The Manning Brides

by Debbie Macomber

  “I never listen to you?” he challenged.

  “Okay, to be fair, you listen, then you ignore my worries and tell me how foolish they are. The wedding’s a prime example of that.”

  “Then why did you agree to it?”

  “Because…I want the baby.”

  “Then you should be pleased,” Rich said as he marched toward the front door. “You’ve got your baby—it’s just me you don’t want.” With that parting shot, he was gone.

  He shut the door with enough force to rattle the pictures on the wall. Jamie’s first instinct was to run after him and tell him she didn’t mean any of it. True, she hadn’t been keen on marrying him, but not for the reasons he believed. She loved him, but she couldn’t let him know. She needed to remind herself repeatedly that their marriage wasn’t a love match. Rich had never intended it to be. She was the one who had problems remembering that this was a marriage of convenience.

  She was the one who couldn’t keep her heart out of it.

  Rich hadn’t meant to argue with Jamie. Fighting was the last thing on his mind when he went to her apartment. From the minute she’d left his office that morning, all he could think about was making love to her again. He longed to hold her in his arms and tell her how thrilled he was about the pregnancy. But nothing had worked out the way he’d planned. Instead, they’d gotten into a shouting match during which she’d repeatedly reminded him that she hadn’t wanted to marry him in the first place.

  She didn’t seem particularly concerned about what she was doing to his ego, either.

  All right, so maybe his attitude toward Jamie’s mother wasn’t the best, but no way was he going to sit there wearing a frown and pretending this pregnancy was some unthinkable disaster. So he’d taken a lighter approach. If Jamie wanted to fault him for that, then fine. Guilty as charged.

  He had a sense of humour. He liked to tease. Always had. A fact that Jamie delighted in reminding him. Leave it to a woman to reach back thirteen years to their high school days to dig up something they could fight about.

  Rich walked across the living room, loosening his tie as he moved. So, Jamie still regretted their marriage. No wonder she’d been so eager to offer him the option of a divorce.

  He lowered himself into his favorite chair, raised his feet onto the ottoman and leaned his head against the back, closing his eyes. He needed to clear his thoughts, erase any trace of pride and negative emotion. Deal with the issues facing him.

  What were the issues?

  Jamie was pregnant. Apparently she was as thrilled at the prospect as he was himself, but for different reasons. He was a means to the end, and now that he’d accomplished what she wanted, he was of no use to her.

  He felt a painful tightening in his chest. Over the years he’d met a lot of women. Women who used him, wanted him, manipulated him. He would never have believed Jamie was one of them. It was more than obvious that she was trying to push him out of her life. There wasn’t much Rich could do.

  He couldn’t force her to love him.

  Rich must have fallen asleep because the next thing he knew the phone was ringing. His eyes shot open, and he stood abruptly, awkwardly, and walked across the room. He prayed with everything in him it would be Jamie, but it wasn’t his headstrong wife.

  “Rich?”

  This questioning, bewildered tone was one he’d rarely heard in his mother’s voice. “Hello, Mom.”

  “I just had the most…suprising phone call from Doris Warren.”

  Rich groaned inwardly. “Oh?”

  “She’s Jamie Warren’s mother.”

  “I know who she is.”

  “She told me about you and Jamie being married?” She made the statement into a question, as if she expected Rich to immediately deny everything.

  “She told you that?” Circumstances being what they were, Rich chose to answer his mother’s question with one of his own.

  “She also said Jamie’s pregnant?”

  “Really?”

  “Is it true?” Like Jamie, his mother had plenty of experience dealing with his stall tactics. When he didn’t immediately respond, she raised her voice and asked him again. “Is it?”

  Rich wearily rubbed his face, hoping that would help clear his mind. “Part of it.”

  “Which part?” His mother’s voice was quickly advancing toward hysteria. Rich knew his father wasn’t there, otherwise Eric Manning would’ve made the call. His mother had a tendency to get excited over the smallest details. For that matter, so did his father.

