Lovers Like Us

by Mary Campisi

  “Helena?” Luke laid a hand on her arm, his gaze settling on her belly. “Is something wrong?”

  She stopped rubbing, forced a smile to hide the doubt in her heart. He mustn’t see her fear. It would cloud his judgment and she had to know he wanted this life, that obligation was not the reason. Love and a desire to commit was the reason. “I’m fine. Just a little tired, I guess.”

  Rose Donovan shook her dark head. “Isn’t it something how the fatigue hits you? One second you’re mopping the floor and the next you have to sit down and close your eyes.” She tsk-tsked. “Wait until the next one. Of course, it depends on how close together they are, but no matter the age difference, you won’t be able to rest like you can with this one.” A slow smile crept over her lips. “You’ll see. But there’s nothing like it and all the heartburn, sleepless nights, and stretch marks are worth it when you look at your child. It’s a true miracle, one that should never be ignored or forgotten.”

  Luke cleared his throat, twice. “Mom, let’s get through the first pregnancy before we start talking about the second.”

  “Oh... Yes, there’s no rush to talk of another one or another three. You two just take your time and enjoy being together.” She picked up a slice of fresh bread, handed it to Luke. “Help yourself, dear. And when you do decide to expand the family, we’re all here to help, especially with the babysitting.” Another smile and a pledge, “We’ll do anything we can because that’s what family does.”

  Helena tried to imagine her brother and sister offering babysitting services. It would never happen. Dominic was divorced, no kids, and Estelle had chosen two Yorkshire terriers instead of a man because she said dogs don’t break your heart. As long as Helena delivered her work and remained within calling distance, her siblings didn’t butt into her personal life. Oh, they might threaten and make a comment or two, but doing something about it because they disagreed with her? That would require an investment of time and emotion and Dominic and Estelle didn’t have either to spare, at least that’s what they implied whenever she called with a nonwork question. Can’t talk now...right in the middle of a meeting...gotta go...call later... Or, why do you feel that way? You’re overreacting; can’t you see that?

  They were more interested in Helena as an employee than a sister and didn’t take time for her unless her personal life interfered with her work—as in a production lag. Then they were very interested and if the production decreased, they made a point of finding out why and who was behind the problem. The ex-fiancé was a huge issue, but Dominic said the work that resulted from the breakup was first class. Estelle agreed and encouraged her to continue writing them.

  What would they say if they knew she were in love and expecting a baby? And Luke? What would they think of him? Words like undisciplined, reckless, and wild came to mind.

  “Do you think you’ll find out the baby’s sex?” Rose Donovan glanced from her son to Helena, her blue eyes filled with such joy.

  “Dunno,” Luke said. “We’re still talking about it.” He slid a smile at Helena that pinged her heart and made her want to believe he really was all-in.

  Rose sighed. “Well, your brother isn’t interested in finding out if their baby is a boy or a girl. He says there aren’t enough surprises left in the world and they want this to be a surprise.” Another sigh, longer and more drawn out than the first. “How does he think I’m supposed to crochet baby blankets and booties if I have no idea whether the baby’s a girl or a boy? He says yellow and green are fine and Elizabeth—” she slathered butter on a slice of bread and studied it “—thinks any color is suitable...maroon, gray, purple...teal...no matter the sex of the baby.” She frowned, shook her head. “I don’t understand the world today. In my time it was so much simpler. Pink was for girls, blue was for boys and if you didn’t know, you chose green or yellow.”

  “Mom, do you want us to find out the sex of the baby?” Luke spoke in a gentle voice, his pale blue eyes on his mother.

  Rose Donovan’s face lit up with pure joy. “You would consider doing that?”

  Luke glanced at Helena, then back at his mother. “We have to talk about it, but if it means that much to you—”

  “We’d be happy to find out,” Helena said, laying a hand on Luke’s thigh. “Maybe you’d like to come with us to one of the doctor appointments?” It was the least they could do for Luke’s mother who, according to him, had known her share of heartache. This was what family did, wasn’t it? But Rose’s next words told her not all family members were so open with their sharing.

