Almost Twilight (11 page)

“No,”
he said past the screen. “I don’t have a sister or wife. This lady is—”

“Is
a lady, yes?” she said, following him back outside.

“Yes,”
Rafe said with a frown. “She’s my father’s friend.” There, that should settle
the woman’s curiosity. But it didn’t.

“Older
lady? The one Fritz calls Lorraine?”

Rafe
dumped the rest of the coffee onto the sand and looked up. “Uh, no.”

Selena
put her hands on her ample hips and shook her hips and head at the same time. “No
hanky panky here, Rafe. You’re a good boy. You can send that woman home.”

“For
crying out loud, Selena. She’s my guest, and there’s nothing like that...” he
shook his hips like she did, “...going on.” 

He
kissed Selena on her cheek, and ten minutes later, breakfast was served. Shoveling
down his second plate of coconut pancakes and sausage, Rafe waited for Candy to
come down.

After
last night, he figured she probably needed her sleep, so he left at ten o’clock
to inquire about his friend’s hotel. When he returned, Selena said that the
lady was still in her room and had never come out.

Angry,
Rafe stomped up the stairs and pounded on the door.

“Candy,
open up and come out and eat. I won’t have you starving your way through these
islands until it’s time to leave.”

Silence.

Rafe
turned the doorknob, immediately realizing the door was locked. “Open up!”

He
turned as soon as he heard Selena’s sandaled feet clacking up the stairs. “She’s
not answering.”

Selena
threw her hands to her hips and scowled. “You do something to the lady last
night?”

Rafe
felt himself blush. “Of course not!”

Selena
pointed her finger at him. “Don’t you lie to me. I think you kissed her. I know
when a man kisses a woman. I can see it in your eyes, yes?”

Rafe
pursed his lips and felt as if he were five again. Selena could always tell
when he wasn’t telling the truth.

“She’s
not coming out because she’s mad at you. Let Selena try.”

Selena
brushed Rafe aside, as if he were a pesky fly, and knocked on the door. “Pretty
lady. Are you awake?” 

Selena
frowned and stared at Rafe.

Rafe
suddenly felt a spasm of alarm.

“She’s
not well, Doctor.”

Rafe
froze. “What do you mean she’s not well?”

“You’re
the doctor, you figure it out?” Selena shoved him toward the door.

Rafe’s
knuckles rapped hard against the wood. “Candy, open up.”

Nothing.
Rafe’s heart pounded with fear.

“Candy,”
he said in a worried whisper. “Come on, sweetheart, open up. I can help if
you’re sick. Don’t be silly.”

A
small groan from the other side of the door sent a shiver down his spine. He
wiggled the doorknob and cursed. Locked.

“Stand
back, Selena.” She stood back, and he rammed the door, groaning in pain when
his shoulder hit the wood, and he bounced off. He tried again.

“Why
don’t you use a key?” Selena asked, shoving him aside. She fished into her
pocket and pulled out a key.

Rafe
looked at the key in her hand. Clenching his fists, he tried to bite back a
sharp retort, but couldn’t help himself. “Why didn’t you tell me you had that
in the first place?” 

But
he didn’t wait for her answer. As soon as the door sprung open, he bolted into
the room. His gaze locked on the rumpled sheets covering the bed, then to the
clump of blankets on the floor by the bathroom.

A
choking knot rose in his throat as the clump moved.

“Candy?”

“I
can’t believe that both of you were involved in this scheme.” Tanner exchanged
shocking glances between his wife and his father.

Ignoring
Tanner’s outburst, Fritz stared at his cup of orange blossom tea and swirled
the teabag around the hot water with a spoon. If he remembered correctly, there
would be bright orange flowers of some kind trailing along the outside of
Rafe’s condo. It would be a perfect romantic setting with the wind rustling
through the palms and the water rushing up against the white beach. Seagulls
would be cawing over head...

“Dad,
did you hear a thing I said?”

