Baby: MacAllister-Made

by Joan Elliott Pickart

  Richard sighed, dragged both hands down his face, then stared up into the darkness.

  He was feeling a tad sorry for himself, a bit cheated that he wasn’t going to have the whole package like the rest of the MacAllisters had. He was surrounded by happy marriages, couples who were so in love they couldn’t see straight, family units made up of Mom, Dad and the cute little kids.

  Even his brother, Jack, who had been a confirmed bachelor had popped up at the MacAllister family reunion last Christmas with a brand-new wife, son and another baby on the way. What a shocker that had been, and how obviously happy Jack and Jennifer were together. And Joey? What a nifty kid he was.

  Was he jealous of his big brother? Green with envy when he envisioned the other couples in the MacAllister clan? Yep, he guessed he was, which wasn’t a very flattering assessment of himself, but it was definitely and undeniably true.

  “Well, get over it, MacAllister,” he said, scowling into the darkness. “Count your blessings and shut the hell up…and go to sleep while you’re at it.”

  Richard turned onto his stomach, then in the next instant rolled back over to where he had been.

  He cared for Brenda very, very much, even loved her. But that love was based on a deep friendship, was not knock-your-socks-off romantic love like the other MacAllisters had together.

  Richard’s hand slid across the bed to where Brenda had lain when they’d made love. Now that had been a romantic night, no doubt about it. The lovemaking shared with Brenda was beyond belief in its intensity, had been…well, beautiful, really special, which was rather confusing whenever he allowed himself to dwell on it.

  Ah, hell, forget it. That had been one night that was not going to be repeated and was best forgotten. Well, it couldn’t exactly be completely erased, as it had resulted in The Newsflash.

  And now here he was again, full circle, about to rake himself over the coals once more, wondering if he would be a decent father.

  Richard yawned and closed his eyes.

  So, okay, he thought sleepily, he wasn’t going to have the whole rosy picture of wife, hearth and home. But he would stand by Brenda, be there for her and their baby through the good times and bad.

  Yeah, he needed to count his blessings.

  He was going to have a child to help raise to the very best of his ability.

  And he already had a best friend, which was something a lot of people never had in their entire lives.

  What was that weird thing Michael had yapped on about, regarding husbands, wives and best friends? Or was it best wives and friends, or—hell, he couldn’t remember, and it hadn’t made any sense at the time, anyway.

  At last sleep won the battle warring in Richard’s mind and he drifted off into a restless slumber.

  Five

  Brenda planted herself in front of the grocery cart and extended one hand, palm out, like a police officer stopping traffic.

  “Halt, Richard,” she said, laughing. “Don’t you dare put another thing in this cart. Eating for two does not mean you buy two of everything.” She shook her head as she was overcome by a fit of laughter.

  Richard reached around Brenda and balanced two packages of frozen broccoli on top of the tower of food already in the cart.

  “Don’t be difficult,” he said, smiling. “This is serious business. Your cupboards are bare, Mother Hubbard, and I’m not getting on that airplane tonight unless I know you and Flash will be eating properly while I’m slaving away in Tulsa.”

  “Me, Flash and what army?” Brenda said. “I don’t need all this stuff. I probably don’t even have enough room in my refrigerator and cupboards to put it.”

  “No problem. You have a key to my apartment. We’ll store the overflow at my place if need be.”

  Brenda rolled her eyes heavenward.

  Richard rested his hands on her shoulders. “I’ve hardly seen you all week since I brought you home from Kara and Andrew’s wedding, Bren. I know this is a busy time at the travel agency, and you’ve been working long hours, and I have a sneaking suspicion that you have been snacking, not sitting down and consuming well-balanced meals. Correct?”

  “I haven’t been hungry,” she said, frowning. “All-day morning sickness doesn’t do much for a person’s appetite, you know.”

  “Well, according to that material Kara gave you, the morning sickness should be over soon.”

  “I asked you to help me find where I put that packet in my apartment,” Brenda said. “You didn’t have to read all of it.”

