Six Shades of Romance

by Darling, P. K.

  Caroline laughed and patted Maddie on the shoulder. “What would you do with Rick?”

  Maddie waved a hand, “Oh, Wes’d be my thing on the side, honey. I’d keep Rick around for the heavy lifting, like fixing the toilet and that stuff. And speaking of Wes, why haven’t you tapped that?”

  “What?” Caroline’s laugh died in a sputter.

  “Wes. He’s single and hot, you’re single and gorgeous, why not take him for a test drive?”

  “Cause she’d be going against company policy, “Stephen spoke up from his terminal. “She’s management and he’s her immediate supervisor. It’d be considered fraternizing.”

  “Like that makes any difference nowadays,” Maddie waved it off. “You both are professional. You wouldn’t do anything unfair, I know it.”

  “But if she wants to go anywhere with Life, she’ll have to keep that keg untapped, baby,” Stephen waved his hand back at Maddie.

  “Oh, well. It was an idea.”

  “Thanks, Maddie. Now, let’s get that prospectus done, okay? We have a lot of work to get done before the first.”

  Maddie and Stephen were still chatting about Wes’s hotness factor when Caroline entered her office and collapsed into her chair. Though nearly all the employees admired Wes both silently and verbally at times, no one had ever suggested she pursue a relationship with him. Was she beginning to give clues that she found him more than just physically pleasing to the eye? And if she was, what could she do about it when he made his visits?

  Stephen was right. If she wanted to go any further in the company, she couldn’t make a misstep and having an affair with her immediate supervisor would put a nail in her professional coffin.

  The rest of the afternoon trudged by until Caroline thought she would scream. Finally five o’clock came around and she wished everyone a good weekend before she closed and locked the doors to the small office. As she walked toward her car parked in the strip mall she mentally reviewed the few tasks she had to do before meeting Wes at the cabin on the edge of town.

  She swung by her condo and checked the cat’s litter box before filling his bowl with kibble and making sure the water bowl was full. Giving Samson a pat and chin rub she wished him farewell. “Be good, big boy. I’ll see you Sunday evening.” The large gray cat rubbed against her as she strode out of the door, a small bag over her shoulder.

  To call the house on the lake a cabin was a stretch. Sure, it had a fireplace and a porch but that was the extent of its resemblance to a rustic cabin. Caroline approached the house and parked under the deck in the car park alongside Wes’s sleek sedan. She grabbed the bag and turned to close her door then squeaked in surprise as his hand closed over hers, taking the bag from her and stepping in close.

  “Hi.”

  “Hi,” she whispered against his mouth as he took hers in a kiss that took her from zero to hot in seconds. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, feeling the heat of him through his shirt and glorying in the rise in arousal she felt in him.

  “What took you so long?” His lips glided along her jaw and down to her neck and she let her head fall back. Her strength left her and she leaned against the car door, breathless.

  “I had to wait til everyone left the office and lock up.”

  “Damn, it felt like hours, baby.”

  “I know.”

  “Let’s get inside.” He folded her into his side with one hand and carried her bag with the other. “I made a light supper so we can eat whenever.”

  Caroline glanced at him, “Later.”

  Inside, she took his hand and led him to the small bedroom off the living area and then turned to begin unbuttoning his shirt. As she did he rested his hands on her hips, his fingertips restlessly gliding along the upper curves of her ass. She parted his shirt and leaned in to kiss his chest, breathing in his scent then leaned in and let her head rest against him. His hands moved to her butt and he pulled her in until she was flush against him.

  His erection nudged against her stomach and she shifted against it, wanting more contact. She moved her hand to cup him and he covered her hand with his before moving it to his waist. He stepped away and started undressing.

  Caroline quickly got rid of her clothes and turned down the bed before climbing in and turning to him. As he loomed over her she lay back on the sheets and cupped his jaw with her hand to pull his head down for a kiss.

