be friends first. That’s going to take some time. If you want to cook, I won’t say no. I’m tired of take-out and frozen dinners. If you aren’t interested, that’s fine, too. I don’t have any rules.”
“But I like rules,” she told him. “I like things neatly defined.”
“An unexpected pregnancy has a way of changing the rules.”
She knew he was right. “What about decorating or entertaining?”
“You can change anything in the house except my study. I have the name of the designer I used. You can call her or pick someone else, or do it yourself. As for entertaining…” He hesitated. “Let’s get used to being married, first.”
“Okay.” She drew in a deep breath and tried to relax. “You know, you can change your mind about marrying me.”
He shook his head. “I’m committed to this, Noelle. Are you?”
Sometimes she felt she was doing the right thing and others she felt she was flirting with disaster. But she’d made up her mind and given her word and she was going to keep it.
“This is what I want,” she said.
“Then Marge and Homer Simpson it is.”
Noelle checked the purchase order against the packing slip, then compared both with the bill from the supplier. Part of her job included random audits on all the departments. The computer would generate a list of purchases or sales every month and she would walk through the entire process to make sure everything was the way it was supposed to be. She then wrote up a report for Katherine, her boss, who passed it along to Dev.
In the past, she’d never much thought about him reading her findings or critiquing them. All her feedback came through Katherine. But now all that was different—at least on her end. Did Dev notice the e-mails that came from her? Did he think of her differently now?
Not that she would ask, she thought humorously. There were already enough awkward conversations without her throwing one more into the mix.
Katherine, a tall blonde in her late fifties, paused by Noelle’s desk. “If you have a minute, could I see you in my office?”
“Sure.” Noelle saved her work on the computer and followed her boss down the hallway.
Katherine’s office was next to Dev’s and while smaller, was still bright and beautifully decorated. The muted colors blended with the dark wood furniture. Had Noelle wanted to stay in business, she thought that Katherine would be the perfect role model. The woman had started out working in shipping and had risen to be second in command to the president of the company. Nothing happened at Hunter Manufacturing without Katherine knowing about it.
Noelle sat on the chair opposite the desk and waited. Katherine smiled at her.
“Dev’s gone this afternoon,” she began. “I’m telling you that so you won’t worry about him interrupting us or hearing our conversation.”
Okay, so they weren’t going to discuss Noelle’s performance. “All right.” Then she realized that Katherine and Dev had been working together for years and it was very likely he’d told her about the impending marriage.
Katherine confirmed her guess when she said, “I understand congratulations are in order.”
Noelle shifted in her seat. What on earth was she supposed to say? “I know it probably seems fast,” she mumbled. What would Katherine think of her?
But her boss’s eyes remained kind. “Life has a way of making things interesting. Still, I can’t tell you how sorry I am to lose you.”
“I’m not excited about quitting, either,” Noelle admitted. “But under the circumstances, it seemed best.” Being Dev’s assistant’s secretary would be more than a little awkward once the marriage took place.
Katherine studied her intently. “I knew you were dating Jimmy. He was an interesting young man. Dev put a lot of effort into his brother.” She paused. “Jimmy was fun, but not necessarily someone you would want to trust with your future. Dev is a good man. I’ve known him since he was a teenager. You can trust him, Noelle. I wanted to wish you the best and tell you that I hope you’ll consider the possibilities.”
Noelle didn’t know what to say. Had Katherine guessed some version of the truth? It sounded like it. Noelle was confident Dev wouldn’t say anything without telling her first.
“I agree Dev is a good man.” That fact made all of this possible.
“He deserves someone to love him. There have been…disappointments in his life.”
Disappointments? More than Jimmy’s death?
It occurred to Noelle that she knew very little about the man she would be marrying. He took responsibility, he was kind, but who was he really?
Katherine smiled. “I think the two of you will be very happy together.”
“Thank you,” Noelle murmured and found herself wishing that were possible.
Under normal circumstances, Dev would consider himself something of a catch. He had a career, owned a successful business and whoever married him would never want for money. He thought of himself as a good person at heart, although there were plenty of flaws. Still, he’d never had a problem attracting or keeping women around.
He’d also never dated a minister’s daughter before and wondered what, exactly, Noelle’s parents would make of him. He was a few years older, but that could be a plus. They didn’t know about the baby, so they wouldn’t be expecting a sudden wedding.
As he parked in front of the modest two-story home in the middle of a suburban neighborhood, he reminded himself that he was doing the right thing for the right reason. Somehow he would convince Noelle’s parents that they were made for each other.
At least he should have an easier time of it than Jimmy would have. His little brother had been every parent’s nightmare. Wild, hard-living and willing to do anything on a bet. Not a recipe for happiness.
An unexpected pang of loneliness startled him. Damn. He didn’t want to miss his brother, but it seemed that he didn’t have a choice. Just when he least expected it, he found himself wanting to tell Jimmy something. Like now. His brother would think the entire situation was a badass joke.
Or would he? Maybe Jimmy would resent Dev stepping in for him—taking what should have been his.
As he climbed from the car, Noelle burst out of the front of the house.
“You’re here,” she said as she approached.
“Did you doubt me?”
“I thought about running away,” she said with a smile that didn’t erase the fear in her eyes. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through.” She glanced back at the house. “Okay, everyone is here. It’s just a barbecue, right? No big deal. My parents are really nice. My sisters will try to torture you, but don’t let them. I’m pretty sure I’ve already told you everything you need to know.” She bit her lower lip. “Do you think we can fake them out? I don’t know if I can. I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m afraid I’ll throw up.”
She was the most honest woman he’d ever known, he thought humorously. No one else he’d ever dated would have confessed any of that—especially the throwing up part.
She looked pretty in a pale summer dress, with her long hair in a loose disarray of curls. Her eyes were dark with apprehension and her mouth trembled.
His gaze settled on her lips, and without thinking, he bent down and kissed her. The light touch was meant only to distract her, although he enjoyed the brief sensation of softness and heat, and wouldn’t mind repeating it. Not that he would.
Apparently it worked because confusion and shock replaced the fear.
“You kissed me,” she