  “Yes, I did,” he said. “I want to know what’s going on every step of the way. You and Flash are not alone, Bren. I want you to remember that.”

  “Ohhh, that’s so sweet,” Brenda said, sudden tears filling her eyes. She waved one hand in front of her face. “Stop, stop. This crying at the drop of a hat is so ridiculous.”

  “It’s very endearing.” Richard kissed her on the forehead. “Let’s go check out, then I’ll put everything away when we get back to your place while you rest. You aren’t going to spend your day-off standing on your feet. You need to relax.”

  “Quit being so nice to me,” Brenda said, sniffling. “It will start the waterworks all over again.”

  “Go for it,” Richard said, pushing the heavy cart down the aisle. “It’s a natural part of the hormonal upheaval of pregnancy. It would probably be harmful to Flash if you attempted to suppress your emotions.”

  “You’re weird, Richard,” Brenda said, falling in step beside him. “I don’t suppose you know how long you’ll be in Tulsa?”

  “Nope,” Richard said, shaking his head. “Never can tell in advance about these assignments, but I’ll call you every night while I’m away.”

  “Whatever for?”

  “To check on how you are,” he said. “I’ll also ask you what you ate that day. Oh, and don’t forget the schedule I taped to your refrigerator for drinking your milk. That is vitally important.”

  “Yes, master,” Brenda said, glaring at him.

  Richard chuckled and pushed the cart into line at a checkout counter.

  Look at all that food, Brenda thought, staring at the grocery cart. She’d never had so much to choose from at one time since she’d been living on her own. She would have to hold herself back or she’d turned into a fat little piggy, which was what she was going to look like soon enough, thank you very much.

  Brenda slid a glance at Richard, who was scanning the headlines of the variety of tabloids in the racks by the checkout line.

  Richard was being so wonderful, she thought. So thoughtful and caring. She felt very pampered and special, which was different from the norm. A person could get used to this.

  No, she was getting carried away here. Richard was fussing over her because of Flash, not her. He was focused on the baby, his child, not the mother.

  Richard used to make derogatory remarks about her unorganized kitchen, but he’d never hauled her to the grocery store to rectify the situation before. He was assuring himself that the baby would be properly nourished while he was away.

  Brenda sighed.

  She was feeling strange again, sort of blue and…and lonely. She didn’t want Richard to go to Tulsa for heaven only knew how long. Granted, she’d hardly seen him in the week since they’d been at the wedding together, but she’d known he was there, just a whack on the wall away.

  Brenda shook her head in self-disgust.

  This was crazy. Richard traveled constantly, always had, always would. She was very accustomed to saying goodbye, then going about her own business until she heard his thumps on the wall announcing that he was once again home.

  So why was she pouting—yes, pouting, for heaven’s sake—because he was flying out tonight? It was probably her pregnant hormones overreacting again, which was getting very annoying.

  “A two-headed dog?” Richard said, bringing Brenda from her gloomy thoughts. “How can people pay good money to buy those tabloids? Dumb.” He looked at Brenda. “Which reminds me, now that we�
��re talking about reading. I read an article the other day about reading to your unborn child. I don’t suppose you own any of the classics, do you?”

  “No,” Brenda said, “and forget it. I’m not coming home from a long day at the travel agency and reading War and Peace out loud, for Pete’s sake. Give me a break.”

  “Yeah, okay,” Richard said thoughtfully, “we’ll settle for listening to classical music. I’ll bring over my CDs before I leave.”

  “You will not,” Brenda said, planting her hands on her hips. “I hate that kind of music. It’s either a waltz that lasts so long the people would pass out from exhaustion if they danced through the whole thing, or it’s a military march number that would wear out even professional soldiers. I’m a country-western fan, Richard, and you know it.”

  Richard leaned down to speak close to Brenda’s lips. “My child is not going to start life believing that happiness is a pickup truck, a bottle of beer and a willing woman, Bren.”

