Truth be told, she was probably also looking for someone who’d understand, who’d believe she hadn’t meant for anything like that to happen. She’d felt exactly as Lorelei did—a married man was simply off-limits. But somehow Drew had worked his way through her defenses. She still wasn’t sure how.
“What, you’ve never done anything you regret?” she asked Lorelei. She couldn’t keep the accusing tone from her voice, although she knew she was the one in the wrong, that Lorelei had every right to think the worst.
“Nothing like that,” Lorelei responded.
“Your situation is vastly different from mine. Your husband is probably the only man you see on a daily basis.” It was a weak defense, something she’d already pointed out, but it was the best she could muster.
“I wish you’d quit painting me as being so insulated and out of touch with the rest of the world. I have neighbors, male friends and associates. I could find someone to...to—” she checked her daughter to see if she was paying attention before finishing with a euphemistic “—be with if I wanted to.”
No doubt Lorelei assumed Reagan had been having sex with Drew on a regular basis. But they’d only been together—like that—once. A week ago they’d been working late when the feelings they had for each other had somehow boiled over.
Reagan had been devastated afterward. She’d worked from home the next few days, so she wouldn’t have to see him before leaving on this trip. Because she cared about Drew, because she wanted him more than anyone she’d ever known, she knew she had to stay away until she could overcome her emotions or it would only happen again.
“Except that you’re deeply in love with your husband. Why would you want to?” she asked Lorelei. “You’ve told me how wonderful Mark is. Not all of us are as lucky as you.”
“Yeah, I’m lucky, all right,” she snapped. “About as lucky as Drew’s wife.”
Reagan felt her eyebrows jerk together. “What are you talking about?”
She pinched the bridge of her nose before dropping her hand. “Nothing.”
“Tell me,” Reagan insisted.
Lorelei twisted around to look at her daughter again. “I can’t. Not right now.”
“What, Mommy?” Lucy said.
She faced front. “Nothing, honey.”
Reagan studied her new sister as much as driving through this terrible weather would allow. “Is something going on between the two of you?”
She nodded.
“Since when?”
“Two weeks, six days and—” she screwed up her face as though struggling to get the timing correct “—three hours ago.”
“Don’t tell me he’s seeing someone else...”
Once more, she glanced back at her daughter, but she must’ve felt Lucy was no longer paying attention because Lorelei nodded.
“You’re kidding me!”
“I wish I was,” she said bitterly.
A sign listing the mileage to Incline Village came up on the right, but the numbers were partially covered with snow. Reagan hoped they were getting close. “Let me guess, it was someone at his work.”
Lorelei shot her a sullen glance. “No.”
“A neighbor?”
“Worse.”
“What could be worse than that?”
“My best friend would be worse.”
Reagan gaped at her.
“She’s my ex-best friend now, of course.”
No wonder Lorelei had reacted so badly when Reagan confessed her own situation. “I’m sorry.”
Lorelei said nothing.
“How did you find out?” Reagan asked.
“He told me.”
“Right when we were planning this trip?”
“Just after.”
Reagan’s phone chimed, but she ignored it. She was pretty sure it would be Drew. He was dying to get hold of her, had called and messaged her many times since that night in his office. “I’m surprised you still came.”
“I had to come. I felt like I was suffocating in that house with him.”
Lowering her voice, Reagan tried to choose her words carefully. “Did you have any clue something like that might be going on?”
“None.”
“I see.” She used the rearview mirror to check on Lucy. Lorelei’s daughter seemed completely preoccupied with her sucker, but Reagan turned up the music, just in case. “Are you going to stay with him?”
“I don’t know. He claims he’s sorry. Is begging me not to leave.”
Doubt concerning a man she’d never even met made Reagan hesitate. “Do you believe he’ll be true to you in the future?”
Lorelei raked her fingers through her long, dark hair. “I don’t know anymore. I don’t seem to have any confidence in a love I would’ve staked my life on less than a month ago. But I have a child to think about. And I’m not sure I want to step out of the way so my best friend can replace me. I’m not even sure I’d be able to make a living on my own. As you’ve already pointed out, I’ve been out of the job market for six years, ever since we moved to the house we’re living in now. Who’ll hire me?”
Reagan cringed. “Sounds like you need to get that so-called best friend out of your lives. Start there. Then maybe you’ll have a chance of repairing your relationship and...and putting it all behind you.”
“I wish we could get her out of our lives,” she said.
The wipers could barely keep up with the snow. The rhythmic swishing, the long day and being strapped into the car seat Lorelei had carried all the way from Florida seemed to be putting Lucy to sleep, which came as a relief to Reagan. The sucker had fallen against her shirt and would probably stick there, but at least she wouldn’t start crying again. “Why can’t you?” Reagan asked. “You don’t owe her anything.”
Lorelei caught her eye and mouthed, “She’s pregnant.”
Reagan felt her jaw drop. “Oh, my God.”
Lorelei said nothing.
“Is she going to have the child?” Reagan whispered.
“Says she is,” Lorelei replied.
“And she’s going to keep it?”
“Of course. Because then she’ll have exactly what she wanted—a claim on my husband.”
“He’ll be financially responsible for the care of the child, you mean.”