by M. Malone
Raina rested a hand on her belly and blinked at him, her brown eyes perfectly innocent. “I have no idea what you mean.” Then she walked in the house and closed the door behind her.
* * * * *
“ARE YOU READY to go?” Ridley stood at the entrance to the nursery the next day, holding a small arrangement of wildflowers. Even though none of the flowers were the same type, somehow the whole bouquet made sense.
More of her sister’s magic, Raina thought.
“I’m waiting on Nick. I told him we were just dropping off flowers at The Rush, but he insisted on coming with us.” Raina ran a finger over the edge of the crib and straightened the comforter hanging over the side. It was surreal that by summertime the crib would be in use. She’d be up to her neck in diapers and bottles and totally sleep deprived.
She couldn’t wait.
“Why? He thinks we need an escort just to go into town? Hah, he probably just wants to hit Miss Doris up for some of those sweet-potato fries. I already promised Jackson I’d bring some back for him.”
Raina shook her head. “He’s afraid to let me out of his sight. A girl can’t have a fainting spell without everyone getting all crazy.”
“I heard that.” Nick poked his head around the doorway and Raina made a face, but secretly, she was thrilled. A husband who adored her and a healthy baby on the way were things she’d always dreamed of but never actually thought she’d have.
Nick pulled the car out of the garage and shuffled a few things around the backseat before finally declaring it safe for Raina to get in the car. Ridley smiled at her behind his back and then climbed in the front, holding her flower arrangement in her lap. As they passed through town, Raina observed all the minute changes from the summertime.
The peninsula was at its best in the warmer months when the boardwalk was open and the air was filled with the squawks of seagulls and the excited chatter of children at play. In the winter, most of the businesses took in their outdoor seating and everything looked slightly shuttered. Still, it was one of the only places she’d ever felt at home.
When they pulled up to The Rush, Ridley climbed out, balancing her flower arrangement carefully. She’d just started supplying bouquets to some of the local businesses and Raina hoped it worked out. It was what Ridley loved to do. Dealing with all the people in town was Raina’s worst nightmare, but it made her sister happy. Ridley had always been the social butterfly.
Nick opened the door for Raina and they followed Ridley at a slower pace. He pulled out a chair for her at the counter and she sat gratefully. An older woman came out from the back and gave a whoop when she spotted them.
“Nick Alexander! Come here, you rascal.” Miss Doris hugged him so hard she almost lifted him off his feet. Then she turned to Raina, who braced herself for the effusive brand of welcome she’d come to expect from everyone in New Haven. But to her surprise, Miss Doris just put a gentle arm around her shoulders and squeezed.
“I’ll bring you out some oranges, dear. Your mother-in-law mentioned in church that you’ve got the Alexander cravings. I remember when she was pregnant if you can believe it. Feels like forever and a day.”
“You don’t have to do that,” Raina said. When Miss Doris’s face fell slightly, she added, “but I am kind of hungry, now that you mention it.”
“Of course! Don’t you worry. We’ll fix you up.” With a wide smile and another squeeze to her shoulder, she was gone, back through the swinging doors leading to the restaurant’s tiny kitchen.
“What did you say to Matt last night?” Raina turned at the sound of Nick’s voice. He sat on the stool next to hers and moved it close enough that he could pull her into his arms. She leaned against him and allowed him to take her weight.
“I just told him that we’re all worried about him but I understand why he doesn’t want to talk yet.”
Nick wrapped his arms around her, resting the palm of his right hand on the top of her belly. It warmed her through and through every time he did it. He hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her belly ever since she’d started showing. Not that she was very big yet, but still. After how hard they’d worked to get her pregnant and after being hospitalized due to her extreme morning sickness, every pound she gained felt like a gift.
“Thanks for doing that. I feel guilty that he’s been helping me out and I never realized how much he’s going through.”
“He doesn’t want a lot of people asking him about his feelings. I haven’t been to war and that would drive me batty.”
Nick sighed, the soft huff of his breath tickling her neck. “I know. I don’t want to be nosy either. I just want him to know we’re there if he needs us.”
Raina squeezed his hands. “He knows that, baby.”
“I also wanted to thank you for suggesting that Eli offer him his house key. If Matt has to be in Northern Virginia for all those appointments, it’s got to be better for him to crash at a friend’s house instead of staying at a hotel.”
“It’s all going to work out. You’ll see. I have a good feeling about it.”
* * * * *
BY SATURDAY EVENING, Penny had managed to work herself into a near frenzy. Georgia’s words had been banging around in her head for the past twenty-four hours.
She wasn’t entirely sure why the whole thing was so shocking. They had been dating for three years. Realistically, what had she thought would happen? That they would just continue eating Chinese and hanging out forever? That one day she would wake up with absolute certainty that Scott was “the one” and be swept off her feet? She wasn’t that naive.
There was nothing magical about sexual attraction. It was called “chemistry” for a reason. It was the end result of an eager adrenal system pumping dopamine to the brain.
Like the way you respond to a certain sexy army sergeant?
