The Great Bedroom War

by Laurie Kellogg

  “Yeah. But what does the RTMF stand for?”

  Ryan grinned. “Whatever you’d like it to mean. It’s only a high school dance and it isn’t very far away, so if the two of you have a way to get there, I could drive you both home.”

  “That’d be great!” Dani agreed, even knowing her parents would most likely say no.

  “Good. I’ll see ya this afternoon.” He waved and headed down the hall.

  Haley smacked Dani’s shoulder. “What’d you say yes for? If your father refused to let you go to Ryan’s rehearsal, what makes you think he’ll agree to the dance? And he’s definitely not going to let you ride home with Ryan.”

  “Who says I’m gonna tell him?” Dani unloaded half of her books into the locker.

  “So how do you propose we keep my father and your parents in the dark next week?” Haley asked.

  “My mom and dad won’t have any problem with me sleeping at your house. And your father will drive us to the dance if he thinks my parents are bringing us home, right?”

  Haley pursed her lips and shrugged. “I suppose.”

  “There you go.” Dani grinned. “Our parents don’t need to know the truth. And if my mom and dad still aren’t talking to each other, they’ll be happy not to be forced to eat dinner together with me.”

  “You think it’s weird at your house?” Haley pulled her toward the girls’ bathroom. “Wait until I tell you what I overheard last night when I picked up the phone to call you. My dad was on the line with your Uncle Justin.”

  “So? What’s so weird about that?” Dani pulled open the lavatory door and allowed Haley to precede her. “They’re business partners and best friends.”

  “Except they weren’t discussing their company or sports. They were talking about your uncle moving in with us and discussing how and when they should tell me.” Haley pulled a comb out of her purse. “And when they hung up, your uncle said, ‘I love you, man.’”

  “What?” Dani did a double take at Haley’s reflection in the mirror over the sinks.

  “I know. Weird, huh?”

  “You don’t really think they could be gay, do you?” Dani dug her lip gloss out of her pocket. “I mean, your father was married to your mom and all.”

  “I don’t know what to think anymore. My dad’s been acting freaky all week. I saw a talk show once about people who led double lives and spent decades publicly denying they were gay before they finally came out. I mean, your uncle never got married, and he’s over thirty. And as the town’s welcome sign says, we do live a stone’s throw from the gay capital of Pennsylvania.” Haley raised her eyebrows at Dani. “Don’t you think that suggests something?”

  “Did I tell you I found out my uncle used to date my mom in high school?”

  “No way! That’s kind of....” Haley made a face like she’d licked the sole of her shoe.

  “I know. Gross. So are you okay with your dad and my uncle getting together?”

  Haley sighed. “He’s my father, and I want him to be happy. But it’s gonna really suck for me. Think about what everyone at school is gonna say.”

  Dani knew exactly how her friend felt. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like if everyone suddenly found out about her leukemia. Not to mention, she didn’t know how she was going to look her uncle in the eye the next time he visited. “Let’s not worry about this yet. You might have misunderstood.”

  Haley looked at her sideways, wearing a get real expression.

  “Okay. How about we wait to worry because, if your dad and my uncle are gay, then they’re gay. There isn’t a thing we can do about it, aside from buying them matching shirts.”

  ~*~

  Even though Nick had thoughtfully bought pumpkins, mums, and cornstalks to decorate the porch—something she hadn’t had the time or money to do this year—Sam still wasn’t talking to him. Although she wasn’t stupid enough to turn down the incredible meals he had waiting for her and Dani each evening. Allowing him to fix her dinner enabled her to complete several more Worry Pals than she would have if she’d had to deal with cooking and cleaning the kitchen.

  Thursday’s meal, a delicious antipasto salad followed by linguini with a spicy homemade meat sauce, was even quieter than usual since their daughter was preoccupied mulling over whatever had put the wrinkle in her brow.

  Halfway through the meal, Dani finally broke the silence. “Ryan told me Bethany invited me to dinner at their house tomorrow night. Is it all right if I go?”

