“Daddy wants to find us a new mommy.”
Jo’s stomach flipped over. “Did he tell you that?” she asked softly.
Claire nodded. “I think he wants you to be our new mommy.”
Jo blanched, then she touched the little girl’s silky cheek. “I think you misunderstood, Claire. He’ll find you a new mommy someday, but it won’t be me.”
Claire frowned and studied her sock feet. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to be our mommy—we’re a lot of trouble.”
Swallowing to dispel the lump in her throat, Jo pulled Claire down beside her on a tiny bench. “Claire, this is hard to explain. It’s not that I don’t want to be your mommy, but I don’t think I’d do a very good job of being anyone’s mommy. Do you understand?”
Claire sighed and nodded sadly. “I guess so.”
“Good.” Jo smiled. “And you three are not so much trouble. I’m sure there are lots of women out there who would love to be your mommy.”
“I hope so,” Claire whispered. “I’m not a very good cook.”
Jo laughed out loud, then glanced at her watch. “We’d better hurry if we’re going to meet the boys!”
Claire quickly tried on jeans, skirts, shirts, and vests. For the briefest moment, Jo visualized watching a little girl of her own try on school clothes, and for the first time, a distant longing echoed deep in her heart. Seconds later, the feeling had vanished and Jo decided she’d imagined the faint stirring.
After they’d settled on several mix-and-match outfits, they bought hair ribbons, socks and shoes. Laden with packages, they were only ten minutes late meeting John and the boys, who had already claimed a table and were somewhat less burdened by purchases.
“Wow!” Jamie exclaimed. “I’m going with Jo the next time.”
John surveyed the bags with amusement and tweaked his daughter’s nose. “Am I going to have to sell the house to pay for all these?”
“No,” Claire said, giggling. “But I might need a bigger closet.”
“Just Plain Jo bring puppy?” Billy asked, tugging on Jo’s shirt.
“No,” she said sadly. “He’s at home sleeping.”
He held up his arms. “Poopy diaper.”
“Again?” John sighed as Jo swung him into her lap. “I just changed you, Billy.”
The little boy shrugged his little shoulders, unable to offer an explanation.
Jo laughed, then for a moment, all was quiet at their table. Jamie looked at Jo, then at John. Claire looked at John, then at Jo and Billy. Billy looked at John, then at Jo. Jo looked at the kids, then at John. And John simply looked at her. Her heart pounded at the intimacy of the situation—an all-American family. All around them, mall shoppers talked, laughed, walked and bustled by, insulating them in a quiet pocket. A trickle of sweat slid between her breasts, but Jo couldn’t bring herself to end the peaceful moment.
A flash exploded in their faces. Jo blinked, then focused on a round man who lowered a camera and grinned at John. “Nice-looking family, sir. Five dollars for the memory.” The man winked at Jo and waved the instant photograph in the air.
“WHAT A NIGHT,” Alan said, spreading his arms to the night stars and inhaling deeply.
Jo smiled wide, glad Alan was in such a congenial mood. Her own thoughts had remained with the Sterlings long after she’d escaped the photo opportunist. After their unforgivable lapse at his home and the dinner disaster last night, her relationship with John—whatever its label—would never be the same, but she was glad they could at least be cordial.
“The water is gorgeous, hmm?” Alan asked, slipping an arm around her shoulder.
“Mmm,” she agreed. The night air was chilly, so they had the beach to themselves.
She looked up at Alan’s profile, boyish and handsome, his golden hair glowing in the moonlight. Admiration, fondness and genuine love washed over her. Alan had been her rock when she was getting her business off the ground. He’d introduced her to all the right people around town and treated her with respect and kindness throughout the three years they’d dated. Alan might not inspire the same depth of emotions she experienced with John Sterling, but he shared her goals. She sighed and leaned into him, grateful for the good times they’d shared and for the good times still ahead.
“Do you remember the first time we walked this beach, Jo?”
She smiled and nodded. “Our first solo date.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes. “That’s the night I knew, Jo. I knew I wanted to marry you.”
