Читать книгу Secret Millionaire For The Surrogate - DONNA ALWARD, Donna Alward - Страница 11

Summer sun beat down on Drew Brimicombe’s head. It had been cool up the mountain, where he’d spent most of the afternoon in an alpine meadow overlooking a turquoise lake. No matter where he traveled, there was something about the Canadian Rockies that beckoned to him and made him feel at home. He’d been here half a dozen times over the past five years, mostly skiing, but now it was different. His brother, Dan, was here, and he was looking forward to some bro time.

And checking out real estate. That was his true reason for the impromptu trip—a tip from a contact about a real estate opportunity. He was always looking at expansion, and this might be his chance to open an Aspen Outfitter store north of the border. He couldn’t think of a better opportunity than in the heart of the Rockies. And when one store opened, he was sure others would follow, making his brand North America-wide.

The townsite of Banff was hotter than he’d expected, though, considering how it was nestled smack in the middle of the mountains. He had on his sunglasses but not the standard ball cap he usually wore, and he could feel the heat soak into his scalp. Today had been a light hike, so he’d worn jeans, a T-shirt and a pair of lovingly broken-in boots. Water, a small digital camera, and some trail mix had been in his day pack, but he’d stayed to the marked trail and not ventured into backcountry. Not today. He’d just arrived and had chosen the easy hike to blow off the dust and claustrophobia of travel. Now he’d stop in at Dan and Adele’s and let them know he’d arrived before heading to his hotel.

The house was tucked into a little side street, with a simple sign boasting Hawthorne Weddings out front. Adele’s business was planning weddings, and one of her clients had been a good friend of Dan’s, causing them to meet again after she’d broken his heart years earlier. No one had been more shocked than Drew when Dan had announced they were getting married, but Drew had come to the wedding and it had been clear to see that they still adored each other. Enough that Dan had uprooted his life as CFO of his company and moved here to be with her. Drew shook his head as he climbed the steps to the second floor of the house where Adele and Dan lived. He couldn’t imagine doing anything like that. Settling down wasn’t even on his radar, let alone leaving everything he’d worked for behind. He’d watched his dad give up dreams and aspirations for marriage and family, and he’d seen the unhappiness in his eyes.

Not that Drew didn’t like Adele. He did. And Dan could make his own choices and he seemed to be happy. It just wasn’t for Drew. He liked his freedom far too much.

His knock was answered by Adele, whose face lit up when she saw him. “Drew! What on earth are you doing here?”

He grinned. “Surprise trip. Are you surprised?”

“Very.” But she smiled back at him. “Dan’s going to flip. He was just talking about you last night. Come on in where it’s air conditioned and I’ll get you something to drink.”

He stepped inside and heard another female voice. “Who is it, Del?”

He remembered that voice, sweet and musical. Harper. The maid of honour at the wedding. He’d turned on the charm a little, but she’d made it clear that she wasn’t the type for a casual fling so he’d behaved himself.

“A surprise guest,” Adele answered as Drew took off his boots. He went into the living room area in his sock feet and saw Harper seated in a plush chair, legs folded beneath her yoga-style, her hair pulled up in a pert ponytail. It highlighted her face and the light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. Beautiful, he thought, but with a definite girl-next-door vibe. He much preferred her natural looks to a lot of makeup and just the right clothes. And shoes. Why women put so much emphasis on shoes, he could never figure out.

“Harper,” he said warmly, stepping forward and holding out his hand. “Good to see you again.”

She looked surprised at the handshake but put her hand into his anyway. “You, too.” She blinked and met his eyes. “They didn’t know you were coming?”

He laughed, then pulled his hand away from her soft, cool fingers. “I didn’t even know I was coming. I decided yesterday to take some time off and visit, but I didn’t want to call unless it didn’t work out on short notice.” He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to say about a possible land deal. For now it was a bit hush-hush. Besides, he didn’t want it to seem like he was bragging—that wasn’t his style. So he left it and merely shrugged.

“Oh.”

He got the sense she didn’t quite approve of his spur-of-the-moment plans, so he added, “I booked a room at the Cascade. No need for Adele and Dan to be inconvenienced by my impulses.”

“The Cascade, in high season? How’d you manage to get a room?” Her eyebrows shot up.

He laughed. “I lucked out. There was a cancellation.”

Her face relaxed a bit and Adele came back from the kitchen with a couple of beers and a glass of lemonade, which she gave to Harper.

