Carol Ericson - The Pregnancy Plot

“This is my stepsister, Nina, the golden child. Nina, this is Kip, my partner in crime.”

Keeping her feet rooted to the ground, Nina leaned in with an outstretched hand. “Good to meet you, Kip, but Lou doesn’t need a partner in crime.”

Ignoring the proffered handshake, Kip hacked and spit into the sand dunes. “Just a figure of speech.”

Nina nodded in Jase’s direction. “And this is Jase.”

Jase held up one hand. He had no intention of shaking with Kip. The guy might topple over on him in a drunken free fall.

Nina continued to pretend this was some normal social gathering.

“Where did you and Lou meet?”

“In a bar.” Kip pulled Lou in for a sloppy kiss on the side of the head.

“I meant—” Nina rolled her eyes “—what city?”

“Portland.” Lou brushed a sandy lock of hair from Kip’s eyes. “I’ve been living in Portland.”

“Are you staying here now?”

“Just in town at one of the dumpy fishermen’s motels.” She clicked her tongue. “Don’t worry, little sis. It’s not going to be permanent. I have some business to settle.”

Jase studied Lou and Kip side by side through narrowed eyes. The only business he could imagine these two settling is a drug deal. That, or harassing Nina.

He took Nina’s arm. “We were just on our way back to Moonstones.”

“And we were on our way back to the bar.” Kip tugged on Lou’s hand. “Come on, baby. Let’s finish gettin’ our drink on.”

The other couple squeezed past them on the path to make their way back to the town. Once again, Jase caught a strong whiff of booze. Had Kip bathed in it?

When Kip and Lou disappeared into the night, Nina let out a long breath. “I can’t believe she’d hook up with someone like that.”

“Seems to me old Kip is just her type.”

She pulled her jacket around her body. “Lou needs help, professional help. I don’t understand people who refuse to seek therapy and medication when it’s glaringly obvious to everyone around them that they need them.”

“I’m not sure. I’ve heard the drugs flatten out your personality, and people don’t like that.”

“Some personalities need flattening.”

“Lou sure holds a grudge, doesn’t she?” A bird, probably an escapee from the sanctuary, shrieked above them and Nina jumped.

“Where’s her mother?”

“Lou’s mom has been through a couple of husbands already. She could be anywhere, since she pretty much washed her hands of Lou, too.” She kicked at a rock with the toe of her shoe. “One thing Lou did have right is that her father left her mother for my mom.”

“That’s not your fault.”

“Lou instinctively knew the score when she was nine years old. She hated me and my mom from the get-go.”

“Nine is old enough. Did your stepfather prefer you to his own daughter?”

“Not really—he preferred my mom and my mom preferred him. I was a lot easier to deal with than Lou, and Dad knew she’d sell Moonstones as soon as she could and then drink up, snort up and shoot up the profits.”

The road curved in front of the disputed B and B, and a glimmer of light from the quarter moon spilled across Nina’s disabled boat.

“Lou denied sabotaging the boat.”

Nina snorted. “Did you think she’d admit it? She’s never fessed up to a single misdeed in her life.”

“You have a complicated life, Nina.” He opened the latch of the broken gate and ushered her through with a sweep of his hand.

“You have no idea, Jase.”

He held his breath as she moved past him, her light fragrance tickling his nose. Would she tell him about her pregnancy? Open up about Simon?

She climbed the two porch steps and turned to face him.

He held her gaze, ready for her confidences. Not that he’d be sharing any of his own—revealing his identity was not part of his assignment—yet.

“You know that proposal you made over dinner?”

He blinked. Not what he’d been expecting, but he’d go with it. “About moving in here?”

“Yes. Still interested?”

“Sure.”

“Good.” She turned and shoved open the front door of the B and B. “Because I want you to move in—right here, right now.”

* * *

THE THRILL THAT rushed through his body better be for the assignment and not the woman. She’d done a one-eighty and ditched her previous reservations. Had Lou spooked her?

“Why the sudden turnaround?”

“Do you see it that way? I told you I’d consider it after doing a background check.”

“And now you don’t need a background check?”

“Now I’ve seen Lou and the company she’s keeping.”

“Do you really think Kip is helping her? The dude seems barely capable of a coherent thought.”

“I’ve seen his type before. Lou’s been with this type before—they egg her on and use her because they think she has some money coming. They encourage her in her wild schemes.”

“He scares you?”

“They both do. Did you see his eyebrows?”

He raised one of his own. “I didn’t notice.”

“They were lighter than his hair.”

“Is that supposed to be some sign of evil or something?”

She pinched his arm. “He gave me the creeps.”

“Okay, I defer to your creep meter, but if you want me to move in tonight, I’m going to have to go back to my motel and get my stuff.”

“I’ll take you back in my truck. You can start some repairs tomorrow and write whenever you want.”

“And run interference between you and Lou and Kip. Is that it?”

“If you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all.” He came here for that express purpose—to run interference for Nina Moore—not that she knew it.

“Hold on and I’ll get the keys to the truck.” She left him standing at the door while she ran to the kitchen and snagged a set of keys from a hook.

The driver’s-side door of the truck protested when he opened it for her. “Is there anything at Moonstones that’s not falling apart?”

“No, and that includes the current owner.” She hopped onto the seat and slammed the door.

He climbed in beside her. “If it’s too much for you, Nina, why don’t you go back to LA? Lou seemed to think you had it made there.”

“Lou?” She adjusted her mirror. “You believe anything Lou says?”

“Does that mean you didn’t have it made in LA?”

She bit her lip before starting and once again he expected confidences.

“I liked my job, had plenty of clients and left a lot of friends there, but this island has something...”

“A dilapidated B and B and crazy family members.”

He didn’t know why he was trying to encourage her to return to the big city. It would be so much harder to watch her there, and what possible excuse could he offer now for turning up in LA?

She laughed and he liked the sound. She needed to laugh more—for the baby.

“With your help, Moonstones won’t be dilapidated for long and hopefully Lou will be on her way, taking her low-life companion with her.”

“Once she finishes her important business.”

She swung the truck onto the road leading to town, a smirk twisting her lips. “I’m afraid her important business is getting me to cough up some money.”

“Will you? Have you ever?”

“I’ve given her a few bucks here and there, but that only seems to encourage her. Honestly, I do it out of guilt.”

“Because your mom stole her dad away from her mom? That’s ridiculous.”

“I know it is. I just know how it feels to lose a parent.” She glanced at him. “You heard Lou. My dad abandoned me and my mom when I was a baby.”

“For another woman?”

“I have no clue, but my mom raised me alone until Bruce Moore came into her life.” Her hands tightened on the steering wheel. “A baby needs two parents, don’t you think?”