Fade to Black

by Unknown

  “Sure, this way.” Kate took off down the hallway with Bubba on her heels.

  Twenty minutes later, the bed was set up, and the delivery guys were on their way out the door. “What a beautiful bedroom set,” Marilyn commented from the doorway. “Do you need some help getting the sheets on it?”

  “That would be great.” Kate walked out of the room and came back with black silk sheets.

  Marilyn raised a brow but, for once, didn’t comment on the thought that raced across her mind. Rich couldn’t hold his tongue. “Silk sheets, Kate?”

  She blushed and bit down on her bottom lip. “I just thought…”

  He held up his hands. “It’s okay. I like silk.” Actually he hated it, but couldn’t stand the disappointment on Kate’s face.

  Marilyn pushed past him. “Let’s get these on the bed.” Kate handed her the sheets, and the two women walked down each side of the bed. “Rich, why don’t you go grab the pillows.”

  Rich shot Kate a questioning glance to which she responded, “Hall closet, top shelf.”

  It took all of thirty seconds for Rich to head down the hall, grab two pillows, and come back with them tucked under his arm. But when he reentered the room, the bed was completely made with his mother just brushing the wrinkles out of the sheets. Marilyn tossed him a pillowcase which caused him to fumble the pillows, dropping them in the floor.

  He bent over and picked up one of the pillows, shoved it into the case. Making quick work of shoving the fluffy rectangle into its cotton case, he threw it onto the bed to repeat the action with the other pillow.

  Kate smiled at him, her hands resting on her stomach. “Are you happy with it?” She ran her hands over the headboard. He nodded and she said, “Good, because I am. I think it’s perfect.”

  “So this is for you?” The question sounded accusatory to Rich, but he was sure his mother hadn’t meant it that way.

  “Yeah, this is my room.” He could see the ‘You’re roommates?’ question on the tip of his mother’s tongue and held his breath in anticipation.

  “Do you need some help in here?” Richard’s voice eased Rich’s tension.

  Thank you, he thought. Rich waved an arm toward the wall. “Yeah, could you help me grab some boxes from the other room?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Rich was glad his father had picked that exact moment to show up in the doorway. The situation had just become tense with his mother’s realizations. And Marilyn Spencer was not the kind of woman to hold her tongue, especially when it concerned her son.

  “So she’s not comfortable having you in the same room, huh?” Richard asked as soon as they were alone in what would soon be the nursery.

  Rich shook his head, unable to confirm the question verbally.

  “That’s okay. Which box?” Richard waited for direction then picked up one marked clothes. “You’re in the same house, Rich. And it’s obvious the girl loves you. Be patient, son, you’ll soon be in her room, in her bed. It must be really confusing for her. She loves you, but must still feel a loyalty to the father of her baby.”

  Rich’s teeth ground together, but he dropped his head to avoid his father’s eyes. He scooped up a box. “At the end of the day, all I want is to be the man in her heart. As long as I have that…well, that’s all I need.”

  Richard chuckled softly. “Since I’m a betting man, I would put everything I had on a bet that you’re already there. In her heart, I mean.”

  “That’s all I need.” Rich brushed past his dad and went back into the guest room, his room.

  Kate and Marilyn were each lying on the bed and, as Rich came around the corner, Marilyn put her finger to her lips. “Shh.”

  Kate’s full lips pulled into a smile, her eyelids fluttered. “I’m not asleep, Marilyn, just resting my eyes.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  As if having one mother in the house wasn’t bad enough, the doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of a second. Rich felt his intestines wrap themselves into a knot as Kate once again carelessly rushed to the door. Whether it was the certainty—or the uncertainty—of who was on the other side that made him nauseous though, Rich couldn’t be sure.

  The last time Rich had seen Anna Callahan had been at Jesse’s funeral. Kate had been an emotional basket case, and Rich wondered if Anna had any suspicions of the feelings he and Kate shared. If she doubted at that time, Rich had left little question with his weekly dose of flowers.

