Daddy Christmas

by Cathy Gillen Thacker

  “No, it didn’t,” he agreed with amusement. “So next time...” he began with mock sternness.

  Gretchen crossed her heart, promising, “Next time I give you my word pride will not stand in my way.”

  “Glad to hear that.” He paused and they exchanged grins.

  Matt straightened and headed for the fridge. “So how much longer are you going to be up?” he asked as he extracted a pitcher of orange juice.

  Gretchen rubbed the tenseness from the back of her neck. “Awhile. I’ve got my first exam tomorrow in my ed-psych class and I want to do well on it.” She watched as he poured himself a tall glass of juice. “But if you want to talk for a bit, I’m ready for a break.” Eager for it, in fact.

  “As it happens,” Matt drawled, sauntering to the fridge to replace the pitcher and then to her side, “there are a few things I’d like to know.”

  “Such as?” Gretchen prodded, wondering if he had any idea how much she had missed him while he was away.

  Matt pulled out a chair, turned it around and straddled it. He sipped his juice, looking as though he had missed her, too.

  “Such as what inspired you to become a teacher.”

  That was easy. “My love of kids,” she said simply. Realizing he was listening intently, she continued, a little shyly, “For years, I put off a family because Robert wanted us to wait. Then, when the time was finally right, he left me.”

  “You must have been ticked off.”

  “Royally. But when I got over my hurt, I realized this change in my life was also an opportunity to start over. So I figured if I couldn’t have a family of my own, maybe I could love and nurture other people’s kids. So here I am.”

  “Why secondary school, instead of elementary education?”

  “My mother died when I was in the seventh grade. I was at a pretty vulnerable age and my dad didn’t handle things all that well. Oh, he cooked for us and cleaned and took me to my piano lessons and all that, but he never talked to me about his own grief or what he was feeling.” Gretchen cupped both hands around her ginger ale. “To make things worse, he had no clue what to say to a girl going through adolescence.” Aware Matt was listening intently, his eyes alight with compassion, she shrugged and continued ruefully, “I mean he just did not consider matters like how I should wear my hair or what I should say to a boy of tremendous importance. Nor did he want to get bogged down in emotional discussions about anything. Luckily I had a teacher who stepped in and helped me handle some of the growing pains in junior high. And another two or three who mothered me on and off during my high school years.” She shook her head. “I don’t know what I would have done without them.” Gretchen paused and drew a deep breath as she lifted her eyes to his. “I know this sounds corny, but I hope I can return the favor someday by doing the same for other girls that age.”

  “It doesn’t sound corny. It sounds sweet and selfless, just like you.”

  Gretchen warmed to the approval in his low tone. “What about you?” she asked, curious. “What got you into wildcatting?”

  “I grew up in West Texas, where there are hundreds upon hundreds of wells. Started working on the rigs summers, during college, and found I had a knack for knowing instinctively where and when and just how deep to drill. As soon as I could, I started my own business, a real shoestring operation, and have never looked back.”

  Gretchen took a moment to absorb that. “It’s funny. Here we are married, and we don’t know these basic things about each other.”

  Matt grinned as if they had just passed a major milestone. “We’re learning. And speaking of learning...” He stood reluctantly and replaced the chair. “I guess I better let you get back to hitting the books. I wouldn’t want you to flunk an exam on my account.” He slid his empty glass into the dishwasher, then ambled past her toward the door.

  “Matt—” Gretchen stopped him before he could leave the room.

  He turned, his expression expectant.

  “Thanks for tonight,” she said softly. It felt good knowing she had Matt there to take care of her. It had made her feel safe. “You were great tonight—really.” He’d taken one of the most humiliating and embarrassing experiences of her life and made it bearable.

  He grinned again. “No problem.”

  * * *

  TO BUY or not to buy, that was the question, Matt thought, standing before a Valentine’s Day display in the front of the grocery store. Discovering they were out of milk, he had volunteered to go, only to be reminded by the throngs of men waiting in the express lane, their arms full of last-minute gifts of flowers, balloons and heart-shaped satin candy boxes, that it was February 14.

