by Gail Hart
“Darling, what a delightful surprise,” Glenda said. “Though I expected you earlier, after you called from the turnpike.”
“We stopped next door first.”
“We?”
“Steve Tyler and I. We drove up together.”
“Stevie?” Glenda frowned. “I heard something about the Air Force sending him to D.C., but I didn’t realize you two were in contact.”
“‘In contact’ doesn’t even scratch the surface.” Here went nothing. She held out her left hand. “I married him.”
Her mother choked as a swig of G&T went down the wrong way. “What did you say?”
“You heard me, Mother.”
“Have you lost your mind? Why would you do such a thing? Granted, he’s... well developed, but he’s much too young for you.”
“Thank you so much for your support.” Her smile turned mean. “It gets better. The answer to ‘why’ is the usual reason for quickie weddings. I’m pregnant.”
Glenda set her drink down on the glass-topped coffee table with a thump and stared at her daughter. “You’re going to have a baby?”
Kathryn crossed one knee over the other as she returned the stare. “That’s what pregnant means.”
“You slept with Stevie? Good God! What on earth were you thinking?”
Kathryn smirked. “Obviously, not much thinking was going on at the time.”
Glenda’s face turned purple. “You think this is funny?”
“No, Mother, actually I don’t. I realize having a child is a huge responsibility. Getting pregnant was an accident, but staying pregnant was a choice.”
“I’ll be a laughingstock when this gets around. And it will get around. If you had to act like a tramp and make a fool of yourself, did you have to do it in my backyard?”
So much for motherly support. Ordinarily Kathryn would have felt like smacking her mother, but under the influence of the killer baby hormones, she felt like crying. A much less pleasant feeling. She thrust her chin forward, trying to look braver than she felt. “Be grateful I married Steve and your grandchild won’t be illegitimate.”
“Yes, you got the boy to marry you. Of course he would; Sandy and Jack raised him with values. Congratulations. You’ve finally gotten yourself a husband, even if you had to use the oldest, sneakiest trick in the book to do it. I didn’t realize you were that desperate.”
“You think I did this on purpose?” She ran a hand through her hair. “You’re right, I did. I was dying for the opportunity to have this lovely conversation.”
“Don’t get smart with me. You’re not a total idiot. You know how to prevent things like this from happening, if you’d wanted to.”
“We used birth control. It didn’t work.”
“I suppose it’s possible you conceived through ineptitude rather than by design. It really doesn’t matter. Either way, the result is the same. You’ve ruined Steven’s life.”
The unfairness of the accusation made Kathryn rigid with frustration. “Steve wanted to get married. I never pressured him. He wants our family as much as I do.”
“Yes, because he’s an honorable man. But it was selfish of you to say yes. Eventually the thrill of doing the right thing will wear off, and he’ll feel trapped and embarrassed, and he’ll resent you. Probably sooner rather than later.” Glenda St. John’s cool tone held no mercy for her daughter.
Kathryn flinched. “Stop it, Mother. You’re being cruel.”
“No, I’m being honest.”
As if the two were mutually exclusive. Kathryn stared into her hands, trying to regroup mentally.
Then a pair of warm hands settled on her shoulders.
“You’re wrong, Mrs. St. John,” Steve said. “I love your daughter. I’ll make her happy, and I’ll give you beautiful grandchildren.”
Her mother’s mouth twisted into a small, joyless smile. “Wasn’t one mother enough for you? This situation would be hysterical if I couldn’t see how badly you’re both going to get hurt in this train wreck.”
Kathryn saw Steve stiffen as he walked around the chair to stand in front of her. “We can finish this discussion later. Right now my wife needs to rest.” He grabbed Kathryn’s forearms and lifted her gently to her feet. “Come, sweetheart.”
Kathryn gave him a trembling smile. “Steve...”
Not letting her finish her protest, he slid an arm around her waist and nuzzled her hair. “Hush.”
“I have everything under control here. Really.”