“You don’t like beer?” he asked, taking the bottle from Adele and twisting off the cap. “Nothing like it on a scorcher of a day like today.”

Her gaze flicked to Adele and then back. “Um, I don’t really drink,” she answered, then hid behind her glass as she sipped. “Besides, lemonade is perfect.”

He took a seat and chatted to Adele for a few minutes, catching up, but in the back of his brain he remembered the wedding and the fact that Harper had indulged in more than one glass of champagne.

Something felt off.

“So what brings you to Banff? It can’t only be a visit with Dan.”

He smiled at his new sister-in-law, thinking of a way to divert the conversation. “To see you, too, you know. You’re a package deal now. How are the newlyweds?”

Adele’s smile was huge, and her gaze flicked to Harper for a moment before shifting back to him. “Oh, we’re wonderful. Dan likes his new job a lot, and I’m...” Her smile was radiant. “Well, I’m blissfully happy.”

“I’m glad.”

“You didn’t answer my question, though. What else brings you here?”

He considered for a moment and decided to be honest but downplay his interest. “I’m thinking about opening a store up here, and doing a little recon.”

“And you can spend some time with your brother at the same time,” Harper added softly.

He met her gaze, felt the jolt right to his toes. She was so pretty. So...artless. At the wedding weekend he’d learned she was a photographer. He remembered seeing her photos and realizing they were as simple and stunning as she was.

“Family’s important,” he said simply. “I haven’t seen mine as much as I might have wanted to over the past few years.”

“Dan says you two have always been close.”

Harper had been smiling at him, but he dragged his gaze away to look at Adele again. “I’m the baby of the family, but I was the first to leave the Brimicombe family fold. I’d like to be around more, you know?” And look for opportunities. He was always keeping his eyes open. Being sharp was what kept him at the top of his game.

He turned his gaze to Harper. “What about you, Harper? Do you have any brothers or sisters?” Their wedding banter hadn’t covered much in the way of personal subjects.

She smiled a little and shook her head. “An only child, I’m afraid. My parents live in Caicos.”

“Caicos? Wow. What’s in Caicos?”

She grinned. “An air charter service. My dad’s a pilot.”

“It’s a beautiful island.”

“You’ve been?”

He nodded. He’d traveled extensively and didn’t have any plans of stopping. Stay in one place too long and he got itchy feet. Luckily, Aspen Outfitters had done well and he could indulge his wanderlust.

Adele’s cell rang and she excused herself, leaving Drew and Harper alone. He looked over at her and wondered what was different. Granted, at the wedding she’d been dressed in lovely clothes with her hair and makeup done to perfection, understated but incredibly lovely. Now she was in shorts and a T-shirt with her hair in a simple reddish-brown tail. It was more than what she was wearing, though. There was something about her that drew him in and her skin glowed like she was lit from the inside. And it wasn’t the summer heat. The air-conditioning made sure of that.

“You look good,” he said, then realized how awful that must sound. “I mean, well.”

She laughed a little. “Thanks. I think. I’ve been busy, but trying to take a little time off for me. It’s wedding season, though. I’m booked every weekend from now until Thanksgiving.”

“No summer vacations for you then, huh.”

“Not really. Weddings really take up an entire weekend, with the rehearsal on the Friday and sometimes a family event on the day following the ceremony. And sometimes couples want engagement pictures, or have an engagement party, bridal shower...”

“They hire photographers for that?”

She waggled her delicate brows a little. “If there’s money? Oh, yeah.”

“Do you only do weddings?”

She unfolded her legs. “No. I mean, I do things like special occasions, engagement parties, graduations, anniversaries, that sort of thing. I even had a few gigs as prom photographer for a few different schools.”

He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. “It doesn’t leave a lot of time for your nature stuff, does it?”

She shook her head, the tips of her ponytail touching her shoulders. “Not as much as I’d like. I try to get out of the studio a few times a week and take landscapes and candids.”

“Like your mama and cubs photo.”

She smiled then, a genuine, happy smile that lit up her eyes. “You remember that piece.”

“Of course I do. How you got such clarity with the sun coming up and the little bit of mist on the grass... I don’t know how you did it.”

She took a sip of her lemonade, then nodded. “The scenery here is so beautiful, and I like experimenting with different filters and lenses. I sell some of my prints, but it’s not enough to make a living and pay the rent on the studio. Weddings help me keep the lights on. But that means I don’t have as much time as I’d like to explore the other stuff.”

