Another Man's Wife

by Dallas Schulze

  Gage waited until she’d disappeared into her bedroom before turning back to his own room. He shut the door behind him, wondering if things might have turned out a little better if he’d shut it the night before. It would have served to give them an additional few moments of privacy. They could at least have greeted Marilyn fully dressed. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so obvious that they’d just climbed out of the same bed.

  But embarrassing as it had been, his main concern wasn’t Marilyn’s reaction to what had happened—it was Kelsey’s.

  I was thinking about Rick. Gage sank down on the edge of the bed and stared blankly at the wall opposite. Had she been thinking of Rick while they were making love? He could live with damned near anything but that. Of course, maybe she should have been thinking about Rick. Hell, maybe he should have given some thought to his dead friend before he jumped into bed with his wife.

  * * *

  “I was just about to pour the coffee,” Marilyn said brightly as soon as Kelsey entered the kitchen. “Your timing is perfect.”

  Kelsey wished she could say the same about Marilyn’s own timing. If she’d just come over a little later— She broke the thought off, her skin suddenly heating with the realization of what Marilyn would have interrupted if she had come in a few minutes later.

  She sank into a chair and watched her mother-in-law open the cupboard and take out two cups. She saw the other woman’s hand hesitate over a third mug, but the rush of water as a shower came on made it clear that Gage wasn’t going to be joining them. Kelsey thought she detected an almost imperceptible easing of Marilyn’s tension and spared a thought for the irony of the two of them sharing a moment of unspoken relief.

  She’d rushed through a shower and dragged on jeans and a loose T-shirt, fragile armor with which to face the consequences of the night before. But despite her best efforts, she couldn’t move fast enough to escape her thoughts. And all her thoughts had circled back to Gage. Running soap over her skin, she had been reminded of the callused rasp of Gage’s hands moving over the same territory, making her tremble and moan. Jerking a brush through her hair, she’d suddenly thought of the way he’d threaded his fingers through it, his palms cupping her head to tilt her face toward his. From there, it was only a heartbeat away to remembering the feel of his mouth on hers.

  As if to punish herself for those thoughts, she’d dragged her hair back, securing it with an elastic band at the base of her skull, wielding hairpins like weapons to ruthlessly secure any stray tendrils that attempted to escape confinement. But when she looked at her reflection, she’d been forced to admit that the severe hairstyle and lack of makeup couldn’t conceal the almost luminous glow of her skin and the slightly languorous look in her eyes that spoke of a woman who’d been recently—and thoroughly—loved. Despairing, she’d left her room to confront her punishment in the form of facing her mother-in-law.

  But Marilyn didn’t seem interested in dealing out reproaches or stitching up hair shirts. She set the filled mugs on the table and settled herself into a chair across from Kelsey.

  “Bill said that Danny had a good flight,” she said as she pulled the sugar bowl toward her.

  “Good.” At another time, Kelsey would have begged for every detail of her son’s trip. Right now she had other things on her mind.

  “From what Bill said, he slept the whole way home and was full of energy when Bill met him at the airport.”

  “I really appreciate Bill picking him up,” Kelsey said, making an effort to hold up her end of the conversation.

  “He had to be in L.A. anyway,” Marilyn said as she spooned sugar into her cup. “And you know how much he loves spending time with Danny. He’s so much like Rick was at that age.”

  Her voice trailed off uneasily as if it had occurred to her that maybe this wasn’t the best time to be mentioning Rick. There was an awkward little moment of silence between them. In the midst of it, the thud of the pipes as the shower was turned off was as clear as a pistol shot.

  “It will be nice to see him again, won’t it?” Marilyn said, the words bursting out of her. She put another spoonful of sugar in her cup.

  “Wonderful,” Kelsey agreed. Apparently it was up to her to bring up the topic they were both so carefully avoiding. If she didn’t say anything, Marilyn obviously wasn’t going to, either. Tempting as the idea was, she knew it wouldn’t work. Better to bring it out in the open and deal with it.

