The Baby Album

by Roz Denny Fox

  It was time to leave for her appointment. She hated to go before she had the picture the way she wanted it, but couldn’t be late.

  The family was ready when she got there. The shoot went well, and lasted only a little over an hour. Casey decided to head to the studio to exchange chips and finish the engagement card.

  She let herself in the front door and went straight to work.

  Outside, the sun slid out of sight, but Casey barely noticed. Finally, she had the shot exactly right. She also figured out how to print the silhouette directly on the tri-fold card stock. Her index finger was poised over the print key when a dark shadow fell across her keyboard.

  Her head jerked up and a frightened cry stuck in her throat momentarily before bursting from her lips. The rolling chair where she sat skidded sideways, hit an electrical cord running across the floor, toppled and dumped her on her rear.

  She struggled to get up as Wyatt snapped on the light next to his computer. Hands on his hips, he bellowed, “What do you think you’re doing, working so late and in the dark?”

  It took a moment for Wyatt’s vision to adjust to the light he’d switched on, and to see that Casey sat with her back flattened against the wall, with eyes wide and terrified.

  He hurried over and helped her to her feet. “I’m sorry. When I saw someone in here, I thought you were an intruder. I assumed you’d gone home a long time ago.” Still holding her by one arm, he tried to straighten the tails of her shirt, which had ridden up around her middle.

  She swatted his hands away. “Your note said you were going straight home after your appointment at the college.” After glaring at him, she bent and dusted the knees of her pants, then vigorously rubbed her butt.

  “Are you hurt?” he asked, his tone now concerned.

  “I’m okay. Only my pride is bruised.” She pushed past him to check the image on the monitor. “If you made me ruin the print I’ve been working on for hours, I’m going to be so pissed.”

  The corners of Wyatt’s lips quirked up at her outburst. To hide his smile, he bent his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Well, ah, that’s plain enough.”

  Casey righted her chair and scooted it back to the computer. “I’ve been trying to finish this sample engagement announcement. I came early to check your archives, but didn’t find anything but wedding and anniversary photos. So I went to the park to take pictures. I had consent forms, but I doubted this couple would sign one. I decided to alter their picture to make it work.”

  Wyatt came to stand directly behind her. “You did all that shading and silhouette stuff with my program?” He leaned over her shoulder to get a clearer look at the screen.

  Casey felt the warmth from his body seep into her back, but wasn’t comforted by it. Instead, she shivered and rubbed her bare arms. Until his heat wrapped around her, she hadn’t realized how cold the studio had become.

  Oblivious to the way Casey shrank from him, Wyatt continued talking. “Print me out a copy so I can see how it translates onto paper.”

  Reacting to the tension she felt at having her boss crowding her, Casey smacked the print button. She almost rolled the chair over his toes in her haste to put space between them.

  It finally dawned on Wyatt that he was making her nervous. He was also suddenly aware of the fact that they were alone in the darkened studio—“I—I saw the glow from the computer screen when I drove past on my way home,” he stammered. “That’s why I stopped.”

  “You didn’t have to sneak up on me. You could’ve called out.”

  Her uneasiness and the way she continued to hug herself rattled Wyatt. “For pity’s sake, this is my studio. I have a right to be concerned, especially when the back door wasn’t even locked. It could’ve been anyone in here. Your car isn’t in the lot.”

  “I used the front door. And I parked in the animal clinic’s lot because I came from that direction.” She nervously waved a hand in the air, then crossed her arms again.

  “Dammit, will you quit shaking?”

  “Sorry, I can’t help it. You scared me! I swear I haven’t used the back door at all today. Did you leave it unlocked?”

  “Maybe…” He looked uncertain. “I ran back in for a second memory chip.”

  “Next time I decide to work here alone, I’ll check both doors. Here’s your copy,” she said, taking the sheet out of the printer. “I should head home. What time is it, anyway?”

  He glanced at his watch. “Almost seven o’clock.”