Her eyes lit up when she talked about her work. He could relate. There was nothing he enjoyed more than setting up a new store from the ground up. “But as you said, weddings are on weekends. Surely you have time during the week? More than a day or two?”

She laughed, a sound as light as sunbeams. “You mean when I’m not looking after the business side of things, and editing photos? You wouldn’t believe how long editing takes.”

“I never thought of that.”

She smiled. “I try to get out as much as I can, but lately I...”

Her words trailed off and her eyes widened, as if she’d been caught saying something she shouldn’t.

“Lately what?”

Her cheeks flushed. “Oh, it’s nothing. So you’re looking at opening a new store. That sounds exciting.”

It was a deliberate evasion and he knew it, but he wasn’t going to push for information she didn’t want to give. She was a relative stranger, after all, and Adele’s best friend. There was no need to be rude or prying. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if her glow and now her evasion had anything to do with a new relationship. It shouldn’t matter, because she’d already made her feelings clear. But it did. What kind of man could capture the heart of a woman like her? He’d have to be someone special. Drew had definitely gotten the impression that Harper wasn’t the type to settle for just anyone.

“It is,” he replied, taking a sip of his beer. “Aspen Outfitters would fit in well here, I think, with tourists and locals alike. It’s a good market. Besides, I love building a new store. I like the challenge.” It certainly beat sitting behind a desk or in a boardroom. With growth came responsibility. He accepted it, but sometimes it weighed a bit heavily.

Adele came back in, bringing a bowl of pita chips and a dish of dip. She put them down on the coffee table. “I’m assuming you’re staying for dinner, but I thought you might like a snack for now.”

“God, your homemade hummus is to die for,” Harper said, leaning forward to grab a chip and scoop it through the smooth dip.

“I laid off the garlic, too. I know it’s...”

She didn’t finish her sentence.

Drew helped himself. Harper was right. The hummus was delicious, and he wasn’t a huge fan normally. “You don’t like garlic?” he asked, before popping another chip in his mouth.

“Oh, I like it. It just doesn’t like me right now.”

He frowned a little. Why would there be a change? Not that it was a big deal. It was hummus, for Pete’s sake. But that was the second time one of them had stopped midsentence. He wondered if he’d interrupted something important. Something that was none of his business. He considered leaving, but then knew it would look odd if he left without at least seeing his brother.

They made small talk for a little while, until the door opened and closed again and Dan called out hello.

“We’re in here!” Adele called back.

“We?”

Dan stepped into the room and Drew grinned at the look of sheer surprise on his face. He got up and gave his brother a bear hug and received one in return.

Dan clapped him on the back. “What the hell?” He laughed, stepping back. “We weren’t expecting you!”

“I know. And I don’t have any desire to disturb the newlyweds’ love nest. I’m at a hotel.”

“Don’t be silly. Of course you can stay here.”

Drew laughed. “Yeah, well, thanks, but I’m comfortable where I am. You guys deserve your privacy.”

That Dan didn’t argue further, and Adele blushed a little, told Drew all he needed to know. The hotel had definitely been the right—and most considerate—choice.

“You’re staying for dinner, though, right?”

“Sure.”

Dan finally noticed Harper. “Oh, and of course you’re staying, too, right?”

“Oh.” She looked surprised and slightly uncomfortable. “I should probably get back.”

“To what? The workday’s over. Stay,” Adele insisted. “I’m going to grill some chicken and make risotto. I’ve got falafel I can make for you, unless you want something else.”

Right. Drew remembered now from sitting next to her at the wedding. Harper was vegetarian.

“No, no, whatever you have is fine. You know I love falafel. Particularly if you have tzatziki from the market.”

“It’s settled, then.”

“Let me help you in the kitchen,” Harper offered, getting up from her chair. When she did, she pressed her hand to her back and stretched.

Once they were gone, Dan undid his tie and took it off, stuffing it in his pocket. He sank into a chair and sighed, then grinned. “It’s good to see you, Drew.”

“You, too. You guys look really happy. I’m glad.”

“We are. Very.”

Adele snuck in and handed Dan a cold beer, kissed his head and took off again.

“Did you really just come for a visit? It’s unusual for you.”

