Alana picked up her mug and drained the rest of her coffee, which was now stone-cold and tasted like prune juice. Im hungry. Are you hungry? Cmon, Ill make you some breakfast, she said as she abruptly left the room.
Adrienne sighed deeply as she watched her sister depart, but in seconds she was right on her heels. She found her in the kitchen staring into the refrigerator. I already made some scones, all you have to do is make an omelet if you feel up to it, she said hopefully.
Sure, no problem. Are you eating meat these days or what?
If its smaller than me and cant get away, Ill devour it, whatever it is. Im gonna be as big as a house in a few weeks, Adrienne said as she rubbed her still-tiny belly.
Alana emerged from the refrigerator with eggs, cream, cheese, scallions, mushrooms and sausage. Can you get me a red pepper and that package of bacon, please?
Only if you talk to me, Adrienne said, but she opened the door to get the items. You cant shut me out because you know Ill wear you down.
Alana busied herself chopping and slicing and getting out the skillets. Her kitchen was large, orderly and well-stocked; it looked like a place where a person could get some serious cooking done. To forestall a spate of wheedling from her persistent sister, she began talking as she put the sausage on to brown.
Look, Adrienne, theres nothing to talk about, really. Nothing much has changed around here. Im still working hard and thats about it. If you want to talk about changes, Alexis is your girl. Shes the newlywed and the expectant mother. And youve got your own little bun in the oven. Isnt that enough of a change for you?
Adrienne reached for a piece of the bright red sweet pepper before answering. We can talk about me anytime. I want to know how youre doing. I know how hard the holidays are for you, thats why you always come out to California to stay with me, or you go to New York to stay with Aunt BeBe. But since were both here you wont be able to hide out like you usually do. Dont you think we should talk about that?
Alana cracked the eggs on the side of the glass bowl with amazing accuracy and a bit more force than normal. She poured in some cream and shook in salt, pepper and paprika before picking up the whisk and beating them into a fluffy froth.
It was true; Alana had a lot of difficulty with the holidays these days. Ever since her husband had died the week before Christmas, all she could think about at this time of year was losing the love of her life.
It was so unfair; it was so wrong that hed died so young. There were times when she knew deep in her soul that she was doomed to be alone forever. No one could ever take his place in her heart or her life and that was just the way it was going to be. Shed be a lonely widow for the rest of her life and spend all her time and money doting on the nieces and nephews she was sure to accumulate.
With three younger sisters and several sister-friends, she knew that shed be blessed with many children in her life one way or the other. Giving herself a sharp mental kick in the head, she forced herself to focus on the here and now and to stop being neurotic. Alana had no patience with weak and whiny people, and she wasnt about to turn into one herself, especially now.
She always pretended that everything was well in her world, but it was really hard to keep up the façade in the middle of all the celebrating. Her family was big on Christmas and she just didnt have it in her to celebrate anymore. It was easier to head for sunny California and hide out with Adrienne because her younger sister understood the situation better than anyone else. But this year Adrienne was here in Columbia and she had no reason to hide out in LA. Nor could she take refuge in New York with her mothers sister who was her other haven in the storm of emotions that arose every Christmas.
She did, however, have a way of deflecting her sisters interrogation by changing the subject to Adriennes situation, which she did.
Do you mind setting the table for us? These will be finished in about two minutes. And I think a much better topic for us to discuss is my future nephew that youre carrying. This is going to mean some big changes for you, Alana reminded her sister. Are you ready for this new life?
Adrienne smiled as she assembled the plates and silverware to lay out on the table. This wasnt what I thought was going to happen, thats for sure. But yes, Im ready. I have a new life inside me and since the original scenario didnt play out as planned, Ive switched to plan B and Im very cool with it.
Youre a better woman than I am, then. Because Id be lining up lawyers from here to Timbuktu, Alana said with a frown as she expertly flipped a plump, golden omelet and slid it onto the plate that Adrienne handed her. You agreed to be a surrogate mother to help out your friend Sierra and then she and her husband up and get divorced. Now neither one of them wants the baby and youre left holding the diaper bag. And youre okay with that?
