by Linda Wisdom
“And brought them home hyper and ready for meganightmares.” Abby walked up and tickled the back of her daughter’s neck. As if on cue, Carrie squealed again. All the men winced. Abby smiled. “Next time I’ll just let them spend the night with you, Uncle Mark,” she cooed, patting Mark’s cheek with a little more force than necessary.
“Ow!” He reared back. “What was that for?”
“Call it payment in advance, handsome,” she said. “I’m sure something will come up before the day is over.”
Mark glared at his sister-in-law. “You used to be this shy sweet person who didn’t speak above a whisper. What happened?”
Jeff made choking sounds. “That was Lauren who was so quiet,” he said.
Abby tapped Mark’s cheek again. This time a little harder.
“It’s amazing Nora’s willing to spend more than five minutes with you,” Abby scolded. “You do remember that you brought Nora, don’t you? If not, I’ll be only too happy to remind you what she looks like. If you men want to be useful, you’ll help Lou and Theo with the barbecue.” She walked off.
“The woman is the devil incarnate,” Mark pronounced, looking at his oldest brother. “Are you sure she didn’t cast some spell that turned you into her sex slave?”
“What can I say? She thinks I’m incredible.”
At Jeff’s deadpan announcement, the rest of the men broke into laughter. They were all familiar with Abby’s take-no-prisoners methods. None of them were sure if they pitied Jeff or envied him his wife.
“Good, the women are finally bringing out some food,” Eric, one of the firemen, announced.
Mark turned around. His gaze instantly zeroed in on Nora, who emerged from the house carrying a large platter. She was laughing and talking with some of the other women who were also carrying food.
Brian noticed the direction of Mark’s gaze. He nudged Jeff and jerked his head toward the house then toward Mark. Jeff easily noticed what Brian had. The two brothers broke into broad grins.
He’s toast, Brian mouthed, recognizing a look that had once been on his own face.
“SO WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN doing?” Mark asked, walking up to Nora and taking the tray out of her hands.
“Secret girl stuff,” she replied. “The kind that could cost you your manhood if you found out.”
“You women are downright bloodthirsty.” He shook his head in wonder. He set the tray down where she indicated it needed to go.
“It’s our nature,” she said airily. “Just as you men like to stand together and discuss guy stuff, we women discuss girl stuff.”
“Mom didn’t drag out the baby pictures again, did she?” He discovered by standing just behind her, he could inhale the fresh subtle scent of her hair, which reminded him of a waterfall. He was tempted to loosen her hair and watch the coppery tresses tumble down.
She looked up with a smile. “Don’t worry, your dignity is safe. Although I see she added more pictures to the collages in the hallway.”
“Emma and Trey,” he said. “They were pretty excited when she asked for pictures of them so they’d be up here too. She said they’re her grandchildren too.”
“Nora! Do you still drive that Martian car?” Lou Walker’s voice rang out over the various conversations.
Nora looked to her left and smiled at the man walking up to her. He none too subtly edged his son to the side and threw his arms around her for a bear hug.
“Admit it, you’re jealous of my sweet little baby,” she laughed, used to the older man’s teasing. From the first time he saw her lime-green Beetle, he had called it a Martian car.
“Jealous of something I could kill with my flyswatter?” He stepped back and surveyed her from head to toe. “Gorgeous as ever. If I wasn’t married…” His voice fell off.
“Hey, stop flirting with my date or I’ll tell Mom,” Mark grumbled good-naturedly.
Lou waved him off. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing something useful?”
“I am. I’m helping Nora.”
Lou gave a snort. “More like making yourself look good.”
Nora studied Lou and knew this was what Mark would look like in later years. The Walker men were all tall, imbued with a masculinity that seemed to bring out a woman’s femininity. She had no doubt Cathy couldn’t resist Lou any more than Nora had been able to resist Mark.
“Next time, don’t wait so long before you come out to see us,” Lou told her. “It’s been too long since we last saw your beautiful face, Nora, me girl,” he said in an Irish brogue he liked to use when she was around.