  “I didn’t know it was so late.” She reached past him to collect her camera, her purse and a cardigan she’d draped over the back of her chair. “There are two designs. I’ll leave you to print the second. It’s more generic, but should still work.” Shouldering her purse, she circled Wyatt, aiming for the front entrance.

  “I’ll print the second version and take both of them home for a closer inspection. If you wait a couple of minutes, I’ll walk you out to your car. When I came in, it was dark in our lot, so I’m sure where you parked isn’t any lighter.”

  “I’ll be fine without an escort. Besides, this hardly seems like a high crime area.”

  “It’s not, but it never hurts to be careful.”

  “It’s not your problem. I’m the one who decided to stay, so I have to accept the risks. I’ve got no idea what traffic is like at this hour, but if I don’t get going I’ll find myself falling into bed before I decide what to fix for supper.”

  Wyatt glanced up from the monitor where he was preparing to print her second draft. “Late as it is, I should offer to buy you dinner. I haven’t eaten yet, either.”

  “I wasn’t hinting.”

  “I didn’t think you were. Jeez, woman.” He snatched the sheet from the printer and began shutting down his machine. Suddenly he stopped fidgeting, and an anxious look crossed his face.

  It appeared to Casey as if Wyatt wished he could take back his offer. Since she’d lost her breakfast, skipped lunch, and was now starving, she felt just ornery enough not to let him wiggle out of his invitation. “You know, I could do with a bite to eat before I hit the highway. Thanks for the offer.”

  “Uh, I should’ve thought before I spoke. I’m sure your husband expects you home for dinner.”

  “No.” Casey didn’t elaborate, hoping her terse denial would end that line of questioning. Wyatt had inadvertently reminded her that she was expecting her final divorce papers to come in today’s mail. A depressing thought. All the more reason to delay going home. Casey knew this was the opportunity to tell Wyatt the truth about her marriage. At least one secret would be out in the open. But who wanted to admit her personal failures to her boss over a meal? Not Casey.

  “So, does your husband work nights or something?”

  She cast about for something to say, and settled on a version of the truth. “Actually, Dane’s off hiking with friends.” Which he was. Right after she’d told him they were going to have a baby, he’d informed her that he had no interest in having a family. He said he’d been pressured into marriage by her and his parents, and in the next breath, announced that he and two college friends had made plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and other peaks around the world. And he’d left.

  “Oh. Then I guess nothing’s stopping us from going out. How about a hamburger?” Wyatt asked, clearly still hoping she’d turn him down.

  Casey’s stomach objected to the very thought of greasy meat. “I’m not big on hamburgers,” she said. “How does breakfast sound? Isn’t there a twenty-four-hour breakfast place a few blocks away?”

  “It’s a waffle place. Works for me. I’ll lock up, walk you out, then I’ll follow you there in my car.”

  It wasn’t until Casey was halfway there that she wished she hadn’t been such a smarty-pants. How dumb was it to risk eating something that would upset her stomach? All she needed was to be sick in front of her boss.

  Okay, she thought, searching for and finding a parking spot. She might be able to handle one pancake with butter and no syrup, a
nd a scrambled egg.

  She took her time making her way to the restaurant entrance, only to find Wyatt holding the door for her. It was nice that he had gentlemanly qualities.

  The hostess led them to a table in the middle of the room after Wyatt firmly requested they not be given a booth.

  Great, Casey thought. What if she threw up in front of the whole restaurant?

  Wyatt pulled out her chair, and once he took his own seat, promptly buried his nose in the menu.

  Casey looked at hers briefly, then set it aside, commenting instead on the folksy, country decor.

  “Do you already know what you want?” He was apparently not in the mood for polite conversation.

  She nodded and turned to the waitress, who was hovering nearby. “I didn’t see one pancake and one scrambled egg listed on your menu.”

  “À la carte.” The woman tapped her pencil tip on Casey’s discarded menu.

  “Okay, I’ll have that and hot tea. Just butter, no syrup on the pancake, please.”

  “It comes on the side. You, sir? Or do you need more time?”

