The Baby Album

by Roz Denny Fox

  “Ian talked to him about the Christmas party, not me,” Brenda said, standing up and putting on her jacket. “If you feel that strongly, Casey, I’ll ask Greg to find out for sure if Wyatt plans to be there.”

  “Please,” she said, falling into step with Brenda as the women left the café. “Thank you for coming to lunch. I have a bit of money. And I told myself I deserve a fun lunch out.”

  “You deserve more than that,” Brenda said fiercely. “If I ever get a chance to meet Dane Sinclair, I’ll smack him upside the head. You should hire a lawyer and go after him for child support.”

  “If she did that,” Jana said, “he might try to get custody to avoid paying.”

  Casey sighed. “Dane would never want custody. He’s made it perfectly clear he has no interest in being a father. And anyway, he’s far too self-centered.” She looked at her watch. “I need to get back to the studio in case Wyatt calls. He’s out of town, and I didn’t tell him about meeting you three.”

  “Why not?” Gracie asked.

  “Well, you were Angela’s friends first. I’d hate it if he thought I was trying to take her place personally as well as professionally.”

  Jana pursed her lips. “I’m not sure men think that way. Bless their hearts, they tend not to examine these things too deeply.”

  The women all laughed.

  Since Gracie and Jana had driven together, they said goodbye at Jana’s car. Brenda had parked farther away, as had Casey, so the two of them walked on together.

  “Brenda, I have a big favor to ask you. I know you’ve been swamped lately. First the triplets were sick, then you were busy sewing Halloween costumes. I need a birthing coach. It’s a lot to ask—it involves quite a few nights out, and whatever time I’m in labor.”

  “I’d love to, Casey, but I’ll need to think about it. It’s true life’s been crazy at my house. Do you need an answer today? Do you have someone in mind if I can’t?”

  “I can ask Dolly Howell, my foster mother. I haven’t told her and Len about the baby yet, but I need to soon. I want my baby to have grandparents. I’ve dragged my feet because my emotions are up and down. The past few weeks I’ve spent too much time comparing myself to my mom. Anyway, if I need her, I’m sure Dolly will come down from Dallas.”

  “What about your ex-mother-in-law? She’s a grandmother, too.”

  “Yes, well. Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair don’t know, either. I suppose I’ll have to tell them soon if Dane doesn’t.”

  “Say no more. The fact that you call them Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair speaks volumes.”

  “They’re stuffy, but not horrible people. I just think it’s Dane’s place to tell them about his…our baby.” Casey waved her hand, feeling too emotional.

  Brenda hugged her. “I said it before and I’ll say it again. You deserve more, Casey. And your baby will be better off without such cold relatives.”

  “I’d probably second that, but I know how hard it is to grow up without any extended family. I used to dream that my children would have aunts, uncles and grandparents. Most of all I wanted them to have a father. Why couldn’t I see through Dane?”

  Brenda shrugged as she watched Casey dry her eyes. “You were blinded by love. That happens. Next time, you’ll pick a better man.”

  The women said goodbye then. Casey started her car, her mind still on Brenda’s words. Casey had picked a better man. Wyatt Keene. For all the good it did her. Wyatt had been so damaged by losing Angela, Casey doubted he’d ever love another woman.

  THE MAN IN QUESTION was packaging orders when Casey entered the studio. He was wearing dark, snug jeans and a black T-shirt that complemented the coal color of his hair. A stray lock fell over his right eye. Glancing up at the sound of her footsteps, he pushed it back, only to have it fall again.

  “Where have you been?” he demanded. “I checked the schedule but there’s no off-site appointment listed. Nothing until the Hammond family comes in at two.”

  Casey took off her wool shawl and set it on the file cabinet with her purse. “I met Brenda for lunch. I thought you went to Rockdale to take pictures of puppies. I wasn’t expecting you to be here or I would’ve let you know.”

  “Maybelle Dent canceled. She lives on a dirt road, and with the recent rains, it’s been washed out. I wish you’d called me. If I’d known you were seeing Brenda, I’d have suggested Greg and I meet up with you for lunch.”