  Brenda burst into laughter. “This is the most insane conversation I’ve ever taken part in. There is no proof that listening to a certain kind of music, or reading specified material to an unborn child, makes one bit of difference to the baby.”

  “Oh, I don’t know about that,” the woman in line behind them said. “When I was pregnant with my first baby, my husband read the political section in the newspaper to my stomach every night. The kid was so upset he had colic for four months after he was born.”

  Brenda and Richard stared at the woman with wide eyes.

  “I’m kidding,” the woman said quickly. “I swear it, I’m just making that up. You two are so cute. You know, first-time parents-to-be, and I couldn’t resist. Hey, just relax a bit and enjoy. I have four kids now, and they survive in spite of all the mistakes you make, and believe me, you’ll make some beauts.”

  “Oh,” Brenda said, frowning.

  “Next?” the cashier said.

  Richard pushed the cart forward and began to unload the groceries.

  Mistakes? Brenda thought, plunking a can of orange juice on the moving mat. Had her parents made mistakes while raising her? If they had, she couldn’t think of anything at the moment. Well, there was the time when she was four or five years old and had wanted a birthday cake shaped like a hippopotamus and they got her a dinosaur instead, but that hadn’t warped her psyche for life.

  Mistakes? Gracious, it was really sinking in that this motherhood role was tremendously complicated. What if she made a horrible mistake?

  “Richard,” she whispered.

  “Mmm?” he said, busily emptying the cart.

  “We don’t know squat about babies,” she said, still whispering. “What if we mess it up big-time? Don’t you think this is a tad terrifying?”

  “Why are you whispering?” Richard whispered.

  “Because I don’t want everyone in this store to know that I’m a potentially unfit mother.”

  “Don’t stress, Bren,” Richard said. “It’s not good for Flash. We’ll do all right. We’ll read books, go to classes, conduct an in-depth survey among the MacAllister clan. Heaven knows, there are a slew of kids in my family and they’re all neat little munchkins.”

  “Oh? And just when are we going to do all this?” Brenda said. “You’re never home, remember? You travel more than you stay put.”

  “Did you say paper or plastic?” the cashier said.

  “Paper,” Brenda said.

  “Plastic,” Richard said at the same time.

  “Is this a major decision in your lives, folks?” the cashier said.

  “Half of the stuff goes in paper and half goes in plastic,” Richard said.

  “Whatever,” the cashier said.

  “Quit thinking,” Richard said to Brenda. “You’re getting all in a stew because you’re tired.”

  “I am not tired!” Brenda said, then threw up her hands as she saw six people turn and look at her. “I give up. I need a nap.”

  “I rest my case,” Richard said smugly. “Stick with me, Bren, I’m really getting the hang of this thing.”

  Oh, yes, Brenda thought with a weary sigh, she would definitely stick with Richard…like glue…until she got a better handle on what she was suddenly dealing with. After all, being there with emotional support during times of turmoil was what best friends were all about.

  During the following weeks Brenda was extremely busy at the travel agency. At the end of each day she’d arrive home, exhausted. Despite her fatigue she waited eagerly for Richard’s nightly telephone call and the long conversation they would share.

  Richard had been away for two months when Brenda sat in Kara’s office, waiting for her doctor and friend to appear. Kara had given her a quick once-over, then had been called to another examining room for an emergency.

  The nurse had apologized for the interruption, then told Brenda to get dressed and make herself comfortable in Kara’s office.

  Brenda pressed one fingertip to her forehead in an attempt to push an imaginary button and turn off the Strauss waltz that was floating endlessly through her mind.

  She’d decided a few weeks ago that since Richard was taking such a sincere interest in all aspects of her pregnancy the least she could do was cooperate. So, she’d scooped up some of his classical music CDs from his apartment and alternated her listening between them and her favorite country-western.

  During one of Richard’s nightly telephone calls he’d whooped in delight when he’d heard his familiar music playing in the background as he talked to her.

