Page 84 of Knocked Up in Alaska

“You don’t accept a hell of a lot of help.”

“That’s not true. I’ve received a great deal of help, for which I’m incredibly grateful. If I haven’t conveyed my gratitude, shame on me—”

“Oh, shut up.”

Enough. She slowed to a stop right there in the middle of the atrium. It took a few more strides for her companion to catch on and reluctantly backtrack. When they stood face-to-face, she went on the offensive. “Why am I here, Bridget? You’re pissed. I get that. I get it loud and clear, and I’m sorry, but this little field trip isn’t going to change my mind. You guys want to do something for Shayla, on Shay’s behalf, fine. I can’t stop you. Set up a trust fund, or a college fund, or whatever. I just…I don’t need to be in the middle of it. I can’t be. It feels wrong.”

Bridget’s dark brows rose above the rims of her sunglasses. “Feels wrong? You’re her mother, Lilah. Leaving you out would be wrong. It would signal things that aren’t true, like we don’t love you just as much as we love her”—she pointed to the baby—“or trust you to make the right decisions for the both of you. To us, that feels wrong.”

“Well, I’m sorry. And I’m sorry it makes you mad, but we’ll have to agree to disagree.”

Bridget took off her glasses and hung them from the breast pocket of her white button-down. Turbulent violet eyes zeroed in on her. “I am mad.”

“Don’t hold it in,” she said, letting sarcasm ooze. “It’s not healthy.”

“Don’t be a bitch. I’m mad at the way you just viscerally rejected what we put together. That felt like a slap in the face. I couldn’t fathom where your reaction came from, but I’ve given it some thought, and I’m ready to get to the bottom of it.”

Helpless, she cupped her hands around Shayla and prayed for calm. “There’s no bottom to this. I feel the way I feel. End of story.”

Bridget’s lips lifted into a small, strange smile. “We’ll see.” She tipped her head to a store. “Come on.”

Lilah looked at the sign over the archway her friend headed toward and felt her own brows lift. Holland Jewelers? Was Bridget tapping her to help pick a wedding band for Archer? The timing seemed odd, given everyone questioned her judgment lately. But…whatever. She was here. Shayla was napping. If this helped repair her relationship with her best friend in some small way, she owed them the effort.

Bridget strode straight to the central display counter, where a middle-aged woman with stylish blond waves and beauty pageant makeup stood behind the glass and steel, talking on a cell phone. Lilah approached just in time to hear the woman say, “Perfect. We’re so glad to know you’re happy with the ring. We hope to see you again when it’s time for a push present.”

Whatever response the caller had to that comment provoked a laugh from the saleswoman. “Good luck with that. Okay. Bye now.”

Still smiling, she looked at Bridget, then Lilah. Her smile softened when she saw the baby carrier. “Hello. I’m Cheryl Holland. How can I help you ladies?”

Bridget leaned on the glass-topped display counter. “I’m Bridget Shanahan. I think we spoke on the phone last week?”

The older woman’s smile softened another degree. “Oh, yes. I remember.” She held out a hand. “I’m pleased to meet you. Thanks so much for coming in. I realize this might be…difficult.”

Bridget shook the offered hand. “It’s okay. Sorry it took so long for one of us to get in touch. Things were kind of hectic for a while.”

“I understand completely. This was an unusual situation for us, too. Once selections are made and paid for, we don’t typically have to do more than place a call to let the purchaser know the item is ready to be picked up. It wasn’t until well after we surfaced from the holiday rush that we realized we still had an unclaimed order. Then we had some sleuthing to do.”

“We appreciate you going to the trouble,” Bridget said, then turned to her. “This is Delilah. And Shayla.”

The saleswoman’s eyes filled with…sympathy? “Delilah,” she said and took one of Lilah’s hands in both of hers. “It’s very nice to meet you. And Shayla. That’s lovely.” After releasing her hand, Cheryl stepped back. “Excuse me for just a moment and I’ll get the items.” On her way to the back of the store, she signaled to a younger clerk assisting another shopper with something in a case along the wall.

When they were alone, so to speak, she turned to Bridget. “What’s going on? I figured we were here to pick out a wedding band for Archer.”

Bridget turned, braced a hip on the counter. “You figured wrong.”

Cheryl came hustling back, all smiles, holding a palm-size square box. She took her place behind the counter, set the light-blue suede box on the glass, and reached below for a black velvet jewelry display pad. Once she positioned it on the counter in front of them, she opened the box, extracted a wide, glittering diamond ring from the white satin bedding, and placed it on the pad. No, Lilah silently corrected. A diamond ring and matching diamond band. A bridal set. Her throat grew unaccountably tight.

Cheryl moved the pad slightly to let the gemstones refract the light. “I just love the timeless elegance of this. It features two carats total weight of diamonds, set in white gold. The engagement ring includes a centerpiece of quartet of princess-cut diamonds, bordered by round accent stones of equal quality. The accent diamonds continue around the coordinating wedding band.” She glanced up at Lilah and added, “A beautiful and unique set for a beautiful and unique woman. Would you like to try it on?”

“Me?” An anvil landed on her chest. She’d backed away from the counter and put her hands behind her before she even realized she’d moved. “Why would I want to try it on?”

Cheryl’s smile turned slightly perplexed. The saleswoman glanced at Bridget, who said nothing, then back to her. “Because Mr. Shanahan—Shay—bought it for you.”

“No.” She felt every drop of blood leave her face at the same time nausea churned in her stomach. “No. That’s not possible. He’s gone.”

Bridget took pity on her, or maybe on the saleswoman, and said, “Cheryl, could you excuse us for a moment?”

“Of course. Take your time. I would offer you the option of a return or exchange, under the circumstances, however the order has been customized, which makes resale difficult.”

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