by Debra Webb
It wouldn’t last. She understood that. Obviously Joe didn’t. Yes, sex between them had been great. But she needed more. She needed Joe to love her.
At least he was trying to make this marriage work. She had to give him that. Still, she had to be strong. If they jumped back into a sexual relationship, it would be great short term, but Lisa wanted this marriage to last. She and Joe had to explore their feelings for each other on a nonsexual level, deepen their emotional commitment. If that didn’t happen Lisa was afraid they would both live to regret it. Worse, they might become bitter, and then their child would suffer.
“I’m glad you like it.” He managed a smile, but the voltage was only a fraction of the usual Ripani dazzler.
This was precisely what Lisa had feared. They were both going to end up miserable if they didn’t proceed with caution. Couldn’t he see that?
Maybe getting married had been a mistake.
“Joe…I…”
“Hungry?” He patted his flat abdomen. “I’m starved. The kitchen is supposed to be fully stocked. Let’s check it out.”
He ushered her to the kitchen before she could say more. Of course, broaching the subject of a divorce this soon might be a mistake, too. She should probably wait a few more days and see how things went.
As Joe checked out the cabinets and the fridge, a thought occurred to her. They’d been married only twenty-four hours; would a divorce even be necessary?
The point was moot, since Joe would never go for it. He’d staked his claim, the deed was done. No turning back. She had to try, for Joe and the baby. It was the right thing to do. Not that it was a hardship on Lisa’s part. She’d fallen for Joe from the beginning. But would he regret what they’d done once the reality of their marriage sank in?
A thousand conflicting emotions churned through Lisa. The very thought of making Joe as miserable as she felt at that moment made her almost physically ill.
The bottom line was this: She loved him.
Damn. She’d fallen in love with Joe the first time he’d kissed her while she’d been examining Salvage, the black Lab who’d become the firehouse mascot. And because she loved Joe, she did not want him to be unhappy.
She dredged up her courage and forced herself to think of her child’s future. She had to try to make this marriage work. She could do that for the baby, couldn’t she?
All she had to do was act as if everything were wonderful, play along with Joe’s determination to make the best of the situation.
The words echoed hollowly inside her. She wanted the kind of loving relationship her parents shared. The kind her sister had with her husband.
Was that too much to ask?
No!
There had to be a way to turn this shotgun marriage into happily ever after.
Any other ending was unacceptable.
This child deserved the fairy tale. Lisa intended to see that he or she got it.
JOE WAS RELIEVED that night when Lisa acted more like her old self. She talked, laughed…and sat next to him on the deck as they watched the Pacific pound the coast far below.
He had to admit that Spike had been right. This place was the perfect setting for promoting romantic feelings. He felt pretty damn romantic himself right now. He’d even prepared dinner. Just spaghetti, bottled sauce and prepackaged garlic bread, but Lisa appeared overjoyed at his effort.
“Another glass?” he offered, reaching for the bottle of sparkling grape juice. He’d made sure that nonalcoholic beverages were available. Alcohol and pregnancy did not mix. Other than the occasional beer, he wasn’t that much of a drinker, anyway. He preferred keeping his mind clear and his hand steady, even when off duty. He never knew when he would be needed for backup. Just like yesterday at his wedding.
Being a firefighter wasn’t merely a job. It was a way of life. He would never let any of his fellow firefighters down.
“Thank you.” Lisa held her fluted glass steady while he poured the pretend wine. “I’m impressed that you knew that alcohol was off limits for me.”
He shrugged as if it was no big deal. “I like knowing what I’m up against.”
From her odd expression he was pretty sure he’d stuck his foot in his mouth.
“I mean,” he amended, “I want to take good care of you and that baby. I figured arming myself with knowledge was a big step in the right direction.”
Relief went through him when his explanation seemed to satisfy her. Of all the burning buildings he’d entered and the victims he’d saved, this had to be the toughest job he’d faced.
Of course, he wouldn’t be saying that out loud in this lifetime, not in Lisa’s presence, anyway.
“Good idea.” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “Neither one of your brothers has children yet, do they?”
He shook his head. “I got my information from the What to Expect When You’re Expecting book. I picked it up at the local bookstore. It seems to cover almost every aspect of pregnancy.”
“Do you mind if I read it, too? When we get back, I mean.”
A genuine smile tilted his lips. He’d finally done something right.
“Sure. I’ll bring it home from the station house. I’ve been reading it on my downtime.”
“I can buy another copy,” she said quickly. “You might want to keep that one at work.”
“No. That’s okay. We can read it together.”
Silence fell over them. Joe wanted to kiss her…to show her how strong his desire for her still was, but doing so might make them lose the little ground they seemed to have gained.
That blue gaze, full of questions, held on to his. “I’d like that,” she said. “We should do everything related to the baby together.”
He nodded his agreement.
“I have my first appointment with the obstetrician next Friday. Would you like to come along?”
Anticipation soared in Joe. “Definitely. What’s his name?”
“He’s new in Courage Bay,” she explained. “Dr. Maynard Metcalf. Several of Kate’s friends are using him and they think he’s great.”
