Tell Me a Story

by Dallas Schulze

  His curiosity aroused, he slid out of bed and walked over to the vanity to pick up an exquisite crystal flagon. It was empty, as were all the other bottles, and his grin deepened. She collected perfume bottles. He remembered their discussion about hobbies and wondered why she hadn't told him about this. Funny, how she seemed almost ashamed of the frivolous side of her.

  He set the bottle down and walked into the bathroom, picking up his clothing on the way. He took a long shower, wondering what he was going to say to Ann when he saw her. He'd never opened himself up to another person like he had to her. Not even to Mark. He wondered what she'd say. She loved him.

  He was sure of it. Or maybe he was only sure of it because it was what he desperately wanted to believe.

  She had to love him. If she didn't, he didn't know what he was going to do.

  Ann was making coffee when she heard the bedroom door open. She spilled grounds onto the counter and quickly scooped them up, trying to control the shaking of her hands. What was he going to say? How was he going to act? Was he going to pretend that last night had never happened?

  She turned, hoping her smile looked more confident than it felt. He was standing in the kitchen doorway and she couldn't imagine how it was possible for a man to look so gorgeous. He was wearing the same jeans and flannel shirt she'd brought over for him the night before. He'd rolled thrsleeves up on the shirt and his feet were bare. His hair looked like he'd combed it with his fingers and his jaw was shadowed with beard. He'd never looked better.

  "Good morning." His voice was husky but whether from sleep or nerves, Ann couldn't guess. "Looks like the storm's over."

  She nodded, glancing over her shoulder at the sunshine that spilled in through the window over the sink. "Looks like a beautiful day."

  She tugged at the hem of her loose cotton sweater, wishing she'd taken time to put on more makeup, wishing she was wearing something more flattering. Wishing he'd say something to break the tension.

  "I love you."

  The words dropped into the tense silence like a boulder into a pond. There was the initial splash and then ripples rushed outward, throwing Ann off balance. Her head jerked up, her eyes meeting his. He was still leaning in the door in the same casual position, but now she could see the tension in his shoulders, the tautness of his body.

  "Oh God." She slumped back against the counter, her knees shaking.

  His brows shot up. "Oh God? Is that horror or pleased surprise?" The question was flip but she knew him too well now. She could see how much her answer meant to him.

  "I've been trying to figure out how to apologize for the awful things I said to you at that horrible dinner. I've been agonizing how to go about carefully building a relationship. I've been..." He was across the kitchen in an instant, his arms going around her, holding her close.

  "You've been talking too much. Do you love me or do I go jump off the balcony?"

  She rested her head on his chest, feeling the way his heart pounded beneath her cheek. Her mouth turned up in a smile. Never again would she fall for his flippant, I-don't-give-a-damn act.

  "I love you." His arms tightened, drawing a squeak of protest from her.

  "I still don't have any ambition."

  "I know. I've always wanted to live with a bum."

  "I will probably never have any ambition."

  "That's okay. I've got enough for both of us."

  "Will you just shut up and kiss me, for crying out loud."

  His hand slid into her hair, tilting her head back until he could look into her eyes. The look of love he read there wiped away the last traces of pain. Years of loneliness melted in her love.

  "What did I ever do to deserve you?"

  She smiled at him, her eyes sparkling through a film of tears. "I don't know. It must have been something pretty terrific."

  "It must have been."

  His mouth came down on hers, smothering any reply she might have made.

  Oscar trotted into the kitchen and studied the two humans for a moment. It was time for breakfast, but the cat could see that they weren't going to be thinking of anything practical for a long time to come. Being a tactful feline, he turned and left the room.

  Epilogue

  "What do you think you're doing?"

  Ann jumped at the barked question, jerking her head out of the box she'd been packing and spinning around to face her husband.

  Flynn looked at her sternly, a look not in the least softened by the fact that his hair stood on end and his face was streaked with dirt.

  "I'm packing a box. What did it look like I was doing?"

  "You're not supposed to be doing things like that."

  "Things like what? Flynn, I was packing some china, not a cast-iron stove."

