The pale winter sunlight just seeped around the edges of the window curtains when Stevie woke Sunday morning. She turned her head to find Cole still sleeping beside her. Had he lain awake awhile after she’d fallen asleep? She certainly hadn’t intended to cut their second night short that way. She was just relieved she’d made it through to the end of the show.
She slid carefully from the bed and padded into the bathroom, silently closing the door behind her. Fortunately there was no nausea this morning, so she felt much more herself when she emerged a few minutes later. She tiptoed back into the room, but it turned out not to be necessary. Cole was awake, propped against the pillows with his hands behind his head, watching her as she stepped into the room.
Smoothing her palms down the front of her red-flowered purple gown, she smiled at him. “Hey.”
“Hey. Feeling better?” His voice was a deep, sleep-roughened rumble in the quiet room. Her throat closed in response.
He’d been so sweet last night when she’d been ill, taking care of her without hesitation. He had a lot of experience as a caregiver, of course—but she wasn’t accustomed to being the one on the receiving end. She felt a sudden need to assure him that she really was fully recovered.
“I feel great this morning,” she said as she approached the bed.
“The color’s back in your cheeks and your eyes are bright again.” He nodded in satisfaction as he studied her face. “You looked wrung out last night.”
“Here’s a hint, Cole.” She sat on the bed beside him and leaned over him, her hands on his chest. “Don’t mention that your new bride looked sickly on her honeymoon.”
He chuckled and ran his hands up her arms. “Sorry. If it makes any difference, I still had trouble keeping my hands to myself when I helped you into this nightgown.”
“Yes, that’s much better,” she assured him, giving in to an impulse to run a hand through his thick tousled hair. “Did I mention I’m perfectly fine now?”
With a grin, he tugged her into his arms. “I’m happy to hear that. For several reasons.”
Her laughter was smothered by his hungry kiss.
* * *
Holding a bag in one hand, Stevie looked around the hotel room as they prepared to depart later that morning, her gaze lingering for a moment on the big bed. She found herself suddenly reluctant to leave this private retreat. Reality waited outside this door—the tasks of informing all their friends and families of their marriage and dealing with the reaction, figuring out how to combine their households, learning to live together, coordinating schedules in preparation for the baby’s arrival...
She took a deep breath and stopped listing the tasks before she became completely overwhelmed. One step at a time, Stevie.
Cole stepped up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“No.”
His fingers tightened reassuringly for a moment. “It will be fine.”
She smiled faintly up at him. “I know. But it’s been nice here.”
He leaned his head down to brush a kiss over her lips. “I’d like to stay longer, too,” he admitted when he stepped back. “Unfortunately...”
“The honeymoon is over,” she finished, turning toward the door.
Cole gave a little grimace. “Maybe I wouldn’t have phrased it quite that way,” he murmured as he opened the door to the hallway.
Giving him a look of wry apology, she preceded him out of the room.
“Is there anything else you want to do before we head out of town?” he asked after a leisurely breakfast.
“Yes.”
“More shopping? Another show?”
She smiled. “Let’s just say it will involve a wager.”
She noted that he looked both intrigued and a little wary in response, which made her laugh.
An hour later, she faced him with her shoulders squared, chin held confidently high. “Well? Still feeling good about that bet?”
“Pretty sure that was an unfair challenge.” Cole tilted his head as he eyed her in suspicion. “How many times have you played this course?”
Smiling nostalgically, she glanced around the indoor miniature golf course. The large space was dimly illuminated. Two eighteen-hole courses were lit by low walkway lights with multicolored plastic shades. Tiny fairy lights were strung in greenery arranged to replicate a nighttime garden setting. Tinkly new age music played from hidden speakers, and water splashed in artificial streams and falls, creating a mystical ambiance that explained why the few other players on this Sunday morning spoke in quiet tones, their laughter politely muted.
Holding putters, Stevie and Cole faced each other across the tee of the eighteenth hole. Only one stroke separated their scores, the advantage hers.
“I can’t remember how many times, exactly,” she said in answer to his question. “But every time Mom brought us to Branson for vacations, Tom and I begged her to let us play in here and in the arcade down the hall. We always bet on the outcome—doing dishes for a week, putting away the laundry, various household chores. Mom wouldn’t let us bet money.”