  Wes wrapped an arm under her waist and kissed her, pulling her up to him, bowing her torso. As he worked his way down to her breasts she sighed. She welcomed his weight as he settled on her and guided his erection into her, sighing into his mouth at the pressure of his length as he pushed into her. She met his thrusts, giving as good as she got. This first time would be fast and furious, it always was. Only after they’d gotten over the loss of each other for weeks on end would he slow down and take his time and she understood. This was home. He was home.

  ****

  Caroline lurched from the bed, her head blasting and her stomach in her throat. Samson purred a complaint at being disturbed from his perch at her feet and she ran to the bathroom before she emptied her stomach into the toilet.

  God, this stomach flu was the worst. She’d thought it was over, she’d felt like death warmed over yesterday morning only to bounce back later in the day but now it had returned with full force. She’d have to go into work late again today, not a great way to get the work done, but there it was. She couldn’t have clients coming into the office and being greeted by her Linda Blair imitation. Good thing she’d not had this last weekend, when Wes had visited. She idly wondered if she needed to warn him of the possibility of a bug when they talked next.

  She rinsed her mouth out and took a couple aspirin before leaving the bathroom and apologizing to Sam, who’d already started dozing in his new spot near her pillow. She left the bed unmade and headed toward the kitchen. As she started a pot of coffee she idly glanced toward the calendar attached to the side of her refrigerator. Wes had called last night to let her know he’d be out of the country for a month and wouldn’t be able to visit for at least three months. Damn, more phone sex. Oh, well a girl could do worse, she thought as she removed a mug from the cabinet before turning back to the calendar. She’d have to—

  Oh, God. She stepped closer to the fridge and ran a finger down the calendar pages before yanking the calendar down from its hanger and thumbed back a few months. One, two, three weeks—.

  She stared into space before clasping a hand over her mouth and running toward the bathroom again.

  A trip to the drugstore confirmed her fears. Four test kits later, Caroline Smith knew without a doubt, she was pregnant.

  Chapter One

  Two months later

  Caroline sighed as she tried to button her skirt in vain. She hung it back on the hanger and put it in the back of her closet before pulling out a pair of slacks with elastic in the back of the waistband and pleats. They would work for now. As she dressed for work, she avoided looking in the mirror.

  She had a couple weeks before Wes came to the office. He’d been gone for the past few months, held up in the far-east. Though they’d talked several times a week on the phone she’d avoided telling him about the pregnancy, convincing herself she wanted to tell him in person. Now, with the changes in her body becoming more apparent, she had to make some decisions.

  Getting rid of the baby? Keeping it? Adoption? She knew in her soul she wouldn’t abort the life inside her. It was a part of her and Wes, conceived at least on her part through love. So, she would complete the journey of giving birth but what then? And how was she going to handle the community’s response?

  Hillsboro wasn’t a large city or cosmopolitan but they had their share of single women having children. She wouldn’t be odd in that respect, but she didn’t date anyone, at least openly in town. Gossip would be flying all over the place and she’d have to deal with all of that. Her family lived in another county, so she could tell them whatever she had to to
get by but her friends and acquaintances here would make life difficult for the duration.

  She left the condo and headed toward work. Did she make up a lover in another town? It was the most logical, easiest way to explain everything. To admit that it was Wes’s baby wasn’t an option. His career was taking off now, he’d been recognized and was getting more responsibility. He’d even hinted that he was up for a promotion to the far east expansion. No, she couldn’t tell him, not without a plan of her own.

  Maddie was at her computer humming when Caroline entered the office. “Hiya boss, feeling better?”

  “Hmm?”

  “The stomach bug. You sounded pretty bad yesterday morning.”

  “Oh, I feel much better, thanks.”

  “Really? Cause you look a little green, still.” Maddie eyed Caroline with narrowed eyes then turned back to her monitor and then let out a little yelp. “Well, I’ll be! Look what Mr. Wes is doing.”

