by Sharon Sala
“We can’t watch movies without popcorn,” he said, and set the tray down on the foot of the bed.
Marilee kicked back the covers as she inspected the tray, immediately nibbling on the popped corn as she poked through the other bowls.
“Mmm...chocolate.”
“And cold pop,” Justin added, lifting a napkin off two cans of soda.
“Pickles?” she asked, picking up a small jar of dills.
Justin grinned. “For my round little wife.”
Marilee smiled, but she wanted to cry. He was trying so hard to do everything right.
“You don’t have to eat them,” Justin added. “I just brought them in case.”
She laughed and the sound struck Justin all the way to his soul. His eyes raked her face, remembering the last time they’d been this happy and carefree. God, what he wouldn’t give for a Monopoly game and a real good blizzard.
“What movie did you pick?” he asked.
Her mouth was full of popcorn, so she pointed instead of answering. He picked it up.
“Dances with Wolves?”
“It’s one of my all-time favorites.”
He started to smile. “Mine, too,” he said. “Another thing we have in common.” He started the movie and then kicked off his boots, stripped off his shirt and jeans and crawled into bed wearing nothing but a pair of briefs.
With the bowl of popcorn between them and the tray at their feet, they settled down to watch—Marilee watching the movie, Justin watching Marilee. An hour later she was asleep.
Justin removed the tray and set it on the floor beside their bed then turned off the VCR. Gently lifting all but one of the pillows from beneath her head, he smiled as she burrowed beneath the covers. He stood for a moment, watching her sleep, and then very carefully lifted a lock of hair from near her mouth and kissed the place where it had been lying. She tasted of popcorn and soda and just the faintest hint of sweet chocolate. Still smiling, he circled the bed and crawled in beside her. Spooning himself against the curve of her back, he cupped his hand upon her belly and buried his nose against the nape of her neck.
Quiet descended.
Just as he was drifting off to sleep, he felt a slight thump against his palm.
“Yes, Baby, Daddy’s here,” he said softly, and then took a deep breath of satisfaction.
When he opened his eyes, it was morning.
CHAPTER 5
Marilee woke up hot. It took her a few moments to realize she wasn’t coming down with a fever, but was wrapped in Justin’s arms. Her tummy was rolling and she needed to go to the bathroom, but getting up was impossible until he turned her loose.
“Justin, I need to get up,” she said, nudging him gently.
He came awake instantly. “What?” he muttered. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just need to get up.”
“Okay,” he mumbled, and rolled over.
As she stood, she groaned softly. Lord, she could barely remember what it felt like not to hurt somewhere.
Justin opened a sleepy eye. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Just a little nauseated,” she said. “It will pass.”
She stumbled to the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, she opened the door to find Justin sitting on the side of the bed in a slump.
“What’s wrong with you?” she asked, noticing the thin film of sweat on his upper lip and the pallor of his skin.
“I don’t feel so good,” he muttered, then bolted past her into the bathroom just in time to throw up.
Sympathy for his misery sent Marilee into the bathroom behind him where she handed him a cold washcloth to put on his face.
“This will make you feel better,” she said. When he hesitated, she insisted. “Trust me. I know.”
He swiped the cloth across his face as he sat down on the side of the tub. “Man, I don’t know where that came from.”
“I hope you’re not coming down with a bug of some sort,” Marilee said.
“It doesn’t feel like a bug,” Justin said. “In fact, I’m already beginning to feel better.”
“Maybe it was all that junk we ate last night before we went to sleep.”
He shrugged. “Maybe, although I’ve eaten worse with no ill effects.”
“Do you think it’s over?” she asked.
He nodded and then tossed the washcloth on the side of the tub as he stood. “Come on, honey, let’s get dressed. Maria will fix breakfast as soon as we show up.”
She arched an eyebrow. If he was already thinking of food, then he was definitely on the mend. “Maria is the cook, right? The woman who served dinner last night?”
