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Cathy had barely had her coffee and gotten through her morning routine when Dave showed up along with the cleaners. She answered the doorbell and waved them inside.
“I didn’t expect you to be here, too, Dave,” she told him.
“I took the day off. I thought I could take you out of here while they do this. We could go shopping or something. It’ll be too noisy around here for you to concentrate on work.”
She looked at the vacuums and shampooers they were unloading from their van and agreed. The man and woman team looked like they knew what they were doing and planned to make lots of noise all right.
But spend a whole day with Dave? How could she do that? Don’t think about it. She’d concentrate on giving Cory a fun day with his uncle and a day off work for herself. “All right,” she told him, “I’ll go change and collect Cory’s things.”
The cleaning team brought in their equipment, with Dave explaining the problem to them.
Then he hustled her and Cory out to his car and strapped Cory in.
She stowed the diaper bag in the car and cast a nervous glance back at the house. “Are you sure it’s okay to leave them here alone, Dave?”
“Yes, Cathy. I’ve known this gal half my life. Her parents own a house on the other side of the lake. I trust her and her husband.”
“All right.” She got into the car.
He closed the door, then went around and got behind the wheel. “Where would you like to go?”
Shrugging, she said, “Wherever you’d like.”
“I noticed Cory’s toes are up to the ends of his shoes. He needs new ones again.”
“Yes, I planned to get them after the first of the month,” she said. Damn the man. He was criticizing her again. Was he trying to set things up to show she wasn’t caring for Cory properly?
“So how about shopping at a mall?” he said.
“All right,” she agreed. I’ll use my credit card and to heck with paying the interest. I’m not giving him any reason to say I’m not meeting Cory’s needs.
He pulled out onto the blacktop road and into the flow of traffic. “Is the Maplewood Mall okay? Or would you rather go to Rosedale?”
She shrugged. “I’m not familiar with either one, so it’s up to you.”
At the mall, he got a stroller and put Cory into it. Cory was fascinated with all the people and activity and content to watch people.
“Shoes for Cory, first, then wherever else you’d like,” he said. He consulted the directory, and steered her from store to store, listening carefully as the salespeople touted the merits of various shoes. He finally chose the most expensive pair they’d looked at.
“I can’t afford those,” she protested. “Besides, it’s silly to spend that much money on baby shoes. He’ll outgrow them in a couple of months.”
“Then I’ll buy him another pair,” he said, handing his credit card to the saleslady. “We’ll take these, and he’ll wear them. Put his old ones in the box.”
“Yes, sir,” she agreed and disappeared, ignoring Cathy’s objection.
“Dave, I don’t want you buying things like shoes,” she protested.
“Why not? I’m his...his uncle. I’m entitled.” His face took on a stubborn, closed look.
“Oh, all right,” she said ungraciously. Let the bossy man have his way. Maybe it’ll keep him happy for a while.
His cell phone rang. “Damn,” he said and pulled it out and answered it. He listened for a minute, then said, “All right. I’ll stop by and take care of it in a few minutes.”
The saleslady brought the box and sales slip.
He signed it, then turned to Cathy and said, “I’m sorry, but a problem has come up at my office. I’ll have to stop by my apartment for a file I left at home and then drop it off for Ken. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Both my office and apartment are close by. Would you like to stay here and shop while I do that?”
Cory whined and hid his face in her neck. “No, that’s okay,” Cathy said. “He’s getting tired. I don’t need anything right now. I think Cory would like a nap. He can sleep in the car while you do your errands.”
“All right.”
He drove them to an apartment building and parked, then glanced at her.
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Why don’t you and Cory wait here at my apartment for me? He’ll be more comfortable in a bed than his car seat.”
Was this a ploy to get her alone in his apartment to talk her into lovemaking? Well, if it was, it wasn’t going to work. She wouldn’t let it. But she’d rather rest inside than sit in the car on the street. “All right.”
Picking up Cory, he used his key to enter the secure building. They rode the elevator to his floor and walked down the quiet hall.
“Nice building.”
“Mmm.” He cast her a suspicious glance, as though wondering if her remark had been meant sarcastically.
Unlocking his door, he strode inside, leading the way through a masculine living room to a bedroom. Talking reassuringly to Cory, he said, “You’re at my house, Cory. See? Here’s the living room, and in here is my bed. Would you like a nap on my bed?”
