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Emma’s eyes watered. “Because you’re not handling it. You’re slowly withering like a flower left too long without water. I want my sister back.”
Emma’s tears defused Lana’s anger. There as no way she could remain pissed off when she knew her sister had her best interests at heart, even if it was incredibly intrusive and annoying. “I don’t think I’m ready to talk to a therapist,” she said quietly. “But when I am, I will let you know.”
Emma knew that was the best that she was going to get and nodded. “Okay,” she said, adding, “But I can’t promise that I won’t try to talk you into it. However, I’ll make you a deal… I’ll promise to keep my mouth shut about therapy if you promise to come with us for Christmas.”
“You been around the Buchanans too long…that’s not a deal — that’s like extortion.”
Emma smiled. “No, it’s sisterly love. Are you in? Just think about it…skiing, hot chocolate, beautiful snowy mountains, or, foggy misty beaches…your choice!”
Lana knew that look on her sister’s face. She wouldn’t give up and until she had succeeded in getting what she wanted. But Lana would rather chew off her own foot then spend Christmas with the Buchanans. However, in order to buy time, she reluctantly agreed until she could find a way out of it. “All right, I’ll give you a maybe, but in the meantime you have to zip it about Malvagio and everything that happened there. Okay?”
Emma nodded. “That’s doable. Now can we talk about things that aren’t so gloomy?”
Lana breathed a sigh of relief. “Yes, let’s by all means change the subject. So aside from this beautiful — incredibly large — wreath what else do I owe this visit?”
“Well,” Emma’s eyes sparkled, “I wanted you to be the first one to know — I’m pregnant!”
Lana stared at her sister, struggling to process Emma’s news for a brief moment. “Are you sure?” she asked, once she found her voice again.
“Well, yeah, I mean I haven’t been to the doctor yet. But I took three of those over-the-counter tests and they all said positive so that’s a pretty good indication that something’s going on in there right?”
Lana nodded. “I would think so. You haven’t told Vince?”
She shook her head. “I’m a little nervous. I mean, we’ve been trying for months but I don’t know, it’s kind of scary now that it’s here.”
Lana could only imagine. “Well, are you happy about it?”
“Of course I’m happy! I’m just, well, I don’t know, maybe it’s the hormones, but I’m a little nervous about what pregnancy and all that means. I mean what if I get really fat?”
Lana shrugged. “Then you buy bigger clothes. Are you worried that Vince won’t be attracted to you anymore? Because if that’s the case I can pretty much tell you your fear is unwarranted. That guy is crazy about you. Almost stalker crazy. What is with those Buchanans and their women? Nolan and Dillon seem the same with their wives.”
The dreamy expression on Emma’s face made Lana want to gag a bit but it was a little sweet, too.
“He is not a stalker,” Emma snorted. Then laughed. “Okay, maybe a little bit. Did I tell you that he just had security cameras installed all over the house? He got freaked out when there was a burglary two streets over and now he’s talking about installing a panic room.”
“Whoa, that seems a little extreme.”
“Yes, I told him that too but he seems very concerned about safety these days. Oh God, I just thought of something…he’s going to go nuts about this whole safety thing once I tell him I’m pregnant. Maybe I should wait until after Christmas to tell him. I don’t want him hovering over me every second.”
Lana laughed. “Well if you choose to keep it a secret. I won’t tell anyone. But I think you should tell the father of your baby. He is the father right?” She teased.
Emma glared with mock indignation. “Of course it’s his child! The man doesn’t give me a moments peace. Even if I had half a mind to sneak around, I don’t even know how I would manage it.”
Yuck. Lana did not like to think about Emma and Vince knocking boots — all the time. But she supposed that’s what newlyweds did so she tried to ignore the ick factor. “Well congratulations. I’m really happy for you.”
Emma smiled. “Thank you Lana. Are you ready to be the best auntie for your future niece or nephew?”
A genuine smile found Lana’s lips. “Absolutely. I think I was born to be the best auntie.”
Emma and Lana hugged and then after hanging up that monstrosity of a wreath, Emma went on her way leaving Lana to think about a whole set of new things to crowd her brain with. Emma was pregnant. She supposed it was inevitable and she was truly happy for her. But there was a teeny, tiny part of her that was jealous. Why had Emma been able to get past what’d happened to her when Lana seemed stuck? It didn’t seem fair but as Lana had learned the very brutal lesson, life wasn’t fair and she should stop expecting it to be.
