“Of course I do but I’d be stupid to blindly trust, right?”
“I suppose so. Have you talked to Vince about it?”
Emma felt miserable. “Sort of. But I always lose my temper and we end up fighting about it. I turn into a miserable shrew and I hate it, which only makes me hate that club even more.”
“I’m not a huge fan, myself,” Lana agreed. “Maybe I could talk to Laird about it, get him to see your side of things.”
Emma shook her head adamantly. “No, no, I don’t want you doing that. Frankly, I was so irritated with Vince when he set you up with Laird for that dinner fundraiser. I was hoping he would find a nice doctor or lawyer or maybe a dentist to set you up with…certainly not his degenerate bestie.”
“Laird isn’t that bad. In fact, he’s actually pretty sweet if you get to know him.”
Emma arched a brow. “Oh? And you think you know him?”
“As well as he lets me, of course. People only let others see what they want them to see. I respect that. I know he’s not going to bare his soul for me and I don’t expect it but the small bits I have seen…are pretty honest and I like it.”
“Honey, you don’t know what kind of pervert he is.”
“Unless you’re planning on sleeping with him, I don’t see how that should bother you.”
“Not for me, for you!”
Lana laughed. “You know I wasn’t a virgin right? I used to have sex pretty regularly. I miss it, actually,” she admitted, chuckling at the awkardness of the conversation. Emma had been like a surrogate mom when their parents died and sometimes it was hard just to be sisters. “Look, I appreciate you looking out for me, I always have, but you don’t have to do that anymore.”
Emma prepared to deliver the unpopular opinion. “I hate to be the bad guy but you’re still not healed. You hide in your house and you refuse therapy. What else am I supposed to think? Maybe you should move in with me and Vince. The house is plenty big enough.”
“God no,” Lana said, horrified at the very idea. “I don’t need to move in with you and Vince. That makes me want to vomit. I need my space. No offense. Besides, you need to stop being so preoccupied with my problems and start focusing on the biggest thing happening in your life. Have you told Vince yet?” Emma couldn’t hide from the truth and Lana saw the answer in her eyes. “Don’t you think you ought to tell him before too long? I have a feeling he might notice that you’re putting on some pounds eventually.”
“Oh, he loves when I put on weight,” Emma grumbled. “Says it makes my butt and boobs more of a handful, which he thinks is just great.”
“You’re lucky. Most men freak out when their women gain weight.”
“Vince is not like most men,” Emma sighed. “And that’s a good thing but I haven’t figured out how to tell him.”
“Easy — you say, ‘Vince, you knocked me up.’ Boom, message delivered.”
“That’s a terrible way to break the news,” Emma disagreed, appalled. “What happened to your delicate nature? You used to be so sensitive.”
“A long time ago. Long, long time ago. I’m in favor of the direct approach now.”
Emma sighed, nodding. “Well, cutting to the chase would certainly lift this incredible pressure that’s crushing me.”
“Do you think he won’t be happy about the news?”
“I don’t know, I think so.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m not quite ready to admit that I’m pregnant. It happened faster than I thought it would. Maybe I thought I’d have more time to get used to the idea.”
“Well, you have nine months to get used to it, I guess,” Lana said pragmatically and Emma nodded in resigned agreement.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy, it’s just…I don’t know, it’s a big change.”
“The biggest,” Lana agreed but wrapped Emma in the hug she desperately needed, saying, “You’re going to be a great mom.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you were a great standin for me,” she said, snuggling Emma tightly. “Now, please tell your husband so we can start planning for that little princess, or prince.”
Emma wiped her eyes and nodded as Lana let go. “Oh! I completely forgot why I came over in the first place. Pregnancy brain. So, we’re going to spend Christmas at the Hampton estate and we’d like to invite you to come with us.”
“You definitely have pregnancy brain — you already told me about this and I already declined. I’m not going to rain on your Christmas getaway with your husband. I already feel like a third wheel most days. I’d rather not perpetuate the feeling.”
“You’re not a third wheel,” Emma protested but Lana wasn’t going to budge. Sensing defeat, Emma stopped with a pout. “Fine. But I won’t stop asking.”
“One track mind,” Lana said with a sigh. “Was that everything?”
“Um, yeah, I think so.” She turned to head toward the door but then stopped and said, “Look, I know you’re an adult and you’re capable of taking care of yourself but just promise me you’ll think twice before getting involved with someone like Laird. I swear I take no pleasure in saying, I told you, so, when he hurts you, because he will. He can’t help himself. He’s just not cut out for one woman. Monogamy to Laird…is like a communicable disease — best if avoided.”
***
A week later Emma insisted that Lana attend a dinner party they were throwing, claiming she needed back-up. Apparently, ‘the cousins’ were in town and Emma didn’t seem too happy about it.
Lana, knowing she couldn’t leave her sister to flounder, particularly in her delicate state, agreed to go but found herself wishing she could gracefully bow out as she approached the front door of the Buchanan mansion. The place was monstrous — something out of a gothic movie, really. Not very cozy, if you asked Lana but those Buchanans seemed happy to fill it with future generations as both Nolan and Dillon had kids and unbeknownst to Vince, he was about to add to the brood as well.
Lana blew out a determined breath and knocked on the front door. A servant — did they call him a servant? — opened the door and ushered her in, saying, “Please follow me to the drawing room,” and after relinquishing her coat, followed the stiff-lipped older gentleman to where the party was in full swing. The room was large but the low buzz of laughter and music filled the air. Lana zoomed in on Emma but her attention was immediately caught by Laird. She sucked in a tight breath, her stomach doing that strange flippy-thing and she risked a small smile in his direction. He smiled back and lifted his glass, but didn’t rush to join her. Slightly disappointed, she returned her attention to Emma, who was nervously fidgeting with her dress. “Can you tell this dress is way too tight? It fit a few weeks ago and now it’s like a second skin.”
“It looks fine. You’re the one drawing attent
ion to it.” Lana did a double-take at her sister and then frowned as she admitted, “Actually, now that you mention it, your boobs look bigger.”
Emma groaned. “I knew it! I feel stuffed into this dress like a pork sausage.”
Lana just laughed because there was nothing that could be done about it. Emma would just have to come to grips with the fact that she was going to balloon and because she was short, she’d end up looking like a bowling ball by the time the baby arrived. But seeing as Emma was struggling with a few things regarding her pregnancy, Lana kept her observation to herself. “So who are these people you needed a buffer from?” she asked discretely.
Emma stopped fidgeting and leaned in to whisper, “Ugh. The other Buchanans. Vince’s first cousins. Sutton, Reece and Whitney. Apparently, they always spend part of their Christmas on the west coast and there’s an open invitation to stay here because Lord knows we have the room, right?”
“Yeah, I guess that makes sense. So why don’t you like them?”
Emma squirmed. “It’s not that I don’t like them…I just feel…I don’t know inadequate around them. They’re all highly educated, rich beyond belief, and I don’t think Whitney likes me very much.”
“Well, she seems to like Vince well enough,” Lana observed, arching her brow at how Whitney seemed draped on her sister’s husband. “You said they were first cousins, right?”
“Yeah,” Emma said darkly, adjusting her dress one last time. “But I get the feeling that there might’ve been some kissing going on with that cousin.”
“So gross.”
“Tell me about it,” Emma agreed in a low tone. “Which would explain why she doesn’t like me very much.”
“Well, what happened as kids doesn’t have any bearing on what’s happening as adults. Just remember that. Besides, he married you and you’re carrying his baby so hold your head up high and put that bitch in her place.”
Emma shot Lana an impressed look before saying, “You are feeling your oats lately. I like it. Even if it does throw me a little.”