The Two of Us

by Victoria Bylin

  Behind her, Pirate panted like a steam engine. The dog needed water. She reached into her purse for the bottle she always carried and rummaged for the plastic sandwich container from yesterday’s lunch at work.

  She was about to open the bottle when Jake slid into the driver’s seat. His gaze slid to the pink sandwich holder, then to her face. His brow quirked with a question, but instead of asking what she was doing, he turned on the truck and the A/C, then opened the center console and took out a collapsible rubber bowl and a quart-size bottle of water that put her pint-size bottle to shame.

  “Excuse me a minute,” he said. “Pirate needs a drink.”

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  “He’ll just be a minute.” Twisting around to the back seat, Jake set the bowl on the floor mat opposite the flowers. “There you go, partner.”

  While Pirate lapped the water, Jake glanced again at Mia’s sandwich holder. “You’re prepared for anything.”

  “I try.”

  “So do I.”

  “But life happens, doesn’t it?” She glanced at the clock on the dash. “One minute things are normal, and the next”—she gave a helpless shrug—“they’re not.”

  Jake reached for Pirate’s bowl and dumped the dregs in the parking lot, saying nothing. Had he heard her? She wasn’t sure and decided not to press when he put on a pair of Ray-Bans and steered out onto the busy street. Mia didn’t mind silence. As long as Jake was comfortable with it, so was she.

  But then he surprised her by clearing his throat. “This isn’t the day Sam and Lucy planned, is it?”

  “No. Then again, they didn’t really plan anything.”

  “You mean the baby.”

  “Exactly.”

  When he didn’t reply, Mia assumed he agreed with her. “I hope the baby’s okay, but delaying the wedding isn’t a bad thing. It’ll give them time to think about what they’re doing.”

  “True.”

  “I hate to see Lucy drop out of school.”

  Jake nudged the sunglasses higher on his nose. “Maybe she’ll go back to college later.”

  “I doubt it.”

  “You never know.”

  “I suppose it’s possible, but I know my sister. Lucy doesn’t like school.”

  “It’s not for everyone.”

  “No. But we all have bills to pay.” Mia didn’t mean to sound bitter, but she knew what it was like to count quarters and dimes to buy groceries. “What if this marriage doesn’t last? How will she support herself?”

  Jake gave her a sidewise glance. “I say we give them a chance. Sam’s a good kid. He loves her.”

  Love. Mia wanted to believe it was enough, but couldn’t. Love didn’t pay the rent or buy diapers. It didn’t save a mother from cancer or a father from dying in a car accident.

  She pushed those thoughts out of her mind until Jake turned onto a street lined with apartment buildings sporting cracked stucco and burglar bars. It was the kind of neighborhood Mia had grown up in. She’d never told anyone, but her mother once shoplifted baby formula for Lucy. Humiliated, Mia never again set foot in that grocery store.

  A sign with a blue H along with an arrow pointing straight hung from a traffic signal. Jake steered the truck into the left lane. “I took Sam and Lucy to dinner last night. We talked quite a bit about the future. Sam has a good plan.”

  “Lucy doesn’t know what plan means.”

  “Sam does.”

  “But Lucy is still impulsive. She doesn’t think ahead. Like today—forgetting to eat lunch. I know it’s her wedding day, but that’s all the more reason to plan against a drop in blood sugar.”

  “A baby changes people. She’ll learn.”

  “I hope so.” But questions swirled in Mia’s mind. “Where are they going to live?”

  “You don’t know?”

  “Lucy doesn’t always confide in me.” The confession weighed like a rock in Mia’s stomach. She wanted to support Lucy in every possible way, but Lucy rarely asked for advice, probably because she didn’t want to hear what Mia would say. “I learned about the pregnancy on Tuesday. We didn’t talk about anything except the wedding.”

  “Then let me fill you in.” Jake made a right turn. “Lucy’s going to work part-time at whatever retail job she can get until the baby comes, and they’ll live in Sam’s apartment.”

  “Can they afford the rent?”

  “Easily.”

  “How?”

  “Sam’s a senior on a full ROTC scholarship. He receives a stipend, plus he has a monthly income from a trust fund set up with his mother’s life insurance. He won’t control the money until he’s twenty-five, but they won’t starve.”

