Baby in Her Arms (13 page)
Authors: Judy Christenberry
Tags: #Romance, #Contemporary, #Historical, #Nonfiction, #Series
He’d have to fight them off with a stick if he didn’t stay close to her.
Once the waiter stopped smiling at Maggie and caught Josh’s frown, he backed away from the table.
“Why would I want a divorce after Tuesday night?” he asked quietly, his gaze intense.
Maggie picked up a roll and carefully buttered it, avoiding his look. When he could stand it no longer, he reached across the table to still the butter knife.
“Maggie?”
“I know s-sex wasn’t part of what you offered.” She set the roll on her bread plate and tugged for him to release her other hand.
“Hell, woman, you think I’m going to complain about sleeping with you?”
She turned bright red, and Josh realized he’d spoken too loudly. Several customers at nearby tables were staring at them.
“Sorry,” he whispered.
The waiter appeared again, two salads in his hands. Josh didn’t bother to glare at him. He closed his eyes and waited until he heard his footsteps fading.
“Maggie, talk to me.”
She took a bite of roll and chewed it until he thought he would grab her and drag her out of the restaurant Finally, keeping her gaze glued to her salad, she said, “I understand, Josh. There’s no need to feel bad about it. That’s why I...I tried to change my appearance today.”
Having thoroughly confused him, she picked up her fork and began eating her salad.
Josh shook his head, hoping to clear it enough to understand what Maggie had said. “You bought new clothes because I hurt you? Maggie, I swear I didn’t intend to—”
“It’s all right, Josh. I know you couldn’t help it.” She gave him such a sad look, he half rose out of his seat, intending to circle the table and take her in his arms. Until her alarmed look reminded him they were in a restaurant.
“Maggie, I swear to God it won’t happen again.”
Her look got even sadder, tears filling her eyes. “So...my new looks don’t make a difference?”
Something was wrong. He didn’t understand where this conversation was going. Cautiously he asked, “Why would your new clothes make a difference? You look great in them, of course, but—”
“I do?” A spark of pleasure lit her gaze. Then it disappeared. “But not enough to tempt you.”
Josh rubbed his forehead. He was getting a headache. He drew a deep breath before saying, “Let’s start over. What do you think happened Tuesday night?” He thought it was pretty obvious, but he had to get to the root of their misunderstanding. And that meant going back to Tuesday night.
“I...pleaded with you to make love to me. You did, but I...I didn’t know how to please you, and you regretted it.”
He couldn’t believe her words. He felt his eyes bulge out as he stared at her. “
I
regretted it? Why would you think that?”
I
regretted it? Why would you think that?”
“You apologized.”
The waiter appeared again, and Josh considered taking a swing at him. But it wasn’t the boy’s fault. And he had their dinners in his hands.
The waiter looked down at the table. “You haven’t eaten your salads. Is there anything wrong with them?”
“No,” Maggie said gently, smiling at him.
Josh felt a surge of jealousy go through him. He hadn’t received such a nice smile since Tuesday night.
“Er, do you want me to bring these back later?” the waiter asked, lifting the two plates for clarification.
“No, leave them,” Josh snapped.
The young man eased the plates onto the table, his gaze fixed on Josh. “Uh, if you need anything else, let me know.”
He hurried away, leaving an awkward silence.
Josh struggled to gather control of himself, to explain to Maggie why he’d apologized. “I apologized because I hurt you.”
“I know. It’s not your fault you’re not attracted to me.” She kept her gaze on her salad and took another bite.
A lightbulb clicked on in Josh’s head. When she’d said Josh had hurt her, she meant her feelings, because he wasn’t attracted to her. Which, of course, was a ridiculous thought.
But a lot better one than he’d imagined.
“Maggie, I apologized because I hurt you
physically.”
He waited for her gaze to lift.
physically.”
He waited for her gaze to lift.
She frowned. “I thought—I mean, I heard it always hurts the first time.”
“Sweetheart, I didn’t know you were a virgin. I could’ve been easier, more tender. I assumed—”
Her chest burned. “I didn’t want to admit I wasn’t experienced. I thought maybe you wouldn’t know.”
He reached across the table for her hand. “I didn’t...until it was too late. And it killed me that I hadn’t been more gentle.”
The rising hope on her face lit a bonfire in Josh.
“You mean you didn’t mind making—”
He stood and leaned over the table, pulling her to her feet, covering her lips with his, tasting her sweetness like a man starved for sustenance.
The sound of applause brought him to his senses, and he released Maggie, who sank down in her chair. With a wave to his audience and a grin that outshone the sun, he sat back down. “Maggie, I’ve wanted to make love to you since the night we first shared my bed. In fact, I was ready to fall to my knees and plead to make love to you again. That’s why I wanted us to talk. I can’t stand keeping my hands off you.”
“You...you like it?”
He groaned. “Like it? Maggie, I love you.”
Maggie looked stunned for a moment, but then a smile lit her face.
“Oh, Josh, I love you. I want us to have a real marriage.”
He couldn’t stand it any longer. “Come on,” he said, leaping to his feet.
“Where are we going?”
“Where do you think?” he asked her, grinning.
“But our food. We haven’t eaten.”
Josh turned around, nailing their waiter with a look that had the boy paling. Waving for him, Josh snapped when he arrived, “Bring the bill and box this food up to go.”
“All of it?” the boy asked.
“Yeah, all of it Here, here’s my credit card. That will speed things up.”
The boy gulped. “Yes, sir.”
For the longest five minutes of his life, Josh stood with his arm around Maggie, whispering sweet words in her ears, waiting to escape to privacy.