  Sam glanced at Nick, whose eyebrows merely lifted, implying he was leaving the decision to her. If she said no, it would appear she was holding a grudge against Bethany. But if she agreed, she’d essentially be encouraging the relationship between their daughter and Ryan.

  “He eats at our house,” Dani pointed out.

  Nick tipped his head and stared at Sam, still wearing that it’s-your-call expression.

  She glared back at him. Weren’t situations like this the whole reason he’d insisted he needed to live with their daughter—so he could be the bad guy for a change?

  It was a shame she hadn’t bought that imitation diamond she and Adam had joked about. She would so love to waggle it under Nick’s nose right now.

  “Well?” Dani stared directly at Sam. Apparently the child had also caught her father’s unspoken message.

  “I’ll call Ryan’s sister and discuss it with her. If Cindy and Bethany are both going to be there, I don’t see any reason you shouldn’t have dinner with them.” Although....she winced. That would mean she’d be stuck eating with Nick alone.

  No way. She’d rather have dental surgery without Novocain.

  She could always call Jen to ask if she and Maggie were still going shopping. Except looking at maternity clothes could be even more painful than avoiding eye contact with Nick all evening.

  “Actually, it’s just as well that you’ll be out.” She smiled at Dani. “Dr. Chase has been begging me to find a free evening to see him.”

  As Nick’s jaw visibly clenched, she could practically hear his teeth grinding.

  She really should spend her Friday evening sewing, but she also needed to relax. And if she could accomplish that while infuriating her ex-husband, even better.

  “Thanks,” Dani said.

  Nick broke off a piece of the Italian bread he’d warmed up and glanced at their daughter. “By the way, my boss called today and asked if you’d be interested in babysitting for his niece on Sunday afternoon. Ethan, his sister, Megan, and Ken are all invited to a wedding, and their housekeeper is on vacation. He said you can bring Haley along if you’d like.”

  “Oooh, yes! I love babysitting Becca.”

  What teenage girl wouldn’t? Sam snorted to herself. Not only did the Swann family pay Dani well above the going rate to care for Ken’s four-year-old granddaughter, Dani and her friend would have the opportunity to spend an afternoon at the Swann’s luxurious estate which boasted every convenience and form of home entertainment imaginable.

  Dani resumed eating or, more accurately, silently pushing one of her favorite meals around her plate.

  “You’re awfully quiet tonight, Princesa,” Nick said after several minutes of silence. “And you haven’t eaten much. Are you feeling okay?”

  Dani shrugged. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

  “Do you have something else on your mind?”

  She stared at her father a moment before blurting, “Is it possible Uncle Justin is gay?”

  Sam choked on her pasta and grabbed her iced tea to wash it down. “Absolutely not!” She gasped for air. “Why on earth would you ask something like that?”

  Nick held his fist over his mouth, most likely to prevent food from spewing out with his laughter. Tears glistened in his eyes as he smirked across the table at Sam.

  “I dunno. He’s your age, and he still hasn’t gotten married,” Dani pointed out.

  “Lots of men don’t settle down until they’re well into their thirties,” Sam explained. “Your father and I aren’t t
ypical of our generation.”

  “But he doesn’t date much, either. And he never goes out with the same woman more than a few times.”

  Nick finally stopped laughing and wiped his eyes with his napkin. “Believe me, Danita, your uncle is as straight as a ruler.”

  “Do you think he’s stayed single because he’s still in love with Mom?”

  Scorching heat swept up Sam’s neck as Nick stared at her and said, “I have no idea.”

  Dani turned to her. “Why did the two of you break up, anyway?”

  It was on the tip of Sam’s tongue to tell the child to mind her own business when Nick saved her from having to explain.

  “Your mom split up with him because your uncle was pressuring her to get more intimate with him than she was ready to.”

  “And that’s when the two of you fell in love?” Their daughter’s gaze ping-ponged back and forth between them as they both set their forks down and stared at each other. The interminable silence made the kitchen clock’s ticking seem deafening.