Ignoring both her words and her mother, he led Kathryn toward the front door. “I can’t let you wear yourself out. It’s bad for the baby.”
For once, instead of irritating, those words soothed.
Outside on the front porch, Steve let his anger explode. “I could kill that woman.”
Kathryn felt better already. She smiled. “How? With a stake through her heart? A silver bullet?”
He shook his head and pulled Kathryn closer. “I thought no one could be harder on you than you are on yourself, but I was wrong.”
Kathryn shrugged. “I’m used to it. You didn’t have to ride to my rescue. I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can, tough girl, but you don’t have to. We’re a team. You take care of me when I need it, and I take care of you when you need it. We’ve got each other’s backs.”
As much as the idea surprised her, she had to admit having a partner felt better than fighting her battles alone.
* * *
Retching into the toilet, Kathryn silently spewed every curse word she’d ever heard. What a way to cut short her nap. Could this day get any worse?
“Ginger ale,” Sandy’s voice announced from above her head, and a mug appeared in front of her face.
Great, now her mother-in-law got to watch her suffer.
“Steve says you’re having a problem with morning sickness,” Sandy said.
“Morning, noon and night sickness.” Kathryn accepted the mug and took a sip before rising from the cold tile floor.
Sandy went to the sink and soaked a washcloth, then wiped it across Kathryn’s face. “Feel any better?”
The cool cloth was calming. Kathryn managed a weak smile. “My stomach feels a little better. My dignity’s another story. I’m too old for this... nonsense.”
“I know how you feel,” Sandy answered as they walked toward the living room. “I had a late life baby too.”
The two women sat down on the comfortable, overstuffed corduroy sofa, so much more inviting than the formal monstrosity in the St. John living room.
“I guess you did—Steve.”
“Yes, and he was worth all the aggravation.”
Kathryn searched Sandy’s face. “On a scale of one to ten, how pissed off are you?”
Sandy looked amused. “Wow, you’re direct.”
“I find it saves time.”
“What am I supposed to be ticked off about? Not being invited to my son’s wedding? Yes, I’m annoyed, but I’ll get over it.”
Kathryn wasn’t about to let her ignore the elephant in the room. “I mean about the rest of it. The baby.”
“What point would there be in getting mad? You and Steven are adults, and you’ve made decisions about your future, and I have to respect that. You’re family now. I’m sure I won’t always agree with everything you do, but I’ll do my best to be supportive.”
Without warning, Kathryn felt tears well up in her eyes and roll down her cheeks. “Oh, hell,” she said, trying to brush them away. “I’m sorry. This isn’t like me. I never cry.”
“Sounds like you’re apologizing for being human.” Sandy slid over and pulled Kathryn into a hug. “Everything’s going to work out,” she murmured.
Taken by surprise, Kathryn’s body stayed stiff at first, but gradually she let herself relax and accept the comfort being offered.
When the waterworks subsided, Kathryn pulled away from Sandy and wiped her cheek with her fingers. Sandy pulled a tissue from her pocket and handed it to her dau
ghter-in-law. “Try to be happy. This is an exciting time. You’re creating life.”
“I know. But I’m so embarrassed.”
A hint of a smile played on the older woman’s lips. “What have you done that’s so bad you have to make yourself miserable?”
“I was stupid and I was irresponsible and I ruined Steve’s life.”
Sandy stared. “Wow. I hardly know where to start on that one. Where did you get the idea you ruined Steve’s life? Not from him, I’m sure.”
“From my mother.”
“Dear Lord!” Sandy shook her head. “That must have hurt, but try not to let it get to you. Sometimes your mother speaks without thinking, especially when she’s upset.”
Kathryn felt Sandy gave Glenda too much credit. Her gut said her mother had meant every word. Still, she considered her mother-in-law’s suggestion, and found it offered little comfort. “She’s upset because she’s disappointed in me.”
“More like, scared to death for you.” Sandy studied Kathryn’s face. “I understand where she’s coming from. Do you care about my son?”
