The Manning Grooms

by Debbie Macomber

“What you’ve done is jeopardize your entire campaign.”

  Somehow he doubted that. “Aren’t you overreacting?”

  “Time will tell, won’t it?” Ralph asked smugly.

  James decided to ignore that. “If anything, Summer will be an asset. She’s lovely and she’s good at connecting with people. Unfortunately her contract with Disney doesn’t expire until April.”

  “That’s right,” Ralph said sarcastically. “I forgot, she’s a showgirl.”

  “A singer and an actress and a very talented one at that,” James boasted.

  “An actress, a showgirl, it’s all the same.”

  “Once she’s finished with her contract, I want her to move in with me.”

  “Here in Seattle?” Ralph made it sound like a world-class disaster.

  “A wife belongs with her husband.”

  “What about the beach bum?”

  James frowned. “We don’t have to worry about him. He’s gone for good.”

  “I certainly hope so. And while we’re making out a wish list, let’s add a couple of other things. Let’s wish that your worthy opponent doesn’t find out about this little skirmish between you and Summer’s previous lover-boy. And let’s make a great big wish that he doesn’t learn that the police were called and a report filed.”

  “He won’t,” James said confidently, far more confidently than he felt.

  “I hope you’re right,” Ralph said, and downed what was left of his bourbon in one gulp. The glass hit the counter when he put it down. “Now tell me, what kind of damage did you do to the beach bum?”

  “You didn’t tell him, did you?” Julie said when Summer set the telephone receiver back in place.

  “No.” She sighed reluctantly. She rested her hand protectively on her stomach.

  “A man has the right to know he’s going to be a father,” Julie said righteously. She bit into an apple as she tucked her feet beneath her on the sofa.

  Summer closed her eyes. Even the smell of food or the sound of someone eating made her sick to her stomach. In the past two months she’d seen parts of toilets that weren’t meant to be examined at such close range. She hadn’t kept down a single breakfast in weeks. The day before, she’d wondered why she even bothered to eat. Dumping it directly into the toilet would save time and trouble.

  “How long do you think James is going to fall for this lie about having the flu?”

  It had been more than a month since she’d last seen him, and in that time Summer had lost ten pounds. Her clothes hung on her, and she was as pale as death. She seemed to spend more time at the doctor’s office than she did at her own apartment. Her biggest fear was that being so ill meant there was something wrong with the baby, although the doctor had attempted to reassure her on that score.

  “Why haven’t you told him?” Julie wanted to know.

  “I just can’t do it over the phone.” Besides, she remembered James mentioning that a pregnancy now would be a mistake. Well, she hadn’t gotten this way by herself!

  She knew exactly when it had happened, too. There was only the one time they hadn’t used protection.

  “When are you going to see him again?”

  Summer shook her head. “I don’t know.”

  “You talk on the phone every night. He sends you gifts. I can’t think of anyone else who got six dozen red roses for Valentine’s Day.”

  “He’s extravagant….”

  “Extravagant with everything but his time.”

  “He’s so busy, Julie. I never realized how much there was to being a judge, and he really cares about the people he works with. Not only the people who stand before him, but the attorneys and his staff, too. Then there’s the election….”

  “So, go to him. He’s just as unhappy without you.”

  “I’ve got three weeks left on my contract, and—”

  “Do you really suppose no one’s figured out that you’re pregnant? Think about it, Summer. You came back from Vegas all happy and in love, and two weeks later you’re heaving your guts out after every meal. No one expects you to perform when you feel this crummy.”

  “But…”

  “Do everyone a favor and—” Julie stopped when there was a knock at the door. “Is anyone coming over tonight?”

  “No.” Summer laid her head back against the sofa and drew in several deep breaths, hoping that would ease her nausea.

  “It’s for you,” Julie said, looking over her shoulder as soon as she’d opened the door. “It’s Walter Wilkens.”

  Summer threw aside the blanket and scurried off the sofa, anxious to see her father-in-law. “Walter?” What could he possibly be doing here? “Come inside, please.”

  The refined, older gentleman stepped into the apartment. “Summer?” He gazed at her, his expression concerned. “James said you’d been ill with the flu, but my dear…”

  “She looks dreadful,” Julie finished for him. Her roommate took another noisy bite of her apple. “I’m Julie. We met at the wedding. Summer’s roommate and best friend.”

  Walter bowed slightly. “Hello, Julie. It’s nice to see you again.”

  “Sit down, please,” Summer said, motioning toward the only chair in the house without blankets or clean laundry stacked on it.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Julie asked.

  “No…no, thank you.” He cleared his throat. “Summer, my dear.” He frowned. “Have you been to a doctor?”

  “Yup,” Julie answered, chewing on her apple. “Three times this week, right, Summer?”

  “Julie,” she snapped.

  “Are you going to tell him or not?”

  Summer tossed the tangled curls over her shoulder and groaned inwardly. “I don’t have much choice now, do I?” She met Walter’s eyes and realized her lower lip was trembling. She was suddenly afraid she might burst into tears. Her emotions had been like a seesaw, veering from one extreme to another.

