The Bachelor Pact (75 page)

"Yes, and he's so excited," Maddie whispered. "He wanted to tell everyone, but I'm making him keep it a secret. I don't want Lance and Reid to know just yet, not with..." Maddie lowered her voice, "with everything that's going on."

Sophie squeezed Maddie's hand. "Don't worry, Maddie, I won't tell Lance about the pregnancy. But I can't wait to hold the baby! I can just see the little one now!"

* * *

Lucy couldn't believe her ears. She'd walked in on the tail end of the conversation, but she'd heard Sophie say she wasn't going to tell Lance about the pregnancy, then that she couldn't wait to hold the baby.

Dear God, was Sophie pregnant?

She wouldn't tell Lance. She couldn't wait to hold the baby. What else could she mean?

Now that she thought about it, Sophie had been sick all week, emotional, not eating, even sloughing off her usual intake of soda—no wonder the break with Lance had upset her so badly.

Momentary disappointment trickled through her that Sophie hadn't told her first instead of Maddie, which meant that somewhere deep down Sophie still blamed her for the breakup with Lance. She was also aware that now Sophie was not only alone, but pregnant and alone, and that it was all Lucy's fault for being selfish.

But there was a baby to think about now. A tiny innocent life that had been created in love. And this tiny little life would be her niece or nephew. A niece or nephew she could not let be brought into the world without its father.

Not the way she and Sophie had.

She could barely contain herself from congratulating Sophie, and bragging that she couldn't wait to be an aunt. But both Maddie and Sophie clamed up tighter than a virgin in a male strip club when she approached, shutting her out. After she slurped down most of the Cosmopolitan pitcher—not surprised when Sophie pushed her own away—she gave her sister the gift she'd bought; the number sixty-nine item from her catalog.

"To help you get Lance," she told her. A few minutes later, she hopped a cab. She had made a mess of things before, and it was up to her to fix them now.

After the taxi dropped her off she stood, slightly woozy and light-headed, on Reid's doorstep banging on his door for all she was worth. She could have sworn he'd peeked out the window and seen her, then ducked inside and had refused to answer.

Damn, insufferable, infuriating, rat-fink man.
Why God had created that Y chromosome was beyond her.

She banged again, and yelled, cursing him to the moon, then finally took her credit card from her purse and picked the lock. The door screeched open, and she clunked inside, scanning the dim interior as she yelled his name. The apartment reeked of stale pizza and beer. But thankfully she didn't see any woman's lingerie scattered inside.

Reid was slumped on a ratty-looking sofa, surfing the channels. "Where'd a Virginal Princess learn to pick locks?"

"Vegas, where else?"

He flicked her a quick glance, then returned to the TV. Some boring ball game blared from the set. He turned up the sound. "Well, pick your way back out and go on back there."

"Not until you listen to me."

He grunted and started to stand, but she tottered over to him, nearly falling over a pair of smelly tennis shoes. With a sigh, she snatched the remote.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?"

Her bracelets jangled as she waved her arms around. "We have a major crisis. We can't sit back and do nothing."

Reid rested his elbows on his knees and glared at her. "What crisis? Did you lose your spell book?"

"This is not about me. Well, not directly. Actually, it affects both of us, and Lance and Sophie." Lucy rubbed at her head and paced. "No, it's bigger than all of us."

Reid folded his arms. "Lucy, did anyone ever tell you that you talk in circles?"

"Only an idiot wouldn't be able to understand me." She slapped her forehead. "Oh, wait, you're a man; you don't have a brain."

"Maybe if you just came right out and said what you mean..."

"I mean I'm concerned about the baby."

The color drained from Reid's face. He jumped up to grab her arms but swayed. "Oh, my God, you're pregnant?"

Lucy swatted at his hand. "I'm what?"

"You... I... we're—"

Realization dawned and nervous laughter bubbled inside Lucy. "No, Reid, I'm not pregnant."

"Then what baby are you talking about?"

Had she seen a moment of disappointment mingled with the panic? "Sophie and Lance's."

"Sophie and Lance are pregnant?"

"No, you idiot, Sophie is pregnant, and Lance is the father, and the poor kid is going to be an illegitimate baby if we don't do something."

Reid's mouth slacked open in shock. "What?"

"That's right. She'll be teased and called names and wonder why her daddy didn't love her. And who knows, Sophie has two job offers, so she may move away and the baby will never even see his daddy. Not that I could blame Sophie—"

"Just wait a damn minute."

"No, you wait." Lucy shook her finger in his face, her bracelets clattering down her arm. "I know what it's like to grow up without a father, and I won't let my niece or nephew suffer that, especially when I know Sophie and Lance love each other."

Reid's voice turned low, "I thought you didn't want them to be together."

Lucy sighed. "I didn't at first, but like I said, this is bigger than all of us." She snapped her fingers in his face. "Now are you going to stand there on your duff, or are you going to help me?"

* * *

Lance had closed the deal with McDaniels today and should have been celebrating. Instead he was brooding inside his duplex, trying to muster enough energy to work on the budget and forcing himself not to call the foreman of the three-man crew he'd put together to finish Sophie's house, when someone knocked on the door. He ignored it, hoping whoever it was would leave, but seconds later Reid appeared in the den.

"Lance, we have to talk."

Lance looked up from the paperwork on the table. "I'm busy."

Reid yanked out a chair and closed the folder Lance had been staring at for an hour. Reid's face was flushed, his hand shaking. "It's important, bro. I have something to tell you."

"What is it now?" His heart raced, his imagination going wild. "Has something happened to Maddie? Chase?"
Sophie, God, no, not Sophie.

"It's about Sophie."

Lance's head swam.

"I just talked to Lucy, and you won't believe this, but Sophie has two job offers and may be moving..."