  Wyatt didn’t like being caught frowning at Casey. “No, I’m ready. I’ll have your short stack, eggs over easy and bacon crisp.” He kept his eyes on the waitress scribbling down his order.

  Casey shifted, nervously recoiling at the notion of watching him eat bacon. Her stomach had already begun objecting to the aromas wafting around the room. When the waitress grabbed their menus and took off, she folded her hands and searched for a safe topic. “Business has picked up.”

  “Uh-huh.” Wyatt moved the salt and pepper shakers.

  “You went to college in Texas?”

  “Yeah. UT Longhorns. Hook ’em, Horns.” Smiling, he made the sign.

  “Did you grow up on a farm? That’s a wonderful picture of your dad in the waiting room. He looks very much at home on a tractor.”

  Wyatt’s lips thinned. “Was at home. Two days after I took that photo he died of a coronary occlusion no one knew he had. He never saw the picture. He didn’t want it taken, anyway,” Wyatt said, stacking packets of sweetener.

  “I’m sorry. It’s a beautiful memento. I lost my mother when I was thirteen. I don’t have many pictures of her. You only have to look at your dad in that photo to see how much he loved you.”

  “Not really. I was a big disappointment to him. He hated that I majored in photography. A sissy field, he said. He wanted me to be a third-generation pumpkin farmer out there in Uvalde.”

  “You need to take another look at that photograph,” Casey said quietly.

  One dark eyebrow shot up. “I’ve been meaning to ship it to my mom. She sold the farm and moved nearer my sister. To be closer to her only grandkids.” Wyatt’s jaw hardened. As if he regretted following Casey’s lead, he began to drum all ten fingers on the table.

  She shifted in her seat once again, noting how she kept breaking her own rule about not discussing anything personal. This time she’d glimpsed another side of Wyatt. It made her wonder if he’d tried to be someone he wasn’t for Angela. Casey knew what that was like. She’d turned herself inside out for Dane, but it hadn’t done her any good.

  Fortunately, their food came, sparing them further awkwardness. Casey was affected by the smell of Wyatt’s bacon, and the lump that had risen in her throat. Looking at her plate, she considered saying she wasn’t hungry, after all. Would Wyatt care if she excused herself? She buttered her pancake and choked down a bite.

  Just then his cell phone rang. After setting down his fork, he flipped it open. “Keene,” he said, his eyes locked on Casey’s face.

  “Brenda, hi. I’m not at the studio. Sorry, but I haven’t downloaded your photos yet. I waited until I knew you’d be in. I didn’t want Greg stopping by and happening upon them. Um, no, I’m not sure what time she’ll be in tomorrow. What do you need her for? Oh, are you sure you don’t want me to help you choose?” he asked in surprise. When Casey started to get up, he motioned her down again.

  She bit her lip and slowly returned to her seat. Darn, she’d told Brenda not to get involved like this.

  “No, if you’d rather see this through with Casey, that’s fine with me. What time did you have in mind for tomorrow? I’ll give her the message.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “No, don’t call her at home. She’s, uh, right here. I’ll put her on.” Wyatt shoved the phone into Casey’s hand, then hissed, “Please don’t tell her where we are. She’ll blab to Greg, and they’ll make this a bigger deal than it is.”

  Casey nodded, but nearly dropped the phone when Wyatt’s fingers brushed hers. “Brenda?” she squeaked, and sent him a guilty look at her new friend’s response.

  “It’s late. Where are you two? I phoned the studio and no one answered.”

  “Actually, we’re just leaving. We’re in the parking lot,” Casey said, thinking quickly. She realized Brenda might hear laughter and dishes clanking. So, springing up, she made a beeline for the door.

  Brenda seemed to take her at her word. “Since Wyatt’s still there, let’s firm up a time tomorrow to look at pictures. Now that the boys are healthy again I want to…you know…get together for the clothes,” she added in a whisper. “Call me when you get home. Or I’ll phone you. Greg’s teaching a finance seminar tonight and won’t be back until late. I’d almost forgotten how many dresses I’d kept. Most will be really simple to alter. Let’s say eleven at the studio. Oh, pass me back to Wyatt. I have some news to share with him.”

