Free Anything but Love by Beth Ciotta Page A

carrying my baby.
Except he couldn’t say that. He’d promised Rae. Well, technically he hadn’t promised. But she’d asked him not to tell yet for reasons that were sound. Plus, he hadn’t worked out in his head how he wanted to handle things between them.
Dammit
.
    “Before when she was Rachel,” Luke backpedaled. “She’s not who you fell for, Sam.”
    “Money doesn’t change who she is on the inside.”
    “She’s the most secretive woman I’ve ever known,” Luke said. “How could you possibly know…” Rae had mentioned recent phone calls with Sam. Luke burned wondering if she’d struck up an intimate relationship with the man. Sam was grounded, successful. An experienced and kick-ass dad. “Did Rae confide in you? Offer details explaining why she lied to us for a freaking year?”
    Sam pushed off the door. “Quit the Cupcake Lovers, Luke.”
    “You’re the one who told me to get a hobby.”
    “Your baking skills suck.”
    “Maybe they’ll get better.”
    “Maybe you should take up bowling.”
    It was the exact wrong thing to say.
    Luke sat stone silent as Sam left the room. He knew two things in the wake of his cousin’s hit-and-run throwdown. He had no intention of quitting the Cupcake Lovers and he’d be damned if he’d sit still while Sam initiated some strategic attack aimed at winning Rae’s heart. Not that Luke wanted to win her heart, although maybe he did. It would help if he knew her a better. Hell, it would help if he knew her at all.
    Luke shoved off his desk and nabbed his jacket. Knowing Sam, he’d take things slow, which allowed Luke plenty of time to get a jump start. He still didn’t have a handle on his feelings or a clue as to how to approach the future, but he damn well wanted a chance to get to know the mother of his child before some other man swept her off her feet.

NINE
    Rae had never been a fan of unwanted attention. Unfortunately, it came with the territory when you were the daughter of Olivia Deveraux. It didn’t matter that Olivia hadn’t landed a decent acting gig in two decades. She’d enjoyed a spurt of fame in her early twenties and had been riding that wave ever since, somehow managing to appear in the tabloids time and again.
    So naturally the citizens of Sugar Creek were curious about the famous sex kitten’s daughter. Naturally they stared and whispered as Rae went about her business, navigating town in order to meet with a few local businessmen. What made matters more intense was the fact that Rae knew most of the locals, only she’d known them as shy, mousy Rachel Lacey. No one asked, but she knew they all wondered. Why had she pretended to be someone she wasn’t? Why had she come back? How long did she plan to stay? Embellished with the usual curiosity attached to her infamous mother …
    What was it like growing up as the daughter of Olivia Deveraux? Did Rae also hobnob with celebrities? Had she ever been on the red carpet? Did she know George Clooney or Ryan Gosling or Leonardo DiCaprio? Had she ever dated a Hollywood hunk? And on the subject of her inheritance …
    Just how much was she really worth?
    Honestly, Rae was surprised no one had questioned her outright. Then again maybe they were too shell-shocked by her return. Or maybe they felt bitter like Luke, too angry about her deception to broach the subject.
    By the time Rae got back to the Pine and Periwinkle, all she wanted was a relaxing bath and a fortifying meal. Unfortunately, she only had time to freshen up. After leaving Luke at the Shack, she’d visited the real estate agent connected with the building that housed, or used to house, Sugar Tots. She’d visited the bank that held the mortgage and had spoken to her high-powered lawyer based in L.A. She had one last but very important appointment. A six p.m. meeting with the president of the Cupcake Lovers, Luke’s only sister, Rocky Monroe. The prospect was daunting. Although Rae had never been close friends with Rocky, they’d