  "I don't care. You're supposed to be sitting back and watching me work." He picked his way through the turmoil of packing boxes until he reached her side. Taking her by the arm, he led her to the sofa, shoving stacks of linen onto the floor to make room for her.

  "Flynn, I'm two months pregnant. I'm not sick. I'm not injured. Pregnancy is a perfectly normal function of the human body and there's no reason to treat me like an invalid."

  He crouched in front of her, reaching up to tuck a stray lock of hair beneath the scarf she was wearing.

  "Indulge me. I've only been a father to be for a week. I'm still in the crazy stage."

  She reached out to smooth his hair, feeling her love well up inside. "You're always in the crazy stage. You're going to make a great father."

  "I like to think so. Ouch!" He gave her a hurt look, reaching up to remove her fingers from the strand of hair she'd just tugged. "What was that for?"

  "To keep you from getting overconfident."

  "I think I've got something to be overconfident about. After all, we decide we want a baby and you get pregnant the first month of trying. I think that says something about my manly prowess."

  He looked so smug that Ann couldn't help but laugh. "It says more about your appetites. Considering how many times you ravished me, it would have been more amazing if I hadn't gotten pregnant."

  "I don't remember you kicking and screaming."

  She smiled, running her fingers over a streak of dirt on his cheek. "No. I suppose I wasn't. Are you really, truly happy about this baby?"

  "Ann, I am really, truly happy about everything. You. The baby. Moving. My life couldn't be more perfect."

  Her eyes grew dreamy. "We'll have to start thinking of names. If it's a girl, we could name her Rebecca, after Becky."

  He shook his head. "No. There's only one Becky. Besides, since we're going to be moving into her neighborhood, it would get confusing with two little girls named Becky."

  "I suppose. Rafferty called last night. He says he's got all the real estate ads marked for us. Becky's looking forward to helping us pick out a house."

  "Just as long as she doesn't cook dinner for us. Are you sure this is what you want to do? We're making a lot of changes all at once. You quitting your job, moving to a new state, trying to get into school and having a baby. It's a lot to take on."

  "I'm not pushing any of it." She smiled at him, feeling contentment fill her. A year of marriage hadn't softened the intensity of their love. Flynn had become her champion, her companion, her lover. She'd never thought it possible to be so happy. He'd supported her through the difficult decision to leave her job and apply to a school of veterinary medicine. He'd stood by her when her father all but said she was no daughter of his. When Flynn found out that the school she wanted to go to was in Colorado, he'd suggested that they move there, confident that she would be accepted.

  He believed in her more than she believed in herself.

  "I love you, Flynn McCallister."

  "I love you, too, but I'm still not going to let you do any of the packing. I'll do the china and we'll let the movers do the rest."

  "Okay. But you're being overprotective."

  "I like being overprotective."

  She watche
d him move over to the box she'd been packing and start wrapping the china in tissue.

  "Have you called your parents to tell them about the baby?"

  "I talked to my mother. She was very excited."

  "Did you talk to your dad?"

  "Ann, forget it." His tone held a gentle warning. The subject of his father was off-limits. He said he'd accepted the rift between them, but she knew it still bothered him. Still, there was nothing she could do about it.

  A knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. She started to get to her feet but Flynn waved her back. "Sit there and relax. It's probably the guy from the moving company. I told Joe to send him up when he got here."

  Ann stood up as he walked to the door. It was nice that Flynn wanted to take care of her, but she wasn't going to act like Camille and greet visitors lying back on a sofa. She heard him open the door and then there was a long silence. Curiosity drew her forward.

  Her eyes widened as Flynn stepped into the living room, his face absolutely expressionless. Behind him were his parents. Not just his mother, who had visited them on a number of occasions, but his father, too.

  Ann came forward, holding out her hands. "Louise. How nice to see you." The two women hugged with real affection and then Ann was left facing her father-in-law. It was the first time she'd seen him in over a year. He hadn't even come to the small wedding. "Mr. McCallister. It's nice to see you." She held out her hand, not quite sure it was the right thing to do but needing to make some gesture.