“You still haven’t told me what we’re wagering,” he reminded her, his tone indulgent. “And by the way, I don’t actually mind doing household chores.”
“So, what are you offering if I win?”
He gave it a moment’s thought, taking advantage of having no one behind them and waiting to play to stretch out the teasing conversation. “If you win, I’ll wash and detail your car when we get home.”
Having known her for a year, he was aware of how much she hated washing her car, and it was especially dirty after last week’s snow and mud. “Ooh. Interesting.”
He chuckled, tossing and catching his bright yellow golf ball in his right hand. “And what will you do for me if I win?”
She bit her lower lip for a moment in thought, then spread her hands, offering a vague pledge she was pretty sure she wouldn’t have to make good. “If you win, I’ll owe you a favor to be redeemed at your discretion. You name it.”
His eyebrows rose. “Sounds intriguing. But you look awfully confident you won’t have to pay up. You’re pretty good at this next hole, huh?”
“Scared?”
He dark eyes gleamed with amusement. “Maybe.”
He really was cute. More relaxed than she’d been in weeks, she grinned back at him. “Well?”
He swept a hand toward the course. “Take your shot.”
Already picturing her car all shiny and clean, inside and out, she bent to place her hot pink golf ball on the rubber mat. As she did so, she glanced over her shoulder at Cole. Was he admiring the curve of her bottom? He looked away quickly and she thought his face might have flushed just a little, though it was hard to tell in the shadowy venue. Biting her lip against a smile, she stood and lined up her shot.
A short while later, she walked out of the golf course into a big indoor breezeway, still shaking her head in disbelief. Smiling from ear to ear, Cole wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “So now you owe me a big favor.”
“I still can’t believe you got a hole in one. And that I whiffed that last putt. Are you sure you weren’t just taking it easy on me on the first seventeen holes?”
“I just got lucky with the hole in one, and you only missed your second putt by a half inch.”
“So what’s my penalty? Have you decided what you want for the bet you won?”
“Not yet. I’ll let you know when I think of it.”
She looked up at him through her lashes, enjoying his lazily teasing mood despite her pretend pouting. “Now I’m the one who’s scared.”
He laughed softly and gave her shoulders a little squeeze. “Don’t worry, Stevie, I won’t have you wash my car.”
She made a show of wiping her brow in relief, drawing another laugh from him.
In addition to the mini golf courses and arcade, the building housed a restaurant, a couple of small theaters and several gift shops. Stevie paused to admire a display of scarves, momentarily tempted by their bright colors, sparkly threads and fluttering fringe. Making herself turn away without buying, she looked around for Cole, spotting him standing in front of a display of stuffed animals.
He held a stuffed tiger in his right hand when she joined him. The toy looked quite suitable for an infant, more funny than fierce, incongruously whimsical in Cole’s strong hand.
She smiled. “You found a tiger.”
He nodded, his expression a little odd. “It caught my eye.”
Still he didn’t move. She lifted her eyebrows in question. “Are you buying it?”
“Is that okay with you?”
She didn’t know whether to sigh or wince in response to his hesitation. “Of course it’s okay with me. I think it’s adorable.”
“Then I’ll get it. A souvenir of our honeymoon for the kid.”
She chewed her lower lip as she watched him pay for the toy. Had she overreacted about the bassinet yesterday? Or had she merely shown that her independence hadn’t changed simply because she now wore Cole’s ring on her left hand?
Transaction complete, Cole turned to her. “Ready to head home?”
Forcing a smile, she nodded. “I guess it’s time.”
They shared a long look before moving in unison toward the exit. Stevie wondered if Cole had been able to read the emotions in her eyes better than she’d been able to decipher his. Probably. She seemed to be an open book to him, while she saw only what he chose to reveal to her.
She figured she had years ahead of her to figure him out. It might just take that long.
* * *
They were halfway back to Little Rock when Cole cleared his throat to catch Stevie’s attention. She’d been gazing out the side window at the winter-bleak scenery, but barely paying attention to the landmarks. She knew she’d been uncharacteristically quiet, her thoughts focused on the busy and complicated days ahead of them.
“Stevie?”
She glanced around at him when he spoke. “Yes?”
