Rocky said. “Did you notice how often she excused herself to go to the bathroom? Chloe mentioned that as one of her first symptoms. Having to pee a lot more.”
“Crossing into the too-much-information zone, Dash.”
“Did you notice how attentive Luke was?”
“He’s always affectionate with women.”
“In a playful way. This was different. The way he kept touching her and holding her hand. The way he looked at her. It was almost … protective.” She passed Jayce another plate then two cups. “You’re a PI. Half of your job is observing. How could you not notice?”
“I noticed.”
“Lastly—”
“Why would a dog like Luke commit to an exclusive relationship with a woman he barely knows?”
She raised a brow. “What are you, a mind reader?”
“A PI. I deduced your train of thought.”
She grinned. “Smart-ass.”
Jayce moved in behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle. “I think you’re jumping to conclusions, babe. Rae’s a knockout. Her face, her body.”
“Thanks for pointing that out.”
He spun her around and tugged on her braid. “Can’t compare to you in my book. But you have to admit, physically, she’s Luke’s type. Plus she’s sweet and motivated. Hard not to get swept up in her enthusiasm about kids and education.”
“Her plans for Sugar Tots are pretty impressive,” Rocky said.
“Considering her background and the fact that she’s worth a fortune, you also have to admit she’s down- to-earth.”
“Amazingly down-to-earth.”
“Maybe Luke’s serious about Rae because he’s seriously in love.”
“Luke’s been in love a million times. Ask him. He’ll tell you.”
“Maybe this is the real thing.”
“Or maybe he screwed up and got her pregnant and now he’s trying to do the right thing.”
“I guess we’ll find out. That’s not something you can hide forever.”
“True.” Just then Rocky’s cell rang. She glanced over to where she’d left it on the counter. “It’s Mom.”
“Calling to talk about the wedding, no doubt.” Jayce kissed her forehead. “Take it. I’ll finish loading the dishwasher.”
Rocky slid out of Jayce’s arms, giddy at the thought of chatting with her mom about girly bridal stuff. Totally out of character given Rocky had always been a bit of a tomboy, but she’d been in love with Jayce since she was a kid. And considering their rough road, this wedding was more than a dream come true. It was a miracle. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Is Jayce with you?”
Rocky scrunched her brow. “Standing right next to me. Why?”
“I have some troubling news sweetie. It’s about your daddy.”
TWENTY-ONE
Luke hadn’t realized how uptight he’d been about subjecting Rae to the Sunday family dinner until he was driving her back to the Pine and Periwinkle. “I’m almost afraid to ask,” he said. “But did you enjoy yourself?”
“I did. Your family’s lovely, Luke. I thought so before and now…” She rubbed her chest. “I don’t remember the last time I felt that happy. Great food, great company. Everyone went out of their way to make me feel welcome. Even Dev, who can be pretty intimidating.”
“Yeah, well…”
“Jayce is on the quiet side, but he’s sweet.”
Luke grunted. “Not sure he’d appreciate that description.”
“I’ve always been crazy about Daisy. She’s a hoot.”
“That’s one way of describing her.”
“Vince is so reserved in comparison. Yet they seem like the perfect couple. Very happy.”
“It’s a mystery. Vince is the exact opposite of my Grandpa Jessup, who I thought Daisy adored, but maybe not.”
“My mom adored all four of her husbands and they were all very different—personalitywise anyway. They were all as rich as God.”
“So she married for money.”
“Absolutely.”
“That’s one thing you’ll never have to do,” Luke said. “You’re set for life.”
“I wouldn’t marry for money even if I was dirt poor.”
Luke winced at her sharp tone. “I didn’t mean it like that.”
“Sorry. It’s just…”
She angled then and, even though the moonlight was muted by snow clouds, Luke got a pretty clear view of her troubled expression. “It’s just what?”
“When you first learned that I was an heiress, when you saw me over Christmas at Olivia and Geoffrey’s mansion, you assumed the worst. That I was a spoiled, conniving rich bitch.”
“I’ll cop to that and I apologize. I jumped to conclusions.”
“We haven’t talked about it, but is my bank account an issue with you?”
“I haven’t given that a lot of thought.” Or rather he tried not to think about it.
“Well, you should because, unless I give all or most of it away,
“That rich,
“Do you know how many relationships have fallen apart because the man resents the fact the woman makes more money than him?’
“You plan on flaunting your fortune in my face on a daily or weekly basis?
“Of course not.”
“I didn’t think so.” Driving into a snow flurry now, he flicked on the windshield wipers. “Anything else?”
“The media. Reporters. Photographers. I’m planning to use my association with Olivia—the Hollywood connection—along with my heiress status to create buzz around the Cupcake Lovers and their cause.”
“As a way of pushing the book deal forward. I know.”
“They can be a little intrusive,” she said. “The media, that is.”
“Are you preparing me for an invasion of paparazzi?”
“I’m not sure what to expect. Precisely. But it’s possible. I’m not keen on unwanted attention, but I can handle it. Can you?”
Was she testing him? Luke flexed his fingers on the wheel. “I guess we’ll find out.”
“It’s just … I’m thinking about the way you reacted when that college kid grabbed me. Punching a member of the paparazzi wouldn’t exactly advance my cause for the Cupcake Lovers.”
“If you think I’m going to stand by while someone, anyone, disrespects or God forbid threatens you, forget it.”
She surprised him with a smile. “Just promise me you’ll exercise some restraint.”
“I promise I’ll try.”
Her smile widened and Luke’s heart did a funny jerk. She was looking at him with something akin to hero worship. It made him feel good and wary at the same time. He kicked up the wipers as the snowfall intensified. Adjusted the defroster then blurted his mind. “Why are you attracted to me, Rae?” He’d never asked that question of any other woman. He’d never wondered. But this was Rae. Reagan Deveraux. Rich. Smart.
“There’s a shallow answer and a deep answer,” she said. “Which do you want?”