  Mercifully, Nick finally spoke. “Right. And that’s why we have no doubt about your uncle’s sexual orientation. Why all of the questions?”

  Their daughter simply shrugged.

  “Come on,” Nick coaxed. “Something is obviously troubling you.”

  “It’s just....Haley overheard Uncle Justin tell her dad he loves him.”

  Nick’s gaze snapped to Sam’s. The tacit question—Was it possible?—flared in his eyes. He shook his head. “That doesn’t mean a thing. Just because a man says he loves another guy doesn’t mean they’re gay.”

  “If you say so.” Dani twirled some pasta onto her fork, clearly unconvinced.

  Throughout the remainder of the meal, their daughter’s observations about her uncle continued to plague Sam.

  Was it possible Justin had tried so hard with her back in high school because he’d been uncertain about his sexuality? Maybe he’d been trying to prove something to himself. It made no difference to her if he was homosexual. But how would macho Nick handle it? And Marc Simmons, gay? That was plain ludicrous if her late friend Lindsey’s jokes about her twice-a-day spouse had any foundation.

  Sam shoved her plate away and heaved a weary sigh. She didn’t need any more drama in her life.

  CHAPTER 11

  The next evening, the flickering candlelight gave Samantha’s reflection in the restaurant’s plate glass window a strange, supernatural glow. Sam knew their table overlooked a beautiful tree farm, however, the late hour made it impossible to admire the view.

  The pitch-black night turned the row of windows into an eerie mirrored wall. And the hushed voices at the other tables did nothing to dispel the séance-like atmosphere.

  Consequently, when Adam reached over to hold her hand after the waiter cleared their plates, Sam could barely suppress her giggle. “Now I really feel like we should be trying to contact the dead.”

  He frowned. “Huh?”

  She jerked her head toward their reflection.

  “Oh.” He laughed. “That’s one of the things I like best about you, Sam. You never fail to see something bizarre in the ordinary.”

  “Well, one thing out of the ordinary tonight was dinner.” She had asked Adam to order for her, seeing as this was his favorite local restaurant—and not just because it had an on-site microbrewery in the pub downstairs. “The onion soup au gratin and crab cakes were both the best I’ve ever had. I’m stuffed.”

  “Too full for some chocolate mousse?”

  “I really shouldn’t.” In the last week, she’d eaten every peanut butter cup Nick had bought to stock up for Halloween. “If I eat another bite, my seams will split, and I’ll be sitting here in just my undies.”

  “So?” He wiggled his eyebrows. “That’s hardly an unpleasant prospect.”

  Jeez. Did all men have one-track minds? “How about we split a dessert?”

  “That sounds good. And while we’re waiting,”—his hand disappeared beneath the table—“I have something else I want to share with you.”

  Uh-oh. If he was still imagining her in her underwear, she didn’t want to know why he was rooting in his trousers’ pocket.

  He withdrew a small velvet box and opened it to reveal an engagement ring. “I figured tonight would be a good time for me to propose—assuming you still want to convince your ex to back off.”

  She stared at the huge diamond. It had to weigh over two carats. The delicate antique setting and the gem’s incredible sparkle were much too authentic for her comfort. “Adam, I was just kidding on Saturday. Please tell me you didn’t buy me a real diamond.”

  “Okay. I didn’t.”

  She peered at him, unable to believe such a dazzling stone or its filigree band could possibly be anything but the real McCoy. “Come on. How gullible do you think I am? There’s no way that gorgeous thing could be a knockoff.”

  “I didn’t say it was. I simply denied buying the ring. It was my great-grandmother’s.”

  Its antique value alone would make it worth a fortune.

  “It’s been cluttering up my sock drawer ever since my mom died, so you might as well use it.”

  “I can’t wear your family heirloom—it’s irreplaceable.”

  “Sure you can. It’s insured, and I had the setting checked earlier this week.”

  “But someday you’ll be giving it to the woman you propose to for real. Do you think she’d want me to wear it first?”