“We’ll be passing my dad’s place in another twenty minutes or so. Would you mind if we stop and say hello? Might as well get this introduction over with. We won’t stay long.”
She noted that he didn’t look particularly enthusiastic about the prospect. “You want me to meet your father? Now?”
He shrugged. “Now’s as good a time as any, since we’ll be passing by, anyway.”
“Should you call and make sure he’s home?”
“He’s home.”
“Should you at least let him know we’re coming?”
“No need. He and I don’t stand on formalities.”
She almost sighed at how little information he was offering, even though he was the one who’d made this suggestion. “Is there anything more I should know before I meet him?”
Cole shrugged. “I don’t expect you to like him very much. Though I guess if anyone could charm Jim McKellar, it would be you.”
It didn’t reassure her that he sounded less than optimistic.
The house was a modest buff brick bi-level half a mile off the highway outside of Conway. A chain-link fence surrounded the closely cropped, but sparsely landscaped yard. Outside the fence was a large graveled lot filled almost to capacity with vehicles of many makes, models and vintages waiting to be serviced in one of the three metal garages, each with three service bays, lining the lot. Only one of the bay doors was open. A sign over a regular-sized door at one end of the nearest building read McKellar Auto Service and beneath that, in smaller letters, Office.
Stevie saw no activity around the business, which was no surprise at almost five p.m. on a Sunday. She expected Cole to park close to the house. Instead, he pulled into an empty parking space in front of the office.
“That door’s up,” he explained when he saw her looking at him in question. “That means he’s working. He’s out here seven days a week unless something unusual comes up. Precisely at five thirty he goes in the house to wash up for dinner, which he eats while he watches the six o’clock newscasts.”
“A man of habit,” she commented.
“Very much so.”
“It looks as though he’s quite successful with his business.”
“Oh, yeah. He’s damned good at what he does. There’s not an engine he can’t tear down and rebuild given the right equipment, and he’s invested wisely in that.”
“Does he ever take vacations? Time off?”
“Not unless someone forces him. There’s nowhere Dad would rather be. What he can’t understand is why I don’t want to be under the hood of a car with him.”
Hearing something in his voice, she tilted her head. “He wanted you to go into the business?”
“Yeah. He’d hoped to turn it over to me someday. I guess he took it personally that I never wanted it.”
“That’s why you and your dad aren’t close? Because you didn’t want his auto repair business?”
“There’ve been other issues, but no need to get into those now. Let’s get this out of the way.” With that grim statement, he opened his door.
Stevie jumped out of her own side without waiting for him to come around. She shivered as cold air surrounded her, seeping through her layered tops and pants. She reached back into the SUV and grabbed her coat, bundling it around her as she followed Cole toward the open bay door. He wore only his pullover and jeans, but he seemed oblivious to the cold even though his breath hung in puffy clouds in front of him as he called out, “Dad?”
In response to Cole’s voice, a man emerged from beneath the raised hood of a battered sedan. Shop lights were trained on the car’s engine, silhouetting the man in their bright beams, and Stevie had to blink to bring him into focus. Wearing an oil-smeared blue uniform shirt, faded jeans and worn work boots, he looked like an older, more sun-grizzled and life-worn version of Cole. He still had a full head of hair, though it had gone mostly silver and was cut considerably closer than Cole’s. He was squarely built, still muscular in his fifties. His dark eyes were deeply set, and the lines of his weathered face seemed to have settled into a permanent scowl.
Wiping his hands on a shop towel, he greeted his son without obvious signs of surprise or pleasure. “Cole.”
“How’s it going, Dad?”
“Can’t complain. You?”
“I’m good.” Cole drew Stevie forward. “There’s someone I want you to meet. This is my wife, Stevie. Stevie, meet my father, Jim McKellar.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McKellar.” She gave him a warm smile and held out her right hand.
She might have expected him to show some surprise, but his expression didn’t change when he glanced at her outstretched hand then back up at her face. “I’m covered in oil,” he said, still scrubbing at his hands with the towel. “Good to meet you, though. When was the wedding?”
If he was hurt that he’d been neither informed ahead of time nor invited to attend, he kept the feeling well hidden. It wasn’t hard to figure out where Cole had learned to mask his emotions.
