She looked over at Cael, sitting there sipping his beer, almost brooding. She tried to probe into his thoughts, but damn, he’d closed his mind to her. That wasn’t like him. God, she hoped he wasn’t thinking about babies again. What was it with him and babies? Men were supposed to be the ones who didn’t want kids—at least most she knew acted like it. Why did she have to find one who desperately wanted one? Whatever he was thinking about, she needed to try to cheer him up and if it was babies, then she needed to change that.
Do you think Gerry’s hiding something from us? She pushed the thought into Cael’s mind.
He glanced up from his beer and shrugged. Don’t know. Maybe you can get him to talk when he isn’t out here with so many people listening. Wait until he goes back to his office and ask him there.
Chapter 7
Surprises Come in Twos
Maia threw the half-eaten peach into the trash after mistaking the pang in her stomach for hunger. She clutched her belly as the knots in it grew tighter and tighter. It was too late to be eating anyway. Every time she ate past eight o’clock, she’d have a strange dream and wake up in a sweat. And after the scene at the bar today, she didn’t feel like giving her subconscious mind any ammunition. It had been very unsettling. Why had Gerry gotten so flustered when that woman entered the bar? She’d seen the look on his face, the slight flicker in his eye, more than just recognition. Was it affection? Attraction? Yes, she definitely saw attraction. What exactly did Careen Faraday mean to Gerry? She knew he’d had other women in his life in the past, but Gerry had never mentioned her before. It was obvious to everyone there that Careen seemed to want to pick up where they’d left off.
Maia flicked off the light as she left the kitchen. Before heading upstairs, she pulled the white lace curtains at the top of the front door closed then checked the lock. She strolled into the bedroom and saw Gerry lounging on the bed in nothing but his blue and green plaid boxer shorts. The sight of his lean muscular thighs and his broad taut chest had her stomach fluttering in a different direction. He was perusing the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting Maia had left on the nightstand. His vision was cat-like so he didn’t need much light. The flickering glow of the single candle gave him the appearance of a sculpture chiseled by angels on their way to a love-fest. She managed a smile and went to his side. Curling into him, she placed her head on his shoulder to see what chapter he was on, pleased to see he was in the section for dads.
“It says here you might not enjoy sex until the second trimester. Have I been too selfish, Maia?”
“No!” she answered emphatically, a bit shocked that he would even think that.
“Good,” he nodded, “because I hadn’t really noticed any change in that area.”
“I always enjoy sex with you. Maybe I’m not your average pregnant woman.” She grinned, trying to keep out thoughts of the temptress Careen. Should she be worried? Her finger lightly encircled his belly button.
He glanced down at her. “Aye, that you’re not.” He closed the book and turned to her. “So tell me, darlin’—what is it you like most about sex with me?”
“This,” she said, and stuck her hand down his boxers.
“I see. I’m just a machine to you then,” he said and moaned. “Hmmm, I can live with that.” He pushed his boxer shorts down and kicked them to the floor. He slipped Maia’s thin nightgown off and twirled his tongue gently around her nipples, kissing each breast softly before pulling her towards him until her lips met his. The tender kiss soon turned fiery and the need swelled up in Maia like a volcano on the verge of eruption. Maia groaned a soft plea for release as she moved over him. Straddling him, she felt her own wetness as she slid against him before taking him in.
“No, baby, you’re far from average,” Gerry crooned with delight and helped her move her hips, bringing them both the release they craved.
***
Gerry held Maia close, her body partially on top of his, as she could no longer lay flat on her stomach. Her head was on his chest and she could feel the rise and fall of his lungs with each quick breath. The candle still flickered on the nightstand. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the image of Careen. Even here, in the secure warmth of Gerry’s arms, the sudden appearance of the vixen plagued her mind. A past lover? If so, what did she want? Opening her eyes, she raised her head to look into his green ones just as the candle sputtered and went out. The room became pitch black. Gerry didn’t seem to notice; his breathing had slowed to a more normal pace. This time the voice was soft and sweet.