  The door opened and Kate rushed into the arms of her mother and both of them burst into tears. Rich shook his head and bit back a chuckle. He would never understand that kind of reaction. He had missed Kate immensely, but didn’t cry when he saw her after those excruciating six months.

  Technically he did cry, he reminded himself with a pang of remorse, but not because of the reasons the two women in front of him shared.

  Anna kissed Kate’s cheek. “Your dad sends his love. He wanted to come, but couldn’t get away.”

  “I understand.”

  Anna’s hands moved over the belly of her daughter, cooing as she felt the little person within kick. “I can’t believe how much you’ve grown.”

  “That’s just a nice way of saying I’m huge.”

  “You’re not huge,” Anna and Rich said in unison. Anna turned to him, her dark eyes sparkling, and she smiled, a genuine smile. “Rich, how are you? It’s good to see you under happier circumstances.” She stepped toward him and pulled him into a hug, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank you for taking care of my girl,” she whispered in his ear.

  Rich smiled. “Glad to do it, Mrs. Callahan.”

  Kate was practically beaming, the smile on her face spread clear across her face. “Mom, I’m so glad you’re here. Come in. You must be so tired.”

  Anna threaded her arm through Kate’s and they walked into the house. “Call me Anna,” she said over her shoulder. “Oh, you have company. I’m sorry to just barge in on the party.”

  Richard and Marilyn were on their feet and smiled at the approaching woman. Rich stepped around Kate and Anna when Anna’s feet stopped moving. “Anna, these are my parents. They popped in for a visit.”

  Rich had never seen anything so bizarre in all his life. The two mothers all but ran into one another’s arms, embracing as if they were long lost sisters. Then Anna hugged Richard, placing a kiss on his cheek. It would have been easy to be creeped out by the Twilight Zonesque events unfolding in front of him if not for the soft touch of Kate wrapping her arm around his waist.

  “Weird, huh?” she whispered.

  “Yeah,” he only breathed the word. His arm eased around Kate’s waist, and he watched as the two older women began to plan a future he could only dream of. Kate stiffened next to him, her hand formed a ball at his side, as they began to delve into the nursery and how they were going to paint it yellow because…

  “Yellow stimulates the brain and makes the child smarter,” Marilyn informed them.

  Kate stretched up on her toes and whispered, “I don’t like yellow.”

  Rich nodded in agreement. He wasn’t a big fan of the color either. “Um, Mom.” Both women turned to look at him, each had a look of surprise on their face as though they were shocked to see him and Kate standing in the room with them. “How about a nice blue?”

  Marilyn’s laugh oozed sarcasm. “Oh, Rich, honey, this is what I get paid for.” She looked at Kate. “Your nursery is in great hands.”

  “It’s not the hands I’m worried about,” Kate muttered under her breath, “it’s the walls.”

  Rich chuckled softly. He gripped the back of her neck and whispered in her ear, “No matter what they do, we can undo it as soon as they go home. I promise.”

  Kate kissed his cheek and he could feel some of her tension fade. “Thanks…for everything.”

  The moms were laughing as they walked past Kate and Rich, talking accent colors to the hideous yellow theme. “Black and white,” Marilyn said.

  “With a bit of red,” Anna added.
<
br />   “Yes! We’ll have the smartest grandson on Earth.”

  “And the cutest,” Anna insisted which caused another onslaught of high-pitched laughter.

  Kate shook her head. “Unbelievable,” she spat the word, “unfreakingbelievable.”

  Richard cleared his throat and Kate held up a hand in apology. “No offense, Richard. I love her, and I’m sure she’s really talented and would... It’s just that I would really like to decorate my own nursery.”

  Rich knew his father’s hard expression was only to tease Kate and make her squirm. Rich shot him a glare. Richard smiled. “As if I don’t know she’s overbearing. This is her thing. She gets a little excited and…”

  “Goes a little crazy,” Rich finished.

  “We’ll leave before she can do too much damage,” Richard promised.

  Kate breathed a sigh of obvious relief, and Rich could feel some of the tension leave her body in that breath. “But—” Then she sucked in another breath and stiffened. “—what about my mom?”