“We were married Friday,” Cole replied. “We’re on our way home from a short honeymoon in Branson. I thought you’d like to meet Stevie while we were in the area. Is Peggy here? Stevie should meet her, too.”
“Peg’s gone to some sort of program at her church. Won’t be home for a couple hours yet.”
“Next time then.”
Jim looked around uncomfortably. “You, uh, want some coffee or something? Got some left in the office.”
“Not for me. Stevie?”
She shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Guess we could go in the house and sit down,” Jim said, though he glanced tellingly at the car he’d been working on.
“We can’t stay, Dad. Stevie and I both have to work tomorrow, so we should head on home.”
Something flitted briefly across the older man’s face in response to Cole’s reply, but Stevie wasn’t sure if it was relief or a touch of regret. Maybe a complicated mixture of both. Before she could decide, he spoke again. “Glad you stopped by. Congratulations on the marriage. I’ll tell Peg you said hello.”
Cole nodded. “Yeah, give her our best.”
Blinking, Stevie looked in disbelief from son to father and back again. That was it? No hugs or hearty slaps on the back? No questions about how she and Cole had met or when they’d decided to marry? About future plans or current activities? Just “hey, how’s it going, see you later?”
She tossed back her hair and spoke up in a bright tone. “Maybe you and your wife can visit us in Little Rock soon, Mr. McKellar. I’d love to meet her. We could treat you to a nice dinner out, get to know each other better.”
Her determined friendliness seemed to startle him a little. “We, uh, don’t get down that way very often. Guess you can see I’ve got a lot of jobs going. These folks want their cars back as soon as we can get ’em finished.” He cleared his throat, then seemed to feel something more was expected from him. “But y’all can stop by any time. I’m sure Peggy’d like to meet you.”
“We’ll try to get back soon,” Cole said, his tone as stiltedly cordial—and as emotionally distant—as his father’s. “We’re both pretty busy with work for the next few months, which is why we had so little time for a honeymoon. Stevie owns her own kitchen design business and she’s made quite a name for herself in Little Rock.”
Jim nodded, though he didn’t look notably impressed. She suspected he was one of those men who couldn’t imagine there was much more to kitchen design than deciding where to put the refrigerator. He glanced at Cole before asking gruffly, “You still playing around with computers?”
Stevie saw a muscle tighten in Cole’s jaw, but he replied evenly, as if the question was one he’d heard too many times to take offense. “Yeah, pretty much.”
“That was all the boy was ever interested in,” Jim said as an aside to Stevie. “Holin’ up in his room with computer games and such. Couldn’t get him interested in sports or hunting or fishing, and he sure wasn’t getting his hands dirty under the hood of a car.”
Cole placed a hand on Stevie’s arm, though she wasn’t certain if it was for her benefit or his own. “I doubt Stevie wants to hear a list of your disappointments with me, Dad. It’s getting dark, so we’d better get back on the road. I’m sure you want to get back to your work.”
Jim’s eyes narrowed with what might have been a flash of irritation, but he merely nodded and said, “Yeah, I’m trying to finish this one tonight. Y’all take care now.” He turned and picked up a wrench.
Cole turned toward the exit, nudging Stevie to move along with him. She looked back over her shoulder as they walked out, but Jim was hidden behind the car hood again.
They were on the road again for less than ten minutes when Cole sighed gustily. “Okay. Let’s hear it. You’re obviously bursting to express your opinion.”
She’d been all but squirming in her seat, her mind whirling with all the things she wanted to say but wasn’t sure how to articulate. In response to his urging, the words gushed from her in a flood of exasperation. “Are you kidding me? That’s the way you announce to your father that you’ve gotten married? That’s the way he responds? What on earth is wrong with you two?”
Cole didn’t look at all surprised by her outburst. “I gave up trying to answer that question a long time ago. I guess Dad and I are just too different to be close. Not that anyone gets close to my dad. He and Peggy get along well enough, but I’d hardly call their relationship a warm and cozy one. She takes care of the house and stays busy with her church. He works, eats the meals she makes him and watches a little TV before he starts again at daylight the next day. The guys who work for him call him a grouch and a perfectionist, but he pays well enough that most of them have been with him quite a while.”
