Bundle of Joy

by Robin Lee Hatcher

  Grandpa Roger nodded, then looked at his granddaughter once again. “I think it’s time for a hug. The rest of the story can wait.”

  She responded immediately, throwing her arms around him and holding on tight. Her grandfather said something to her, but he spoke too softly for Joe to understand. When the older man looked at him over Alicia’s shoulder, Joe felt a sudden desire to earn his respect.

  He wondered if that would be possible, given the lies he intended to tell.

  While Joe carried her grandfather’s luggage into the house, Alicia put the kettle on for tea.

  “Are you hungry, Grandpa? It’ll be an hour before dinner’s ready.”

  “I’m not in any hurry. But I would like to hear more about you and Joe.”

  She’d known she couldn’t put off this discussion for long.

  “Why did you keep the marriage a secret from me?”

  She turned. Her grandfather was seated on one of the kitchen chairs, watching her with those kind, loving eyes of his. She hated lying to him, even if it was for his own good.

  He patted his hand on the table. “Come sit down. Come talk to me.”

  “Okay,” she answered softly as she obeyed.

  “Are you happy?”

  “Yes.” She smiled to prove it, but inside she quivered.

  “Then tell me.”

  “Remember our argument when I told you I was getting married after a whirlwind romance?”

  He nodded.

  “I was so angry, I decided not to tell you I got married, despite your advice to wait awhile. It was silly and petty of me, I know, but that was my reason for keeping it a secret.” She looked down at her hands, unable to meet his gaze while she spun her tale of half-truths and outright lies. “When I discovered I was pregnant, I knew I had to tell you, but I kept putting it off because I was ashamed of the way I’d acted. Then you got sick and I couldn’t tell you until you were better. And…well…here you are.” She ended with a slight shrug.

  “Here I am.”

  She looked up. “I’m sorry, Grandpa. I didn’t mean for it to happen this way.”

  “But you are happy?”

  “Yes, I’m happy.”

  “And the baby? When is it due?”

  “January 20.”

  “My first great-grandchild. I wish your grandmother could have lived to see this.”

  Her heart tightened. “Me, too.”

  Joe entered the kitchen at that moment. He hesitated in the doorway, then strode across the room, coming to a stop behind Alicia’s chair. He placed his hands on her shoulders, leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

  A shiver raced through her.

  “I put the bags on the bed, sir, and hung you suit in the closet.”

  “Thank you.” Her grandfather motioned to another chair. “No time like the present to get acquainted. I’ve forgotten if Alicia told me what you do for a living.”

  “I’m an attorney.”

  Alicia noticed how calm Joe looked and sounded. She wished she felt the same.

  “What sort of law do you practice?”

  “Corporate, mostly, but I do some trial work, too.”

  “What firm are you with?”

  Alicia felt a stab of alarm. They hadn’t discussed any of this.

  Grandpa Roger shook his head. “It sounds like I’m interrogating you, doesn’t it?”

  “I don’t mind, sir. And to answer your question, I’m not with any local firm as yet. I’m wrapping up some things for clients in California while working out of the house. I may be settled into a new firm by January, but I’m not in any hurry. I wouldn’t mind being at home when our baby arrives.”

  Our baby… Alicia imagined him holding a newborn in his arms.

  “It’d give us more time to bond. My father worked such long hours, I hardly knew him. I’d like things to be different with my kid.”

  “Wonderful sentiment,” her grandfather said. “And with laptops, faxes and e-mail, I guess no one has to have an outside office these days.”

  “No, sir. That’s true.”

  The kettle began to whistle. Alicia rose from her chair, excusing herself with a mumbled apology, glad for a moment to collect her thoughts. The way Joe had talked about bonding with his child and how he hadn’t known his own father had left her oddly disturbed. She’d found herself believing him, caught up in the fantasy they were spinning for her grandfather.

  “Do you need any help, sweetheart?”

