by Brenda Novak
For a moment, Macy felt jealous of his dead wife, whoever she had been. To have the love, the devotion of a man like Thad Winters—what would that be like? She could only imagine. Richard’s best assets were clearly visible for all to see, his handsome face, his easygoing nature. If you looked for anything deeper, you were in for a sad disappointment.
Going back to the table, Macy picked up the phone and dialed Thad’s number. When he’d dropped her off, she’d been too emotional, too confused to say much. He deserved a sincere thank-you and somewhat of an apology. But when his recorder answered, what came out of her mouth surprised even her. “Let’s do it,” she said, and hung up.
* * *
THE TELEPHONE RANG. Thinking it was her alarm clock, Macy’s hand fumbled over books and papers, searching for the shut-off switch, until she realized she was still at the kitchen table, her studies spread out before her.
“Hello?” she said, finally answering.
“Was it you who left that message on my recorder?”
“Thad?” She squinted against the overhead light to check the time on the wall clock. Almost midnight. “You didn’t call just to wake me up, did you?” she asked.
“No, but there’s an idea.”
“Not a very good one.”
“Because hardworking ad executives need their rest?”
She laughed and rubbed her face where the book she’d fallen asleep over had left an imprint on her cheek. “Because soon-to-be-pregnant women do. It’s also important that they eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoid certain cleansers. At least, those are the helpful hints someone taped up around my house.”
“That someone knew what he was talking about.”
“I think I’m beginning to trust him.”
There was a long pause. “That’s an encouraging thought. Are you serious about what you said?”
“About having the baby?”
“Yeah.”
Macy bit her lip. She wasn’t sure. She was probably making the biggest mistake of her life, but she couldn’t accept Thad’s gift without trying to give him what he wanted in return. God willing, they could both come out of this happy. And he’d make a wonderful father. At least she knew that now. “Yeah, I am,” she said.
“It could get messy—for both of us.”
“I know. Somehow, we’ll work it out.”
“What about Haley? I realized today how hard this could be on her.”
“Haley has very little chance of making it,” Macy admitted for the first time, squeezing her eyes closed against the pain that truth brought her. “We may not have to tell her anything. And if she does…go, at least she’ll die thinking she had a dad. I didn’t realize how much she missed that.”
She could hear him breathing softly on the other end of the line. “So we’ll just take it one day at a time?”
“That’s all we can do.” Macy closed her books with her free hand and stacked them neatly on the table. “What…what gender do you want, anyway? A boy? I think they can spin the sperm or something like that to improve your chances of getting what you want.”
“No. I’ll be happy with either. I think I’ve taken enough into my own hands, don’t you?”
“Probably.”
“Okay. Well, I’ll see you tomorrow then. We’ll go to the jewelry store.”
He hung up and Macy sat staring at the phone. He’d let her off the hook, written her a check for the full amount, but was she smart enough to leave it that way? No! She’d called him back. Now she’d be married on Saturday and pregnant by the following weekend.
With a loud groan, she smacked her forehead. What an idiot!
CHAPTER SEVEN
“JUST A PLAIN BAND. That’s all I need.”
Elevator music played in the background as Macy stood on the thick-piled, royal-blue carpet of Mateland’s Jewelers looking at the wide variety of wedding sets in glass cases. A salesman in a suit and tie, his hair slicked back off his high forehead and a plastic smile on his face, stood behind the counter, waiting for some indication as to what might interest them.
“What kind of wedding ring did you have with Richard?” Thad asked.
Macy didn’t look up. “Oh, it was gorgeous. But like him, it didn’t last.”
“I thought diamonds were forever.”
“Not if you pawn them. I needed money for formula and diapers. Richard was between jobs again.”
Thad cocked an eyebrow. “Was that the first disillusionment of your marriage?”
“Hardly,” she scoffed.
“Certainly the lady deserves a very nice ring after such a bad experience,” the salesman suggested in a soft British accent. “But I’m sure I won’t get any argument about that out of you, will I, sir?”
Actually, Macy bet he’d get a strong argument from her fiancé. How much would Thad want to spend to put a ring on her finger for nine months? He was a businessman. He wouldn’t want to waste money on such frills, and she highly doubted he’d fall easy prey to cheap sales tactics designed to prick his conscience into purchasing something pricey.
“What did it look like?” Thad pressed, ignoring the salesman.
“It was a large marquis, nearly a carat, on a plain gold band.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Yeah, but we put it on credit. I’m still paying for it.”
He whistled and shook his head. “That’s got to hurt.”
Macy shrugged, and he moved closer, hovering over the glass. “Would you pick something similar if…you know…”
“If you could afford it?” she teased.
At this, the salesman quickly whipped out a credit application. “Money need not be an issue, sir,” he said confidently. “With just a little information and nothing down, you can finance the whole thing.”
“Good news, honey,” Thad said, grinning. “What do you say we try this one?” He pointed to a large, pear-shaped diamond. The accompanying wedding band had small, inlaid diamonds going all the way around.
Macy raised her eyebrows. “Don’t you think that’s a little out of our price range, dear?”