“So he’s a difficult man. That doesn’t mean you should stop trying to have a relationship with him.”
“I do try, Stevie.” Cole spoke just a bit more sharply this time. “Why the hell do you think I stopped by to introduce you to him? You saw how he acted. Like we were an interruption he had to tolerate before he could get back to work. He couldn’t have cared less.”
She twisted a curl around one finger, growing thoughtful as she replayed the awkward encounter in her mind. “I’m not entirely sure that’s true. I think he did care. And I think maybe he was gruff because his feelings were a little hurt.”
The SUV swerved just a fraction on the road, a clear indication of Cole’s surprise. He gripped the wheel more tightly and focused hard on the road ahead. “You’re way off base there. Why would his feelings, if he had any, be hurt? He was the first person we told about our marriage, wasn’t he?”
“Well, you didn’t mention that to him,” she reminded him. “For all he was aware, he was the last to know.”
“You didn’t hear him ask, did you?”
“No. He probably has too much pride for that. That wall between you has gotten so thick I don’t think either of you knows how to break through it. Even how to start.”
“I did my part. I reached out a hand and as usual, he basically slapped it away because he considers it too clean to be a real man’s hand.”
For just that moment, Cole’s composure slipped enough for her to catch a fleeting glimpse of the old pain that he kept deeply hidden, but he recovered almost instantly. “Let’s not talk about this now. It’s not the way I want to end our weekend. I’ll just assure you that you don’t have to worry I’ll be anything like my father when it comes to being a dad. He’s taught me everything not to do.”
She still believed Cole would be a wonderful father. Which didn’t mean he wouldn’t still carry the scars from his past. Or that those old wounds might not open up again someday in the future, to the detriment of himself and anyone close to him.
Because she could sense it would do no good to keep pushing him now while the disappointing visit was still so fresh and raw in his mind, she let it go, changing the subject to their upcoming week’s schedule, instead. But she was going to think about this quite a bit more, she vowed silently. And maybe she’d figure out a way to help Cole and his dad build a door in that stubborn, pride-strengthened wall.
* * *
There was a moment of awkwardness a while later when Cole turned onto the street where they lived. They’d stopped for a nice dinner when they’d arrived in Little Rock because he’d said they were both too tired to cook after the trip. Now that they’d finally arrived home, he didn’t seem sure whether to pull into her driveway or his own garage.
“I’ll carry the baby things into your house first,” he decided, parking in front of her house.
Faced again with the reality of their new living—and sleeping—arrangements, Stevie tried to hide her own attack of nerves behind practicality. “We should go check on Dusty. Do you think she’d adapt to living in my house with us? I don’t think cats like change, do they?”
“Beats me. I’ve never actually owned a cat before. Or should I say, I’ve never been owned by a cat before.”
She laughed. “She does get her wishes across, doesn’t she? Let’s bring her over and see if she finds my house suitable.”
Dusty seemed a bit wary of the move at first, nervously exploring the house while making sure both Stevie and Cole remained nearby. Stevie set up the litter box in the easily accessible laundry area and the food and water bowls in the kitchen, then showed both to the cat, slipping her a couple of treats in the process. Afterward, Cole sat in an armchair in the living room and patted his knee. Dusty jumped up, curled up on his lap and promptly went to sleep, apparently exhausted by the change but content to be back in her favorite place. Her rumbling purr was audible even halfway across the room to Stevie.
“She’s a demanding little diva, isn’t she?” Cole asked, fondly rubbing his pet’s ears. “I’ll help put things away in a bit. Just let me sit here with her for a few minutes to reassure her.”
She was suddenly a little jealous of the cat. She wouldn’t at all mind sitting in Cole’s lap and being petted by him. With a wry smile and shake of her head, Stevie turned toward her bedroom. “Take your time and relax. You did all the driving this weekend. I’ll just unpack my bag.”
Usually, entering her impeccably decorated bedroom was like escaping to a peaceful retreat. This lovely and understated room soothed her, gave her busy mind a rest from the creative demands of her job, from hectic schedules and complex relationships.
She hadn’t shared this bed often. Joe had rented a loft downtown, which had suited him better than this sedate, family-friendly neighborhood. He’d called her place boring, his tastes leaning to modern industrial—soaring ceilings, open pipes, exposed bricks and numerous musical instruments.
