"It just occurred to me that you might enjoy some freshly made lemonade." She glanced around--taking in the high stucco walls that enclosed the colorful backyard--with a look of affection. "Isn't it nice back here? Your dad has done a wonderful job with it. Which reminds me. That was your dad callifig. He'd gotten the message I left him at the golf pro shop. He was surprised and pleased to hear you were home. However, he still has some errands to run, so it might be a little while before he gets here."
Craig set the tray down on the table between their chairs and poured them each a glass of lemonade. He handed his mother one and said, "It's just as well. There's something I want to discuss with you. Dad can hear about it later."
She settled back into her chair and gave him a level look. "I knew there was something wrong or you wouldn't be back here so soon. Did something happen in Tibet? I know the political situation there isn't stable. You know how worried I was when you first mentioned wanting to go there."
"Actually I was quite fortunate in making some good contacts once I arrived. Although I. wasn't ere as long as I'd originally planned, everything went so smoothly I was able to reach some of the areas I'd hoped to get to see." He took a large swallow of liquid from his frosty glass before searching for an opening. Finally he said, "This is about Tess."
Susan straightened in surprise. "Tess Cassidy? Has something happened? Is she all right?"
Good question. He wasn't quite ready to answer that one just yet. "Have you heard from her lately?"
She was silent, as though mentally calculating. "Well, now that you mention it, I guess it has been a while. You know how time can just slip away from you. I don't think I've heard from her since you were here last. You said something about dropping in to see her back then. Is something wrong? I know she took her grandmother's death hard, but I was hoping she was doing better now."
He cleared his throat, mentally preparing to take the dive into a very deep subject. "I believe she's adjusting to the loss of her grandmother. This is something different. She's pregnant."
"Oh, my!" his mother gasped. "That doesn't sound like Tess at all. I mean, you're not saying that she's suddenly gotten married, are you? She's never given the slightest hint that she's met anyone. This
would be so sudden, coming so soon after her grandmother's--"
"She isn't married." His voice sounded hoarse in his own ears. He wondered if his mother had noticed. She seemed too shocked at his news to be aware of his behavior.
"Oh, that poor darling. She's had such a rough go of life, it seems. Her mother would be so upset to hear such a thing had happened to her daughter. That poor woman went through so much, trying to survive with next to no education. She always said that she wanted Tess to get her education so she'd be able to take care of herself no matter what. I suppose that would be some consolation for Tess to fall back on, but still. ," "I, uh, don't remember her mother very well."
"That's because she was always working.. At least Tess's grandmother was there to look after Tess, but her mother was always working two or three jobs at a time. It's no wonder her heart finally gave out on her like that."
"Tess seemed happy enough when we were growing up."
"Oh, yes. She's always been one to cope with whatever came along. So dependable, so calm. I suppose that's why this latest news is such a shock. It's so out of character for her." She was quiet for a while, shaking her head. After a lengthy silence, Susan said, "Tess must have loved the man she got involved with a great deal to allow such a thing to happen."
Craig felt her remark go through him as if it were a lance, spearing him through the middle. He couldn't have spoken if his life depended on it. In some unfathomable way, he felt as though it did..
"Is there any possibility she will marry the father, do you think?" Susan went on to ask. "I think that's always the best way to care for a child if there's any hope at all that the relationship can work out."
Craig took his time draining his glass and carefully replacing it on the table between them before attempting to reply. He started to speak and found his voice was gone. After clearing his throat twice, he managed to say, "I'm the one you're talking about, More."
Susan stared at him blankly, as though he had spoken to her in a foreign language. "What?" She blinked, her mouth trembling slightly. When he didn't say anything more, she said, "What did you say?" There was nothing more to add, so he just sat there, waiting for the news to sink in. "Are you saying that you and Tess--?" She placed her fingers over her mouth as though to stop the flow of words and what they could mean. "I'm afraid I don't understand. I mean, how--" The news seemed to hit her with a sudden force and her voice rose. "You ... got ... Tess Cassidy pregnant?" she asked in a horrified voice.
Finally saying it was something of a relief... just getting it out. He nodded. "I ended up spending the night with her before I flew to Asia. It wasn't anything either of us planned. It just happened. I can't really explain it, and even if I could, what happened is really between Tess and me. But once I was gone, I realized so many things about myself, about Tess, about us growing up together, about our friendship. It was just as if all of those memories had been waiting for me to look at them from a different perspective." Craig rubbed the heels of his hands into his eyes. They felt like burning coals from so many hours without sleep. "It felt so strange to think of Tess in such a different light. I'd always considered her the sister I never had. She was just there as part of my life. I knew she was important to me.
I just wasn't really aware of how important and in what ways."
His mother quietly said, "I see. You finally realized you were in love with her, didn't you?"
He dropped his hands from his eyes. "You don't sound particularly surprised."
