One True Love

by Barbara Freethy

  "Excuse me?" a voice said.

  He let Lisa go, feeling somewhat shell-shocked to realize they were still standing in the middle of the hospital waiting room. Another minute, and he'd have ripped open her shirt and let his hands go where his mind had already wandered.

  "Would you like to see your niece now?" a nurse asked, with a wry smile on her face.

  "Of course." Lisa stepped away from Nick, patting her hair self-consciously. "We were so happy and relieved that our niece will be all right, I guess we got carried away."

  "I know what it's like to be in love."

  "But we're not in love. We're divorced," Lisa explained.

  "Really? If my ex-husband had kissed me like that, I sure as heck wouldn't have divorced him." The nurse turned her back and walked to the door.

  "Where was she eight years ago?" Nick muttered.

  Lisa shot him a dark look, and they seemed to be right back where they'd started.

  * * *

  Lisa spent the night at the hospital in a fold-out futon chair that was very uncomfortable, but she hadn't really been trying to sleep. She'd been watching Mary Bea and thinking about everything that had happened in her life. Taking care of Mary Bea had brought back the maternal feelings she'd thought were dead and buried. Along with those feelings came thoughts of Nick. Things had changed between them in the few days they'd been together. Somehow they'd climbed the mountain of guilt and anger together and come down the other side. She didn't know how it had happened exactly. But she did know that she didn't hate him anymore. She didn't blame him for Robin's death. She didn't even hold him responsible for his behavior at the funeral. Drinking had been Nick's answer to the pain. Flight had been hers. How could she blame him for wanting to escape when she had done exactly the same thing?

  Lisa checked her watch. It was past seven. The night before she'd been so busy with Mary Bea, trying to keep her entertained and unafraid of staying in the hospital, that she hadn't had a chance to call Raymond, and she needed to do that. He'd left several messages on her phone, each one tenser than the other.

  She slipped out of the room and into the hallways. She moved to the end of the hall, to an empty waiting room and punched in Raymond's number. He was an early riser, so she didn't worry about waking him up. The phone rang several times, but no one answered. Finally, the machine answered in Raymond's no-nonsense voice.

  Lisa waited for the beep, feeling strangely relieved that he wasn't there. "Hi, it's me. I'm sorry I couldn't get back to you yesterday. One of the kids had to go to the hospital. I hope to do some work today, and I'll talk to you later. Bye." She hung up the phone feeling unsettled. Where would Raymond be at seven-thirty on a Tuesday morning?

  As she headed back down the hallway, she ran into her mother who was getting off the elevator. "You're here early," she said in surprise.

  "I couldn't sleep. I was worried. I wanted to see how you and Mary Bea were."

  "Mary Bea is asleep, and I'm fine."

  Her mother's shrewd gaze swept across her face. "Are you really? I know how difficult this must have been for you. Coming back here -- to this hospital."

  "Well, it all worked out."

  "Now you know you can do it," Silvia said.

  "I don't know what you mean."

  "Of course you do."

  "Mom, please." She held up her hand. "I'm exhausted. I don't want to talk about anything right now, okay?"

  Silvia nodded. "I understand."

  "Did you hear from Maggie again?"

  "She just left the one message yesterday afternoon that I told you about last night." Silvia paused. "Aunt Carmela thinks Maggie is in trouble."

  "Well, for once I agree with Aunt Carmela. Maggie thinks Keith might still be alive. That's what she told Nick yesterday."

  "Oh, dear." Silvia's eyes filled with worry. "Perhaps I should have asked her to come home instead of..."

  "Instead of what?" Lisa asked, suddenly suspicious.

  "Oh, nothing."

  "You told her not to come back, didn't you?"

  "I wouldn't do that. I just mentioned that it was good you and Nick had some time to spend together. But that's it. I certainly didn't know Mary Bea would get sick. I feel terrible about that."

  "It's not your fault. Mom. I doubt whatever you said had any effect on Maggie anyway. She seems determined to find out the truth -- whatever that is."

  "Lisa, why don't you go back to Maggie's house, take a shower, change your clothes, and catch up on some sleep? I'll stay with Mary Bea."

