Just the Husband She Chose

by Karen Rose Smith

  Already Eve was visualizing the front yard. Color, contrast and freshness. Knowing exactly where she’d like to put the sculptured evergreens, she quickly scrambled to her feet. But she was overcome by a bout of dizziness that made her kneel back down again.

  Lauren had glanced her way and now came rushing over. “Are you okay?”

  Eve’s head spun as it had on Saturday when she’d dropped the pitcher of iced tea. “I don’t know what’s wrong. This happened on Saturday, too. Maybe I have a touch of the flu.”

  Lauren crouched down beside her. “Or maybe too much sun. Have you been drinking enough?”

  “I think so. Maybe I’m not eating enough. I haven’t been very hungry.”

  Looking at her speculatively, Lauren gently took her arm. “Let’s try this again. Slowly.”

  Eve took her time getting to her feet. The dizziness had faded as they’d talked and now she felt fine. “Maybe a glass of water would be a good idea. Do you have time to sit for a few minutes?”

  “Sure. I’ve been on the run since six o’clock this morning.”

  Eve left her gardening gloves and tools, and they went in the front door. After she’d gotten herself a glass of water and poured Lauren a tumbler of iced tea, they took their drinks out back and sat on the patio.

  “How are you feeling?” Lauren asked.

  “Fine, now.”

  “I know it’s none of my business, but could you be pregnant?”

  Eve felt thunderstruck as she thought about the past two weeks. The lack of appetite usually began with mild nausea in the morning. She hadn’t thought much about it, since so much had changed about her life recently. She’d thought she was just having trouble keeping up. But now that Lauren had suggested it…

  She broke into a smile. “It’s possible, though I hadn’t expected it to happen so fast.”

  “From what I understand, it only takes once,” Lauren remarked casually.

  Something in Lauren’s voice made Eve look at her closely.

  Lauren was flushed, and it had nothing to do with the weather. “I shouldn’t have said anything,” she mumbled. “I wouldn’t know anything about it.”

  Always taught to tread delicately, Eve asked, “You’re not dating someone?”

  Lauren gave a vigorous shake of her head. “Too busy for that.”

  Eve suspected there were reasons other than just busyness. “Too busy…or waiting for the right man.”

  “I’m not so sure I’d know the right man if he came along. There was someone once—” She stopped abruptly.

  Eve said with a kind smile, “A woman as attractive as you could be dating anybody.”

  Lauren leaned back in her chair. “I like you.”

  “I like you, too,” Eve said, meaning it. “Maybe we could have lunch together sometime…or dinner. Hunter often works late.”

  “Sure. That would be nice.” She picked up her notebook. “Why don’t you stay here and rest, and I’ll make some diagrams of the front yard and come back here. Then we’ll talk.”

  Eve nodded.

  As Lauren rounded the corner of the yard, Eve sank back into the pillows on the lawn chair and said a prayer of gratitude toward heaven. Not only might she be pregnant, but she’d made her first new friend, too.

  And she couldn’t wait to see Hunter to tell him about both.

  But Eve didn’t see Hunter that evening. He called to tell her he had a meeting and would be late getting home. She tried to wait up for him, but fell asleep with her book on her lap. In the morning he was up early and had left before she awakened. So she decided to buy a home pregnancy test to make sure they were going to have a baby before she said anything about it.

  On her way home from the gallery, Eve stopped at a drugstore and bought the test. When she used it, she found she was indeed pregnant. Going downstairs, she set the dining-room table for two with her mother’s china. After she put tapers in the sterling silver candleholders that had been a wedding present, she went to the kitchen and took out her favorite cookbook. She wanted to make something really special.

  Deciding on a London broil with onion sauce, she set about making dessert first. She had plenty of lemons, and a lemon meringue pie would be a perfect dessert. After Hunter enjoyed that, she’d tell him her news.

  The lemon pie was cooling on a rack on the counter and she was about ready to pound the meat when Hunter phoned. “I have a favor to ask,” he said.

