Penny laughed. “You’re probably right.”

Her friend had arrived less than a hour ago, bearing the fixings for nachos. After announcing she was in the mood to get drunk, she’d handed the food over to Penny and told her to have at it. As Naomi wasn’t the type to drink alone, she would accept eating as a poor substitute.

“I did my best with the nachos,” she said.

“They’re good,” Naomi said grudgingly. “But I’m still deeply offended that you’re pregnant at a time when I really need alcohol and someone to share it with.”

Penny didn’t point out that there was a massive list of men who would be oh-so-happy to indulge with Naomi. Penny had a feeling this was a “girls only” kind of thing.

“Have you heard any more about Lindsey?” her friend asked.

“Just that we’re waiting to find out if Cal’s a match. It shouldn’t be much longer. Another day or so. He’s really hoping he is. He wants to be the one to save his daughter.”

“What father wouldn’t?”

A fact that filled Penny with ambivalence. On the one hand, who could resent a man who loved the child he’d given up for adoption? On the other hand, who could trust a man who couldn’t open his heart to anyone else?

If he’d just told her everything all those years ago. She would have understood…eventually. Instead he’d withdrawn until he hadn’t wanted her or their baby.

“I hope it works out for Lindsey,” Penny said. “The poor kid has been through enough already. Apparently she had chemo when she was first diagnosed. That can’t have been fun. With the cancer returning, a bone marrow transplant is her best hope.”

“Any news on the Alison front?”

“She’s not a good match so everyone is hoping Cal is. If not him, they’ll have to look elsewhere, starting with his immediate family. At least if they find a donor, Lindsey will have a real chance of beating this once and for all.”

“I know I’ve had my issues with Cal,” Naomi said, reaching for more chips. “But I hope he’s a match. He needs to save someone.”

Penny looked at her. “Why do you say that?”

“Near as I can figure, it’s a Buchanan family trait. Not that any of them have managed it yet. I think it comes from Gloria, the way she emotionally beat up on them when they were kids.”

While Penny didn’t dispute Naomi’s assessment, she wondered about the source of her information. Had it come from Reid or Walker, or both?

The temptation to ask was strong, but she resisted. If Naomi wanted to tell her, she would.

“It’s just sad that they lost both their parents within a year of each other,” Penny said quietly. “I know Cal always felt he had to be the strong one. I never thought of it in terms of having to save anyone.” She remembered how he’d wanted to keep her out of the Buchanan dynasty because he’d been afraid of what Gloria would do. “Or maybe I didn’t see it.”

“Dani’s the only one who keeps trying to please that bitch.”

She was fighting a losing battle, Penny thought. Gloria would never accept Dani because she wasn’t a Buchanan.

She wondered if Cal had told his sister the truth, then figured he hadn’t had the time. But he needed to and soon. If he didn’t, Penny had a bad feeling it would come back to bite him in the ass.

“Just talking about Cal and his family makes me realize how normal I am,” Penny said. “Who would have thought that was possible?”

“What are you talking about? You’re not so bad.”

“I’m pregnant through a medical procedure by a man I’ll never meet, and working for my ex-husband.” Sleeping with him as well, she thought, although she didn’t say that. Naomi might have guessed, but she wouldn’t ask and Penny wouldn’t confirm anything.

But speaking of people sleeping together…“How’s the friendship thing working out with you and Walker?” she asked.

“Fine.”

“Ha. Like I believe that. There’s something you’re not telling me.”

There had to be. Naomi was actually squirming in her seat. Penny had never seen her act this way about a guy.

“Are you in love with him?” she asked, trying not to sound too incredulous.

“What? No. Of course not.” Naomi wrinkled her nose. “It’s not like that at all.”

“Then what?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” She sighed. “We don’t even have sex anymore.” She reached for her can of soda. “We’re friends, which is strange.”

Penny didn’t know what to think. “When you say you’re not having sex, you mean…”

Naomi shrugged. “No sex. Honestly, I can’t imagine us ever doing it again. We don’t…we…talk.”

“Talking is good.”

“No, it’s not. This isn’t natural. Friends with a man. Oh, please.”

Penny did her best to keep from smiling. “So you’re having a relationship. That’s great.”

“No, it’s odd. This is nothing romantic and yet I care about him. I don’t want to care about anyone.”

“You care about me.”

Her friend smiled. “Yes, I do, but girl love is different. Caring about a guy…”

Her voice trailed off as sadness filled her eyes. She looked at Penny. “I might have to leave.”