  Lisa immediately shook her head. "No, I can't leave her. Besides, the doctor said she can go home later this morning, so I'll just wait till then. Nick's with Roxy and Dylan. He said he'd get them off to school, then come down here."

  Silvia smiled somewhat sadly. "You and Nick sound like a family."

  They did sound like a family, and it was beginning to feel comfortable, cozy, loving, warm. But the kids didn't belong to her, and eventually their mother would come home and Lisa would go back to her own life, a life without children.

  * * *

  "I think it was a mistake to let you sleep alone last night," Jeremy said when Maggie answered her hotel room door.

  She pulled her robe around her shoulders and wished Jeremy wasn't such an early bird. She was still half asleep and could feel her hair sticking up from her head.

  "I didn't sleep a wink," Jeremy added. "I couldn't stop thinking about you." He slid into her room before she could think of asking him to wait while she changed. He kissed her before she could think of brushing her teeth. Not that he seemed to care, and once his mouth touched hers, she didn't much care either.

  Maybe it had been a mistake to spend another night alone, but she just hadn't been able to take that leap. There were still too many unanswered questions in her head.

  "I like you like this," Jeremy whispered against her mouth. "Beautiful and dazed and ready to go to bed with me."

  "Uh -- I'm still asleep."

  "Good, then you won't resist." He picked her up and tossed her on the bed.

  She squealed in protest, but he climbed on to the bed and pinned her arms over her head with one hand. Then he let his glance drift down the length of her body, pausing just long enough on her breasts to cause them to tingle. Finally, his gaze came back to rest on her face. He suddenly looked serious. "Call him," he said.

  "What?" Maggie was having a little trouble following the conversation, considering Jeremy's crotch was resting against her upper thighs, and if they didn't have clothes on, if he slid forward just an inch or so, they could do all the things she'd dreamed about the night before -- only this time he'd really be in the room.

  "Maggie." Jeremy let go of her hands and snapped his fingers in front of her face.

  "What?"

  "Call him." Jeremy got off of her and sat on the edge of the bed. He tipped his head toward the phone.

  "Call who?" she asked as she sat up.

  "Keith. I want to know if you're still married, and I want to know now. Serena is not an early riser. They have to still be in her room."

  "They didn't answer the phone last night."

  "Do you want me to call?"

  "No," she said. "I'll do it."

  "Now," he said with determination. "I need to know if you're free, Maggie. And so do you. We're good together. I think we could be great together if you'd give us the chance to find out."

  She was so tempted to say yes, to have the ultimate adventure, the fantasy of her life. Who would blame her? No one. Everyone wanted her to be happy. But how could she be happy with Jeremy, when he knew nothing about her? At least none of the important things, like Roxy, Dylan and Mary Bea.

  Maggie reached for the phone and called the operator, asking for Serena's room. She wished they would give her the room number. She would have liked to knock on the door and stare Keith right in the face.

  The phone rang once, then twice, then three times. A man answered. "Hello," he grumbled.

  Maggie's he
art skipped a beat. "Keith? Oh, my God, is that you?"

  "What?" He sounded confused, then alarmed. "Who is this?"

  "It's your wife."

  "I don't have a wife. You must have the wrong number."

  "But --" Maggie stared in disbelief as the dial tone rang in her ear. She turned to Jeremy. "He answered the phone."

  "What did he say?"

  "He said he didn't have a wife."

  Jeremy stared at her for a long moment. "Are you sure it was him?"

  "It sounded like him." She looked at the receiver still clenched in her hand. "He said I had the wrong number."

  "That's it. Give me the phone."

  Maggie handed him the receiver, and he dialed the operator once again. She watched him with worry and anticipation and fear. After a moment, he hung up.

  "No answer."

  They'd spooked Keith. Now he knew someone was on to him. "He's going to leave," Maggie said.

  Jeremy nodded. "Get dressed, then meet me downstairs. I'll keep an eye out in the lobby. If they try to leave, I'll stop them." He stood up, then bent back down to kiss her. "Don't worry, Maggie. We'll find out the truth."