He hesitated and Lance swayed. "It gets worse, Lance, she may be... may be..."

Lance gripped Reid's collar. "May be what?"

"...well, she's pregnant."

Lance hit the floor with a thud, his last thought before he passed out was that Reid had once again told him something that should have come from Sophie.

Chapter 22

"Why didn't she tell me?" Lance asked from the floor.

Reid had squatted over him with a three-year-old bottle of vinegar, which had definitely woken Lance up, although he still felt too weak to stand. His head spun like a merry-go-round with thoughts of fatherhood and Sophie carrying his baby, and the two of them being together.

Reality intervened, though, like a lightning rod stabbing into the darkness. Sophie might be moving and he would lose her, and he might not ever see his own kid.

Reid shrugged and didn't reply, although Lance knew the answer. Why would she come to him after the way he'd treated her in Vegas? The hurt in her eyes when he'd walked away had haunted him for days. But he'd had a right to be hurt, too....

Reid rubbed a hand over his chin, looking weary. "It's a mess, isn't it?"

"Yeah. A damn mess."

"Women are too much trouble and work."

Lance had certainly never passed out because of one before. "Yeah, trouble and work."

"So what are you going to do, man?"

Lance grabbed the table edge for support, and Reid gave him a hand on the other side, helping him to stand. "I have to see her. I... She's having my baby." He should be furious, he realized, so why was his heart racing and a smile stretching his face? He was going to be a father. Get to ride his kid piggyback, play softball in the backyard, put up one of those silly Slip 'N' Slid thingies that killed the grass...

Reid cleared his throat. "You want me to drive you over?"

"No." Lance searched for his keys on the crowded tabletop. "This is something I need to do alone. Just help me to the truck. I can make it from there."

* * *

Sophie had just settled into Lance's shirt for the night—okay, she hadn't washed it and returned it yet, but she would, she really would—when the doorbell rang. She let Lucy get it, then heard a man's voice.

Lance?

What was he doing here? Had he come to see the renovations?

Maybe he'd come for his shirt.

She clutched the hem of it, not certain she could part with it just yet, when suddenly he appeared at her bedroom door. Lucy, traitor that she was, must have let him in.

"Sophie, I... Can we talk?" He hesitated in the darkened doorway, and she drank in the sight of his big, muscular body filling the space. Memories crowded back, all the sultry touches and kisses, his body pulsing within her...

He moved inside the room then, bringing his masculine scent with him, and she tried to catch her breath. "Lance, I didn't expect you."

"I know." His voice sounded oddly shaky. Moonlight painted shadows across his face, but she saw emotions in his dark eyes, and her heart fluttered in her chest. Had he missed her? Somehow found a way to forgive her?

He moved even closer, and lifted a knuckle to brush across her cheek. She closed her eyes, remembering the times before when he'd made the same gesture, then when he'd undressed her and made slow, sweet love to her. If only they could turn back time and she could do things all over again...

"Sophie, I want us to be together. To..." He paused and cleared his throat. "To get married."

Shock bolted through her. She opened her eyes and found him kneeling on one knee. He gathered her hand in his and held up a diamond ring that shimmered in the pale light of the room.

Sophie was breathless. She'd dreamed of Lance forgiving her, but not of a proposal.

"Oh, Lance..."

"Please, Sophie, I know we've had some problems, but there's chemistry between us, and I care about you, and I think you care about me. We'll make our baby a wonderful home—"

"Baby?" The joy Sophie had felt moments before disintegrated. Hurt welled in her throat, nearly cutting off the air in her windpipe. "What do you mean, our baby?"

He smiled then and laid his hand over her belly. She shivered and drew back from his touch.

"It's okay, I'm glad I know. I mean, I wish you'd told me, but still, I'm just glad I know." His voice was so calm, assured, determined. "We'll make it work, Sophie. We'll get past all this—"

"I'm not pregnant, Lance."

His fingers tightened around hers. "Sophie, you don't need to keep it a secret."

Tears pricked at her eyelids. "I'm not, Lance; I'm really not pregnant." She pulled her hand away, already missing his touch, then wrapped her arms around her middle to hold herself up. "What gave you that idea?"

His breath whooshed out and he stood, looking shaken. "Reid. Lucy told him she heard you and Maddie talking."

She pressed her lips together and saw the moment realization dawned.

"Not you, Maddie?"

Sophie nodded. "She didn't want to tell you right now, not with us... the way things are."

Lance gripped his hands by his sides. He glanced around the room, at the ceiling, his shoes, back at her. He clearly didn't know what to do.

"I think you'd better go, Lance."

"But Sophie, I... I'm sorry."

She turned and ripped his shirt from her body. Uncaring that she stood naked in front him, she shoved it at him. "Take it and go. I don't ever want to see you again."

Lance balled the shirt in his hands and backed away, his gaze glued to her until she shut the door in his face. As soon as she heard his truck crank, she wrapped the Afghan around her and yelled for Lucy.

The new job offers were looking better and better all the time....

* * *

Lance picked up Reid on the way to Maddie's. If he had ever thought he might have another chance with Sophie, he had blown it.

"I was trying to be noble. To do the right thing," he argued. Which was obviously the wrong thing.

"I'll never understand women," Reid said.

Lance glanced at his crumpled shirt and nodded. "Me neither." And he would never forget the way Sophie had looked wearing nothing but that shirt. Then naked, handing it back to him with tears in her eyes. He had hurt her terribly, and he wasn't even sure what he'd done so horribly wrong.

Five minutes later he and his brother stood in Chase and Maddie's house.

"Why didn't you tell us the good news?" Lance pulled his sister into a bear hug, his throat thick with emotion. He was going to be an uncle; his baby sister was going to be a mother, his best friend in the whole world a father. "I'm so damn happy for you, you know that?"