Don’t let her in, the voice whispered.
“Who’s there?” Maia said, jumping up and turning on the light.
“Maia, what’s wrong?” Gerry asked.
“Didn’t you hear that?”
“No. Baby, what did you hear?” He was now sitting up.
“I’m not sure, a voice I think. It sounded like somebody whispering.” She picked up the glass of water she’d left by the bed and put it to her mouth, draining its contents.
“What did the voice say?”
“It was difficult to make out. I think it was some sort of warning. It didn’t make sense. You didn’t hear it?”
“No. Maybe it was just the wind outside.”
They looked out the window; there was no wind, but neither one pointed that out. Maia considered some of the old rumors about how Whisper Cape got its name, something about the dead whispering and she shuddered a little. Gerry got up and pulled on his boxers. “Come with me, darlin’, I have something to show you.”
***
Gerry wasn’t sure what Maia was experiencing, hearing voices and seeing old women no one else heard or saw, but he didn’t want her fretting over it. Whatever it was would reveal its purpose eventually. And if it was something warning Maia, he didn’t think it was out to harm her. He walked to her, grabbed her robe on the way and placed it around her shoulders. He took her hand and led her to the bedroom across the hall, the one they were planning to use for a nursery. He opened the door and Maia stood in the doorway. Other than the twin-sized bed against the wall that Addie had used when she’d lived there, soon to be replaced by a crib—well, two cribs now—the room was sparsely decorated except for a small picture on the wall. In the middle of the room stood a metal stand, supporting what Maia deduced as a sonogram machine.
“Oh Gerry, this is incredible!”
“I told you I would get one.” He grinned.
“Yes, but I never thought you were really serious. This kind is so expensive. How did you manage it?”
“Well, I’d like to say I got it on my own, but actually, I had a little help.”
Maia looked at him quizzically.
“Addie mentioned that they might have one at the Sectory and Cael took us there. Red, the doctor there, well, once he found out it was for you, he was more than happy to lend it to us.”
“Red,” she nodded slowly, smiling.
Gerry studied her a moment. “Is there something I should know, Maia? I mean about you and Red, should I be jealous here?”
“No.” She giggled and threw her arms around Gerry’s neck. “I love you, thank you for getting this for me.”
“You’re welcome, but I want to know what the story is with you and this Red character. I can tell when you’re hiding something.”
“There’s nothing between us except ... maybe a meatball.”
“Excuse me?” Gerry wasn’t sure if he’d heard her correctly.
“A meatball,” she said, laughing. “I haven’t thought of Red in years. I’ve known him practically my whole life. When we were kids, our families would have potluck dinners occasionally. Well, one time—I think we were about eight—someone brought spaghetti and meatballs, and toward the end of the dinner there was only one meatball left and we both wanted it. We argued with both our forks stuck in the meatball. Neither one of us would let go. It split and fell to the ground. I stomped away, left him there staring at the two dirty, sand covered halves. We never spo
ke again, so I’m sure he disliked me after that.”
“Apparently he’s changed his opinion of you.”
“Yes, well, that was a long time ago and I suppose we’ve both grown up some since then.”
“He’s offered to help with the delivery; wanted me to tell you that and to contact him so he can examine you.”
“Yes, I suppose it might be wise to have him there, but I think I’d still like to have Dr. Morris. She’s an expert with monoamniotic twins.”
“Whatever you want, darlin’. I aim to please.” Leading Maia over to the small bed, Gerry said, “Come lie down and we’ll try this thing out.”
***
Maia lay on the bed, propped up with several pillows behind her and watched the screen. She flinched at the cold gooey ointment Gerry spread over her abdomen, but she relaxed quickly. Neither one of them really knew what they were looking for without any instruction. Gerry supposed, for now, as long as there were two heartbeats, everything was fine. He looked forward to the day when Red could come by to show them exactly what they should be looking for with this specialized equipment.