  He took her hand, his grip a little too tight, his eyes reflecting his uneasiness. "It's good to see you again, Ann. I... it would make me very happy if you would call me David. No need to be formal."

  "Thank you, David." She looked at her husband, but Flynn was looking at one of the packing boxes. She could see the muscle that ticked in the side of his jaw and she knew how nervous he was. There'd be no help from him.

  "Why don't you both come in and sit down. I think I've got some coffee in the kitchen and there's probably some banana bread left."

  "That's all right, Ann. We had coffee before we left home." Louise followed her into the shambles of the living room, leaving the two men to trail behind, not speaking, looking anywhere but at each other.

  The two women sat on the sofa and the men remained standing. Flynn leaned against the empty fireplace, his boneless slump making it clear that this visit meant nothing to him. His father stood next to the window, his blunt fingers shoved in the pockets of his suit coat.

  Louise and Ann looked at each other and then looked at their respective husbands, letting the silence stretch. David met his wife's stern look and cleared his throat awkwardly.

  "Your mother tells me that you and Ann are going to be having a child."

  "Yes, we are."

  "That's wonderful. Wonderful." David took his hands out of his pockets and stared at them for a moment as if not quite sure who they belonged to and then shoved them back into hiding.

  "You're... ah... moving to Colorado, I understand."

  "That's right." Flynn would have left it at that but he caught Ann's eyes, reading the plea in them. "Ann's going to be going to school there."

  "Good. Good." The silence stretched again. "We...ah...that is, your mother and I thought we'd like to maybe help out with the... house. We... that is... I didn't get you a wedding present and it would mean a lot to us if you were to consider the house a wedding gift."

  Ann held her breath, waiting for Flynn's answer. He had to see how difficult this was for his father. Surely, he wouldn't turn him away. Flynn glanced at her and then looked at his father.

  "Thank you. Ann and I would be happy to accept your gift."

  Ann let her breath out in a rush, feeling Louise do the same next to her. "Thank you, David. The house will mean even more to us, knowing that it comes from the two of you." David McCallister shifted uneasily beneath the warmth of her words.

  "You know, Flynn, you've got a real treasure here. I hope you know how lucky you are. Marrying Ann is about the smartest thing you'll ever do. Just like marrying your mother was for me."

  Flynn's face relaxed in a half smile. "You don't have to tell me how lucky I am. I know."

  "Your mother tells me that you're quite a photographer. I never knew that. She says you've even submitted some things to a few magazines."

  "That was Ann's doing. She can be pretty stubborn." His smile was so loving that Ann had to swallow the lump in her throat.

  "Well, good luck with them. I'm... I'm proud of you, son."

  Flynn's eyes widened as he stared at his father. "Thank you..." The two men stared at each other across the years, across a lot of hurts. The distance couldn't be wiped out in one short visit, but the first steps had been taken. "It means a lot to me to hear you say that."

  Ann sniffed, unashamed of the tears that filled her eyes. David looked at his son for a moment and then looked away.

  "Well, we can't stay long. You've got a lot to get done."

  Ann didn't urge them to stay longer. Perhaps it was best to keep this first visit short. At the door, she hugged Louise tightly and then hesitated a moment before tentatively putting her arms around her father-in-law's stocky figure. He patted her on the back, the gesture awkward, as if it had been too long since he'd shown anyone any softness.

  Flynn hugged his mother and then faced his father. After a moment, David held out his hand and Flynn took it. More was said in the fervency of their grips than could have been said with words.

  "Keep in touch, Flynn. Losing one son in a lifetime is enough for any man." He was gone before Flynn could reply, the door closing quietly behind him and his wife.

  Flynn stared at the door for a moment and then turned to see Ann watching him, tears running down her face. His own eyes were suspiciously bright.

  He held out his arms and she stepped into them, linking her arms around his waist, pressing her face to his chest. She could feel the strong beat of his heart beneath her cheek. It felt so right.

  "I love you so much." His voice broke on the words and he buried his face in her hair.

  Her arms tightened around his waist. As long as she had him to hold on to, everything in her life was right.