  When his parents learned Taylor had married Russ Palmer in Reno, all hell had broken loose. They hadn’t been thrilled to learn Christy had married Cody Franklin on the sly, either. Rich could only guess what their reaction would be when they learned he was married to Jamie. Like his two sisters, he’d married without a family wedding.

  “Rather than explain everything over the phone, I suggest Jamie and I drop in tomorrow evening,” Rich said. “We can discuss everything then.”

  “Tomorrow?”

  “I should be able to get away from the office around six. I’ll check with Jamie to make sure that time is convenient for her, as well.”

  “Just answer one question. Are you and Jamie Warren married or not?”

  Rich hesitated. “Yes and no,” he finally said.

  “That doesn’t tell me a thing,” Elizabeth cried.

  “I know.” Rich couldn’t argue with his mother about that. But he couldn’t tell her what he didn’t know himself.

  When he’d finished the conversation, Rich stared down at the phone for a moment. He didn’t have any choice; he had to call her. Swallowing his pride left a bitter taste in his mouth, but there was no avoiding it. He reached for the receiver and punched out her number.

  Jamie answered on the second ring. Rich didn’t bother with any greetings. “I just got a call from my mother. She apparently talked to yours.”

  Jamie released a slow, frustrated sigh. “I was afraid that would happen. What did you tell her?”

  “As little as I could. Naturally she didn’t understand, so I told her we’d come by after work tomorrow, around six, and explain.” Rich tried to keep the inflection in his voice to a minimum, tried not to let any of his emotions rise to the surface.

  “Tomorrow,” Jamie repeated.

  “If it’s inconvenient, then I’ll let you call and tell her that.”

  “No…I’ll be there.”

  “I’ll see you then.” He knew he sounded stiff and formal, but Rich couldn’t help it. A man’s pride could take only so much abuse.

  When he’d hung up, Rich sauntered into his kitchen. He hadn’t eaten since early afternoon, but he wasn’t hungry. Scanning the contents of his refrigerator, he reached for a cold pop.

  On his way out of the kitchen, he paused in front of the phone. Before he could question his actions, he dialed Jason’s number and waited two long rings before his older brother answered.

  “Tomorrow night at six,” Rich announced without preamble. He wasn’t in the mood to exchange pleasantries.

  “What’s happening tomorrow?” Jason demanded, clearly confused.

  “I’m telling Mom and Dad I’m married.”

  Jason’s hesitation was only slight. “What brought this on?”

  “Jamie’s pregnant.”

  “But I thought she canceled the appointment with—”

  “She did.” Rich realized he sounded abrupt and disagreeable. Hey, he was abrupt and disagreeable. But Jason had asked to be present when Rich told their parents about his marriage.

  “If Jamie canceled the doctor’s appointment, then how…”

  “This baby was conceived in the traditional way.”

  Jason was silent for a moment. “You don’t sound happy about it.”

  “I am happy,” Rich snapped. “Real happy.”

  But it didn’t seem a fair exchange. He wanted the baby, but nothing was happening the way he would’ve liked. According Rich’s plan, he and Jamie would
’ve been in bed together right this minute. They would’ve been in each other’s arms, her face nestled on his shoulder. When they kissed, it would’ve been a leisurely exploration of their need and appreciation for each other. His restless hands would be roaming at will over her body, and he’d spread his palm over her flat stomach, communicating his feelings to his unborn child. When they made love, it would’ve been a celebration of her pregnancy.

  But Jamie didn’t need him any longer.

  Rich had served his purpose.

  Rich had trouble keeping his mind on his work the following afternoon. Every ten minutes or so, he found himself looking at his watch. Each time, he mentally calculated how long it would be before he’d be confronting his parents with the truth.

  A few minutes after five, he was sitting at his desk, reviewing some figures, when there was a polite knock at his door. He grumbled a reply, and the door slowly creaked open.