Penny groaned and fell back on the bed. There was no denying it. Chemistry was a pretty powerful force and when it came to Matt, she felt it. She felt a lot of things around him that she should not be feeling about a patient. She was supposed to feel that way about her boyfriend. He was the one she should have been daydreaming and fantasizing about. But she hadn’t. Instead she’d been imagining the look on Matt’s face when he’d leaned close and told her to say his name.
God, she wanted to say his name, all right. He’d probably planted the idea in her head on purpose, the arrogant jerk. He knew he was sexy. Probably used the fact to play with women’s heads all the time.
But if you know it’s just a chemical reaction, why does it matter so much? Why does it bother you that Scott doesn’t make your heart race or your palms sweat?
She grabbed yet another dress from a hanger in her closet and held it up in front of her body. Her mirror hadn’t magically morphed in the last ten minutes, so her reflection was still the same. A tall, dishwater blonde in white lace underwear holding up a dress that did nothing for her figure.
“Why is everything I own either casual or a business suit?” She sat down on the edge of her bed. It was at times like these she missed her sisters. Gabby would have come over and found a way to turn the contents of her closet into the perfect date outfit. Elisa was no better with fashion than Penny was, but she would have held her hand and calmed her down. But both of her sisters were happily married and living in different states now. She only saw them on holidays and over the webcam on her computer.
Even though she’d hated moving around as a kid, she’d at least always had the love of her parents and her two older sisters. They’d been a close-knit family and she’d always known she wanted kids of her own. She just wanted to stay in the same place after having them.
Her eyes landed on the picture of her parents she kept tacked to her dresser mirror. That was all she wanted for herself. Her parents were a great team. Just like she and Scott were a great team.
Countless nights she’d come home late to find Scott waiting for her with takeout and a movie. She didn’t have a lot of time to spend at home, so they
had to make their time together count. He understood her drive to succeed and supported it. Lots of men would be intimidated by a woman who was as driven and committed to her career as she was.
So why does the idea of getting married leave you completely cold?
Penny stood and yanked the first black dress she saw out of the pile of clothes on her bed.
She was half in and half out of the dress when the doorbell rang, causing her to jump. “Crap. He’s early for once.” She quickly finished dressing, rushing to put on her heels and earrings before racing down the stairs. He’d used his key and stood in the foyer, adjusting his tie in the hall mirror.
“You look beautiful,” he commented without turning around. Their eyes met in the mirror. “But then again, you look lovely in a pair of scrubs, too.”
There it was. That was the guy she cared about. The one who went out of his way to make her feel good about herself. Just because they didn’t have the kind of passionate relationship portrayed in books and movies didn’t mean their marriage wasn’t going to be awesome. Everything in life wasn’t going to be exciting. Some things were just steady and reliable and good. Scott was a good guy. Getting married was the sensible next step.
“Thanks. I’d say the same to you, but you always look perfectly polished.”
He kissed her cheek lightly and then opened the door for her. “It’s just part of the job. After you, my lady.”
They rode through downtown Alexandria until they turned into a parking garage. As they walked out of the parking structure and onto King Street, she turned suspicious eyes to Scott.
“I’m guessing we’re close. Do I get a hint?”
He didn’t respond, just tugged on her hand until they stopped in front of a small awning. Penny turned to Scott in surprise when she saw the name written across the fabric in fancy lettering.
“The Tasting Room? How did you get reservations? I’m pretty sure they’re wait-listed into next year!” She didn’t add that she also knew he didn’t care for seafood, which was the main thing on the menu. Now she really felt guilty for her earlier thoughts. The guy was willing to eat seafood just to make her happy. That ought to carry more weight than sizzle and excitement.
“I know a guy who knows a guy who took pity on me. That’s all I’ll admit to.” He held the door for her again and then gave his name to the hostess.
Within minutes they were seated and she almost bounced in her seat looking at the menu. She’d been reading raves about their crab cakes ever since the restaurant had opened a year ago. They placed their orders with an extremely bored-looking waitress and then Scott surprised her by ordering a bottle of champagne.
He winked at her. “Let’s go all out.”
The champagne was brought by a different waiter and presented and poured with more pomp and circumstance than she could have imagined. Once they were alone again, she raised her glass of the bubbling golden liquid. “Here’s to a night to remember.”
“I’ll toast to that.” Scott tapped his glass against hers.
Their food was brought ten minutes later and Penny grinned at Scott over the plate. “This is amazing. Thank you.” She took her first bite and hummed with pleasure. She was so absorbed in her food that she didn’t look up until Scott reached across the table and took her hand.
“I brought you here to celebrate more than just our anniversary, babe.” Scott leaned closer. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the future lately.”
Oh my god, this is it.
Penny took a long, bracing gulp of her champagne, then moved her chair slightly closer. “I have, too. Just today I was thinking how well we get on together.”
“Yes, we do. You complement me perfectly. I need a partner I can rely on. One who’ll understand and support my goals. You’ve always pushed me to reach the next level. To be a crusader for justice.”
Her brow furrowed at the last part. Crusader for justice?