  Which put him in a quandary the likes of which he’d never experienced. If he forgot the holiday, Gretchen might be hurt by his insensitivity. Then she would be ticked off at him.

  If he honored it by giving her a gift, she might think he was taking a lot—like the bedroom privileges he had not enjoyed since their wedding night—for granted. Or worse, that he thought he could buy her attentions.

  The truth was, of course, that he wanted bedroom privileges back. But since his business trip Gretchen had not looked as if she wanted lovemaking reinstated in their lives. If she wasn’t studying, she was sleeping. One or the other activity took up almost all the time she spent at home. Neither was something he could interrupt.

  Of course, he had only been back a couple of days now. Their one and only dinner out had been a start toward normalizing their relationship to that of a typical married couple expecting a child. And she might have a gift for him, too. So, there was only one thing left to do.

  Unfortunately, what had seemed like a brilliant idea at the store did not seem nearly so bright when Matt saw the look on Gretchen’s face. He had expected her to like the gift he’d had specially made up for her. Instead, she appeared ready to burst into tears at any second.

  “You needn’t read too much into this,” he said casually. “It’s just something I felt I ought to do, under the circumstances, you being the mother of my child and all.”

  Gretchen froze. The tears sparkling in her misty blue eyes were fast replaced by a flash of fiery anger as she lifted her chin to confront him.

  “Ought to do?” she echoed coolly.

  Wincing inwardly, Matt amended cautiously, “Well, yes. We are husband and wife. At least for now. That being the case, Valentine’s Day gifts are...expected.”

  “I see.”

  Gretchen sauntered closer, in an intoxicating drift of perfume.

  “Kind of like sex is expected between married couples on their wedding night, right?”

  Matt recognized a dig when he heard one. Worse, he had no defense for his behavior. He’d said all along theirs was to be a marriage of convenience; yet at the first opportunity to hold her in his arms again, to make wild passionate tender love to her, he hadn’t been able to resist. Nor had she, and that, he felt, irritated her more than anything. He sensed she wasn’t used to being driven by her passion any more than he was.

  Noting she was still furious with him, knowing hormones were at least partially responsible for her highly emotional state this evening, he attempted to calm her. “Look, I’m just trying to make the best of a difficult situation.” Maybe he should have gone with the candy instead of the fruit. Or bypassed food altogether, since it could be a tricky issue during pregnancy, and gotten flowers and perfume. Hell, maybe he should have sprung for lingerie, or even a book of baby names. But it was too late now. Judging from her expression, it was going to be a while before she forgave him for this...misstep...in their courtship.

  Pretty lips set in a stubborn line, she shoved the heart-shaped basket back at him.

  “I don’t want gifts that are insincerely given.”

  Irritated that she was deliberately taking this the wrong way, Matt jammed his hands on his waist. “There’s nothing insincere about that fruit!” he countered flatly.

  “Oh, really.” She spun away, temper flaring.

&
nbsp; Matt followed fast on her heels. “It’s just what I thought you should have. Under the circumstances,” he added specifically, as she reached the counter and whirled around in mute aggravation.

  Tears sparkled in her eyes, right along with the grief. “I suppose now you’re trying to tell me I’m fat?”

  “Of course not. Not that gaining weight in your condition is anything to be sensitive about anyway,” Matt continued quickly.

  She arched a dissenting brow, and Matt flung up his hands in frustration. “I mean, it’s supposed to happen,” he said. Dammit, judging by her increasingly wounded, increasingly furious expression, that hadn’t come out right, either.

  “Of course.”

  She glared at him, then sidestepped him altogether, like some odious piece of trash.

  He caught her arm. She flung off his staying grip. “Gretchen...” Matt said wearily.

  “Can it, Matt.” Chin held high, she marched out of the kitchen, pausing only long enough to say, “And keep your basket. I don’t want that, either.”

  Matt sighed as all hope of having a romantic evening with Gretchen faded. He pressed his lips together grimly. Some Valentine’s Day this was turning out to be.

  Chapter Eight

  March

  “I’ve never known Dad to be out of town so much in one month’s time,” Angela said, as she and Gretchen roamed the grocery aisles together, carefully selecting the ingredients for their first family dinner that evening. “Doesn’t it bother you?”