Fritz
ignored his son’s outburst. Well, dang it, he would have those grandchildren in
no time. He glanced up at Hannah.

If
he didn’t know better, he would say her face looked a bit green around the
gills lately. Hmmm? Morning sickness? 

“Dad?”

Fritz
pursed his lips and stared at his eldest son whose face was as red as the
strawberry jam sitting on the table.

“Tell
me, John Tanner. Who do you think you are? Heaven’s gift to the world? Is that
it? Acting as if you know everything there is to know about women.”

Something
that sounded more like an amused snort than a sip of orange juice came from
Hannah’s side of the table.

“I
don’t believe this.” Tanner slapped his hand on the kitchen table and spun
around to refill his coffee.

“And
another thing,” Fritz continued, “if you keep filling up with that caffeine,
your going to have high blood pressure.”

Tanner
turned and grabbed an English muffin off the table. “Let’s get this straight. Rafe’s
thirty-one-years-old. He doesn’t need his father sticking his nose into his
love life.”

“He’s
thirty-two and too smart for his own good. Had his birthday two months ago. I
shouldn’t have let him skip all those grades.” Fritz smacked a wad of butter onto
his toast. “And love life? Ha. That’s a good one. Rafe ain’t got a love life. Never
had and never will, unless
we
do something about it.”

Tanner’s
head snapped up. “We?”

“Well,
tarnation, what do you think I’ve been saying? If we don’t get together on
this, I’ll have only two grandchildren roaming the earth. You want that on your
conscience?”

Tanner’s
coffee cup slipped from his grip, the hot liquid spilling on his shirt.

“What
do you mean two grandchildren?” He exchanged a meaningful glance between his
father and his wife.

Hannah
peered over her cup and raised her blond brows in surprise as she stared at
Fritz. “I never said a word to you Fritz, and you know it.”

Tanner’s
jaw dropped.

Fritz
took a sizeable bite of his toast and smiled.

Tanner
cleared his throat, obviously in shock.

Fritz
got up and refilled his teacup with more hot water. “You don’t know a lot of
things John Tanner, so, if you had anything to say, it would be something like,
Thank you Dad for getting me hitched to the prettiest, most generous woman
around.
” 

Hannah
snickered.

Fritz
turned and pointed a finger at his wide-eyed son. “And if it wasn’t for me, you
wouldn’t be the happy man you are today, and you know it! So, all I’m asking
you to do is help your brother be happy. Is that too much to ask? Huh?”

Tanner
walked toward Hannah whose eyes pleaded with him to see it their way. He shook
his head and sighed. “Forget about Rafe. A baby?”

Hannah
reached for his hand. “Yes, dear.”

He kissed
her.

She
smiled. “We’re so happy, Tanner. I only wanted Rafe to have the same. We just
wanted to help him. We never meant to interfere in his life. Don’t you see? Candy
and your brother are so lonely. Don’t you think we could give them a little
head start? We have so much. I want... well, I want them to be together.”

Tanner
gazed adoringly at Hannah and squeezed her hand. “Never mind them. When’s the
baby due, sweetheart?”

“About
seven months. I wasn’t sure at first, but when I came back from the doctor’s, I
thought I’d spring it on you at a more opportune time.”

Tanner
turned his glare on his father. “And how did you know?”

Fritz
stood, crossed the floor, and started sorting things in the refrigerator. “I
ain’t psychic, you know. Can’t you tell morning sickness when you see it?”

Hannah
giggled.

Tanner
kissed his wife on the lips. “Obviously, not.”

“Hey,
hey. None of that,” Fritz let out. “We have work to do.” He stared pointedly at
Tanner. “Are you in or out? Hannah and me gotta know.”

Tanner’s
brow raised as he glanced at his wife. “I guess my children need those cousins
you’re talking about. So count me in.”

“Yee
haw!” With a jar of jelly in hand, Fritz came across the room and slapped
Tanner on the back. “Knew you would come to our way of thinking. I’ve got it
all planned out.”