  “I see.” Mia was almost impressed. “That doesn’t change the fact that Lucy is only eighteen. And Sam’s, what, twenty-one?”

  “Twenty-one going on thirty.” Jake kept his eyes on the traffic. “His mother was my partner in the Denver PD. I’ve known Sam since he was thirteen.”

  “Denver PD?” She had assumed he stocked vending machines for a living. All work was noble in Mia’s opinion, but policemen made sacrifices few people understood.

  “I’m retired now.” He indicated his ear. “Disability.”

  Still surprised, she took in the hard set of his jaw. She was too polite to ask him what happened, but her nursing instincts kicked in. That wounded look in his eyes, the one she’d seen in the coffee shop, made more sense now. She also knew from Lucy that Sam’s mother had died in the line of duty. A chill prickled up her spine, leaving her both curious and aching.

  Jake cleared his throat, maybe to change the subject. “Sam has been through a lot. He’s a responsible kid.”

  “Responsible?”

  “Yes.”

  Mia bristled. “Excuse me for being blunt, but Mr. Responsible got my eighteen-year-old sister pregnant.”

  Silence ballooned between them, thickening with every breath. She’d offended him, but she believed in facing facts.

  Stone-faced, Jake let out a sigh. “You win, Mia. Sam’s responsible most of the time. He’s human, and he messed up here. He’d be the first person to admit it. Now he’s trying to do what’s right.”

  “This isn’t 1850, or even 1950. They don’t have to get married.”

  “No, they don’t. But they’re in love, and they want to build a life together. What’s wrong with that?”

  After two broken engagements, Mia didn’t believe in easy promises. “There’s a lot wrong with it.”

  “Like what?”

  “Almost everything.” Someone needed to be realistic, and as usual, the job fell to her. “For one thing, like I said before, I hate the idea of Lucy dropping out of school. She’ll be career-challenged the rest of her life and dependent on Sam. What if he leaves her?”

  Jake said nothing.

  “A woman needs to be able to support herself. What if something happens to Sam, like a war injury or a car accident? Or cancer or—”

  “I get it, Mia.”

  “But—”

  “I get it.” His fingers clenched the steering wheel, turning bone-white as he veered into an empty strip mall. There was no shade, just a row of desiccated queen palms, cracked asphalt, and the sun glaring off the windshields of two parked cars. The instant the truck stopped, Pirate tried to crawl between the seats and into Jake’s lap.

  Jake flung his sunglasses on the dash, then wrapped the dog’s big head in an awkward hug. “Relax, buddy. We’re fine.”

  Pirate wagged his tail but didn’t back down. Jake rubbed the dog’s ears, crooned to him, then gave a hand signal Pirate instantly obeyed by returning to the back seat. Jake’s green eyes, the only color in his pale face, met hers. “Sorry.”

  Nothing made sense to Mia. Not the sudden stop, not the dog’s reaction, and especially not the mix of fire and ice in Jake’s stare. She fought to collect her thoughts. “What—what just happened?”

  “You struck a nerve with the ‘anything can happen’ argument.”


  His hearing aids . . . the service dog . . . his partner’s death. Something terrible had ravaged his life. “Jake, I’m so sorry. That was insensitive of me.”

  “Don’t worry about it.”

  “There’s no excuse.” She flattened her palm against the top of her chest. “I’m not usually this . . . this volatile. I’m just so worried about Lucy.”

  “Forget it. I overreacted.” He reached back and gave Pirate another scratch. “I lost my partner and a lot of my hearing when some nutjob booby-trapped a building. You might remember it.”

  “I do.” The whole city had buzzed with the crime. Lucy had told her only that Sam’s mother died in the line of duty. “I’m truly sorry for what you went through, and for bringing it up.”

  “It’s life. Most of the time I’m done with it.”

  “PTSD?”

  “Some, but it’s mild compared to what some people face.” He put the truck back in gear. “Let’s get to the hospital.”

  Mia wanted to say more, but a good nurse knew when to mind her own business. This was one of those times, though she couldn’t help but worry about the lifeless look in his eyes. They reminded her of green Depression glass from the 1930s, the kind etched with fragile designs that captured what little beauty the world held at that time.