  “Bless you, children but you have made my heart sing.” Rose sat back in her chair, tapped a finger against her chin. “Now if I could only find out Charlotte’s intentions...”

  “Charlotte?” Luke asked around a mouthful of bread. “What intentions? What did she do now?” He scooped a tiny meatball onto his spoon, plopped it in his mouth, chewed.

  Luke’s younger sister sounded like a hellion: full of energy and as much spunk as her brother. Two traits that weren’t always understood or accepted in a female. Helena was anxious as well as hesitant to meet this sister.

  “You’ll see soon enough, my dear.” His mother laughed, dabbed her lips with a napkin. “I can’t spoil all of the surprises. Besides, if you’d thought to visit more than once a year, you might have heard the news from her yourself.” She shrugged, said in a singsong voice coated with mystery, “Now you’ll just have to wait to find out.”

  Luke sighed. “Fine. I can imagine what she’s gotten into...” He turned to Helena, said in a soft voice, “My sister’s got a mind of her own.” He grinned, his blue eyes sparkling. “Worse than me. Headstrong, too. I pity the man who tries to tame her because that is not happening.”

  Rose Donovan’s laughter skittered across the table, landed next to Luke and Helena. “You’d be surprised what happens when you fall in love.” Her lips pulled into a wide smile. “And once you meet the man, I think you’ll agree they’re perfect for each other.”

  Chapter 4

  There were too many secrets swirling around the Donovan household and Luke didn’t like it. In the past, he’d usually been the one holding the secret, but to sit on the outside and try to guess what was going on? That was pure agitation and didn’t sit well. He’d tried to get his mother to spill the details, like what was going on with Charlotte, who was the guy she’d fallen for, and what was all this about intentions? What intentions? His sister had never fallen for any guy, not that Luke knew of, but then he’d just figured it was because she’d been too mouthy and opinionated to get one to land long enough to notice the softness behind the attitude. And Rogan? That was another level of what-the-hell-is-going-on-here, especially the quickie marriage and the baby. His brother had always been a plotter and a planner. You had to be one to get excited about accounting as a profession, didn’t you?

  What else had happened since Luke had been gone? It’s not that he wanted a play-by-play of everyone’s life in this town, but this was his family; he should at least know the basics behind a new sister-in-law and a baby, shouldn’t he? He stood in the backyard inspecting his mother’s gardens. Snow covered the beds and branches of a few bushes. The areas would need to be rototilled in the spring; he could do that for her if she wanted. His gaze slid to the gate leading to the open area of the yard. Talk about rusty and in need of repair. Maybe he should start making a list of what needed to be fixed. It was the least he could do for his mother, and it would take some of the burden from Rogan.

  He couldn’t go back and undo the fact that he’d bailed on his family when they needed him, but he could show them it wouldn’t happen again. That Luke Donovan was long gone, replaced with a better, more mature, sympathetic version. Was it because of Helena and the child? Of course, she made him better, made him want to be better, but the truth was that he’d gotten tired of his old lifestyle and realized it was time to grow up.

  Now all he had to do was find a way to earn money. He’d been thinking about that sinc
e he and Helena decided to head to Reunion Gap. Maybe he’d talk to Rogan about a job in the factory. It wasn’t his first choice, not even his fifth, but a baby cost money and he’d do whatever he had to in order to provide for his family. His family. Who would have ever thought he’d think about making choices for anyone but himself? Certainly not him, but here he was... If he worked in the factory he might also be able to pick up a few handyman jobs on the side. Fixing up houses—inside and outside—was something he knew about and he was pretty good at it.

  Helena wanted to get a job, too, but he’d rather she concentrate on the greeting card gig and see if she could sell more cards. She’d already sold a few and if she kept at it, who knew where it would take her? Luke imagined Helena working out of the house, creating cards, and taking care of their baby.