Nora smiled. “I guess saying I’ve been busy won’t work with you.”
He nodded. “I’d know better.” He glanced at his son. “Is he behaving himself?”
“Has he ever?”
“Once. When he was about six minutes old.” He dropped a kiss on top of Nora’s head. “Make sure you eat all your steak and everything that goes with it. You need some meat on your bones.”
“I’ll do what I can,” she promised.
He shot her a mock glare. “See that you do.” He hugged her again and headed for the other side of the large patio. “Tell the kids they’ll need to dry off soon if they want to eat!” he shouted to the group seated by the swimming pool before he moved on to oversee the barbecue grill. Within minutes, Lou and Theo, Lou’s father, were good-naturedly arguing over the best way to grill a steak.
“Some things never change.” Nora shook her head, amused by the scenes unfolding all around her.
Even with the large group, the chaos was carefully orchestrated with some bringing out salads, condiments and anything food, others helping with the barbecue, and the remaining reining in the kids and steering them toward the barbecue where they’d receive their choice of hamburgers or hot dogs. Those with larger appetites chose both.
Nora helped carry out another bowl of potato salad before Mark kidnapped her and seated her at one of the tables.
“I’ll get your steak for you,” he offered.
“A small one,” she told him.
“All right, tell me all.” Ginna slid onto the seat beside her the moment Mark was out of earshot.
“All? Well, millions of years ago…” she began.
“Idiot,” she said affectionately. “You know very well I’m talking about Mark and the fact that you arrived with him.”
Nora shrugged. “He offered to drive and I accepted. Gas conservation and all that.” She reached across the table and snagged a potato chip out of a large bowl. She swiped it across the top of some dip and brought it to her mouth.
Ginna rolled her eyes. She looked around and lowered her voice. “The last time you ever mentioned anything about Mark, you pretty much said he could eat dirt and die.”
Nora affected a nonchalant smile. “Dirt just isn’t what it used to be, is it? Fine. You want the story. He picked me up at the airport when I came back home. I decided it was time I put the past where it belonged. We talked things out and everything is fine. That doesn’t make us an item or anything. Just one person doing a favor for another.” And somewhere along Linda Randall Wisdom 95 the line, we made love and I’m pregnant. The thing is, I don’t know how to tell you.
Ginna’s eyes narrowed. “What are you hiding from me?”
“Nothing,” Nora said too quickly. “Where’re Lucie and Nick?”
“They’re having a mother-son weekend in San Diego. Lucie wanted bonding time. Nick wanted to attend a computer show. Lucie won the coin toss.”
“Hey, sis, why don’t you go hunt down your husband,” Mark suggested, climbing over the bench in between the two women and none too gracefully pushing Ginna farther down.
“No need to,” she said sweetly, smiling at Zach who seated himself across from her. He handed her one of the plates he held. “Where are Emma and Trey?”
“They’re happy as clams at the kids’ table.”
“Look at this.” Abby stood next to Zach. She looked over her shoulder. “Honey, there’s room over here
.”
“Oh God!” Mark moaned as Abby sat down across from him. Jeff came up behind her and set a plate in front of her. Mark looked at Abby’s steak. “What, they didn’t have raw meat for her? Ouch!” He jerked his legs back under the bench but not fast enough to avoid Abby’s kick. “Why do you always have to go after me?”
“Because you’re the perfect target.” She picked up her knife and began cutting her meat into bite-size pieces.
“Room for two more?” Brian and Gail took the last spots at the table.
“Only if you’ll trade places with me,” Mark told his brother while directing his glare at Abby, who merely smiled.
“You are so much fun to torment,” she cooed with a wicked smile.
“Don’t let her know she’s getting to you,” Jeff advised.
“Easy for you to say,” Mark grumbled.
Nora had forgotten how much energy the Walker siblings exuded when they were together. Not physical but mental energy where talk flew fast and furious around the table. They didn’t need to catch up on gossip since they kept in constant touch with each other.
