1105 Yakima Street (18 page)

“C
an you meet me at the gallery a little after five?” Miranda asked Shirley, keeping an eye on the clock. She needed to leave for work soon.

“The gallery?” Shirley repeated. “You don’t work on Thursdays, do you?”

“Today I do. Will asked me to come in.”

“Again?”

“He’s got something he has to do.” He’d mentioned that he and his sister were going to revisit two of the assisted-living complexes they’d recently toured. Miranda assumed that was scheduled for this afternoon, although why he couldn’t have told her earlier…

“It seems to me that Will Jefferson takes a lot for granted as far as you’re concerned.”

Miranda agreed, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it. They could do that over dinner. “So, can you stop by around five?”

“Sure.”

“I’ll see you then.” Disconnecting, she tossed her phone in her purse and headed out the door. If there was one thing she hated, it was being late.

When she arrived at the gallery, she found Will sitting
in the showroom, working on his laptop. Their relationship had been a bit uncomfortable ever since they’d kissed. Now they were both making an effort to pretend nothing had happened.

Only it had. And ignoring the events of that afternoon—it’d been Halloween afternoon—wasn’t working.

Part of the problem was that Miranda wasn’t doing a good job of hiding her feelings for Will. She wasn’t usually shy; she preferred to discuss differences, talk things over and avoid miscommunication. With Will, she hadn’t done that, but couldn’t explain why. She was just being silly, she told herself. He was a sophisticated man and this would hardly be the first time a woman had fallen for him. Really, what did she have to fear? Well, other than the fact that she’d look like an idiot. He’d probably find her attraction to him highly amusing. Judging by his infatuation with petite, charming Shirley, Miranda clearly wasn’t his type. She wondered about his marriage—and his divorce—but he’d never spoken about his ex-wife and she’d never asked.

Will smiled when he saw her. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” he said.

Miranda deposited her coat and purse in the back room. “Well, don’t get used to it. I’ve got more to do than be at your beck and call.”

His eyebrows shot up. “My, my, aren’t we testy.”

“I have plans this evening,” she said, without enlightening him that those plans involved Shirley Knight. She figured they’d have left by the time he returned from his appointment. Anyway, it was none of his business, although she’d rather let him think she had a date. “I had to cancel my hair appointment.”

“You could always have said no, but I’m grateful you didn’t.”

“I’m not doing this for you,” she said curtly. “It’s for Charlotte and Ben.”

“For my mother and stepfather?” he asked, crossing his arms. “Why?”

“You said something about going back to a couple of the assisted-living places,” she reminded him.

“Perhaps I did. But—”

“Yes, you most certainly did.” Miranda wasn’t pleased. “What’s going on? Why else would you drag me here on my day off?”

“Maybe I wanted the pleasure of your company.” He grinned. His sexy smile never failed to lower her guard. Unable to meet his eyes without butterflies swarming in her stomach, Miranda looked away.

“You should’ve told me about your hair appointment. Go ahead and keep it. I’ll change my plans.”

“A little late now.” She snorted. A customer walked in the door and Will gestured for her to do the talking. Matt Langley, a local attorney, wanted a birthday gift for his wife, telling Miranda that Olivia Griffin had recommended her brother’s gallery. Miranda sold him a painting, the most expensive one they currently had.

“Damn, you’re good,” Will said admiringly after Matt left.

Miranda didn’t respond. She’d already started to make arrangements to have the painting delivered to the attorney’s home Saturday afternoon.

“Can’t you take a compliment?” Will asked with a slight edge.

“Yes, of course I can. It just depends on who’s giving it.”

Will grumbled under his breath.

“Did you say something?” she asked in a sharp voice.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did.”

“And what was it?” she challenged.

“I wondered why you find it so difficult to simply say thank you. That’s what most people do when they receive a compliment. But not you. Oh, no, that would be far too conciliatory. Why are you constantly fighting with me, Miranda? Am I really such a terrible employer?”

