The Marriage Beat

by Doreen Roberts

  The door opened and the nurse whisked in, carrying a tray of bandages. “I’m here to wrap your arm,” she announced. “The doctor says you should keep it wrapped for another week.”

  “I know,” Megan murmured, her mind still on her problem with Tyler. “He told me.” She barely noticed the nurse binding up her arm. As long as she had to keep it wrapped for another week, she told herself, why not let Tyler think she still couldn’t use it? That way he’d feel obliged to stick around for a few more days. It would give them a chance to get things straight between them, and could very well change their lives.

  A surge of excitement rushed through her at the thought. If she could just get him to kiss her again, this time she wouldn’t pull away. This time she’d let him know how much she was enjoying it, and that she wanted him to go on kissing her for the rest of their lives together.

  “There you go,” the nurse said briskly, as she tucked her scissors into her pocket. “That should hold you for a little while.”

  Megan thanked her and slipped off the table. She couldn’t wait now to get back to Tyler and put her exciting plan into action.

  She hurried down the corridor to the waiting room, where Tyler still sprawled on the narrow seat where she’d left him, his nose buried in the magazine.

  He looked up as she paused in front of him. “Done already?” His glaze flicked over her arm. “No sling?”

  She shook her head. “The doctor said I didn’t need it. I still have to keep it wrapped for another week, though.”

  His gaze barely met hers before glancing away. “Does that mean you still can’t use it?”

  She hesitated, reluctant to lie to him, then decided it was all for an excellent cause. “I guess so.”

  He nodded, but didn’t say anything as he laid the magazine down and got to his feet. “Then I guess it’s back to the cooking lessons.”

  A stab of guilt hit her and she mumbled, “Well, maybe I could manage that—”

  “No way. That’s my job until your arm heals.” He took hold of her good arm and guided her out to the parking lot and into the car.

  He seemed even more tense on the way home, and she kept up an endless stream of chatter in an effort to relax him.

  “We need to stop at the store,” she said, as they approached the supermarket where she shopped. “I thought we could make tacos for dinner tonight.”

  “Tacos?” He shot her an anxious look. “Isn’t that a bit ambitious?”

  She laughed. “No, it’s really easy. I’ll show you how. I thought we could open up that bottle of wine, too. Now that I don’t have to take any more medication. We’ll get you some more beer while we’re there.”

  He swung into the parking lot and found a space near the entrance. Controlling the urge to scramble out, she waited for him to open the door for her. She stepped out of the car, and managed to move close enough to him to bump her shoulder into his chest.

  “Sorry.” She gave him a dazzling smile, practically in his face. “Thank you,” she said, lowering her voice to what she hoped was a seductive note.

  He looked startled, and slammed the door shut with an almighty thud.

  Megan wasn’t sure if she’d scored or not. She wasn’t used to these kind of tactics. If she used any kind of tactics at all with a man, it was usually in order to get out of a relationship, not encourage one.

  This wasn’t going to be as easy as she’d imagined, she thought nervously. She would have to be careful she didn’t overdo things. She didn’t want to embarrass him or herself by throwing herself at his feet if he wasn’t interested.

  She kept things light while they shopped, and Tyler said very little the rest of the way home. She suggested a board game to pass the time until it was time to eat.

  Tyler readily agreed, with such an air of relief that made her wonder if she hadn’t been wrong about his reasons for staying aloof.

  He seemed even more tense than ever, and twice she had to nudge him to take his turn. He finally ended up winning the game, but even that didn’t seem to animate him.

  “Are you worried about something?” she asked, as she stood with him in the kitchen while he shredded the lettuce for the tacos.

  He gave her a quick glance. “Worried? No, I don’t think so. Why?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. You just seem preoccupied lately.”

  He gave her a half smile. “I guess I’m missing my job. I’m not used to being so inactive.”

  “I’m sorry, I know having to sit around here all day must be very dull for you.”

  “Dull?” He shook his head. “I wouldn’t say it was dull. After all, I’m learning to cook.”

  “I’m glad you’re getting something out of it.”

  He looked at her as if he suspected her of being sarcastic. “I’m getting a lot out of it. It’s been an... interesting experience.”

  She wasn’t quite sure how to take that. She didn’t dwell on it, however, as an idea struck her. “Why don’t we do something tomorrow instead of hanging around here.”

  “Do something?” He paused with his knife in midair. “Like what?”

  “Oh, I don’t know...the weather is so nice now it’s a shame to stay cooped up in this stuffy apartment when we don’t have to be.” Excitement caught at her as she considered the possibilities. “We could go to the beach, or the zoo—”

  “Or a river cruise?”

  She stopped short, staring at him in delight. “A cruise? What a fantastic idea! I’d love it.”

  He went back to slicing thin wedges off the lettuce. “There’s a stern-wheeler that goes through the gorge. The scenery is really something to be seen from the river.”

  “Oh, Tyler, it sounds wonderful.” Throwing caution to the winds, she threw her good arm around his neck and deposited a quick kiss on his cheek. “What a dear you are to suggest it. I can’t wait.”