“Nap,” Cory agreed. “Mama, too?”
Dave laughed and put him on the bed. “That’s right. Your mama’s here too.”
Cathy put Cory’s diaper bag down and sat beside Cory, who looked around curiously, but didn’t seem to mind the strange place as long as his mom and Dave were there.
“Shall I warm his bottle in the microwave?”
She shook her head and started to change him. “He likes his milk cold now.”
Dave went to a large roll top desk along one wall and pulled out a file drawer. Over his shoulder, he said, “I’ll pick up something for lunch on the way back. Do you like Chinese? Or would you rather have a pizza or hamburger?”
“Chinese would be fine.”
“How about shrimp and peapods? Or would you prefer something else?”
“I love shrimp and peapods.”
“Me, too.” He found the file he was looking for and closed the drawer. Giving her a quick glance, he said, “Lock the door after me. I’ll be back as soon as possible. Make yourself at home. There should be cold pop in the refrigerator.”
“Thanks,” she said to his back as he disappeared out the door. Well, so much for worrying that he’d intended to try to make love as soon as he got her alone. He’d barely looked at her.
She locked the door, went back to sit with Cory a few minutes until he fell asleep, then wandered to the kitchen for a can of lemon lime soda.
Dave’s kitchen was neat and large for an apartment. It looked new, with plenty of oak cupboards and white appliances.
She wandered back to the living area and sank into a soft brown leather couch similar to the one she had at the lake. His family seemed partial to leather.
A bookcase along one wall drew her eye, and she got up to find something to read to pass the time until he returned. Surprisingly, he had a wide range of interests. She settled down with a book of short mystery stories.
* * * *
Dave dropped off the file to Ken at his office, refusing to be drawn into the discussion Ken was having with a client. “It’s my day off,” he said. “This problem is all yours, Ken.”
He left and stopped for the take-out Chinese food. While he waited for his order to be made up, he phoned the carpet cleaners.
“I think we got all the glass out,” she told him.
“What do you mean, ‘think’? Aren’t you sure?”
“Well, you can never be sure with problems like these. Slivers can get caught in the nap, and it can be hard to get all of them out. I can’t guarantee that we didn’t miss some, even with our powerful suction vacuums.”
“My baby is going to be crawling around on that carpet. I can’t have him getting cut by glass slivers.”
“We’ve done the best we can. It’ll be dry in an hour or two. You can check it yourself.”
“All right.” Why hadn’t she told him that in the first place? He wouldn’t have bothered having them try cleaning it.
He phoned his insurance agent. The agent insisted cleaning it was the limit of their responsibility. “That should take care of the problem,” he insisted. “Anything further is up to you.”
Frustrated, Dave called the store in Sugar Lake where he’d gotten the furniture cart when Cathy had first arrived. His folks had always gotten their furniture and carpeting there, and he knew he could trust them to do a good job. He ordered replacement carpeting. He was promised they’d measure the room immediately, and it would be installed within two days if the warehouse in the Twin Cities had the right carpet on hand.
“Check if they do and call me back,” Dave said and gave them his cell phone number. “If they don’t, ask what they do have and we’ll be in to choose a new one.”
He picked up the food and drove back to the apartment.
When he walked in, Cathy sat asleep on his couch, her head fallen forward at an awkward angle and a book open in her lap. A large lump formed in his throat as he stood there, gazing at her. She looked so lovable, yet so vulnerable. He wanted to take her in his arms and make love to her. Fat chance of her allowing that. She’d probably bite his head off if he tried.
He put the food down on the kitchen table and peeked in the bedroom. Cory was asleep, too. He put the book on the coffee table and slipped a pillow under Cathy’s head, trying to ease her into a more comfortable position.
But she jerked awake and sat up, lifting a hand to rub her neck. “Hi, you’re back.”
He tossed the pillow aside. “Yes. I brought the food. Are you hungry?”
“Actually, yes. Thanks. I’ll just check on Cory and be right with you.”
“I already did. Cory’s asleep.”
“Oh. Thanks.” She got up and went to the bathroom to wash up, then joined him in the kitchen. “Let me do that.”