“No,” she admitted with some reluctance.

“You don’t sound like you mean it. Listen, it was a mistake to call you in on your day off. Go. I’ll be fine. I can rearrange my dentist appointment and my—”

“A dentist appointment! You called me in because you have a dentist appointment?” He knew which days she had off and obviously he’d scheduled this one knowing full well she’d have to come in.

He turned his back on her and walked into his office. “It’s at three—after Olivia and I see the people at Stanford Suites.”

So he
did
have an appointment at the assisted-living place. Why hadn’t he just said so? she thought irritably. What kind of game was he playing?

Miranda followed him into the other room. “I’m here now. You might as well go.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll reschedule with Olivia and the dentist.”

“I said I’d stay.”

He kept his hand on the phone. “Like I said, you could’ve told me no.”

“I could have,” she agreed.

“Then why didn’t you?”

“And why do
you
leave everything to the last possible minute, as if I don’t have any plans or responsibilities?”

“Guilty as charged. You’re right. I should’ve asked you sooner. But the appointment at Stanford Suites was on fairly short notice. And the dentist had a cancellation.
Still, I apologize.” He seemed to think he could charm his way back into her good graces.

Miranda reviewed their short conversation earlier that afternoon. Will had called her at home around noon and, despite everything, she’d been excited to hear from him. He’d asked if it was possible to work on her day off for a few hours. She’d said yes and even been eager to do so. She’d overreacted just now because…because she needed to keep her distance, emotionally and otherwise.

“You aren’t going to tell me off?” he asked, sounding half amused and half surprised.

“No, I guess not.”

“You’re not coming down with a fever, are you?”

“No,” she replied tersely. “Like you’d care.”

He immediately sighed. “Oh, good. You’re back to normal.”

He was right; snapping at him was her normal reaction—especially since their kiss…or rather, kisses. Until that very moment, she hadn’t really understood what she was doing or why. She wondered if Will had reached the same conclusion. Probably not. After the incident on Halloween she’d redoubled her efforts to hide her attraction, from him if not herself.

“Keep your appointments,” she insisted. “I’ve already rearranged my schedule to accommodate yours, so there’s no need to cancel now.” She hurried out of his office and avoided him until he left. They exchanged a curt goodbye and that was it.

Will was away from the gallery for two and a half hours, arriving back at quarter to four, but he might as well have been invisible. He went directly into his office and shut himself in. After closing the gallery a few minutes early, she knocked at his door, hoping to at least clear the air before their next encounter.

“Come in,” Will called.

“I’m getting ready to go.” She wanted to escape as soon as Shirley arrived, sparing them both an awkward moment. Maybe they should just have met at the restaurant….

He glanced at his watch, apparently surprised at the time, then nodded. “Thank you for coming in this afternoon,” he said formally.

She hesitated. “I, uh, wanted to be sure everything is okay between us.”

“Why shouldn’t it be?” Will asked in congenial tones.

“No reason, I guess.”

He stood, leveled another of those killer smiles directly at her and held out his hand.

“What’s that for?” she asked, leaning forward to extend her own.

Will’s handshake was firm and solid. His smile didn’t waver as his eyes connected with hers. “Friends?”

“Friends,” she echoed, but her voice sounded odd.

“I promise not to call you into work on your days off. I apologize again. I should’ve talked to you much earlier. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

Miranda knew very well what he was thinking. Will was thinking of himself, the same way he had most of his adult life. No, she admitted to herself, that wasn’t entirely true. He was capable of very generous behavior. Only it was dangerous—to her sanity and well-being—to view Will as anything but self-centered and self-absorbed. Somehow she managed to nod and smile.

Before she could leave his office and shut the door, Shirley arrived at the gallery. Will brightened the instant he saw her, becoming animated and happy. “Shirley, it’s good to see you.” He clasped her hand in both of his and couldn’t seem to take his eyes off her.