Finally they reached the car. He zoomed out of the parking lot, even though Maggie cautioned him.
“Sweetheart, I’ve been suffering for three days, when you wouldn’t even look at me. Now you’re willing to make love and you want me to slow down?”
“No, I don’t want you to slow down,” she said with a seductive smile. “But I don’t want you to get a ticket.”
His eyebrows rose. “What happened to my innocent wife?”
“She spent some time in bed with a private investigator. And he showed her heaven,” she said, her voice husky.
Josh groaned and pressed the accelerator harder.
After they reached home, in record time, they raced up the stairs. But when Maggie turned to go to her bedroom, Josh stopped her. “No, sweetheart, not tonight. We’re going to the master bedroom, where a man and his wife belong.”
She made no protest.
When they entered his room, he reached for the buttons on her blouse, and she returned the favor. When Josh discovered the sexy black bra and bikini panties she wore beneath her new clothes, he paused to admire her. “Sweetheart, wherever you did your shopping today, plan on going back and ordering some more things like this,” he said, running a finger down the low curve of the bra.
“You like it?”
“I like it so much, we’d better hurry,” he urged, slipping the straps down.
They fell on the bed after they’d removed their clothes and made up for the pain they’d suffered the past few days. True to his promises to himself, though, Josh was gentle, tender, caring of her inexperience.
And this time when they reached completion, he gathered Maggie in his arms and held her close. “No tears, sweetheart?”
“Only those of happiness. I didn’t do anything wrong?”
Josh chuckled. “Yes, you did. I didn’t want to mention it, but...”
When he said nothing else, she struggled to sit up, but he wouldn’t let her. “What? What did I do wrong?”
“You got me so excited I almost went too soon. Could you be less sexy next time?”
“Oh, you!” she protested, elbowing him.
“Ouch! Watch it woman. You might damage something,” he teased.
“We wouldn’t want to do that, because I’m going to keep you busy for a few years,” she assured him, feeling more confident every moment.
“I don’t think you’ll get any complaints from me.”
Epilogue
“D
addy!”
addy!”
Two-year-old Ginny skidded into her daddy’s home office, and Josh shoved back from the computer to reach out and catch her. “Hi, Ginny. Up from your nap?”
“Yes, and Mommy said come here.”
He smiled at Ginny’s precise words. She’d made amazing progress the past year, learning to walk—or maybe he should say run—and speak quite clearly.
“Okay, let’s go find Mommy. Where is she?”
“She’s on the bed.”
Josh frowned. “On the bed?” He picked Ginny up and raced for the master bedroom. Maggie never took. naps these days. She said she couldn’t get comfortable.
“Maggie?” he called before he reached the door.
“In here,” she called.
He found her sitting on the edge of the bed. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. But it’s time.”
“Time?” he asked, puzzled. Then comprehension dawned and he stared at her bulging stomach. “
Time?
You mean the baby’s coming?”
Time?
You mean the baby’s coming?”
“Yes. I’ve called the doctor and—”
“It’s time!” Josh exclaimed again.
“Get my suitcase, Josh. We need to drop Ginny off at Kate’s. I called Angie and told her we’d be there in a few minutes.”
“We don’t have time for that! It’s time!”
Maggie pushed herself off the bed. “Josh, get the suitcase.”
Instead, he rushed to her side. “I’ll carry you downstairs.”
“Josh, I’ll be okay. You carry Ginny and get my suitcase.”
She waddled down the stairs, taking them one at a time, hoping her beloved husband would come to his senses. By the time she reached the bottom, he was right behind her.
“Are you sure we’ll have time to drop Ginny off?”
“I promise we have plenty of time. The hospital is just on the other side of the Plaza. We’re only fifteen minutes away.”
“I want to see baby,” said Ginny, reaching out a finger to touch Maggie’s stomach.
“You’ll have to wait a little while, sweetie. Soon your baby brother will be here. Daddy will bring you to the hospital as soon as he can.” Maggie stopped and sagged against the wall, taking fast breaths as pain seized her.
“Maggie! Are you all right?” Josh demanded, dropping the suitcase and reaching for her.
“I’m fine...now. Let’s go before I have another one.”
They reached the hospital in plenty of time, after dropping Ginny off to play with Nathan. While Josh filled out all the forms, Maggie was disrobed and settled in the labor room.
He joined her as quickly as possible. “Are you all right? They made me fill out a lot of forms.”
“I know. I’m fine. The doctor was in and said everything is moving along.”
Though it didn’t seem quick to Josh, Maggie’s labor was relatively short. Their son, Joshua James McKinley, made his noisy appearance a little after seven that evening.
“Why’s he still crying?” Josh asked with a frown.
“He’s a hungry boy,” the nurse chirped cheerfully.
“He’s an impatient boy, just like his daddy,” Maggie murmured with a smile.
“I just hope he’s as lucky as his daddy,” Josh whispered to Maggie before kissing her.
“You don’t mind being a P.I. and a daddy, too?” she asked, knowing the answer already. Josh made sure she knew of his love every day.
“I can’t imagine a better life, sweetheart.”
Maggie knew the luckiest night of her life had been the one when Josh and Ginny walked into the diner.
“In fact,” Josh continued, “I think being a private investigator will come in handy in about ten or fifteen years.”
“Why?”
“Because Ginny and James, and any other babies we have, will be teenagers. But they won’t be able to hide anything from their P.I. daddy.
“Perfect,” Maggie said with a smile. And that described her life, she decided as she closed her eyes, with Josh, Ginny and baby James.
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