Carol Ericson - The Pregnancy Plot

Had Jase noticed her pregnancy? No way. Any hint of a pregnancy would’ve doused those scorching looks he’d been sending her all afternoon. She’d been enjoying those looks so much she hadn’t wanted them to end.

What did that say about her? Carrying another man’s baby and getting hot and bothered by a stranger with a to-die-for grin. Simon had vanished from her life, but it didn’t mean he didn’t plan on charging back into it.

And she needed to be prepared when he did.

She stood on her tiptoes and checked the lock on the bathroom window. When the Harbor Patrol officer had told her about the hole in the boat, her suspicions had immediately turned to Lou, since any mischief connected to the B and B would have Lou written all over it.

But had Simon followed her here? He knew about the B and B, of course, even though he’d never been here. She rolled her shoulders and stepped into the warm water, inhaling the fragrant steam from the lilac bath salts.

She’d found a good doctor in town, a family practitioner rather than an ob-gyn, but Dr. Parducci had come highly rated and regarded.

She sank into the warm water, stretched out her legs and closed her eyes, determined to relax. Dr. Parducci had told her to relax and not dwell on anything stressful.

Her eyes flew open. Like Lou. That had been the most unwelcome piece of news when she’d returned to Break Island. Had Lou known she was coming back to claim the B and B? Lou had no interest in the place, but she’d been livid when Bruce had left it to his stepdaughter instead of his daughter.

What did she expect? Her father had loved this place. Turning it over to Lou would’ve resulted in a quick sale and money blown on drugs, booze and a good time.

Nina closed her eyes again and swirled her hands in the silky water, willing her mind to happier thoughts.

Jase Buckley—now, there was a happy thought. Something about that man attracted her like a magnet. It could be his general drop-dead gorgeousness. She slipped farther beneath the water and blew bubbles.

Or it could be that for some reason, in some weird way he reminded her of her baby’s father.

* * *

NINA ZIPPED UP her jacket to her chin and made the last turn into town. The brisk walk from the B and B into the town center had done her good. The fifteen-minute walk had cleared her head and relaxed her more than the warm bath had.

She hadn’t completely shrugged off her big-city addiction, and the thought of spending a quiet evening at home just sounded like a big bore.

The locals usually liked to gather at Mandy’s Café for dinner or at one of two watering holes that hadn’t become tourist traps—yet. The island had changed a lot since the last time she’d really spent time here. At least the crowds had allowed Mom and Dad to run a flourishing business, but Break Island didn’t offer the complete serenity she’d hoped for.

Maybe that was a good thing. The warmth and conversation that enfolded her as soon as she stepped across the threshold of Mandy’s felt like a friendly hug. And she could use a few of those.

She tripped to a stop when she saw Jase Buckley at the center of a lively group in the corner. Hadn’t he just arrived in town? She kept tabs on him out of the corner of her eye as she slid into a booth by the window. He must be a good writer, because he sure seemed to have the gift of the gab over there, spinning stories for an enthralled audience.

“Do you want something to drink, Nina?” Theresa Kennedy, one of her mother’s old friends, tapped a pencil against her pad of paper. Theresa’s family had owned Mandy’s for years.

“Just water, but I’ll take a cup of the chicken noodle soup right now.”

“You got it. So, are you really going to fix up the old place? We could use another B and B on the island.”

“I am, but I’m going to take my time, so I hope you’re not in any hurry.”

“It’ll go faster with my help.”

Theresa stepped back to allow Jase to sidle up to the table. “Are you going to help Nina get the place back on its feet?”

“Starting tomorrow.”

Theresa poked Jase in the chest with the eraser end of her pencil. “I hope that doesn’t cut into your writing time, Jase.”

Nina raised her eyebrows. Had the guy spilled his life story all over town? Perhaps the connection she’d felt with him had been nothing more than Jase being Jase. “I’ll have plenty of time, Theresa.” He winked. “A man’s gotta eat, too.”

“Oh, go on. You could come in here and I’d feed you anytime of the day or night. It would just be like having my son home again when he was studying for the bar. Anyway, I think it’s a good idea for you to lend a hand to Nina.”

“Nina needs help and I need work, so it’s a perfect fit.”

“Nina does need help.” Theresa cocked her head to one side like one of the birds from the island’s sanctuary. “But for the life of me, I still can’t figure out why she abandoned her exciting life in LA for this old place.”

“Sometimes we all just need a break. Maybe Nina needs a break.”

“Hello.” Nina waved her hands between Jase and Theresa. “I’m right here. No need to talk about me like I’m not.”

Theresa clucked her tongue. “I’ll get you that soup, Nina. Jase?”

“I’ll take some soup, too.” He patted the back of the banquette across from her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

Her gaze flicked to the table of locals still bunched together. “Is your audience going to miss you?”

“Them?” He snorted. “They’re on to the next tall tale.”

“And you?”

“Tall tales? I’ve told my share.” He slipped into the booth across from her. “Did you finally warm up?”

“I did a little work around the house and then took a warm bath. That did the trick.”

“Any more news about your sister?”

“Stepsister. I was going to ask around town tonight if anyone has seen her today.” She rubbed her hands together when she spotted Theresa backing out of the kitchen with a cup of soup in each hand. “But not before I had some sustenance.”

Theresa placed the soup in front of them, along with a basket of crackers. “Do you want to order now?”

Nina didn’t have to look at the menu. “I’ll have the fish-and-chips.”

“I’ll have the same.” Jase tapped the edge of the plastic menu on the table. “And another beer, Theresa, that pale ale.”

“You got it. Just water for you, Nina?”

“That’s it.”

When Theresa took their menus and walked away, Jase asked, “You don’t mind if I have a beer, do you?”

“Why should I?” She blinked and then planted her elbows on the table. “You don’t think I’m an alcoholic, do you?”

“No.”

“Because I leave all the drinking in the family to my stepsister.”

Jase raised a spoonful of hot soup to his lips and blew on the puddle. “Just didn’t want to make you uncomfortable in case you’re a rabid teetotaler.”

She was no rabid teetotaler, whatever that meant, but the way Jase’s lips puckered made her plenty uncomfortable. She shifted in her seat and busied herself with the wrapper on a package of crackers.

“Drink all you want. Be my guest.”

“I’d like to be your guest.”

Her soup went down the wrong way and she coughed. Pressing a napkin to her lips, she asked, “What?”

“You run a B and B, don’t you?”

“We’ve established that.” She sniffed and dabbed her eyes. “But you’ve seen the condition it’s in. It’s hardly ready for prime time.”

“It would work out great for me—and you. I could stay in one of the rooms, do work around the place every day and get my writing done in a much better setting than my current location at The Sandpiper.” He crumbled a cracker into his bowl and then dusted his hands off over a napkin. “You could pay me in room and board instead of cash. It’s a win-win for both of us.”