Susan's smile was a little sad. "Well, no. Your dad and I have known for years how you felt about her. By the time you both were in high school, we found it amusing to see how you looked after her, made sure the boys she dated treated her with respect. We could tell that you didn't have a clue why you took such an interest in her," she said with a sigh, "but then boys tend to mature later than girls and we just figured that sooner or later you would discover how you really felt. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late to do something about it."
Neither one of them said anything for several moments. Craig was struck by this new perspective of his past behavior, feeling almost stupid at not understanding his own feelings sooner.
After the silence stretched out, Susan finally shook her head as though dazed. "You were so protective of her for so long, and then to hear that after all these years you were so careless as to--" She stopped,
swallowed and he saw her eyes fill with moisture. "I asked her to marry me," he offered quietly. Her tears over flowed but she ignored them.. Instead she reached for his hand and squeezed it, her smile tender. "Of course you would, and I'm glad that you didn't waste any time." She narrowed her eyes slightly, thinking back. "She must be... what? eight or nine weeks along by now." Her smile was understanding when she added, "I know this is going to be a difficult transition for you, adjusting to having a wife and child, but at least you know you're doing the right thing. And it isn't as though you don't love her and that she doesn't--"
"She hasn't actually agreed to it. At least, not yet."
Susan blinked. "No?" she said faintly, pressing her fingers against her throat.
He looked away, focusing on the landscaping in the backyard. "I don't believe she considers me proper husband material, much less father material." He was amazed at how much that hurt him. Saying it made her attitude more real. There was a very good chance that his child might not carry his name. He wasn't certain how he was going to deal with that.
"Oh, my."
His eyes began to water, which wasn't surprising. He was going to have to get some sleep. He rubbed them once again. "Of course, I fully intend to change her mind." It was an effort to keep his voice light. "It just may take a while. But we've got some time to work things out be
fore it arrives."
"She's sure that she's pregnant?"
"She intends to see a doctor next week, but from the indications I think it's fairly certain."
"So what do you intend to do now?"
Ah. The next hurdle. "I came over here to get all my gear. I intend to move in with her." Before his mother could respond he hurriedly continued. "I know. I know that isn't the best or most sensible solution, but the thing is, I don't want her to set up a routine that excludes me. I want to be there, right from the beginning. If she won't marry me, then I'll do it this way. I don't intend to let her out of my sight until she gives birth."
"Poor Tess. She doesn't really have a chance if you're serious about doing this."
Craig felt a heaviness in his heart. "You mean, you don't think I'm any better husband or father material than she does?"
"I didn't say that, so don't put words into my mouth. I just know how determined you can be when you set your mind to it. ! also know Tess. She isn't going to be rushed into anything without thinking it through. Tess is very much her mother's daughter, you know. Her mother could have curled up and let life kick her around, but she refused to break beneath the burdens. They're survivors, both of them." She poured Craig another glass of lemonade.
Craig drank from his glass, then allowed his eyes to drift close.
"Of course she'll marry you," Susan said, breaking the silence. "She'll do whatever she can to give her child the stable home life she never had."
"I believe the problem is that she doesn't think I'll provide a stable home life."
Susan chuckled. "Well, not if she's looking at your past record. But I have a hunch things have changed for you, haven't they?"
"Well, yeah, once I realized she was pregnant--" "Oh, before then, darling. The old Craig would still be in Tibet or traveling on to Afghanistan or into Russia. You wouldn't have given a thought to returning home so soon if you hadn't already been preoccupied with your feelings for Tess."
His mother knew him even better than he thought. "So I would say that one of the ways you could convince her that you're already in the process of changing is to point out to her that you realized you loved her while you were in Tibet and no longer
wanted to spend your time away from her. Isn't that the real reason you came back so soon?"
"I told her all of that... or at least, I think I did, something along those lines, anyway. I can't remember, exactly. I was rehearsing what I was going to tell her all the way back, but once I saw her all my planned speeches left my head."
"Well, if you want my advice, I say that you need to get some rest before you do another thing. I wish you'd brought her with you this trip."
"I tried, but she was shy about seeing you so soon after finding out."
"She'll come around, eventually, give her a little time to adjust. After all, she needs you, whether she fully understands that or not. She's going to need you even more in the coming months. What you're going to have to do is to prove to her that you can be there for her, that you intend to become a part of her life and the child's life. No woman could resist knowing that. Besides, the fact that she loves you is a plus in your favor."
"I didn't get the impression that she's feeling much love for me these days. I have a hunch that if she had a miniature doll that looked like me, she'd be busy sticking pins into it."
"Nonsense. She's loved you most of her life. Don't worry. Once she's spent some time with you again, once she's seen that you're serious about staying here at home and caring for her, she'll come around. You just wait and see."
"I hope so because I don't intend to walk away." "Why don't you go on inside and go to bed? VII explain everything to your dad when he gets in. The two of you can visit tomorrow. There's plenty of time for all of that. This will all work out just fine, wait and see if it doesn't."
She was smiling by the time she finished speaking. Craig got up and headed for the room they'd designated was his. As he opened the door, he heard a light, girlish laugh coming from his mother, a sound he hadn't heard in years.