Drew shook his head. “As much as I’d be brother of the year if I said yes, I do have another agenda. Our last few stores are up and running smoothly, and I’m looking at expansion locations again. I got a tip about a property here. But I’m not saying much about it. I’m scouting things out.” Of the family, Dan was the only one who knew how successful Drew had become. And they’d talked about keeping it under the radar, even with the family. Drew preferred to keep his life private, particularly his bank balance. Enough people treated him differently. He didn’t need it from his family, too.

“You’re looking at setting up a store here.” Dan’s grin was wide. “Cool.”

“It’s a prime location. I’m here to check out the local competition and see the property. Maybe some other locations if it’s not what I’m looking for.” He smiled. “And the fact that you’re here is a major bonus. We haven’t seen each other enough over the last five years.”

Dan took a long pull of his beer. “You could have stayed here. I mean it.”

“And disturb the newlywed love nest? No thanks. It’s as much for my sake as it is for yours.” He chuckled and took a drink of his beer, as well. “By the way, is Harper here a lot? I was surprised to find her here when I arrived.”

Dan got a strange look on his face. “Oh, she’s around quite a bit I suppose.”

Drew put down his beer. That made at least four odd looks and a couple of halted conversations. Something was definitely off.

“Okay, I might be totally crazy, but is there something going on? You looked funny just now, and a couple of times Adele and Harper stopped midsentence. Am I missing something?” He frowned. “And if it’s none of my business, say so.”

Dan hesitated. “Well...it’s not that it’s none of your business, it’s that we haven’t said anything to anyone yet.”

“About what?”

Dan took a drink of his beer. “Well, you know that Delly can’t have kids.”

“Y-es,” he replied, drawing the word out a bit.

“So when I asked her to marry me, we talked about possibilities. Maybe adoption. Maybe not having children at all, which would have been fine. But at the wedding, Harper told us that she wanted to offer to be a surrogate for us.”

Drew’s gaze snapped to the kitchen door. He could hear Adele and Harper talking. A surrogate? He’d heard of such a thing but had never met anyone who’d actually done it. “So you’re going to do it? But...how? I mean... I’m assuming you’re...you know, and are you using her...” He started to stammer. “Okay, so this is actually really awkward.”

Dan chuckled. “I know. It was for me at first, too. Adele had some testing done and we decided to try using her eggs. Normally this can be a bit of a long road, but we lucked out on the first try.” His smile widened.

Drew stared for a minute as what his brother had just said sank in. We lucked out on the first try. “Does that mean... God, Dan, are you saying you’re going to be a father?”

He nodded. “And Delly’s going to be a mom, and Harper is carrying our baby for us.”

Drew flopped back against the cushion of the chair. “Holy mackerel. I did not see that coming. That was fast.”

“We haven’t told anyone yet, not even Mom and Dad. She’s still in the first trimester, and we want to be sure everything is okay. But since you’re here...” He leaned forward, resting his hands on his knees. “I’ve been dying to tell someone, you know?” His grin broadened.

It made sense now. The whole garlic-doesn’t-agree-with-me thing and the strange looks and truncated sentences. Drew rubbed a hand over his face and wondered what kind of woman offered to carry a child for a friend. What a huge commitment. What a generous thing. He hadn’t realized that Harper and Adele were so close. What the heck was she getting out of it? He didn’t consider himself a cynic, but he’d done enough business to know that hardly anyone did anything 100 percent altruistically.

“You okay, bro?” Dan lifted an eyebrow. “You look a little freaked out.”

“I’m just surprised. You’ve only been married since March.”

“We didn’t want to wait. If it didn’t work, we knew it could take time to adopt. I’m telling you, Harper is one in a million. Adele has gone to every appointment so far and soon we get to hear the heartbeat. That’s our baby in there, you see? Adele’s and mine. We’ll never be able to repay Harper for this.”

Harper stepped into the living room, her face easy and unconcerned. “Does anyone want another drink?”

Drew got to his feet, his emotions in a bit of a storm as he tried to adjust to the news without being an awkward ass. “Uh, I can get it. You don’t need to wait on me.”

She smiled softly. “Suit yourself, then. Beer’s in the fridge.”

He glanced quickly at her abdomen, then back up, his face heating. Harper didn’t seem to notice anything and, with a flip of her ponytail, was gone back to the kitchen again.

His brain was a muddle, but he did manage to have one coherent thought as he followed her into the kitchen.

Harper is carrying my brother’s baby.