  She raised her hand to touch Jake’s arm but stopped herself. She didn’t have the right to comfort him with a touch, nor did she want to stir up dangerous feelings. Next week she’d begin the Mission Medical application process. With a little luck, it would be the start of a new adventure, one that wouldn’t break her heart.

  Chapter

  4

  As soon as Lucy checked in at the hospital registration desk, a woman in scrubs led her to a curtained cubicle in the ER. Sam stayed at her side, holding her hand. She knew Mia would want to be with her, but Lucy was glad to be alone with Sam. This was their problem, and they needed to handle it together.

  The ER wasn’t busy, so things moved fast. A nurse took Lucy’s blood pressure and temperature; a physician’s assistant asked her the same questions Mia had asked; and she was taken to the ultrasound room, where a technician made small talk that gave no hint of the test results.

  Now back in the cubicle, dressed and sitting in a chair, Lucy gnawed her lower lip while Sam sat next to her, nervously jiggling his leg. His fidgeting drove her a little crazy, especially with her own fears rattling in her head. If she lost the baby, what would they do? Lucy ached to talk about it, but Sam would tell her to trust God and wait for the facts. That was fine for Sam, but Lucy’s faith wasn’t that strong. Sometimes she wondered if she had any faith at all, though she had never shared her doubts with Sam.

  The curtain rings rattled on the rod, and a woman in a white coat greeted Lucy with a smile. “I’m Dr. Gordon.”

  Sam shot to his feet. “How’s the baby?”

  Lucy stayed seated, but her hand flew to her belly. Would God listen if she prayed? She had done some stupid things in her life, normal things like trying cigarettes and drinking in high school. She had shoplifted just once on a dare and felt terrible.

  Sleeping with Sam could be counted as a mistake too. A sin. But the baby wasn’t a mistake. Lucy loved this child with her whole heart.

  Dr. Gordon took a Polaroid off her clipboard and handed it to Lucy. “Right now, the baby’s fine. You’re about nine weeks along, and we detected a strong heartbeat.”

  Relief washed through every inch of her body, leaving her limp as she laughed and cried at the same time. With tears blurring her vision, she drank in the shape of a head and a curved spine.

  Sam rested a hand on her shoulder. “There he is—” His voice cracked. “He looks like a lima bean.”

  “Beanie Boy,” Lucy said. “Or Beanie Girl.” She couldn’t stop smiling, but her heart remained in her throat. Sam gave her shoulder a squeeze, then focused on Dr. Gordon. “What about the bleeding? Do you know what caused it?”

  “We can’t be certain, especially this early, but it looks like a low-lying placenta.” The doctor pointed to a curve on the photograph. “Can you see that?”

  “Not really,” Lucy admitted.

  Dr. Gordon pointed again. “That’s the placenta. We expect it to move up in the course of the pregnancy. If it doesn’t, you’ll need careful monitoring and a C-section. Right now, as a precaution, I’m putting you on pelvic rest.”

  “Is that bed rest?” Lucy liked to sleep in as much as anyone, but she far preferred to be busy.

  “No,” Dr. Gordon answered. “It means no heavy lifting. Nothing strenuous. And no sexual activity. Do you have an obstetrician back in Colorado?”

  “Sort of,” Lucy replied. “My first appointment is in two weeks.”

  “Good. You’ll be around twelve weeks at that point. The OB will probably do another ultrasound. Until then, I suggest you play it safe.”

  “Absolutely.” Sam lowered his hand and stepped back. “We’ll follow the instructions to the letter.”

  Lucy would do anything to protect the baby, but no real honeymoon? She reached for Sam’s hand, but he was too far away.

  Dr. Gordon excused herself, leaving them alone with the Polaroid, their fears, and Sam standing with his shoulders squared.

  Lucy blew out a slow breath. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

  “Me either.” He remained two steps away while he studied her face. “Luce, I have to say this.”

  “What?”

  “Maybe this happened for a reason. To make us think about how important this commitment is. If you’re at all unsure about getting married—if you want to wait—”

  “Do you?” she asked, frightened.

