The Marrying Kind

by Judy Christenberry

  A few minutes later, the minister returned to lead them into the main chapel. Diane was seated beside John in the front row, with Gladys and Mildred. Angi had tried to join them, but the minister had insisted she sit in the second row with Doug’s ex-wives. She tried to whisper to John, but he ignored her.

  The service began and John reached out and took Diane’s hand, holding it against his thigh. She reveled in his warmth throughout the service.

  Afterward, John whisked her out to his car and they drove the short distance to his house. Gladys and Mildred were right behind them. Diane joined the two women in the kitchen and helped them keep the serving plates full and drinks available for the guests.

  Diane took a special interest in the three boys, who each looked a little like John. They were charming and she enjoyed visiting with them. Tom, the middle child, who was eleven was the most outspoken. “Were you married to our dad, too?” he asked, his mouth full of food.

  “No, sweetie, I’m just a friend of John’s.”

  Tom nodded, but the oldest boy, Matt, struck up his courage to admit, “John scares me a little.”

  She came to his defense. “I don’t think he intends to scare you. He’s just not used to being around children.”

  Zachary, the nine-year-old, swallowed his milk and said, “Well, I like him.”

  “I like him, too,” Diane agreed.

  “So do I,” said Gladys, as she stopped by the table with a tray in each hand. She smiled at Diane. “Did you eat?”

  “I will, Gladys,” she promised. Her stomach seemed settled now, but she’d be careful about what she tried to eat. She left the boys and returned to the kitchen. “Mildred, you should sit down and let Gladys and me handle things for a while.”

  “No, child, I’m better off working. I don’t want to think about Doug. Here, have some food. Gladys says you’ve been losing weight. We can’t have that. Soon you’ll just blow away.”

  Diane laughed. “I doubt that. But I’ll take one of those roast beef sandwiches you made.” She smiled. “I’m glad I’m not trying to lose weight, Mildred. You’d really make it hard.”

  John came into the kitchen just then. His face looked tight and his eyes dark. He appeared exhausted, as if running on empty. Everyone here today wanted a piece of him, wanted to express their condolences and offer help. But John wasn’t one to take it. he almost looked past her as he came in for some more glasses. “How are you doing?” he asked distractedly, never really seeing her.

  “I’m fine, John. Don’t worry about me.”

  He grabbed a tray of clean glassware and headed back out, stopping only long enough to say, “I probably won’t be able to take you home for at least a few hours.” Then he was gone.

  Diane sat there speechless, the sandwich halfway to her gaping mouth. Since the service, John hadn’t spoken to her for two minutes. And she’d just been blown off.

  Gladys broke the awkward silence. “I can take you home once things slow down around here.”

  “Nonsense. You’ll be exhausted. I’ll just call a cab.” She got up to do so, figuring now was as good a time as any to leave. It wasn’t as if John cared if she stayed. But Elizabeth came into the kitchen then, saying her husband would be glad to drive her.

  “It would be something Mark can do for John. He wants to help out so badly. Please?”

  Diane accepted the offer.

  Ten minutes later Mark came to get her. “John’s in the library with some of his father’s friends. You want to say goodbye?”

  Did she? Would John care? If she didn’t say goodbye, would he even notice she was gone?

  Probably not.

  “No, it’s all right, Mark,” she decided. “Let’s just go.”

  With that, she left the house, thinking that it might be her last time there.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Don’t you even care that Diane left?”

  Gladys waylaid John on his umpteenth trip into the kitchen an hour later. He looked up at her harsh words, his eyes scanning the room. “Where’d she go?” he asked, just realizing she was absent.

  Clearly, his housekeeper was not pleased with him. “Mark took her home. He did your job.” Gladys lifted her chin in the air.

  “If Mark took her home, I’m sure she’ll be all right,” John said defensively.

  “I hope so. She didn’t look too happy.”

  “It’s a funeral, Gladys, not a party!” John snapped.