Joe couldn’t recall hearing of a new doctor in town, but then none of his friends had wives who were expecting, and Courage Bay was growing larger every day. Until recently he hadn’t even considered what school district he lived in: now he wanted to know if it was the right one. Funny that he now seemed to judge everything in terms of what was best for his child. He could only imagine what it would be like once the baby was born.
“I think I’ll indulge myself with a bath and some of those elegant bath oils I noticed.” Lisa stood and stretched luxuriously. “I’m exhausted. Maybe I’ll go to bed afterward.”
As usual, the mere mention of anything even remotely related to sex and his male equipment stood at attention. He wished he could chalk it up to her soft, sensual voice, but all it took was an errant thought or word. He felt certain that her statement hadn’t been an invitation, but his body didn’t seem to understand that sad fact.
Staying semi-aroused and completely frustrated 24/7 couldn’t possibly be beneficial to his mental health.
“Enjoy,” he croaked as she floated into the house. The winter-white silk slacks and blouse she wore gave her an ethereal glow in the gathering darkness.
For several minutes after she’d disappeared into the bedroom Joe sat there, trying to decide what he would do with himself. He heard the water running in the claw-footed tub. Could imagine Lisa shedding those filmy garments and stepping into the neck-deep water. The images tortured his mind and body, making him so hard he could scarcely draw a breath.
Finally, when he could bear the tension in his loins no longer, he stood and went in search of his duffel bag. He hadn’t run today, or yesterday, either, for that matter. A long, hard pounding on one of nature’s trails should relieve some of the stress.
Desperation surged anew as he heard Lisa’s soft moans of pleasure as she apparently slid into the bathwater. The sounds skittered across every nerve ending in his body, a
nd images flashed one after the other through his mind. Her slender body, toned arms and legs, nicely rounded breasts, heart-shaped bottom. All that silky hair would likely be stacked on top of her head, leaving her long neck easily accessible. How he would love to nibble that delectable skin…lave every square inch with his tongue.
It took all his strength to turn away from the bathroom door. He had to get out of here for a few minutes. Run as hard and fast as he could, then he would regain control.
Somehow, some way, they had to connect physically again.
He wanted her…cared for her. What did he have to do to prove it?
Joe headed down the trail that led from the chalet.
What else did she want?
The answer to that question, which deep down he already knew, haunted him for the next five miles.
LISA SIGHED as the warm water lapped around her chin. The heavenly scent of lavender sweetened the steamy air in the room. She loved the claw-footed tub…the sensual curves, the depth. Who needed a whirlpool tub when they had a treasure like this? The contours molded perfectly to her back, making this the most relaxing soak she’d ever experienced.
She imagined the elegant tub was a reproduction, since the original probably wasn’t so ergonomically sensitive, but she greatly appreciated the aesthetics, as well as the comfort.
She fingered the delicate gold chain with its simple pearl resting against her throat. A wedding gift from her mother. Lisa had gasped in surprise when her mother fastened it around her neck. She recognized the lovely piece of jewelry as the one her grandmother had given to Ruth when she wed. Lisa hadn’t expected her mother to part with it, but Ruth had insisted, saying that Kate had been married in Ruth’s wedding dress, so it was only fair that Lisa get the necklace.
She had never been one to wear much jewelry, but she would truly cherish this piece.
Her gaze moved to her left hand and the simple gold wedding band there. There wasn’t anything eye-catching about it. That Joe had gone to the trouble of picking it out himself made the ring quite special, however. Shannon had told Lisa he’d gone to every jewelry store in Courage Bay until he found just the ring he wanted. What Shannon found amusing was that it looked like almost every other wedding band she’d ever seen. She, too, realized that Joe had taken the task very seriously.
Lisa couldn’t help wondering if she would have the chance to cherish the ring the way she did the necklace her mother had given her. Would this ring come to stand for that level of commitment…for that much love?
She couldn’t say just now. She wanted to give Joe and this marriage the benefit of the doubt. She only hoped that he would learn to love her the way that she loved him, and yet she was so very afraid to hope. What if she was in this alone? What if Joe never loved her like that?
Would the marriage and a perfunctory relationship be enough? Would their child notice his parents’ marriage was a sham?
There was no way to know. Time would tell.
That’s the last piece of advice her mother had given her before the wedding.
Trust your heart, dear. Time will tell.
She could do that. She was strong. Despite the moments of pure terror she experienced and the occasional certainty that she and Joe were doomed, Lisa had every intention of giving this marriage her all.
She thought of the child growing inside her and then of the man who’d planted that seed deep in her womb. He was a good man. Her eyes closed and her thoughts went instantly to the last time they’d made love. She wanted so very much to make love with him again. But she was scared that sex would muddy the new kind of bond they desperately needed to develop.
She had to be strong. The next time they made love, it had to be about love, not lust.
It wouldn’t be easy, but it was for the best.
The water was cooling now, so Lisa pulled the plug. It was amazing how much more relaxed she felt as she stepped from the tub. She’d have to do that more often. As long as the water wasn’t too hot, she’d read that baths were perfectly safe during pregnancy.
