A Love for All Time (17 page)

She was completely unaware of the misery in her eyes when she looked at Aunt Bea.

“Don’t think you’re going to get out of helping, Casey. Here’s a knife, start cutting on those pies. Cut the little ones in six pieces and the big ones in eight.” She moved the pies down the counter. “That’s Marge and her five. She’s a jewel of a mother. She’s training her kids right, too. Can’t say as much for Helen. She’s too busy golfing.”

Casey grabbed onto the knife like a lifeline, relieved to have something to do. Her eyes kept going to the door. Dan said he would be with her.
Oh, hell!
she thought in self-disgust. Why am I being so chicken? It’s no big deal!

The porch door slammed and five children tried to come through the kitchen door at the same time.

“Leave the food out on the porch, kids,” Aunt Bea called and there was another scramble to get back through the door.

“Thanks, guys.” the drill sergeant’s voice was softer. “Go on out and play. Stay away from the
river and keep your eye on Jayne. When you start the ball game, bring her in, and I’ll watch her.”

Casey didn’t have time to imagine a body to go with the voice talking to the children, still she was surprised when a small woman with short dark hair and a sweet smile came into the kitchen. She was wearing jeans, a checked shirt, and running shoes. Her eyes went straight to Casey and stayed there. They were large and smiling and Casey couldn’t possibly do anything but smile back at her.

“You’re Casey.”

“Course she’s Casey,” Aunt Bea chuckled. “The minute I laid eyes on her I knew she was the one for Daniel. Wait’ll you see the two of them together. Him, so dark, and her, all gold … like honey.”

Marge came around the counter, a genuine welcome on her face. “I’m Marge, Fred’s wife. I’m so glad to meet you, at last. I’ve been nervous all day.” She hugged Casey and pressed her cheek briefly, then stood back smiling.

“You’ve been nervous?” Casey laughed with pure relief. “I’ve been about to blow a gasket!”

“Hi, Marge.” Dan came in from the porch. “I see you’ve already met my lady.” He put his arm across his sister-in-law’s shoulders and she circled his body with hers and gave him a hug.

“Yes, I’ve met her. How’re you doin’, Danny?”

“Fine, my little Margie, how about you?” He placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Unhand my woman, boy!”

The man had come in from the living room. He
was shorter than Dan but the family resemblance was there in the dark hair and eyes, and the stocky build. His dark hair was threaded with gray and he wore a mustache.

“Darling! I didn’t expect you so soon.” Marge went to him and raised her face for his kiss. “You didn’t go by home and change clothes,” she scolded. “Give me your coat. Take off that tie and be comfortable.”

“I wanted to look nice when I met Casey,” he said in a staged whisper.

“You don’t need to look nice for Casey. You belong to me,” Marge whispered back.

“And mighty glad that I do.” With an arm around his wife he walked over and held out his hand. “I’m Fred.”

Casey almost winced at the firm clasp of his hand. “Hello, Fred. Happy to meet you.”

“I’m glad this kid’s got a woman of his own. He’s been loving on mine for years,” he said and playfully poked his finger in Dan’s chest. Then, “Why hello, Aunt Honey Bea. How are you doing? What did you make for me to eat? I never get anything good to eat at home.”

“Hear that, Marge. I’d not cook for him if I was you. You men better get out there and herd them youngsters so us women can get the food out. Helen and her bunch should be coming.”

Dan stood close to Casey. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

“You go on. I’ll be fine,” she whispered and meant it.

Helen Murdock was a tall, prematurely gray-haired woman, with a large but trim frame and wide hips. She was pleasant when introduced to Casey, but she lacked the warmth of her sister-in-law. Her children were loud and boisterous and plainly adored their Uncle Dan. She announced that Hank would be late and that they should go ahead and eat without him. The sister she had in tow was a younger replica of herself with blond hair and a sallow complexion that Casey knew at a glance was due to the wrong kind of makeup and hair coloring. The woman offered a cold, limp hand and Casey touched it briefly.

