No Turning Back (Breaking the Rules #4) - A.M. Madden Page 0,15
you, Damon. I appreciate that.”
Today marked one week in Florida… and God I loved being there.
It had nothing to do with the luxury hotel the guys had me staying at, or even the way they both made sure I was included in everything they did. It was the lifestyle, the weather, the way every day felt like a summer vacation.
Not all was perfect, though. I lost it on the guys when they presented me with a brand-new car with a big-ass red bow on top. That was not part of our terms. They claimed it was a welcoming gift, and a practical one because I needed a car to get to and from my appointments. They also reminded me that since my rent during the pregnancy was supposed to be on them, and I bought a condo instead, the money saved went toward the car. And if that wasn’t enough, they said my security deposit and the difference in price from what I had budgeted was also on them.
Needless to say, another argument ensued.
It was all too much, but Cooper sat me down and explained that to Ricky it was nothing in comparison to what I was giving them. Rebecca had also intervened, advising the more I fought with Ricky the more difficult he would get… and by difficult she meant the spending would become frivolous, reminding me of the giant pink stuffed animals he’d bought when her daughter was born. Not one giant robotic monstrosity, but two… a giraffe and an elephant that could be controlled through an app on Ricky’s phone. Imagining what horrible things he would send to me had me quickly backing off.
Regarding “operation surrogacy,” as Ricky liked to call it, the wheels were in motion. Dr. White, my new ob-gyn, had received my medical records from home, and my first consult with her was next week.
In the meantime, I waited to move into my new condo while enjoying being in Fort Lauderdale. Since the apartment was empty, once I’d been financially approved, I could move in anytime I wished. The arrival from Jersey of the truck holding all my stuff dictated my move-in date in one week.
Damon got me back into the place so I could take measurements and pictures. My furniture would suffice, but my apartment up north was much smaller, and I’d need to pick up some other pieces to fill the space.
“I can’t believe you’ve been here a week already,” Cooper said, before taking a bite of his salad. When Ricky had to meet Bella Viaggi as it docked at the port, Cooper and I decided to spend Saturday together. He joined me on a long run along the beach and was now feeding me the most delicious Asian salad I had ever tasted.
“I know. I feel like I’ve been here for months with all I got done.”
“What are your plans this weekend?” he asked innocently, yet my heartbeat spiked nonetheless.
Later that evening was my dinner with Ryder, and my benign response was an automatic “Nothing much.” I really hated lying to him.
“You want to come to Beck’s with us tomorrow? Nothing fancy, just a barbecue and relaxing by the pool.”
“Yeah, that sounds great.” The little voice in my head began chastising me. Hiding my plans with Ryder would make it appear more than it was. But telling him would start a discussion about my love life. I hadn’t realized I’d been staring at Cooper until he asked, “What?”
Deciding to come clean, I poked around my salad, avoiding eye contact and admitted, “Okay, I am doing something tonight. I’m meeting Ryder for a casual dinner.” The silence that followed forced my attention toward him. “I know what you’re going to say. He has a fiancée,” I blurted out, making myself look guiltier than I was. “Or she may be his wife by now.” That seemed to relax him a bit. “It’ll just be two friends catching up.”
Cooper placed his fork down and took my hand. “Sweetie, you don’t have to justify seeing Ryder to me. Or anyone else, for that matter. You’re gorgeous, and it’s inevitable you’ll catch a lot of attention… and you should revel in it.” The frown meant he had something else on his mind, and I had a feeling it had to do with me being his surrogate.
Needing to steer him off course, I teased, “I don’t exactly have men pounding on the door.”
“Not true… we know of one,” he muttered, but I heard him.