Shaking her head to clear her mind of the past, she unpacked her bag and put away her things, then combined a couple of drawers to make space for Cole. It would take a while to get everything arranged, of course, but she wanted him to feel immediately welcome.
She walked back into the living room only to stop short in the doorway to admire the appealing scene that greeted her. Cole was sound asleep in the chair, one hand still resting on the cat dozing in his lap. His hair was rumpled around his face and he looked younger and more unguarded than usual. She had no doubt he would be on his feet instantly if she said his name, but she tiptoed out of the room, leaving him to rest.
The past two days had been as eventful for Cole as they’d been for her, she mused, trying to put herself in his shoes for a moment. Did he feel the weight of his actions on his shoulders, the responsibilities of the promises he’d made to her and her child? Of course he did. That was just who he was. He was going to have to learn to let someone else take care of him occasionally, she thought firmly. Because that was just who she was.
Moving as quietly as possible, she settled at the kitchen table with a cup of herbal tea while she checked email and texts on her phone. The phone vibrated in her hand and she checked the caller ID. Seeing one of her two best friends’ names on the screen, she moistened her lips. She didn’t want to break her big news on the phone, but she didn’t want to lie to her friend, either. She hoped neither option would be necessary as she said, “Hi, Tess. What’s up?”
“Just checking in. Scott and I just got back from a weekend in New Orleans.”
Stevie was a little surprised. “I didn’t know you’d planned a New Orleans weekend.”
Tess sighed happily. “He surprised me after we left the office Friday by driving straight to the airport for a Valentine’s Day getaway. He’d been planning it secretly for weeks, with the help of his brothers’ wives. We spent two nights in a lovely hotel in the French Quarter and we hardly mentioned work all weekend. Even though it was a little chilly and it rained quite a bit it was heavenly to get away for a couple of days.”
“Nice.” And an illustration of how much workaholic Scott’s priorities had changed since he’d become engaged to Tess. A whole weekend away from the busy, successful construction business that meant so much to him was definitely a demonstration of his commitment to his bride-to-be. “I’m glad you had fun.”
“Now I’m looking forward to our honeymoon,” Tess admitted with a laugh. “I can’t wait to get on that warm beach in the Cayman Islands after this cold, dreary winter.”
Tess and Scott were to be married in mid-June on the spreading back lawn of his parents’ West Little Rock home. Their guest list would be as small as they could politely manage, their theme restrained and elegant. A sweet, simple wedding, as Tess frequently described, was her preference. But “simple” was a matter of perspective, Stevie thought wryly, remembering her own little ceremony with Pastor Dave and Luanne.
“Tess...”
Oh, goodness, how to even start?
“Yes?” her friend prodded after a moment.
On a sudden inspiration, Stevie blurted, “Can you come to my place tomorrow evening? Around seven? I know it’s short notice, but it won’t take long if you have other things you need to do. I’m going to ask Jenny, too.”
“A girls’ night?” Tess asked after a momentary hesitation that indicated she’d heard something odd in Stevie’s voice.
“Not exactly. I’ll explain tomorrow, okay? It’ll be easier in person. Can you come?”
“I’ll make time. Stevie...is something wrong?”
“Everything’s good,” Stevie assured her. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”
Her call with Tess completed, she shot a quick text invitation to Jenny, who accepted immediately.
“Everything okay?” Cole asked from the doorway.
She looked up from her phone to find him studying her expression in concern. “I’ve invited Tess and Jenny to drop by tomorrow evening at seven. I’ll tell them everything then.”
“Sounds like a good plan. I’ll do some work over at my place while they’re here to give you privacy for your talk.”
Grateful for his understanding, she nodded. “I’ll text you after I’ve explained everything to them. I want you to meet them.”
She wasn’t sure why he’d never met Jenny and Tess. They’d heard her talk about her neighbor and knew Stevie and Cole had become friends, but they’d never all been in the same place at the same time for introductions. In a way, it was almost as if she’d been keeping her friendship with Cole to herself. Those pleasant evenings over tea with him and his cat—they’d been special to her, she admitted now. She could never have dreamed then where they’d lead, but she’d privately treasured them.
