* * *

Nick was sated, but uneasy. He didn’t know what to make of the Beth that had been waiting for him when he came home. He had been prepared to shower her with compliments and make love to her until her toes curled. In his experience, both of those things solved most of his problems with women. He had also stopped at a jewelry store on the way home and bought her a diamond heart pendant just in case the first two things failed to get the desired response. The jewelry box was still in his briefcase because he had been so baffled since arriving home that he truly hadn’t remembered it until just now.

Instead of the silent treatment or angry words that he had been expecting, Beth had been sweet and almost loving. He had never seen her act quite like this around him. Their relationship had been built on white-hot sex and the general enjoyment of each other’s company. When she walked into a room, he wanted to rip her clothes off and despite her self-esteem issues, she gave her body to him completely and without inhibitions. He was tender with her because he genuinely cared about her and he would never want to hurt her.

When she had been so uncharacteristically affectionate earlier, it had almost rendered him speechless. He had tried to escape to the shower to regroup but then she had insisted on following him there and talking about buying a house together. He had almost fallen in the shower at her sudden change of heart. Of course, he couldn’t complain about what happened next. Beth’s beautiful mouth could literally bring him to his knees. He never took pleasure without giving it in return. It was something he prided himself in. He had been shocked when she had pulled away for the first time. She was a constant surprise to him. He had stayed off balance since the moment they met. Just when he thought he had her figured out, she changed just like the wind. He was coming to discover that if he lived a thousand lifetimes, he would never see all of the sides of Beth.

They had loaded the coffee table in the living room with the Chinese food that Beth had ordered. They had taken turns feeding each other with their chopsticks and laughing when more ended up in their laps than in their mouths. Afterward he had settled back onto the couch and pulled her into his arms. He had stroked her already changing stomach softly and marveled at the feelings that coursed through him as he imagined his children already growing inside her. About that time, he had had the urge to run like hell. His heart had started racing and he could feel sweat beading on his forehead. Luckily, Beth couldn’t see his face and he focused on keeping his hands steady so that she wouldn’t feel them shaking. He worked on slowing his breathing and warding off what was probably the first panic attack that he had ever had.

He was grateful when Beth yawned and he was able to encourage her to go to bed. She insisted that he accompany her and soon they were settled on their sides with her spooned against him. His hand once again rested against her stomach and he felt the stirrings of panic return.

Everything was becoming so real. There really had been no time to think about the repercussions until now. In typical fashion, he had been running full steam ahead since finding out about the pregnancy. He handled stress by making plans, which worked well in business. Now he was faced with the reality of the week ahead. He would meet Beth’s parents, who would probably think he was a sleaze for getting their daughter pregnant. He would also tell his own parents, which would earn him a lecture from his father about keeping it in his pants. His mother would probably be thrilled and be buying the babies tiny leather pants.

Why the panic now? Things were going better than expected and Beth seemed to be coming around—so what was the problem all of a sudden? Had he offered her more than he could give? No! He refused to believe that he was one of those people who would try to avoid their responsibilities. These were his children for God’s sake and he would be there for them. He would be the kind of father that he was lucky enough to have. He might not have the loving relationship with Beth that his parents had together, but he and Beth could make a good life together with their children. People did it every day. So what if they weren’t in love? They cared about each other and had great sex, more than a lot of married couples have. He would do his best to give his children the parents that he had grown up with. Taking another deep breath, he pulled Beth closer and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter Eighteen

Oh, shit, they were coming down the walkway together! Beth looked out the window in Suzy’s foyer and saw her parents walking alongside another couple that she assumed were Gray and Nick’s parents. She felt butterflies in her stomach as she realized the time of reckoning was close. Despite all her protests, Suzy was still determined that Beth should announce her pregnancy while the parents were here tonight. Nick thought it was a good idea as well. He told her that his parents would be thrilled. She wished that she could say the same about hers.

Gray and Nick came over to her looking unruffled and relaxed. Nick put his hand on the small of her back, offering her a quiet show of support. Suzy flung open the door before the bell rang and she put on her best game face. Her mother and father walked stiffly into the foyer followed by the Merimons.

Beth could see why Suzy liked Gray’s mother so much. She was probably a carbon copy of what Suzy would be like in twenty years. They both had the same sense of style and flair. Suzy greeted their own parents with a simple, “Mom, Dad, good to see you.” She then turned to Gray’s parents and hugged them both with obvious affection. “John and Vicky, I would like for you to meet our parents, Linda and Harris Denton. Mom, Dad, these are Gray and Nick’s parents, John and Victoria Merimon.”

Her parents extended their hands for a formal handshake from the Merimons. Gray stepped forward next and made the introductions of Nick and himself to Beth and Suzy’s parents. Suzy then pulled Beth forward to stand in front of John and Vicky, saying, “I don’t believe you have met my sister.”

Vicky stepped forward and engulfed Beth into a hug, just as she had Suzy, and John gave her a warm kiss on the cheek. “Beth, we have heard so much about you. It’s great to finally meet you in person.” Then, turning to Beth’s parents, Vicky added, “You must be so proud to have these two lovely young women as daughters.” Other than another tight smile, Beth’s parents didn’t comment on Vicky’s statement. All too soon, Beth moved to stand in front of her parents.

Instead of a warm hug from them, her mother asked, “Have there been any new developments in your job search, Beth?”