  Casey couldn’t believe her ears. She and Wyatt had eaten together in the studio. But a meal out with friends? Was that too close to a date? She caught her breath just thinking about it. Even though that probably wasn’t at all what he meant. As he continued to sit and stare at her, she mumbled, “Um, that would’ve been nice. Maybe next time.”

  “Casey, there’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about.” Wyatt sealed the last envelope and tossed it in a basket to be mailed with the others. He obviously didn’t realize his hesitation and suddenly cool expression had caused Casey’s heart to gallop in fear.

  Had he noticed her baby bump? Did he now know she’d been lying to him the whole time? Her nervousness grew as he began to pace, all the while massaging the back of his neck. Finally he sighed heavily. “You know the wedding you have scheduled for Friday afternoon and evening?”

  “Adison? Julie Adison and Luke DeVoe,” Casey said, scrambling to remember the names.

  “That’s the one. I went to high school with Julie’s brother, Tyler. Their dad used to be mayor of Uvalde. Now he’s moved up and is a state representative here in Austin. According to Tyler, this wedding’s going to be a huge frigging deal. I didn’t know anything about it until he called me, asking me to personally oversee the shoot. It was more like a demand,” Wyatt added as an afterthought.

  “Wow. I knew it was a big affair, but I had no idea there were political associations, too. I met Julie and Luke at the golf resort where they’re having the reception. It’s totally ritzy. They’re expecting five hundred guests. Julie’s mom quadrupled our largest wedding package. Luke’s mom wants the same amount.” When Casey stopped to breathe, she felt the tension radiating from Wyatt. Then she realized the implication of what he’d said. “Wyatt, it won’t hurt my feelings if you’d rather handle this alone. I can give you the orders I wrote up.”

  “That’s the last thing I want,” he snapped. “I’ve never liked waiting around through the ritual of weddings. And there’s something about being ordered to be there that pisses me off. Beyond that…1 haven’t been near a wedding since…” He visibly clenched his jaw. “It’s the first wedding since…” He tried again, but still couldn’t finish the thought.

  “It’s okay, Wyatt. I know what you’re trying to say.”

  He folded his arms across his chest and avoided her gaze.

  Casey chewed her lip as she considered the next step. “You could tell them to find another photographer, except…it’s terribly late. And we’ve got a contract. If we tried to get out of it now, it would be awful for the studio’s reputation. All the hard work we’ve put in recently would be wasted. When I agreed to work them in, they were desperate because their first photographer had canceled. I had no idea you and they had a history. I thought doing a big event like this would be good for the studio.”

  “It is. You did nothing wrong. This thing I have about weddings is my problem, not yours.” He waved a hand in the air, as though acknowledging his lack of progress.

  “What you need is a haircut,” Casey said, tilting her head to one side. “And you’ll need to wear a suit on Friday. I’ll take the pictures. You can hang out with the bigwigs and make a good impression on the other guests.”

  Wyatt snorted. Then his lips twitched, and a faint smile lit his face. “I get the message, Casey. I need to give the clients what they want. I should attend, try not to mess up one of the biggest orders in the history of this studio, and leave you to do what you do best.”

  “The biggest order. I checked,” she said smugly.

  “Really? Angela would have
loved this job,” he said slowly, his smile fading. “All that society stuff meant more to her than to me. She put together an album of all her wedding photos that hit the society pages. She took it along whenever she met with a potential client.”

  “That’s great advertisement. If somebody with a big name hires us, then we must be the best around. The bad part is you often have to take a lot of crap from people with that kind of stature.”

  “Don’t I know it. That’s why I resent Tyler calling me and underscoring his daddy’s standing in Austin politics. Ty and I grew up playing ball together, sharing tuna sandwiches for lunch because that was all our families could afford back then.” Wyatt shot Casey a hard look.

  “I liked Julie and Luke. Her mom put on a few airs, but I’ve dealt with worse. She knows what she wants, but she’s willing to pay for it. Some rich people expect tons of perks just because of who they are.”

  “Okay. I’ll calm down. Ty could’ve asked for a discount for old times’ sake. He didn’t. I’m probably just grumpy because it’s a wedding.”