  Life was good. He and Helena were happy and had their whole future ahead of them. He turned and headed toward the house, whistling under his breath. Now all he had to do was get through tonight’s dinner and the reunion with his siblings. He tried to picture it all through his wife’s eyes. What would it look like? Too loud? Too bold? Too opinionated? Yup, he’d go with all of those. And too much talking, way too much talking.

  But hours later as he entered the dining room with his arm around his wife’s shoulders to join his mother, Rogan, Charlotte, and a woman who must be Rogan’s wife, he could not have imagined the scene that became reality. And not in a good or welcome-to-the-family way. “This is my wife, Helena.”

  “Wife?” Rogan spat out, gaze narrowed, lips pulled into a frown. “Wife?” he repeated as if Luke had just confessed to marrying a mail-order bride.

  “Your wife?” This from Charlotte whose words sputtered and landed in a heap of confusion at his feet.

  Talk about making him look like a fool. Was it really that impossible to imagine him with a wife? Okay, so a wife had never been on his top 10 wish list, but he’d never expected to meet anybody like Helena. Luke squared his shoulders, stared at his brother and sister. “Right. My wife.”

  His mother’s smile said she was happy about the announcement even if no one else was. “Yes, Lucas has brought home a wife.” She clasped her hands together like she was praying, and added, “Isn’t that just wonderful news?”

  “Sure is. Tell us how you ended up together.” Rogan paused. “Must have been love at first sight.” His brother knew how to torment him with just the right amount of teasing laced with arrogance, as though he were the more intelligent one, as though he already knew what his little brother would say. Of course, the guy didn’t know but he could goad Luke into spilling the truth before Luke even realized what he was doing. But not this time because the blonde sitting next to Rogan, who must be Elizabeth, clamped a hand on her husband’s wrist, as if to say, That’s enough. Please don’t torment your brother.

  Luke shifted from one foot to the other, cleared his throat. If he admitted that it pretty much was love at first sight, he’d sound like a fool and his siblings wouldn’t believe him anyway. He did not want to look like an idiot in front of Helena or like the guy he’d been...the one who couldn’t commit and wouldn’t consider a wife, let alone a child. Luke opened his mouth to spit out the news and prepare for the backlash when—

  “It was love at first sight,” his wife blurted out. “A few days after we met we were inseparable and realized we never wanted to be apart.” She clung to his arm, squeezed tight. “It was destiny.”

  “Destiny.” Rogan mouthed the word as though he didn’t understand its meaning.

  Charlotte pushed back her chair and made her way to the other side of the table, opening her arms to her new sister-in-law. “Congratulations.” She hugged Helena, then turned to Luke. “Wow. Destiny led you to each other… How wonderful.” His sister hugged him tight, leaned on tiptoe and whispered in his ear. “Are you crazy?” Her smile stayed in place until she was back in her seat and only then did it slip an inch. If you weren’t watching for it, you’d never have noticed.

  Happy homecoming. This was life at the Donovans’. A place where no one kept their thoughts to themselves and everyone had an opinion and felt it was their right and duty to share it. Luke forced a tight smile, pulled out a chair for Helena, and sank into the one beside her. “I’m hungry,” he said, eyeing the roasted potatoes and fried chicken. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had Mom’s fried chicken.” His siblings did have the courtesy to wait until he’d loaded up his plate and taken a few bites before they started on him again. This time it was Charlotte who conducted the interrogation, but he knew Rogan would tag-team and neither would stop until they had answers. Helena said she had a brother and sister, but he bet they weren’t loudmouth, opinionated siblings like these two.

  “So, what’s been going on in your world?” Charlotte forked a bite of potato, pointed it at him. “Fill us in on the last several months since you’ve been pretty much invisible.” She eyed him, her green eyes filling with humor and curiosity. “You spill and then I will, too. We’ll compare notes and see who’s got the bigger surprise.”

