A Baby in the House

by Pamela Bauer

“I’m looking for Krystal,” a man’s voice said.

  “She’s gone.” Garret was rather terse but he didn’t care.

  “Oh, shoot. I missed her. All right. I guess I’ll just have to tell her when she gets here. Thanks.” And the voice was gone.

  “I take it that was for Krystal?” his mother said.

  “Just another guy. We both know there’s been no shortage of men in her life,” he said irritably.

  His mother frowned. “I didn’t think she’d been dating since she broke up with Roy. Not that it would matter to you,” she added, scrutinizing his face closely.

  “No, it doesn’t matter,” he lied.

  “The same way it wouldn’t matter to Krystal if I told her Samantha asked to be let out of her lease so she could move in with her latest boyfriend.”

  “Did you tell Krystal that?” he asked with interest.

  “No, I thought I’d let you share that piece of information with her since she seems to think you’re still interested in Samantha.”

  “That’s ridiculous. I’ve told her half a dozen times that Samantha means nothing to me.”

  “Then if that’s the case, just what is it that’s keeping you and Krystal apart?”

  “You make it sound as if we’ve had a lovers’ quarrel and all we need to do is kiss and make up. We share a house, Mom. We’re not lovers.”

  “Maybe that’s the problem,” his mother said, reaching for her coat, which had been slung over the kitchen chair. “Romance is my business, Garret. I know the look of love when I see it and it’s in your eyes whether you want to see it or not.”

  “You think I’m in love with Krystal?”

  “Yes. Now what do you plan to do about it?” She pulled on her coat and began buttoning it up.

  “Nothing, because you’re wrong. I’m not in love with her,” he stated for his own benefit as much as hers.

  “All right, so you’re not.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek and started toward the door. “I’ve got to get home. See you, dear.”

  “Mother, wait!”

  She paused near the door. “What?” she asked impatiently.

  “You don’t think Krystal thinks I’m in love with her, do you?”

  “Oh, good heavens, no. She thinks you’re only living here because of the baby, that you treat her the way you do because of a sense of duty. She’s given up hope that you’ll ever fall in love with her.”

  “You make it sound like she would want that to happen.”

  “Why Garret, are you pumping your mother for information about a woman?” she asked with a reproving look. “There’s only one way for you to find out what Krystal wants. Go ask her. You saw how pretty she looked tonight. Why don’t you do something impulsive—like get in your car and go after her.”

  “Oh yeah,” he drawled sarcastically. “Like I want to go to some smoky bar where she’s singing karaoke to find out if we’re a good match.”

  His mother frowned. “Bar? What are you talking about? Krystal’s not at a bar. She’s at the nursing home.”

  “Nursing home?” He frowned, suddenly remembering Dolly Anderson telling him about Krystal volunteering to help at a party.

  “It’s their party night and she’s hosting the karaoke for the seniors. Not that you’d want to go. I know how you hate parties.”

  And with a wave and a bye-bye tossed over her shoulder, Leonie walked out, leaving Garret’s mind racing with possibilities. Was Krystal hoping he’d fall in love with her? Or would he look like a fool if he showed up at the nursing home?

  He paced for several minutes, unable to stop thinking about her. “You need to have more fun in your life.” How many times had she told him that? Maybe it was time he showed her what a fun guy he could be. He grabbed his coat and keys and headed out the door. One of them was going to be in for a big surprise this evening. He could only hope it was Krystal.

  “OH, MY! Don’t you look beautiful,” Dolly crooned when she saw Krystal. “All those spangles! It’s too bad Dr. G. isn’t going to be here tonight to see you.”

  Personally, Krystal was relieved he wasn’t. For months Dolly had been mentioning her favorite doctor, who just happened to be single. Krystal was in no mood to have anybody matchmaking for her and she’d had enough of one particular doctor that she didn’t care if she never met another one.