  “No!” With one long stride, he spanned the gap between them, then dropped to one knee the way he had a week after the pregnancy test. At first he’d been shocked by the news. They had used precautions. Well, most of the time. There had been a few nights when they got carried away and weren’t prepared, because Sam felt guilty and wanted to put the brakes on that part of their relationship. The brakes went out rather easily on that slippery slope.

  He held her hand in both of his. Someday she’d have an engagement ring, but today her finger was bare. They needed baby things far more than Lucy needed a diamond.

  Sam stared into her eyes, his gaze battle-hard yet tender. “I was ready to marry you an hour ago. And I’m ready now.”

  “I’m ready too,” she said. “But this is fast. We could just live together for a while.”

  Lucy had already moved some of her stuff out of her dorm room and into his apartment. She needed to be out by Monday afternoon, and they had planned to finish moving on Sunday. But now she couldn’t lift the boxes, and she had nowhere to go except to Sam’s apartment or back home with Mia.

  “No way do I want to just live together,” Sam said.

  “But—”

  “Come on, Pudge.” He squeezed her hand. “We’ve been over that. If my mom were alive, she’d kill me.”

  “Because of your own father.” Lucy knew the story well. When Connie Waters caught her husband having an affair with a neighbor, she had moved out with four-year-old Sam, built a career for herself with the Denver PD, and taught her son to be a man of his word no matter the cost.

  “I won’t play house with you,” Sam said. “You deserve better than that.”

  Did she? With a sister as accomplished as Mia, Lucy felt too small to matter to anyone, but she loved Sam for believing in her. “I love you so much.”

  “I love you too. I say we get married tomorrow at the county clerk’s office. I know you wanted a real wedding, but—”

  “Yes, but I want you more.”

  A grin stretched across his face, making his cheeks even fuller as he pushed to his feet. “Ten years from now, we’ll renew our vows. By then you’ll have a honkin’ diamond on your finger.”

  “And two more kids.”

  “Or three.”

  “Or—”

  Groaning, he rolled hi
s eyes. “Don’t you dare say four.”

  Lucy hugged him hard. She really did want a wedding, just a small one with pictures and pretty flowers, but she’d give up anything for Sam and the baby. “Tomorrow sounds good. But I have to warn you, Mia won’t like it.”

  “It’s not her wedding.”

  “No. But I hate the thought of telling her. You don’t know how she is. She’ll make a case like an attorney. When we argue, she makes me crazy. I get all confused and she wins.”

  Sam took out his phone. “What’s her number?”

  “What are you doing?”

  “Calling her.”

  “Why?”

  He gave her his most patient look. “I want your sister to be happy, but I won’t let her interfere with us. By the time I finish talking to her, she’ll like me or she won’t. The bottom line is respect. I’m going to give it to her, and I expect it in return.”

  “Are you going to say all that on the phone?” Mia wouldn’t like that. She believed in face-to-face conversations.

  “Definitely not.”

  “Then when?”

  “Later. First she needs to know that you and the baby are fine. Then I’ll ask her to meet me for coffee. That’s when I’ll tell her we’re getting married tomorrow at the county clerk’s office. She can stay for the ceremony, or she can fly home. Her feelings matter, but I won’t let her push you—or me—around.”

  No wonder Lucy loved Sam. He was the strongest person she’d ever known. Even stronger than Mia.

  Mia was with Jake in the hospital waiting room when Sam called to tell them about Lucy and the baby. She sagged with relief at the good news, especially about the baby’s strong heartbeat, but frowned when Sam ducked her request to speak to Lucy. Instead he asked Mia to meet him alone at the hotel Starbucks. At Jake’s suggestion, the invitation turned into dinner for the three of them at the Safari Café, a poolside restaurant decorated like a tropical rainforest.

  At precisely six o’clock, Mia arrived at the restaurant and walked into a jungle of mechanical toucans, fake trees, and blasts of electronic thunder. A man-made stream gurgled over black lava rocks, and somewhere in the back of the dining room, an elephant trumpeted. The atmosphere struck her as a little too “Me Tarzan, You Jane,” but Sam’s invitation impressed her. He was protecting Lucy, which was admirable. But he was also in Mia’s way, which wasn’t.