  She fought the urge to press a hand to the knot in her stomach and drew a deep breath. “About what you saw earlier...”

  “You don’t owe me any explanations,” Marilyn said immediately. “It’s none of my business.”

  “I appreciate you saying that but I know it upset you.”

  “What makes you think that?” Marilyn’s tone was a marvel of lightness, her smile dazzling in its brilliance. She lifted her cup in an effort to show her lack of concern.

  “Because you don’t normally put six teaspoons of sugar in your coffee,” Kelsey pointed out dryly as Marilyn took a swallow of coffee.

  “Oh!” The older woman’s face puckered in distaste. The cup hit the table with a solid thunk, her throat working as she forced down the syrupy brew. “Oh, my. Six?” she asked faintly.

  “At least.” Kelsey rose and picked up Marilyn’s cup. Carrying it to the sink, she emptied it and rinsed it out before refilling it with fresh coffee. She set it down in front of the other woman and returned to her own chair.

  “I think I’ll just drink it black this time,” Marilyn said when Kelsey nudged the sugar bowl in her direction.

  Their eyes met across the table, and they were suddenly smiling at each other.

  Kelsey felt some of the tension drain away. She was very fond of her mother-in-law. Marilyn and Bill Jackson were the antithesis of all the hoary old jokes about in-laws and the problems they caused. Because she and Rick had met and fallen in love while he was working in Minnesota, his parents hadn’t met her until a few days before the wedding. But they’d welcomed her into their family as if they’d known her for years. After all these years, she considered them as much her family as her own parents. She didn’t want anything to damage that closeness.

  “I know you must be wondering about what you saw earlier,” Kelsey said. She herself was wondering what she was going to say.

  “It really isn’t any of my business,” Marilyn said again.

  Kelsey supposed that was true. She didn’t owe anyone an explanation, especially when she couldn’t even explain to herself what had happened. But she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had to say something.

  “Gage and I... We haven’t... I don’t want you to think that anything... I mean, last night was the first time. The only time,” she added hastily.

  “Kelsey.” Marilyn reached across the table and caught Kelsey’s hand in her own. “I never, ever, doubted your faithfulness to my son.”

  It was only when she heard it said out loud that Kelsey realized that was exactly what she had been afraid of. It had been gnawing at her from the moment she’d heard the other woman’s voice. She felt tears of relief sting her eyes. “Thank you,” she said shakily.

  Marilyn squeezed her hand and then released it. When she spoke, her tone held a touch of wistfulness. “It was a bit of a shock to see...to think of you with someone besides Rick. But I don’t want you to live the rest of your life mourning him. You’re a young woman, and I’d like nothing better than to see you find happiness again.”

  Kelsey stared at her in shock. Good grief, she was talking as if she and Gage actually had a relationship, which they did, of course, but not the one that Marilyn was ascribing to them. They were just good friends. Well, after last night, maybe she couldn’t describe it that way anymore, but they weren’t what Marilyn seemed to think they must be.

  “Gage and I... We aren’t... I mean, we’re really just friends,” she finished lamely.

  Marilyn looked doubtful but she was kind enough not to comment. “Well, you certainly couldn
’t have a better friend.” But she couldn’t resist adding, “And if I were looking for someone who’d make a good stepfather for Danny, I can’t think of anyone who’d be a better choice than Gage.”

  Kelsey stared at her, her mind reverberating with the shock of Marilyn’s words. There was no mistaking the fact that she’d just been given Marilyn’s blessing to marry Gage. The shock of it was more than she could absorb. She and Gage were friends not—

  Not lovers?

  “I love Rick,” she said, speaking to reassure herself more than anything else.

  “I know you do, dear. But life does move on, and he’d never have wanted you to stop living.” It was fortunate that Marilyn didn’t seem to expect a response, because Kelsey was utterly incapable of giving one.

  “I suppose I ought to get going,” Marilyn said, glancing at the clock that hung near the door. She took a sip of her coffee and grimaced at the taste of it unsweetened. “I’m sure you have a lot of things you want to do before Danny gets home. If you don’t mind, I’ll come back this evening to see him. I know it’s only been two weeks, but I’ve missed him.”