He handed her the plates and silverware and asked, “Would you prefer coffee or tea?”
She glanced up at him as she set the table and said, “I usually like hot tea with Chinese food. How about you?”
“Tea sounds fine.” He put the teakettle on to boil, pulling a teapot from a shelf.
He sat down and passed her the carton of shrimp and peapods. He helped himself to the rice, and they exchanged cartons.
“It smells delicious.”
He nodded and glanced at her warily, wondering how she’d react to his news. “I talked to the carpet cleaners. They aren’t sure they got all the glass, so we’re going to have to replace the carpet.”
She frowned, her forkful of food halfway to her mouth.
“Oh, dear. Will the insurance pay for that?”
He considered lying to tell her it would. But she might find out later and hate that. “No.”
“Why not?”
“Because the cleaning was supposed to take care of the problem.”
“But you don’t believe it has? Shouldn’t we go look at it first?”
“He won’t guarantee they got all the slivers out. I can’t take a chance on Cory getting cut on some sliver when he plays on the carpet. I want to be sure he’s safe in his own house.”
“Nothing is totally safe, Dave. There’s always the chance of getting a small cut or scrape for kids.”
“That’s not the same as deliberately allowing a hazard to remain where he plays.”
“But new carpet is so expensive...”
He sighed. “Cathy, I said I’ll take care of it. Keeping Cory safe is more important than the cost of the carpet. I’ve already ordered it from the store in Sugar Lake. Don’t worry about it.”
“Dave, I can’t let you keep paying for everything for the house. It’s not fair.”
He laughed. “It’s no big deal. But it’s going to be kind of a mess while they do it. I’m not sure they can exactly replace what was there. We may have to choose a slightly different carpet.”
“Whatever you say.” She shrugged and considered while she ate. “When will we know when they can do it?”
“He’s supposed to call me back soon.”
She nodded and forked up more shrimp. “Good food.”
“Mmm.” Did she resent his actions? It was hard to tell.
They’d barely finished eating when his phone rang.
He talked a while, then told her, “They can get it and will be there to install it tomorrow at eight. Do you want to stay here while they do it?”
She frowned and shook her head. “Shouldn’t I be there? I mean, do you trust strangers to work in your house alone?”
“I told you, it’s the store in Sugar Lake. They’ve done work for my family for years without a problem.”
“Well...”
Cory called, “Mama?” from the bedroom.
Cathy jumped up and went to get him. Dave was right behind her. Cory had already turned on his tummy and was sliding off the bed.
Cathy reached out to steady him and wrinkled her nose. “Why don’t you heat his baby food while I change him?”
“Okay,” Dave agreed and went back to the kitchen. He could hear Cathy talking to Cory while she changed him, then she brought him to the dining room and fed him the food Dave had warmed.
“It would be much simpler if you stayed here, rather than at the house while they install the carpet,” Dave said, finishing the food on his plate.
“But we don’t have clothes or anything here,” Cathy objected, wiping Cory’s mouth and taking off his bib.
Clearly she was considering it now, though. “How about we run out to the lake and pick up what you need,” Dave said.
Cory squirmed, clearly wanting to get down and explore his new surroundings.
“Let him down,” Dave said. “He won’t get hurt in the apartment.”
Cathy laughed. “He’s more likely to hurt the apartment.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Dave said. “If there’s anything you see that he shouldn’t have, go ahead and put it up out of his reach. I’m not fussy about where things are kept.”
“All right.” She turned back to her own half-eaten food.
“Is that cold? Let me reheat it in the microwave.”
“Thanks, I’ll do it,” she said and took her plate to the kitchen.
Frustrated, he drank his tea. Did she have to be so damned independent? She didn’t even want him to do a little thing for her like heat up her plate. She acted like that would make her obligated to him or something.
Cory checked out his bookcase and plopped down on the carpet to grin at him. He grinned back. At least his son seemed happy with him.
Cathy returned to the table and sat down to finish eating. “Do you think they’ll be able to remove the old carpet and install the new one in only one day?”
He nodded. “They said they could. You’d be more comfortable here so Cory could play without being confined to one room. At the house, you’d be in the way if you tried to cross the Great Room to get to the kitchen from your studio.”
“Yes, I suppose,” she agreed. “But don’t you have to work?”