  “What?”

  “There’s a cocktail party tonight, and I can’t miss it. A few of my clients and their wives will be there. I’d like you to come with me.”

  She looked at the pie and the meat. “This is important?”

  “I think so. The problem is, I won’t be able to get home before the party. Can you meet me there? I’ll send a car for you.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I can drive in.”

  “That’s not a good idea. You’d have to drive through a bad part of town. I’ll send the car about seven.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  “Thanks, Eve.”

  He sounded as if she was doing him a favor. Couldn’t he tell yet that she loved being with him? That she’d do anything for him?

  Two hours later, Eve walked into the reception area of a lavish suite of offices in a downtown Denver office building. The driver of the car had escorted her up the elevator to the eighth floor and shown her where to go. As she threaded through the crowd of people, looking for Hunter, she saw everything from sequins to short black knit dresses on the women, but mostly tailor-made suits on the men. She guessed this was an elite crowd, and she hoped she looked as if she fit in. She’d worn a black-and-white sheath with a three-tiered flounce at the hem of the skirt. The bands of white against black were striking. She hadn’t worn this dress in a long time. For an evening look, she’d piled her hair high on top of her head in a loose bed of curls, hoping they’d stay put for the evening. Hunter had once told her he liked it that way.

  Finally she spotted Hunter speaking with a group of men in one corner. She didn’t want to intrude, but she did want to let him know that she was there. She couldn’t wait to tell him her news.

  A waiter stepped in her path and offered her a glass of wine, but she declined. As she looked again to the corner of the room, she saw a woman in a beaded, champagne-colored dress that didn’t cover much of anything sidle up to Hunter. It was the woman in the newspaper photograph. He bent toward her to listen, and his ear was much too close to her mouth. There wasn’t that much noise in the room, Eve thought.

  She stood watching for a few moments, saw Hunter nod, then give the woman a smile. The blonde was fluttering her lashes at him, doing that thing women do with their eyes when they’re flirting…and this lady was flirting big-time. Hunter’s shoulder was brushing the blonde’s bare one, and Eve didn’t like the familiarity she sensed between them.

  Did Hunter intend to be faithful to his wedding vows? Or would he tire of being a one-woman man? What would happen as her pregnancy progressed? What would happen when she got fat? Would he look in other directions for the kind of sex they’d had in the kitchen on Saturday?

  Suddenly too many doubts to count plagued her and she knew why. He never shared his feelings with her. He never told her he was happy or sad or worried. He never told her how much he cared.

  Her conscience whispered, Have you told him?

  No, she hadn’t. But she did try to share everything about her day, her pleasure in making a home for them, the fun of creating gardens, her excitement and contentment at how he made her feel when they went to bed. She hadn’t told him she loved him because she didn’t think he could accept that yet, and she didn’t want him brushing it off as something she didn’t mean or something she said because she should.

  Still, she wasn’t going to stand here and watch that blonde pretend that she belonged with Hunter.

  Taking a deep breath, Eve walked forward, putting what she hoped was a serene smile on her face. She didn’t sidle up t
o Hunter as the blonde had done. Rather, she waved at him as she approached, and then stood across from him in the midst of the men.

  “I found you,” she said, happiness evident in her voice that she had. “Thank you for sending the car for me. That way we can drive home together.”

  The three men and the blonde standing there looked at Eve speculatively, and then stared at Hunter.

  His expression unreadable, Hunter said easily, “David, Adam, Charles and Barbara, this is my wife, Eve.”

  “What?”

  Eve ignored the exclamation from Barbara and extended a hand to each of the men and then to her, too. Barbara looked at it as if she didn’t know what to do with it but finally gave it a quick shake.

  “It’s so good to meet all of you,” Eve commented.

  The man Eve remembered as Charles spoke up first. “I saw that ring on Hunter’s hand, but he didn’t mention a wife. How long have you two been married?”