As he withdrew a small square jeweler’s box, tiny hairs raised on the nape of her neck, triggering a full-body shiver.
“I thought it only fitting to bring you back here for the proposal.” He lifted the hinged lid, revealing a huge solitaire diamond twinkling and flashing in the moonlight.
Jo felt her jaw loosen and drop.
“Jo Montgomery,” he whispered, removing the ring and sliding it onto her finger. “Will you marry me?”
She stared at the winking stone for several long seconds, alarmed when John Sterling’s face appeared in her mind. Then she heard Claire saying, “Daddy wants to find us a new mommy.” She didn’t want a package deal—she wanted a man to love her for herself, not because he was a struggling single dad. And even if John ever could love her, she wasn’t ready for an instant family.
Jo lifted her gaze to meet Alan’s. His love for her shone in his eyes, and Jo said the words she’d imagined saying hundreds of times since they’d first started dating. “Yes, Alan Parish, I will marry you.”
He swept her in his arms for a long, sweet kiss. When he pulled back, he was beaming. He lifted her off the ground and swung her around, whooping. They continued walking down the beach, their hands clasped tightly together.
Squashing her anxiety, Jo laughed nervously and said, “Well, you certainly surprised me.”
Alan smiled. “To be honest, I should call your friend John Sterling and thank him.”
Jo’s head snapped up. “John? What does he have to do with this?”
“I’m not blind, Jo, I can see the guy has eyes for you. Besides, he said something last night about commitment that hit home.” Alan shrugged, palms up. “I called a jeweler first thing this morning.”
Jo conjured up a watery smile.
“Do you have any feelings about a wedding date?”
“Soon,” she whispered. “As soon as possible.”
“Great,” he said. “That will keep both of our mothers from making a big production out of the whole thing.”
Jo nodded. “Yeah.”
“So,” he shouted into the night air, “thank you, John Sterling, wherever you are!”
“WELL, it’s about time!” Helen shouted, pulling Jo close for a suffocating hug. “Let me see the ring.” She pursed her lips as she inspected the diamond, nodding her satisfaction. “Looks like a carat and a half, what do you think, Madden?”
Jo’s father squeezed her hand, smiling. “I think it’s none of our business how much the stone weighs, Helen.”
From her perch by the sink, Hattie held up a glass of iced tea. “Here, here.”
Helen frowned at her sister, then turned back to Jo. “A spring wedding would be nice, don’t you think, dear? I’ll call first thing tomorrow to book the string quartet that played at Margaret Fitch’s wedding. Remember the little crab quiches they served?”
“Whoa, Mom,” Jo said, holding up her hands. “I hate to disappoint you, but Alan and I have decided on a small church wedding in the very near future.”
“How near?”
“Three weeks.”
“What?” Helen screeched, clutching her chest. “It’s impossible to organize a wedding in three weeks, Josephine.”
“No, it isn’t. Alan and I compared our work schedules and it’s the best time for both of us. It’ll give me time to finish a residential job I’m working on.” She felt a pang in her side. “When I come back, I’ll start a big commercial job that will probably take at least a year to f
inish.” Another pang, this one worse.
“Where are you going on your honeymoon?”
“Fort Myers Beach.”
Her mother’s face crumpled. “But that’s so common! With Alan’s money you could go to Hawaii, or Europe!”
Jo felt for her mother, she really did. Her only daughter was marrying a wealthy man and she was being robbed of the social recognition that accompanied a glamorous wedding. “Mom, we discussed it, and neither one of us wants to be too far away from our business in case there’s an emergency.”
“What does it matter?” Hattie asked. “All a couple needs is a bed and a remote control.”
Jo’s mother shot her sister an annoyed glance while Jo flushed and pressed her lips together to conceal a smile. Hattie swept over to Jo to scrutinize the ring, then whispered, “Or in Alan’s case, just a remote control will suffice.”
Jo pinched her aunt on the back of her hand. “Behave,” she said.
