Nick opened the door for Raina and they followed Ridley at a slower pace. He pulled out a chair for her at the counter and she sat gratefully. An older woman came out from the back and gave a whoop when she spotted them.
“Nick Alexander! Come here, you rascal.” Miss Doris hugged him so hard she almost lifted him off his feet. Then she turned to Raina, who braced herself for the effusive brand of welcome she’d come to expect from everyone in New Haven. But to her surprise, Miss Doris just put a gentle arm around her shoulders and squeezed.
“I’ll bring you out some oranges, dear. Your mother-in-law mentioned in church that you’ve got the Alexander cravings. I remember when she was pregnant if you can believe it. Feels like forever and a day.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Raina said. When Miss Doris’s face fell slightly, she added, “but I am kind of hungry, now that you mention it.”
“Of course! Don’t you worry. We’ll fix you up.” With a wide smile and another squeeze to her shoulder, she was gone, back through the swinging doors leading to the restaurant’s tiny kitchen.
“What did you say to Matt last night?” Raina turned at the sound of Nick’s voice. He sat on the stool next to hers and moved it close enough that he could pull her into his arms. She leaned against him and allowed him to take her weight.
“I just told him that we’re all worried about him but I understand why he doesn’t want to talk yet.”
Nick wrapped his arms around her, resting the palm of his right hand on the top of her belly. It warmed her through and through every time he did it. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her belly ever since she’d started showing. Not that she was very big yet, but still. After how hard they’d worked to get her pregnant and after being hospitalized due to her extreme morning sickness, every pound she gained felt like a gift.
“Thanks for doing that. I feel guilty that he’s been helping me out and I never realized how much he’s going through.”
“He doesn’t want a lot of people asking him about his feelings. I haven’t been to war and that would drive me batty.”
Nick sighed, the soft huff of his breath tickling her neck. “I know. I don’t want to be nosy either. I just want him to know we’re there if he needs us.”
Raina squeezed his hands. “He knows that, baby.”
“I also wanted to thank you for suggesting that Eli offer him his house key. If Matt has to be in Northern Virginia for all those appointments, it’s got to be better for him to crash at a friend’s house instead of staying at a hotel.”
“It’s all going to work out. You’ll see. I have a good feeling about it.”
* * * * *
BY SATURDAY EVENING, Penny had managed to work herself into a near frenzy. Georgia’s words had been banging around in her head for the past twenty-four hours.
She wasn’t entirely sure why the whole thing was so shocking. They had been dating for three years. Realistically, what had she thought would happen? That they would just continue eating Chinese and hanging out forever? That one day she would wake up with absolute certainty that Scott was “the one” and be swept off her feet? She wasn’t that naive.
There was nothing magical about sexual attraction. It was called “chemistry” for a reason. It was the end result of an eager adrenal system pumping dopamine to the brain.
Like the way you respond to a certain sexy army sergeant?
Penny groaned and fell back on the bed. There was no denying it. Chemistry was a pretty powerful force and when it came to Matt, she felt it. She felt a lot of things around him that she should not be feeling about a patient. She was supposed to feel that way about her boyfriend. He was the one she should have been daydreaming and fantasizing about. But she hadn’t. Instead she’d been imagining the look on Matt’s face when he’d leaned close and told her to say his name.
God, she wanted to say his name, all right. He’d probably planted the idea in her head on purpose, the arrogant jerk. He knew he was sexy. Probably used the fact to play with women’s heads all the time.
But if you know it’s just a chemical reaction, why does it matter so much? Why does it bother you that Scott doesn’t make your heart race or your palms sweat?
She grabbed yet another dress from a hanger in her closet and held it up in front of her body. Her mirror hadn’t magically morphed in the last ten minutes, so her reflection was still the same. A tall, dishwater blonde in white lace underwear holding up a dress that did nothing for her figure.
“Why is everything I own either casual or a business suit?” She sat down on the edge of her bed. It was at times like these she missed her sisters. Gabby would have come over and found a way to turn the contents of her closet into the perfect date outfit. Elisa was no better with fashion than Penny was, but she would have held her hand and calmed her down. But both of her sisters were happily married and living in different states now. She only saw them on holidays and over the webcam on her computer.
Even though she’d hated moving around as a kid, she’d at least always had the love of her parents and her two older sisters. They’d been a close-knit family and she’d always known she wanted kids of her own. She just wanted to stay in the same place after having them.
Her eyes landed on the picture of her parents she kept tacked to her dresser mirror. That was all she wanted for herself. Her parents were a great team. Just like she and Scott were a great team.
Countless nights she’d come home late to find Scott waiting for her with takeout and a movie. She didn’t have a lot of time to spend at home, so they
had to make their time together count. He understood her drive to succeed and supported it. Lots of men would be intimidated by a woman who was as driven and committed to her career as she was.
So why does the idea of getting married leave you completely cold?
Penny stood and yanked the first black dress she saw out of the pile of clothes on her bed.