  When Eve didn’t respond right away, Hunter did. “About six weeks.”

  Barbara’s eyes narrowed and Eve could feel the daggers, though the men were smiling pleasantly at her, almost appreciatively.

  Adam said, “I’ll go find Marge, and you can introduce Eve to her. I bet she’d love to have you two over for dinner.” He stepped away to find his wife.

  “You’ll have to join us on the boat some weekend,” Charles added. “I’m sure Claudia would like to get to know Eve as well. She’s not here tonight, unfortunately. She had one of those organizational meetings at one of the charities she sponsors.”

  “You have a boat?” Eve asked.

  Charles launched into an explanation of not only the type of boat, but its appointments as well. As Eve kept asking questions, Charles kept elucidating.

  Barbara started to look bored. Hooking her arm through Hunter’s, she asked, “Why don’t we go have another glass of wine?”

  But Eve took that opportunity to say to Charles, “I hope my husband has the time tonight to introduce me to more of his colleagues.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hunter disengage his arm from Barbara’s.

  “Charles, Barbara, David, it was good talking to you, but I see Adam waving to us and I’d like to introduce Eve around.” With that, Hunter moved toward her, laid a hand protectively at the small of her back and guided her to another part of the room.

  As they walked, he murmured, “You’re smooth.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  “You’re good, Eve. Charles loves talking about that boat, and you picked up on that right away.”

  Yes, she had. And she’d sensed something else, too. “Have you ever been on his boat?”

  Hunter frowned. “No.”

  “But now that you’re married, he’s going to invite you?”

  “It sure sounds like it, doesn’t it? I’ve never been invited to Adam and Marge’s for dinner before, either.”

  Eve stopped walking. “It looks as if marriage has given you access to situations and people you wouldn’t otherwise have.”

  Hunter looked uncomfortable. “It’s a nice byproduct of being married. You’re a charming woman, Eve, and I knew you’d be an asset.”

  An asset.

  Unreasonable anger surfaced, and she knew it had something to do with the jealousy she’d felt at seeing Barbara’s interaction with her husband. “I’m glad you find me valuable in this capacity,” she said coolly.

  “Eve…” Hunter began impatiently.

  She started walking away from him, but he clasped her elbow. “I don’t know why you’re miffed. You married me to get your inheritance.”

  Chapter Seven

  The look in Eve’s eyes told Hunter that was the wrong thing to say right here, right now, even though it had been the truth. He was sure of it when she pulled out of his grasp and headed for the door.

  But on her way there, Adam intercepted her, introducing her to his wife. A few moments later Hunter joined them, perturbed with Eve because she unsettled him so…because her beauty aroused him. Watching her, he was taken again by her charm and her way with people. Her reentrance into his life had disturbed him, until things that used to make sense didn’t make sense anymore.

  They got caught up in one conversation after another and the direction of the evening marched right out of Hunter’s hands. Instead of enriching his already elite client base, he found himself simply enjoying watching Eve interact. She was striking in that dress and so gracious to everyone with whom she came into contact that they wanted to monopolize her for the evening. Nodding acquaintances of Hunter’s asked for introductions, looking disappointed when they discovered Hunter and Eve were married.

  Finally guests began dispersing, and Hunter found Charles to thank him for the invitation to the party. Afterward, he found Eve involved in a conversation with a group of women.

  As he approached them, he heard one of them say to her, “You must join our garden club.”

  His hand resting possessively on her waist, Hunter stood close to her. “If you ladies don’t mind, I’m going to spirit my wife away.”

  Adam’s wife said with a sly smile, “We understand completely. It was so good to meet you, Eve. I’ll give you a call about the garden club luncheon.”

  Eve looked up at him and smiled, but he could tell it was forced.

  After they said their goodbyes, they took the elevator to the parking garage. Hunter drove out of the garage into the main flow of traffic. When they stopped at a red light, he asked Eve, “Did you enjoy yourself?”