Miranda had to look away for fear he’d notice her reaction.

“I’m here for Miranda,” Shirley said as she withdrew her hand.

“Where’s Larry?” Will asked, ignoring the comment.

“London.”

“Without you?” The sympathy in his voice made Miranda grit her teeth.

“Tanni’s still in high school,” Shirley reminded him. “And I have work to complete here.”

Will nodded with that same unctuous sympathy.

“Larry often travels to England. Hopefully I’ll be able to join him next time,” Shirley went on to say.

“I thought we could walk down to D.D.’s on the Cove for dinner,” Miranda suggested, purposely turning the subject away from Larry’s absence. “It’s close, and that way we won’t need to worry about finding a parking spot.”

“Sounds good.”

“You’re going for dinner?” Will asked, arching his eyebrows slightly. He seemed to be expecting an invitation. He moved away from Shirley to stand beside Miranda.

“We are,” she said. “Just the
two
of us.”

“Girls’ night out?”

Shirley nodded.

Changing tactics, Will rested one hand on Miranda’s shoulder. “Well, then, have fun, you two.”

Miranda shrugged off his hand and glared at Will. Whatever he thought he was doing, she refused to be part of it.

Shirley started out the door.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Miranda told her. She
waited until the gallery door was completely closed before she whirled around.

“What?” Will asked with a look of innocence.

“Why did you put your hand on my shoulder?” she demanded.

“I don’t know what you’re so upset about. It didn’t mean anything.”

“You were trying to make Shirley jealous, which is
ridiculous
. In case you’ve forgotten, she’s married to Larry Knight and has no feelings for you whatsoever. I realize it’s difficult for your fragile ego to accept that any woman would choose a man other than you, but—”

“
You’d
choose me,” Will said, cutting her off.

“That’s…not true.” She could feel a hot blush crawling up her face.

“Is it so strange that you’re attracted to me?” he asked.

“I will not acknowledge anything so asinine,” she said, turning away from him. This was one of the few times in her life when she couldn’t be truthful, didn’t even want to be. The sooner she made her escape, the better. She hoped the November air would cool the embarrassed color heating her face.

“Miranda.” He whispered her name.

“What?” she barked, refusing to turn around.

“We need to talk about the day you kissed me.”

“No, we don’t,” she said, not adding that he’d kissed her, too. She kept her back to him, her hand on the doorknob, eager to get outside where Shirley was waiting.

“I’ve done a lot of thinking about it.”

“Sure you have,” she muttered sarcastically. And, no doubt, laughing his head off, too.

“I have,” he said, his voice low and seductive. He placed his hand on her shoulder again, stroking it gently. “We do need to talk about this.”

“Everything’s already been said. It’s a dead subject.”

“For you, maybe, but not me.”

That did it. She whirled back toward him. “Don’t play with me, Will. You need me because your ego’s taken a hit. What better way to prove to Shirley that you’re over her. An affair with her best friend would tell her that, wouldn’t it?”

He frowned but didn’t contradict her.

“You obviously assume I’m an easy target…that I’m so starved for affection I’d willingly fall into bed with you, even though you’d break my heart without a second thought. But you’re wrong, Will. I’m not interested.”

“Your kiss said otherwise.”

“Sorry, but you’ve misread the situation. I don’t know why I kissed you.” A blatant lie. “But trust me, it was one of the biggest mistakes I’ve ever made.”

“I don’t think of it that way.”

“Stop!” she shouted, clenching her fists. Much more of this and she’d end up taking a swing at him. “Do you honestly believe you’re going to persuade me with…with lies? If you say anything else, I swear I will walk out this door and never return. That isn’t an empty threat, Will. I mean it.”

A pained look came over him and he nodded. Then, to Miranda’s astonishment, he stepped closer, held her face between his hands and kissed her.

When he broke it off, she nearly stumbled backward in both shock and wonder.

