by Joan Kilby
Randall opened the door.
Kelly was standing next to Max. Her face was stained with tears, but she was smiling and she and Max had their arms around each other.
Max cleared his throat. “We, uh, just wanted to let you all know that your mom is home to stay and—”
He got no further as the children interrupted with a loud chorus of cheers. Max looked at Kelly and smiled.
“Ahem!” he said loudly. “We have more good news.”
The girls quieted immediately. Randall anticipated an announcement about reinstating the ceremony and hid his excitement, relishing the surprise on their faces when they found out what he and the others had accomplished.
“Let me tell them,” Kelly implored her husband. Her gaze went to each of her daughters in turn before resting on Randall. Then her smile widened to encompass them all in her announcement. “We’re going to have another baby.”
There was a moment’s stunned silence, then Robyn leaped off the bed to embrace her mother. “Oh, Mom, that’s wonderful.”
“Cool!” Beth exclaimed, abandoning her sick bed to follow suit. The twins clamored for a hug, too.
Amid the exclamations and hugs, Max caught Randall’s eye and winked. Randall swallowed and smiled back. He was due to go home tomorrow, after the ceremony. With a new baby on the way, would Max forget about him?
Randall pushed the thought from his mind and put out his hand to add his congratulations. Max took it and clapped him on the back.
“Oh, don’t be so formal.” Kelly nudged Max aside and pulled Randall into a hug.
Max and Kelly went out of the room soon after, leaving the children delighted by the unexpected turn of events.
Randall took off his glasses and polished them on his shirt, more relieved than smug. “Didn’t I tell you if we ‘built it’ they would come?”
Robyn shook her head in amazement. “I can’t believe they’re back together. And in the nick of time.”
“We should have told them about the ceremony,” Beth said.
Randall looked to Robyn, who said, “They’ve got plenty to think about without worrying about tomorrow.”
“I agree,” Randall said. “Let’s surprise them.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
KELLY HAD A SHOWER, put on her sexiest satin-and-lace nightgown and slid into bed beside Max. “Hello, stranger.”
Max’s appreciation shone in his eyes as he reached for her. “Stranger, huh? I can’t wait to get acquainted.”
Like sunlight on water, warm loving feelings shimmered through Kelly as Max kissed her and stroked her. She’d missed him so badly. He’d missed her, too, by the feel of things.
She broke away to ask, “So will you call Bill Hayes on Monday and stop proceedings?”
Max rose on his elbow to slide a strap over her shoulder and kiss the skin beneath. “How did you know I went to see Bill?”
“I was on my way to the bank when I saw you go into his office.” Her mouth tugged downward at the memory of her hurt. Maybe this wasn’t the best time to raise the subject, but talking it out was better than worrying in isolation. “You must have been really mad at me to file for divorce so quickly. Are you sure you’re ready to get back together?”
Max drew back, eyebrows raised. “Divorce?” His slight smile showed a mixture of tenderness and regret. “Is that what you thought? Oh, Kelly.”
“What was it, if not that?”
“I was changing my will to include Randall.”
“Oh, my God!” Kelly flopped on her back, hand on her heart. “Good grief, Max. The only reason I got as far as the abortion clinic was that I thought you were ending our marriage.”
“I would have told you before I did anything so drastic as file for divorce.”
She sighed and gave him a quick smile. “Yeah, well, I guess I was pretty upset and confused.”
“That makes two of us.” Max spread his hand across the gentle curve of her belly, as though keeping the baby inside safe from harm. “What made you change your mind?”
She turned to him, eyes shining. “I realized I want this baby, not to please you but for myself. Then I remembered what you said about making our love bigger when times are tough, and everything seemed to fall into place. Who I am doesn’t depend on what I do, but who I love. And who loves me.” She sighed. “After I die no one will care whether I sold a million houses or ran a successful business. But hopefully my children and grandchildren will think of me and remember I loved them.” She put her hand on top of his on her belly. “Already I love this baby. Part of the strain was trying to deny that.”