  “I love weddings,” Casey said. “All brides are beautiful—like in a fairy tale. Unfortunately, not all grooms turn out to be the handsome prince,” she said with a grimace.

  “Did you have a fancy wedding?”

  She forced a smile. “Me? I got married in blue jeans. Dane wore cargo shorts and Birkenstocks. He got a justice of the peace to come to the brewpub while we were in the middle of inventory. Two vendors we’d met just that day were our witnesses. I must have been out of my mind. A sane woman would’ve seen through that.”

  “Hmm.” Wyatt picked up his car keys from the counter and put on a ball cap that hid his eyes. “I’ll go get that haircut. And I’ll drop these packets off with Mandy Axtell on my way. What else did you say I needed? Oh, yeah…a suit. I don’t have one anymore. Maybe I’ll wear leather and chains instead. Shake the place up. What do you think?”

  If he was trying to get a rise out of Casey, he failed miserably. She just shrugged. “It’s your company’s reputation on the line, mister.”

  AFTER DROPPING OFF THE Axtell engagement pictures, Wyatt headed over to the barber’s and felt his spirits lifting in spite of the chilly wind. A few months ago he couldn’t have imagined working a wedding. But it might not be so bad with Casey. She was practical. Wyatt liked that. She had a dry wit. And she wasn’t easily thrown. He hadn’t really thought about it before, but Casey was easy to spend long hours around. She was self-sufficient, but she didn’t object when he offered help.

  He’d liked Angela’s self-sufficiency, as well. Until it killed her.

  Was it terrible of him to admit that he sort of enjoyed feeling needed?

  Whenever Wyatt let himself think back, he couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if Angela had allowed him to take her to the hospital that morning. Even as late as the lunch with her friends, anyone but Angela would’ve let a friend drive them to the doctor.

  He supposed that, in some ways, his marriage and Casey’s had been similar. They’d both gone into it hoping they’d found that perfect partner, someone who would share all of life’s ups and downs. It was only later that they’d discovered that the ones they loved had never really needed them in return.

  All through his time at the barbershop, Wyatt wondered if he might be making another mistake in letting competent, feisty and oddly vulnerable Casey Sinclair get under his skin.

  Did she have the faintest idea how often she was in his thoughts? At night when he was trying to sleep, and at other inappropriate times. He shouldn’t let himself dwell on how her idiot husband could take off and leave her life in such upheaval.

  But he didn’t know how to stop.

  As he reached the mall, Wyatt realized that he was thinking about Casey more and more these days. And thinking about Angela less. Perhaps he was finally moving on.

  In the men’s clothing store, he chose a dark green wool suit and a gold tie for no reason other than he thought Casey would like them. Wyatt knew he’d turned a corner—and that his life would never be the same after today. He was even more convinced during the rest of the week when he found himself counting the days until the Adison-DeVoe wedding, not with dread but with anticipation.

  FRIDAY DAWNED, BRINGING WITH it a frigid northeasterly wind. Morning newscasters predicted extreme shifts in the already cool weather. The rain-slicked streets were expected to turn icy by the evening rush hour.

  Casey didn’t know what to believe. During the two years she’d lived in Round Rock, she’d experienced downpours, fog and the threat of tornadoes. Sure, last winter there had been a few frosty mornings, but the frost had always melted by noon. After changing her mind about what to wear to work that would keep her warm, but still be dressy enough for a high-society wedding, she gave up and called Wyatt’s cell phone.

  “Have you seen the news?” she asked when he answered. “The weather forecast, I mean. If things get as bad as they say, do you think Julie Adison will need to rethink the photos she wanted taken by the lake?”

  “I’m just in a coffee shop on my way to the studio. The prospect of an ice storm is all everyone’s talking about. One old rancher said today reminds him of the winter he milked his cows and got icicles.”

  “Funny, but not helpful. I have an off-site family holiday shoot on my way in this morning. Can you call Julie Adison?”

  “I have Tyler Adison’s number right here. I’ll ask him what the plan is and call you right back.”