She wondered if Mark felt the shift in energy that she did. The three married couples each shared a bond that excluded everyone around them. They weren’t intentionally rude, just connected in a way few would understand. Nora envied them sharing what she knew she would never have the chance to achieve.
“Next time, I’ll find us a table about a hundred miles away,” Mark murmured near her ear. “Or maybe in another country. On second thought, let’s find another galaxy. One that’s far, far away.” His breath was warm against her ear.
She ducked her head and concentrated on her food.
“You get me Han Solo and I’ll be on the next spaceship.”
Chapter Eight
“Teams ready?” Theo’s voice boomed over the group.
They shouted “Yes!” and one threw the football up into the air.
“Hey, where are the pom-poms, short skirt and cute little crop top?” Jeff asked Abby as he slid his arm around her waist.
“I thought this time you could wear the cute little skirt and top and man the pom-poms,” she suggested with a broad laugh.
“I’d pay money to see that,” Ginna chuckled, straightening out a lawn chair and sitting down.
“As you can see, he’s got the legs for it,” Abby told her, putting her chair next to Nora’s. “A little hairy maybe, but a good leg waxing could take care of that. Go team go!” She threw her arms up. “Show them who’s boss, honey!”
Ginna twisted at the waist and shot her sister-in-law a “you have got to be kidding!” look. “I think the one who will wipe up the field will be Zach.”
“Yay, Daddy!” Emma hopped from one foot to the other.
“Yay, our daddy!” Carrie and Casey shouted, jumping up and down. “Clean the grass!”
“Their version of wiping up the field,” Abby explained.
“Eric, honey, be careful!” Janice, his date, called out.
Ginna leaned toward Nora. “Janice is a flower artist,” she confided.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning she works in a flower shop, but she feels it makes her sound more intelligent if she calls herself a flower artist,” she murmured.
“Don’t tell me. He met her when he was in the flower shop buying flowers for someone else.”
Ginna nodded. “The flowers were for Katie, the day-care worker who he met when he went with Jeff and Abby to Casey and Carrie’s open house.”
Nora looked across the grassy expanse toward Eric and Mark, whose heads were together as they discussed strategy. She knew the men were good friends. She felt an unsettling sensation in the pit of her stomach. Good friends because they’re so much alike? She recalled the times she and Mark had met with friends, Eric always had a different woman with him. She reached down and picked up a glass of ginger ale in hopes it would help settle her stomach. As she tipped the glass to her lips, she glanced up and found Gail’s eyes on her. There was something too knowing in her gaze.
Nora reminded herself that Gail was a pediatrician not an obstetrician and looked back toward the playing field. Her pulse tripped a few beats as she watched Mark pull his shirt off over his head. His chest was hard-muscled and tanned a rich bronze color. She took another sip of her drink in hopes of quenching her sudden thirst.
“Think they’ll overdo it like last time?” Gail asked the women.
“Of course they will, dear,” Cathy assured her. “They’re showing off for us. Lou pulled a thigh muscle the last time he played with the boys. And strained his back.”
Abby nodded. “Jeff could barely the move the next day.”
“Brian couldn’t lift his arms over his head.” Gail chuckled. “I think the men are forgetting they’re no longer eighteen.”
“Maybe they’re forgetting, but that doesn’t mean we’ll let them forget,” Ginna said. She suddenly jumped up clapping. “Woo-hoo, Zach! You go, baby! Oh no!” She groaned when Jeff got the ball from Zach and went running in a zigzag pattern with Mark fast on his heels.
Nora had no warning. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized a freight train known as Jeff Walker was heading straight at her. Their eyes met in shared panic as she jumped up out of her chair in hopes of getting out of the way. Too late since he slammed into her at the same time and they fell to the ground with Jeff on top of her.
“Jeffrey, get off her this minute! She’s pregnant!” Cathy cried out then clapped her hands over her mouth. By then it was too late.
