The Manning Grooms

Page 49

“Thank you, Julie, but I can take it from here.”
“I can see that,” Walter said, ignoring Summer.
“What brings you to California?” Summer asked cordially, looking for a way to change the subject.
“A business trip. I thought James might have mentioned it.”
If he had, Summer had missed it. She had a feeling she’d been doing a lot of that lately.
“Well, my dear,” Walter said, sitting back in his chair and grinning broadly. “This is a pleasant surprise.”
“It was for me, too.”
“I can just see James’s face when you tell him.”
“He probably won’t know what to do, laugh or cry.”
“He’ll probably do a little of both.”
Walter himself was laughing, Summer noticed. He hadn’t stopped smiling from the moment he’d heard the news.
“Everything’s always been so carefully planned in James’s life,” Walter said, still grinning. “Then he met you and bingo. He’s a husband, and now he’s about to be a father. This is terrific news, just terrific.”
“James might not find it all that wonderful,” Summer said, voicing her fears for the first time. “He’s in the middle of an important campaign.”
“Don’t you worry about a thing.”
“I am worried. I can’t help it.”
“Then we’re going to have to do something about that.”
“We are?” Summer asked. “What?”
“If my son’s going to become a father, you should tell him, and the sooner the better. Pack your bags, Summer. It’s about time you moved to Seattle with your husband where you belong.”
“But…”
“Don’t argue with me, young lady. I’m an old man and I’m accustomed to having my own way. If you’re worried about his campaign, this is how we fix that. You’ll be introduced to the public as his wife and we’re going to put an end to any speculation right now.”
Nine
Something was wrong with Summer. James had sensed it weeks ago. He would have confronted her and demanded answers if she hadn’t sounded so fragile.
There was that business with the flu, but exactly how long was that going to last? When he asked her what the doctor said, she seemed vague.
Part of the problem was the length of time they’d been apart. He hadn’t meant it to be so long. Summer had intended to come to Seattle, but that had fallen through, just as his last visit to California had. Neither of them was happy about it, but there was nothing James could have done on his end. He was sure that was the case with her, too.
James paced in his den, worrying. When he had to mull over a problem, that was what he did. Lately he’d practically worn a path in the carpet. He felt helpless and frustrated. Despite Ralph’s dire warnings, he wished he’d brought Summer back to Seattle. This separation was hurting them both.
His greatest fear was that she regretted their marriage.
Their telephone conversations weren’t the same anymore. He felt as if she was hiding something from him. They used to talk about everything but he noticed that she steered him away from certain topics now. She didn’t want to talk about herself or her job or this flu that had hung on for few weeks. They used to talk for hours; now he had the feeling she was eager to get off the line.
James wondered about Brett, but when he asked, Summer assured him she hadn’t seen or heard from him since the fight.
The fight.
His black eye had caused a great deal of speculation among his peers. James had never offered any explanation. Via the grapevine, he’d heard Ralph’s version and found it only distantly related to the truth. According to his campaign manager, James had been jumped by gang members and valiantly fought them off until the police arrived.
When James confronted Ralph with the story, the other man smiled and said he couldn’t be held accountable for rumors. Right or wrong, James had let it drop. He was eager to put the incident behind him.
James certainly hadn’t expected married life to be this lonely. He’d never felt this detached from the mainstream of everyday life, this isolated. Missing Summer was like a constant ache in his stomach. Except that a store-bought tablet wasn’t going to cure what ailed him.
His desk was filled with demands. He felt weary. Unsure of his marriage. Unsure of himself.
He went into the kitchen to make a cup of instant coffee when he saw a car turn into his driveway and around to the backyard.
His father.
He wondered why Walter would stop by unannounced on a Sunday afternoon. James wasn’t in the mood for company—but then again, maybe a sounding board was exactly what he needed. Other than his father, there was no one with whom he could discuss Summer.
The slam of a car door closing was followed almost immediately by another. James frowned. Dad had brought someone with him. Great. Just great.
He took the hot water out of the microwave, added the coffee granules and stirred briskly. There was a knock at the back door.
“Come in, the door’s open,” he called, not turning around. He didn’t feel like being polite. Not today, when it felt as if the world was closing in around him.
He sipped his coffee and stared out the window. The daffodils were blooming and the—
“Hello, James.”
James whirled around. “Summer?” He couldn’t believe she was really there. It was impossible. A figment of his imagination. An apparition. Before another second passed, James walked across the kitchen and swept her into his arms.