-2-
Laird settled in his chair and propped his feet on the desk, earning a frown from Vince Buchanan, his best friend, and at this moment, the biggest pain in his ass.
“You are the most whipped son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever known,” Laird drawled, leaning back in the chair with a frustrated sigh. “Does your little wifey keep your balls in her Louis Vuitton handbag?”
“Watch yourself. I can still kick your ass — even without my balls,” Vince quipped darkly, causing Laird to laugh. The threat coming from the old Vince — pre-marriage — would’ve sobered Laird quickly but this guy? Hell, he was like a neutered dog. It was sad, really. Vince ignored Laird’s petulance and continued, “It’s time to sell Malvagio. I told Emma I would do it months ago and that hasn’t happened yet so it’s time to make good on my promise.”
Laird untucked his feet to lean forward. “And why exactly must you sell? I’m a little hazy on the reason. Oh, wait, it’s because you’re whipped. Got it. The Vince I remember would’ve laughed his ass off at the very idea of being led around by a woman.”
Vince smiled. “Yeah, well the old Vince was an asshole with very little understanding of what’s truly important in life. Besides, surely, you can understand why owning Malvagio creates a strain on my marriage. Both my wife and her sister were hurt there. Frankly, I don’t have the same attachment to the place that I used to after that.”
Laird ignored the pinch at the mention of Lana — for crying out loud, he couldn’t escape the woman — and barreled forward, saying, “Two admittedly bad incidents happened but think of all the great times we’ve had in that place. Remember the twin redheads? Jesus, Vince, it was the first time I’d ever heard you cry uncle. Your stamina was legendary in certain circles.” A slow smile curved the corner of Vince’s mouth, indicating he did, indeed, remember those twin ladies with their voracious sexual appetite, but he said little else and Laird shook his head in feigned sadness. “End of an era, that’s what this is and a damn shame. So, if you’re so hot to sell, are you saying you have a buyer?”
“No, but you know it’ll sell as soon as we open up the channels. Hell, Parker has been dying to buy Malvagio since the day we opened. He’d mortgage his entire inheritance if it meant he could control the club. Not that I’d ever sell to him.”
“Of course not. One has to have standards,” Laird agreed. “The man is too eager, like a little puppy who can’t be trusted not to piss in the foyer at the first sign of excitement.”
“Exactly. I’m looking for a particular buyer, someone with a sense of integrity.”
Laird laughed outright at that. “Really? Integrity? Are you kidding me? Aiming a bit high and contradictive, don’t you think? You’re selling a sex club. Let’s be real.”
“All the more reason that the buyer have a sense of what is fair and what is intolerable. I don’t want another repeat of what happened to Lana and Emma.”
“Of course not,” Laird said quickly. “No one does. It’s bad publicity.”
“Not only for that reason,” he sa
id with a glower that surprised Laird and made him a shift a little. “You could use a little help in the compassion department.”
“Says the man who has done far worse in his lifetime and has only just recently found his soul, right?” Laird snorted. “Forgive me if I choke on your bullshit.”
Vince remained silent for a beat then asked, “Have you considered dropping by to see Lana lately?”
Yes, a million times. Talk about intolerable. “Why would I do that?” he shot back with a forced nonchalance. “Does she need babysitting again?”
“You spent far more time with her than necessary. I thought, maybe…”
“Maybe what? That I was starting to sprout feelings for the broken bird? Not hardly. Unlike you, my soul is way past redemption and I am happy to remain an insufferable womanizer. Besides, Lana is more responsibility than I can stomach on a regular basis.” He paused for a heartbeat, then asked, “Out of curiosity, why do you ask? She okay?”
“Yeah, sure. As okay as she’s going to get I suppose being broken and all that.”
“Well, don’t say it like that. It’s not as if she’s defective or something,” Laird contradicted until he caught himself and laughed. “Listen to me, I almost sound as if I care — which I don’t. Never mind, don’t answer. The less I know, the better.”
“And why is that?”
“Because she complicated my life in a way that was wholly unwelcome. I actually started to think…” he forced a laugh at the idea. “Anyway, just glad I’m off babysitting duty.”