  "He hates me," she whispered. "What did I do to make him hate me?"

  "Maybe you should hate him. He's the one who left, who treated you abominably. Help me out here, Maggie. Get mad. Fight. That's the only way you'll get through this."

  "You're right." She thrust her chin up in the air. "I'm not some wimp he can just walk out on without an explanation. I want him to answer to me, to tell me to my face why he faked his own death."

  "What are you going to do then?"

  "I'll probably kill him."

  "That works for me."

  * * *

  Lisa tucked Mary Bea into her own bed just after one o'clock Tuesday afternoon. The little girl was exhausted, and Lisa hoped she would sleep for a few hours and give her body a chance to rest. Lisa had worried that Mary Bea was going home too soon, but the doctor had assured her that Mary Bea would recuperate just as fast, if not faster, at home. Lisa had a feeling that's what they told everyone these days, insurance being the way it was. But she forced herself to take the comments at face value.

  "Everything okay?" Nick asked from the doorway.

  She turned her head and sighed at the sight of him. He looked so damn good in his faded jeans and navy blue knit T-shirt, rugged and handsome and fresh from a shower. She, on the other hand, felt like a rumpled bed. "Everything's fine," she said, scolding herself for even noticing her ex-husband's looks. She didn't need to stare at him. She knew what his body looked like. She'd traced it with her mouth a hundred times. Goodness, where had that thought come from?

  "Lisa? What are you thinking about?" Nick asked curiously.

  "I was thinking about taking a shower, then a nap," she lied. "I'm tired." She walked into the hall and pulled Mary Bea's door closed so they wouldn't disturb her.

  "I'll bet you are. Mary Bea told me she loved you," Nick said softly. "She said she was glad you were her aunt."

  Lisa felt a rush of warmth steal across her body. "That's sweet."

  "Yeah, and she wants to know if we're going to live together again."

  Lisa felt a knot grow in her throat. "What did you tell her?"

  "That I wouldn't mind that at all."

  "Nick..." She searched for the right words to say but none came to mind, so she simply shrugged. Then said, "I really need to take a shower."

  "Before you go, I have a surprise for you in the kitchen."

  "I don't think I can take any more surprises."

  "Homemade chocolate chip cookies," he said. "Your number one comfort food, as I recall."

  "Oh, man. I thought I smelled cookies when we walked in the door." Lisa immediately turned toward the stairs and, despite Nick's laugh, hurried to the kitchen.

  The cookies were on a plate on the counter and were still warm.

  "They're only the slice and bake kind," Nick warned.

  "I don't care." She broke one in half and popped a bite into her mouth, then closed her eyes as the delicious warmth of chocolate and sugar melted in her mouth.

  "You look like you're having an orgasm," Nick commented.

  Lisa opened one eye and scowled at him. "Yeah, and you're interrupting."

  "It would be a lot more fun if I could share it with you."

  "Get your own cookie."

  He walked over and slid his arms around her waist, then pressed his mouth against hers, tasting the chocolate on her lips. "Mm-mm, I like this cookie the best."

  She pushed him away with a laugh. "You think you can sweet-talk me with a cookie?"

  "I know I can," he said confidently. "Just let me--"

  He stopped when the doorbell rang.

  "Probably my mother," Lisa said, heading toward the front door. But it wasn't her mother. It was Raymond.

  "What are you doing here?" she gasped.

  He sent her a satisfied smile. "I was worried about you, so I thought I'd drive down and see if I could help speed your return home." His smile faded as he saw Nick standing behind her.

  Lisa followed his gaze, realizing that Nick's mouth was spotted with chocolate, the same chocolate that was on her lips, because she'd been kissing him when she was engaged to Raymond. She suddenly felt as if they'd been caught in bed together.

  "I'm Raymond Curtis, Elisabeth's fiancé," he said to Nick, extending his hand.

  Nick ignored the gesture. "I'm Nick Maddux, Lisa's ex- husband."

  "Ex-husband?" Raymond's arm fell to his side. His eyes widened in shock as he looked from her to Nick, then back to her. "You never told me you were married."