Adrienne shrugged as she buttered a scone. I was remarkably naive and way too eager to play fairy godmother, no pun intended. But the baby didnt ask for any of this and I owe it to him to be a good, stable mother. And to be totally honest I was kinda getting baby fever anyway, she admitted. I was making goo-goo eyes at every baby I saw and dreaming about being pregnant night after night. My biological clock was going tick-tick-tick and despite the circumstances, Im quite happy about becoming a mom. It was obviously meant to be, she said calmly.
Alana raised her eyebrows and stared at Adrienne. She was sitting across the table in the sunny kitchen looking as though she didnt have a care in the world while she was carrying a baby that wasnt hers. Adrienne had always been the laid-back sister with the most open-minded outlook on life, but to be so accepting and cheerful in the midst of all this potential drama bordered on the unbelievable. Adrienne read her thoughts as usual and gave her a cheeky grin.
Dont try to understand me, just love me. Im very happy. I have a ton of money saved from the last two movies I did and I have full medical insurance. When my stuff gets here from LA, Im going to move into Alexiss house and gestate until my little boy is born. Ive got this, Sissie. Dont worry about me.
Alana sipped her second giant mug of coffee as she studied her sisters pretty face, which was completely serene. She was so absorbed in her examination that she almost missed Adriennes next words.
So thats enough deflection for the morning. Lets get back to you, she said, pointing at Alana with a piece of scone. You cant make your annual yuletide trip to see me in Cali since Im right here underfoot. You also cant hide out in New York with Aunt BeBe, because shes here, too. I think its a sign that you need to do something completely different this year. This is the year that you cleanse all the angst and regret from your soul and begin to live again. I suggest you start with that hot hunk Roland Casey. He really likes you, Sissie. I had a dream about you two last night and it revealed to me that hes your soul mate, she confided.
A giant spew of coffee across the table was Alanas response, followed by coughing and sputtering as she wiped her mouth with her cloth napkin and then began wiping up the spray of coffee.
Overreacting much? Adrienne smiled drolly. You know my dreams always come true, so I suggest you get ready for some happy holidays, Sis.
Overreacting much? Adrienne smiled drolly. You know my dreams always come true, so I suggest you get ready for some happy holidays, Sis.
Alanas reply was both profane and short, which only made Adrienne laugh. If youre not going to eat that, can I have the rest of it? Your nephew is hungry.
Shoving her plate towards her greedy sister, Alana finished wiping the table and got up for more coffee.
It would have been easy to ignore Adrienne, but she was right about one thing. Her dreams were often uncannily accurate and the fact that they had both dreamed about Roland could mean something that she wasnt ready to handle, not for Christmas, New Years or any other holiday.
* * *
Across town, Roland awoke in great spirits. Hed also had some stimulating dreams about Alana, but unlike her, he enjoyed every minute.
He stretched lazily in the bed and thought about the previous evenings activities with a smile on his face. After months of lusting in his heart for Alana Sharp Dumond hed made real progress with her at the reception. For once shed been open and receptive to him all night instead of being friendly but evasive.
Hed first laid eyes on her at an early-morning surprise birthday party for Alexis and shed been side-stepping him ever since. She was always friendly and pleasant when they were in a group, but whenever he asked her out, she had other plans.
Hed been on the verge of crossing her off his to-do list permanently until shed finally let her guard down. Once he got to hold her the way a man is supposed to hold a woman, shed melted into his arms and he knew that Alana wasnt indifferent to him. From her immediate reaction to his touch and especially his kiss, she was as interested in him as he was in her.
Throwing back the covers, he rose from the big bed in the loft apartment hed inherited from Jared after Jared and Alexis had moved into their spacious new house. Roland had liked the loft and the building that housed it so much that hed bought the whole thing after hed moved to Columbia. Real estate was a side venture of his and he never missed an opportunity for a lucrative deal. Since there was obviously going to be steady movement between Chicago and Columbia while he and the VanBurens expanded their restaurant empire, it made sense to own some living space in the city.