  She knew her cheeks were flushed as she turned to answer Joe. “No, thanks. I’ve got it.” She carried the teacups to the table and set one before her grandfather, the other before Joe.

  “She’s still trying to get me to drink this herbal stuff,” Joe said with a chuckle as his gaze met hers. “Even after all these months together, she hasn’t given up.”

  Dropping through a hole in the floor would have been a convenient escape. It didn’t happen.

  “Alicia’s always been a headstrong girl,” Grandpa Roger said. “Mind of her own. I suppose you know I advised her against marrying in such a hurry.”

  “Yes, sir. So I heard.” Joe glanced at the older man. “I’d like you to know, right up front, that keeping the news about our wedding and the baby from you was her idea. Not mine. I told her it was better to tell the truth.”

  Alicia wanted to kick him.

  All things considered, the evening went well.

  Over a supper of grilled chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, and peas with carrots, Alicia asked her grandfather about his friends in Arizona, about the heart specialist’s recommendations for his diet, about anything that would steer the conversation away from Joe and their “marriage.”

  It wasn’t yet nine o’clock when Grandpa Roger announced it was time for him to turn in.

  “Are you feeling all right?” she asked, suddenly anxious.

  “A bit tired, is all. It’s been a long day.” He rose from the easy chair where he’d been sitting. “I’ll see you both in the morning. Good night.”

  “Good night,” Alicia and Joe said in unison.

  She waited until she heard the bedroom door close before she asked, “Do you think he’s really all right? I should have insisted he lie down when we first got home.”

  “Alicia…” Joe laid his hand on her shoulder. “Relax. He said he was just tired.”

  “I know, but—”

  He squeezed her shoulder. “He’s okay.”

  She looked at him. The hint of a smile curved his mouth, and his gaze was filled with tenderness. She hoped she wasn’t going to start crying again. She was sick to death of her propensity for turning on the waterworks.

  “Maybe I’d better go to bed, too.” She stood. “I’ll be up early to put the turkey in the oven.”

  “I’m going to watch a bit of television.”

  She nodded.

  He lowered his voice. “I’ll wait until Roger’s had time to fall asleep, then I’ll let myself into the nursery. But how will I know when it’s okay for me to come through your room in the morning?”

  “I brought home a two-way baby monitoring system so we can talk to each other. They work like walkie-talkies.”

  “Good thinking.”

  She smiled. “Good night then. I hope that bed isn’t too miserable.”

  “It’ll be fine. See you in the morning.”

  Joe flicked through the local channels but didn’t find anything worth watching. In California, he’d had a satellite system, complete with more channels than he’d known what to do with. Alicia didn’t even have basic cable.

  Alicia…

  He glanced toward the master bedroom. No light showed beneath the door. She must be in bed, but he’d bet money she wasn’t asleep yet. She’d been stretched tight as a drum all day. He wished he knew how to make her relax.

  But she wasn’t his responsibility, he reminded himself. This whole charade was her problem. He would do his part as best he could, but he couldn’t fix everything. He sure couldn’t make h
er feel better about it.

  “Never should’ve agreed to this,” he muttered as he got to his feet, at the same time clicking off the TV with the remote control.

  After checking the lock on the front door, he put out the last light and made his way toward the bathroom.

  Through the monitor, Alicia listened to the almost undetectable sounds of Joe moving around in the nursery. She hoped he didn’t stub his toe in the dark. That room had become something of a catchall in recent months.

  Rosie must have heard the sounds, too, for she hissed at the nightstand.

  “Be good, Rosie,’ Alicia whispered. “I need you to be nice to Joe.” She stroked the cat’s fur.

  Through the monitor came a low, male voice. “Tell her if she isn’t nice to me, next time I’ll scratch back.”

  She laughed—the tension easing from her shoulders—as she reached for the monitor, discovering that the button she needed to hold down in order to be heard in the other room was stuck. She would have to be careful about that in the future.

  “Good night, Joe.”

  “Night, Alicia.”