“Yes, she’s been here for almost thirty years. She worked for my grandfather before I inherited the place.”
“Does everyone eat together at every meal?” she asked.
Justin sighed. After what she’d endured yesterday, he couldn’t blame her for dreading another confrontation.
“Usually,” he said, and then wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. “Don’t worry, darlin’. Everything will be different today—I can promise you that.”
“I don’t see how,” she said.
Justin’s chin jutted mutinously. “Trust me.”
She sighed and then looked up. “You have to know by now that I already do or I wouldn’t be here, subjecting myself to this crap.”
There was nothing he could say that would change the truth. “Give me a couple of minutes to brush my teeth and get dressed. Then we’ll go, okay?”
While Justin was in the bathroom, Marilee dressed in shorts and a pink, loose-fitting top. By the time he emerged, she was pulling her hair up into a ponytail in deference to the heat.
“You look pretty,” Justin said, and then realized he really meant it.
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I don’t make jokes about my woman,” he growled, and gave her ponytail a tug. “And there’s another thing you do that most women don’t do.”
“I’m your wife, not your woman. Remember?” Marilee said, then curiosity prompted her to ask, “What do I do that’s so unusual?”
He didn’t like being reminded that he was on probation, but he was willing to ignore it, at least for the time being.
“You don’t dawdle. Being prompt is a good characteristic.”
Marilee shrugged. “I’ve never had the luxury of dawdling.”
Justin frowned, thinking of all those days she’d spent on her feet serving people their food—including him—and he’d never really appreciated the effort.
“Honey, you’re never going to have to punch a time clock again. If you want to dawdle, then by God, dawdle. It gives me great pleasure to know I can at least give you that.”
“You’ve already given me far more than I’d hoped for,” she said.
“What’s that?”
“Your name.”
He frowned. “Well, it damned sure wasn’t charity on my part. I wanted this, remember? I want you in my life and I want this baby. Don’t forget that!”
A little embarrassed that he’d revealed too much of his heart, he grabbed his jeans and yanked them on, then put on his boots and shirt, unaware of how touched Marilee had been by his fervency.
A few minutes later they followed a bright path of sunlight into the dining room. A squat orange vase of yellow daffodils centered the table, setting off the gleam of well-polished oak from which the table and chairs were made. A pot of fresh coffee was on the sideboard beside a platter of sweet rolls.
Admiring the beauty but a little uncomfortable with the formality, Marilee felt safe with Justin’s hand in the middle of her back. But what would happen in this house when he was gone? He couldn’t stay inside with her forever. She knew she was going to have to find her place on her own. Then when a stately, middle-aged woman of Latino descent walked into the room, she braced herself, not knowing what to expect.
“Good morning, Maria,” Justin said. “I would like for you to meet my wife
, Marilee.”
The woman smiled at Marilee. “Good morning, señora. It is a pleasure to meet you and an even greater pleasure to know that you are bringing new life to this house.”
Marilee smiled and relaxed. This was her first, real welcome.
“Thank you, Maria.”
“You are welcome. Now, Señor Justin, I am assuming you will want your regular breakfast?”
“Yes, please,” Justin said.
Maria nodded, then looked at Marilee. “And you, señora, what would you like to eat?”
Marilee hesitated and Justin saw it. “Anything, honey. Maria is a whiz in the kitchen.”
“First, I must ask you to just call me Marilee. As for food, have you ever heard of Spanish eggs? I’ve been craving them for days.”
The older woman’s eyes lit up and her face wreathed in smiles.
“Yes, yes, I know these Spanish eggs. Poached in a sauce of tomatoes, onions and green peppers, yes?”
Marilee nodded. “And served on dry toast, please?”
Maria laughed and then clapped her hands. “This is good. At last, a woman in this house who knows how to eat.”
She disappeared into the kitchen just as Gavin and Judith appeared.
“Well, I can see you two are early risers,” Gavin said, anxious to get past the ugliness of last night.