“I—I quit,” she stammered.

“No, you don’t. I expect you here by ten tomorrow morning.”

T
he Pot Belly Deli was decorated for Thanksgiving. Gloria glanced around at the dried cornstalk and gourd arrangements, nervously sipping her juice as she waited for Chad. He’d asked for this meeting, and she’d agreed, but she still wasn’t sure it was a good idea.

Since the ultrasound, there’d been no direct contact between them, although they’d exchanged a number of emails over the past few weeks. These were generally short messages in which she answered his questions about the pregnancy and her health.

Gloria resisted the urge to ask him about Joni. Every time she thought about the two of them together, her stomach twisted. But
she
was the one who’d rejected
him,
so she couldn’t blame him for dating someone else. Sometimes she didn’t understand her own actions and could only regret what she’d done. It was because of her shame and uncertainty that she’d run out of his bedroom last summer, after spending the night with him. Then, when she’d gone to tell him about the baby—and perhaps even try to reconcile—it was too late.

The door opened and Chad came inside. He looked
around until he saw Gloria, smiling tentatively when he did.

“Hi,” he said as he approached her.

“Hi.” She didn’t meet his eyes but gestured for him to take a seat.

The waitress stepped up to the table with a coffeepot and he righted his mug. “Would you like a menu?” she asked.

“No, thanks, just coffee.”

She nodded and left them alone.

Now that they were together, Gloria’s nervousness grew more intense. Nausea attacked her stomach, and her hands shook.

“You look great,” Chad said.

He wasn’t the only one to say so. Roy had said that pregnant women really did have a glow about them, adding that she was more beautiful every time he saw her. Her biological father didn’t hand out compliments casually and his comment had taken her aback. She hardly knew how to respond to Chad’s words any more than she had Roy’s.

Finally she managed to say, “Thanks.” And left it at that.

“Would you mind standing?” he asked.

“Ah, sure.” She pushed back her chair and stood.

His eyes rested on her stomach, and a slow smile spread across his face. A warm, wholehearted smile that said Chad was going to love this baby. Seeing his reaction nearly brought her to tears.

“May I?” he asked, extending his hand toward her.

Gloria came closer and he pressed his palm against the small bump.

“Do you feel him moving yet?”

She smiled. “All the time.”

“Good.”

She sat back down and reached for her drink to hide how moved she was by what he’d done. She noticed that his hand shook as he picked up his coffee.

“So,” he said after a moment. “Have you given any more thought to the name?”

“A little. Have you?”

“Actually, I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

When he didn’t immediately make any suggestions or comment on other names he liked, she asked, “Do you want to share your thoughts?”

“No…I feel it would be best to wait until you make up your mind.”

“About?”

“About giving the baby up for adoption. Have you decided?”

Gloria held her arms protectively around her stomach. “I think adoption is a viable choice. I was adopted into a loving home with parents who badly wanted a child.”

Chad lowered his eyes, as if he couldn’t tolerate the idea, but didn’t want to argue with her.

“My mother gave me up because she was still a teenager with several years of school ahead of her. Roy didn’t even know she was pregnant.”

“I’m aware of that. But thanks to your father, I know about this baby.” Chad stiffened, apparently unable to keep quiet any longer. “And I’m entitled to a say in what happens to
my child.
” He emphasized the last two words. “If you decide you don’t want him—”

“Do you think that’s what adoption is?” Gloria asked. “Do you really believe a mother who gives her child to another family acts out of selfishness? Do you think that’s what Corrie did with me?”

“I…no.”

“She loved me enough to offer me a better life with two parents who yearned for a child of their own.”

“Our baby has two parents.”

“Every baby has two parents, Chad,” she said, hoping he’d see the humor in his statement.

“True. Every child has two parents, biologically speaking. What I meant is that times are different from when you were born. A father has legal rights and I intend to pursue mine. If you prefer to give the baby up for adoption, then I think it’s only fair to tell you that I’d take him myself.”

