by Gail Hart
Kathryn’s eyes shifted to her monitor and the still-open to-do list: “Make OB-GYN appointment. Call Amanda to schedule consultation about decorating nursery. Research nannies.” Evidence that she now had responsibilities that were bigger and scarier than any business plan.
“Yes. I need to avoid caffeine.”
“Here you are, then.” Janelle handed Kathryn the cup and frowned. “I know it’s none of my business, but are you sick? Do you have an ulcer or something?”
“No. I’m perfectly healthy.” Which was true. Maybe too true.
“I’m worried about you. You’ve practically stopped eating, your stomach’s upset all the time, and you left early on Friday.” Janelle’s face took on a guarded look. “Of course you’re allowed...”
“But it’s not like me,” Kathryn finished, smiling to reassure Janelle. She held out her left hand, showing off the new ring that still made her finger itch. “I took the day off to get married.”
Kathryn was glad the cup had already changed hands, or she’d have been wearing the coffee instead of drinking it. Janelle’s eyes widened. “Who did you marry?”
“The flower guy.”
A broad smile warmed Janelle’s face, and Kathryn’s heart. “I’m so happy you finally have something in your life besides work.” The younger woman shook her head. “But I have to say, I didn’t see this one coming.”
Kathryn leaned back in her executive chair. “I heard my biological clock ticking and realized it was time to start a family.” A reasonable explanation—even if to be technical, the realization hadn’t come until after the family was started.
“Then you’re planning to get pregnant right away?”
“I’m a little past the planning stage.” Kathryn’s voice turned gentle. “I’m going to have a baby in October, Jan.”
“Wow.” The syllable carried a mixture of shock, amazement, and more than a touch of admiration. “You decide to have a baby, and just like that, it’s done.”
“Getting pregnant was easier than I thought it would be,” Kathryn admitted with a wry smile. “Marty will be scandalized.”
“Probably. Forget the twenty-first century, he hasn’t made it to the twentieth. But I think it’s great.”
“What do you think of my choice for the father? Are you shocked?”
“Why would I be? He obviously has great genes.”
“You don’t think he’s too young for me?”
“No way. Successful men have trophy wives, so why shouldn’t you have a trophy husband?”
That was exactly the spin she wanted to put on her sudden marriage. But Steve was more than a trophy, more than a boy toy or arm candy. The better Kathryn got to know him, the more she knew that. Brushing aside that inconvenient truth, she leered and answered, “Damn right. I deserve a trophy husband.”
* * *
“I’m leaving now, and you should too. It’s Friday night. In fact it’s nearly six on Friday night. Go home.”
At the sound of Janelle’s voice, Kathryn jerked upright in her chair and fought to open her drooping eyelids all the way. She hadn’t noticed her assistant coming into the office.
“I can’t. Not until I finish editing the financial proposal the team turned in this morning.”
“You’ve already gone over the proposal twice. Any more fine tuning can wait until Monday.”
“No it can’t. Now that the office grapevine is working overtime on my personal life, I don’t want anyone to think I’ve lost my edge.”
Janelle put her hands on her hips. “You need to start taking better care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to spend most of the weekend sleeping.” Kathryn shook her head. “Sleep—the pregnant woman’s drug of choice. I may not be eating for two, but I sure am sleeping for two.”
Fifteen minutes after Janelle left, as Kathryn was shutting down her computer, she heard a noise in her outer office. Damn it! The last thing she needed was someone coming in now with a Friday night crisis. “Go away,” she called out. “If you have an emergency, call 911.”
A familiar muscled blond form appeared in her doorway. “I have an emergency. I can’t find my wife.”
“Steve!” Kathryn bolted out of her chair and rushed toward the door.
Moving like a wild creature closing in on its prey, Steve met her half way and lifted her off her feet, twirling her around in a full circle. Even in his dull olive drab flight suit, he seemed to glow. He was slightly sweaty, but instead of being unpleasant, the scent enhanced his intense masculinity. He set her down and pinned her against the wall. “Damn you feel good, Mrs. Tyler.”
She threw her arms around his neck and melted into him, her heart pounding and her nerve endings pulsing. He slid a leg between hers and pressed against her, locking them together like two pieces of a puzzle. She made a soft mewing sound.
He lowered his mouth to hers, but instead of kissing her, he took her lower lip in his mouth and sucked. She pressed her body against his, aching with raw need.
He released her mouth and loosened his hold on her. “We need to celebrate.”
Her smile quivered as she tried to regain some control of her body. “You’re in a good mood. Is the exercise over?”
“It wrapped up today. We finished the out-briefing at fifteen hundred.”
“I take it you did well?”
“I kicked ass. The squadron commander gave me a personal attaboy.”
Kathryn smiled. “I’m so proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you too. When do I get to show you off to the guys in the squadron?”
Her jaw tightened. Just what she needed, to face a whole crowd of Murphs, all waiting to judge her. “We’ll talk about that when I get back from San Diego. Right now, you deserve a reward.” She leaned in and kissed him, a hungry, searching kiss, all panting and tangling tongues, and reached for the zipper of his flight suit.
