The Manning Grooms (25 page)

“No wonder I love you so much,” she told her husband, turning back to the closet. She sorted through the hangers, dismissing first one outfit and then another.

“Where are you going that you’re so worried about how you look?” James asked.

Summer froze. “An appointment.” She prayed he wouldn’t question her further. She’d arranged a meeting with Ralph Southworth, but she didn’t want James to know about it.

“Okay. Don’t forget tonight,” he reminded her. “We’re going to the Mannings’ for dinner.”

“I won’t forget,” she promised. “Eric and Elizabeth, right?”

“Right. Knowing Elizabeth, she’ll probably spend the whole day cooking. She’s called me at least five times in the past week. She’s anxious to meet you.”

“I’m anxious to meet them, too.” But not nearly as anxious as she was about this meeting with Southworth. In setting up the appointment, Summer hoped to achieve several objectives. Mainly she wanted Ralph to agree to manage James’s campaign again. And she wanted to prove to James that he didn’t need to protect her from gossip and speculation.

James left for court shortly after he’d finished shaving. Summer changed into the outfit she’d finally chosen, a soft gray business suit with a long jacket that—sort of—disguised her pregnancy. She spent the morning doing errands and arrived at Ralph’s office at the Seattle Bank ten minutes ahead of their one-o’clock appointment.

She announced her name to the receptionist and was escorted into Southworth’s office a few minutes later.

Ralph stood when she entered the room. He didn’t seem pleased to see her.

“Hello again,” she said brightly, taking the chair
across from his desk. She wanted it understood that she wouldn’t be easily dissuaded.

“Hello,” he responded curtly.

“I hope you don’t object to my making an appointment to see you. I’m afraid I may have, uh, misled your secretary into thinking it had to do with a loan.”

“I see. Are you in the habit of misleading people?”

“Not at all,” she assured him with a cordial smile, “but sometimes a little inventive thinking is worth a dozen frustrating phone calls.”

Southworth didn’t agree or disagree.

“I’ll get to the point of my visit,” she said, not wanting to waste time, his or hers.

“Please do.”

“I’d like to know why you’ve resigned as my husband’s campaign manager.”

Southworth rolled a pencil between his palms, avoiding eye contact. “I believe that’s between James and me. It has nothing to do with you.”

“That isn’t the way I understand it,” she said, grateful he’d opened the conversation for her. “I overheard James and his father talking recently, and James said something different.”

“So you eavesdrop, as well?”

He was certainly eager to tally her less than sterling characteristics.

“Yes, but in this case, I’m glad I did because I learned that you’d resigned because of me.”

Southworth hesitated. “Not exactly. I questioned James’s judgment.”

“About our marriage?” she pressed.

Once again he seemed inclined to dodge the subject. “I don’t really think…”

“I do, Mr. Southworth. This election is extremely important to James.
You’re
extremely important to him. When he first mentioned your name to me, he said you were the best man for the job.”

“I am the best man for the job.” The banker certainly didn’t lack confidence in his abilities. “I also know a losing battle when I see it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Mrs. Wilkens, please.”

“Please what, Mr. Southworth? Tell me why you question James’s judgment. Until he married me, you were ready to lend him your full support. I can assure you I’ll stay right here until I have the answers to these questions.” She raised her chin a stubborn half inch and refused to budge.

“If you insist…”

“I do.”

“First, you’re years younger than James.”

“Nine years is hardly that much of a difference. This is a weak excuse and unworthy of you. I do happen to look young for my age, but I can assure you I’m twenty-eight, and James is only thirty-seven.”

“There’s also the fact that you’re a showgirl.”

“I’m an actress and singer,” she countered. “Since I worked at Disneyland, I hardly think you can fault my morals.”

“Morals is another issue entirely.”

“Obviously,” she said, finding she disliked this man more every time he opened his mouth. It seemed to her that Ralph Southworth was inventing excuses, none of which amounted to anything solid.

“You’re pregnant.”

“Yes. So?”

“So…it’s clear to me, at least, that you and James conveniently decided to marry when you recognized your condition.”

Summer laughed. “That’s not true, and even if it were, all I need to do is produce our marriage certificate, which I just happen to have with me.” Somehow or other she knew it would come down to this. She opened her purse and removed the envelope, then handed it to the man whom her husband had once considered his friend.

Southworth read it over and returned it to her. “I don’t understand why the two of you did this. No one meets in Vegas, falls in love and gets married within a few days. Not unless they’ve got something to hide.”