  Such a little thing, Brenda thought, yet Richard had seemed so genuinely pleased that she had added his choice of music to her and Flash’s leisure hours. He’d even admitted that he was hearing a lot of country-western music in Tulsa and it wasn’t all pickup trucks, bottles of beer and willing women. There were some very nice songs, he’d acknowledged, about true and forever love.

  They’d been exchanging some dynamite trivia over the telephone during the past weeks. Great stuff on both their parts, and she would guess they were about even on the scoreboard.

  Richard had informed her that two-thirds of the world’s eggplant was grown in New Jersey.

  She had countered with the fact that there was no word in the English language that rhymed with silver, purple, month or orange.

  Richard had come back with the statement that a cat had thirty-two muscles in each ear.

  She had topped his cat with a goldfish, the poor little fishy having a memory span of only three seconds.

  Richard had really outdone himself when he told her that a dime had 118 ridges around the edge.

  “Such fun,” Brenda said aloud as she smiled, then frowned in the next instant.

  Fun, she thought. Yes, the ongoing trivia contest was a kick. It belonged to her and Richard, a special game they played only with each other. But there was so much more taking place during and after those nightly calls. Her heart quickened at the sound of Richard’s greeting when she answered the telephone. And when he laughed or even chuckled, a strange little shiver would course through her at the rich, masculine sound.

  Brenda sighed.

  Every night when she replaced the receiver on the telephone she had to force herself to remove her hand, to sever the link with Richard.

  Oh, dear heaven, she missed him so much. It was a new and frightening emotion because when he’d been gone for long stretches of time in the past, she’d hardly thought of him at all. Now? She wanted Richard here, with her, not hundreds of miles away.

  What was happening to her? She thought frantically, pressing her hands to her cheeks. What did it all mean? If she was slowly but surely falling in love with Richard MacAllister, she’d never forgive herself. And she’d never be able to mend a heart shattered by loving a man who was not in love with her.

  No, no, no, she was not falling in love with Richard.

  Was she?

  The door to the office opened and Kara rushed in, shaking her head as she sank into the chair behind her desk
with a sigh.

  “One of those days,” she said, smiling at Brenda. “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting like this.”

  “No problem,” Brenda said, relieved to be pulled from her troubling thoughts. “One of the perks of being the manager of Wishing Well Travel Agency is that I can juggle my schedule when the need arises.”

  “Nice,” Kara said, nodding.

  Brenda frowned. “Of course, I’m the one who has to solve all the glitches that come up, too. People often believe that if they nag at me long enough I’ll miraculously find room on a cruise, or in a hotel, that is booked full. Oh, well, I really like my career, which is more than a lot of folks can say.”

  “That’s very true,” Kara said. “I love my chosen profession, too, but I certainly do cherish my roles of wife and mother, as well.”

  “How’s baby Andy?” Brenda said.

  “Growing like a weed,” Kara said. “He’s doing so well, and at this age, at least, there are no longer signs of any effects from the drugs his birth mother took. If something shows up in the future, Andrew and I will simply deal with it.” She paused and looked at Brenda intently. “It’s marvelous to have a partner when you’re raising a child, Bren. Have you told your baby’s father that he’s going to be one…a father?”

  “Yes, I have,” Brenda said, smoothing the material of her slacks over one knee and averting her eyes from Kara’s. “He immediately said that we should get married, but I nipped that in the bud.”

  “Why?”

  “We’re too different,” Brenda said, meeting Kara’s gaze again. “He’s a neatnik, I’m a messy-Bessy at home. Our tastes are poles apart in music and… Well, I don’t actually hate the Strauss waltzes now that I’ve really listened to some of them, but…

  “He thinks a home should be run like…like I do the travel agency—organized, efficient, but I just wing it. He’s into a regimented exercise routine, and I’m a couch potato.

  “Besides, he’s hardly ever home. He’s thrilled about the baby, wants to be the best father he can be, but, gracious, he travels the majority of the time. Being married to him wouldn’t change that, and could very well destroy our friendship, which is very important to me.