“I’ll go to the office, and you and Cory can stay here,” he said. “You can take my bedroom, and I’ll take the couch. We can bring his playpen for him to sleep in.”
The look of relief on her face irritated him. She didn’t trust him or want to spend time with him.
Cory was still sitting on the carpet, listening to them and watching.
“All right,” Cathy said, getting up to clear the table. “I’ll stay here. Let’s go get our things from the house if you’re ready.”
Dave got up and helped her clear away the lunch dishes.
She said little on the drive to her house.
Sunlight glittered across the Great Room when they walked in. The carpet looked clean and smelled of shampoo.
“It looks great,” Cathy said, doubtfully. She ran a hand across the clean, soft nap. “Dave, are you sure we need to replace it?”
Dave walked to the area near the patio doors where the glass had been littered. Sitting on his haunches, he eyed across the carpet and leaned forward to where the sunlight had sparkled off a sliver of glass. He plucked it out of the nap and held it up. “See? They didn’t get it all. How many more slivers are hiding in this thick nap to cut Cory when he’s crawling about? We can’t take a chance on it, Cathy.”
She chewed her lip and nodded. “You’re right. I’ll get our things. I’ll take my sketchbook. While I’m at your house, I can work on sketches for the next paintings I need to do.”
He put Cory in his playpen while she packed. They dropped a key off at the carpet shop so they could do their measuring that afternoon in preparation for the next day’s installation.
* * * *
In spite of the next day being very busy, time dragged for Dave. An afternoon phone call to the store confirmed the new carpet was in place, so after work, he drove her home. They stopped for hamburgers at a fast-food place on the way.
They stepped into her house and turned on the lights. The smell of new carpet met them. Little squiggles of fluff lay about, but otherwise the room was done. As promised, the installers had put the large sofa and chairs back in place.
“It looks lovely,” she said. “I’d better vacuum before I replace the rest of the furniture though.”
He nodded. “It’ll be easier to do now.” He went to her studio to set up Cory’s playpen and put him and some toys into it. “Play here a while, buddy, while I help your mom put back the rest of the furniture, okay?”
“Okay.” Cory picked up his stuffed chicken and started chewing on it.
“Getting another tooth, buddy? Open up. Let me see.” Dave opened his mouth to show Cory his own teeth, and Cory grinned and opened wide in return.
“Yep. Another tooth coming in.”
He went back to the Great Room where Cathy was finishing up with the vacuum. “Cory’s getting another tooth.”
She smiled. “No wonder he was cranky last night. I should have known. He always gets that way when he’s teething.”
An hour later, they had things pretty well back to normal, and he took her in his arms to kiss her goodnight.
His arms were warm around her, and she wanted to stay in his embrace forever. “Thanks so much for everything, Dave.”
“You’re welcome.” He nibbled her bottom lip and kissed her throat. “Would you and Cory like to go for a boat ride tomorrow? It’s Saturday, and I don’t have to work.”
“That would be fun,” she found herself saying.
“Okay. I’ll see you around two?”
She nodded and he strode out to his car, whistling.
* * * *
The next afternoon, Dave returned and took them for a ride in his boat. Cory thought it was wonderful, though he wasn’t too pleased with the lifejacket Dave insisted he wear. He kept pulling at it, trying to push it off over his head.
Dave stopped at his favorite fishing spot, threw out the anchor, and tossed his line in the calm water. “Do you want to try it?”
Cathy shook her head. “I’ll just watch today. It’s so peaceful out here on the lake.”
He nodded. “I love to come here, for a break from the city and work. A couple hours on the water brings back my perspective of what’s really important in life.”
“And that is?” she asked with a little smile.
He glanced at her. Was she serious? “Family,” he said softly. “People I care about. Work and money seem so important in the city, but not out here.”
She sobered and looked away, staring unseeingly across the blue water. “It’s times like this that I realize how little money matters. Life can be way too short...”
Nodding, he agreed. “As it was for Don and Jenny, you mean.”
Fighting tears, she nodded. “The day of their accident is the worst day I can ever remember living through. I went to the hospital, but it was already too late for Don. We sat there the next two days, hoping some miracle would save Jenny. But even she knew that wasn’t going to happen. She’d seen Don in the car and knew he’d died, yet she fought so hard to live to take care of Cory. But at the end, she knew she would lose the battle, so she prepared for the worst.”