“We’re in love.” She started to explain that she and James had known each other for a year, but Ralph cut her off.

“Please, Mrs. Wilkens! I’ve known James for at least a decade. There had to be a reason other than the one you’re giving me.”

“He loves me. Isn’t that good enough for you?”

Southworth seemed bored with the conversation. “Then there’s the fact that he kept the marriage a secret.”

Summer had no answer to that. “I don’t really know why James didn’t tell anyone about the wedding,” she admitted. “My guess is that it’s because he’s a private man and considers his personal life his own.”

“How far along is the pregnancy?” he asked, ignoring her answer.

“Three months,” she told him.

“Three months? I don’t claim to know much about women and babies, but I’ve had quite a few women work for me at the bank over the years. A number of them have had babies. You look easily five or six months.”

“That’s ridiculous! I know when I got pregnant.”

“Do you, now?”

Summer drew in her breath and held it for a moment in an effort to contain her outrage. She loved James and believed in him, but she refused to be insulted.

“I can see we aren’t going to accomplish anything here,” she said sadly. “You’ve already formed your opinion about James and me.”

“About you, Mrs. Wilkens. It’s unfortunate. James would’ve made an excellent superior court judge. But there’s been far too much speculation about him lately. It started with the black eye. People don’t want a man on the bench who can’t hold on to his own temper. A judge should be above any hint of moral weakness.”

“James is one of the most morally upright men I know,” she said heatedly. “I take your comments as a personal insult to my husband.”

“I find your loyalty to James touching, but it’s too little, too late.”

“What do you mean by that?” Summer demanded.

“You want your husband to win the election, don’t you?”

“Yes. Of course.” The question was ludicrous.

“If I were to tell you that you could make a difference, perhaps even sway the election, would you listen?”

“I’d listen,” she said, although anything beyond listening was another matter.

Southworth stood and walked over to the window, which offered a panoramic view of the Seattle skyline. His back was to her and for several minutes he said nothing. He seemed to be weighing his words.

“You’ve already admitted I’m the best man to run James’s campaign.”

“Yes,” she said reluctantly, not as willing to acknowledge it as she had been when she’d first arrived.

“I can help win him this September’s primary and the November election. Don’t discount the political sway I have in this community, Mrs. Wilkens.”

Summer said nothing.

“When James first told me he’d married you, I suggested he keep you out of the picture until after the election.”

“I see.”

“I did this for a number of reasons, all of which James disregarded.”

“He…he really didn’t have much choice,” she felt obliged to tell him. “I turned up on his doorstep, suitcase in hand.”

Ralph nodded as if he’d suspected this had been the case. “I can turn James’s campaign around if you’ll agree to one thing.”

Her stomach tightened, knowing before the words were out what he was going to say. “Yes?”

“Simply disappear for several months. Stay away from Seattle, and once the November election is over, you can move back into his house. It won’t matter then.”

She closed her eyes and lowered her head. “I see.”

“Will you do it?”

“Summer, I’m sorry I’m late.” James kissed her soundly and rushed up the stairs to change clothes.

He was late? She hadn’t noticed. Since her meeting with Ralph Southworth, Summer had spent what remained of the afternoon in a stupor. She felt numb and sad. Tears lay just beneath the surface, ready to break free.

This decision should’ve been far less difficult. She could give her husband the dream he’d always wanted or ruin his life.

Five minutes later James was back. He’d changed out of his suit and tie and wore slacks and a shirt and sweater. “Are you ready?” he asked.

“For what?”

“Dinner tonight with the Mannings. Remember?”

“Of course,” she said, forcing a smile. How could she have forgotten that? James was like a schoolboy eager to show off his science project. Only in this case,
she
was the project. She still wore her gray suit, so after
quickly brushing her hair and refreshing her makeup, she considered herself ready—in appearance if not in attitude.

He escorted her out the front door and into his car, which he’d parked in front of the house. “You haven’t had much campaigning to do lately,” she commented.

“I know.”

“What does Ralph have to say?” she asked, wanting to see how much James was willing to tell her.

“Not much. Let’s not talk about the election tonight, okay?”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to have to think about it. These people are my friends. They’re like a second set of parents to me.”

“Do they know I’m pregnant?”

“No, but I won’t need to tell them, will I?” He gently patted her abdomen.

“James,” she whispered. “When we get home this evening, I want to make love.”

His gaze briefly left the road and he nodded.

The emptiness inside her could only be filled with his love.

