Steve hurried out to his car, and as he started the engine, he saw Meagan and Kenny standing in the window, watching him. He waved and they excitedly waved back.
On the short drive to Federal Way, Steve mulled over his approach. After a quick stop at the grocery, he pulled into the guest parking lot at her new complex. It took him another ten minutes to find her apartment. After checking the number against the one listed on the folded sheet of notebook paper, he stepped onto the porch. If the lights were any indication, she was home.
His head was spinning, his skin was clammy, and his heart was dangling precariously from his sleeve when he pushed her doorbell. The door opened and his carefully thought-out greeting stuck in his throat.
A man answered. “Yes?” He was tall and young, too young for Hallie.
“I must have the wrong number.” Frowning, Steve glanced down at his paper a second time, wondering if he’d copied the information incorrectly.
“Are you looking for Hallie McCarthy?”
Steve’s face shot up. “Yes.”
“Then come on in. She’s in the bedroom with the baby.”
Steve realized he was frowning again.
“I’m Jason, Julie’s husband.”
“Ah, yes.” As Steve told him who he was and the two exchanged handshakes, Steve remembered that Julie was Hallie’s little sister. Baby Ellen’s mother. Come to think of it, Hallie owed him major bucks for his help in getting the baby to sleep that night last spring.
“Julie and I are on our way to Hawaii, and we’re spending the night with Hallie before we catch a flight in the morning.”
“I see,” Steve muttered. His timing couldn’t have been worse. “Perhaps I should talk to Hallie later.” Not knowing what else to do with the bouquet of yellow roses he’d bought, he set them on top of the television.
He was halfway to the parking lot when he heard Hallie shout his name. He turned, shoulders squared, back rigid.
“If you walk away from me now, Steve Marris, there’ll be hell to pay.”
Hallie stood there, arms akimbo. “Is there a reason you brought me flowers?”
“Yes,” he said, playing it cool. “It’s a wedding bouquet. You were cheated back there and I wanted to give you another chance to catch it.”
“Are you going to provide the groom to go with those flowers?” she asked, not missing a beat.
“That all depends,” he called back. It seemed silly to be standing half a football field apart shouting at each other. He took several steps in her direction. She did likewise. They stopped with about five feet still between them.
“Why are you here?” she asked softly, her beautiful eyes pleading with him to say what she wanted to hear. “And if you tell me it’s because you need a bowling partner, you go straight to jail.”
“If I told you I loved you, would that get me past Go so I can collect my two hundred dollars?”
“It’s a step in the right direction.”
He grinned.
“Why do you love me?” she asked.
“Why?” Of all the things he’d expected her to say, this wasn’t it. He rubbed his hand along the back of his neck, giving her a puzzled look. “No one told me there’d be a test.”
“Is it so difficult?”
“No.” But he had to get the answer right; he didn’t want there to be any room for doubt.
“Because of Meagan and Kenny?”
“No.” He smiled as he said it. “Do you want me to count the ways?”
“It might help.”
“I love you, Hallie, for who you are. For the way you love my children. For the way your eyes light up when you’re excited. I love the crazy way you throw a bowling ball and still manage to knock down pins. I think you bake the best chocolate-chip cookies I’ve ever tasted.”
“What about my chicken dinner?”
“It’s wonderful, and so are you.”
It seemed to him that her eyes were especially bright. He said, “You’re zany and stubborn and strong-willed and wonderful. I’m crazy about you.”
“How crazy?”
“Crazy enough to know I’m going to love you the rest of my life—and to know you’re the best friend I’m ever going to find. Crazy enough to ask you to marry me.”
“Marry you?”
He nodded. “That’s why I brought a bridal bouquet.”
“Bingo.”
Steve laughed out loud. “Wrong game. All I want is to get past Go, collect what’s due me and spend the rest of my life making love to you.”
Hurrying forward, Hallie stumbled into his arms. He caught her and lifted her from the pavement, his arms tight around her waist. If he didn’t kiss her soon, he’d go mad.
As if reading his thoughts, her mouth haphazardly searched for his. The kiss was hungry, even rough, a kiss without subtlety or gentleness. It took several more such kisses to appease the pent-up longing. Then, and only then, was he capable of truly appreciating the woman in his arms. He set her back down on the pavement and his hands were in her hair. Her ragged breath was warm against his skin. He inhaled her clean distinctive scent.
“That was the lowest, dirtiest trick anyone ever played on me,” she told him, her hands clasped behind his neck.
“What was?”
“Making love to me on the dance floor. Do you have a clue what you were doing to me?”
“I was experiencing the same thing myself. Do you forgive me?”
She nodded, but her thoughts seemed a thousand miles away. “We’re going to be married, and if you so much as think of sleeping with Mary Lynn again, I’ll claw your eyes out.”
He lowered his head enough so she’d see and hear the truth in his words. “I didn’t sleep with her.”
“Fine. If you ever lie down in the same bed with her, then.”
“Agreed.”
“It’s all or nothing with me, Steve Marris.”
“Hey, I wasn’t the one who packed up and moved out at the first sign of trouble.”
Hallie shook her head as if she regretted that. “I was trying to protect myself. I love you too much to lose you, and hell, I didn’t know my condo was going to sell that fast.”
“Lose me?”
“To Mary Lynn.”
“Not hardly. It’s true I didn’t want the divorce, but it happened and there’s no way to go back now. Mary Lynn has apparently found what she wants, and she’s welcome to it. By the same token, I’ve found you.”