  “Most of the time I did. I recognized a few of the people there from our wedding.”

  He wished she didn’t sound so…so…

  He wasn’t sure what it was, but he suspected something was on her mind. A moment later he found out what.

  “Was that Barbara’s nightgown I found in the guest room drawer?”

  How did women know these things? “Does it matter?”

  “That depends. You said you weren’t involved with anyone before we got married.”

  “I wasn’t. Barbara and I dated a few times, that’s all.”

  “Dated?” Eve asked, giving him a skeptical look.

  “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, Eve, but if you’re worried about my past partners, I’ve always been exceptionally careful, except for that one time in Savannah with you.”

  The light turned green, and he stepped on the accelerator.

  After a stretch of uncomfortable quiet, Eve fiddled with her seat belt. “Did Barbara know you weren’t ‘involved’ with her?”

  “I don’t even know why we’re having this conversation,” he grumbled. He and Barbara had been two consenting adults who’d taken pleasure with each other twice. That was it. He’d known it, and Barbara had known it. She was a no-strings, just-have-fun type of woman.

  “We’re having this conversation,” Eve said evenly, “because I’d like to know if whatever was between the two of you is finished.”

  “I married you. It’s finished. It was finished before you arrived in Denver.”

  “Is she still your client?”

  “Yes. We’re adults, Eve. I handle negotiations for her company. That’s all.”

  Silence lay heavy between them as he drove the rest of the way home, pushed the button on the garage door opener and headed inside. Eve preceded Hunter through the mudroom and down the hall into the kitchen.

  When he saw the pie sitting on the counter, he stopped. “What’s that?”

  “Lemon meringue pie.”

  He could see into the dining room, where he glimpsed the place settings for two, as well as the tapers in the candleholders. “What is all this? Candles, dessert…?”

  “I had planned a special dinner.”

  There was a slight quiver in her voice and her eyes were shiny. “I had some news to tell you and I wanted everything to be…well…perfect.”

  He felt his breath lodge in his chest as he took a few steps closer to her. “What news?”

  “I’m pregnant,
Hunter.”

  It took a moment for her words to register. When they did, he felt such a rush of joy, he asked eagerly, “Really? Your doctor said there wouldn’t be a problem, but I—”

  “My doctor? When did you talk to my doctor?”

  “Before we left Savannah. You told me that I could call him to confirm that you could get pregnant again.”

  “You didn’t trust me,” she said, her voice trembling.

  “I needed to make sure. You hadn’t told me about the pregnancy, the miscarriage—”

  Eve walked away from him toward the stairs.

  Catching up to her, he clasped her shoulder. “Eve.”

  There were tears in her eyes when she turned toward him. “I wish you could trust me.”

  Would he ever be able to trust her? Once he had trusted her with everything he was, and she’d handed it back to him. But now she was going to have his baby. “Eve, we’re pregnant. That’s all that matters.”

  She looked deep into his eyes. “This baby is very important to you, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. We’ll have a family, Eve. We’ll be a family.”

  “And to you that means everything,” she murmured.

  “Not everything,” he responded, a combination of joy and desire making his voice husky.

  When he lifted her chin, she gazed up at him with a longing he couldn’t understand. He wanted her and she wanted him. And together they had created a new life.

  He drew her close to him and kissed her with all the gratitude he felt, with all the promise a child could bring. Eve responded with fervent passion. He swung her into his arms, then carried her up the stairs.

  A long while later, Eve awakened. Hunter’s arm was around her and she lay curled against his shoulder. He’d made sweet, tender love to her.

  It had been such a mixed-up evening—happiness and jealousy, disappointment and passion. Hunter was so thrilled with the idea of being a father. Yet he didn’t trust her. He didn’t realize she’d married him for a much more important reason than her inheritance. She loved him, but if he didn’t trust her, he’d never trust her words. Somehow she had to prove to him that he was the most important person in her life…that he was her life.