Why did she always feel like a small child when talking with her parents? She flushed when she noticed all eyes in the room were on her. “Um . . . no. Mom, I’m really not looking for a teaching job right now. I’m enjoying my work at Danvers with Suzy.”

Her mother wrinkled her nose in confusion. “Beth, you have a teaching degree. Why would you want to be your sister’s secretary? You should at least take this time to continue your education and possibly get your credentials to teach at a higher level. Your goal should be a position where you could achieve academic tenure.”

Beth saw Suzy grimace over her mother’s shoulder and mouth, “WTF.” She was extremely grateful when Suzy followed that by saying loudly, “Dinnertime.”

Grateful for the distraction, Beth gave her mother a tight smile and turned to follow her sister to the dining room. Nick leaned down to whisper in her ear, “Damn, you weren’t kidding about them were you?”

She nudged him with her elbow, muttering, “Be quiet before they hear you. This can only get worse. Try to stay off their radar or you’ll be next.”

Gray pulled out a chair for Suzy beside him and then took the seat at the head of the table. Beth and Nick took the seats beside Suzy and their parents. Beth knew that the only thing worse than sitting next to her mother was sitting across from her.

Gray and Suzy had hired a catering company to prepare the meal. The table was laden with smoked turkey and ham, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and golden rolls. Beth felt her stomach rumble in appreciation; she didn’t often have meals like this outside of Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Nick’s mother clapped her hands in delight. “This looks great, I’m starving. Did you two cook this on your own?”

Suzy snorted. “You know me better than that. Your son may be talented in the kitchen, but that’s about as far as it goes here. He did make dessert though and I licked the bowl afterward.”

Beth braced as she saw her mother shaking her head before adding, “Suzanna has never been a cook so I hope you aren’t marrying her expecting that, Grayson. She has always had a whimsical nature as is evidenced by her choice of professions.” Beth could see her father nodding his agreement. Her mother might be the more vocal of the two, but her father always agreed with whatever she said.

Gray studied Beth and Suzy’s parents and seemed to choose his words carefully. “I don’t mind if Suzy never cooks a meal. She gives her heart to everything she does and that is what I love about her.” He clasped Suzy’s hand in his own and brushed a kiss on her knuckles.

“Aw, thanks, baby,” Suzy cooed. Clearly trying to change the subject, she looked at Gray’s mother and asked, “So, Vicky, how was your trip to Italy?” Gray’s mother took charge of the conversation, telling everyone about their recent anniversary trip.

Beth was grateful to have a few moments of reprieve from further conversation with her parents. Nick reached under the table and rubbed her leg soothingly as if sensing her turmoil. They had barely made it through the first part of dinner and already she wanted to run and hide. It was starting to seem like a really terrible idea to tell everyone about her pregnancy tonight, but she knew Suzy was hoping for the distraction. She, however, didn’t think there was any possible way to intentionally make herself a target for more undivided attention. A phone call or a text seemed like a much better way to let them know. All too soon, Vicky was finished telling about their trip, and Beth’s father took advantage of the silence to make further, awkward conversation.

“Suzanna, do you and Grayson plan to continue living here after you are married?”

Gray spoke up for both of them. “Please call me Gray, Mr. Denton, and yes, we do intend to make this our home, at least for now.”

Beth’s father frowned and she could see the wheels turning in his mind. “Gray, you do realize the risks of living this close to the ocean, don’t you?” Without giving Gray time to answer, he continued. “The risks of everyday flooding will continue to increase as global warming pushes the sea levels to rise. This whole area could be underwater in the not-so-distant future.”

“Dad—” Suzy tried to interject.

“Suzanna, you need to hear this. I know you don’t like to think about world events, but the location of your home is very important and this one is a time bomb. You must also think about the biggest risk factor here: hurricanes.”

“Myrtle Beach doesn’t have many hurricanes,” Gray’s father offered helpfully.

Not to be deterred, her father leaned forward in his chair and presented his case. “This area does have an active hurricane history. All the way back in 1899, a hurricane called the Halloween Storm made landfall on the North Carolina and South Carolina border, causing extensive damage. Then, in 1906, a severe hurricane hit Myrtle Beach washing away homes and hotels. There were other glancing blows, but Hurricane Hazel in 1954 was one of the most memorable. It made landfall at the highest lunar tide of the year, making it that much worse. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 came ashore as a category four hurricane with up to a twenty-foot storm surge. Imagine living here under those conditions. It’s just a matter of time before another catastrophic hurricane such as Hazel and Hugo occurs.”

When her father paused to take a breath, Beth blurted out, “I’m pregnant with twins and Nick is the father.” She knew she had picked a bad moment to make the announcement when Nick choked a sip of iced tea. She reached over to pat him on the back as he tried to take a breath. She risked a quick look around the table and saw everyone’s eyes once again on her. Suzy looked grateful, Gray looked surprised but amused, and both sets of parents seemed to be in a state of shock.

Finally, Suzy jumped up from the table and grabbed Gray’s hand. “I think this calls for a celebration. Gray and I will get dessert and a bottle of champagne to celebrate.” She dragged a surprised Gray out of the room with her, and Beth had a feeling that they would both be sampling the champagne before bringing it back to the table.

* * *

“I thought they had decided against telling the parents about the pregnancy tonight?” Gray asked in confusion.

Pulling a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator, Suzy said, “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth. This probably saved our ass.” She handed the bottle to Gray and begged, “Please open this now. I need at least two glasses before I go back in there.”