A Baby Between Friends Read online

  They pretended to be lovers.

  But there’s nothing make-believe about the baby on the way.

  When Joni Danielson recruits her best friend, Sweet Briar mayor Lex Devlin, to be her fake boyfriend for a wedding, it’s a no-brainer. But their staged kisses lead to real passion—and heartbreak when Lex pulls away. Now Joni’s in a bigger bind: she’s pregnant. Can she and Lex once again fake it till they make it—to a real relationship?

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Despite being prepared to hear the words, his heart still stuttered when she actually said them. Joni was pregnant. They’d made a child together. Conflicting emotions battered him on every side.

  “Say something.” Joni’s voice reeked of desperation, a sound he’d never wanted to hear from her.

  “I don’t know what to say.”

  He remembered every blissful second of their night together. It had been one of the best nights of his life. And it had cost him the most important relationship in his life. Though Lex had tried to put things back the way they’d been the morning after he and Joni had made love by apologizing and suggesting they pretend that nothing had happened, it hadn’t worked. The easy comfort they’d shared was gone. He was trying to become her friend again, but she wasn’t interested.

  Now that she was pregnant there was no way they could pretend that night hadn’t happened and go back to being best friends. Unfortunately he didn’t know what kind of relationship they could have in the future.

  The child would always be proof that for at least one night they’d been lovers.

  * * *

  SWEET BRIAR SWEETHEARTS:

  There’s something about Sweet Briar...

  Dear Reader,

  Have you ever met people who you knew belonged together? A couple so perfect that you could almost see the love connecting them? That’s exactly how I felt about Joni Danielson and Lex Devlin, the heroine and hero of the latest book in my Sweet Briar Sweethearts series. I knew from the first time I saw them together in How to Steal the Lawman’s Heart that they would be perfect together. They were good friends and fit together like puzzle pieces. Everything between them was so easy. So relaxed. When it came time to tell their story, I wanted them to look into each other’s eyes and declare their love.

  But where’s the fun in that? Sure, I wanted Joni and Lex to live happily ever after, but first they and their relationship had to be tested. Although they knew each other quite well, there were things they didn’t know about each other or themselves. Things they would never know if the path of their relationship was too smooth. So I gave them some trouble. The road was rocky for a while, but when they finally reached their happily-ever-after, they were able to know their love had been tested and they were stronger for it.

  I love hearing from my readers. Please feel free to visit my website, kathydouglassbooks.com, and drop me a note. While you’re there, sign up for my newsletter. That way I’ll be able to keep in touch with you.

  I’m also on Facebook at Author Kathy Douglass. Stop by and say hi. Or if you prefer Twitter, I’m there, too, @kathydouglass7.

  Best wishes and happy reading!

  Kathy

  A Baby Between Friends

  Kathy Douglass

  Kathy Douglass came by her love of reading naturally—both of her parents were readers. She would finish one book and pick up another. Then she attended law school and traded romances for legal opinions.

  After the birth of her two children, her love of reading turned into a love of writing. Kathy now spends her days writing the small-town contemporary novels she enjoys reading.

  Books by Kathy Douglass

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Sweet Briar Sweethearts

  How to Steal the Lawman’s Heart

  The Waitress’s Secret

  The Rancher and the City Girl

  Winning Charlotte Back

  The Rancher’s Return

  A Baby Between Friends

  Furever Yours

  The City Girl’s Homecoming

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  This book is dedicated to the following people:

  Laurita and Marc, who read every book.

  My editor, Charles Griemsman, who worked

  very hard to help make this book shine.

  My husband and sons,

  whose love and support sustain me.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Excerpt from Rust Creek Falls Cinderella by Melissa Senate

  Excerpt from Love and the Laws of Motion by Amanda Weaver

  Chapter One

  How can you hate your best friend? Joni Danielson had pondered that question more times than she could count, and she still hadn’t found a satisfactory answer. Nor had she discovered a way to rid herself of the negative feeling that had tormented her for the past six weeks. As she looked across the city hall conference room at Mayor Alexander Devlin III, her former friend, she was filled with anger and disappointment. And, truthfully, hate. And it hurt her heart. After five years of being best friends, she didn’t want to hate him. But she didn’t know how to stop.