  His housekeeper glared at him and might have said more, but a guest entered the kitchen to get a refill on his drink.

  John took the opportunity to slip away. In truth, he felt a little guilty about how he’d treated Diane. It hadn’t been intentional, he assured himself. Then he admitted that maybe it had.

  The power she had over him was making him nervous. He wanted to prove to himself that he could take her or leave her, but so far, all he’d proved was that he needed her. She calmed him and made him feel good.

  That wasn’t love…was it?

  He had so little to go by. Once, in college, he’d thought he was in love. And he’d thought the young woman felt the same. But when his father had told her that his son wouldn’t inherit anything from him, she’d begun to hedge her bets. Eventually, she’d found a wealthier young man and told John she’d changed her mind, she didn’t love him, though she’d told him many times before that she did.

  His father had talked to him about the dangers of marrying a woman looking for an easy life. Doug Davis should know; he’d managed to marry four such women after John’s mother died. Each of them had seen him as a meal ticket.

  Diane wasn’t like that. She had a career, earned good money, didn’t ask for promises. He’d had to persuade her to come to his house. She preferred that he come to hers, and he’d agreed. Damn it, he’d agreed!

  Okay, so after he got everything settled, maybe they should change the rules a little. She couldn’t have everything her way. He had needs, too.

  But she’d met his needs, he suddenly realized. She’d been there for him. She’d supported him at the funeral, even when he’d told her why he needed her with him. That thought almost brought him to his knees.

  When he dealt with women, he always couched things in proper terms, not being honest with them. He manipulated them. But he hadn’t done that with Diane. She hadn’t complained about it. Had she been upset?

  Why didn’t she complain, make demands?

  He thought about what he knew of her past. She’d been ignored by her parents, had no other family. She’d learned to depend on no one but herself.

  Feeling like scum, he immediately reached for the phone. But then he turned away. He wasn’t ready to talk to her yet. If he did, he’d probably be honest with her again, and that didn’t seem like a safe choice.

  He’d call her later.

  DIANE DIDN’T HEAR FROM John until Sunday afternoon, just before he left for Denver.

  “Diane, it’s John. How are you?”

  “Fine,” she said, maintaining a stiff upper lip, because she was feeling below par.

  “Look, I’m sorry about the way I asked you to sit beside me at the funeral. I realized I sounded very selfish—”

  “It’s all right, John. I understood.”

  “Yeah, well, I—I’m heading out to Denver in a little while. I’m sorry I didn’t get by to see you. There’s just been so much to get done.”

  “Yes, of course. How long will you be gone?”

  “A couple of days. I’ll let you know before I show up on your doorstep.”

  “You’re always welcome, John. I—I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too, honey. Things will settle down soon. Just hang on.”

  She could only hope.

  MONDAY MORNING, as soon as she reached the office, Diane called her doctor’s office. They promised to squeeze her in as soon as she could get there. She grabbed her purse and hurried to Wendy’s desk to let her know where she’d be.

  “You’re sick?”r />
  “I think it’s a touch of the flu, but I just want to be sure.”

  “Oh, of course. I’ll cover for you.”

  “Thanks, Wendy.”

  In ten minutes she was at the doctor’s office, telling the nurse the symptoms she’d been experiencing.

  The nurse put her through all the preexamination routines, including blood pressure test and a urinalysis. When she put Diane on the scale, there was no denying the weight loss; she’d dropped five pounds. She almost laughed to herself, thinking of how many times she’d tried to lose that weight and hadn’t. Now she didn’t even know how she’d done it. Was she badly sick?

  The nurse escorted her into an examination room, decorated cheerily in yellows and blues. But the decor did little for Diane; the longer she waited, the more nervous she got. By the time her doctor entered, she was a wreck.

  “I understand you’ve been experiencing some nausea and lost weight,” he said once the amenities were over. He flipped through the papers in her chart. “Well, I think I’ve discovered the problem.”