He stopped her by grabbing her hand. “Take me home,” he whispered.
“I like how you think. We can stop for a pizza on the way so once we get home, we don’t have to leave the bedroom.”
“I don’t mean home to your place... our place. I mean, take me home to meet your mother.”
Talk about a buzzkill! Kathryn dropped her arms and slumped against the wall. “I wouldn’t do that to you. I like you.”
“C’mon, Katie, I’m serious. I’m tired of lying to Mom and Dad.”
“You haven’t lied. You’ve just left out a few details.”
He laid a hand on her stomach. “Not telling them about something as important as my wife and child is the same as lying.”
Damn, he was honorable. Which at the moment was damned inconvenient. “Okay, so we’ll call and tell them.”
“No. I want to tell them in person. I owe them that much, considering we didn’t invite them to the wedding.” He leaned forward and pulled her back into his arms. “You know you’re going to have to face your mother some time.”
“How about when the baby graduates from high school?”
His voice took on an edge of impatience. “Katie...”
Inwardly Kathryn sighed. Steve was right. There was no point putting this trip off. On some level she’d known that before he’d said anything, even though her mind was thoroughly submerged in that river in Egypt, denial. She might as well be a good sport about it.
She gave him a teasing grin. “I could tell Mother I have a watermelon stuck under my dress.”
He returned her grin. “I’m glad you came up with such a practical solution. No wonder you’re considered a business genius.”
“You’re right, it wouldn’t work. She’d give me a lecture about wasting good fruit when children are starving in... where is it children are starving these days? Haiti?”
He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers. “We’ll hop in the Corvette first thing in the morning and be in the old neighborhood in time for lunch.”
“But I wanted to spend the weekend catching up on my sleep. I need to get plenty
of rest. For the baby,” she teased.
He laughed. “Hey, that’s my line.” He lifted a hand and stroked her cheek with his thumb. “Not to worry, you can sleep while I drive. How fast do you think I can crank up the ‘Vette on the interstate?”
* * *
Turning Kathryn’s Corvette loose on the empty, cop-free highways was a blast, but watching his bride tense up tighter than a guitar string wasn’t. With every mile, he felt the protective coat of ice around Katie’s heart thickening. As he pulled off the interstate, he touched her arm. “Maybe this will go better than you expect.”
She didn’t answer but narrowed her eyes and skewered him with a look of contempt. He could understand what made her so formidable in business. The Ice Queen stare must intimidate all but the few people who knew the woman inside.
A few minutes later he pulled into the driveway of his parents’ home. For the first time, his own nerves kicked in. Focusing on Glenda St. John’s reaction and whether it would upset Katie had kept him from considering what his parents might say.
After helping Katie out of the Corvette’s low-slung seat, Steve took her hand in his, led her to the front porch, and rang the doorbell. His mother answered within a few seconds, her perfectly made-up face wearing a broad smile. “Hi, Ma,” he said, giving her a bear hug.
“Welcome home. It was such a great surprise when you called to say you were coming. You were just here at Christmas. We didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”
“Or to see you with Katie,” his father said.
No point putting this off. Steve slipped an arm around Katie’s shoulder and felt her arm settle around his waist. “We have an announcement to make.”
“You’re seeing each other.” Jack Tyler didn’t sound either surprised or pleased.
Steve gave his father a direct stare. “Not just seeing each other. We’re married.”
Both of the older Tylers’ faces filled with shock. “Married?” Sandy asked. “When?”
“Last weekend, in Las Vegas.”
“You got married without us?”
This was the part of eloping he’d hated, knowing his mother would feel hurt. But his first obligation was to Katie now. He gave his mom a smile he hoped seemed contrite. “I’m sorry, but we were in sort of a hurry.” He took a deep breath and felt Katie’s fingers dig into his side in silent support. “We’re going to have a baby.”
“Oh my God,” Sandy said. For a moment her expression turned from shocked to horrified before she recovered and offered a weak smile. “Congratulations.”
“I need a drink,” Jack said.
Steve shot his father an angry look. “We didn’t plan this, but we’re happy about it, so please be happy for us.”
“Katie doesn’t look all that happy.”
“I prefer Kathryn now,” Katie said. Apparently she was going to let the substance of his father’s comment pass. She slid out of his grip. “And I think you guys need to talk as a family. I’ll go next door and do the same.”
He shook his head. “Not without me.”
“Thanks for the offer, but it’s better if I go alone. This may not be pretty.”
“All the more reason I should be there. I don’t want your mother thinking I got you into a jam and left you holding the bag.”
“Your actions show that’s not true. I need to give her the chance to say what she needs to say without an audience.”
“I’m your husband. I should be there for you.”
“Can you just stop arguing with me?” Katie’s voice contained an edge of hysteria. Then she squared her shoulders and her face turned neutral, all emotion tucked away. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled. You’re trying to help. But the best way you can be there for me is by trusting my judgment.”
His mother cleared her throat before speaking. “Mother-daughter issues can be complicated. Maybe you can give Kathryn and Glenda a few minutes alone first and then join them.”
Katie sent his mother a grateful look and laid her hand on Steve’s arm. “That works for me. Give us ten minutes, then you can come over.”