After his customary long stretches to limber up, Roland went to the bathroom to shower and shave, blithely ignoring his cell phone as he did so. He knew it was one or another of his sisters calling to bug him about when they would leave for Chicago and he needed a long shower and a large cup of coffee before dealing with them. He was driving the family home that day so they could celebrate the holidays with his grandparents, who hadnt made the trip down with them.
Turning on the water full blast, he stepped into the shower and cleared everything from his thoughts except Alana as he scrubbed his body under the hot spray.
She had everything he wanted in a woman; she was smart, she had a great personality and a good sense of humor. And as a bonus she was gorgeous. Hed be lying to himself if he didnt admit that he liked the way she looked, her beauty was a part of her as much as her intellect and ambition. There was something about Alana that drew him in like the song of a siren and he couldnt wait to explore that part of her more intimately.
Roland was spoiled by the women in his life, there was no doubting it. He was used to the ladies lining up to get with him, as egotistical as that may have seemed. Hed always been a good-looking guy as well as being a star athlete until a knee injury derailed his college career. But unlike many athletes, Roland didnt fall into depression and despair because he had always had a back-up plan to insure a steady income.
Besides the restaurant business, which was extremely profitable, Roland had a solid investment portfolio. His stepfather was CEO of an investment firm and hed taught Roland and his siblings the importance of financial stability and Roland had shown a real gift for funds management. He was a triple-threat as far as women were concerned; handsome, sexy and rich and he never lacked for female companionship.
Lately, though, hed been looking for something more substantial in his life. It had crept up on him gradually, this feeling that there was something more to life than wining, dining and bedding the beauty of the week. The feeling got more intense every time he was around Alana and he wanted to explore it to its fullest.
He turned off the shower and was about to leave the glassed-in stall when he heard a familiar voice calling to him from the living room.
Dont come out here naked, youve got company.
He jumped and then groaned loudly. It was his nosy sister Pamela. Hed made a mistake in giving his parents the keys to his loft since shed obviously appropriated them.
What have I told you about coming over when youre not invited, he yelled at her. Youre gonna get mistaken for a prowler and shot in the head if you dont watch yourself.
A chorus of giggles was all he heard as he went into the bedroom and dressed quickly in what he considered his driving clothes, a comfortable navy jogging suit that fitted his muscular body perfectly. The outfit looked fashionable and expensive. He carried his cashmere socks and his Italian driving moccasins into the living room and glared at Pam, who was in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee.
Why are you here? he asked irritably.
I came over to call shotgun, she said cheerfully. Unlike everyone else, I packed last night and Im ready to roll. You know how impatient I am. I cant stand being in the middle of a lot of last-minute scampering around. So I left. Where are your cups?
He grudgingly showed her the cupboard where they were stored and sat on a bar stool to don his footwear. Despite her proclivity for making mischief, Pamela was a very organized person who was always focused on her tasks, which explained why she was ready to go while the rest of the family was still making preparations to leave the hotel.
Pam put coffee in front of him along with a plate containing a warm bagel with cream cheese and lox that shed picked up on the way to the loft and he had to forgive her intrusion, especially when she offered to pack his bags for him. She traveled extensively in her job and she was the family pro when it came to putting a suitcase together. That didnt mean she would do it quietly, however.
So why didnt you ask Alana to come with us to Chicago? she asked. I know youre gonna miss her while youre gone.
Pamela, is there any chance that you could mind your own business for a change?
She looked thoughtful for a moment and shook her head. No, I dont think so. Its too out of character for me. I like knowing whats going on in everyones lives. Thats why Im a reporter, duh.
Zipping his garment bag closed, she dusted her hands together and announced that she was finished. We can stop by Alanas to say good-bye before we go to the hotel, she said with a dimpled grin. Then you can lay another hot kiss on her before you disappear. That way shell be longing for you to come back and you can pick up where you left off.
For one wild hot second, Roland thought about doing just that, but reason took over. There was no way in hell he was going to try to cop a few greedy kisses with his notoriously big-mouthed baby sister at his elbow with her handy smartphone. He would have been more than happy to grab Alana and kiss her senseless because she had the most tantalizing lips hed ever tasted, but he wanted privacy. The concept of privacy was totally foreign to Pam.