  For the past month and a half, she’d avoided being anyplace she thought he might show up. Since she knew him so well, she’d been successful most of the time. Once or twice she’d walked into Mabel’s Diner and seen him there eating lunch and talking with people who came up to his table, but for the most part she’d steered clear of him. But some things, like this early-morning meeting with the city council and department heads, couldn’t be avoided. Since she was director of the youth center in Sweet Briar, her presence was required.

  Councilwoman Alana Kane swept into the room in a cloud of perfume that had Joni gagging. Despite the fact that it was seven thirty in the morning, the other woman’s makeup was flawless, and there wasn’t a hair out of place. Her earrings and necklace matched the diamond ankle bracelet on her left leg. She barely glanced at Joni as she strode across the room on four-inch heels. The smile she couldn’t manage for Joni or any of the other people gathered in the room miraculously materialized when she reached Lex’s side.

  “Could she be any more transparent?”

  Joni turned at the sound of Denise Harper’s voice and met her eyes. Mrs. Harper was Lex’s secretary, a position she’d held for several mayors before Lex. Joni considered the other woman a friend. “Only to us. You know men love getting all of a woman’s attention, even if that woman is actually a snake in disguise.”

  “I thought Lex was smarter than that.”

  Joni frowned and, despite her determination not to, glanced over at Lex for a second, then back at Mrs. Harper. “He’s not any more special than any other guy.”

  Mrs. Harper raised her eyebrows but otherwise didn’t reply.

  “Okay, it looks like everyone is here, so let’s get this meeting started,” Lex said. It seemed as if he sidestepped Alana, but that could be the way it appeared from Joni’s perspective. And the smile on Al ana’s face never wavered as Joni imagined it would had she been ignored.

  Joni headed for a chair near the foot of the table, but she was too slow, and one of the councilmembers beat her to it. Everyone else had taken a seat, and the only available chair was at Lex’s right hand. In the past, she’d always sat there, so perhaps the other attendees were being courteous. Stifling a sigh, Joni took her seat and busied herself by searching for a pen in her purse.

  Lex waited until everyone had taken a Danish or doughnut and topped up their coffee before calling the meeting to order. He glanced over at Joni, who held his gaze before she looked away. She recognized the question in his eyes, but she didn’t understand why it was there. He knew what he’d done.

  Lex picked up a typed sheet of paper. “Let’s start with the first item on our agenda, the fall festival and dance.”

  These were new events that Lex had mentioned to Joni at breakfast months ago, back when they’d been best friends who’d spent endless hours together tossing ideas back and forth. Back before the incident that had changed everything.

  They’d attended the wedding of one of her sorority sisters and pretended to be in love so Joni could save face in front of her cheating ex-fiancé and his wife, also one of Joni’s sorority sisters. The plan had worked well until things got out of hand. She forced her mind away from that night. Besides, it wasn’t that night that had ruined everything between them. Truth be told, the night she’d spent in Lex’s arms had been the best of her life.

  It was Lex’s apology and remorse the next morning that had made remaining friends impossible. He’d gone on for ten minutes about how sorry he was, completely unaware of the joy that was seeping from her soul only to be replaced by regret and shame. And then anger had come. The shame and regret hadn’t lasted long, but the anger and later hatred had grown stronger every day. At the time, she’d waited until he’d finally stopped saying they’d made a mistake, then gathered her clothes and gone into the bathroom where she’d showered and dressed in record time. Thankfully they’d been in a hotel in Chicago and not at home in Sweet Briar, North Carolina, where everyone would know what had transpired. At least no one would ever know how Lex had slept with her and then rejected her, saying they should pretend the whole night had never happened.

  Joni forced the memory away and tuned back in to the meeting. And not a second too soon. That witch Alana was saying that since the dance would take place at the youth center, some of the money to pay for it should come from the youth center’s budget. Joni held her tongue and her temper until the other woman finished speaking. Then Joni smiled and looked around at the other six councilmembers and the chief of police, Trent Knight, who was also in attendance. Finally she looked at Lex. “I’d like to address that if I might.”

  Lex nodded. “Go ahead.”

  “This is a function that will benefit the entire town, not just the youth, so it shouldn’t come from our budget.”