Max kissed Kelly lightly. “She’ll be beautiful, just like her mom.”
Kelly smiled, hugging her secret to her. “What did you leave Randall in your will?”
“His parents are well off so I didn’t think it appropriate that I leave him money, especially when we have enough children to divide the pie among already. I wanted him to have something of his heritage, so I left him one of the model ships my grandfather built. Do you think the girls will mind?”
“They’ll understand. I think it’s a lovely gesture.” She snuggled beneath the covers, seeking his warmth.
Max slid down, too, running his hands over her hips to pull her in close. “I’m sorry your dried-flower thing isn’t going to work out.”
“Oh, I’m not giving that up.” Kelly wriggled her pelvis up against his.
“Kelly,” he said, a warning note in his voice. “You can’t run yourself ragged, not when you’re pregnant. You’ve got to accept some help.”
She smiled. “I fully intend to.”
“You do?” He looked at her with some astonishment.
“While I was sorting out my priorities, I came to the conclusion that people can’t do everything, so they might as well do what they love. In my case, that’s my family and my flowers. I’m going to quit real estate and take you up on your offer of a cleaning lady a couple days a week.”
“Hallelujah.” He rolled his eyes to the heavens, then narrowed his gaze on her. “As long as you don’t clean in preparation for the cleaning lady.”
“If I do, I give you permission to lock my broom closet…” She trailed off, distracted because Max was doing what he loved to do and that was touching her. Putting a hand on his chest, she said, “Before we get completely carried away, are we all sorted out?”
Max stopped to consider. “I think so. Before, we were too caught up in the emotional aspects of the problem to think clearly.”
“Don’t knock emotion,” she said. “It’s the glue that holds us together.”
“Amen to that. Now are we done talking?” Max shifted her beneath him. “Because I’m about to make love to you.”
She opened her mouth to say she was ready, but never got the words out; apparently his question was rhetorical.
THE NEXT MORNING MAX was awakened by the sound of someone pounding on the door.
Sitting up in bed, he growled, “Where’s the fire?”
“Do you know what time it is?” Robyn called.
He glanced over Kelly’s shoulder at the clock. “Eleven-fifteen.”
“Get up, or you’ll be late,” Beth joined in.
“What for? It’s Sunday.”
“It’s your wedding day,” Randall’s voice added.
Was the whole family out there? And were they all demented? “We canceled, remember?”
“We called everyone up and told them it was on again,” Randall said.
“You didn’t!”
“We did.”
Beside him, Kelly moaned and covered her face. “I forgot all about that.”
Max turned to stare at her. “You knew about this?”
“Only after the fact.”
The door opened and the five children entered the bedroom, clustering for mutual support.
“Everything’s prepared, Dad,” Robyn said. “You and Mom are just going to have to show up and go through with it. You wouldn’t want to disappoint the
whole town, would you?”
She sounded so sure of herself Max didn’t know whether to applaud her or ground her for a month. “When did you get to be the lady of the house, issuing orders?” He turned to his son. “Randall, why didn’t you stop them?”
Beth grinned. “It was his idea.”
Tina ran to her father and tugged on the blankets. “Get up and get dressed, Daddy. You, too, Mommy. It starts in an hour.”
Max turned to Kelly, still rumpled with sleep. “Looks like everyone’s counting on this to go ahead. How about it? Will you marry me?”
She smiled and rolled her eyes. “I guess we can’t disappoint the children. But the food, the music—”
“Everything is taken care of,” Robyn said firmly. “It might not be done exactly the way you would do it, but we can handle more than you think. You’re not indispensable, you know.”
Tammy threw her arms around Kelly’s neck. “Except for hugs.”
“Thank God for that.” Kelly’s arms closed around her daughter.
Shortly before the ceremony was to start, Max knocked on Randall’s door. The guests were being shown to chairs set out on the lawn outside the living room, where Mabel Gribble’s piano playing could be heard through the open French doors. Marcus and Audrey Tipton had come for the party and would take Randall home with them when they left. Max wanted a few minutes alone with his son before that happened.