Casey floated along on a light cloud of happiness, chiding herself for doubting that Dan’s family would be anything but welcoming. The conversation was light, bantering, never serious. They talked of nothing profound or personal. To her surprise, she found herself chatting easily with Fred and the women. Dan played a game of ball with the children and herded them inside to eat. His eyes turned to Casey at every opportunity and when he was near he touched her, caressed her, and in every possible way showed his family he cared about her. It was the warmest, most wonderful feeling Casey had ever experienced.

Only one thing happened to bring reality back in focus. When they were sitting down at the picnic tables on the porch Helen’s sister’s child refused to
sit at the table with the other children. She was a thin, whining child of about six. Her mother tried to make her sit on the bench beside Casey. The child stiffened and scrambled away.

“No! I won’t sit by her. One side of her face is all ucky! Her hands are ucky, too!” She stood back and glared at Casey defiantly.

There was total silence.

Casey swallowed hard. She knew her face was aflame. In the quiet that followed the child’s outburst her heart pulsed with an acute pain. To make matters worse, the child’s mother tried to apologize.

“I’m sorry. Maryann isn’t used to seeing anyone … ah … who is … You see she’s very sensitive to others and…”

“She’s so sensitive she needs her bottom spanked,” Aunt Bea said from the other end of the table.

“Aunt Bea!” This came from Helen. “She’s only a child.”

Casey prayed the floor would open up and swallow her. All eyes were riveted to her face. Then pride surfaced. Damn this woman and her ill-mannered child. She smiled, although her face felt as if it was set in plaster, and resisted the desire to cover her cheek with her hand. Instead she tilted her head to allow the smooth curtain of golden hair to slide forward.

“It’s all right,” she said to the child’s mother through stiff lips.

“I’m sure Maryann will get used to you,” the woman said lamely and Casey wanted to hit her.
Shut up!
she screamed silently.

Dan’s hand moved across her lap, burrowed between her thighs, and squeezed hard. Casey didn’t dare look at him or she would burst into tears and disgrace both of them.

The commotion of serving the children kept the others occupied and Casey managed to get her emotions under control. She held tightly to the hand that lay in her lap until she had to release it so Dan could eat. The meal was bearable because of the constant chatter among Marge, her husband, and Dan. When it was over, the children went back to their play and Casey got up to help Aunt Bea clear the table.

“Sit right there and talk to Marge while she feeds Jayne,” Aunt Bea commanded. “Helen and Lucy can help me take care of this.”

“I want mama to play with me,” Maryann said. Her small face was set stubbornly and her eyes didn’t waver as she looked directly at Casey.

“Well … I never!” Aunt Bea stood with hands on her ample hips.

“Come on, darling. Sit in here on a stool while mama helps Aunty Bea.” Lucy urged the child into the kitchen.

Marge’s lips quirked into a smile and her bright eyes sought Fred’s. Casey saw the look of understanding pass between them and Fred leaned over and kissed his wife on the lips.

“I know,” he whispered. “You’re a mean mama. Our kids would never get away with that.”

“You better believe it!”

The love between the two of them was obvious to Casey. Dan would be that kind of husband and father if he truly loved the woman he married. The physical attraction he felt for her was undeniable. But love? Was it possible to love so intensely on such short acquaintance? Was it pity, or guilt he was mistaking for love?

Marge and Fred gathered their family together and left after Marge made arrangements to come over and spend the afternoon while Dan was away. Helen was loading her children in a large van when her husband arrived. One by one the children, with the exception of Maryann, came to tell them goodbye. Casey almost burst out laughing when the child peeked from behind her mother and stuck out her tongue. Somehow it eased the tension that clawed at her stomach and she just barely resisted the impulse to poke out her own tongue.

There was much hugging and kissing between Hank and his children before Helen drove away. This confirmed Casey’s first impression that the Murdocks were strong family men. She studied Hank as he walked toward them. He was as tall as Dan but not as heavily built. His hair had receded far back from his forehead and he wore large, dark-rimmed glasses.

“Sorry to be so late,” he said as he approached them. “There was an accident at the mill and I
wanted to wait around and find out how serious it was. The young Franklin boy almost lost a hand.” He held out his hand to Casey and smiled, but somehow Casey didn’t think the smile quite reached his eyes. “Hello, Casey. I see you survived the thundering herd, as Aunt Bea calls them.”

“Oh, yes. I’m not all that fragile.”