“I suppose so. Of course, I’m all for… justice.” She could only hope her face didn’t look as awkward as it felt.
“Well, I did it. Babe, I’m going to be the district attorney in Atlanta. I always thought I’d be district attorney already so I could be running for office soon, but this is exactly the kind of step up I’ve been working toward. It’s a little late, but I’ll take it.” He chuckled at his own joke.
She hesitated a beat too long before her manners kicked in. “Congratulations. Scott, that’s wonderful.” She meant it. Scott was a brilliant attorney and he deserved a promotion. Although, considering that she’d been expecting a heartfelt declaration of love, she wasn’t sure if she was insulted or relieved that he was only thinking about work.
“Wait, you’re going to be the new district attorney? Not, they offered you the job or you’re thinking about it, but you’re going to be.” She sat back in her seat, the champagne turning a little sour in her stomach. Scott wouldn’t meet her eyes and without a word she knew. “You’ve already accepted it, haven’t you?”
He finally lifted his eyes to hers. “Well, yes. This is my dream job! It’s a huge step up for me.”
“It’s in Atlanta. It’s a big move,” Penny added.
“I know. I do know that.” Scott looked contrite. “I want to marry you, Penny. Let’s be crazy and just do it. I know it’s a big move, but coming from a military family I figured you’d be up for the challenge. We make a great team.”
Hearing her own thoughts echoed back to her was like a glass of ice water to the face. She smiled automatically, but it felt like it was pasted on her face. It must have looked normal though, because Scott’s shoulders dropped and he let out a sudden breath, his easy smile back in place.
Despite their many conversations about family and her experiences growing up, it hadn’t occurred to him that she might not want to move. Or worse, it had occurred to him and he hadn’t cared. In essence, he hadn’t said would you consider moving to Atlanta with me at all. It was I’m moving to Atlanta with or without you.
How was it possible to spend so much time with someone and not have them see you at all? She was one more box to check off on his list of things to take care of before the move. She might as well have been a piece of furniture he was deciding whether to take with him or put into storage.
What to toss and what to keep.
“You’re right, Scott. These past few years we’ve been a great team.” She let out a breath and took another gulp of her champagne. “Just not so much a great couple.”
The waitress came back then. “Would you like to see our dessert menu?”
Scott held up a hand. “No, we need a few—”
“Actually, could you bring a box for these crab cakes, please? They’re too good to waste. I’ll also have the double-decker chocolate cake.” She looked over at Scott before turning back to the waitress. “I’ll have that to go, please.”
CHAPTER SIX
THE NEXT MORNING, Penny woke up feeling like a tiny man was playing the drums behind her eyelids. She also had a serious case of dry mouth. She rolled her tongue around experimentally and opened her mouth gingerly. She caught a whiff of her breath and it was so bad it made her eyes water.
“Ugh. You know it’s bad when you’re grossed out by your own morning breath.”
That was what she deserved after finishing the entire bottle of champagne at dinner last night. Scott had just watched, quietly, as she’d poured herself glass after glass. She’d never been much of a drinker, but she didn’t think he had room to judge her after his half-assed proposal.
After he’d dropped her off at home, she’d closed the door in his face, put her food in the refrigerator, and gone straight to bed. She had barely managed to get her dress and bra off before she passed out.
She walked down the stairs and stumbled through the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker. Her phone rang and she grabbed it from her bag, which she’d dropped in the middle of the living room floor. She had several missed calls from Scott and one from Georgia.
S
he wasn’t ready to face Scott for sure or Georgia and all her questions about the proposal. Her friend was going to be expecting something romantic and exciting. All she had was a halfhearted “let’s go be crazy and do it.” Which he hadn’t even mentioned until after his big news about the job in Atlanta.
Which kind of told her where she ranked on his priority list, didn’t it?
“Oh, it was a night to remember, all right.”
Now that her initial anger had passed she was more pissed at herself than Scott. He was oblivious, of course, but she shouldn’t have been so harsh. Was her reaction any better than the way he’d gone about things?
He should have told her about the job offer before accepting it, that was true. However, ignoring him all through dinner and then leaving him on the doorstep without so much as a farewell wasn’t earning her any maturity points either. They needed to talk. They really did.
It was just going to be a little while before she could deal with talking to him in a calm and rational manner.
The phone rang again in her hand and she recognized Georgia’s number. She silenced the call and went back to the kitchen to get her cup of coffee. She couldn’t hide forever, but she needed caffeine and a shower before she could be expected to deal with the real world.
* * * * *
PENNY KNEW SHE should be thinking about what she was going to say to Scott tonight. She’d agreed to meet him at the bar across the street after work to talk. They’d been together for three years. That wasn’t something you just threw away because you were angry.
However, when she looked up to see Matt standing in the doorway to her office Monday afternoon, the frantic beat of her heart told her several things she’d been trying to deny since she’d watched him walk away the prior week. One, he truly was as gorgeous as she’d remembered. Two, her body responded to him in ways that were both exhilarating and embarrassing. And three, she was happy to see him. Purely, simply happy.