  "You never told him you were married?" Nick asked with a mocking smile. "What else doesn't he know?"

  Chapter Twenty

  "Raymond, let me explain." Lisa took Raymond's arm and pulled him inside the house. "Come in and sit down. Would you like some coffee or a cookie?" She self consciously wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, catching Nick's sardonic grin out of the corner of her eye.

  "Some coffee would be good," Raymond said tensely, obviously taken aback by Nick's unexpected revelation.

  "I'm pretty thirsty myself," Nick said, following them down the hall to the kitchen.

  "I'd like to speak to Raymond alone." Lisa paused at the door to the kitchen.

  "I've been wanting to meet your fiancé, Lisa, I mean Elisabeth. I understand you're quite the businessman, Raymond."

  "Well, yes," Raymond said proudly. "I run a very successful advertising firm, Curtis and Associates."

  "Lisa told me you're a shark."

  Raymond darted a curious glance at Lisa. "I hope that was a compliment."

  "It was, of course," she said, feeling like a spectator at a tennis match. But she wasn't a spectator. This was her life, not Nick's. "Excuse us," she said firmly, pulling Raymond into the kitchen and shutting the door behind her.

  Raymond stared at her like she was a stranger, and as his gaze ran down her rumpled slacks and blouse, his expression grew more incredulous. "You look like you slept in those clothes."

  "She did," Nick said, stepping into the kitchen.

  "My God, did you sleep with him?" Raymond demanded.

  "No," Lisa snapped, trying to ignore Nick's amused smile. "I slept with my five-year-old niece in the hospital. I left you a message."

  "Right. You said something about an emergency."

  "She's fine by the way."

  "Well, that's good," he said a little awkwardly.

  "Where were you anyway?" she asked.

  "I had a breakfast meeting with Paul to discuss his handling of the Nature Brand account."

  "Paul?" She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You gave Paul my account? How could you do that?"

  "I waited for your ideas," Raymond replied, his voice sharp, his expression tense. "They didn't arrive as promised. I have to have something to present tomorrow at my lunch meeting. I can't go in empty-handed."

  "You can't
reschedule?"

  "No, dammit, I can't," Raymond said. "I have a business to run, and you're showing an amazing lack of reliability."

  "My friend is in trouble."

  "Your ex-husband?" Raymond tipped his head toward Nick, who was lounging against the counter.

  "No, my ex-husband's sister, Maggie. That's why Nick is here, Raymond. He's helping me take care of the kids."

  "So you're living here together?"

  "Not exactly together."

  "I wouldn't say that," Nick said.

  "You won't say anything, because you're leaving." Lisa walked around the kitchen island, grabbed Nick's wrist and dragged him out of the room. "Stay out, this is my business." She slammed the door in his face.

  Raymond looked at her in bewilderment. He shook his head, opened his mouth, then shook his head again. "I can't believe you were married. You never said a word. Why?"

  "I was young when we were married. It was eight years ago."

  "I told you about my ex-wife. Why the big mystery?"

  Now that he asked, Lisa didn't know why she hadn't told him, except that she hadn't wanted to think about Nick, much less talk about him. "There is no mystery. I just don't think about him anymore."

  "What else haven't you told me?"

  Lisa hesitated. "Sit down." She pulled out a chair for him at the kitchen table.

  Raymond sat down, waiting for her to begin.

  She took a deep breath, wondering if she could really get out the words. She hadn't told anyone about Robin, hadn't spoken about her from the day after the funeral until she'd arrived at Maggie's on Friday night.

  "Elisabeth, what is it?" Raymond prodded. "Surely, it can't be that bad."

  "It is bad, Raymond." She sat down and folded her hands together on the table. "Nick and I had a baby, and she died when she was two months old of sudden infant death syndrome, which means they don't really know what killed her." Her words came out in a terrifying rush, and she wasn't sure any of them made sense.

  Raymond didn't reply for a long moment. Then he put his hand over hers. "I'm sorry, I had no idea."

  "It's not something I talk about. Nick and I separated a few days after the funeral," she added. "It was a very painful episode in my life, and I never told you because I didn't want to relive it."