Sunday dinner was even more stressful than usual, with Helen making suggestions and Jo gently shooting them down. Exasperated, her mother finally said, “Josephine, will I be invited?”
“Of course,” Hattie said quickly. “With that hair, Helen, you’re the something old and the something blue.”
“Mother,” Jo said softly, “why don’t you meet me for lunch tomorrow and we’ll pick out invitations?”
Somewhat assuaged, Helen nodded morosely.
Later, Jo’s father followed her outside to wait for Hattie.
“This is a big step, sweetheart,” he said. “Are you sure you’re ready for it?”
Jo looked up into her father’s warm eyes and nodded. If nothing else, her experience with the Sterling family had proved to her that her personal life had reached an impasse. She needed to move on. “Dad, did you always want children?”
He crossed his arms. “I think so, yes.”
She bit her bottom lip. “Did you ever regret it?”
“Not for one second,” he said, drawing her into a hug. “Besides,” he added, pulling away to smile at her, “that would have left me with just your mother.”
Jo laughed, poking her dad in the ribs.
On the drive home, Hattie was quiet—not meditating as usual, just studying her hands in silence.
After the first mile, Jo sighed. “What, Hattie?”
Her aunt’s eyes widened in innocence.
“Out with it,” Jo said. “You haven’t said twenty words since I broke the news.”
“I was wondering what your Mr. Sterling thinks about you getting married.”
“He’s not my Mr. Sterling, and it doesn’t matter what he thinks.”
“You haven’t told him, have you?”
“Alan only asked me last night, Hattie. Anyway, after the way I used John and his kids, I’m sure his reaction would be ‘good riddance.’” And that wasn’t the worst of it, she thought as scenes of their lovemaking flashed in her mind.
“Did you tell John you played along with the Pattersons because you were close to defaulting on your loan?”
Jo nearly swerved off the road. “How did you know that?”
“I know how much it takes to keep the office running, much less make that hefty loan payment every month.”
Jo winced. “Do you think I made a bad decision?”
Hattie sighed. “Jo, my dear, some of your decisions are questionable, but the software was a good investment—it helped you land the Patterson account.”
“No,” Jo said painfully. “The Sterlings helped me land the Patterson account.”
“Which brings me back to your questionable decisions.”
“You’re right. If I had it to do over, I’d never have let the Pattersons believe I was a supermom.”
“Jo,” Hattie said, and sighed impatiently, “not that decision. I’m talking about your decision to marry Alan.”
“Hattie, we’ve been over this ground before—”
“And I would keep my mouth shut if I thought you were completely happy.”
Frowning, Jo asked, “Don’t I look happy?”
“No,” Hattie murmured softly. “You don’t. I think you’re more attached to those children than you care to admit.”
Alarm ballooned in Jo’s stomach. “Y-you must be imagining things, Hattie. I’ve never wanted children.”
“Have you ever thought that could be because you’ve never met a man you wanted to have children with?”
Jo swallowed, wanting her jumbled feelings to go away, to be replaced by confidence that she was doing the right thing. “John doesn’t love me, Hattie,” she said. “He’s attracted to me, but he’s looking for a woman who can be a full-time mom to those kids. At least I know Alan loves me and I can be my own person with him.”
After a few seconds of silence, Hattie said, “If you’re sure.”
Inhaling deeply with resolve, Jo said, “I’m sure.”
“Well, I was hoping Torry would be here for your wedding, but three weeks might be a little optimistic, even for me.”
Her tone cautious, Jo asked, “Have you heard from him?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“He spoke to me in a dream last night—he said we’d be together soon.”
“Oh. That’s nice.”
Hattie clasped her hands together. “Jo, that’s the kind of love I want for you—the kind you don’t have to question—a love for all time.”
“I’ve made my decision, Hattie.”
Her aunt clucked. “You’ve made your bed, but you still have time to decide who’s going to lie in it with you.”