And now it was time to bring those separate components of her life together.
“What about you?” she asked Cole. “Do you have friends you’ll want to bring together for the big announcement?”
He shrugged. “I’ll spread the word among my friends in the next week or so. I have a few local buddies, but no one as close as Jenny and Tess are to you. I need to call my mother, but I’ll wait until the morning since it’s an hour later in Florida.”
“I should call my mom, too. It’s still early enough in Hawaii for me to call her now. I’ll send a text to my brother later. He’s not much for talking on the phone.”
“Sorry I conked out on you in there. Dusty’s snoring put me to sleep.”
She chuckled. “No problem. You’re tired. Where is...oh, here she is.”
She reached down to stroke the cat winding around her ankles. Dusty was beginning to look more comfortable in her new quarters now that she’d been reassured her beloved Cole had come with her.
“I emptied a couple of drawers for you on the right side of the dresser. We’ll have to rearrange the closet to fit your things, but we can do that later. It’s a big walk-in and there’s plenty of room for your stuff.”
“Thanks. I’ll unpack while you call your mom.”
Drawing a deep breath for fortitude, she called her mom as soon as she was alone in the kitchen again. Her mother had plans for the evening but she made time to take her daughter’s call. Stevie barely gave her mom time to say hello before she burst into a nervous speech. Her words all but tripped over each other as she explained that she had eloped with her next-door neighbor and was expecting a child in August and that she and Cole were looking forward to sharing childcare duties and expected to have a long, successful marriage.
Her mother interrupted only a couple of times to ask her to slow down, but she handled the news with typical equanimity. The baby’s parentage didn’t come up, not that Stevie had expected it to with her nontraditional mom.
“So you chose to marry,” her mom said when she finally had a chance to speak. “That’s cool, though you know how I feel about the institution. You’re keeping your own name, right? Holding on to your business and your financial independence? Do you have a prenup?”
“Don’t worry, Mom,” Stevie replied with a wry smile. “It’s a completely modern marriage.”
“There’s no such thing,” her mother replied brusquely.
“You’ll like Cole, Mom. He’s a great guy. And he has a very successful career and owns his own house,” she added pointedly.
“That sounds promising,” her mother conceded grudgingly. “I hope you’ll be happy. And make sure you have a good lawyer.”
“Yes, Mother,” Stevie said with a grin that had to be audible in her voice.
Her mom’s musical laughter came through the phone. “Now you’re just being sassy.”
“Look who raised me,” Stevie retorted affectionately. “You’re going to be such a fun grandma.”
“Oh, God, don’t call me that. Your child can call me Bonnie. Or maybe BonBon. That’s cute, right?”
“We’ll discuss it. Enjoy your evening.”
“Oh, I will. Aloha, sweetie.”
“Aloha, Mom.”
Cole joined her again a few minutes later, pausing in the doorway to make sure the call was concluded before he walked into the room. “How did your call go?”
“Mom wished us well and told me to keep a good lawyer on call. Oh, and she wants to be called BonBon, not grandma.”
He smiled, unoffended by the message. “I have to admit, I’m looking forward to meeting your mother.”
“She wants to meet you, too. Would you like some tea?”
“Sounds good, but I’ll make it. Why don’t you stay off your feet for a while. It’s been a long day.”
At least he’d had the tact not to tell her she looked tired, though she felt a bit bedraggled. “Tea bags are in the pantry, cups in that cabinet,” she said, pointing.
He turned her toward the living room. “I’ll find what I need. Go rest.”
“You talked me into it.”
She told herself she was only going to lie down for a few minutes. She curled on the couch with a throw pillow beneath her head, her legs drawn up in front of her. She was just drifting off when a warm little body settled beside her and a deep, steady purr lulled her to sleep.
* * *
She wasn’t sure what time it was when Cole woke her with a gentle hand on her shoulder. “It’s getting late, Stevie. Want to turn in?”
She opened her eyes, noting that he’d dimmed the lights. The cat wasn’t beside her now. “What time is it?”
“After ten. I’ve been working on my laptop, but I think I’ll get some sleep. How are you feeling?”
She yawned. “Okay. Just tired.”
“Should I carry you to bed?”