  “I’m almost forty years old and still single, Sam. I’m not about to worry about something that may never happen. In any case, it’s already used. It’s been worn by three generations of Chase brides.”

  “All relatives of yours.”

  “Think of yourself as family.” He slid the band onto her left ring finger and smiled. “See? It’s a perfect fit. It must be kismet.”

  She held her hand near the candle, unable to tear her gaze away from the brilliant-cut gem that refracted the light like a mini disco ball. “Seriously. I was joking about pretending to be engaged. And Nick has done nothing but apologize all week.”

  “Kidding or not, you were right. The only way he’ll ever quit thinking you’re his is if he believes you’re committed to someone else.”

  Sad but true.

  “Admit it. You love the ring, and you’re dying to wear it.”

  Any woman would be. All Nick had been able to afford when they were married was a low-quality diamond no bigger than the head of a straight pin. He’d always been ashamed of it, so on their tenth anniversary, he’d replaced it with a flawless one-carat stone.

  She held his ring, which she now wore on her right hand, next to Adam’s. If she came home wearing this boulder on her finger, Nick would no doubt assume Adam had picked up the gauntlet in the pissing-match her ex-husband had initiated.

  ~*~

  Turmoil flashed across Samantha’s face as she gazed down at the two rings on her hands. Adam couldn’t help feeling a little smug about how puny the diamond Nick must have given her looked in comparison to his.

  He’d been attracted to Sam since the day he met her, but he never even considered making a move on her while she’d been married. He’d even waited an interminable nine months to ask her out after her divorce so she would have time to adjust to being alone. Apparently, it might not have been long enough. “Are you worried your ex will feel outdone by me?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve never been more furious with him, but that doesn’t mean I want to hurt him.”

  “So what you’re saying is you still care about him.”

  “No!” The anguish in her eyes said otherwise.

  “Uh-huh.” The simple fact that she still wore Nick’s ring, even if only as a cocktail ring on her right hand, said it all.

  “Well, yes, of course I still care. Two people can’t be married for as many years as we were and have a child together without feeling something for each other.”

  “That’s understandable. But you’re not
still hung up on him, right?”

  Her hesitation was all the answer he needed. “It doesn’t matter what I feel,” she finally said. “My marriage is over, and I want to move on with my life.”

  “Then prove it to him, and to me, by wearing my ring. You admitted it yourself—Nick’s not going to stop hoping you’ll agree to patch things up any other way.”

  She stared at the ring, gnawing on her lower lip. “I-I feel like you’re pressuring me again.”

  “Sam, I’m not asking for a permanent commitment. You can break off our so-called engagement anytime you like. If your ex believes we’re getting married, maybe he’ll give you the space to explore what you really want. I’m hoping it’ll be me.”

  “And if it isn’t?”

  “If you decide you’re still in love with Nick....” Adam shrugged. “Naturally, I won’t be thrilled, but I’ll understand.”

  He really did want her to be happy, and if that meant reconciling with her ex....he’d have to learn to live with her decision.

  As the waiter returned to take their dessert order, he froze a few feet from their table and stared at the ring box on the table. “Uh-oh. Did I come back at the wrong time?”

  “It’s okay,” Adam told him.

  “Should I assume congratulations are in order?”

  Sam lifted her gaze to Adam’s face, and her mouth slanted in a weak smile. “I guess so.”

  “Well, in that case, I’d like to treat you to dessert.”

  “Thanks. That’s nice of you.” Adam made a mental note to leave an extra generous tip as he ordered some chocolate mousse and two cups of coffee. When the waiter left, the anxiety on Sam’s face said she was still uncertain about what they were doing.

  “What’s worrying you now, sweetheart?”

  “I just don’t like lying—especially to my daughter.”

  “Then don’t. You can consider this a trial engagement instead of a phony one. Who knows? Eventually, you may decide you want to wear that ring permanently.” When she opened her mouth to object, he raised his hands. “No pressure, I promise.” He leaned toward her and brushed her forehead with a kiss. “I’m crazy about you, Samantha, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I hope one day you’ll feel the same way about me.”