“Come in,” Randall called, and Max entered, holding a model of the trawler his grandfather had fished from for thirty years off the Pacific Northwest.
Randall’s suitcase was open on the bed, his computer already in boxes. When he saw Max he put down the books he was packing.
Max suddenly found it hard to speak. Clearing his throat, he thrust forward the model ship. “I was going to leave this to you in my will, then I thought, why wait? I’d like you to have it now.”
Randall took the boat, his eyes moist behind his glasses. “Th-thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’m really glad we’ve had this time together, Randall. It’s been very special.”
Randall nodded, swallowing. “For me, too. I…I guess now that you’re going to have a new baby…” He trailed off, looking profoundly uncomfortable.
Max frowned. “What about the baby?”
Randall took in a deep breath. “If it’s a boy, you…you won’t need me anymore.”
Max went extremely still, as if his very cells had frozen. He was horrified that Randall even thought it might be true. Was it? Max gazed at the boy before him—his nerdy glasses, his endearing freckled skin, his intelligent, anxious gaze. Suddenly, with startling clarity, Max understood, not just theoretically, but in his heart, what having a son really meant to him.
“No, Randall!” he exclaimed. “I don’t love you because you’re some generic male offspring. If I had fifty sons I’d still want you, just because you’re, well, you.” He lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness, not sure he’d explained anything at all. “As far as I’m concerned, this is only the beginning of a lifelong relationship. We want you to visit us as often as you can. And we’ll come to see you….” Max opened his outstretched arms. “Okay?”
Randall gulped and bobbed his head. “Okay.” Then he set the ship on Robyn’s desk and stumbled into Max’s embrace.
“Max?” a female voice called from the hallway.
Releasing his son with a watery smile, Max turned to the man and woman who’d appeared in the doorway. “Mom? Dad? I’d like you to meet my son. This is Randall.”
“How do you do, Randall,” said Elsa Walker, extending her hand. Her blond hair was freshly styled and she wore a pale blue dress. Noticing the model ship on the desk, she said, “My father-in-law made that. You resemble him a little about the jaw. Don’t you think so, Barry?”
Barry Walker, uncomfortably hot in a dark suit, shrugged and might have remained silent until Max leveled him a hard glance. Then he responded with a gruff, “More in the eyes, I’d say.”
“He looks like himself,” Max said. “You know, I think I hear Kelly calling us.” He put an arm around Randall’s shoulders. The boy relaxed a little as the elder Walkers moved off down the hall. “Give them a bit of time. They’ll loosen up.”
He made sure his parents found a seat, then went in search of Kelly.
“Where’ve you been?” she demanded anxiously. “We’re just about ready to start.”
“I’ve never seen you more beautiful,” he said, admiring the simple lines of her ivory linen dress. Baby’s breath adorned her shining hair, which hung loose to her shoulders. He’d enjoyed the exotic stranger of the hotel room, but the woman he wanted to live out his days with was his own familiar Kelly.
Inside, Mabel Gribble played the opening chords of the song they’d chosen—their signal to begin the procession down the aisle. Instead of going singly, they were to walk together, a symbol of their path through life.
Ignoring the music, Kelly took his hands in hers and said in a low, serious voice, “Max, I had another ultrasound at the Planned Parenthood clinic. I know the baby’s gender.”
“Why are you telling me now?” He glanced toward the assembled guests, who were all gazing curiously at them.
“I thought you’d want to know.”
Max smiled into Kelly’s eyes. “Thanks, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Then he tucked her arm into his and began the walk up the aisle. Tina and Tammy went before them, strewing geranium petals because they’d run out of rose petals. Robyn and Beth followed behind, holding miniature bouquets. Randall brought up the rear.
“But Max—”
“I mean it, Kel. It’s no longer important to me whether the baby is a boy or a girl. Boys and girls are individuals and I love them equally.”