After viewing the babies, Maia was sticky in more than one place on her body from the goop Gerry generously smeared over her stomach—a little too generous, but she supposed they needed it in order for the machine to work. While she cleaned up in the shower before going to bed, Gerry went downstairs to get something to drink and once he was in the kitchen, his sweet tooth nagged at him. He opened a cupboard, eyed the blue and red bag. What the hell? He shrugged and grabbed the bag of chocolate chip cookies, ate a couple, then filled a glass with milk. Just as he was leaving the kitchen to go back upstairs, the doorbell rang. He glanced at the clock; it was ten-fifteen. He considered ignoring it, but it rang again and then again. “That must be Cael and Addie wanting to see us use the sonogram machine,” he grumbled, not really in the mood to invite them in. He looked down, realizing he was still wearing only his boxer shorts. Rather than go all the way upstairs to get his pants and have them continue to ring the bell, Gerry figured he’d open the door just a crack to let them know he needed to get dressed. He set the glass of milk down on the hallway table, opened the door a few inches, and was surprised to see Careen standing on the other side, alone and shivering.
“Careen. What the bloody hell are you doing here?” Gerry used the door as a shield for his near-naked body. Her eyes were red and puffy and she was crying.
“Can I come in?” she asked between sobs.
“No, no, you can’t. I’m not dressed.”
Careen shoved the door a little, leaning her head in and he had to take a step back to hide himself from view. “I’ve seen you in less clothing than that, Gerry. Please, I …” Her voice broke. “I don’t know what to do. Finn … he was really upset at me and ...”
“Hold on,” Gerry said, starting to walk away to get his pants when Careen pushed the door open and stepped inside.
“Please, Gerry. Don’t make me wait outside; can’t you see I’m hurt?”
He stopped, turned, and looked at her. She did look a bit hurt. “Did he hit you?” If there was one thing Gerry couldn’t tolerate, it was a man hitting a woman, even a woman as devilish as Careen, but it didn’t feel right. Finn wasn’t the violent type, unless he’d changed over the years, but then he supposed that no one really knows another person as far as what goes on behind closed doors.
“No, but I thought he was going to. He scared me. He was drinking, we argued. He kicked the chair out from under me and I fell and hit my shoulder on the desk on the way down.” She let her coat fall from her shoulder. Holy crap, she wasn’t wearing a blouse. “See? I can barely move my arm.”
Gerry took a step toward her and hesitated, not wanting to get any closer to her naked chest. Shit, what if she really was hurt? He moved closer and touched the bluish mass to make sure it was real. He wouldn’t have put it past Careen to use make-up to mimic a bruise. “So why come here?”
“Finn … he stormed out like a madman, left me there on the floor. I don’t know where he is. Gerry, you have to help me find him. He was so drunk, he could be anywhere … he took the car … I’m so worried about him.” She put her hand on his waist as if she needed to balance herself as her coat fell further down her arm. He looked in Careen’s eyes to avoid looking at her breasts, but her eyes were focused on something over his shoulder. Gerry turned to see Maia, standing at the top of the stairs.
Gerry stepped away from Careen and watched Maia descend the stairs.
“Gerry? What’s going on?”
Gerry looked at Careen, looked at Maia, and bolted up the stairs yelling, “I’ll be right back!”
He left Maia at the base of the stairs and Careen by the door. He didn’t hear a peep out of either of them as he rushed to pull on his jeans. Hopping on one foot, he headed for the door while zipping the fly, stopped, and turned back. Thinking better, he grabbed his shirt and donned his slippers, not wanting any part of his body exposed. He immediately headed back down, fully dressed, taking two steps at a time.
Gerry placed his hand on Maia’s shoulder. “Maia, I’m sorry.”
Careen had lifted her coat back over her shoulder while keeping her eyes on Maia. She took a step toward them and put her hand up to wave off Gerry. “Look Maia, this isn’t what it looked like.”
“I bet,” Maia said.