Laughing and sobbing at once, Summer hugged him close.
Then they were kissing each other. Neither could give or get enough.
Walter stood in the background and cleared his throat. “I’ll wait for the two of you in the living room,” he said, loudly enough to be sure he was heard.
As far as James was concerned, his father might as well make himself comfortable. Or leave. This could take a while.
Summer in his arms was the closest thing to heaven James had ever found. Not for several minutes did he notice how thin and frail she was. The virus had ravaged her body.
“Sweetheart,” he whispered between kisses. He paused and brushed back her hair to get a good look at her.
She was pale. Her once-pink cheeks were colorless, and her eyes appeared sunken. “Are you over the flu?”
She lowered her eyes and stepped away from him. “I…you’d better sit down, James.”
“Sit down? Why?”
Her hands closed around the back of a kitchen chair. “I have something important to tell you.”
He could see she was nervous and on the verge of tears. The worries that were nipping at his heels earlier returned with reinforcements. Summer had more than a common flu bug.
“Just tell me,” he said. A knot was beginning to form in his stomach. Was she ill? Was it something life threatening? The knot twisted and tightened.
“I don’t have the flu,” she whispered.
Whatever it was, then, must be very bad if his father had brought her to Seattle.
“How serious is it?” he asked. He preferred to confront whatever they were dealing with head-on.
“It’s serious, James, very serious.” Slowly she raised her eyes to his. “We’re going to have a baby.”
His relief was so great that he nearly laughed. “A baby? You mean to tell me you’re pregnant?”
She nodded. Her fingers had gone white, and she was watching him closely.
James took her in his arms. “I thought you were really sick.”
“I have been really sick,” she told him crisply. “Morning sickness. Afternoon sickness. Evening sickness. I…I can’t seem to keep food down…. I’ve never been more miserable in my life.”
“I suspect part of her problem has been psychological,” Walter announced from the doorway. “The poor girl’s been terribly worried about how you were going to take the news.”
“Me?”
“My feelings exactly,” Walter said. “The deed’s done, what’s there to think about? Besides, you’ve made me an extremely happy man.”
“A baby.” James remained awestruck at the thought.
“Now tell him your due date, Summer—he’ll get a real kick out of that.”
“September twenty-third,” Summer announced.
Everyone seemed to be studying him, waiting for a reaction. James didn’t know what to think. Then it hit him. “September twenty-third? That’s the date of the primary.”
“I know. Isn’t it great?” Walter asked.
“How long can you stay?” James asked, taking Summer’s hands in his own.
Summer looked at Walter.
“Stay?” his father barked. “My dear son, this is your wife. I brought her to Seattle to live with you. This is where she belongs.”
“You can live with me?” A man could only take in so much news at one time. First, he’d learned that his wife didn’t have some life-threatening disease. Then he discovered he was going to be a father. Even more important, he was going to have the opportunity to prove what kind of husband he could be.
“Yes. I got out of my contract for medical reasons, and Julie’s getting a roommate. So…everything’s settled.”
James pulled out the chair and sat Summer down. Then he knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “A baby.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind?”
“Of course he doesn’t mind,” Walter said, “and if he does I’ll set up an appointment with a good psychiatrist I know. This is the best news we’ve had in thirty years.”
“When did it happen?” James asked.
Summer laughed at him. “You mean you don’t remember?” She leaned toward him and whispered, reminding him of the one episode the morning after their honeymoon night.
“Ah, yes,” James said, and chuckled. “As I recall, I was the one who said one time wouldn’t matter.”
“I don’t suppose there’s anything to eat in this house?” Walter asked, banging cupboard doors open and shut.
“Why have you been so ill?” James wanted to know. It worried him. “Is it routine?”
“My doctor says some women suffer from severe morning sickness for the first few months. He’s been very reassuring. I try to remember that when I’m losing my latest meal.”
“Is there anything that can help?”
“She’s got what she needs now,” Walter said.
Summer laid her head on his shoulder. “I was worried you’d be upset with me.”
“Why would I be upset when the most beautiful woman in the world tells me she’s having my baby?” He reached for her hand and pressed her palm over his heart. “Notice anything different?” he asked.
She shook her head, giving him a puzzled look.
“My heart’s racing because I’m so excited. Because I’m so happy. We’re going to have a baby, Summer! I feel like I could conquer the world.”
He wanted his words to comfort her. The last thing he expected was that she’d burst into tears.