Justin looked at his father just long enough to make sure Gavin’s friendliness wasn’t forced, then turned his full attention to his mother. She was giving him one of her wounded expressions, but he’d seen them too many times in his life to be affected.
“I have a lot to catch up on today and Marilee was hungry,” Justin said as he seated Marilee at the table.
Judith poured a cup of coffee and then moved toward the table, languidly draping herself in a chair beside the window. A few minutes passed during which time she took three careful sips of her coffee. Then, as if some internal clock went off, she set the cup down and turned toward Marilee, blessing her with her most brilliant smile.
“My dear, I want to apologize for yesterday. I hope you’ll chalk it up to surprise and forgive me.” Then she waved a hand toward Gavin, as well. “For that matter, forgive both of us for our thoughtlessness.”
“You’re forgiven,” Marilee said, although she didn’t buy a word of the apology.
“Wonderful,” Judith said. “Now that we’ve settled that bit of business, I want you to accompany me into Lubbock today for some shopping. We’ll buy you some new clothes and whatever else we can find that we can’t live without. What do you say?”
Justin tensed. He didn’t trust his mother, and the last thing he wanted was for her to get Marilee alone. But he needn’t have worried. Marilee wasn’t interested.
“No, thanks,” Marilee said. “I’m still tired from traveling and, truthfully, I don’t need a thing, so there’s no need for me to go.”
Gavin stared, unable to believe what he’d heard. There sat a woman who had not only refused a trip to go shopping, but had admitted she didn’t need anything. Something told him that he was going to have to readjust his opinion of his new daughter-in-law even more.
Judith frowned. This wasn’t going the way she’d planned. “Are you sure?” she asked.
“Yes, but thank you,” Marilee said, and inhaled with delight as Maria came back in the room with her food and set it in front of her. “Oooh, that looks wonderful, Maria. Thank you so much.”
“You are welcome,” Maria said, then set Justin’s plate in front of him, as well.
“Señor Gavin...Señora Judith...may I fix your breakfast now?”
Judith wrinkled her nose in disgust. “No, no, I’ll just have a roll and some more coffee,” she said.
But Gavin was eyeing Marilee’s plate with interest. “Those look good. What are they?”
Marilee pushed her plate toward Justin’s father. “Spanish eggs. Would you like a bite?”
Gavin hesitated. He hadn’t eaten off anybody’s plate in his entire life. He glanced at Marilee and then picked up his fork. “If you’re sure you don’t mind?”
She smiled. “How will you know unless you try them?”
He took a small bite and then rolled his eyes with pleasure.
“Wow. Those are damned good. Maria, fix me some of those, will you?”
Marilee hid a smile as she pulled her plate back in front of her. It figured. The way to a man’s heart—any man—was quite often through his stomach. Then she glanced at Justin and grinned. If she didn’t know better, she would think he was jealous.
“Do you want to taste them, too?” she asked.
He grinned. “Read my mind, didn’t you?” and took a small bite, careful not to eat too much of the food she needed to be eating.
“Dang, Dad! You’re right. These are really good!” Then he leaned over and kissed Marilee on the cheek. “Thanks for sharing, darlin’. Now eat up. You need that a whole lot worse than we do.”
Judith was disgusted by the show of affection and kept trying to catch Gavin’s eye, but it wasn’t working. Gavin had already seen the proverbial writing on the wall. He wasn’t about to lose the affection of his only son because his wife was in a snit. And as for the woman Justin had married, Gavin was starting to see her in a different light. Maybe—just maybe—she wasn’t a gold digger, after all.
The meal passed in relative calm, but the underlying tension was giving Marilee a headache. As soon as the meal was over, she excused herself. Justin left with her, then followed her into their bathroom. When she shook a couple of painkillers from the bottle, he held out his hand.
“Give me two of those, too, will you? My head hurts like hell. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m never sick.”
Marilee stared at him as he swallowed them down and then frowned as she thought back over the morning. He was suffering every symptom she had. Could it be... Was it possible that—?