10
FRIDAY AFTERNOONS were normally low-key around the office. As with every day this week, she’d spent the morning with the painters at John’s house, careful to arrive after she was sure he was gone, and leave well before everyone came home. The workers had accomplished a lot in five days, but there was still plenty to do in the two weeks that remained. Jo was determined to cut all ties with the Sterlings before she walked down the aisle with Alan.
She had just put down her purse and switched on her computer when the phone rang. “Montgomery Group Interiors, this is Jo.”
“Miss Montgomery, this is Mary Avondale, the school nurse from Brookwood Elementary.”
Her mind spun as to why she should know the woman. “Yes?”
“I’m with a student, Claire Sterling, who insists she needs to talk to you.”
Sitting up straight, Jo said, “Put her on.”
“Jo?” Claire sounded tearful and frightened.
“Claire, what’s wrong?”
“Can you come and get me? I’m very sick.”
“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone—it’s real bad. I need for you. to come right away.”
“Did you call your daddy?”
“No!” Claire exclaimed. “He can’t know. Promise me you’ll come instead of Daddy.”
Jo’s heart wrenched at the fear in the little girl’s voice. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. Put Miss Avondale back on the phone.”
“Hello?”
“Miss Avondale, do you know what’s wrong with Claire?”
“No, ma’am. She said she wouldn’t talk to anyone but you.”
Phone crooked under her chin, Jo scribbled directions to the school, then hung up, yelled to Hattie, and ran out the door.
Biting her nails on the way over, Jo chastised herself for not informing John that Claire looked flushed last Saturday. For all she knew, she could have spinal meningitis by now. Some mother she’d make—she couldn’t even tell when a child was sick. She depressed the gas pedal harder, sliding into a parking space in the school lot at an odd angle.
Running from office to office, she finally found the nurse’s station, relieved to see Claire hugging her knees, sitting on a low padded bench in the small reception area.
“Jo!” She jumped up and threw her arms around Jo’s waist “I knew you’d come.”
Kneeling, Jo felt the girl’s forehead. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“I’m pregnant!”
Jo nearly swallowed her tongue. Thankfully, her closed throat kept her from screeching her surprise. Taking a deep breath, Jo wiped the alarm from her face. “Claire, has anyone ever touched you anywhere you didn’t want them to?”
Claire frowned, looking completely puzzled. “No.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Jo bit back the smile that threatened to break through. “What makes you think you’re pregnant?”
The little girl shifted uncomfortably, then leaned forward, tears in her eyes. “My boobies hurt. Stacy Whetter told me that’s how her older sister knew she was pregnant.” Her bottom lip trembled, and she fell against Jo, sobbing. “Oh, Jo, I don’t want to have a baby!”
Jo hugged her close, patting her back, trying to help her regain her composure. She wouldn’t subject Claire to further indignities by laughing at her misguided concerns. “Shh, sweetheart, don’t cry—you’re not pregnant.”
Claire pulled back and hiccuped. “I’m not?”
Smiling, Jo shook her head. “No, you’re not I suspect, however, that you are beginning to develop, um, boobies, and that’s why they’re hurting. Do you have any training bras?”
Eyes wide, Claire shook her head gravely.
Tilting her head, Jo wiped Claire’s tears and said, “Then we’ll fix that.”
Claire sniffed, then grinned and poked at her glasses:
Consulting her watch, Jo said, “It’s only another hour before you leave. I’ll see if I can sign you out.”
Predictably, the school secretary wouldn’t allow Claire to leave with a nonfamily member, so Jo dialed John’s office from a pay phone in the corner. Susan put her through to John with minimal drilling.
“Jo?”
His voice was so deep and so…welcome. Jo squashed the flash of lust she felt, spinning her engagement ring round and round. “John, I’m at Claire’s school. She called and asked me to come pick her up.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice escalating.
“Well, nothing medical exactly,” Jo said, looking over her shoulder to make sure Claire was out of earshot. “But your little girl is developing breasts and it scared her so much she thought she was pregnant.”
“What?”
Kids Is A 4-Letter Word Page 16