“Are you feeling all right?”

She made herself smile and laid her head against his shoulder. “Of course.”

“There’s something different about you.”

“Is there?” Just that her heart felt as if it had been chopped in half. Just that she’d never felt so cold or alone in her life. Southworth had asked her to turn her
back on the man she loved. He’d asked that she leave and do it in such a way that he wouldn’t follow. He’d asked that she bear her child alone.

When they got to the Manning home, James parked his car on the street and turned to Summer. He studied her for an intense moment. “I love you.”

“I love you,” she whispered in return. She felt close to tears.

James helped her out of the car. They walked to the front porch, and he rang the doorbell. When she wasn’t looking, he stole a kiss.

A distinguished older gentleman opened the door for them. “James! It’s good to see you again.”

“Eric, this is my wife, Summer.”

“Hello, Summer.” Instead of shaking her hand, Eric Manning hugged her.

They stepped inside, and all at once, from behind every conceivable hiding space, people leapt out.

They were greeted with an unanimous chorus of “Surprise!”

S
ummer didn’t understand what was happening. A large number of strange people surrounded her. People with happy faces, people who seemed delighted to be meeting her.

“Elizabeth,” James protested. “What have you done?”

The middle-aged woman hugged first James and then Summer. “You know how much I love a party,” she told him, grinning broadly. “What better excuse than to meet your wife? I’m the mother of this brood,” she told Summer proudly, gesturing around the room. There were men, women and children milling about. “You must be Summer.”

“I am. You must be Elizabeth.”

“Indeed I am.”

Before she could protest, Summer was lured away from James’s side. The men appeared eager to talk to James by himself. Summer looked longingly at her
husband. He met her eyes, then shrugged and followed his friends into the family room.

Soon Summer found herself in the kitchen, which bustled with activity. “I’m Jamie. We met the other day in the restaurant,” Rich’s wife reminded her.

“I remember,” Summer told her, stepping aside as a youngster raced past her at breakneck speed.

“These two women with the curious looks on their faces are my sisters-in-law. The first one here,” Jamie said, looping her arm around the woman who was obviously pregnant, “is Charlotte. She’s married to Jason. He’s the slob of the family.”

“But he’s improving,” Charlotte told her.

“When’s your baby due?”

“July,” Charlotte said. “This is our second. Doug’s asleep. I also have a daughter from my first marriage, but Carrie’s working and couldn’t be here. I’m sure you’ll get a chance to meet her later.”

“Our baby’s due in September,” Summer said, ending speculation.

The women exchanged glances. “You’re just three months pregnant?”

Miserable, Summer nodded. “I think something must be wrong. The first couple of months I was really sick. I’m much better now that I’m in Seattle with James. But I’m ballooning. Hardly any of my clothes fit anymore.”

“It happens like that sometimes,” Elizabeth said with the voice of experience. “I wonder…” Then she shook her head. “I showed far more with Paul, my first, than
I did with Christy, my youngest. Don’t ask me why nature plays these silly tricks on us. You’d think we have enough to put up with, dealing with men.”

A chorus of agreement broke out.

Elizabeth took the hors d’oeuvre platter out of the refrigerator. “The good news is I was blessed with three sons. The bad news is I was blessed with three sons.” She laughed. “My daughters are an entirely different story.”

“I don’t know what to expect with this baby,” Summer told everyone, pressing her hand to her stomach. “We didn’t plan to get pregnant so soon.”

“I’ll bet James is thrilled.”

Summer smiled and nodded. “We both are.”

“This is Leah,” Jamie said, introducing her other sister-in-law, who’d just entered the kitchen. “She’s Paul’s wife. Paul’s the author in the family.”

“He’s very good,” Leah said proudly. “His first book was published last year, and he’s sold two more.”

“That’s great!”

“Let me help,” Jamie insisted, removing the platter from Elizabeth’s hands. She carried it to the long table, beautifully decorated with paper bells and a lovely ceramic bride-and-groom centerpiece.

“I’ve been waiting for a long time to use these decorations,” Elizabeth said disparagingly. “My children didn’t give me the opportunity. It all started with the girls. Neither one of
them
saw fit to have a church wedding. Then Rich married Jamie and Paul married Leah, again without the kind of wedding I always wanted.”

“Jason and Charlotte were the only ones to have a big wedding,” Leah explained. “I don’t think Eric and Elizabeth have ever forgiven the rest of us.”

“You’re darn right, we haven’t,” Eric said, joining them.