Kathryn sat up straighter. “Absolutely.” Her voice regained most of its normal strength. “I wouldn’t have agreed to marry him if I didn’t think we could make our marriage work. I live up to my commitments.” She brought her hand to rest on her stomach. “The circumstances aren’t ideal, but Steve and I have a lot going for us. We have similar backgrounds, similar values, and similar interests. We enjoy each other’s company.”
Sandy smiled. “Obviously.”
Kathryn felt herself blush and rushed on. “We may not love each other, but we like each other. And we’re committed to doing right by our baby. Steve wants to be a great father, and I know he will be.”
“I agree, but you’re missing half the picture. He doesn’t just want to be a good father. He wants to be a good husband.”
“He’s a good man.”
“Yes, but there’s more to it than that. He loves you.”
Kathryn shook her head. “Chemistry isn’t the same thing as love.”
“True, and you and I are both old enough to recognize the difference.” Sandy touched Kathryn’s hand. “Trust what you see in his eyes. Believe in him. Love him, and let him love you. Let us all love you.”
All of us? Maybe she was getting a second family out of this, one that wouldn’t always make her feel like she was on probation. Now there was a concept. She felt the stirrings of something that seemed a lot like hope
* * *
Kathryn was applying blusher in front of the mirror in Steve’s childhood bathroom when he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tight. “What are you doing?”
“Getting ready to go to five o’clock mass with your mom and dad. You should be too.”
He rested his chin on her shoulder. The feel of his breath on her neck made her shiver. “We don’t have to go,” he said in his bedroom voice. “They know I don’t do church much anymore, and you’re not even Catholic.”
“Your mother will be happy if we go, and I want to make her happy. She was kind to me this afternoon.” Unlike Kathryn’s own mother.
“Why wouldn’t she be kind to you?” He twisted her around to face him. “Kathryn, everything your mother said today was bullshit. I’m totally psyched about the baby. I can’t wait until you start showing.” He slipped his fingers under the waistband of her skirt. “I’ll bet it won’t be long. This skirt already feels a little tight.”
“You want me to get fat?”
“I want the world to see I melted the Ice Queen.”
Kathryn shook her head. “You’re such a guy.”
“And you’re so cranky.” He lowered his hands to her rump and lifted her onto the sink, bunching her skirt around her waist. Resting his cheek against her hair, he whispered, “I know why. You didn’t come this morning.”
She felt her face grow warm. “How was I supposed to feel turned on when I was so tense? I’m not some kind of a machine.”
“I know, baby, but now that the drama’s out of the way, it’s time to do my husbandly duty.”
“No, it’s time for us to get ready for church.”
Ignoring her, he unbuttoned the top two buttons of her blouse and slipped his hand inside her bra. She squirmed as he made contact with the nipple, as big and hard as an acorn. “Your body’s getting ready for something completely different.”
“What do you expect when you touch me that way?”
“I expect to satisfy you like nothing else.” He slid his free hand under her skirt and stuck it inside her pantyhose and panties. His finger swirled around in her juices. “You’re so ready.”
“Stop it! We don’t have time.”
“Sure we do. I don’t need much time to get you off.”
She wanted to keep arguing, but his thumb had already found her flash point and was moving at just the right pace, with just the right pressure. All she could do was moan and wrap her arms around his neck, hanging on for dear life. God, they were good together. Despite the short time they’d been a couple, he knew her body so well. She was only a few milliseconds away from flying to pieces.
“Stop holding back, Katie,” he purred. “Be a good girl and give me great big climax.”
Like Pavlov’s dog, her body responded. She shrieked and fell forward against his chest as wave after wave of pleasure rolled though her. He held her in his arms and stroked her hair, murmuring, “Oh yes, Katie, yes.”
When she finally stopped shuddering, he took a step back, leaned down, and brushed her lips with a quick, soft kiss. “You needed that.”
Her smile was lopsided as she slid off the sink. “All right, I admit it: I needed that. But what about you?”