  Rich and his father burst into laughter. Rich pulled her to his chest and kissed the top of her heard. Richard spoke through his chuckles. “Well, honey, there’s not much I can do about her.”

  Kate was grateful for the stabilizing influence of Rich and his dad. She adored her mother and she’d quickly learned to love Rich’s mom, too. But together, the two moms were going to drive her insane. They had successfully bonded and were at this very moment decorating the nursery of her baby. If she wasn’t careful, they’d try to name him too.

  As if her thoughts called to them, the moms reappeared from down the hall, still chatting about little yellow duckies and fluffy white clouds. Kate was sure she didn’t want to know the specifics of that particular topic.

  “Marilyn,” Richard interrupted the high-pitched planning, “I think we should head out for tonight.”

  “But…” Marilyn protested.

  “We’ll see you tomorrow, Mom.” Rich didn’t give her a chance to protest further. He gave her a hug. “I love you, Mom.”

  “Okay.” By the fall of her beautiful face, it was obvious that she was disappointed and she smiled to hide it. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” She kissed Rich on the cheek. “Love you.” Then hugged Kate. “Sleep well.”

  Kate’s irritation melted into guilt. She considered asking them to stay, but refrained. “You too.”

  Marilyn hugged Anna then headed for the door. Kate couldn’t let her leave without telling her one more thing. The door was open and Richard was already outside before Kate was able to pull her thoughts together.

  “Marilyn,” Kate yelled, rushing to the entryway, “in answer to your earlier question—” She paused for only a moment, feeling every eye in the house—and the yard—on her. “—Yes, I do. Very much.”

  As Marilyn’s eyes filled with tears, Kate was certain she knew exactly which question had been answered. It was bizarre that she was hesitant to tell Rich that she loved him, but felt completely comfortable revealing it to his mother. She felt like she owed her that much.

  And maybe she owed Rich that much too.

  Richard escorted Marilyn to the car and they waved as they left the driveway. Kate watched from the doorway until the taillights disappeared around the corner, unable to go back inside and face Rich.

  He stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. “You do very much what?” he purred in her ear.

  Kate’s heart skipped a beat and she whispered, “Love you.”

  His breathing was steady, and Kate could feel the strong beat of his heart, but there was no other reaction. She wasn’t sure what she expected, she’d hoped for elation, but this wasn’t it.

  Time seemed to stretch on forever. Kate knew he loved her—or she thought she did. But as each second ticked by, drops of doubt fueled the fear festering in her soul.

  “I’m sorry,” she finally whispered, cursing the damned tears that burned her eyes.

  His lips were warm and soft as they pressed a kiss to the tender spot just below her ear. “Kate, don’t.” Strong hands urged her to turn around.

  She reluctantly faced him, but kept her eyes lowered, not wanting to see the rejection she deserved sparkling in his blue eyes.

  “Kate.” He lifted her chin with a gentle tilt of his fingertip. His breath was warm against her cheek. “Open your eyes and look at me.” She considered leaving them closed, but ultimately, slowly, opened them. There, reflected in the deepest blue of his eyes, was so much love it opened the floodgates. “You do love me?” His voice was low and full of emotion.

  She nodded and sniffed. “Very much.”

  “That’s all that matters.”

  It wasn’t all that mattered though. There was so much more at stake than just the two of them and their feelings for each other. She would have argued, debated the same old points, but suddenly a new thought had her mind racing. “Where’s my mom?”

  By the look on Rich’s face, he’d forgotten that there was still a parent within earshot. “I’m uh, I’m not sure.”

  Rich’s fingers wrapped around her hand and comforted her as they began their search. Kate’s bedroom door was open, and there was a rush of water coming from the bathroom. “I’ll wait here,” he whispered.

  “Good idea.” She cradled his face in her hands and kissed him hard on the mouth. “Thank you, Rich. I really don’t deserve you.”

  “You sell yourself short, my love.” He kissed her softly, chastely. “Go find your mother.”

  Anna was sitting, fully dressed, on the side of the bathtub with the water running. She looked up as Kate asked, “Mom? Are you okay?”