“I think I know what’s wrong with you,” she said.
Justin frowned. “What?”
“Sympathy pains.”
His frown deepened. “Sympathy pains. What the hell are those?”
“It happens sometimes...for the expectant father, I mean. He actually suffers the same physical ailments as his wife during the pregnancy.”
Justin’s eyes widened. “Good Lord! If this is the case, I will not survive the delivery.”
Marilee laughed out loud. “I don’t think it goes quite that far.”
“Thank God,” he muttered, and then grinned. “Although, if I could...I would take that pain from you, as well.”
“Oh, yeah right,” she said, and then playfully punched him in the chest.
Before he thought, he had his arms around her and his mouth on her lips. The kiss was playful, but the moment they touched, it changed to one of need and desperation—and of a deep, abiding love.
“Oh, darlin’,” Justin whispered when he finally pulled back. “Forgive me for breaking my promise, but I’ve been wanting to do that for days.”
Marilee sighed. This was inevitable. Maybe he didn’t love her, but she knew that he cared, and denying herself even this much of his affection was hurting her more than him.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” she said, and then cupped the side of his cheek with her hand. “Maybe I was wrong in demanding that you keep your distance. We’re married, and where you’re concerned, it’s obvious I have no pride.”
Justin shook his head and then put his arms around her, holding her close and cherishing the bulge of belly between them. This was his woman and she was carrying his child. He was the one who’d tossed pride in the dirt.
“Pride doesn’t warm hearts, honey girl, but if you’ll let me, my love surely will.”
Marilee froze. He’d said the L word. She looked up, unaware that her own feelings for him were there on her face. But Justin saw them and smiled.
“You gonna let me love you, or am I still paying penance?”
“Do you mean—”
“Yes, I mean. Y
ou should know by now that I’m an ‘all or nothing’ kind of guy. I cared for you, even when I didn’t want to admit it. I thought of you at least once a day ever since that blizzard, but was too bullheaded to admit to myself I cared. It wasn’t until I was faced with losing you—and our baby—that I realized how much you meant to me.”
Marilee’s features crumpled.
“Darlin’, don’t cry,” Justin begged, and took her in his arms.
“I have to,” Marilee said as she wrapped her arms around Justin’s waist.
He kissed the top of her head and held her close. “Well, hell, if it makes you feel better, then you just go ahead and bawl.” Then he added, “Are you still mad at me?”
“Probably,” she sobbed.
His heart sank. “What can I do? I’ll do anything to prove that I really care.”
She lifted her face, her cheeks streaked with tears. “I guess we could make love.” Then she rubbed her hand across the swell of her stomach. “Unless you’re too turned off by this.”
He froze. “You don’t turn me off and you know it, or at least you should, as close as we’ve been sleeping.”
She almost smiled.
His eyes narrowed. “Marilee, have you been stringing me along?”
Her lips twitched. “A little.”
“You knew I was falling in love with you, didn’t you?”
“I was hoping that it was more than the baby that made you cuddle so close at night.”
“Lord have mercy,” he groaned, and took her in his arms. “How do we do this without hurting you?”
She smiled through tears. “Don’t worry. There are ways.”
* * *
More than two months had passed since Justin and Marilee’s marriage. Day by day their relationship continued to grow stronger, much to the dismay of Justin’s mother. On the outside, Judith was polite and smiling, but on the inside she was seething. This woman her son had married had come into her home, stole the affections of the two men in her life away from her and was settling in with disgusting ease. Even the hired help adored her. It was as if Marilee could do nothing wrong.
For the past two months, Judith had been on a private mission to get her life back on track. She was convinced that Marilee was hiding some heinous past, and if she could just find out what it was, Justin would finally see the woman for who she really was. A couple of phone calls and some divorce papers would solve the rest of Judith’s problems. And so she waited, certain that Marilee would make a mistake and reveal her true colors.