“Nothing’s too expensive for the woman who’s going to be my wife,” he assured her.
The salesman’s eyes started to gleam. “Oh, very nice choice, sir,” he said, using a key from the ring at his belt to unlock the case. “The quality of this diamond is top-notch, clearly top-notch. Just look at the clarity.”
He took it from its plush velvet box and handed it to Macy. She slid the ring on her finger. It was beautiful. One of the loveliest rings she’d ever seen. “How much?” she asked, awestruck despite the practical impossibility.
“Don’t worry about price. You leave that up to me,” Thad said with a wink.
He was certainly doing a good job of pretending to be the devoted fiancé, but Macy couldn’t quite believe he’d go to so much effort for the sake of a salesman they’d likely never see again.
“Do you mind telling me what kind of game you’re playing?” she whispered when the salesman stepped away to answer the phone. “Why aren’t we looking at plain wedding bands? Are you trying to disappoint me? ‘Oh look, honey, isn’t this beautiful? We’ll take the simple band, please.’”
He smiled. “It’s no game. I’m just looking for some leverage, that’s all.”
“What kind of leverage? What are you talking about?”
“I want to be part of the birth.”
“No! I already told you no!” She took off the ring and set it on the counter.
“But ‘no’ sounds so final—”
“And it’s not your favorite word, I know. I’m sure you’re in good company, but that’s my answer.”
He picked up a simple, inexpensive gold band and put it in one palm, the pear-shaped diamond in the other. Moving his hands up and down like a scale, he said, “He comes to the birth,” and raised the diamond. “He doesn’t come to the birth,” and raised the band. “Not a difficult decision, huh?”
Macy propped her
hands on her hips. “I can’t believe this. Here I was, thinking you were an okay guy, but you’re a creep. You’re trying to buy your way into my delivery room.”
“Don’t say it like that. Makes me seem like some kind of pervert. I want to be there when my child is born! What’s so wrong with that?”
The salesman cleared his throat to let them know he’d returned. Embarrassed, Macy glanced up at him, then back at Thad. The diamond was tempting, but she wasn’t about to budge on the delivery issue. She already felt as if she’d sold her soul.
Pointing at the gold band, she told the salesman to wrap it up. “He doesn’t go to the birth,” she said pointedly to Thad, and walked out to wait in the car.
* * *
“I DON’T UNDERSTAND why offering to give you a six-thousand-dollar ring to let me come to the birth would make you so angry,” Thad said as he drove her home.
Macy stared out the window. “There are some things money can’t buy. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”
He scowled at her. “I was merely offering you a very generous trade. But if you don’t want to look at it that way, enjoy your gold band.”
“I will,” Macy sniffed.
“Fine.”
They drove in silence down the narrow, tree-lined streets of the Avenues, the light of early evening flickering as it alternated with dappled shade. When Thad pulled to the curb in front of Macy’s narrow yellow house, she got out and slammed the door without saying goodbye. He watched her go up the walk and try the door. She checked her pockets and searched under the mat. Finally, she came back, looking sheepish.
“I’m locked out,” she said.
“And the key that was under the mat?” He smiled innocently.
“It’s in the pocket of the blue jeans I wore the other day.”
“Because…”
“Because I wanted to keep you out. You know that. You’re just trying to rub it in.”
“You took the key because I stocked your fridge.” He shook his head. “You make a lot of sense.” Jamming the gearshift into park, he turned off the car and got out. “Should we try a window or something in back?”
“These windows are the old thick panes. They shove up and have a lock on top, and they’re all fastened. Living here alone, I check them pretty often.”
“And the back door?”
Macy shrugged. “We could try it. But I’m pretty diligent about locking that, too.”
“You make the rounds every day making sure both doors and all windows are locked, but leave a key under your front mat? That’s as smart as turning down a six-thousand-dollar diamond ring for no good reason,” he grumbled.
“Enough about the diamond. I’m starting to regret it without your help,” she said under her breath.
“So you cut your nose off to spite your face. Let that be a lesson to you.”
“I’m sure you’ll offer me something else in the next nine months.”
“Now that I know you’re open to a trade, I might. But it won’t be a six-thousand-dollar diamond.”
“So now you’re going to punish me?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.
He gave her a wicked look. “Don’t give me any ideas.”
The house was locked up tight, every window, every door. Thad stood in the small overgrown backyard, gazing at it. “I think the bedroom window would be the easiest to crawl through,” he said. “Do you want me to break it?”
“No!” Macy cried. “I don’t want you to break anything. It’s after six o’clock. I wouldn’t be able to get someone out here to fix it before dark. Just take me to the hospital. I’ll wait for Lisa to get off work. She has a key.”
“Where does she work?”
“At Smith’s Supermarket on Redwood Road. She’s a cashier.”
“Want me to take you there?”
“No, she might not have it with her.”
“But Smith’s doesn’t close till eleven.”
“That’s okay. I’m pretty sure she gets off before that tonight. Besides, I was just going to get my backpack and head to the hospital anyway. Getting locked out will save me from having to study.”
“Then why don’t you sound more pleased about it?”