“They made it up to us with grandchildren, dear,” his wife interjected. “Now, don’t get started on that. We’re very fortunate.”

Summer couldn’t remember the last time she’d sat down at a dinner table with this many people. A rowdy group of children ate at card tables set up in the kitchen. Twin boys seemed to instigate the chaos, taking delight in teasing their younger cousins. The noise level was considerable, but Summer didn’t mind.

More than once, she caught James watching her. She smiled and silently conveyed that she was enjoying herself. Who wouldn’t be?

There were gifts to open after the meal and plenty of marital advice. Summer, whose mood had been bleak earlier, found herself laughing so hard her sides ached.

The evening was an unqualified success, and afterward Summer felt as if she’d met a houseful of new friends. Jamie, Leah and Charlotte seemed eager to make her feel welcome. Charlotte was the first to extend an invitation for lunch. Since they were both pregnant, they already had something important in common.

“A week from Friday,” Charlotte reminded her as Summer and James prepared to leave. She mentioned the name of the restaurant and wrote her phone number on the back of a business card.

“I’ll look forward to it,” Summer told her and meant it.

It wasn’t until they were home that she remembered her meeting with Southworth. She didn’t know if she’d be in Seattle in another week, let alone available for lunch.

Sadness pressed against her heart.

James slipped his arm around her waist. He turned off the downstairs lights, and together they moved toward the stairs. “As I recall,” he whispered in her ear, “you made me a promise earlier.”

“I did?”

“You asked me to make love to you, remember?”

“Oh, yes…” Shivers of awareness slid up and down her spine.

“I certainly hope you intend to keep that promise.”

She yawned loudly, covering her mouth, fighting back waves of tiredness. “I have no intention of changing my mind.”

“Good.” They reached the top of the stairs, and he nuzzled her neck. “I wonder if it’ll always be like this,” he murmured, steering her toward their bedroom.

“Like what?”

“My desire for you. I feel like a kid in a candy store.”

Summer laughed, then yawned again. “I enjoyed meeting the Mannings. They’re wonderful people.”

“Are those yawns telling me something?” he asked.

She nodded. “I’m tired, James.” But it was more than being physically weary. She felt a mental and emotional exhaustion that left her depleted.

“Come on, love,” James urged gently. He led her into the bedroom and between long, deep kisses, he undressed her and placed her on the bed. He tucked her in and kissed her cheek.

The light dimmed, and Summer snuggled into the warmth. It took her a few minutes to realize James hadn’t joined her.

“James?” She forced her eyes open.

“Yes, love?”

“Aren’t you coming to bed?”

“Soon,” he said. “I’m taking a shower first.”

A shower, she mused, wondering at his sudden penchant for cleanliness.

Then she heard him mutter, “A nice, long,
cold
shower.”

James had been looking forward to the ultrasound appointment for weeks. He’d met Dr. Wise, Summer’s obstetrician, earlier and had immediately liked and trusted the man, who was in his late forties. David Wise had been delivering babies for more than twenty years, and his calm reassurance had gone a long way toward relieving James’s fears.

The ultrasound clinic was in the same medical building as Dr. Wise’s office. He’d said he’d join them there, although James wasn’t convinced that was his regular policy. Still, he felt grateful.

Summer sat next to him in the waiting room, her face pale and lifeless. She hadn’t been herself in the past few days, and James wondered what was bothering her. He
didn’t want to pry and hoped she’d soon share whatever it was.

They held hands and waited silently until Summer’s name was called.

It was all James could do to sit still as the technician, a young woman named Rachel, explained the procedure.

Summer was instructed to lie flat on her back on the examining table. Her T-shirt was raised to expose the bump that was their child. As James smiled down on her Dr. Wise entered the room.

A gel was spread across Summer’s abdomen. It must have been cold because she flinched.

“It’s about this time that women start to suggest the male of the species should be responsible for childbearing,” Dr. Wise told him.

“No, thanks,” James said, “I like my role in all this just fine.”

Dr. Wise chuckled. Rachel pressed a stethoscope-like instrument across Summer’s stomach, and everyone’s attention turned toward the monitor.

James squinted but had trouble making out the details on the screen.

“There’s the baby’s head,” Dr. Wise said, pointing to a curved shape.

James squinted again and he noticed Summer doing the same.

“Well, well. Look at this,” the physician continued. “I’m not altogether surprised.”

“Look at what?” James studied the screen intently.

“We have a second little head.”

“My baby has two heads?” Summer cried in alarm.