Laughing softly, she climbed to her feet. “As manly and sexy as that sounds, I’ll walk.”
He rested a hand at the small of her back. “You think I’m manly and sexy?”
“Well, of course.” She reached up to pat his cheek sleepily. “Not to mention a cutie.”
He grunted. “Let’s just leave it at manly and sexy, okay?”
She giggled.
A short while later Cole climbed into her bed beside her and reached out to turn off the bedside lamp. He paused for just a moment with his hand on the switch. “Stevie?”
“Mmm?”
“Have I told you how much I like the way you’ve decorated your house? Especially this bedroom. It’s nice.”
The light went out, leaving her to lie awake for a few minutes in the dark, thinking about how funny life could be sometimes.
An unexpected life, she thought, glancing in the direction of her jewelry box. She was certainly living up to that fortune cookie’s prediction.
* * *
Fortunately, Tess and Jenny arrived together the next evening so Stevie didn’t have to go through explanations twice. Cold air swirled into the house with the new arrivals, and they gathered around the crackling fireplace to shed their coats and scarves, which Stevie stashed in the front bedroom before returning to her friends. Her stomach was tied in knots as she wondered what they’d say in response to her news.
“How are you feeling?” she asked Jenny, shamelessly stalling for a moment.
With a little groan and a rueful expression, Jenny pressed her hand to her tummy. “Okay now, but the mornings are bad. I have to downplay how sick I feel, though, because poor Gavin gets so distraught.”
That didn’t surprise Stevie. She knew how overprotective Jenny’s husband was. Jenny and Gavin had been sweethearts at the university all three of them had attended, though a bitter, youthful breakup had separated them for a decade. Stevie had been delighted when fate had brought the couple back together. And now they were married and having a baby together. Way to go, fate.
Tess smiled sympathetically, though her expression made Stevie wonder if Tess, too, was imagining a day when she and Scott would welcome a child. Ironically, Stevie was the only one of the three friends who’d been in no particular hurry to have a baby, until that capricious fate had stepped in to change her status.
Her friends were both so blissfully in love. Yet, having seen the pain both had gone through during rocky patches in their courtships, Stevie was relieved that she and Cole were being more practical with their relationship. Going into marriage and parenthood the way she and Cole had, with clearly defined boundaries and goals and expectations, should certainly minimize any chance of heartbreak for either of them. There would be challenges, of course, some disappointments and annoyances. She was quite sure she’d irritate the hell out of him at times, though she wasn’t sure he’d tell her if she did. But they would make it work.
She hoped Jenny and Tess would see the logic of those arguments even if they worried that she had been recklessly impulsive again.
She poured tea all around and waited until the others were seated before clearing her throat in preparation to speak. She was a little surprised that neither of her usually sharp-eyed friends had noticed her new rings, but that only showed how distracted they were with their own lives.
So much had changed in the past year, she thought a bit wistfully. So many changes still lay ahead.
Jenny and Tess were looking at her now as if they sensed something momentous was coming. Before she could speak, a plaintive meow sounded from the doorway and Dusty padded warily into the room. The cat had dashed off to hide when the doorbell rang, nervous about the new arrivals. Dusty wasn’t accustomed to company, having lived for a year with her somewhat reclusive owner. But she was too needy to remain hidden away for long when there were potential ear rubs waiting in here.
“Stevie, you got a cat?” Tess asked in surprise, holding out a hand to the little tabby who sniffed it with interest. “She’s a pretty little thing, isn’t she? Er, he?”
“She.” Stevie watched with a faint smile as the cat leaped lightly onto the couch between her friends, regally allowing herself to be stroked and admired.
“What’s her name?” Jenny asked.
“Dusty.”
Jenny’s eyebrows rose. “Your neighbor’s cat?” she asked, having heard Stevie mention her cat-sitting sessions. “You’re keeping her here when he’s away now?”
“He isn’t away. Dusty lives here now. And, um, so does Cole.”
A startled silence followed her revelation. Jenny and Tess looked at her as if neither was quite sure she’d heard correctly.
Jenny recovered first. “Cole lives here? Since when?”
Stevie held up her left hand to display the glittering rings. “Since we eloped Friday afternoon. We got married.”