“I swear. I just came over because I needed help. Finn’s gone mad. He’s lost all sense of right and wrong. Yelling at me like a lunatic and … I didn’t know what to do. I don’t know where he went and my shoulder hurts so much. I’m worried about him. He was very drunk. I thought Gerry could help. He’s known Finn a long time.”
“Let me see your shoulder.” Maia walked toward the woman. Careen pulled her coat down and Maia cringed. “Oooh. This is bad. Do you mind?” Maia said, indicating she wanted to examine the bruised area.
“No, it’s okay.” Careen pulled her coat down a bit further, exposing a good portion of her left breast.
“Hmmm …” Maia gently touched the area around the bruise then stepped back.
“Well, I’m not a doctor, but it looks to me like you should go home and put some ice on it. Gerry, why don’t you try calling Finn on his cell?”
“Good idea.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
“Forget it. I can see I’m not going to get any help from you.”
“I didn’t think you’d want him to call Finn,” Maia said. “Because Finn didn’t do this, did he?”
“Yes. He did. I just don’t think he’ll answer his phone.”
“Listen to me, Careen, listen carefully. This is a warning. I let that kiss you gave Gerry this afternoon go without question. But don’t push your luck. I know what your little scheme is. Gerry is off limits and if you mess with him, you’ll be messing with me and believe me, honey, you don’t want to do that.”
Careen’s eyes bulged. She tugged her coat back over her shoulder. “Well, I really don’t know what you are talking about. I never intended to try to lure Gerry away from you. I’m not that kind of person.”
“Right.” Maia glanced at Gerry. He raised his eyebrows, then leaned against the wall with his feet crossed at his ankles and his arms crossed over his chest; secretly enjoying Maia’s burst of assertiveness.
Without taking her eyes off Careen, Maia said, “Gerry, now I know what the voice whispered to me.”
“What’s that, darlin’?”
“Don’t. Let. Her. In.” Maia opened the door and shoved Careen out, shutting the door and turning the bolt to lock it. She glared at Gerry, walked past him, and climbed the stairs. “You have some explaining to do.”
He followed her up, and if he’d had a tail, it would have been between his legs. “Maia, it really wasn’t what it looked like.”
When she reached the top of the stairs, she turned to him. “You were in your underwear. Her coat was open and hanging down her arm, exposing her naked breast. She wasn’t wearing anything un
der that coat and her hand was on your waist, while yours was on her shoulder. Don’t tell me what it looked like.”
He had to admit, if a judge and jury heard her description of the scene, the way it appeared, the verdict would most definitely be guilty. “Yes, you’re right, of course. I’m sorry, I didn’t think.”
Chapter 8
The Best Laid Plans
Maia’s hands shook with anger and yes, jealousy. She considered what just happened. It was past ten at night. Careen had come to Gerry’s door most likely hoping Maia wouldn’t be there. Did Careen think Gerry lived by himself? Careen, what little Maia knew of her, was no doubt a conniving bitch, someone not to trust; but still, Maia wanted, needed an explanation from Gerry. She’d wanted to ask Gerry about Careen all evening, but hadn’t wanted to spoil the night with talk of exes, which she could only guess Careen was. Why hadn’t Gerry ever mentioned her? And why hadn’t he attempted to talk about her this evening after what had happened at the Cliff Hanger this afternoon? Well, fiddlesticks, she’d put this conversation on hold for too long now. Like it or not, they were going to talk—Careen had seen to that. “Gerry, why did you answer the door in your underwear?”
“Fuck, I don’t know, the bell was ringing and ringing, relentlessly. I thought it was Cael and Addie. Earlier, Addie mentioned something about wanting to see the machine work. I thought it would be faster if I just went to the door, opened it a crack and got rid of whoever it was quickly.”
“How fortunate for her. Did she even know we were living together?”
“Of course she did … does.” Gerry scratched his head as though he wasn’t sure if he’d mentioned that to Careen or not. Had he not thought it was important?
Reflections Page 7