  “No!”

  Marilyn’s neatly plucked eyebrows shot up so high, they nearly disappeared into her hairline. “You don’t want me to come by?”

  “No. I mean, yes. Of course you can come by. But wouldn’t it be easier if you just stayed until Bill brings him home? I know Danny would love to see you.”

  “But don’t you have...things to do?” Marilyn glanced significantly in the direction of the bedrooms.

  “Nothing that can’t wait,” Kelsey said, forcing an unconcerned smile.

  “Well, if you’re sure. I really would like to see Danny.”

  “I’m sure,” Kelsey assured her, thinking that the last thing she wanted right now was to be left alone with Gage. She needed a little time to think, time to figure out what to say to him.

  “Then I’ll stay.” Marilyn smiled at her, relieved by this evidence that their relationship hadn’t been damaged by the morning’s surprises.

  “Did you leave me any coffee?”

  At the sound of Gage’s voice, both women started. He stood in the doorway, freshly shaved, his dark hair damp from the shower. He looked like an ad for a man’s cologne—something guaranteed to be lethal to any female within range.

  “There’s plenty,” Marilyn said, recovering her balance before Kelsey.

  Actually Kelsey thought it was possible that she’d never regain her sense of balance. Not when just the sight of Gage had her pulse rocketing. She was painfully aware of him as he walked behind her chair. He smelled of soap and shampoo—homey scents that had no business creating such a knot of awareness in the pit of her stomach.

  She stared down into her coffee cup, listening to him move around the kitchen, getting out a cup, pouring a cup of coffee. Out the corner of her eye, she saw him lean one hip against the counter, settling into a comfortable slouch, hands cradled around his cup.

  The kitchen suddenly seemed amazingly silent. Marilyn busied herself with adding a spoonful of sugar to her coffee, which had to be lukewarm by now. At another time, Kelsey might have been amused by the way she pushed the sugar bowl away after adding the one careful spoonful. The sound of her spoon clicking against the sides of her cup echoed in the big room.

  With an effort, Kelsey lifted her gaze to Gage’s face. He was watching her, and she felt her heart thump when their eyes met. She could read nothing in his expression. His gaze was hooded, his eyes a cool, unreadable blue. The moment stretched, hovered on the edge of confrontation, and then he glanced away.

  “So what time do you figure Bill and Danny will get here?” He directed the question to Marilyn, his tone casual.

  Kelsey barely heard the answer. She was suddenly wondering if she’d really done herself a favor by postponing her talk with Gage. Maybe time to think wasn’t such a good idea after all.

  Chapter 10

  As it turned out, time to think was not a part of the day’s agenda. Kelsey was shamelessly willing to use Marilyn as a shield, but having the other woman around also precluded any deep, contemplative moments. Like Kelsey’s own mother, Marilyn could carry on a conversation with very little help. The difference between the two women was that Kelsey’s mother frequently felt obligated to offer unsolicited advice on the way her daughter was managing her life. Marilyn felt no such urge. She simply liked to talk, as she herself freely admitted. Everything from the weather to politics to celebrity life-styles was grist for her conversational mill. Kelsey found the nonstop chatter oddly soothing. Marilyn’s rattling commentary was so undemanding, so utterly normal, that it was almost possible to pretend that nothing in her world had changed.

  It helped that as soon as he’d finished his coffee Gage disappeared outside to work on the greenhouse. Out of sight wasn’t exactly out of mind, but at least she didn’t have to cope with the erratic behavior of her own pulse whenever he was around. She was grateful when he didn’t reappear again until Danny and Bill arrived.

  Kelsey hurried out of the house as soon as she heard her father-in-law’s car pull into the driveway. She saw Bill lean across the car to help Danny unlatch his seat belt, and then the passenger door was opening and Danny was hurtling toward her, a missile in jeans and striped T-shirt.

  “Mama!” The excitement in his voice released the tenuous hold Kelsey had on her emotions. She dropped to her knees in the grass, feeling tears fill her eyes as she held out her arms to him.