“As a single father?”

“Yes.”

“What about your hours at the hospital? Who’d look after him while you’re working? You make it sound easy. It isn’t.”

“And you know this how?”

“Because I’m a woman.”

“And I’m a doctor. I can pretty well guarantee I’ve handled more babies than you have.”

“You do have an advantage over most men,” she had to agree. “But you don’t know what it’ll be like to spend sleepless nights if the baby’s colicky—”

“Hey, I was an intern and a medical resident. I know about sleepless nights.”

“But…”

“I want our baby, Gloria.”

“The thing is,” she said, gazing down at her hands. “I do, too. I’ve decided to raise him myself.”

“I see.” Chad sounded disappointed and that disturbed her even more.

“You wanted him all to yourself, didn’t you?”

“Just like you did.” He nodded. “Okay, we’ll need to work out a parenting plan. My son
will
know his father.”

“Are you still dating Joni?” she blurted out, unable to resist.

His eyes locked with hers. “That has nothing to do with you.”

“You’re right. Forgive me for being so blunt but what will
our
son call Joni?”

“Does it matter? We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”

Gloria didn’t like it, but she couldn’t say so without sounding churlish. Finally she conceded, “Fair enough.”

He sipped his coffee.

She sipped her juice.

When she couldn’t stand the silence anymore, she said, “You asked to see me. Was there anything else?”

“Why are you so eager to get away? Are you meeting someone?”

“That’s
my
business.”

“You’re dating someone?” He frowned, as if the possibility hadn’t occurred to him until now.

“Like I said…”

“That’s your business,” he finished for her.

Clearly the thought unsettled him. Well, good. She hoped it did. Chad didn’t like the idea of her seeing someone else any more than she enjoyed the knowledge that he was dating another woman.

“Well, hello.” Roy stood in front of their table, shocking Gloria. She hadn’t seen him arrive.

“Nice to see you both,” he continued.

Gloria wasn’t sure how to respond. “Uh, hi,” she muttered.

“Hello, Roy.” Chad stood and the two men shook hands.

“What are you doing here?” Gloria asked.

“Troy Davis and I come here for coffee once a week. I certainly didn’t expect to find the two of you.”

Gloria knew the sheriff and her father were good friends, but she hadn’t realized they routinely met at this restaurant. Although she worked in the sheriff’s office, she wasn’t privy to Troy Davis’s schedule.

“Do you mind if I join you for a few minutes?” Roy asked.

Without waiting for an invitation, he pulled out a chair and sat down. “I’m glad to see you together.” He looked from one to the other, as though assuming they’d enlighten him.

“We don’t do this often,” Chad explained.

“In fact, this is the first time we’ve met since the ultrasound,” Gloria added.

Roy shook his head. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Roy, please. This is difficult enough.” Her father was making it more so by interfering with their conversation.

“I don’t mean to be rude or obnoxious, but can one of you tell me what went wrong with your relationship?”

“We don’t get along,” Gloria said, giving him the easy answer.

“It seems to me you get along just fine,” Roy murmured, “or at least you did.”

“This is between Gloria and me,” Chad said. “Discussing it with you isn’t going to solve anything.”

“In other words, you want me to butt out?”

“Something like that,” Gloria said.

“Okay, message received.” Roy stood, smiled down at them and turned away. He took a couple of steps, then turned back. “The thing is, that boy deserves a family. A mother and a father who’ll love him and raise him to be a fine young man. And…he deserves his grandparents, his aunts and uncles and cousins.”

“Yes, Roy,” Gloria said.

“Message received,” Chad said, echoing Roy’s earlier statement.

Gloria felt she needed to apologize. As soon as Roy was seated at another table, she whispered, “I’m sorry about that.”

“Not your fault. But it might be a good idea if we went somewhere else.”

Gloria nodded. “Any suggestions?” she asked.