  He paused and Diane twisted her hands tightly together.

  “I hope it’s good news,” he said. “You’re pregnant.”

  She leaped to her feet. “What? But I can’t be!”

  “Are you saying you haven’t had unprotected sex recently?”

  Diane sank back onto the table. “I—I take birth control pills…. For my complexion. I have for years.”

  “What strength are they?” he asked as he looked through her records. “Oh, yes, I see it here. That strength isn’t as high as it should be to keep you from getting pregnant.”

  “B-but the last time, I didn’t—I mean, this isn’t the first time I’ve had sex, and I didn’t get pregnant before!”

  The doctor shrugged. “Diane, even birth control pills aren’t a hundred percent effective. But the next time, I’d take a higher level of protection. Now, what do you want to do about the baby? My guess is you’re about a month along. Do you want to keep it?”

  Diane stared at him. What was he asking her? Her brain was scrambled. Suddenly she realized he wanted to know if she wanted an abortion. “No!” she exclaimed, her hand going to her stomach.

  “No, you don’t want to keep it?”

  “Yes, I want to keep it.” She drew a deep breath as she waited for his response.

  “Good. I’m glad to hear it.”

  “But I will have to move away,” Diane said, thinking aloud.

  But where would she go? Dallas was the only home she’d ever known.

  “Why would you have to do that?”

  “I’m not married.”

  “I realize that, but maybe the father—”

  “No! I’m not going to tell him.”

  “But then he’d pay child support.”

  “No! No, that’s not necessary.”

  “But, Diane, it’s the law. He won’t be the first man caught in that situation. It will be all right.”

  Diane would hear none of it. She put up a hand to halt the line of conversation. “I’ll let you know where to send my files.”

  “You’re serious about leaving?”

  “Yes, I have no choice.”

  “But I don’t understand.”

  Diane smiled at him. “I know.”

  “Well, at least let me get you started on some pills that will help you keep your food down, hopefully.”

  That would help, she thought.

  “And I’m also giving you a prescription for vitamins. Be sure and take one every day.”

  “I will. Doctor, there’s no mistake, is there? I really am pregnant?”

  “You really are pregnant. If you don’t move away, I’ll expect to see you in one month. Make the appointment with my nurse. You can always cancel if you need to.”

  “All right. Thank you, Doctor.”

  “Don’t give up on the nausea pills. They need to build up strength to reach their full potential.”

  “How long do I need to take them?”

  “You can stop every once in a while to see if you still get sick, but if you do, go back on them. You won’t need them for more than three months, I don’t think.”

  “Thank you,” Diane said, her mind plowing through what she was going to have to do—at once.

  The doctor handed her a stack of pamphlets. “These may answer any questions you have. But if you’re worried about anything, just give me a call.”

  She shook his hand. “Thanks.”

  As she walked to her car, Diane was frantically making lists in her mind. Once she sat down behind the wheel, she took a pad and pen and made some notes. She didn’t have time to make mistakes. Everything had to be done so quickly.

  Once she reached Guaranty National, she went to the bank president’s office and told his secretary she had an emergency and needed to see Mr. Harvey at once.

  After a quick consultation with her boss, the secretary let Diane into his office. For only a few minutes, she warned.

  Diane ignored her. Whether she stayed long or not, she had something to accomplish.

  Mr. Harvey stood and smiled, gesturing to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “My secretary said you had an emergency, Diane. How can I help?”

  “I would like to transfer to our bank in Atlanta.” She’d decided on Atlanta because it was the only place she’d been to that she could see herself living.

  The executive frowned. He liked Diane, but more importantly, she was good for the bank. That wasn’t what he wanted to hear.

  “Well, now, Diane, why would you want to do that? Do you need a raise? I think I can—”

  “Mr. Harvey, I’m going to Atlanta. I’d like to have a job there, but if not, I’ll manage. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

  “Can’t I talk you out of it?”