  Caroline walked over to Maddie’s desk and peered over the older woman’s shoulder. The email from corporate headquarters listed names of men who were being considered for regional vice president under Acquisitions. Caroline murmured something appropriate and headed back toward her office. Once there, she dug in her purse til she found a mint to suck on for her stomach and opened her email. Sure enough, Wes was being considered for a big jump in his position, which would mean more responsibility, more traveling, possibly even relocation. And no more visits to Hillsboro and her.

  She ignored the rest of her email for once and leaned back into her chair and closed her eyes. Okay, so any option as far as him being involved in the baby’s life was out. Could she do this alone? Raise a baby? Be reminded of him every day? But if she didn’t raise the baby herself, what then? Adoption?

  She swallowed against the bile that rose in her throat and turned to get her phone. First things first. A doctor to confirm her pregnancy. Then she would make decisions.

  A few days later, armed with the new diagnosis of pregnancy and an armful of sample prenatal vitamins Caroline left the doctor’s office in a nearby town. Why she continued to keep the pregnancy a secret, she didn’t know. With the weight gain and obvious signs, she’d have at least Maddie guessing her secret soon. She needed to think of what to do.

  A few calls and she had the rest of the week off. Pleading the stomach bug’s return hadn’t been a stretch. Morning sickness my foot, she thought as she sprinted toward a fast food bathroom, the scent of French fries making her nausea worse. She got home that afternoon and spent the afternoon in bed with Samson cuddled next to her and a book on what to expect when you’re pregnant open in front of her. As she went through the book she knew, she’d have to make a decision soon whether to keep the baby or not and for that, she needed someone to talk to.

  She pulled out her phone and punched in some numbers. A short wait got the one person she could talk to this about.

  “Hey, what’s up? You’re at work, right?”

  “I took off some time, I have a stomach bug.” She couldn’t tell him yet, not until she got a feel of what lay ahead.

  “Sorry about that, Caroline. What’s up? Need someone to cover for you?”

  Oh, he was at the office and in office mode. “Oh, no thanks, Wes. I just wanted to let you know I wasn’t in the office today if you needed me. I should be back by the first of the week, though. Maddie and the staff are fine with taking care of the business, but if you need anything from me just call my cell, okay?”

  “Sure. Take care of yourself, Caroline, okay?”

  She assured him and hung up. Well, that was out. Who else could she call? A search through her contacts came up slim but she had one last shot of talking to someone objective. She made a call and arranged to meet the next day for lunch.

  Caroline made it to the small tea shop just in time to grab a small table in the back of the shop before the lunch rush started. She’d just been served her iced decaf tea when Henry bustled in, her white hair cut in a boyish pixie and her eyes bright with energy. Caroline gave her grandmother’s best friend a big hug and indicated the seat across from her. “How long has it been since we had lunch?”

  “At least six months. It was before Christmas.” Henry got her own tea and took a sip then leaned back in her chair and eyed Caroline. “What’s up, honey? You look peaked.”

  Caroline shook her head and smiled, “I just wanted to see you.”

  “In the middle of the week, in the middle of the day? I don’t think so, honey. I know you too well. You wouldn’t miss work for anything. You love it too much. Now shoot.”

  Caroline took a deep breath then plunged in, “I’m pregnant.”

  To her credit, Henry didn’t even blink. She just waited for Caroline to continue. After a bracing drink of her tea, Caroline spilled the whole story to Henry, omitting only Wes’s name and his position. Afterwards it was her turn to be silent. Henry took a drink of her own tea and then glanced up at the waitress who approached to take their order. Once they’d order sandwiches and salads, she leaned forward and took Caroline’s hand away from the salt shaker she’d been fiddling with.

  “What are your plans? Have you made any?”

  “Only that I’ll carry the baby to term. Other than that? No idea.” Caroline fought back the first tears she’d had over the past few weeks. “I needed someone to bat ideas off of and you’re one of my best friends.”

