Deceived 6 - Ultimate Deception by Eve Carter

was pained as she straightened. “I’m the one who brought Ricky into our lives and that’s how Nina found you.”
    I shook my head. “Nina knew who Patrick and I were before you and Ricky even met. You think her sister hadn’t told her every single detail about us? Ricky just happened to be one way in. Nina would’ve found another if she had to.”
    Elyse stepped into my embrace and I hugged her tightly. I hadn’t realized just how much I’d missed her until now.
    “What do you say we just forgive everything having to do with Nina and move on? I don’t ever want to hear that vile woman’s name again,” I said.
    Elyse nodded and smiled as she pulled out of my embrace. “I’d like that.”
    We were both wiping our eyes when we stepped back and I felt like the last little bit of tension I’d been holding onto had finally melted away. I rolled the bassinette over to the couch so we could sit down and still watch Victoria and enjoy the waving arms and her big, blue eyes. I knew there was a chance they’d change color as she got older, but I was hoping they’d end up the same shade as her father’s.
    “Listen, about Ricky,” Elyse said. “He feels horrible about what his cousins did. He really hadn’t seen either of them in years and had no clue that Anna and you knew each other. He didn’t know there was any connection between them and you and Patrick.” She took a deep breath and I knew that she was getting ready to say something that was hard for her, but that she’d rehearsed before coming. “If you want me to break up with him because you don’t think you can trust him, I will.”
    “Elyse.” I reached across and wrapped my hand around my friend’s.
    She gave me a shaky smile. “You’re more important to me than anyone else, but I really hope you believe Ricky because I do, and I really care about him.” Her bottom lip trembled. “A lot.”
    “I believe him.” I squeezed her hand.
    I was being honest. She didn’t know it, and I wasn’t about to tell her, but Patrick had asked Ryan to look into Ricky’s past. The private investigator Ryan had hired had confirmed that there hadn’t been any contact between Ricky and his cousins for years. In fact, the only thing that could’ve been considered dirt was an arrest for a bar brawl a couple years back, but that wasn’t exactly a secret, especially since it had come out in the press that while Ricky had started the fight, it had been in defense of a waitress who’d been getting some unwanted attention from a drunk patron. As it turned out, Ricky really was a good guy.
    The look of relief that washed over her face told me that her feelings for Ricky were a lot stronger than I’d realized.
    “Elyse, are you in love with him?”
    The smile that curved her lips was almost shy and completely unlike my friend’s usual cocky, sultry grin. “I think I might be.”
    I leaned over and grabbed Elyse in a hug that nearly knocked her off the couch. “I’m so happy for you. You deserve this.”
    The sound of the door opening broke us apart and I turned to see Patrick walking towards us, a huge smile on his face. He held up a creamy, white envelope with elegant black cursive writing and answered my unasked question. “They’ve set a date.”
     

Chapter 12
    Chloe
    Being asked to be a bridesmaid for Ryan and Liam’s wedding was a great motivator to work at shedding that extra baby weight. While a little more than two months had elapsed since giving birth to my daughter, I wasn’t quite back to my pre-baby body. Most of that extra weight was being carried in my breasts, something that my husband had lamented more than once he hadn’t had the time to enjoy. However, my real joy was being asked by Ryan and Liam to be part of their special day of happiness.
    We loved our daughter, but between taking care of her, Patrick having to get caught up at work and juggle things while I finished out my maternity leave, and helping Ryan and Liam plan their