Penny had a feeling she didn’t just mean that evening. Panic and pain gripped her. She needed Naomi and she would miss her horribly if she went away.

“Want to tell me why?”

Her friend smiled. “Thanks for not instantly saying I can’t.”

“I want to, but I’m holding back.”

Naomi reached for another chip. “I have family back in Ohio. Parents. A couple of brothers and sisters. A husband.” She chewed then swallowed. “Actually, I’m not sure about the husband. He might have divorced me. I’ve been gone a long time.”

Penny blinked. “I don’t know what to say. You never mentioned anyone.”

“I didn’t just hatch.”

Penny had always figured there had to be someone. But a whole family? A husband?

“Something happened,” Naomi continued. “I don’t want to get into it, but I did something bad and I couldn’t live with myself. Or them. So I left. I just drove and I ended up here. I met you a few weeks later.”

Penny felt her heart breaking. She didn’t want to lose her friend. “If you think you have to go back, it’s fine.”

Naomi scowled at her. “You’re going to be brave, aren’t you? Dammit, I hate that. I don’t want to leave, but I think it’s time. I have to go mend some fences. I think I’m still in love with him. Talk about insane.”

Penny nodded because if she spoke, she would start to cry.

“I wouldn’t just leave you,” Naomi said. “I’d make sure there were some people in place. To help with the baby and at the restaurant.”

“I’ll be fine,” Penny said. “Don’t worry about me.”

Naomi gone! It wasn’t possible. Who else would she talk to in the middle of the night when she’d just watched a sad movie and couldn’t stop crying? Who else would understand the need to never eat blue M & M’s on even days of the month? Who else would coach her through delivery and stay with her for the first couple of weeks after the baby was born?

Naomi swore and got to her feet.

“What?” Penny asked.

“You’re crying.”

Penny sniffed. “It doesn’t mean anything. I’m hormonal.”

She stood and her friend walked around the table. They held on to each other.

“You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” Naomi whispered. “I won’t ever forget that.”

“Me, either.”

Naomi sighed. “See. This is why love sucks. If I didn’t love you, I wouldn’t care if I had to leave.”

“If you didn’t love me after all we’ve been through, I’d throw a meat cleaver at your head.”

DANI GLARED at Cal. “I can’t believe you never told me you had a daughter. All this time.” Her gaze narrowed. “Walker and Reid know, don’t they? You guys always stick together.”

Cal put his arm around Dani as they walked from the parking lot on the University of Washington campus. “I didn’t know they knew, if that makes you feel any better. I thought it was a secret.”

“Oh, right. I swear, it’s like living in a soap opera. I keep expecting to hear the smooth-voiced guy murmuring in the background. ‘While Dani is unaware of her brother’s illegitimate child, Lindsey has dealt with cancer. Of course Dani is an idiot for marrying a jerk like Hugh. More after the commercial break.’ It really pisses me off.”

“The guy?”

“No. You. What other secrets are there?”

He could think of only one really big one and he wasn’t going there today. Dani had enough to deal with.

“Like I said, I didn’t know Reid and Walker had heard me fighting with Gloria about Lindsey back when I was in high school. I didn’t deliberately keep the information from you.”

“But you didn’t tell me when you found out the guys knew.”

“You had stuff on your mind.”

She sighed. “I’m all grown up, Cal. You can stop trying to protect me from the world.”

“Sorry, that’s part of the job description.”

She linked her arm through his and leaned against him. “You’re a good big brother.”

“Thanks.”

While he appreciated the compliment, he wasn’t sure he’d earned it. Penny had told him to come clean with Dani and he planned to. Soon. But not today.

“Are you sure about this?” he asked.

She patted her jacket pocket. “Completely. I’m not paying some guy to serve Hugh the papers when I can do it myself. Plus I want to see the look in his eyes. He won’t be expecting me. Some small discomfort on his part isn’t a whole lot of reward, I know, but it’s all I’m going to get.” She glanced at her watch. “He has office hours now. Maybe he’ll have students in with him. That would be exciting.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, not sure how to make things better for her.

“Don’t be. I don’t like how Hugh handled things with me, but I’m no longer questioning the divorce. Don’t get me wrong. I’m still furious. I gave him so much of my life and to have him tell me he outgrew me makes me want to back the car over all of his possessions. He practically sucked the life out of me and now he’s acting all noble. But the truth is I don’t love him. I haven’t for a while.”