  She couldn’t think of Garret without her heart feeling as if it were being squeezed in a vise. When she’d first moved in with him she’d been determined to make their living arrangements work—for the sake of the baby. But ever since their huge fight last week, she’d been seriously thinking of looking for her own place.

  She blamed herself. If she hadn’t fallen in love with him, she wouldn’t care that he ignored her. It wouldn’t matter that he came home at night after she was in bed and was gone in the morning before she got up. But she did love him and she did care.

  That’s why today had been another painful reminder of why it would never work between them. When he’d come home and found her in the kitchen with his mother, she hadn’t missed the surprise on his face. For one brief moment she had thought that maybe he was happy to see her, but then he’d looked away, as if he didn’t need any reminders of his obligation.

  “I made sure that you’re seated at my table for dinner,” Dolly told her, pulling her by the hand to where six other senior citizens already sat around the circular table. Introductions were made with Dolly bragging that Krystal would be in charge of entertainment after dinner.

  The kitchen staff had just started to serve the food when Dolly grabbed her by the arm and exclaimed, “Well, isn’t that nice! He was able to come after all.” She stared past Krystal in the direction of the exit.

  Krystal assumed it was one of the older gentlemen residents until Dolly said, “It’s Dr. G.—you know, the one I want you to meet, but he’s sitting way across the room at a corner table. Maybe I can get him moved over here with us,” she said, glancing around for a staff member.

  “No, it’s all right.” Krystal pulled her hand down, in no hurry to be the recipient of Dolly’s matchmaking attempts. “Let him eat. I’ll meet him after dinner.”

  Dolly didn’t protest, but Krystal noticed she glanced frequently in the doctor’s direction throughout dinner. Krystal, however, kept her attention on the hot dish, green beans and gelatin salad on her plate, hoping that as soon as she was finished, her duties as a volunteer on the entertainment committee would keep her busy.

  “Krystal, there’s someone who wants to see you,” Dolly said when they were on the final course—a scoop of ice cream.

  Krystal knew the inevitable moment had come. She had to meet Dolly’s doctor friend. She turned and was surprised to see Gladys Lingenfelser in a wheelchair.

  “Oh, good! You’re out of bed,” Krystal said, giving the elderly woman a hug.

  “I have something for you,” Gladys said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a beaded bracelet. “I made it for you.”

  “Why, thank you.” Krystal’s eyes misted with tears as she slipped the bracelet over her wrist. “That is one of the nicest gifts anyone has ever given me.”

  The elderly woman grinned and patted her hand. “You’re such a sweet thing.”

  “Isn’t she though?” Dolly seconded.

  Then Krystal heard a male voice say, “I think she just might be the sweetest thing I’ve ever met.”

  Startled, she looked up to see Garret standing over her shoulder. Before she could utter a word, Dolly tugged on his sleeve. “I’m so glad you came to the party. Now you can meet my friend Kryssie.”

  Krystal looked from Dolly to Garret. “This is Dr. G.?”

  Dolly beamed. “Yes, didn’t I tell you he was good-looking?”

  “You did.”

  “And wasn’t I right?”

  Krystal looked at Garret when she answered. “Yes, you were right.”

  Dolly again pulled on Garret’s coat sleeve. “Say hello to Kryssie. Didn’t I tell you she was pretty
?”

  “Yes, you did,” he answered, amusement dancing in the eyes that gazed into Krystal’s. “Hello, Kryssie.”

  “What are you doing here?” she whispered to him.

  “Looking to have some fun,” he answered.

  “Here?” she squeaked.

  He glanced around. “There are a few more people than I like to see at a party, but I certainly can’t complain about the guest list. And I hear the entertainment is worth the price of admission in itself.” His eyes stared into hers as he finished his sentence.

  “Kryssie, it’s time to get started,” Dolly interrupted them, pointing to the front of the room where the other volunteers now stood.