“I… I didn’t think you wanted to marry me.”
“I don’t take that kind of commitment lightly, Hallie. It’s all or nothing with me, too.”
She cupped his jaw and spread a dozen kisses over his face, her aim less than perfect; nevertheless, they had the desired effect—as she discovered when he pulled her close against him.
Suddenly she raised her eyes to his. He saw they’d gone dark and serious. “What about children?”
He’d given fair consideration to that question himself. Hallie wanted a family, and he wanted to be the one to father her children. “I got pretty good at the diapering business. I imagine I can dust off those skills for a new baby.”
She let out a small happy cry.
“Right now I’m far more interested in making that baby,” he said with a lascivious wink.
Pure happiness radiated from her entire being. Giggling, Hallie tossed back her head. “Me, too. Oh, Steve, I love you—and I want you so much—but…” She glanced over her shoulder. “We have to go to your place. My sister and her husband are in town for the night.”
He groaned in frustration. “I’ve got Meagan and Kenny.”
Hallie banged her forehead repeatedly against his shoulder.
“Can you believe it?” he said. “We’re finally ready to make love and we can’t find anyplace to do it.”
Snuggling in his arms, Hallie kissed the underside of his jaw. “Let’s be patient. We’ve got an entire lifetime.”
Steve closed his eyes and wondered if a single lifetim
e was long enough to love Hallie properly—in bed and out of it.
Then again, he’d soon find out.
Epilogue
January 1—two years later
Unlike the past few years, I won’t take time to be poetic and inspired. I’m a married woman now, and much too tired and happy. Steve is thrilled that Travis decided to make his debut a week early—for the simple reason that we can deduct him on our income tax! For my part, I could have used an extra week’s sleep.
Our baby is so beautiful. Steve made me promise I wouldn’t say that. Baby boys aren’t supposed to be beautiful, but the only other word that suits him is perfect. Steve’s delighted to have another son to share guy things with. He’s such a wonderful, natural father, but, of course, I knew that!
Every time I remember the afternoon I went into labor, I start to laugh. Steve was so calm about everything. He’d assured me again and again that he knew what to do, that I didn’t have a thing to worry about. He got so involved in the breathing techniques, he had everyone in his bowling league trained. He must have read ten books and quoted them so often, it was all I could do to listen.
Finally it happened. D-day (D for delivery). I’d been to the doctor the day before and he’d assured me labor could start at any time. Steve had his beeper with him. Meagan and Kenny had theirs, too. I think everyone was thoroughly disappointed that they were all at the house when my water broke. They’d been looking forward to getting beeped!
Then my levelheaded, oh-so-prepared husband lost it. When he saw me in pain, when he realized his new child was about to be born, he couldn’t remember a thing. I wasn’t much help. What surprised me was the intensity of the labor pains. I’d read and heard a lot about labor, but this wasn’t like anything I’d anticipated. It hurt, right away. No gradual increase for me. Travis wanted to make his debut as quickly as possible.
With the first contraction—which was like a kick in the stomach—I doubled over and groaned. Steve immediately started barking orders like a drill sergeant. He had Meagan, Kenny and my suitcase in the car and was halfway down the driveway before he realized he’d forgotten something. Me. That flustered him even more, and he ran a stop sign. Meagan was shouting at him and Kenny, whose job it was to time the contractions, miscounted and said they were only thirty seconds apart. Convinced he’d never make it to the hospital in time, Steve pulled over to the side of the road and announced he’d have to deliver the baby himself. Before I could persuade him otherwise, he’d slapped on a pair of latex gloves and donned a surgical gown. Where he got it I’ll never know.
Meagan took one look at me and rolled her eyes. Thank heaven she remained sane during all of this! By the time we arrived at the hospital, I was at the wheel. Kenny was in the back seat with his father, fanning him with the instructions for an emergency delivery. Meagan was in the front with me, and the two of us panted together.
All’s well that ends well, as they say. Things moved quickly once we got to the hospital, and the birth was textbook perfect. Travis was born five hours later, and it was a contest to see who cried loudest, father or son.
Meagan and Kenny are thrilled with their little brother. Kenny’s so pleased to have another boy in the family, and Meagan has to fight her father for the privilege of changing the baby’s diaper!
I love being a mother. The other morning as I held Travis to my breast I felt tears in my eyes at the sheer wonder and joy of this little one in my arms. To think he’s actually a part of me and Steve, that he came from my body. I thought about Dad, too. I’m sorry he wasn’t here to welcome his first grandson. He’d be so proud to know we named Travis after him. Travis Douglas is a pretty big name for such a little boy.
I feel whole now, complete. The emotional void that opened up in me after Dad died doesn’t seem as deep anymore. I have Steve now, and our family.
Two years ago when I first decided I wanted a husband and family, I had no idea how far this adventure would take me. But I’m actually glad I delayed it, because otherwise I wouldn’t be married to Steve and I wouldn’t be a step-mom to Meagan and Kenny—and we wouldn’t have Travis. I can’t imagine what my life would be like without them.
I sat down this morning with a cup of Seattle’s finest coffee—brought to me by my husband—and my goal planner. Just as I do every January 1. It didn’t take me long to realize that my goals have shifted from my business to my home life. For now, anyway.
And that’s just fine. This matter of marriage—and motherhood—couldn’t have worked out better!
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