My Best Friend's Baby by Lisa Plumley Read Free Book Online Page B

every
time—"
    "Thanks, Mr. Encouragement."
    "You're welcome. Anyway, three strikes now,
and you've never been this upset before. What's so special about
this time?"
    "You don't want to come with me, Nick?" They
reached his motorcycle and Chloe whirled to face him. "Is that what
this is all about? You've got better things to do, I'll bet. Like
work yourself to death, maybe, or—"
    "Hold on—"
    She flashed him a belligerent look. "You
know it's true. Admit it."
    "Like hell, I will!" She sounded just like
the rest of his family—every one of them proponents of shorter
workdays, less ambition, and family, family, family, regardless of
the cost.
    She jutted her chin forward. "Have it your
way. Live in denial. Live alone! It's none of my business."
    "Aww, Chloe. Not you, too."
    She shrugged. "I'm your friend, not your ...
whatever." Her voice cracked. "You don't owe me anything. Not even
an explanation for why you don't want to bring me down to the bank
anymore."
    "Wait a minute. I never said I wouldn't
bring you down to the bank anymore." Chick logic . He'd never
understand it. "Where did that come from?"
    Her eyes welled up with—he'd swear
it—honest-to-God tears. That's how Nick knew it was a trick. Chloe
never cried, especially not at advantageous moments like this one.
But he still felt like hell anyway.
    "Aww, come on. Just because I don't want to
turn into Joe Family Man like every other Steadman doesn't mean I
won't help you out when you need it."
    "I don't need it."
    "Fine."
    "Fine." She sniffed and held out her arms
for her helmet.
    Nick handed her the purple metallic one she
used, feeling vaguely as though he'd been outmaneuvered. He
couldn't pinpoint why ... until he remembered what they'd been
talking about before.
    "Anyway, what's so important about this
one particular loan application ?"
    She stopped midway through putting on her
helmet. With trembling hands, she slowly pulled it the rest of the
way over her head. Buying time to think up another sidetracking
tactic, he'd bet. What was her secret ?
    When her face came into view again, she was
grinning.
    "Like a dog with a bone, aren't you?"
    "Ruff."
    "Ha, ha." Chloe hitched up her skirt and
straddled his motorcycle, something he'd probably seen her do a
million times—but never to this effect. Suddenly the early-April
sunshine took on a searing, dizzying quality.
    "Am I driving, or you?" she asked, blinking
up at him just as calmly as though most of her thighs weren't bared
for the whole wide world to see. Didn't she realize what a sight
like that could do to a guy who wasn't her best platonic
male friend?
    "I'm driving," Nick gritted out.
    "Okay." Chloe unbuttoned her suit jacket and
shrugged it off her shoulders. For real this time. Her bare skin
gleamed in the reflected glare from his bike's hot chrome.
    Her bare skin.
    Nick thought he might pass out.
    Then she tugged off her jacket the rest of
the way, revealing the skintight, nude-toned top she had on beneath
it. His breath left him in a whoosh.
    Think science thoughts , he commanded
himself. Chloe smiled up at him, just as though she'd guessed what
he'd been thinking before ... and wanted him to know she
approved.
    No, that was nuts. She'd probably be
appalled, Nick told himself as he watched her slide innocently from
the back of his bike and wait for him to get on. He had to quit
thinking of her this way.
    "Look, you're being irrational." He hoped it
wasn't contagious. Trying to look serious, he tucked his chin into
his shoulder so he could glimpse her behind him. "What's the big
deal with your loan, all of a sudden? What's going on ?"
    Her arms sagged around his middle, then
tightened. She sighed. He waited a second, then realized Chloe
still wasn't going to tell him.
    Damn. Foiled again.
    "Well," she finally said. "As of this
morning, I'm pretty sure I'm pregnant. Do you think that's it?"
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    "Pregnant?"
    "You can stop saying that now, Nick." Chloe
whipped off her helmet and