  Luke didn’t miss the disgusted sigh from his brother or the soft laugh from his new sister-in-law. Charlotte had a bigger surprise than a new spouse and a baby on the way? Doubtful, but he’d like to hear it because it probably had to do with the guy his mother told him about. This was not how he’d wanted to tell his siblings he was going to be a father. He’d planned to work up to it, show them how different he was from the last time they’d seen him, but it wasn’t going to play out that way. “Okay, I’m game.” He tore a roll in half, slathered it with butter. “Helena’s pregnant.” Yeah, nobody but his mother had expected that one. Luke eyed his siblings, slid them a smile. “Didn’t see that one coming, did you?”

  It was Helena’s turn to clasp his hand and squeeze. “It was a bit of a surprise,” she said, her words landing in the middle of the table with a thud. She did her best to recover as she rushed on, “We’re very excited about the baby...and...everything.”

  “Huh.” This from Charlotte who homed in on Luke as if trying to determine the accuracy of his new wife’s comments. “Well, you’ve got me beat. My surprise isn’t nearly as earth-shattering as a baby announcement.”

  Rogan shook his head, smiled at Charlotte. “I’m not so sure Luke will agree on that one. In fact, I seem to remember a particular animosity toward your husband and I doubt his feelings have changed much.”

  “Husband?” Charlotte was married? The rest of Rogan’s words flitted through his brain, skidded to a halt. “Animosity?” He darted a glance from his brother to his sister. “There’s only one guy I can’t stand, and—”

  The front door opened and a voice that sounded an awful lot like the jerk who annoyed the crap out of Luke called out, “Honey, we’re home!”

  “Tate Alexander?” Luke stared at his sister. “This is a joke, right?” He couldn’t stand the guy and his too-good looks, his fancy words, and fancier cars.

  Charlotte pushed back her chair, stood, and made her way to the other side of the table, closer to the voice they’d just heard. “Tate and I got married last month.”

  “You and Alexander. Married.” Luke rubbed his forehead, tried to make sense of what his sister had just told him. Tate Alexander was an arrogant piece of crap who’d been born with money and entitlement and no way was he going to touch Luke’s little sister—except apparently, he already had. “Where is he?” Luke balled his fists, scowled. Before he could continue his rant about his sister’s new husband, a golden retriever bounded into the dining room and jumped on him, mouth open, tail wagging.

  “Winston! Down!” Charlotte rushed to the dog, lifted a finger, and repeated, “Down.” The dog settled at her feet, tail still wagging.

  “This your mutt?” Luke asked.

  She nodded. “He doesn’t like to be called a mutt. His name’s Winston.”

  The other mutt in her life stepped into the room, brushed a hand along Charlotte’s cheek and kissed her, murmuring in her ear. Then
he turned to Luke and said, “Welcome back to Reunion Gap.” He held out a hand and left Luke no choice but to shake it or risk looking like an idiot. That was the pain-in-the-ass annoyance about Alexander: he always had the upper hand and knew how to play it to make you look like a fool.

  “We’re going to have a talk,” Luke said, gaze narrowed, breathing harsh. “My brother might have given you his blessing to marry our sister, but I sure as hell didn’t.”

  “Hey, hey, cool it, Luke.” Rogan shot him a look. “Charlotte’s a big girl and this guy’s not as big a pain as he used to be.” He shrugged, added, “Besides, he bought her a dog and he’s building her a house and she’s a whole lot calmer now that he’s in the picture.”

  Charlotte made a face at Rogan. “Can you not see that I’m standing right here? And I was never not calm.” She eyed her new husband. “Was I grouchy and wired before we got together?”

  The guy’s expression softened, and his voice slipped three octaves. “Maybe a little?”

  Okay, with an answer like that it was obvious the guy loved Charlotte. Nobody would be that nice to his sister and her bitchiness unless he really loved her and could overlook it. Or unless his presence made her less bitchy. “So, you and Tate Alexander...”

  Charlotte clutched her husband’s arm, leaned on tiptoe and kissed him. “Yup, me and Tate Alexander.” She sighed and turned to Rogan. “You forgot to tell Luke what else Tate did.”

  “Married you and didn’t tell me about it?”

  “No, and that was my idea, so stop blaming him.” Her voice turned all soft and gooey. “He made me the happiest woman in the world.”