  He stood perfectly still with his knife poised, staring at the lettuce as if expecting it to attack him. “Is that enough?” he asked, sounding a little strained.

  “What?” She peered at the lettuce. “Oh, yes. That’s more than enough. Now we have to chop up tomatoes.” “tomatoes?” He looked at her as if he’d never heard of the name.

  “You know, those small, round red vegetables—or are they fruit? I can never remember.”

  “Tomatoes.” He turned to the fridge and opened the door, stared inside for a full five seconds, then took out a couple of tomatoes. “How many?”

  “That many,” Megan said, feeling somewhat confused. It was obvious she’d caused a reaction in Tyler, but she couldn’t be sure if it was positive or negative.

  Deciding not to push her luck, she guided him through the rest of the preparations for the dinner, taking care not to touch him again.

  Finally the meal was ready, with all the ingredients laid out to fill the taco shells. Megan realized belatedly that since she was keeping up the pretense of not being able to use her arm, she wouldn’t be able to fill her own tacos.

  Tyler patiently did it for her, then started on his own, while she sat there feeling guilty for making him go through all that when he really didn’t need to.

  She was almost tempted to admit the truth, but now that she’d already told him a lie, it was a little late to go back on it now without explaining why she did it. Besides, she reminded herself as she bit awkwardly into her taco, she needed this time with him if she was going to get things straightened out between them.

  Handling tacos with one hand was proving to be a tricky maneuver, she was beginning to find out. Grated cheese and juicy chunks of tomato fell on her plate, while the spicy meat filling oozed out over her fingers.

  Wishing like mad that she could use the other hand, she struggled as best she could to eat the darn things with some modicum of dignity while carrying on a conversation with Tyler about the history of stern-wheelers.

  It was something of a relief when she finally swallowed the last bite. She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin and gave h
im a brilliant smile. “They were really good,” she said, meaning every word. “You did a great job.”

  “Thanks.”

  His rare smile warmed her entire body. She smiled back at him, wondering if she dare lean over and give him another peck on the cheek.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth, and she felt her pulse leap in excitement.

  “Here,” he said quietly. “You missed a spot.”

  She froze as he reached out and brushed the corner of her mouth. His fingers barely touched her lips, hovering there for a heart-pounding second or two. Then, very slowly, he lowered his hand.

  Megan swallowed, then whispered, “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  His voice, low and husky, sent shivers to the very tips of her toes. His silver-blue eyes seemed to be looking right into her soul, and she wondered if he could see in her face what her heart longed to tell him.

  Her breath caught in her throat as she sought the right words. How did she tell a man she loved him when she wasn’t sure how he felt about her?

  The phone rang suddenly, shattering the magic.

  “I’ll get it,” he muttered, and pushed his chair back from the table.

  She watched him pick up the phone, and felt a weird sense of sadness, as if something brief and wonderful had just been extinguished before it really had a chance to begin.

  “It’s your mother,” Tyler said, holding out the phone. “She wants to know how things went at the doctor’s today.”

  Megan got up from her chair and hurried over to him. “I promised to call her when I got home,” she said, feeling guilty. “I forgot.”

  “I’ll rinse the dishes while you talk to her.”

  He disappeared into the kitchen and Megan took a deep breath before greeting her mother.

  “Did I hear Tyler say he would do the dishes?” Marjorie Summers demanded.

  “Yes, you did,” Megan said cheerfully.

  “You’d be a very foolish woman to let that one get away,” her mother informed her.

  Megan heartily agreed, but she wasn’t about to say so. Her mother was likely to publish wedding announcements in the paper before the end of the week.

  She managed to field her mother’s questions about her arm without actually lying, and put the phone down in relief a few minutes later.

  When she went into the kitchen, Tyler stood at the sink, spraying water everywhere as he rinsed the dishes under the faucet.

  “My mother says hi,” she told him, “and she’s madly jealous that you’re washing the dishes.”

  He gave her a little-boy grin that completely melted her heart. “I’ll go over and wash hers for another one of her fabulous dinners.”

  Seizing the opportunity this time, Megan said lightly, “I’ll be happy to offer you the same deal just as soon as my arm is better.”

  He looked at her with interest. “You cook like your mother?”

  “I learned from her. At an early age, I might add.”

  “Oh, right. You cooked for your family.”

  “You bet I did. My pot roast is every bit as good as my mother’s, even if I do say so myself.”

  “In that case, I might just take you up on your generous offer.”

  She felt a little rush of hope at his words. Maybe he wasn’t planning on walking out of her life, after all.

  He went back to rinsing the dishes, and she began stacking them in the dishwasher. “What time will you pick me up tomorrow?” she asked, carefully placing a delicate wine glass on the rack.

  “I’ll have to check the departure time. We have to drive down to Hood River to pick up the stern-wheeler. I’ll look in the paper when I’m finished here.”

  “I’ve never been on the river that far down.”