  “Oh, honey, I think you need to talk to the father first.”

  “I don’t think that’ll be something I can do. He’s up for a huge promotion, which will mean traveling and more responsibility. I don’t think he’ll be ready for this.”

  “Don’t you think that’s his call?” Henry fell silent as the waitress delivered their lunches and then pushed hers away.

  “Maybe, but I know him. He’ll do the right thing, even if it’s the wrong thing for him and his career. I need to have my plans in place before he finds out anything, so he won’t do anything foolish.”

  Henry looked long and hard at Caroline for a few minutes before replying. “I need to tell you something.”

  Caroline pushed her own salad away. “Okay.”

  Henry looked over Caroline’s head and her eyes became distant. “When I was around nineteen I met this man. He was wonderful, handsome, bright, a hard worker, everything I could have wished for. We dated for a few months then he decided to join the army. Back then in this area, there wasn’t a lot of jobs to be had, other than farming and working in small stores, that sort of thing, and he had ambitions to do more. So, the night before he shipped out to basic training, we made love. I got pregnant. I didn’t tell him, though we wrote letters to each other nearly every day. I decided I’d wait until he got home on leave after basic, then we’d make plans, get married and I’d go back to wherever he got stationed with him. Everything would be fine, I thought. Until he didn’t return.

  “He wasn’t from my town, he’d been staying with a cousin so I didn’t know much of what had happened. I only knew he’d not answered any of my letters for several weeks. By then I was beginning to show and I knew if my family found out about the baby, I’d be tossed out on my ear so I went to another town and settled there, got a job in a drug store and got a room above the store. I had the baby and gave it up for adoption. It was a girl.”

  Caroline had kept her hand in Henry’s while she told her story and now she squeezed on the older lady’s hand, trying to give her some support. She wasn’t sure if Henry felt the pressure though, as she didn’t give any sign. She continued, “I found out later that George, that was the boy, had died in a training accident during the last week of basic training. He never came home and I never was able to grieve him properly.”

  “I’m sorry, Henry.”

  Henry turned watery eyes on Caroline, “Don’t be sorry, honey. I did what I had to do. But those days were different than days are now. I loved that boy, just as I know you love your man. Now, don’t try to tell me any different, I’ve known you since you were
a baby and you do everything to the extreme. You work too hard, you play harder than anyone I’ve ever met when you let loose. So, you’d have to love hard too.”

  “That may be so, but I can’t tell him right now.”

  “If you don’t and you give up that baby, which I figure is what you’re thinking about doing, you’re going to regret it in the end. Just as I did, even if it was the right thing for me to do.”

  Caroline looked down at their joined hands. Henry’s were lined with veins and thin skin but were strong and pliant under hers. She sighed. “I suppose I will have to tell him. After he’s back from his trip. I promise.”

  “Good, now eat.” Henry pulled her hand out from under Caroline’s and picked up her sandwich. “And tell me about him.”

  The lunch had given her things to think about and Caroline went sightseeing around her own hometown before heading home that evening. When she pulled into her driveway, however, another car was parked in the space reserved for her visitors. The sleek sedan wasn’t empty either.

  She pulled into her own parking place and got out of her car as Wes did the same. She stared at him, dumbfounded. “Is there something wrong?”

  “That was just what I was wondering. You want to go inside?” His gaze was intent on her, as if trying to delve under her skin.

  She ducked her head to hide her expression from him and hurried to unlock her door and entered the house. By the time she’d laid her purse on the kitchen table he’d closed the door and advanced to follow her into the kitchen.

  “What’s going on, Caroline?” He stood in his dress slacks, his tieless white shirt with the top button loose making his blue eyes shine.

  “Nothing, I told you, I have a stomach bug.”

  “You don’t miss work. You haven’t missed work since I’ve known you. When you had the flu last year, you didn’t miss over two hours of work, even when the doctor told you to stay home. And if you are at home sick what were you doing out?”