“The Wok and Roll is down the street.”

She remembered that Chad liked Chinese food. The scent of fried food made Gloria feel queasy but she should be fine; she hadn’t thrown up in several weeks. “Sure, let’s go.”

They paid and waved an obligatory goodbye to Roy. Then, with his hand under her elbow, Chad escorted her to the Wok and Roll. The moment they walked in the door, Gloria was assaulted by the aroma of spices and frying meat, and her stomach instantly revolted. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed a corner of the front desk.

“Gloria?” Chad asked. “What’s wrong?”

She closed her eyes, trying not to vomit. This shouldn’t be happening anymore, but because of the meeting with Chad, she’d been tense all day. As a result she hadn’t eaten much, which was probably a good thing.

“You’re pale. Do you want to sit down?”

“No.” She dashed to the women’s restroom. Pushing open the stall door, she barely made it inside. Bent over the toilet, she lost the juice she’d managed to drink.

When she finished, she turned to discover Chad waiting for her by the sink, holding a wet paper towel. “Are you okay now?”

“Yes, sorry. I didn’t expect that. I should’ve known.”
She wiped her mouth and then smiled. “Do you make a habit of walking into women’s restrooms?”

“Only when—” He stopped short. “No,” he said, amending whatever he’d been about to say. “Let me get you home.”

She obediently followed him out of the restaurant. Her apartment was close to the library and near the waterfront. Chad had been there often enough not to need directions.

“I won’t stay long,” he said when she’d unlocked the door.

After she’d rinsed out her mouth again they sat on the sofa, he at one end and she at the other.

“Does that happen often?” he asked.

“Not anymore… It was just nerves, I guess.” She didn’t explain what she’d been nervous about, but he obviously understood.

“I haven’t slept well for several nights either,” Chad confessed.

“We’re a sad case, aren’t we?” she whispered. It seemed the only place they’d ever been able to communicate was in bed.

“Are you working today?” Chad asked.

“No. I took personal leave. What about you?”

“I have Thursdays off.”

That made sense, since he’d requested the meeting for this afternoon.

She tried to hide a yawn. She didn’t succeed and he responded with a yawn of his own. They looked at each other and smiled.

Chad stood. “I’ll leave and you can nap.”

Suddenly she didn’t want him to go. But she knew instinctively that if she asked him to stay, he wouldn’t. Instead, she got up, too, and reached for his hand. He
frowned as she led him toward the hallway, hesitating when he saw her bedroom.

“Gloria, where are you taking me?” Then he answered his own question. “Your bed?” He inhaled sharply and said, “I hope you remember that’s what got us into this mess.”

“It isn’t what you think.”

“What, then?”

“A nap. All I want you to do is hold me, feel our baby move. Nothing more. We’re both tired and stressed. I want us to sleep. Once we do, we’ll be able to talk and make the decisions we need to make.”

He stood next to her bed. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

“Sleep, Chad. That’s all. Understand?”

“No,” he muttered. “But then I’ve never been able to understand you.”

“Do you want to leave?”

“No,” he said. “In fact, I’m finding it downright impossible to walk away.”

“Good.” She folded back the covers, removed her shoes and slid beneath the blankets. Rolling onto her side, she turned her back to him and closed her eyes. It took Chad several minutes to join her. He climbed into the bed, fully dressed, and cuddled her spoon fashion. After a moment, he slipped his hand over her side, pressing it against her stomach.

“The baby just moved.”

Gloria smiled sleepily. “I know.”

“I felt him.”

“He’s going to play soccer, I think.”

“And baseball.”

“We’ll see. Now close your eyes and nap.”

It wasn’t long before she heard the deep, even rumble
of his breathing, which told her he was asleep. Tired though she was, Gloria stayed awake.

She’d acknowledged it herself—they’d only ever been able to communicate in bed. Now that they had decisions to make, this seemed the best place for that to happen.