  Casey grimaced. Wyatt had stayed in the restaurant. “Uh, hang on, Brenda. He’s just stepped inside.” Whirling toward the restaurant, Casey was hugely relieved to see him striding through the front door, casually stuffing his wallet in his back pocket.

  Covering the speaker with her thumb, Casey waved it at him. “Here,” she murmured, “Brenda has something to tell you. I didn’t mean to take off like that—I just didn’t want her to hear the restaurant noises and know where we were.”

  His eyes smoldered as he lifted the phone to his ear. When Casey waved goodbye and started to back away, he shackled her wrist with his free hand and kept her at his side.

  “You’ve been a busy gal for someone with sick kids,” Wyatt said. “In just the past two weeks, you’ve talked Jana, Gracie and Emily into having family portraits done.”

  Casey was standing too close to Wyatt. His hand on her wrist made her heart pound. She couldn’t really hear what Brenda had to say, but guessed it had something to do with her. She was certain of it when Wyatt stared right into her eyes and said in a falsely sweet tone, “I do appreciate you spreading the word about how I’ve hired a great photographer, Bren.” His words belied the tension Casey felt rippling off his body in waves.

  “I need more time before I jump back in with the old crowd,” he added.

  This time Casey heard Brenda’s admonition. “That old saying about needing to get right back on a horse after a fall is a cliché for a reason. And I think it also applies if you’re avoiding friends, don’t you?”

  “Life’s just not the same,” Wyatt said.

  They were standing under a streetlight, so Casey could clearly see sweat bead on his forehead.

  “It will be now that you’ve got Casey,” Brenda said matter-of-factly. “Assign Jana, Em and Gracie’s sittings to her.”

  “That’s not fair to her or any of you.”

  “Why not? We helped you and Angela build your business in the first place and you know it. We spread the word to coworkers and contacts of coworkers and so on, until the studio made a name for itself. Why wouldn’t we help you rebuild it now that Angela’s gone?”

  “Angela had the drive. I would’ve been content with less.”

  “Except…you still have the studio. Come on, Wyatt. You were good at networking at cocktail parties, talking about the historical value of keeping a family album for posterity. Photography’s your passion, too. Don’t tell me the drive was all Angela’s.”

  “Greg can tell you I nearly decided to ren
t out the studio instead of coming back. As for socializing like we used to…I can’t do that solo.”

  “Sorry, I have to hang up, Wyatt. I hear one of your godsons fussing. You won’t believe how they’ve grown since you last saw them. If nothing else, put Greg and me down on your social calendar.”

  Casey knew Brenda had hung up when Wyatt’s grip on her wrist loosened.

  “I don’t know what you wanted me to stay around for, but I need to go,” she said, stepping back. “Will you be okay?” Casey didn’t like the dullness of his eyes.

  Wyatt roused himself, but that haggard expression didn’t vanish. “You didn’t eat a bite in there,” he said accusingly.

  “I guess I wasn’t as hungry as I thought. But I hate that you paid for food I wasted. Deduct the cost from my next paycheck.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Speaking of paychecks—did you hear? Brenda scored you three more sittings. Look, I’m sorry I’ve placed you in the position of having to deal with my overzealous friends. You can refuse if you’d rather not.”

  “If they’re all like Brenda, it won’t be a hardship. I like her. And the boys are as adorable as can be.”

  “They weren’t even walking the last time I saw them.”

  Casey heard the gloomy tone in Wyatt’s voice. She started to touch his arm, then changed her mind. “The first year after my mom died was the worst. I’m sure people have told you the pain will fade. It does, but the length of time varies from person to person.”

  His head came up and again their eyes met. Casey thought she’d reached him, but seconds after she sensed a softening, his eyes hardened to granite. “The other day you said we shouldn’t get into personal matters. We need to stick to that rule.”

  “I just…Fine,” she said, fumbling in her purse for her car keys. “I’ll be in at eleven tomorrow to meet with Brenda.”