Nora was wheezing as Jeff jumped off her and reached down to pull her to her feet.
“Are you all right?” he asked as the rest of the group circled them.
She pressed her hand against her chest as she tried to pull air into her lungs. The scene before her was unreal. Everyone looked as if they were playing the game Statues. Ginna stared at her friend as if she couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. Cathy looked apologetic as she stood there with her hands still covering her mouth. But it was the expression on Mark’s face that was the hardest to look at. Shock mingled with a dawning comprehension as his mother’s announcement sunk in.
“Oh my God.” Ginna was the first one to break the charged silence that encompassed everyone. “Nora!” she screamed, throwing her arms around her friend. “Why didn’t you tell me? How long have you known? When did this happen?” she demanded, then noticed the optical line of tension between Nora and Mark. “Oh…my…God,” she whispered, looking from one to the other. “Mark? Mark is the father?” She released her friend and advanced on her brother with murder in her eyes.
“Gin,” Zach’s quiet voice carried easily to his wife’s ears. “I don’t think this is a good time.”
Ginna stopped short and turned to her husband. She took a deep breath, then another, and slowly nodded. “You’re right,” she said quietly.
Cathy moved through the group until she reached Nora. She put her arms around her in a protective gesture.
“That’s enough from all of you. Right now, I’m taking Nora up to the house,” she said calmly. With the deft touch she was known for, she skillfully maneuvered Nora up to the house. Ginna was hot on their heels, but Mark edged her out by physically picking her up and moving her to one side.
“This has nothing to do with you, Gin,” he said quietly.
“Yes, it does! She’s my best friend and like a sister to me.”
“Come on, honey.” Zach intervened and pulled her gently away.
Mark looked back at the house where the two women had disappeared. He felt as if he’d taken a hard punch to his gut.
Nora was pregnant with his baby. He was going to be a father!
For a moment, he felt the world whirl around him. He wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d passed out cold. Instead, the world righted itself, but he still didn’t feel too steady on his feet.
Shouldn’t there have been some kind of warning to ease him into the situation?
Then he re
membered the source of the news. He walked quickly up to the house and slipped into the kitchen. When he reached the hall, he heard the soft sound of Nora’s tears and Cathy consoling her. He stopped just outside the guest room.
“He hates me,” Nora cried out. “I know he does.”
Mark swallowed the giant lump in his throat. No, he doesn’t, but he’s sure scared as hell.
“I don’t believe that, dear,” Cathy replied. “Mark was just surprised, that’s all. I am so sorry I blurted the news out that way. I was so afraid you were hurt when Jeff slammed into you like that.”
She should have told me. Mark leaned his shoulder against the wall. Why didn’t she tell me?
“Do you feel all right? You’re not having any pain, are you?” Cathy asked solicitously. “Jeff hit you pretty hard.”
Mark straightened up. Dammit, he was the one with the medical training! And he was the father, to boot. Didn’t that count for anything? He should be in there looking after her.
He threw his shoulders back and walked into the room. His heart twisted into a painful knot when he saw Nora’s tear-stained face. She sat on the edge of the bed with Cathy sitting next to her. His mother’s arms were around the younger woman’s shoulders. She looked up at the intruder.
“Not now, Mark.” Cathy spoke quietly but firmly.
He knew that tone of voice only too well. The five Walker siblings knew better than to argue with their mother when she used that voice.
“This concerns me.” He was ready to make his argument. He noticed Nora refused to look at him. He hated to think she was trying to hide from him. Did she think he was going to come in here and say hurtful things to her? Or, even worse, insist the baby couldn’t be his? All he wanted to know was why she’d kept the news from him. He didn’t need to be a scientist to count back and figure out how long she probably had known. “Nora and I need to talk, Mom.”
Cathy Walker’s eyes sparked blue fire. “Yes, the two of you do need to talk, but not now.”
Mark watched her tighten her hold on Nora. Did she think Nora needed protection? Protection from what? From him?