His Hush-Hush Baby - Holly Rayner Page 0,37

smiled, but she didn’t feel completely at ease. Then again, it could be that very well had nothing to do with her mother or Brie.

It had been two days since she’d fled Kai’s place in the middle of the night, and she’d spent every moment since then feeling like crap.

“Here it is.” She stopped walking in front of her parents’ building.

Their timing was perfect. Her dad spotted them from the living room window and waved them in.

After quickly introducing Brie and her dad, Diane looked around the living room. “Where’s Mom?”

“Oh, she’s… Ah, there she is.”

Ruby slowly walked into the room, her eyes wide with surprise. Diane’s stomach knotted. She’d already explained to Brie some of the things to expect with the neurological disorder, and she couldn’t tell if she was nervous about a friend meeting her mom or if it was only the regular anxiety that came along with this life.

“Hi, Mom.” Diane held her breath. She never knew where Ruby’s mind would be at, but she still liked to greet her that way. It hastened up any explaining about relations that might be necessary.

“Hello.” Ruby cautiously looked from Diane to Brie.

“This is my friend, Brie.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Brie said.

Suddenly, Ruby smiled big and bright. “Oh, you too. How nice that you came to visit.”

Diane’s dad had already pulled his phone from his pocket and was frowning at it. “Sorry. I need to take this call. There’s chaos with the windows on Sixth Avenue.”

“It’s okay,” Diane said. “We’ll probably go for a walk. How does that sound, Mom?”

“Ooh, so nice. I’ll get my jacket.”

“You don’t need it.” Diane gently took her hand. “It’s warm outside. You’re dressed perfectly as you are.”

The three women headed out into the late afternoon, where the shadows stretched long across the sidewalk. They walked slowly, letting Ruby take her time.

Diane glanced over at Brie, wondering if she regretted coming along for this. Usually, when they hung out they went to bars or dinner.

She was running out of excuses for why she couldn’t go to bars. Once or twice, she’d considered telling Brie about the pregnancy, but she’d always come to her senses a moment later. Brie worked with Kai, and there was no knowing how deep that allegiance went.

“Oh, how pretty,” Ruby exclaimed. They’d stopped at the edge of a park, where a fountain gushed, children playing in sparkling streams of water.

“Want to sit awhile?” Diane suggested.

Ruby nodded eagerly, and they took a seat on a bench.

After a few minutes, Ruby grew bored of sitting still and moved closer to the water so she could feel it on her hands.

“Well?” Diane asked.

Brie smiled. “I like your mom. I don’t see why you were worried.”

“Today has been pretty tame so far.” Her throat tightened. “It’s when things upset her that’s so hard. When she can’t remember who my dad and I are. That can really do a number on her.”

“You as well, I’m sure.”

Diane shrugged. She didn’t want to complain about her lot in life.

“It’s harder on my dad,” she said. “The disease took away his partner. It turned him into a caregiver.”

“But it’s taken things from you, too,” Brie said without skipping a beat. “You’re young and healthy. There are so many things you could be doing if it weren’t for this.”

Diane’s insides burned like fire. She couldn’t look straight at the other woman. What Brie said was true, but Diane loved her mother and father. She could have left at any time, but she never had and she never would.

“What about you and Kai?” Brie raised her eyebrows. “What’s going on there?”

Diane stiffened. “What did he say?”

“He doesn’t say much, honestly. Typical man. But he is out of town for a few days, which isn’t like him at all. I figured it has something to do with you.”

Diane closed her eyes. “Probably.”

When she opened them, Brie was gazing at her patiently. Diane’s insides knotted. She felt guilty about not telling Brie about the emails. Since Brie worked at Kai’s company, his actions directly impacted her. But self-preservation was still important. She needed that money from Kai’s mural.

That was unless the other night changed that. Unless Kai would be firing her over her leaving him high and dry in the middle of the night.

“Let me guess,” Brie said. “You two tried to get back together, but it didn’t work out.”

“That pretty much hits the nail on the head.” Diane shook her head. “I just…I can’t do it right now.”

“Hm. Because of