  “The true focus is the kids, Jocelyn,” Alana said snootily, using Joni’s given name as opposed to her preferred nickname, a combination of her first and middle names. “The location is proof of that.”

  Joni managed to not roll her eyes. It was no secret that Alana wanted the dance to be held at a hotel in Charlotte that her brother managed. Charlotte was two hours away and holding the dance there would defeat the entire purpose. The fall festival was going to be a week-long promotional event where townspeople would try to convince vacationers that Sweet Briar was more than a beach town and summer destination. The plan was to let visitors see that Sweet Briar had plenty to offer all year round. The homecoming dance, which would be held a week after the festival, was meant to bring the town together for a good time after a week of hard but hopefully fruitful work.

  Joni met and held Alana’s gaze, speaking slowly and firmly. “It’s for the families of Sweet Briar. The youth center is the logical choice because it has the most space.”

  “Regardless, if you’re going to insist the dance take place at the center, the money should come from your budget. After all, the cost of security will be coming from the police budget.”

  “I see.”

  Alana nodded smugly. “I’m glad you agree.”

  “I don’t agree. In fact, I think rather than charging the youth center, we should charge the city for use of our facility. After all, it will cost us in electricity and water usage. And of course janitorial. I’ll call around to see what hotel and banquet halls charge to host similar functions and then send the city a bill.”

  Alana sputtered, and Joni managed not to smirk.

  “The dance benefits the entire city, so it will come from our general budget,” Lex said, putting an end to the matter. Not that Joni would have minded going a few more rounds with the other woman. The youth center did good work, and Joni would fight ferociously to protect every cent of her budget.

  Alana frowned at Joni, then turned her attention back to Lex. She fluttered her obviously fake eyelashes. “I don’t agree. Perhaps you’ll give me a chance to change your mind later.”

  “There’s no changing my mind. The decision is made. Now let’s move on to the next matter.”

  They discussed other items on the agenda. Joni contributed where necessary, but otherwise she was more than happy to sit back and listen as others debated. Finally the meeting ended, and people began gathering their belongings. Most of the councilmembers had other jobs to get to, so they didn’t linger after the meeting had been adjourned.

  Not wanting to be alone with Lex, who was stacking his notes, Joni jumped to her feet and immediately felt nauseous and dizzy. She grabbed the back of the chair to steady herself. She’d overslept this morning and hadn’t had time for even a quick breakfast. The pastries hadn’t appealed to her, so she’d contented herself with a mug of coffee. That appeared to have been a mistake.

  “Are you okay?”

  Despite telling herself that she hated him, the unmistakable concern in Lex’s voice had her biting back the caustic words gnawing at her insides. Being angry wasn’t rational. She and Lex had both been willing participants that night. The fact that he’d had regrets the morning after didn’t make him a bad person. Knowing that didn’t lessen her anger, though. Emotions didn’t listen to reason.

  “I’m fine.” She inhaled deeply and got a whiff of his enticing male scent. Lex’s family had made their fortune in cosmetics and colognes, so naturally he always smelled good. She forced herself to stand up straight. “I missed breakfast. Once I eat something I’ll be fine.”

  “Maybe you just need a little bit of sugar.” He grabbed a jelly doughnut and offered it to her. She took one look, and her stomach lurched in rebellion. That greasy lump of dough oozing purple goo was the last thing she needed.

  “No thanks. I’ll get something decent at the diner.” Truthfully the thought of food made her queasy, but not eating didn’t seem to be doing her any favors, either.

  “I’ll drive you.”

  “That’s not necessary. I have my car.”

  She started to walk away, but he placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her progress. Her skin tingled where he touched her, and she stepped away. She needed to find her way back to the place where his touch didn’t arouse longing in her. Back to where she’d been before they’d slept together.

  “I don’t mind taking you,” he said. “I didn’t eat, either. Maybe we can have breakfast together like we used to.”

  “I’m not staying. I’m calling in my order and taking it to go. I need to get to work.”

  Lex blew out a breath. Although his strong back was just as erect and his muscular shoulders were just as square as before, he seemed to sag. “Are you ever going to forgive me? I know I was wrong, and I’ll apologize again if it makes a difference. I’m so sorry for what happened that night. I didn’t mean to lose control like that. I miss our friendship. I miss hanging out together. I miss you.”