  Wyatt clicked off, leaving Casey holding a dead phone. She stared into her closet some more while she waited for his call, wishing she had the right shoes to wear with the blue wool tunic and tapered black pants. Her strappy black heels looked best, but if she had to maneuver an icy parking lot, her smartest alternative would be black ballet slippers.

  Wyatt called back. “The Adisons have been in a dither all morning. At this point, moving the photos inside the club is the least of their worries. The wedding’s on for eight, so I said we’d be there at six to take the pre-ceremony pictures.”

  “Okay. Maybe the storm will have blown over by then.”

  “We can hope. Drive carefully, Casey.”

  “I’ll be fine. Thanks to you I have good tires now. I’ll see you around noon. Would you like me to pick up Chinese takeout for lunch?”

  “That would be great.”

  After they hung up, Casey wrapped the heavy black shawl Brenda had provided to go with her more dressy outfits around her shoulders. She shivered in the wind, but all in all didn’t think it was so terribly cold. Maybe the reports of the coming storm were exaggerated.

  The Crane family had three children, including a two-week-old baby. “Your kids are adorable,” Casey said to Abby Crane as she snapped photos of them in their holiday finery. “Baby Caitlyn is just beautiful.”

  “She was a month premature. She wasn’t due until two weeks before Christmas.”

  “A month early?” Casey could barely process the idea. “Is that rare?” She had never seriously considered the possibility that her own baby could be premature. Now she worried that she might not have as much time to prepare as she’d expected.

  “All three of my babies arrived early,” Abby said. “Luckily, they’ve all been healthy. Caitlyn spent an extra six days in the hospital after I came home.” She smiled down at the sleeping infant, and Casey reached for her camera. From then on, she captured images the parents would be proud to tuck into their holiday cards.

  Once she’d climbed back in her car, she jotted a note to ask her doctor about the chances of delivering early. Casey couldn’t get past the four weeks early Mrs. Crane had mentioned. If there was any possibility of that happening to her, it would be mid-January. Only two months away, and she had nothing ready. Beyond that, a preemie would probably need more medical care than she’d counted on. How would she afford the extra bills?

  She switched mental gears, returning to the weather. Wind gusts buffeted her car along the highway. When she sto
pped at the Chinese restaurant it still was raining lightly, and not bitterly cold, just blustery. Even so, it was nearly one o’clock before she reached the studio.

  Wyatt jumped up from the computer and grabbed the papers that flew about as Casey opened the back door. “That wind’s a doozy.”

  “It feels even stronger than when I left home. Have you heard an updated forecast?”

  Wyatt took the bags of food, set them down beside his desk and helped Casey remove her bulky shawl. “The radio’s saying the wind’s getting more erratic. Oh, good, you thought to grab plates and utensils.”

  They hunkered down to eat while the food was still relatively warm. “I’m going to upload the Crane pictures I took today,” Casey said when she’d finished. “They have three of the cutest kids you could ever hope to see. The baby’s positively gorgeous.”

  “You’re always exclaiming over the kids you photograph. Do you ever wish you’d had some with whatsizname?”

  “Dane,” she blurted, panicking at the question. The phone rang, saving her from answering. She jumped to answer it, then took her time discussing their special New Year’s packages with the caller.

  The rest of the afternoon, Wyatt kept the radio tuned to the news station to get the latest weather reports. Thankfully, he didn’t mention children again. Casey kept their conversation general, sticking mainly to general photography, and in particular the Adison wedding.

  At five-fifteen Wyatt packed their camera bags. “Still only rain,” he announced after a trip out to his car. He shook raindrops off his new, shorter haircut. “Do you want to ride with me? I have four-wheel drive if the weather gets ugly.”

  “But then you’d have to bring me back here, and that’s out of the way for both of us. I’ll drive myself. I may leave early if the storm looks really bad. The family will be happier having you wind things down.”

  Wyatt only rolled his eyes.

  Shortly before they pulled up next to each other at the church, the rain changed to sleet. “You go on in out of this,” Wyatt called. “I’ll bring our gear. Take my umbrella. No sense both of us getting wet.”