Christy started to get up from the table, then changed her mind. On one hand, she resented Curt’s invasion of her privacy, and on the other, she was relieved to find someone to come home to.
“You shouldn’t have done this,” she said stiffly. “You can’t just take over my house like it’s yours.”
Curt smiled. “I was just sharing. I’ll restock the fridge—I promise.” He handed her a plate of beef Stroganoff. The aroma of the food made Christy’s mouth water and her stomach growl. She quickly realized it was the first thing she’d eaten all day.
She started to eat, but noticed that Curt bowed his head to offer a prayer for the food. Quietly, she waited, uncertain what to do and feeling very awkward.
“Father, I thank You for Christy and this food. Amen.”
“That’s it?” Christy asked in surprise.
Curt laughed. “I could go on and on about how fantastic I think you are, and I could ask God to fix things between us and—”
“I get the point,” Christy interrupted. “I didn’t mean it that way, and you know it.”
Curt shrugged. “Talk to me.”
Christy ate silently for several minutes and accepted some warm garlic bread from a very patient and persistent Curt.
Finally Christy knew that she couldn’t keep it all inside.
She put her fork down and eyed Curt as if trying to figure out how he would react to the idea of one of her own family members being involved with drug trafficking. Not that drugs are all that unusual in this day and age, she reminded herself, but will Curt understand?
As if reading her mind, Curt reached out to touch her hand. “You can trust me, Christy.”
“I went to see my sister,” she began. “I just drove around and around for a while, but I ended up at the hospital.”
“But that’s not what has you upset tonight, is it?”
Christy stared at Curt thoughtfully while she chewed. How should she tell him? Did one just blurt out that your brother-in-law was the neighborhood drug dealer?
Picking up her fork again, Christy played with the noodles on her plate. “My brother-in-law has asked me for a great deal of money.”
“To pay the hospital bills, right?”
“No, in addition to the hospital bills,” Christy replied. “My sister wants me to raise their baby, and Grant has agreed, so long as I give him the money.”
“He’s selling you his child? How much money did he ask for?” Curt asked suspiciously.
“Let’s just say it’s a very substantial amount. I asked my sister what possible reason there could be for Grant needing so much money.”
“And what did she say?”
Christy looked Curt straight in the eye. “She said he’s dealing drugs, and he’s in trouble. He needs the money to bail himself out. If I don’t provide it, he’ll most likely sell the baby to pay off his suppliers.”
“Is she sure?”
Christy tried to note whether he sounded shocked or not, but the truth was, he appeared totally unaffected. She took a deep breath and replied, “Yes. That’s why she was coming to see me before the accident. Candy said they’ve lost everything of value and that Grant can’t meet his obligations. That’s why she was so desperate about the baby.”
“And what does Grant say? Does he know that you know about the drugs?”
“Grant told me that as long as I pay Candy’s hospital bill and give him the money he’s asked for, I can have the baby.”
“And you believe him?”
Christy realized it did sound rather stupid to trust a man like Grant to keep his word on a matter. “I don’t think I have much of a choice,” she said softly. “I didn’t know what else to do. I can’t let him take the baby, and now that I know he’s involved in something like this, well, I probably should call the police. Do you think I should?”
“For now,” Curt began slowly, “you should probably keep it to yourself. After all, if Grant gets wind that the police know what he’s up to, there’s no telling what he’ll do once the baby is born.”
Christy nodded. It all made sense to her.
“I am curious, though,” Curt continued, “have you thought about the responsibilities of raising a baby alone?”
Christy bit at her lower lip and refused to meet his eyes. “I suppose I can’t fully understand the responsibility,” she confessed. “But I do know that I’ll love that baby almost as much as its biological mother would. No one else can give it that.” She seemed defensive and almost frightened.
“No one could doubt that you would love the child, Christy. I just wondered if you understood how time-consuming it would be.”
“There’s no other choice,” she whispered, and her eyes were filled with conflict. “I have to do this. There’s no one else. Erik certainly can’t be responsible for an infant. At least I can stay home and be here with it.”
“What about a father?” Curt asked gently. “Every baby deserves two parents.”
“What we deserve and what we get in life are usually two different things,” Christy said rather bitterly.
“That’s true enough, but, Christy, you can’t deny that a mother and a father would be better than a single working mom.”
“Better? I don’t know. More convenient and perhaps easier, yes. But I can’t say that two parents are more ideal unless I know who the two parents are. I can give the baby a home and a mother,” Christy said as though reasoning with herself. “I am financially secure.”
“There’s more to offering a good home and security than the financial aspect,” Curt reminded her. “You can’t be everywhere at once, Christy. You’ll wear yourself out, and then what good will you be to the baby or to yourself?”
“If you know a better way, I’m open to suggestions,” Christy stated, getting to her feet. “But if that way includes giving the baby over to someone else, then don’t bother to tell me about it.”
Curt got up slowly and put his napkin on the table. He walked to where Christy stood looking so strong and determined and encircled her with his arms. “We could do it together, Christy. You could marry me.”
Christy’s mouth dropped open and the shocked expression on her face said more than words ever could. Curt remained undaunted, however.
“I mean it. It’s not such a bad idea. You know I’ve come to care for you. I want us to work through our differences and—”
“Be parents?” she interjected.
“I’d like very much for us to be parents, one day. With kids of our own and all the trappings that go with frumpy old mar- ried life. I enjoy your company, Christy, and I think we’re good for each other.”
Christy pushed at his chest, but Curt held her firmly. “Ah, Christy,” he whispered against her ear, “I could take care of you and the baby. You wouldn’t have to face this alone, and you wouldn’t have to be so afraid.”
“You only want to marry me because you can’t have Debbie,” she said and pulled away. This time Curt let her go.
“You’re on the rebound, Curt. You just want to get married. I’ve seen it before in my friends, and it never works out. I don’t think we should see each other anymore because you’ll just go on putting your love for Debbie into what you imagine we could have in its place. I won’t be the other woman.”
Christy walked out of the room and left Curt to contemplate her words.
“I don’t love Debbie,” he called out, and Christy stopped. “Debbie and I were always meant just to be friends.”
Christy felt her heart give a jump. “Curt, I—”
The telephone rang and before Curt could stop her, Christy went to answer it.
“Hello?” Christy waited for a moment. “Yes, this is she.” Several seconds passed, and Christy heaved a heavy sigh. “I’ll be right there.” She hung up the phone and felt her heart break.
“The hospital?” Curt questioned.
“Yes,” she murmured, turning to him. “They can’t find Grant, and they need me to sign some papers. Candy’s on a respirator now, and they have to take the baby by cesarean. They don’t expect Candy to live through the surgery.”