  Her eyes were soft, understanding. “Yes. Are you?” With a flick of her wrist, the rush of water stopped. “It sounded like you and Rich needed a moment without an audience.”

  “Thanks. We did.”

  Anna’s lips pulled into a disapproving line. Kate knew the look well. It was the same one she’d seen it hundreds of times over the years. “That man is crazy for you, Kate. Can’t you see that?”

  “Mom, please don’t. I’m confused enough without you adding guilt to it.”

  “Kate,” she said while she stood, brushing a lock of hair from Kate’s shoulder, “I know you’re an adult and that you’re going to do as you please, but I just…”

  “You love him,” Kate interrupted.

  Anna started to laugh, tossing her head back. “I do. And his mom is awesome.”

  “She is pretty great.” Kate had no reason to argue. Rich’s parents were just as wonderful as their son, and when the day came that Rich left her, loving his parents too would make it all the more painful.

  The rest of the evening progressed along comfortably. Rich was at complete ease as he watched the news with Anna. Kate was curled up next to him on the couch, her head on his lap, fast asleep.

  “So this is your station?” Anna asked quietly, her eyes still focused on the television.

  “Yes. That’s Clayton. He’s a jerk most of the time,” Rich noted, shaking his head as the jerk in question delivered his tag. “Poor Nate’s my best friend.”

  “He must have drawn the short straw today then?” There was clear amusement in Anna’s question.

  “Yep, either that or he pissed off Jordan again.”

  “Jordan? I met him at the…funeral.” Sadness flashed across her face at the mention of Jesse’s services.

  “Um hum. Him and his wife, Olivia.”

  Her eyes lit up with understanding. “Kate talks about Olivia a lot. She’s never been one to have close girlfriends. It’s nice to see she has one now.”

  Kate stirred and moaned something unintelligible. Rich shook her awake. “Kate, sweetheart, why don’t I help you to bed?”

  “No, I’m fine. I just drifted off.”

  “An hour ago,” Anna laughed. “It’s okay. I’ll still be here in the morning. We can talk more then.”

  Kate sat up and rubbed at her eyes. “You’re sure?”

  Anna nodded a
nd smiled the same reassuring smile her daughter had. “I’m sure. ‘Night, baby girl.”

  Rich stood and offered Kate his hand. She slipped her small hand into his and used his strength to pull herself to her feet. She pressed a kiss to her palm and blew it to her mom. “Good night, Mom. I love you.”

  Rich wrapped an arm around Kate’s waist. “I’ll be right back,” he told Anna.

  “You’ll…You’re…What are you two going to do after I’m out of the room?” Her green eyes were wide with panic.

  Rich ushered her down the hall. “The same thing we do with you in the room. Paranoia is not very becoming, love.”

  “I am not paranoid, just…tired,” she said through a yawn.

  At her bedroom door, he paused. “Are you okay or do you need my help?” He raised a suggestive brow.

  “I’ll be okay. I’m pregnant, not an invalid.” She rolled her eyes and snorted. “Good night, Rich.”

  “’Night.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you.”

  A heavy sigh was audibly blown from her lungs. “I love you, too.”

  He didn’t want to feel the smug elation he did, nor did he want to grin like the damned Cheshire Cat, but there he stood, his heart pounding in his chest and his cheeks hurting because his smile was so wide.

  She shook her head and slapped playfully at his chest. “Like you didn’t already know it.”

  “I will never get tired of hearing you say it.” He swatted her small bottom. “If you need me, just holler.” The door closed and Rich couldn’t help his laughter which he was sure she heard on the other side.

  Anna was still sitting on the chair as Rich re-entered the living room. She smiled and used the remote control to turn off the television. The action made Rich’s stomach roll.

  “You really do love her.” It wasn’t a question.

  “More than anything.” Rich eased himself into the comfort of the opposing chair, feeling anything but comfortable.

  Anna leaned forward to rest her arms on her knees. “I thought so.” Her face hardened, every subtle line became serious. “What about the baby?”