The Billionaire's Best Friend(47)

Get a grip. Lauren bolted to her feet and hugged Callie as everyone else offered their congratulations.

“I’m only fourteen weeks, but I had an ultrasound last week, and the heartbeat looked strong.”

Discussion of a new baby slowed only long enough for the waiter to take everyone’s entree order then it went right back.

“I hope you don’t mind diapers because I cannot see Dylan changing one. Jake, yes, Dylan, not in a million years,” Charlie said, moving the conversation away from how Callie felt.

“She’s got a point. I’m not sure he knows what a diaper even looks like. Jake and Christopher could handle diaper duty, but Dylan . . .” Sara shook her head, her voice trailing off. “He’s going to need some help.”

Lauren agreed. If Dylan managed to change a diaper without assistance the world would probably end. Regardless, even if he didn’t, he’d make a wonderful father. What about Kevin? What kind of a father would he make? The thought rushed in, even though she’d promised herself not to think about him again till tomorrow.

If they married, children would follow. In many ways, Kevin was like Dylan. Yet while she saw Dylan struggling with certain aspects of parenthood like dirty diapers and midnight feedings, she pictured him very involved in his son’s or daughter’s life. His and Callie’s children would not only have the best money could offer, but they’d have the love and attention of both parents. Could the same be said about Kevin? If he viewed marriage as a business contract, how did he view parenthood?

Nate would be an excellent father. The thought forced aside her questions about Kevin. He may not be able to provide the same monetary security, but he’d love and protect them like no other.

“What do you think, Lauren? Can Dylan handle diaper duty?” Callie asked, humor in her voice.

Lauren’s eyes snapped up to meet Callie’s, and the look she got from her friend said it all. Callie knew exactly where her thoughts had gone. “You’ll drill it into him, chickie.” She forced humor into her voice. “I’ve seen you teach fifth graders to write multi-paragraph essays. If you can handle that, you can teach Dylan anything. He’ll be an expert diaper changer in no time.”





Chapter 10



Other than her time with Callie and her family in Greenwich, Lauren had kept herself isolated from everyone since Kevin’s proposal. She hadn’t even visited her new niece. It had to stop. She needed to make a decision so she could get on with her life. However, while marriage to Kevin seemed ideal one moment, the very next it struck her as what could be the biggest mistake of her life. Of course when it did that, thoughts of Nate were involved, which triggered a whole other set of emotions. So, until she sorted everything out, she planned to keep her distance from anyone who might guess something was up. Only Callie knew the situation, and Lauren wanted it kept that way. If too many people got involved, she’d be bombarded with opinions, only making her decision more muddled and difficult.

“What do you think, JoJo?” She stretched out her legs alongside the dog on the couch. “Should we check out the evening news or watch last night’s Do You Have What It Takes?” The dog rolled over and buried her head between the pillows.

Lauren switched on the TV. “The news it is.” Grabbing the nail polish on the end table, she half watched as she applied a new coat to her fingernails and waited for her frozen dinner to heat in the microwave.

“Although details are still coming in, we do know that one FBI agent is dead and another is in critical condition after a routine interview turned deadly this afternoon.”

The nail polish slipped from her hand and landed on her jeans at the news anchor’s announcement.

“Officials have not released any names pending notification of the families, but we do know that both agents work out of the FBI office in Boston. The shooting took place in a home located in Chelsea this afternoon. There is no word on who they were interviewing at the time. We will provide you with more information once it becomes available.” The news anchor looked over at her co-anchor, who launched into the next big story of the night.

Agent dead. Another in critical condition. The words repeated over and over. Her heart jumped from her chest to her throat as she sat frozen, the light pink nail polish dripping all over her jeans. Nate. She needed to know he was okay. Ignoring the mess, she raced into the kitchen where her cell phone sat on the counter, and punched in Nate’s cell number which she’d saved in her phone after he had called her. The phone rang several times before switching over to his voice mail. She left a short “call me” message then dialed his parents’ number. Like her first phone call, it rang numerous times before Mrs. Callahan’s voice clicked on and told her to leave a message.