“But what about carrying on the Walker family name? You have no brothers.”
“I have two male cousins. Besides, Robyn tells me she’s going to keep her maiden name when she marries and pass it on to her children.”
“Max, she’s twelve years old! She could easily change her mind.”
“I’m no longer concerned about the family name, Kelly.” He lifted her bouquet to his nose and quoted, ‘A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.’”
They came to a halt in front of the minister, who smiled in greeting, then frowned mildly as they continued their conversation.
“But Max—”
“I’m telling you, it doesn’t matter whether I have a son to raise or not. After four beautiful girls, how could I be unhappy with another daughter?”
Kelly searched his face and finally seemed to accept that he truly meant it. “Max, this means the world to me.”
He took both her hands in his. “Promise you’ll never run away again?”
“Never,” she said softly. “I’m yours forever.”
“That’s all I wanted to know.”
The minister cleared his throat. “‘Dearly beloved—’”
Frowning, Kelly gave her bouquet a frustrated shake. “I can’t stand you not knowing. I’m going to tell you…anyway.”
“Nope.” Max shook his head. “Don’t want to know.”
“I can’t keep this a secret for five more months.” Kelly protested.
The assembled guests began to fidget and murmur among themselves. The minister cleared his throat again and adjusted his open prayer book with an elaborate movement.
“Let’s get on with the ceremony,” Max suggested. “Everyone’s waiting.”
But Kelly couldn’t drop it. “I can’t believe you don’t want to know.”
“Surprise me.” He turned to face the minister.
“‘Dearly beloved—’”
“If it’s a surprise, how can we plan ahead?” Kelly argued in an urgent whisper. To the minister she said, “We’ll just be a minute here.” To Max, she went on, “I won’t be able to buy anything gender related. Everything will have to be yellow or green.” She tugged
on his sleeve. “I’ve never noticed this maddening lack of curiosity in you before, and I’ve got to say, it’s not an attractive quality. I don’t care if you don’t want to know, I’m going to tell you, anyway. The baby is a—”
Robyn, Beth, Tina and Tammy, lined up to Kelly’s right, exchanged wide-eyed glances, then leaned in to listen. Randall, on Max’s left, did the same.
Max did the only thing he could do to shut her up; he kissed her.
Mabel Gribble, looking through the window and thinking the ceremony was over, struck up the wedding march. The audience hesitated, then broke into applause.
Pulling back, Kelly laughed and threw up her hands. “I give up. If you don’t want to know, I won’t tell you.”
Their daughters slumped a little, disappointed.
Max breathed a sigh of relief. “Now can we get on with the ceremony?”
Kelly shot him a look of exasperated, indulgent love. “Do we really need to? We’ve already spoken the most important words in our lives to each other.”
“True.” Max glanced at the audience, who watched, puzzled but patient. Mabel had stopped playing again. “On the other hand, our friends and family expect a show and the kids have worked hard to get things ready.”
“You’re right.” Kelly turned to the minister. “Please proceed.”
Completely discombobulated, the minister once again intoned, “‘Dearly beloved,’” then stopped and eyed Max and Kelly warily, as if to see whether they were going to start another discussion. When they faced him attentively, he took a deep breath and continued with the ceremony.
At last they’d said their “I do’s” and walked down the aisle amid a chorus of cheers and Mabel’s renewed efforts on the piano. As they reached the end of the aisle and the crowd rose to surge around them, Robyn tugged on her mother’s dress. “Mom! I want to know.”
Beth, Tina and Tammy crowded around. “We want to know, too,” Beth said. Randall stood a little apart, but Kelly could tell he was just as interested.
Kelly glanced at Max, who was being borne off by Nick and Ben. She waved Randall over to join their little group. “Can you all keep a secret? Not just from your dad but from everyone? If this is going to work you can’t tell a single soul.” All heads nodded earnestly. Kelly bent down to whisper, “It’s a boy. You’re going to have a baby brother.”