“I got plenty this morning, and I’ll get more tonight.” He buttoned her blouse. “I’ve got to teach you to stop depriving yourself. Don’t be embarrassed that you’re so hot for me. Enjoy it. I sure do.” He touched her cheek. “This blush looks so much better than the one you put on with a brush.”
But what would happen when the fire cooled, or their business obligations couldn’t be reconciled? Kathryn smoothed down her skirt. “I’m a mess. What will your parents think?”
“If they notice at all, they’ll think we’re newlyweds and we were doing what newlyweds do.”
* * *
Kathryn was getting ready to leave the office on Monday evening when Martin Brubaker appeared in her doorway, wearing a bow tie in addition to his usual suspenders. The man got more out of touch every day. He peered at her with a stern expression. “Do you have a minute?”
As if she could say no. But her boss’s unannounced appearance was unsettling. She was on his calendar for the next morning and had planned to bring him up to date on her personal situation. If he’d already heard from someone else, he’d take it badly. Hiding her concern, she smiled at the old man. “For you, Marty, always. I thought you were out of the office today. What’s on your mind?”
He closed her door and took a seat on her couch. “Are the rumors I’m hearing about your personal life true?”
She sighed inwardly and held out her left hand. “Yes, I got married. And yes, I’m pregnant. I’m sorry the office grapevine got to you before I could.”
Brubaker turned first pale and then red. “Good Lord. First Bruce’s extracurricular activities with his assistant, and now this. Can’t anyone around here avoid making a sad, sorry mess of their personal life?”
Kathryn locked her gaze on his. “I don’t have the luxury of waiting any longer, Martin. I won’t lose my chance to be a mother.”
She’d meant the words as spin, but when they escaped her lips, she realized they were true. She wanted this baby, wanted it with all her heart. She blinked in surprise at the strength of her sudden conviction.
Brubaker gave her a questioning look. “You weren’t seeing anyone at Christmas. You didn’t bring a date to the company party.”
“Everything happened rather suddenly,” she admi
tted.
The old man sighed. “Well, my dear, at least this man had the decency to make an honest woman of you.”
“Some would say that would take more than a marriage license, but yes, he’s a very decent man.”
“Who is this person you’re bringing into the B&W family?”
“His name’s Steve Tyler. He’s a pilot at Andrews.”
“An Air Force officer? We’ve always done more business with the Navy and the Marines. Maybe having an Air Force connection will help us expand our marketing efforts. If you stay after the baby comes.”
“Of course I’ll stay. This company is part of me. Having a family won’t change that, any more than it did for you or Bruce.”
He shook his head. “Bradford Whitley and I built this place from the ground up. All we had was rented office space in Crystal City and determination. We weren’t sure from month to month whether we’d be able to pay the rent. Those were good times.”
“Now the company supports hundreds of people. You have a lot to be proud of. You’ve earned a rest.”
He shook his head. “Everyone’s gone. Brad. My wife. And you and Bruce can’t wait to pick my bones clean.”
Kathryn grinned. “Right after we throw you out in the snow barefoot.”
He gave her a self-deprecating smile. “I deserved that. It’s hard to let go. But it’s time.”
She squared her shoulders. “I promise, I’ll take good care of your company. Better than Bruce ever could.”
“He has his shortcomings. Much as I hate to say it, out of respect for his father’s memory. But he loves this company. It’s his home, his birthright. I know he’ll still be here tomorrow.”
“And you think I won’t?”
“Maybe not. Maybe when you hold your baby in your arms for the first time, you’ll love him or her so much you won’t want to be away.”
“Of course I’ll love my baby, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stop loving my job. As a former Congresswoman once said, I have a brain and a uterus, and I intend to use both.”
“Pat Schroeder of Colorado. Not a fan of defense contractors.” Whitley frowned. “I worry you’re not being realistic, and your baby will suffer because you’re trying to have it all. You know how time-consuming my job is. Who will raise your child, the nanny? Won’t your husband mind that you’re never home?”