  “Summer, what is it?” Walter prodded.

  “I’m pregnant,” she whispered. She smiled happily all the while tears streamed down her cheeks.

  Walter bolted out of his chair. “Hot damn!”

  “Other than me, you’re the first person she’s told,” Julie felt obliged to inform him. “Not even her own family knows, although her mother would take one look at her and guess.”

  “James doesn’t know?”

  “Nope.” Again it was Julie who answered.

  “And why not?”

  “A woman doesn’t tell her husband that sort of thing over the phone,” Summer insisted. “Or by e-mail.” She needed to see his face, to gauge James’s reaction so she’d know what he was really thinking.

  “She’s been sicker than a dog.”

  “Thank you, Julie, but I can take it from here.”

  “I can see that,” Walter said, ignoring Summer.

  “What brings you to California?” Summer asked cordially, looking for a way to change the subject.

  “A business trip. I thought James might have mentioned it.”

  If he had, Summer had missed it. She had a feeling she’d been doing a lot of that lately.

  “Well, my dear,” Walter said, sitting back in his chair and grinning broadly. “This is a pleasant surprise.”

  “It was for me, too.”

  “I can just see James’s face when you tell him.”

  “He probably won’t know what to do, laugh or cry.”

  “He’ll probably do a little of both.”

  Walter himself was laughing, Summer noticed. He hadn’t stopped smiling from the moment he’d heard the news.

  “Everything’s always been so carefully planned in James’s life,” Walter said, still grinning. “Then he met you and bingo. He’s a husband, and now he’s about to be a father. This is terrific news, just terrific.”

  “James might not find it all that wonderful,” Summer said, voicing her fears for the first time. “He’s in the middle of an important campaign.”

  “Don’t you worr
y about a thing.”

  “I am worried. I can’t help it.”

  “Then we’re going to have to do something about that.”

  “We are?” Summer asked. “What?”

  “If my son’s going to become a father, you should tell him, and the sooner the better. Pack your bags, Summer. It’s about time you moved to Seattle with your husband where you belong.”

  “But…”

  “Don’t argue with me, young lady. I’m an old man and I’m accustomed to having my own way. If you’re worried about his campaign, this is how we fix that. You’ll be introduced to the public as his wife and we’re going to put an end to any speculation right now.”

  Nine

  Something was wrong with Summer. James had sensed it weeks ago. He would have confronted her and demanded answers if she hadn’t sounded so fragile.

  There was that business with the flu, but exactly how long was that going to last? When he asked her what the doctor said, she seemed vague.

  Part of the problem was the length of time they’d been apart. He hadn’t meant it to be so long. Summer had intended to come to Seattle, but that had fallen through, just as his last visit to California had. Neither of them was happy about it, but there was nothing James could have done on his end. He was sure that was the case with her, too.

  James paced in his den, worrying. When he had to mull over a problem, that was what he did. Lately he’d practically worn a path in the carpet. He felt helpless and frustrated. Despite Ralph’s dire warnings, he wished he’d brought Summer back to Seattle. This separation was hurting them both.

  His greatest fear was that she regretted their marriage.

  Their telephone conversations weren’t the same anymore. He felt as if she was hiding something from him. They used to talk about everything but he noticed that she steered him away from certain topics now. She didn’t want to talk about herself or her job or this flu that had hung on for few weeks. They used to talk for hours; now he had the feeling she was eager to get off the line.

  James wondered about Brett, but when he asked, Summer assured him she hadn’t seen or heard from him since the fight.

  The fight.

  His black eye had caused a great deal of speculation among his peers. James had never offered any explanation. Via the grapevine, he’d heard Ralph’s version and found it only distantly related to the truth. According to his campaign manager, James had been jumped by gang members and valiantly fought them off until the police arrived.

  When James confronted Ralph with the story, the other man smiled and said he couldn’t be held accountable for rumors. Right or wrong, James had let it drop. He was eager to put the incident behind him.

  James certainly hadn’t expected married life to be this lonely. He’d never felt this detached from the mainstream of everyday life, this isolated. Missing Summer was like a constant ache in his stomach. Except that a store-bought tablet wasn’t going to cure what ailed him.

  His desk was filled with demands. He felt weary. Unsure of his marriage. Unsure of himself.

  He went into the kitchen to make a cup of instant coffee when he saw a car turn into his driveway and around to the backyard.

  His father.

  He wondered why Walter would stop by unannounced on a Sunday afternoon. James wasn’t in the mood for company—but then again, maybe a sounding board was exactly what he needed. Other than his father, there was no one with whom he could discuss Summer.

  The slam of a car door closing was followed almost immediately by another. James frowned. Dad had brought someone with him. Great. Just great.

  He took the hot water out of the microwave, added the coffee granules and stirred briskly. There was a knock at the back door.

  “Come in, the door’s open,” he called, not turning around. He didn’t feel like being polite. Not today, when it felt as if the world was closing in around him.

  He sipped his coffee and stared out the window. The daffodils were blooming and the—

  “Hello, James.”