"A baby!" she said, following him into the house. "I can't wait to tell Phil he's finally going to become a grandpa!"
Chapter Four .
By the time Tess got home after work on Monday, she was exhausted. There had been three accidents on the freeway, causing considerable back up in traffic and long delays. She was hot and irritable.
She was also nervous. Craig was supposed to be back sometime today. He'd called last night to tell her that he was running a little behind in loading the truck and probably wouldn't get in until late this evening.
She'd welcomed the respite. She'd spent the weekend trying to come to grips with all that had happened. The pregnancy was a shock, of course, but having Craig back in her life was an even bigger one.
How could she have agreed to let him move in with her? To sleep with her? How could she put herself in such a vulnerable position?
The earliest doctor's appointment she could get was for a week from Tuesday. What if she'd been wrong? Maybe the test was defective. What was she going to do if the doctor said she was not pregnant?
Would Craig think she had tricked him? She couldn't face the thought that he'd lose faith in her. He was too important to her. On the other hand, she cared too much for him to tie him down to life in suburbia. That's why she couldn't marry him. 1 would be a lifetime sentence that he'd soon regret.
She turned down the alleyway to her condominium where the garage was located, slowing as touched the remote garage door opener. The door wa not yet fully up when her back gate opened am someone stepped out into the alley.
Before she had time to wonder how someone hac gotten over the high wall she recognized Craig standing there, his insouciant grin firmly in place.
He was back. So much for having a few hours to herself before she had to see him again.
She pulled into the garage, reached for her purse and unfastened her seat belt, but before she could open the door he was there, holding it open for her. "Hi. I didn't want to scare you by rapping on your back door after you got into the house, so I've been listening for you to drive up and enjoying your garden at the same time. It's really beautiful back there. You've put in a lot of work on it."
"Either you're earlier than you expected to be or I'm really late. How did you get in?"
He shrugged. "Climbed over the wall."
"Craig, that wall is seven-feet high!"
"I'm not surprised. Not a bad idea. Keeps people out."
"Obviously not everybody," she said, shaking her head in exasperation. "I hope we don't have too many athletic criminals hanging out in the neighborhood. I've always felt fairly safe, until now." She unlocked the door to the kitchen and walked inside the house.
Craig followed her. "Don't worry. I'll be here to protect you."
She was ashamed to admit to herself that she liked the sound of that.
"When did you get here?"
He glanced at his watch. "Almost two hours ago. I left as early' as I could to miss the evening traffic."
"Wish I could have done that. It was horrible today, coming home. I feel badly about not giving you a key before you left. I wasn't really thinking that far ahead."
"That's okay. I'm going to have to unload the truck this evening. It's still sitting on the street, but I didn't want to miss you when you got home."
"If you'll excuse me, I think I'll get out of these clothes and into something more comfortable. I can help you unload."
"Not on your life. Until you've talked to a doctor, I don't want you to do any lifting."
"I'm sure that not everything you've brought is heavy."
"Doesn't matter. Run on upstairs while I look for something to make for supper."
"You're going to cook again? You're determined to spoil me, I can see that." She turned away, and he heard her footsteps on the stairs.
She was nervous with him. Plus she didn't ask, either during the phone call last night or just now, what h
is folks had said about her pregnancy.
Why hadn't he ever noticed before how carefully she covered whatever she might be feeling with that calm, competent demeanor of hers?
He was noticing so much about her, seeing her so differently now. She had never quite met his gaze just now, her eyes darting away, her hands busy.
By the time she came back downstairs in a halter top and shorts that showed off her long legs, he was busy chopping vegetables for a salad. He didn't need the reminder, although he would have probably reacted in the same way toward her if she'd worn a sack. His memory was quite good. He knew exactly what she looked like without those few items of clothing.
In a bright tone, she asked, "what did you find for supper?"
"Tm steaming some veggies, making a salad. I wasn't sure if you'd want me to grill a couple of these chops so I thought I'd wait to ask."
"Not for me, but go ahead if you want one."
She sat down at the bar and he poured her a glass of iced tea.
"I've been doing a great deal of thinking since I saw you last," he said once she'd had a chance to sip the cool drink.
He watched her tighten her hold on the glass. Without looking at him, she said, "Oh?" as though
she wasn't particularly interested in what he'd been thinking.
Too bad. "I've got several ideas I want to run past you."
Now she definitely looked wary. "Such as?" "Oh, about what I can do to make your life a little easier in the next few months. I imagine you're going to want to continue working for a while. That being the case, I thought I might take over some of the chores around here. I can run the vacuum and keep things picked up, throw in a load of laundry whenever it's necessary, help with the meals and grocery shopping. You know, that sort of thing."
Tess couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was Craig Jamison talking! "I don't remember a genie granting me three wishes," she finally replied. "Why are you offering to do so much around here? I may he pregnant, but I'm certainly not an invalid."
He grinned. "Well, since I can't carry the baby, the least I can do is some of the household chores."
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