He swallowed and nodded. “I hated not being there. I was in Japan at a business meeting when I got Dad’s telegram. I spent hours in airports on standby, trying for connections, and I barely made it in time for Don’s funeral. By then Jenny was in a coma, and it was too late to even say goodbye.”
She touched his hand. “I’m sorry, too, Dave.”
“They were happy, I think, for the short time they had together. And very happy to have had Cory.”
“Yes, Jenny was thrilled to be able to have the baby she wanted. I wish she could have lived to see him grow up, but...”
“We never know the future,” he agreed with a sigh. Don had wanted Cory so much, too, and had thought he’d always be there for his child. “You won’t have to have any responsibility for the baby,” he’d told Dave. Well, fate had decreed otherwise, and now Don was gone.
Dave did feel responsibility for Cory, whether his new mother wanted him to or not. If only she’d let him share in his care.
The August afternoon sun was bright and hot. In spite of a generous coating of sunscreen, Cory was soon looking a little pink from the sun, so they started back toward the house. The fish weren’t biting.
When they reached the shore, Dave slowed and tied up the boat, then helped Cathy and Cory back on the dock.
“We’ll have to try fishing again when the weather cools down a bit,” he said.
Glancing at him, she asked, “Are there lots of fish in this lake?”
“I’ve caught sunnies, bass, crappies, northerns, and a few others.”
“I’ve never gone fishing before,” Cathy said. “Maybe I’ll try doing it myself, sometime.”
He gave her a disbelieving look as they walked back to their deck. “You’ve never gone fishing before? How come?”
She shrugged. “There aren’t many lakes in California. Dad used to fish in the ocean, of course, but usually just a group of the men went, not my mother or us girls.”
“Then you have to try it. You can’t live in Minnesota without learning how to fish.”
“It’s not allowed?” she teased.
“Nope. Not in the Landers family, anyway.”
Did he consider her a part of his family? she wondered. Did she want him to?
They took Cory inside out of the sun, and Dave started the grill to cook chicken for supper.
They spent a lazy evening, cleaning up after supper and after putting Cory to bed, watching a movie on cable television.
Dave put his arm around her, and they cuddled close. When the movie ended, he leaned forward to kiss her.
She’d been longing for what he was offering and found herself responding.
One kiss led to another. His hands wandered, and she allowed hers to wander too.
She undid a couple of buttons on his shirt so she could slide her hand inside and caress his bare skin. He had crinkly hair on his chest, and the nubbins of his nipples hardened under her touch.
She shivered when his lips moved from her lips to her earlobe. A ripple of need raced from her ear to her midriff. His lips moved to her neckline, and he pushed back the fabric to allow him more access.
She wanted him with a fierceness that surprised her. But she couldn’t help wondering if it was really what he wanted. Tentatively, she dared to ask him. “Dave, are you sure you want this?”
“More than I’ve wanted anyone for a long time, Cathy.” His voice was hoarse with desire, and he looked earnestly into her eyes, asking permission for more.
With a soft sigh, she returned his kisses. Then she allowed him to lead her to her bedroom.
They sank onto the bed. With anxious hands, he peeled back her sundress. “This dress has been driving me nuts,” he murmured. “I want to kiss every inch of your soft skin.”
Trapping her arms in the straps of the dress, he laid her back and bared her breasts. Sighing and kissing each one as he uncovered it, he took the rosy peaks in his mouth and teased them until she squirmed and cried out in protest.
Relenting, he helped her take the dress off, then unsnapped the bra and slid it off. “Oh, Lord,” he groaned. “You’re so beautiful.”
He trailed kisses from her breasts to her navel, then lower as he peeled away the last silky white barrier and slid his fingers into her nest of curls and into the folds below. Watching her, he teased her center until she squirmed at the delicious torment.
She ran her hands under his shirt, over his bare flesh, relishing in his warmth. She wanted him naked, as she was, wanted to feel his bare skin against hers. Restlessly, she moved against him, demanding more.
“Dave,” she breathed, trying to reach the buttons on his shirt. “You’re still dressed.”
“All in good time.”