After drying off, she wrapped a fluffy towel around her body. All she had to do was brush her teeth and blow-dry her hair, then she planned to crawl between those satin sheets and sleep like the dead.
She stilled. There was only one bed. She wondered if Joe would mind taking the couch. Maybe they should have discussed that. Right now, though, she wanted to revel in the lingering afterglow of her luxurious soak.
After squeezing toothpaste on to her brush, Lisa scrubbed her pearly whites then spit into the basin. She twisted the cold-water tap but nothing happened. Where was the water?
She gave the hot a twist. Again, nothing happened.
Having survived several years of dormitory living and then low-rent apartment dwelling, Lisa had gained a respectable knowledge of how plumbing operated.
Since the tub faucet worked, there was no reason to suspect a problem with supply. This place was a rental. Maybe the owner had adjusted the valves to the off position when it was vacant and had forgotten to reset them in the vanity faucet.
Only one way to find out.
Lisa got down on her knees and opened the cabinet doors. She made a sound of dismay at the plumbing setup. She hadn’t seen a maze like that in the worst of the dumps she’d rented during her college days. Who the hell did the plumbing around here? She could do better than that.
“Ah-ha,” she murmured, finding the location of the valve. She reached deep into the back recesses of the vanity and attempted to twist the shutoff valve. Damn. It didn’t want to budge.
She considered calling out for Joe, but, hey, she could do this. The last thing she wanted was for him to get the impression that she was helpless. Quite the contrary. Not once since she’d moved out on her own had she had to call in help for anything but wiring. She liked the challenge in doing her own repairs, and felt liberated by it.
Poking her head as far into the cabinet as she could, she positioned her arm for the utmost leverage and gave the valve another twist. The knob turned ever so slightly. Whoever had turned off the valve had tightened it too much.
Now for the hot-water side. Between the bizarre plumbing configuration and the confines of the small cabinet, Lisa could barely reach that side. Voilà! She found the valve and gave it a twist.
Smiling proudly, she started to back out of the cabinet, when her hair snagged on something.
“Ouch!”
Barely keeping her balance, she reached up with both hands to work her hair free.
The more she worked, the worse things got. She swore repeatedly as her hair seemed to tangle more and more with the pipe fittings. It wasn’t until she realized the delicate gold chain of her necklace was involved that she really panicked.
She couldn’t break that chain. It would kill her mother. And devastate Lisa.
This necklace stood for hope…hope for her marriage to Joe…for their child’s future.
She couldn’t break it now!
Lisa struggled to untangle her hair from the pipes until her arms ached from being in the awkward position too long. She just couldn’t hold this position any longer. She sagged against the musty interior of the cabinet and admitted defeat.
She needed help.
“Joe!”
The silence pressed in on her. Why hadn’t she noticed how quiet it was? Was he still outside? “Joe!”
Nothing.
She tried again without success to free herself, but her efforts seemed to make matters worse.
There was nothing she could do except wait for Joe to come inside.
JOE BOUNDED UP onto the deck, his lungs burning, his muscles throbbing with the workout.
Though he hadn’t measured the distance, he was relatively sure he’d done seven or eight miles. But the additional exertion had worked like magic. He was spent. He didn’t have enough energy to blink, much less work up a hard-on.
The cottage was quiet. Lisa was probably asleep by now. He would take the couch so as not to
disturb her.
He went through a cool-down ritual on the deck before going inside. A couple of bottles of water followed by another sandwich and then maybe an ice-cold soda was in order. Then he would fall asleep on the couch.
“Joe!”
The weary sound of Lisa’s voice put his senses on instant alert. He burst into the bedroom, found it empty and then rushed into the bathroom. He didn’t bother knocking. The desperate, almost feeble cry kept echoing in his head. What if something had happened to the baby? He’d read that miscarriages often occurred in the early weeks of pregnancy.
His heart rocketed into his throat.
“What’s wrong?”
It took three full seconds for his brain to analyze what his eyes saw. Lisa, clad in only a towel, kneeled half in and half out of the small vanity cabinet. She motioned with her hand for him to come to her aid.
“You have to help me,” she wailed.
What the hell?
Confusion derailed rational thought and her shapely legs played havoc with Joe’s relaxed state. He crouched down next to Lisa’s nicely rounded bottom, which was the most prominent part visible.
“My hair and the necklace…the one my mother gave me…are tangled up in the plumbing. I’m afraid I’ll break the chain if I pull too hard.”
“O…kay,” Joe said, dragging out the syllables. “How can I help?”
“Get in here and get me loose!”
There was nothing vulnerable about her tone this time.
Joe ducked his head inside the cabinet, which was as dark as pitch, their bodies blocking any possible light.
“I’ll need to get my flashlight.”
“Well, hurry!”
He double-timed it out to his truck and fumbled in the console until his fingers wrapped around the cold steel of his Maglite. He didn’t take time to think, just rushed back into the bathroom.
If he thought about what he was doing, he might not survive the rescue. The temptation to take Lisa right there on the floor threatened his resolve to respect her wishes regarding their marriage. And he knew what her reaction would be to that.