Tanner
picked up his coffee and sipped. “Somehow, I feel I’m not going to like this.”

Fritz
smiled. “Oh, but you will. The only thing you have to do is get Max down to The
Bahamas.”

Tanner’s
coffee spewed from his mouth and onto the table. “You’ve got to be joking?”

Fritz
frowned. “No, I’m not joking. I’m dead serious. You get that hair-raising,
good-for-nothing-ranching brother of yours to agree to our plan. We need to add
a little pepper into the mix. Putting Max between Rafe and Candy will do just
that. You’ll see. After Max leaves his mark, everything will move along just as
smooth as a baby’s bottom.”

Hannah’s
eyes pleaded with Tanner’s and he sighed. “Fine. I’ll do it. I’ll do the dirty
deed. How can I say no to a pregnant woman?”

Fritz
almost fell off his chair. “You’ll what?”

“I
said I’ll do it, but on one condition.”

“What’s
that?” 

Tanner
gave his father a devilish smile. “On the condition that you wear a new suit
and a pair of black patent leather shoes to Rafe’s wedding.”

Fritz
gritted his teeth. “You’re asking too much, boy. I don’t go anywhere without my
cowboy boots and you know it.” He stood and lifted his booted foot to prove it.
“And for your information, I ain’t having one of those pin-striped
suits
hanging in my closest like you do.”

Tanner
relaxed back in his chair, acting like the CEO he was. Fritz clenched his hands
in frustration. Dang it anyway!

“I’ll
buy you one of those suits, Dad. No problem.”

“I
can pay. I got almost as much money as you. I ain’t needing a handout! You just
be seeing that you give Max a call.” 

Fritz’s
boots clacked hard against the floor as he exited the kitchen. “I’m only doing
this for the future of my grandchildren,” he said over his shoulder. “And you’re
gonna have to have one more little one after this baby, or so help me John
Tanner, there’s no telling what I’ll do.” 

Tanner
threw back his head and laughed.

Hannah
took hold of his hand and smiled sweetly. “Honey.”

Tanner
barely could control his laughter. Mirthful tears sprang to his eyes as he
gazed at his wife. “He’s a stubborn man, but when I can get the best of him,
it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world. To think, that he thinks, he
could make us have another child.” 

He
gave his wife a peck on the nose. “Not that I don’t want another one,
sweetheart, but when my father gets his hackles up, there’s no telling what
he’ll try.” 

Tanner
wiped his eyes. “He’s a card, a real card.”

Tanner,”
Hannah said, more insistent to get his attention.

“What?”

Tanner’s
cell phone suddenly rang and he answered it. It took fifteen minutes before he
got off the phone and sat beside his wife.

“Now,
honey, what were you saying?”

“I’ve
been trying to tell you that your Dad won’t have to worry about another one?”

Tanner’s
expression changed from joyful to confused. “What do you mean? You don’t want
any more children?”

Hannah
took Tanner’s hand and placed it on her stomach. “I mean that the doctor said
there’s a good possibility I’m having twins.”

Tanner’s
hand froze. “Tw-twins?”

Hannah
nodded and smiled.

“Well
dang it, if that ain’t the best news I’ve heard all year besides you two
getting married and all!”

Tanner
and Hannah turned to see Fritz standing in the doorway, his smile brimming from
ear to ear.

Tanner
dropped his head in his hands. “Poor Rafe, the man doesn’t stand a chance.”

Candy
felt herself swimming in sweat. Her head ached, and her body shivered as if she
had been dunked into an icy pool.

“Feeling
better?” 

The
familiar baritone voice flitted through her head like a Mozart Concerto. She
thought she was dreaming. But when she felt a warm hand on her forehead, she
opened her eyes, surprised to find Dr. Rafe Clearbrook sitting beside her, his intense
gray eyes probing her face for an answer to his question.