“Two heads?” James echoed.

“What I’m saying,” Dr. Wise returned calmly, “is that there appear to be two babies.”

“Twins?”

“It certainly seems that way.” As the ultrasound technician moved the instrument across Summer’s abdomen, Dr. Wise pointed to the monitor. “Here’s the first head,” he said, tracing the barely discernible round curve, “and here’s the second.”

James squinted for all he was worth just to see one. “Twins,” he murmured.

“That explains a lot,” Dr. Wise said, patting Summer’s arm. “Let’s run a copy of this for you both,” he said, and Rachel pushed a series of buttons.

Within minutes they had the printout to examine for themselves. While Summer dressed, James studied the picture.

“Twins,” he said again, just for the pleasure of hearing himself say it. He turned to Summer and smiled broadly. “Twins,” he repeated, grinning from ear to ear.

She smiled, and James thought he saw tears in her eyes.

“It won’t be so bad,” he said, then immediately regretted his lack of sensitivity. He wasn’t the one carrying two babies, nor would he be the one delivering them. “I’ll do whatever I can to help,” he quickly reassured her.

She gave him a watery smile.

“Say something,” he pleaded. “Are you happy?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m still in shock. What about you?”

“Other than the day I married you, I’ve never been happier.” He couldn’t seem to stop smiling. “I can hardly wait to tell my father. He’s going to be absolutely thrilled.”

Summer stared at the ultrasound. “Can you tell? Boys? Girls? One of each?” Strangely, perhaps, it hadn’t occurred to her to ask Dr. Wise.

James scratched his head. “I had enough trouble finding the two heads. I decided not to try deciphering anything else.”

They left the doctor’s office and headed for the parking garage across the street.

“This calls for a celebration. I’ll take you to lunch,” he said.

“I was thinking more along the lines of a nap.”

James grinned and looked at his watch. “Is there time?”

“James,” she said, laughing softly. “I meant a
real
nap. I’m exhausted.”

“Oh.” Disappointment shot through him. “You don’t want to celebrate with a fancy lunch?”

She shook her head. “Don’t be upset with me. I guess I need time to think about everything.”

That sounded odd to James. What was there to think about? True, Summer was pregnant with twins, but they had plenty of time to prepare. As for any mental readjustment, well, he’d made that in all of two seconds. The twins were a surprise, yes, but a pleasant one.

“This news has upset you, hasn’t it?” he asked.

“No,” she was quick to assure him. “It’s just that…well, it changes things.”

“What things?”

She shook her head again and didn’t answer. James frowned, not knowing how to calm her fears or allay her doubts. She didn’t seem to expect him to do either and instead appeared to be withdrawing into herself.

“You don’t mind if I tell my dad, do you?” he asked. If he didn’t share the news with someone soon, he was afraid he’d be reduced to stopping strangers on the street.

She smiled at him, her eyes alight with love. “No, I don’t mind if you tell Walter.”

He walked her to where she’d parked and kissed her, then walked the short distance back to the King County Courthouse. His thoughts were so full of Summer that he went a block too far before he realized what he’d done.

In his office, the first thing he did was reach for the phone.

His father answered immediately. “You’ll never guess what I’m looking at,” he told Walter.

“You’re right, I’ll never guess.”

“Today was Summer’s ultrasound,” James reminded him. Hiding his excitement was almost impossible.

“Ah, yes, and what did you learn?”

James could hear the eagerness in Walter’s voice. “I have the picture in front of me.”

“And?”

“I’m staring at your grandchildren right this second.”

“Boy or girl?”

James couldn’t help it. He laughed. “You didn’t listen very well.”

“I did, too, and I want to know—what do we have? A boy or a girl?”

“Could be one of each,” James informed him calmly.

“Twins!” Walter shouted. “You mean Summer’s having twins?”

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

“Well, I’ll be! This is good news. No, it’s great news. The best!”

James had never heard Walter this excited—practically as excited as he was himself.

It wasn’t every day that a man learned he was having not one baby but two!

Summer didn’t go directly home. Instead, she drove around for at least an hour, evaluating the situation between her and James. She loved him so much. The thought of leaving him, even when she knew it was the best thing for his career, brought her to the verge of tears.

What she wanted was to talk with her mother, but her parents were vacationing, touring the south in their motor home. They weren’t due back for another month. Summer received postcards every few days with the latest updates and many exhortations to look after herself and their unborn grandchild. Wait till she told them it was grand
children,
she thought with a brief smile.