The Baby Pact (Babies and Billions #5) - Holly Rayner Page 0,54

me?”

“Of course.”

“Then that’s fine,” she said.

“Hey, Rhea,” Jeff called out over Zach’s shoulder.

“Who is that?” Rhea asked.

“It’s just Jeff,” Zach said. “He should be dicing onions, but he’s getting in my face instead.”

“I’d go dice those onions if I were you, Jeff,” Rhea said.

Jeff laughed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“He listens to you and not me,” Zach said. “Maybe you should come to work with me and be my sous chef.”

“Right. Then who would run Green Destiny? Tomas and Gregory can’t handle this place on their own.”

“That’s true,” Zach said. “How did the doctor’s appointment go?”

“It went well,” she said. “Everything’s going perfectly.”

“I wish I could have been there,” Zach said.

“You’ll come next time,” she said. “Not a big deal. There will be plenty of these.”

Zach knew she was right. And he had had the opportunity to accompany her on a doctor’s appointment since they’d returned from their Icelandic vacation. But he was so happy to be reunited with her that he found himself wanting to do everything he could with her. Unfortunately, there had been no getting out of his work obligations today. They were preparing for a wedding, and the bride had insisted upon a full tasting before the event.

“Anyway,” Rhea said, “I was just calling to confirm that we’re staying at your place tonight.”

“That’s what I was planning on,” Zach said.

“Good,” Rhea said. “I’m not going back to work today, so if it’s all the same to you, I’ll just go ahead over there and wait for you.”

“That’s fine,” Zach said. It was more than fine. He always enjoyed coming home to Rhea. “You still have the key I gave you, right?”

“Of course I do,” she said.

“I’ll probably be another couple of hours here, but I’ll try to get off early.”

“Good.” She hesitated. “There’s something I want to talk to you about when you get home.”

He frowned. That sounded serious. “What kind of thing?”

“We’ll talk about it later,” she said. “I don’t want to distract you while you’re working.”

“But everything’s okay with the baby?”

“Oh, yes, everything’s fine,” she said. “It’s nothing to do with that. The baby’s healthy, and so am I.”

“All right,” he said. “I’ll see you at home, then.”

He wiped his hands on a towel and ended the call.

Jeff was watching him. He’d clearly heard the whole thing.

“Do you want to dip out of here early?” he asked.

“I can finish up,” Zach said. “I’m sure there’s nothing to worry about.”

“No, really, you should go,” Jeff said. “You’re not going to be able to keep your mind on things. I know I wouldn’t, knowing that something stressful was waiting for me at home.”

“I’m sure nothing’s wrong,” Zach insisted.

“Do you think she’s going to break up with you?”

“I wasn’t!” Zach said. “Why would you say that?”

“I’m not trying to freak you out,” Jeff said. “I just know that you guys have had your problems in the past.”

“Well, maybe you should just stay out of it,” Zach advised.

Jeff raised his hands. “All right,” he said. “You’re right. It’s none of my business.”

“Are those onions chopped yet?”

“Not yet.”

“Well, get on it.”

Jeff mock saluted. “Yes, sir,” he said, and turned toward the cutting board.

Zach sighed and punched down the bread dough. He was sure Jeff was wrong. He and Rhea had been getting along better than they ever had lately. Since they’d come home from Iceland, Zach had finally felt as if the two of them were settling into a routine.

But what if I’m wrong?

What if she had realized that she’d made a mistake by taking him back?

Suddenly, he was too anxious to remain in the kitchen.

“Make sure everything gets packed up in the refrigerator for the tasting tomorrow,” he told Jeff.

Jeff nodded. “You got it,” he said. “I hope everything goes well at home.”

Zach took off his apron, hung it on its peg, and hurried out of the kitchen.

Rhea was sitting on the couch in the living room with a wine glass full of orange juice when Zach got home. She looked up in surprise and set her glass down.

“I wasn’t expecting you back for hours yet,” she said.

“Why are you drinking orange juice from a wine glass?” he asked.

“I don’t know. It makes me feel fancy.” She shrugged. “Is everything okay at work? Why are you home so early?”

“Work’s fine,” he said. “I was just worried about you.”

She sighed. “I knew I shouldn’t have given you a heads-up that I wanted to talk. There really isn’t anything to worry about.”

“What did you want to talk about?” Zach asked, not feeling particularly