  From the program that had been at her place at dinner, Krystal knew the entertainment consisted of three parts. A flutist, a magician and a karaoke specialist. She was the karaoke specialist, although she didn’t want to admit to anyone that the only time she’d actually stood up in a bar and sung along with karaoke, she’d been a few sheets to the wind.

  The flutist went first, followed by the magician. Both were received warmly by the elderly audience. When it was her turn, she took her place next to the karaoke machine, microphone in hand.

  Dolly volunteered to sing “White Cliffs of Dover” because it reminded her of her husband. Music from the forties was very popular and Krystal was surprised at how many didn’t need lyrics to sing along. When it appeared that everyone who wanted a turn had sung a favorite tune, Krystal was about to put the microphone away when Garret stood up.

  “What about me. Don’t I get to try?”

  She stared at him in disbelief. He wanted to sing in front of an audience? She whispered close to his ear, “Are you sure? This isn’t the shower.”

  He took the microphone from her and made his song selection. Before he started, he said, “Dolly, you know how you dedicated your song to your husband? Well, I’m dedicating this song to your Kryssie.”

  Krystal knew her eyes bulged. She couldn’t imagine what it was he could possibly sing to her. Then he began and she nearly fell off her chair. The song was “Baby, I Need Your Lovin’.”

  Dolly nearly swooned over with joy. The rest of the audience grinned and applauded. Krystal couldn’t do a single thing but cry.

  She couldn’t believe that quiet, unemotional Garret was belting out his love for her in a roomful of strangers. She knew how much he hated large groups of people. She knew how hard it was for him to shed his reserve and do something out of his comfort zone. Yet he was going on and on and on…

  Suddenly she leaped to her feet and grabbed the microphone from him and turned off the karaoke machine. She stared into eyes that were as dark and as rich as chocolate. “I need your lovin,’ too.”

  Then she kissed him.

  “SO, DR. G., what happens next?” she asked provocatively when they were the only two left in the cafeteria of the nursing home. “Do you have any other fun things you can show me?”

  He pulled her into his arms and gave her a lingering kiss that would have continued a lot longer had they not been in a public place. “I’ve been wanting to do that for a long, long time.”

  “I wish you would have. It could have saved us a lot of misery,” she said on a sigh.

  He lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. “Have you been miserable?”

  “Yes. Haven’t you?”

  “Yes.” He brushed another kiss across her lips.

  “I thought you wanted to be with Samantha and were only with me out of a sense of obligation to the baby.”

  “And I thought you wanted to be with Roy and were only with me because of the baby.”

  “He was never the right man for me and subconsciously I think I knew it all along. It’s why one of the conditions I made when we got back together was that we’d have no sex until I knew it would last.”

  “But it didn’t last.”

  She made a face. “Roy Stanton is such a loser compared to you…no, he’s nothing compared to you.” She smoothed her fingers across his brow. “You are good to the bone, Garret Donovan, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have as a father to my baby.”

  That earned her another long kiss that ended with a groan. “You don’t know how many times I’ve fantasized about hearing you say that.”

  She stiffened and pushed away from him. “Then maybe I shouldn’t have said it.”

  “Why not?” He gave her a puzzled look.

  “Because that night we made love you said that’s what I’d been to you—a fantasy. Then the next morning you told me it’s all I’d been.”

  He pulled her back into his arms. “Because that’s what it was for me. I’ve been a little in love with you since the day we met. For that one night you were the woman of my dreams. Then I awoke and found you crying and you told me it was all a mistake.” He shook his head.

  “I cried because I thought I’d disappointed you. That the reality of being with me hadn’t lived up to the fantasy.”

  “It was so much better,” he said, then kissed her in a way that convinced her she’d been wrong. A little breathless, he said, “I should have listened to Dolly sooner. She told me you would be perfect for me—only I didn’t know you were the Kryssie she kept mentioning to me.”

  “I know. She kept calling you Dr. G.,” Krystal said with a smile. “Is she the reason you came down here tonight?”