  Jamie stood before him, dressed in a pretty pink suit. “Is this a bad time?”

  The last person Rich expected to see waltzing through his office door was his pregnant wife.

  “No,” he said, rolling back his chair, “you’re not disturbing a thing.” Maybe his equilibrium…and his heart. But precious little else. “Sit down.” He gestured toward the chair on the other side of his desk.

  Jamie sat down, and he saw that her gaze fell to her clenched hands.

  “What brings you here?”

  “I—I thought we should discuss what we’re going to tell your parents.”

  “What do you suggest?” He hoped to give the impression that whatever they decided didn’t matter one way or the other to him. He leaned against the back of the chair and locked his fingers behind his head.

  “Do they know I’m pregnant?”

  “Yes. Your mother told mine.”

  “I thought she must have,” Jamie said, with a sigh. “I feel like such a fool.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged, still avoiding eye contact. “For telling her. I’ve complicated the whole situation.”

  Rich didn’t agree or disagree. It seemed that every time he opened his mouth, he said the wrong thing.

  “How much do you think we have to explain?” Jamie asked, risking a glance in his direction.

  Rich hadn’t decided. “Everything,” he said without giving it any thought.

  “A-all of it?”

  “I can’t see any reason to hold any of it back.” Some of the disappointment and lingering animosity from their argument from the day before seeped into his words.

  “I thought we might want them to assume the baby—”

  “No,” Rich said forcefully.

  Jamie’s startled gaze connected with his. “You didn’t even let me finish.”

  “I already knew what you were going to say. You want my parents to assume this baby was conceived artificially. I won’t be a party to that.”

  “That isn’t what I meant.”

  Rich’s phone rang just then. He reached for it, although he would’ve preferred to ignore it.

  “Engineering,” he responded automatically. “Rich Manning.”

  “It’s Paul,” his eldest brother said. “I just got done talking to Mom. What’s going on with you and Jamie Warren?”

  “Nothing.” So Mom was calling in the big guns. Paul was the responsible one in the family, or at least that was his reputation and his role. When it came to family problems, his parents tended to lean on Paul for support.

  “That’s not what I heard,” Paul said. “I got a call from Mom no more than ten minutes ago with some crazy rumor about you being married.”

  “It’s no rumor.”

  “Jamie Warren?”

  “Jamie Warren Manning,” Rich answered without thinking. He had to stop saying that. She’d never be a Manning. Rich could feel her stare, but he avoided glancing in her direction, refusing to give her the power to disconcert him.

  “Mom says Jamie’s pregnant.”

  “She is.” Rich had no intention of hiding it. In a few months, Jamie’s condition would become obvious, and while she might want to hide the truth, he had no interest in colluding with her.

  “Why didn’t you tell anyone?” Paul asked.

  “That’s a long story.”

  “Well, I hope you tell it tonight.” Paul’s disapproval was all too evident.

  Rich rubbed his eyes. Thanks to Jamie, he hadn’t slept well the night before. His dreams had been troubling, and he’d tossed restlessly until morning.

  “Jamie and I’ll be there at six. We’ll explain everything then.”

  “Good. I’ll be there, too.”

  Rich closed his eyes to the mounting frustration. This meeting with his parents was becoming a real spectacle, with Paul and Jason sitting on the sidelines. Rich wouldn’t be surprised if his parents brought in Taylor and Christy, too.

  His whole family was about to discover that Rich was the biggest fool who’d ever walked the earth.

  Twelve

  Both of Rich’s brothers were there waiting for him when he arrived at his parents’ home with Jamie at five minutes to six. Paul and Jason were perched on bar stools, holding pop cans, eager to view the latest family performance. The scene reminded Rich of one that had played out months earlier between his parents and his sister Christy when she’d announced her marriage to Cody Franklin. Rich remembered being amused by the circumstances then. Following in his youngest sister’s footsteps, however, was proving to be far less entertaining.