  He handed her the last plate. “I think you’ll enjoy it. It’s a nice trip.”

  “I’m sure I shall. I’m really looking forward to it.”

  She smiled up at him, and her heart leaped when he said softly, “So am I.”

  She hid her disappointment later when once again he left without attempting to kiss her. Maybe she was expecting too much too soon, she told herself, as she got ready for bed.

  After all, she still had a week, and anything could happen in that time. Already he seemed to be responding to her efforts. One thing she did know, she wasn’t going to let up for one single second. From now on she was going to grab every opportunity that presented itself, and give him all the encouragement he needed. Then it would be up to him whether or not he acted on it.

  She just hoped he wouldn’t make her wait too long before letting her know how he really felt about her. The suspense was likely to kill her.

  Tyler sat in the quiet darkness of his studio apartment, a cold beer in his hand and a momentous struggle going on in his mind.

  Something had changed since he left home that morning, and he wasn’t at all sure he was comfortable with it. Ever since the night he’d kissed Megan Summers he’d felt as if he were walking a minefield blindfold.

  The tension around Megan’s apartment had been thick enough to cut, as if the slightest wrong word could light the fuse and set off a blast that would rock the universe.

  He found himself weighing every word before he said it, and had done his best to curb his irritation, though he wasn’t quite sure what he was irritated at. He’d pretty much convinced himself that Megan was only tolerating him until she could manage on her own again. He’d also managed to convince himself that it was for the best.

  Now, all of a sudden, everything had turned around in the opposite direction. If he didn’t know better, he’d have said that she was deliberately making a play for him.

  It had to be his imagination playing tricks. Which wasn’t surprising, since he had his work cut out trying to control his thoughts from straying into forbidden territory.

  His biggest mistake was in suggesting the trip upriver. The idea had popped into his mind and the words were out before he’d really thought about it. The cruise was one of his favorite things to do, and his first thought when Megan had suggested doing something together.

  It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t enjoy the trip with Megan. That was the whole point. Every minute he was with her he felt himself sinking deeper into the treacherous warmth of familiarity.

  Excitement beckoned to him with every turn of her head, every glance from her gorgeous green eyes. He kept remembering the taste of her mouth under his, and every time she got close to him the urge to kiss her again became almost unbearable.

  When she’d kissed him on the cheek earlier, it was all he could do to stop himself from hauling her into his arms. He could feel the pressure ticking away inside him, like a time bomb ready to explode.

  He took a swig from the bottle and swallowed it down, trying to get it all in perspective. He was just making a whole heap of trouble for himself. He knew that. When the time came to walk away from her it would be that much harder with every passing day.

  Yet he couldn’t quit on her now. He had to see it through. And somehow he had to get through this without letting her know how she affected him. Keep things light and uncomplicated, that was the key. Never let down his guard, no matter how much she tempted him.

  It was a good thing she wasn’t trying to entice him, he thought, as he got up to go to the window. She did enough damage to his composure just by being herself. If she ever did make a play for him, he’d go down like a felled redwood. He’d be putty in her hands. He’d be a dead duck, that’s what he’d be. And that would not be good.

  He opened the window and leaned out, letting the night wind cool his face. He heard the hum of city traffic, winding its way through the blurry maze of lights—everybody going somewhere from somewhere. The loneliness of his tiny apartment seemed to close in around him. He had never been more aware of the fact that he was on his own.

  He withdrew his head, irritated with himself. He was letting himself get maudlin. He’d been on his own for six years now, and he was used to it.
He couldn’t let one woman mess things up for him again.

  For no matter how much she excited him, no matter how much he longed to discover all there was to know about her, he could not get past the conviction that an involvement with Megan Summers was bound to lead to disaster. It just wasn’t in the cards. The sooner he accepted that, the better off he’d be.

  Chapter Eight

  Megan waited impatiently for Tyler to pick her up the next morning. She’d woken up with a tremendous sense of excitement, as if something very special was waiting just around the corner.

  She was no longer in any doubt about her feelings for Tyler. She loved him. As she’d never loved anyone in her life. She couldn’t imagine life without him now.

  She wanted to share everything with him, discover new worlds with him, make a home with him and have his children. Just the thought of having Tyler’s children made her fed weak and warm inside.

  She couldn’t wait to see him again, and watch his smile transform his face over something she’d said. She loved to see him smile, to see those steel-blue eyes light up, banishing the bitter loneliness that she saw too often in his gaze.

  All she needed was a little time to show him how good they could be together, and this day promised to offer the opportunity to do that.

  She stood at the window, her heart skipping a beat every time she saw a car pull into the parking lot. By the time she finally saw Tyler’s car nose into a parking space, her nerves were wound as tight as a canning lid.

  She watched him climb out, one long leg appearing first, then his dark head before he unwound the rest of himself. He closed the door and scanned the parking lot all the way around before heading over to the building in his easy stride.

  Ever the cop, Megan thought, smiling. Always checking out the territory. He’d been taught to be observant in every aspect of his life. How could he not know that she was head over heels in love with him?