  Gretchen put fresh broccoli in the basket. “I’ve been busy, too, Angela.” But not too busy to miss Matt, or feel lonely and miserable as hell, living more or less alone in that big house.

  “But the two of you just got married six weeks ago!” Angela protested emotionally.

  “Your dad has a lot of work to do.” And besides, Gretchen thought, it was all her fault Matt had made himself so scarce. She had overreacted to his Valentine’s Day gift, first thinking it meant something much more than it did and practically bursting into tears of sheer, unadulterated joy, then flying off the handle when she realized it had been a “duty” gift because he’d felt she expected it from him.

  He’d been wrong about that, Gretchen thought sadly. She hadn’t “expected” it. Being the hopelessly sentimental fool that she was, she had hoped he would remember the holiday in some small but heartfelt fashion, and in fact still had a gift for him tucked away upstairs. But thinking that way, Gretchen reminded herself sternly, was hopelessly naive. Now, more than ever, she had to be practical, for her sake and the baby’s.

  Angela crossed out the last item on their shopping list. “I think that about does it.”

  “Then let’s hit the checkout and go home,” Gretchen said. “Sassy and Luke will be coming in, in a few hours, and I want everything to be ready for them.”

  “What about Dad?”

  “He said he’ll be home by the time they arrive.”

  Half an hour later, they were home and had all the groceries put away. As Gretchen raced into the laundry room to start a load of clothes, she felt something peculiar. Heart pounding, she detoured into the bathroom. Then came out, knowing she looked white as a sheet.

  “Gretchen? What is it?” Angela demanded in alarm.

  Trembling, Gretchen eased herself into a chair. “I think,” she began slowly, “we’d better call the doctor.”

  * * *

  MATT CHARGED into Marissa’s office. Angela shot off the waiting room sofa and hurled herself into his arms.

  “Dad, I’m so glad you got here.”

  His heart thudding heavily in his chest, Matt hugged his daughter reassuringly. “Where’s Gretchen?” he asked.

  “In one of the examining rooms with Marissa.” Angela drew back and stared up at him in confusion. “Dad, what’s going on?”

  Matt didn’t know how to answer that, particularly since he and Gretchen had agreed they would not tell his children the news just yet. Fortunately, Marissa came out to get him before he had a chance to reply.

  He whirled to confront her. “How is Gretchen?” he asked immediately.

  “Not to worry, Matt. Everything’s going to be okay.” Marissa shot a cautious glance at Angela, then turned back to Matt. “Look, why don’t you come back to the examining room with me and I’ll explain what’s going on to both you and Gretchen simultaneously.”

  “I don’t suppose that invitation includes me,” Angela said.

  Marissa shook her head.

  Angela gave Matt a plaintive look. “I’ll explain everything later,” he promised.

  “All right.”

  Angela sat back down reluctantly. She continued to appear worried and upset, despite Marissa’s calm reassurance. Matt knew how his daughter felt; he was having the same reaction.

  His heart still pounding, Matt followed Marissa. Gretchen was dressed again and putting on her shoes when he and Marissa entered the room. “So what’s happening?” Matt asked.

  Marissa led them both into her office and indicated that Matt and Gretchen should sit in the side chairs in front of her desk. “Gretchen’s had a little bleeding this morning.”

  That sounded ominous. Matt reached over and took Gretchen’s hand in his. “Do you know what caused it?”

  “Yes. Gretchen has a small polyp on her cervix. That’s what caused the staining.”

  “So I’m not in danger of losing the baby?” Gretchen asked, anxiously gripping Matt’s hand.

  “No. Not at all,” Marissa reassured her calmly.

  Matt breathed a sigh of relief and held on to Gretchen all the tighter. “So what do we do?” he asked.

  “Nothing, at the moment. Often these polyps will grow to a certain point, then atrophy and go away by themselves—kind of a case of Mother Nature spotting a problem and taking over, and the body healing itself. In fact, it looks like this has already started to happen—hence the staining.”

  “What happens if it doesn’t go away on its own?” Matt asked, leaning forward.