  It was going to be all right. They would make it through Thanksgiving and Christmas. Grandpa Roger would go home, none the wiser but in good health. Joe would find a new law firm and a new place to live. Maybe they would even stay friends. She hoped so.

  More than she should.

  Chapter Five

  Daylight peeked through the nursery windows when Joe opened his eyes the following morning. He hadn’t slept this soundly in ages.

  Through the closed door, he heard voices. Roger and Alicia must be up. Why hadn’t she told him to do the same? The monitor worked well enough last night.

  He got up, pulled on his jeans and a T-shirt, and then made sure to remove all evidence that he’d been in the room. Finally, he made his way on bare feet out the exterior nursery door onto the porch and in through the door into Alicia’s bedroom. Once inside, he stopped and looked around.

  The room seemed to fit Alicia. It had an old-world charm about it, from the four-poster bed to the large wardrobe with claw-feet and its matching dressing table and chest of drawers.

  More sounds reached him, and he realized he needed to get out there and play his part. Didn’t want Grandpa Roger thinking him a laggard. He opened the bottom drawer and removed clean clothes. Then he opened the door to the hallway and closed it behind him, this time making sure he would be heard. From there he went into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he emerged—showered, shaved and ready for his coffee.

  “Good morning,” he said as he entered the kitchen. He stopped behind Alicia’s chair, leaned down and kissed the back of her neck. “Sorry I overslept. I meant to help you get the turkey in the oven.”

  “It’s okay.” She didn’t quite meet his gaze when she looked up. “I could see you were tired.” Her cheeks were flushed.

  Joe looked toward her grandfather. “Good morning, sir. Did you sleep well?”

  “I certainly did. That’s a comfortable bed in the guest room.”

  Grandpa Roger slid his chair back from the table. “I’d better take my walk before the day gets away from me.”

  “Do you mind company?” Joe asked. “I could use some fresh air to wake me up.”

  “I’d be delighted, son. I’ll get my coat.”

  “Are you crazy?” Alicia asked in a whisper the instant her grandfather was out of hearing. “Why did you volunteer to go with him? He’ll end up asking you more questions.”

  “It can’t be avoided. Might as well get used to it. It’ll look more suspicious if I avoid him.”

  “Okay. Just don’t stay out too long. And for goodness’ sake, keep your stories straight.”

  The sky was one of those crystal clear winter blues that almost hurt the eyes. The temperature hovered around freezing, and the two men could see their breath as they ambled down the quiet country road. The Boise Mountains to the north and the Owyhee Mountains to the south wore cloaks of white, and despite the cloudless day, there was a promise of snowfall in the air.

  “I miss winter, living in Arizona,” Grandpa Roger said, breaking the self-imposed silence that had stretched between them.

  “That’s how I felt about California. I mean, all that sunshine’s great for the sun worshippers, but that was never my scene. Give me the slopes any day of the week.”

  Alicia’s grandfather glanced at Joe. “Alicia never cared much for skiing. Think she’ll take it up now?”

  “I don’t know.” He made a mental note to ask her. “But I’ll do my best to change her mind.”

  “Well, it won’t be this year.”

  “No, sir. It won’t.”

  They continued in silence a short while longer.

  “Joe?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Except for you now, I’m all the family Alicia’s got. While I hope the good Lord will give me plenty more years on this earth, I’d like to know she’s in good hands if I’m called home anytime soon.”

  “You can depend on me to take care of her, sir.” He hadn’t expected the lie to come so hard. “I’ll see she doesn’t go in want of anything.” Maybe it didn’t have to be a lie. Just because he wasn’t married to Alicia Harris didn’t mean he couldn’t check on her every now and again, make certain she and the baby were okay.

  The elderly man smiled. “Why don’t you call me Roger or Grandpa? There shouldn’t be all this formality between us. You and I are family, and you’re about to make me a great-grandfather.”

  “No, sir.”

  Grandpa Roger chuckled.

  Joe grinned. “Sorry.”