  His mother was on the phone, and from the way she was shaking her head and muttering under her breath, Rich realized she was probably talking to one of his sisters in Montana.

  He walked into the living room with Jamie beside him. He noticed how close she stood to him, which surprised him. At his office, they’d taken several minutes to review exactly what they planned to say.

  To him, the entire matter was cut-and-dried. He was in his thirties, certainly old enough to do as he pleased without his parents’ approval. Who and why Rich married was his own business, and that was how he intended to keep it. He’d convinced Jamie that, if necessary, he’d reveal the details of their arrangement, but he doubted it would come to that.

  After Rich and Jamie were seated, Eric Manning stalked into the living room. His father was tall and in excellent physical condition; his thick hair was nearly gray, and his hairline had barely begun to recede. He was in robust health and looked it.

  Rich’s two sisters claimed all the men in the Manning family were black-belt chauvinists. Rich hadn’t given it much thought, but he had definite ideas about a man’s responsibilities—to his wife and his family.

  “Rich,” his father said, nodding once. Eric’s face was grave, and the glance he shot Rich would have quelled Attila the Hun.

  “Dad.” Rich nodded, too. He chose to sit on the sofa, Jamie still at his side. He didn’t know whose hand reached out first, but their fingers entwined automatically, as though they gained strength from each other. Jamie appeared far more nervous than Rich, which, he supposed, was natural.

  “Your mother’s talking to Taylor,” his father said. “She’ll be finished in a few minutes.”

  So Rich had guessed correctly. His mother had managed to involve his oldest sister in this.

  “Would you care for something to drink?” Eric asked Jamie. “There’s cold pop, coffee or tea.”

  “Nothing, thanks,” she answered with a smile.

  Rich noticed that Jamie rested her free hand against her stomach, then drew in a deep, calming breath.

  “Are you feeling all right?” She’d mentioned not being well in the mornings, but he’d been so caught up in his own concerns that it had slipped his mind.

  “I’m fine.”

  “You’re looking pale.”

  “It’s nerves,” she whispered.

  “What about mornings?”

  Rich wasn’t especially thrilled to have his two brothers and his father monitoring his conversation, bu
t he was worried about Jamie’s health and their baby’s.

  “My stomach’s still a little queasy, but I heard it’ll get better in a few months.”

  “The book I read says morning sickness should gradually disappear, starting at about the third month.” Rich had devoured the paperback on pregnancy and childbirth in one sitting, eager to read everything he could about the changes taking place in Jamie’s body. Eager to learn the most minute details about how his child was forming.

  Jamie’s eyes brightened. “You’re reading a book?”

  “It might surprise you to learn I read quite a bit,” he chided.

  “I know,” she whispered, and her gaze met his, faltering slightly. “I guess I’m surprised you’re reading one about pregnancy and childbirth.”

  “Why?”

  She shrugged. “It just does.”

  That didn’t say much for her view of him. Rich would have questioned her further, but his mother chose to enter the room just then. Elizabeth Manning smiled warmly in Jamie’s direction, but her eyes hardened as they slid toward Rich. He didn’t know what he’d done that was so terrible. His father had looked at him in much the same way, as though he should be taken out to the woodpile to have his backside tanned.

  “How’s Taylor?” Rich inquired conversationally, ignoring the censorious looks from both his parents. He kept his voice cool and even. He was actually proud of his composure.

  “Taylor’s fine. So are Russ and little Eric.”

  “That’s great.” Rich crossed his long legs and leaned against the couch. This wasn’t going to be nearly as bad as he’d suspected, as long as he kept a cool head.

  “Taylor’s decided to do some substitute teaching for the school district. Russ isn’t completely in favor of the idea, but he’s coming around.”

  Rich knew from experience that his oldest sister’s will was powerful enough to launch a rocket. Russ would do well to recognize that and act accordingly.

  “She was shocked to hear about you and Jamie getting married,” his mother continued, after drawing in a deep breath. “Which, I might add, came as a significant shock to your father and me, as well.”