  Marissa finished making notations on Gretchen’s chart, put her pen down casually and sat back in her chair. She made eye contact with both Matt and Gretchen. “If it is still there at delivery, we’ll remove it. But at the moment, I promise you both, that polyp poses absolutely no threat to either Gretchen or the baby. Nor is it ever likely to do so.”

  “That’s good to hear,” Gretchen murmured, still gripping his hand.

  Marissa nodded agreeably. “In the meantime, we’ll keep an eye on it,” she promised. “You can let me know if there’s any more staining, Gretchen. But frankly, from the looks of things, I’m not expecting you to have any.”

  “Thank goodness.” Gretchen sagged in her chair, her entire body going limp with relief. “That really frightened me this morning.”

  Me, too, Matt thought. He looked to Marissa for advice as he squeezed Gretchen’s hand. “Are there any other precautions Gretchen should take?” he asked. “Bed rest or anything?”

  Marissa grinned. “Well, I could prescribe it,” she drawled, “but it’d be like going to bed for a mosquito bite.”

  Lively color came back into Gretchen’s face. “Not exactly my usual practice,” Gretchen murmured, tongue-in-cheek.

  “I didn’t think so,” Marissa quipped. She turned back to Matt and continued seriously, “No, there are no precautions necessary. Nor is there any reason for you two not to make love at this point. The baby’s fine. And so is Gretchen.”

  Matt didn’t have to look at Gretchen to know she was blushing. He was feeling a mite uncomfortable himself.

  Marissa stood. “I’m going out to chat with Angela for a moment, since I didn’t have time to talk to her earlier. What you two tell her about this is up to you. I’ll give you a moment to discuss it.”

  “Thanks, Marissa,” Gretchen said.

  Marissa waved off the thanks. “It’s my job as your OB-GYN.” She slipped from the room.

  Matt faced Gretchen. He was happy to see she was looking better with ever
y second that passed. “What does Angela know?” he asked pointedly.

  “So far, only that I had some unexpected bleeding that threw me into a panic.” Gretchen paused and slowly raked her teeth across her lower lip. She surged to her feet. Folding her arms in front of her, she regarded him nervously. “We’re going to have to tell her, Matt. We’re going to have to tell all your kids.”

  Although he detested the timing, Matt agreed reluctantly that because of the “emergency,” they had no choice. “Then it might as well be tonight,” he said, “when we have them all together.”

  * * *

  “AND THAT’S what happened today,” Matt finished quietly as his children sat in shell-shocked silence around Gretchen and him.

  “Thank heaven everything’s okay with the baby,” Angela murmured, shooting Gretchen a compassionate glance as she pressed a hand to her chest. “You were so white when it was all happening. You really had me scared there.”

  “I was scared,” Gretchen said softly. “But you were great. Driving me to the doctor, getting ahold of your dad.” She shrugged helplessly. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

  “Well,” Luke said after a moment, looking only slightly less stunned than his two sisters by the news Matt had just tactfully relayed. “As long as I’m going to have another sibling, I hope the baby’s a boy.” His expression turned wistful as he smiled at Gretchen. “I’d like a brother. I’ve always wanted one.”

  Sassy stared at Luke as if he’d lost his mind. “Are you nuts?” she demanded, jumping to her feet as suddenly as if the sofa had burned her. “How can you be happy about this, even for one second?” she demanded, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

  “Because having a baby is a blessing,” Matt said firmly.

  “Maybe under normal circumstances,” Sassy muttered.

  Gretchen stood. Sassy appeared ready to explode, and if she did, Gretchen did not want to be there to witness it. “I think I’ll go out in the kitchen and get started on the dishes,” she said.

  “Good idea,” Sassy glared at Gretchen as if she were the worst kind of interloper.

  Matt caught Gretchen’s hand before she could bolt and drew her back down beside him on the sofa. “There’s no reason for you to run off, Gretchen,” he told her firmly, as he directed a censuring glance at his youngest child. “Anything Sassy has to say on this subject can be said to both of us,” he remarked sternly. “Although I would advise Sassy to think carefully before she says anything else.”