“I want you naked. Now.”
“Umm. Do you like this?” he asked, teasing and touching as she squirmed in pleasure. Then he took her breast in his mouth again, matching rhythm with his teasing the nubbin in her curls.
“Oh, my!”
He grinned, then covered her mouth with his as she bucked in pleasure and called out his name.
“Shh, you’ll wake the baby,” he whispered between kisses.
Standing, he quickly shed his clothes, then found a foil packet from his pants pocket. He rolled it on his stiff member, then joined her on the bed once more.
When she raised her lips for his kiss, he covered her with the length of his body. With one smooth motion, he made them one.
“Oh, honey, that feels so good,” he groaned, enjoying the union for a long moment.
She arched to meet him, welcoming him inside her and urging him on as his movements grew more and more frantic for release. She wanted this more than she’d ever imagined.
They soared together. After they’d returned to earth, they kissed and cuddled up, spoon fashion. His arms closed possessively around her waist.
“Don’t leave,” she murmured.
“Okay,” he agreed and kissed her ear, making her giggle. She pulled up the covers, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
Cory woke them the next morning, demanding breakfast. Dave cooked it while she bathed and dressed Cory and brought him to the kitchen. He didn’t seem in the least surprised to see Dave there.
They spent a lazy Sunday morning, reading the Sunday paper and the comics and drinking coffee. All through the long leisurely day, they made frantic, then languid love to each other again and again, whenever Cory napped long enough to give them some privacy. Cathy couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so happy and contented.
* * * *
Cathy hadn’t been as happy in years as she was for the next two weeks.
Jody and Tess got her involved in several organizations in town, so she began to feel accepted in both the family and neighborhood.
She and Jody went shopping one day with Cory in tow. “Do you mind if we stop here at Dave’s office?” Jody asked, parking in front of it.
“No, of course not.”
“Susie, Dave and Ken’s secretary, has been bugging me to bring you and Cory by. Dave’s been talking about you so much that she’s dying to meet you.”
“Oh!” Cathy blushed and wondered how much the secretary knew of her relationship with Dave. Or guessed.
Susie was middle-aged, short, and thin. Her gray-streaked hair was pulled back into a neat bun, and her round metal-rimmed glasses gave her an owlish look. But she made friends with Cory, evidently well acquainted with the ways of babies.
“Dave and Ken are in a meeting with an important client,” Susie said, glancing worriedly at Dave’s office door. “Otherwise, I’d tell him you are here.”
“That’s okay,” Cathy said. “We didn’t tell him we were coming.”
“They’re taking this client out for lunch, or you could wait,” Susie said regretfully. “They always discuss business over lunch.”
Jody said, “I just stopped on impulse so you could meet Cathy and Cory. We don’t want to disrupt his day.”
“I’ll tell him you were here. Come back again. You, too, sweetie,” Susie said to Cory.
He giggled and waved goodbye to her.
As they walked back to her car, Jody said, “Susie’s a good egg, but she keeps Dave and Ken in line like an army sergeant.”
“She looks like she could.”
“Don’t misunderstand me,” Jody said. “Those two guys need some bossing now and then.”
“I’d like to see that sometime.” Cathy laughed.
“You probably will, if you stick around this family long. The men like to think they’re in charge, but that’s only because we let them. And Susie’s just like family.”
Cathy wondered if that was true. Did bossy Dave allow himself to be bossed on occasion?
Over lunch Jody asked, “Can you work at the church bazaar on Saturday?”
“I don’t know...”
“Dave has promised to babysit Cory. He wants to take Cory to the park.”
Cathy sighed. She’d been about to make an excuse, but how could she refuse to let Dave enjoy a day at the park with Cory? She wished she could go with them.
She nodded, mentally rearranging her work schedule to allow another day off for herself.
She could paint at night while Cory slept. It was quieter then.
* * * *
Dave came often, and they spent long, lovely days on the lake, fishing and cooking their catch, then lounging in front of the fireplace. When the weather turned chilly for a couple of nights, Dave lit a fire and she made popcorn. Then they made love on the soft carpet in front of the fire.
It seemed a magical time to her, almost too good to be true.
So when her mother called one afternoon, saying she had some bad news, Cathy felt it was inevitable.