  “Baby!” Only he wasn’t a baby anymore, she thought as he threw himself into her arms. It seemed as if in just two weeks he’d grown a ridiculous amount. Holding her son’s sturdy little body, his arms around her neck as he planted a wet kiss on her cheek, Kelsey felt her world shift and settle into place. No matter what else happened, she had Danny to give her life balance and meaning. There was nothing else half so important as that.

  But her newfound peace was shaken moments later when Gage walked around the side of the house. Danny had been chattering a mile a minute, apparently trying to tell his mother and grandmother everything that had happened every minute of the past two weeks. He was in the midst of a convoluted story that seemed to involve the neighbor’s dog, his grandmother’s cat and a great deal of hand waving when he saw Gage.

  “Uncle Gage!” The story was forgotten as he shot across the yard, his short legs churning with excitement. He launched himself at Gage as if shot from a rocket.

  “Hey, buddy!” Gage caught the boy easily, swinging him up into the air. “Good grief, what did they feed you? Lead pancakes? You must have gained twenty pounds.” He pretended to stagger under the added weight, eliciting a peal of delighted laughter.

  “I don’t know where children get their energy,” Marilyn commented, watching her grandson launch into yet another story.

  “Batteries,” Kelsey murmured. She was also watching Gage and Danny, but her expression was more thoughtful than indulgent.

  Gage meant so much to Danny. Since Rick’s death, he’d been the only real father figure Danny had. It had never seemed to matter that his visits home were months apart. When Gage was home, he and Danny were almost inseparable. He was listening to what Danny was saying with the same attention he’d have given an adult, despite the fact that, as near she could tell, the story was not particularly coherent. He bent his head attentively close to Danny’s, his dark hair contrasting with her son’s almost white, blond curls.

  He was remarkably good with the boy, Kelsey thought, watching him settle the child on his hip. It was starting to sink in on her that sleeping with Gage the night before could have consequences beyond what she’d originally thought. She’d been worried about what might happen to her relationship with Gage, where they’d go from here. But there was more than just the two of them involved. Whatever had happened between them or might happen in the future, she couldn’t let anything interfere with Danny’s relationship with Gage. Her son had already lost too much in his short lifetime.

 
That thought lingered throughout the afternoon. She conversed with her in-laws, listened to Danny’s apparently endless stream of stories about his trip, cooked dinner and even managed to act naturally around Gage. But always in the back of her mind was the knowledge that no matter what else, she was not going to see Danny hurt.

  * * *

  Danny’s energy began to flag soon after dinner. Marilyn and Bill said their goodbyes after kissing their sleepy grandson good-night.

  “Time for bed,” Kelsey announced as the door closed behind them.

  “I’m not tired,” Danny protested automatically. But his drooping head suggested otherwise.

  “And the Pope ain’t Catholic,” Gage murmured as he walked past Kelsey. “How about if I carry you to bed?” he suggested to Danny.

  Tired enough to be feeling a little cranky, Danny thrust his lower lip out and hugged the corner of the sofa as if fearing to be wrenched away from his only hope of happiness. “I don’t wanna go to bed,” he whined. “I don’t have to go to bed till nine. It’s only eight.”

  Kelsey remembered how hard she’d worked to teach him to tell time and shook her head over her own stupidity. She stared at her son, reading the stubborn jut of his chin, the warning in his eyes. The last thing she wanted was to end the day with a major tantrum. Maybe she could just let him stay up. He was sure to fall asleep in a few minutes anyway, and then she could put him to bed. But before she was forced to resort to such cowardly measures, she was struck by inspiration.

  “You remember how it’s a different time in different parts of the country, how we have to know what time it is where Granny and Granddad are before we call them?”

  Danny nodded warily, perhaps sensing a trap beneath his mother’s reasonable tone.

  “Well, since you’ve been staying with them, your body is still on Minnesota time. And it’s ten o’clock in Minnesota right now, so it’s really an hour past your bedtime.”