Summer tossed the tangled curls over her shoulder and groaned inwardly. “I don’t have much choice now, do I?” She met Walter’s eyes and realized her lower lip was trembling. She was suddenly afraid she might burst into tears. Her emotions had been like a seesaw, veering from one extreme to another.
“Summer, what is it?” Walter prodded.
“I’m pregnant,” she whispered. She smiled happily all the while tears streamed down her cheeks.
Walter bolted out of his chair. “Hot damn!”
“Other than me, you’re the first person she’s told,” Julie felt obliged to inform him. “Not even her own family knows, although her mother would take one look at her and guess.”
“James doesn’t know?”
“Nope.” Again it was Julie who answered.
“And why not?”
“A woman doesn’t tell her husband that sort of thing over the phone,” Summer insisted. “Or by e-mail.” She needed to see his face, to gauge James’s reaction so she’d know what he was really thinking.
“She’s been sicker than a dog.”
“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.”