“Because in two weeks I’m probably going to flunk out of med school.”
* * *
“NOW THAT YOU’RE not angry with me anymore, do you want to swing by my house before I take you to the hospital?” Thad drove with one hand slung over the wheel, looking casual and relaxed with his tie loosened and his collar unbuttoned.
Macy still hadn’t seen his house, but her mother hadn’t called, and she was beginning to think she wouldn’t hear from Edna until the wedding, which took some of the pressure off. On the other hand, she knew very little about the man she was going to marry on Saturday. It would be nice to fill in some of the blanks. “Who said I’m not angry anymore?” she asked, propping her elbow up on the window ledge and turning to watch his face.
He grinned. “Come on, I’m too endearing to be mad at for long. Besides, in nine months you’ll be rid of me.”
Macy suspected that that was at least half the problem.
“Want to call the hospital and check on Haley first?” he asked, brandishing his cell phone.
She dialed Primary Care Hospital. When the switchboard came on, she gave them Haley’s room number.
“Haley and Bruiser’s room.”
Macy smiled at the sound of her daughter’s sweet voice. “Hi, honey, it’s Mommy.”
“Hi, Mommy.”
“How are you?”
“Fine. Dr. Forte brought me a new Pokémon sticker book and…oh! Miss Angela’s here.” Her preschool teacher from last year. Miss Angela had stopped by the hospital a few times already. Haley loved to see her. She knew just how to entertain a five-year-old.
“Are you two going to be okay without me for a little while?” Macy asked.
Haley didn’t answer. She was too preoccupied with her guest. “Haley?”
“What, Mommy?”
“I’m going to be another hour or so. Will you be all right until then?”
“Sure. Miss Angela’s brought a whole stack of books with her. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and Tikki Tikki Tembo and…. I bet she’s going to read to me.”
A lump swelled in Macy’s throat at the sudden, overwhelming gratitude she felt toward this relative stranger. Just knowing someone unexpected was there, however temporarily, to share the burden of keeping Haley’s quality of life good took a tremendous load off Macy’s mind. She swallowed hard, trying to keep the tears from her voice. “Tell Miss Angela Mommy is very…” grateful “…very happy she could come.”
“I will, Mommy.”
“I’ll see you soon, sweetheart.”
Macy punched the End button and set the phone on the console between the seats, keeping her face averted so Thad wouldn’t see the emotion shimmering there. She’d gotten pretty good at withstanding the bumps of life. But let anyone show her a kindness, and she wept.
“What is it?” he asked softly.
She sniffed. “Nothing. Miss Angela is there, Macy’s old preschool teacher. She’ll keep her busy until I get back. She’s a…she’s a wonderful person.”
His fingers closed over hers, startling her into looking at him. She watched through her tears as he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it.
It was a simple gesture, full of sweetness, one that told her he understood, in a way those who have never suffered a soul-rending loss could ever understand. And for that brief moment, she felt as if she’d plugged into an outside energy source. His fingers were strong and sure and caressed hers gently. Too soon, he let go.
Macy was tempted to cling to him. He hadn’t given her enough time to recharge the empty space his touch had momentarily filled. But her self-preservation instincts kicked in at the same moment, and she managed to keep her hands fisted in her lap. There’d be hell to pay in nine months if she leaned on this man. Better that they carry their own burdens.
<
br /> The drive to Thad’s house took a good thirty minutes. With the Winter Olympics coming in 2002, city officials had decided to give Salt Lake a complete overhaul. Road construction blocked most major roads and freeways, snarling traffic and raising tempers.
Finally they turned off Wasatch Boulevard into a nice residential neighborhood, where the traffic eased.
“We’re almost there,” Thad said, speaking for the first time since he’d kissed her hand. He slowed for some boys playing football in the street, rounded the next corner and pulled into a curving driveway leading to a double garage.
The accompanying house was white with green trim and looked as though it had been built about the same time as the rest of the neighborhood, thirty years or so ago. Only a fresh coat of paint and a new roof set it apart.
“This looks like a nice place,” she said, getting out to follow him down a brick path to the deck at the back of the house.
“It has potential. The yard is big and goes partway up the mountain. Valerie and I wanted to plant a vegetable garden over there.” He pointed to a spot that was simply grass on one side, by the back fence. “She wanted a small herb garden, too, and wildflowers near the old gazebo.” He paused, as if the memories pressed too close, then finished quickly, “And we planned some major remodeling for the house itself.”
“You didn’t get it done?”
“No. We stopped the roof from leaking and did a few other things, but we never added on the fourth bedroom and extra bath. And I’ve lost interest.”
Macy didn’t say anything, thinking it better to let him retreat. She waited as he unlocked the door, then stepped into a room he and his wife had obviously finished. Hardwood floors gleamed beneath Oriental rugs, wainscoting covered the bottom half of the walls, and beige-and-white-striped wallpaper finished the effect, topped off by a thick crown molding. She could easily imagine his wife poring over wallpaper books, trying to find the perfect complement to the green leather sofa and burgundy-plaid side chairs. “Wow,” she said.