  “No, you can’t.” She sat tall in her chair. “Can you help me with a job there?”

  “I’ll have to make some phone calls,” he said in a clipped voice. “Aren’t you even going to give me a reason for this change?”

  She stood. “I’m sorry, I can’t. Please call me when you have an answer.” With a quick handshake she left his office.

  When she got to her own office, she called Wendy to help her. “Wendy, please don’t tell anyone, but I’m leaving, and I need you to help me pack up my personal items. While you’re doing that, I’m going to make a list of what will need to be handled right away here, and a list of investments I’ve recently made.”

  “You’re leaving? But why?”

  “I can’t tell you, so please don’t ask, and don’t tell anyone else.”

  “When are you going?” Wendy inquired, almost on the verge of tears.

  “Today.”

  Her colleague gasped, but Diane ignored her. She was on a mission to provide for her child. Nothing else mattered.

  The two women worked side by side for almost an hour. Diane had just decided she’d left things in the best order she could manage when the phone rang.

  It was Mr. Harvey. “Diane, I’ve made the arrangements for you in Atlanta. You’ll report to the president of the bank, Mr. Wilborough. What day will you be there?”

  “Next Monday. And I really appreciate your helping me, Mr. Harvey.”

  “I just wish I knew why.”

  And she wished she could tell him. But she couldn’t.

  After she hung up the phone, she looked at Wendy. “I’m going to leave now. Thanks for helping me.”

  Her assistant hugged her, with tears rolling down her cheeks.

  “Don’t cry, Wendy. I’m sure your next boss will really appreciate your assistance. I know I did.”

  “Th-thank you,” Wendy stuttered.

  Diane picked up the box with her belongings and headed out the door. In the elevator, she set it on the floor. It was really too heavy to carry very far. When the elevator door opened on the ground floor, she hoisted the box and exited, hoping to get out of the bank building before encountering anyone she knew.

  As luck wo
uld have it, Mark Golan was right there in the lobby. “Diane, here, let me help you with that box,” he exclaimed.

  “Thank you, Mark, but I can manage.”

  “Nonsense. Where are you taking it?”

  “To my car. But I can carry it.”

  “No, I will. Elizabeth would never forgive me if I didn’t help you.”

  Diane said nothing else. She held open the door for him and he followed her out and down the sidewalk toward her car.

  “I really appreciate the help, Mark,” she said as they reached it.

  “Diane, it’s none of my business, but it looks like you’ve cleaned out your desk. And the only reason for that is—”

  “I’m leaving, Mark. I hope you won’t spread that around. I’m transferring to another branch.”

  “You are? But what about John? I mean, I thought—”

  “No. We all knew it was temporary. John always moves on.”

  “You’ve talked to him?”

  “Of course.”

  “Okay,” Mark said slowly. “Well, Elizabeth and I will miss you.”

  Diane was suddenly engulfed with emotion. “I’ll certainly miss you and Elizabeth. Tell her…I’ll call her in a few days.”

  “All right. Good luck, Diane,” Mark said, giving her a brief hug. He stood there watching as she drove off.

  When she reached home, she found the name of the moving company she wanted to use and called them. It took some effort to convince them to accept the short notice, but finally they agreed to come out in the morning prepared to pack.

  Then she lay down on her bed—for just a few minutes, she told herself. Her energy was flagging.

  It was two hours later when she awoke. Appalled that she’d wasted so much time, she made herself a late lunch and then remembered the pills she needed to pick up. She grabbed the prescriptions and hurried to the drugstore. Then she drove to the nearest gas station and filled up her car, so she wouldn’t have to stop tomorrow when she was all loaded down.

  Back at home, she cleaned out her pantry and refrigerator and knocked on the flight attendants’ door across the hall, offering them everything except the one frozen dinner she planned to eat for supper. Surprised, the six women took the extra food and expressed sorrow that she was leaving.