft.’

‘And Adam?’

Dana turned in her seat to stare at Tara. ‘You think I find anything attractive about Adam Donovan?’

‘You’re not blind.’

‘He doesn’t look like the back of a bus. I’ll give you that.’

‘And?’

‘And?’ Dana’s eyes widened. She wasn’t about to make any confession on the subject of whether or not she found Adam remotely attractive. Tara would just have to go fishing in another pond. ‘There isn’t an and, Tara. Other people may think he’s the be-all and end-all, but I know him. I work with him every day and I think he’s an arrogant—’

‘Yes, I know, I know.’ Tara waved her hand. There was just no arguing on the subject of Adam with Dana. And the romantic side of Tara had tried. ‘I get that. But you have to admit that he would be one hell of a candidate for the reunion. You’d just need to try and forget all you know about him for one little evening and then you could go back to normal. Sounds fairly simple.’

Dana blinked as she thought, the conflict visible in her expressive eyes.

Tara continued, ‘By not being there, in a way you’ll have let Jim win, don’t you think?’

‘How will I?’

‘He’ll think you didn’t go because you knew he’d be there with Melanie. He’ll think it matters to you that he’s with someone and you’re not.’

Yes, he damn well would. But it was Adam Donovan they were talking about, here. Adam bloody Donovan.

Dana searched for another exit route. ‘I wouldn’t be believable as someone Adam Donovan would look twice at.’

‘Because you’re not his type?’

‘Exactly. Like I said.’

Tara shook her head. Didn’t Dana ever look in the mirror? ‘I think I need that explained better.’

With a frown, Dana looked away from Tara’s probing gaze. ‘He exclusively dates the glamour girl type—all makeup and shiny hair and cleavage. The vaguely vacant type is all I’ve ever seen come by for lunch. Trust me. I’m not like that.’

Tara studied Dana’s controlled exterior. To all the world she was sleek, elegant, sophisticated. Nothing was ruffled or out of place, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. Everything indicated that she was matter-of-fact, ultra-smart and businesslike, reliable. Nothing about her exterior indicated her creative personality or the wicked sense of humour that every member of her family possessed.