“All right. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it your way.”
“Thanks. After ten minutes you can ride in on your white charger.”
He slipped his arms around her waist and leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Go.”
The three Tylers watched as Kathryn exited through the front door and the screen door clicked shut behind her. Then by wordless agreement, they made their way into the large, airy kitchen that had always been the nerve center of the Tyler house. Steve and his mother took seats at the kitchen table, while his father went to the refrigerator and took out a tray of ice cubes.
“Well, Stevie,” she said.
The phrase carried a truckload of meaning, most of it bad. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Please, Mom, don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I’m still a screw-up.”
Jack Tyler slammed three ice cubes into a glass hard enough that they clinked and rattled around. “I love you, son, but you just married a woman you got in trouble after dating her for about five minutes. Sounds like a screw-up to me.”
His father pulled a bottle of Jack Daniels from the cabinet and filled the glass with a generous shot, then carried the bottle and glass to the table and sat next to his wife.
Steve faced his father. “Getting married was the right thing to do. You taught me to take responsibility for my actions.”
“I also taught you to use condoms.”
“Oh for crying out loud.” Steve pointed at Jack’s glass. “You’d better pour me one of those too.”
“I’ll make it a double.”
“We did use condoms. One must’ve broken.” Steve ran a hand through his hair. “This is your grandchild we’re talking about. Can’t anyone but me be happy about this baby?”
Sandy touched his arm. “Of course we’re happy to have a new grandchild on the way, but we’re worried about you. We want you to be happy.” She gave him a soft smile. “You’ll understand soon.”
“I am happy, damn it. I have the job of my dreams, I’m married to the woman of my dreams, and she’s about to give me a child. What more could I want?”
“It’s just that this thing between you and Katie is so sudden.”
“No, it isn’t. I’ve been in love with Katie since I could talk in full sentences.” He narrowed his eyes, daring anyone to contradict him.
“Marriage is a big responsibility,” his father said.
“I know. I’m ready for it. I want what you and Mom have.”
“And you think you can find that with Katie,” his mother said.
“Damn straight. She’s everything I’ve been looking for in a woman. She’s beautiful, she’s smart, and she puts her whole self into everything she does.”
Jack raised an eyebrow. His subtext was obvious. Including you.
“Not just that, Dad. She’s passionate about everything in her life—her job, her friendships, her hobbies—everything. From the first time we were together, I knew I couldn’t let her get away.”
Sandy looked thoughtful. “I always liked Katie. She was a fine young woman. I just hope you two haven’t put too much pressure on yourselves by moving so fast.”
“Stop worrying, Mom. Katie getting pregnant is a good thing. She doesn’t have a lot of time left to have kids. It’s good we got started right away.”
“I’d worry less if you’d taken time to build your relationship first.”
“It’s best things happened this way. Without the baby, Katie wouldn’t have given me a chance. She’d have patted me on the head and told me to run along like a good little boy.” He hunched his shoulders forward. “Almost a direct quote, by the way. The baby gave me leverage.”
“Leverage?” Sandy asked.
“I convinced her getting married was the right thing to do. For the baby.”
“Christ,” Jack said. He
slugged down the amber liquid and refilled his glass.
Sandy sighed. “Oh, Stevie, what have you gotten yourself into? Emotional blackmail isn’t a good way to start a marriage.”
“I did what I had to do. I couldn’t let her shut me out of our child’s life. Hell, Mom, she was even thinking of having an abortion. I had to stop her. So I appealed to her sense of guilt.”
Jack’s second drink disappeared down his throat and he poured himself a third. “In other words, you bullied this woman into marrying you even though she doesn’t love you.”
“She does love me. She’s just not ready to admit it yet.”
“She looks like she’d rather be boiled in oil than be in this situation.”
“Sure. She’s going through a tough time. She’s embarrassed, and she’s scared, and she’s having an awful time with morning sickness. But once things settle down and she figures out she can trust me, she’ll realize she loves me as much as I love her. If you’d seen how she ran into my arms last night when I surprised her at her office, you’d know I’m right.”
His mother frowned. “She doesn’t trust you?”
“Not completely. She thinks I’m a player.”
Jack let out a short laugh. “Gee, why would she think that?”
Steve glared at his father. “Okay, so I partied a lot and had a lot of girlfriends, but I’ve changed. I’m ready for something that will last.”
Sandy smiled. “I hope you’ve found it.”
He thrust his chin forward. “I have.”
“Then go find your wife. Her ten minutes are up.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kathryn let herself into her mother’s house through the sliding glass patio doors and made her way from the den through the kitchen to the formal living room. In an odd way, the St. John house hadn’t changed much since she was a child. Glenda was always redecorating, yet the feel of the house stayed the same. It was all Glenda. Then and now, there was no evidence that Andrew St. John had ever existed, beyond the fact that the decorator’s bills got paid.
Glenda St. John was ensconced in an overstuffed white leather armchair, nursing a gin and tonic. Her clothes were the same general style as Sandy Tyler’s, what Kathryn thought of as the country club look. But on Sandy, the look was relaxed; on Glenda, it was stuffy.