  “Yes and no. She had told me about the party, but I also had a little help from a romance coach,” he said with a grin.

  “Your mother? But how did she know I was in love with you? I didn’t say anything to her.”

  Garret grinned. “She knows her business. She also told me you were upset and that’s why she’d come over.”

  “I was. I had some questions about becoming a mother. And then she asked me how things were going between us and I said a few things I probably shouldn’t have said.”

  “So you did tell her you were in love with me?”

  “Not in so many words, but…”

  He kissed her again. “I told you she thinks of you as a daughter.”

  “Yes, we’re lucky she’s going to be our baby’s grandmother,” she said, placing her fingertips on his lips so he could kiss them. “I never wanted you out of my life, but it was hard letting you in, especially when I knew that because of me you were going to have to sacrifice one of your dreams.”

  “You’re talking about going overseas.” She nodded and he said, “That wasn’t my only dream, Krystal. And there are other humanitarian projects I can become involved with right here in the States.”

  “I admire you for wanting to help people.”

  “Why? You’re the same way. I’ve seen how you are with the residents here.”

  In his arms she found a strength and a sense of rightness she’d never known before. “We’re alike in some ways, but we’re pretty different in a lot of ways, too.”

  “Don’t tell me you’re trying to figure us out?”

  She shook her head. “Uh-uh. I just want to hold fast to it and never let it slip away.”

  He kissed her again. “That’s exactly how I feel. It doesn’t matter why you slept with me that night. What matters is that from our time together, something wonderful happened…and I don’t just mean the baby.”

  “Garret, I think we need to talk about that night.”

  This time he put his fingertip to her lips, to quiet her. “It’s not necessary.”

  “For me it is. I know you think that night happened because I was hurt. And when I went back to your apartment with you, I did want to be with a friend, but once I looked into your eyes, what I saw there made me want you in a way I’d never expected. Maybe it was because when I looked into your eyes I saw someone who really cared about me. Whatever the reason, it made loving you feel right.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me any of this before now?”

  She shrugged. “I can think of a few good reasons…like Samantha, for one.”

  “I told you she was not my gir
lfriend,” he said with a hint of impatience.

  “Believe me, she wanted to be.”

  He lifted her chin and planted another kiss on her lips. “There’s only one woman for me and now I’d like to take her home with me.”

  “I think that’s an excellent idea. Dolly says you could teach me a few things about love.”

  “Dolly said that?”

  “Mmm-hmm, but I have to warn you. It might take you a while.”

  “And why is that?”

  “I’m a slow learner.”

  “Don’t worry. We have a lifetime ahead of us.”

  EPILOGUE

  KRYSTAL AWOKE to find she was alone in bed. On the pillow where Garret’s head should have been was a single red rose and a small book of poetry. She reached for the rose and inhaled its fragrance.

  She’d been married exactly one week and she didn’t think she could be any happier. Judging by the dedication Garret had written in the book of love poems, he shared her sentiment.

  “I hope that smile means you like my valentine.” The sound of his voice had her glancing toward the doorway.

  “I do, but what are you doing out of bed so early on your day off?” she asked as he came toward her carrying a tray.

  “Making breakfast for you.” He sat down beside her, setting the tray in front of her. On a pink heart-shaped plate were two heart-shaped eggs, heart-shaped toast covered with raspberry jam, and a small red dish filled with freshly cut fruit.

  She took his face in her hands and kissed him. “You are such a romantic and I love you, but I thought I was going to treat you to a Valentine’s Day breakfast at that wonderful new French café.”

  “It’s too cold this morning to be going out. Besides, I rather like the idea of spending the entire day inside with you,” he said, stroking her hair.

  “It works for me,” she said with a grin.

  Only it didn’t work for either one of them. Before she’d taken a single bite of her breakfast, she felt a sudden warm sensation beneath her. “Ohmigosh!”

  She didn’t need to say another word. Garret could see what had happened.

  “Is this…?” she asked.