Dan threw an arm casually across her shoulders. “Come on in, Hank. Aunt Bea saved your supper.”

When Hank left an hour later, Casey was convinced he was somewhat less than enthusiastic about her being in his brother’s home. He and Dan had sat at the table and talked business. There was a problem with the foreign contract and Dan would have to go to Japan to straighten it out. Casey chatted with Aunt Bea and, after she left to go back through the break in the fence to her own house, Casey wandered into the living room. Later she couldn’t remember Dan’s older brother directing any conversation to her other than the greeting when he came and “goodnight, Casey” when he left.

Dan closed the door behind his brother and leaned against it.

“Well? How was it?”

“Harrowing.”

“Harrowing?”

“Harrowing, as in painful, nerve-racking, and frantic. Until tonight I haven’t been in a group where more than three people were related and not close enough to a child to touch one since my car broke down and I had to ride the bus.” She wanted
to tell him that she loved every minute of it, but she couldn’t. “I think I do better on a one-to-one basis … me and Aunt Bea … me and Marge…”

“Me and … you. Come here, Clementine.” Dan opened his arms and she went into them. He pressed his parted lips to hers. His hands slid up under her sweater and were stopped from going farther by the belt at her waist. “I’m going to have to teach you to dress properly,” he muttered. His fingers worked at the buckle and the belt fell to the floor. Caressing the warm flesh of her back he gathered her to him. “Ahhhh … the back door is bolted. There’ll be no interruptions this time. Shall we sit on the couch? I liked what you were doing this evening … before we were invaded.”

“Dan … I don’t think—”

His mouth came down hard on hers, stifling her words, a sense of long pent-up restraint being cast aside. He whispered something through the kiss that sounded vaguely like, “don’t think.” His touch was carrying her beyond reason. When he raised his head and a soft chuckle of triumph escaped him, she stiffened.

“It’s too risky.” She forced herself away from him and he let her go.

“Too … risky?” His voice was a hollow echo.

“I could already be pregnant!” she said desperately.

“You want to have a family, don’t you, Casey?” he asked quietly. “Or has seeing my brothers’ broods put you off?”

She moved toward the living room and he followed. She knew when he called her Casey his mood was serious. The effect she had wished for was achieved but now she wasn’t so sure she could handle it.

“Of course I want a family some day, but not now. I’ve got the operations …” Her voice trailed away, then came back stronger. “Besides we’ve nothing concrete to offer a child.”

“What the hell do you mean by that? We love each other. We’d make good parents.”

“Oh, come out of the clouds, Dan! We can’t be sure of that. We don’t
really
know each other all that well.”

He caught her as they neared the couch and deftly twisted her down on it. His glittering dark eyes were close. She gazed at him blindly, waiting, her own amber eyes fixed on his hard, sensual mouth.

“That’s a lie and you know it! You’re afraid of commitment.”

Once she would have bristled or else run like a rabbit from such a statement. But now her throat felt hot, her legs weak because she knew his will was stronger than hers. She leaned back against the cushions, her head cloudy, waiting. In a moment, unable to resist him, she would be lying in his arms, weak and yielding, her arms around his neck.

“I can understand why you don’t want a baby right now, sweetheart. Living here with me and the change in life-style will be a big enough adjustment for you to make all at once.” He drew her to him.
She looked into his eyes and was shattered by the tenderness she saw there.

“I wish you wouldn’t be so good to me,” she whispered. “I can’t fight against you.” She felt a strange slackness in the pit of her stomach.

“I love you, my Guinevere.” He put a hand under her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her gently, lovingly.

Casey said nothing, not knowing what to say. He had spoken the truth. He sincerely believed he loved her. There had been something infinitely special between them from the first moment they met. Was she crazy? Did she only
want
to think that? She searched his eyes and he smiled gently. It made nothing more important than being with him, now, this minute.

He wrapped her in his arms and pressed her head to his shoulder. “You heard Hank talk about the trouble with the contracts. I’ll leave for Japan the day after tomorrow. While I’m gone you can call Dr. Masters at the hospital and he will phone a prescription to the pharmacy here. I won’t be able to stay away from you, sweetheart, don’t ask me to. The only other thing to do is to get some protection.”