  Another stretch of silence followed. Joe was surprised by how comfortable it felt. As if he and the older man had spent many such hours together.

  “Tell me more about how you and Alicia became reacquainted. On the Internet, I understood, but beyond a bit of shopping online and e-mail, I can’t say I’m familiar with all the newfangled things that exist.”

  “We met on a business-networking site. It’s used for lots of different reasons. We met because of our Idaho connections. I don’t even remember how I stumbled on her name, but once we determined we were the same Joe Palermo and Alicia Harris that grew up on the same street, things just sort of escalated from there.” So far, so good. Everything he’d said was the truth.

  “Maybe you could give me a few lessons about those networking sites. I may be an old dog, but I can still learn a few new tricks.”

  “Sure. I’d be glad to. I’ll pull out my laptop any time you’re ready.”

  Alicia stepped to the front room windows and looked outside. Relief flooded through her when she saw Grandpa Roger and Joe coming up the walk. They both looked calm and comfortable. Apparently there’d been no slipup on Joe’s part.

  She opened the door as they ascended the porch steps. “Are you frozen yet?”

  “Not at all,” her grandfather replied. “It’s a lovely morning.”

  “Brr.” She shuddered. “Too cold for my blood.”

  Joe stopped in front of her and kissed her cheek. Her heart missed a beat, and her breath caught in her chest.

  “Did I say how pretty you look this morning?” he whispered. “I expect this is going to be the best Thanksgiving I’ve ever had.”

  A pleasant warmth surged through her veins.

  A half second later she realized her grandfather was watching them and grinning from ear to ear. Of course. Joe was doing this for Grandpa Roger’s benefit. She’d almost forgotten it was an act. For a moment she’d become part of the fantasy.

  “Do you need any help in the kitchen?” Joe continued.

  She shook her head, her mouth too dry to speak.

  “Good. I promised your grandfather I’d give him a lesson on the Internet.” He smiled that sexy smile of his. “Maybe he’ll meet an old friend online and end up as happy as we are.”

  Joe gave her another kiss, this time on the forehead. Then he strode toward the bedroom, whistling softly.
>
  She stood beside the open door a moment or two longer, thankful for the cool air on her skin. Her head told her his words were nothing more than lines, but her heart longed to believe they were true.

  She was embarrassed to admit, even to herself, how ridiculously eager for a man’s compliments she was.

  Hormones again, she decided as she closed the door. Just these stupid hormones.

  “Hey, Alicia,” Joe called from the bedroom. “Can you come here a minute?”

  “Coming.” She headed for the hallway. “I’ll be right back, Grandpa.”

  When she entered the master bedroom, she found Joe on his knees beside the chest of drawers.

  “Lose something?” she asked.

  “Yeah. My favorite pen. I keep it in the side pocket of my briefcase. I used it yesterday morning, but it isn’t there now.” He straightened, sitting back on his heels. “It’s a marbled navy-blue color with a gold band. About this wide.” He indicated the width with his right thumb and index finger. “Have you seen it?”

  She shook her head. “Sorry.”

  He stood. “I suppose it’ll turn up eventually.” He stepped closer to her and lowered his voice. “How come you don’t like to snow ski?”

  “What?”

  “Your grandfather says you don’t like to ski.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  “Why?”

  His eyes were a luscious shade of brown. When he looked at her, so intent and earnest, she could hardly think straight.

  “Alicia?”

  She swallowed. “I didn’t care for it, the times I’ve tried.”

  “Maybe you had the wrong instructor.” He smiled as he tipped his head to one side. “Do you suppose you’d give it another try for your husband?”

  There went her heart, thumping erratically again.

  “After the baby comes, of course,” Joe went on.

  He didn’t have a clue how his words affected her. How could he? She wasn’t sure she understood.

  “But that’s only…” He paused. “What? Less than eight weeks now?”

  Somehow she found her voice. “I’m sure the season will be nearly over before the doctor would release me to go skiing.”