Before We Kiss (Fool's Gold #14)

Simon was on his feet in an instant. He took Caramel from Montana and passed her to Fayrene, then looked at Ryan. “We’ll need to borrow a couple of towels, please. Montana, look at me. How long have you been having contractions?”


His wife shrugged. “A few hours. They were pretty minor so I thought we’d have time. They just got stronger.”

“Then we’re going to the hospital.”

Ryan returned with an armful of towels. Simon wrapped one around Montana’s middle, then guided her back into the kitchen and toward the front door.

“I’m so sorry about the mess,” Montana called over her shoulder. “And for missing dinner. I’m sure it would have been delicious.”

Then they were gone.

Fayrene stared at the mucky puddle. Whatever it was, it wasn’t water, she thought and turned away.

“I’ll get the hose,” Ryan said.

She nodded and carried Caramel inside. Once she put down the little dog, she walked over to the sofa and sat down. So much for a romantic evening, she thought glumly. At this rate, she was never going to get her proposal.

* * *

SAM WATCHED DELLINA pull up the zipper on her skirt. She tucked in her blouse, then reached for a brush.

“I’m so late,” she told him. “And it’s all your fault.”

They’d spent the night together and when her alarm had gone off that morning, he’d silenced it before pulling her into his arms. Now they were both running behind, although his morning was a lot less pressing than hers. He didn’t have clients to attend to.

“Want me to apologize?” he asked, tucking his hands behind his head and watching her pull her hair back into a ponytail. She put on earrings, then disappeared into her closet to dig for shoes.

“No.” She reappeared with navy pumps in her hands and a smile on her lips. “I had a good time.”

“Me, too.”

He always did. She was easy to be with. His recent conversations with Jack and Taryn had made him wonder if he was making a mistake. If he should break things off with Dellina before they got too serious. He’d come over the previous evening to discuss that with her. But somehow going out to dinner and then staying with her had made more sense.

They enjoyed each other’s company. They had fun together. Nothing about that was bad. He knew how to keep his feelings at a distance. As for Dellina, she knew his past and understood the rules. She wouldn’t push him. He believed that. So why not enjoy what they had.

“I have to go,” she said as she hurried to the bed. She kissed his mouth, then straightened. “I’m so late.”

“I’ll call you later,” he told her.

“I’ll answer.”

With that, she was gone.

He got up and took a shower, then dressed. He would head to his place to shave before going into the office. He walked toward the back of the house. Before he left, he wanted to make sure the back door was locked. He’d just stepped into the kitchen when the front door opened and someone yelled.

“It’s me. Are you here?”

Fayrene, he thought, recognizing the voice.

“Dellina’s already gone,” he said as he secured the lock, then moved toward the living room. “She had an early appointment.”

Fayrene stood by the front door, her little dog in her arms. She looked tired.

“Is something wrong?” he asked before he could stop himself.

“Yes. No.” She dropped onto the sofa. “The usual. Ryan and I had another couple over for dinner last night. I thought it would help him see we need to get married. But things didn’t go as I planned. Her water broke and, let me tell you, that’s a lot grosser than I ever thought.”

Sam glanced at the door and thought about bolting. This wasn’t his area of expertise. Yet even as he inched toward freedom, he realized that he knew exactly what she was doing wrong. His mother would be so proud.

He took a seat across from Fayrene.

“This has to stop,” he told her. “Put on your big-girl panties and tell Ryan what you want.”

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t.”

“You won’t. There’s a difference. If you’re not prepared to ask for what you want from a man who loves you very much, then you’re not ready for marriage. It’s a full-time commitment. It requires everything you have, and being honest about how you feel is the cornerstone to success. If you can’t be honest about this, what else won’t you be able to talk about?”

Fayrene’s eyes filled with tears. “That’s really harsh.”

“It’s really the truth. Ryan is doing what you asked. He didn’t want to wait, but he is. That is a good quality in a man. Now you’re playing some twisted game, trying to get him to violate his own code of ethics. Because you believe if he really loved you, he could read your mind. Well, he can’t. No one can. If you don’t get smart pretty soon, you’re going to lose the man you want to marry.”

Fayrene’s mouth dropped open.

Sam waited a second. When she didn’t say anything, he rose. “Good luck,” he told her, then walked out of the house.

* * *

SHELBY GILMORE STARED at the two men in front of her.

“I don’t understand,” she admitted.