  James whirled around. “Summer?” He couldn’t believe she was really there. It was impossible. A figment of his imagination. An apparition. Before another second passed, James walked across the kitchen and swept her into his arms.

  Laughing and sobbing at once, Summer hugged him close.

  Then they were kissing each other. Neither could give or get enough.

  Walter stood in the background and cleared his throat. “I’ll wait for the two of you in the living room,” he said, loudly enough to be sure he was heard.

  As far as James was concerned, his father might as well make himself comfortable. Or leave. This could take a while.

  Summer in his arms was the closest thing to heaven James had ever found. Not for several minutes did he notice how thin and frail she was. The virus had ravaged her body.

  “Sweetheart,” he whispered between kisses. He paused and brushed back her hair to get a good look at her.

  She was pale. Her once-pink cheeks were colorless, and her eyes appeared sunken. “Are you over the flu?”

  She lowered her eyes and stepped away from him. “I…you’d better sit down, James.”

  “Sit down? Why?”

  Her hands closed around the back of a kitchen chair. “I have something important to tell you.”

  He could see she was nervous and on the verge of tears. The worries that were nipping at his heels earlier returned with reinforcements. Summer had more than a common flu bug.

  “Just tell me,” he said. A knot was beginning to form in his stomach. Was she ill? Was it something life threatening? The knot twisted and tightened.

  “I don’t have the flu,” she whispered.

  Whatever it was, then, must be very bad if his father had brought her to Seattle.

  “How serious is it?” he asked. He preferred to confront whatever they were dealing with head-on.

  “It’s serious, James, very serious.” Slowly she raised her eyes to his. “We’re going to have a baby.”

  His relief was so great that he nearly laughed. “A baby? You mean to tell me you’re pregnant?”

  She nodded. Her fingers had gone white, and she was watching him closely.

  James took her in his arms. “I thought you were really sick.”

  “I have been really sick,” she told him crisply. “Morning sickness. Afternoon sickness. Evening sickness. I…I can’t seem to keep food down…. I’ve never been more miserable in my life.”

  “I suspect part of her problem has been psychological,” Walter announced from the doorway. “The poor girl’s been terribly worried about how you were going to take the news.”

  “Me?”

  “My feelings exactly,” Walter said. “The deed’s done, what’s there to think about? Besides, you’ve made me an extremely happy man.”

  “A baby.” James remained awestruck at the thought.

  “Now tell him your due date, Summer—he’ll get a real kick out of that.”

  “September twenty-third,” Summer announced.

  Everyone seemed to be studying him, waiting for a reaction. James didn’t know what to think. Then it hit him. “September twenty-third? That’s the date of the primary.”

  “I know. Isn’t it great?” Walter asked.

  “How long can you stay?” James asked, taking Summer’s hands in his own.

  Summer looked at Walter.

  “Stay?” his father barked. “My dear son, this is your wife. I brought her to Seattle to live with you. This is where she belongs.”

  “You can live with me?” A man could only take in so much news at one time. First, he’d learned that his wife didn’t have some life-threatening disease. Then he discovered he was going to be a father. Even more important, he was going to have the opportunity to prove what kind of husband he could be.

  “Yes. I got out of my contract for medical reasons, and Julie’s getting a roommate. So…everything’s settled.”

  James pulled out the chair and sat Summ
er down. Then he knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “A baby.”

  “You’re sure you don’t mind?”

  “Of course he doesn’t mind,” Walter said, “and if he does I’ll set up an appointment with a good psychiatrist I know. This is the best news we’ve had in thirty years.”

  “When did it happen?” James asked.

  Summer laughed at him. “You mean you don’t remember?” She leaned toward him and whispered, reminding him of the one episode the morning after their honeymoon night.

  “Ah, yes,” James said, and chuckled. “As I recall, I was the one who said one time wouldn’t matter.”

  “I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat in this house?” Walter asked, banging cupboard doors open and shut.

  “Why have you been so ill?” James wanted to know. It worried him. “Is it routine?”

  “My doctor says some women suffer from severe morning sickness for the first few months. He’s been very reassuring. I try to remember that when I’m losing my latest meal.”

  “Is there anything that can help?”

  “She’s got what she needs now,” Walter said.

  Summer laid her head on his shoulder. “I was worried you’d be upset with me.”

  “Why would I be upset when the most beautiful woman in the world tells me she’s having my baby?” He reached for her hand and pressed her palm over his heart. “Notice anything different?” he asked.

  She shook her head, giving him a puzzled look.

  “My heart’s racing because I’m so excited. Because I’m so happy. We’re going to have a baby, Summer! I feel like I could conquer the world.”

  He wanted his words to comfort her. The last thing he expected was that she’d burst into tears.

  “But you said a baby would be a mistake right now,” she reminded him between sobs.

  “I said that?”

  “He said that?” Walter glared at James.

  “I don’t remember saying it,” James told him. “I’m sorry, my love. Just knowing we’re going to have a baby makes me happier than I have any right to be.”

  “Damn straight he’s happy,” Walter tossed in, “or there’d be hell to pay. I should’ve been a grandfather two or three times over by now. As far as I’m concerned, James owes me.”