LOST AND FOUND HUSBAND (11 page)

“You can plant as many flowers as you want. But I’d rather not have you go to Corrine’s grave.” He wasn’t ready to share that part of his life with her. It didn’t matter that Dana was talking about going by herself. To him, it still seemed like an invasion of his privacy. “I’d prefer to keep things as they are.”

She seemed disappointed, but she didn’t push it beyond his limits. She merely said, “Maybe you’ll feel differently later. Maybe you’ll change your mind.”

“Maybe.” But for now, he just couldn’t agree to it.

After they finished the food on their plates, she asked, “Are you ready for dessert?”

“Yes, please.” He appreciated that she’d made a nice treat to go along with their meal, but mostly he was relieved that she’d changed the subject.

“Do you want whipped cream on yours?”

“That sounds good.”

She studied him for a moment. Then she said, “I need to get it.” She went into the kitchen and returned with the canned kind. “This is my favorite. It’s always so fun to use. See. Now watch.” She served him a generous helping of the colorful gelatin mold and decorated it with a smiley face made of the frothy topping.

He looked at her artwork and laughed. She decorated hers with the same design, except with dotted eyelashes and fuller lips, implying that hers was a girl.

Eric laughed again. “You certainly know your way around that stuff.”

“You have no idea.” She shot some straight into her mouth.

He shook his head. Dana was always doing something wonderfully weird. “I used to do that when I was a kid. But I used to get in trouble for it. That and drinking milk from the carton. That used to drive my mom nuts.”

“My mom used to correct me all the time, too. But it didn’t help.” She grinned and offered him the can. “Want to misbehave now? No one will scold you for it.”

“No, thanks. I’ll stick to what’s in my bowl.” He delved into the dessert and ate several spoonfuls, smearing the face.

“I put that on there because I wanted to make you laugh. You were frowning before I went into the kitchen to get the whipped cream and you were still scowling when I came back.”

He cocked his head. “I was?”

She nodded. “You frown when you’re not even aware of it.”

If he’d been frowning, it was a subconscious reaction leftover from their graveyard discussion. “I didn’t mean to seem as if I was mad.”

“I didn’t think you were mad. You’re just guarded.”

Guarded was an accurate word to describe him. That was definitely how he felt. “I’m sorry, Dana.”

“No need to apologize. But I think we need to redo that.” She refreshed his dessert with another happy face, replacing the one he’d smeared.

He shooed her hand away, but he did it playfully. He couldn’t help but be amused. “If you keep doing that every time I take a bite, I’ll make a pig of myself and end up with a stomachache.”

“Then you better smile more, Eric.”

“And you better quit being such a pest.” For good measure, he zeroed in on a kiss, cupping the back of her head and capturing her lips. She moaned and returned his affection eagerly.

So eagerly, she climbed onto his lap, and he forgot about gelatin molds or whipped cream happy faces or anything except the sweetly intoxicating taste of his wife.

* * *

Three weeks later, Eric awakened on a Saturday morning, without Dana by his side. She was probably in the bathroom, retching her brains out. The twelve-week mark had passed, but her morning sickness hadn’t improved. Eric frowned. Maybe her doctor could give her something for it. Maybe next time he should go with her to the appointment.

In some ways he was becoming accustomed to having her as his wife, and in other ways he remained unsettled. His emotions were all over the board. Dana moved at such a different pace than he did. When she wasn’t sick, she was bursting with energy, spinning around him like a sparkly little dust devil. Sometimes she just plain wore him out. Yet being around her was exciting, too.

In search of Dana, he got out of bed and checked the bathroom. Upon finding it empty, he went into the kitchen to see if she was there. Nope. Kitchen was empty, too.

Eric started a pot of coffee, wondering where she was. She was never up and about at this time of day, not with how nauseous she always was.

While he waited for the coffee to brew, he poured a glass of orange juice. He also opened the curtain on the kitchen window, then spotted Dana in the backyard, digging in the dirt. Was she planting her flower garden? Now? First thing in the morning?

He went to the sliding glass door, pulled back the blinds and headed outside. As he got closer, he noticed that both cats were hanging out with her. The tabbies picked through the soil she’d unearthed, making muddy paw prints in the areas she’d dampened with the hose.

When Eric walked over to her, she glanced up and cupped a gloved hand over her brow, creating a sunshield.

“Guess what?” she said. “This is the first morning I woke up without feeling sick.”

“So you went to the nursery and bought a bunch of plants?”

“I figured it was time to create the garden.” She smiled, her eyes as blue as the sky. “My way of celebrating.” She stood up and dusted off her jeans. “Your juice looks good.” She removed her gloves and stuffed them in her back pocket. “May I have a sip?”

He held out the glass. He hadn’t even realized that he’d brought it outside with him.

She drank some and passed it back. “Aren’t you happy for me? No more nausea.”

He was extremely happy that she was well. But the garden looked like a major undertaking. “I still wish you would take it easy, Dana.”

“Are you kidding? I feel like a million bucks.” She made a quick spin to showcase her health. With a deliberate grin, she pointed out what she planned to do. “I’m going to fill this planter with perennials. And over there, I’m going to dig up the grass and replace it with a row of mazelike hedges. And that spot in the corner is reserved for a cozy bench and a quaint little walkway, with stepping stones and fluffy foliage.” She turned toward the patio. “I was thinking of adding more potted plants, too.”

“I can’t let you do all of that by yourself.” She wasn’t planting a garden. She was landscaping the whole dang yard. “I’ll do the heavy labor.”

She clapped her hands together. “You’re going to help me? Oh, that’s wonderful. With the two of us, we could complete it this weekend.”

“The entire project?”

She nodded, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Maybe we could get a mini fountain, too. A smaller version of Tinkle. I really miss him.”

And he missed the order that used to be his life. But he didn’t miss the loneliness. With Dana, he was never lonely. She was a constant companion, always delving into some sort of mind-spinning mischief.

He said, “We’re not going to be able to get all of it done this weekend.”

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Between an old guy like me and a pregnant lady like you, two, maybe three weekends.”

She laughed at his description of them. “The important part is enjoying ourselves.” She snagged his juice and drank the last of it. “Come on, old guy, let’s get started on that fun.”

“I’m still in my pajamas.”

She gave him the once over. “Sweatpants and a wrinkled T-shirt? That’s perfect garden attire. All you need is a pair of work gloves.”

“I’ve got some in the garage.”

“Then go get them. Time’s a wasting.”

“I think I liked you better when you were throwing up every morning.”

She laughed again. Beautiful chaos. “Snap to, Eric.”

He shifted his stance. Moving quickly was going to require coffee, but thankfully it was already made. Still, there was the matter of food. “What about breakfast? I need to eat.”

“So go grab something and hurry back.”

He grumbled on his way to the fridge. She was henpecking him already. But as he slapped a sandwich together, he smiled.

He was looking forward to pleasing her and making the yard as wonderful as he could.

* * *

The project took two and a half weekends, and when it was complete, they stood in amazement and admired it.

“It’s everything I imagined,” she said.

Eric agreed. It was definitely her vision: the profusion of color, the soft, inviting warmth, the water trickling from the fountain, the little cove and walkway.

She took his hand and led him to the bench, where they sat and gazed at it from another angle.

“I could sit here forever,” she said.

“I really like this spot, too.”

She leaned forward and kissed him. Her mouth tasted like caramel and peppermint. She’d been eating candy for most of the day. He deepened the kiss and put his hand on her tummy. She was nearly four months along now, and she had a tiny pooch. Not enough to look pregnant, but Eric knew what her body had been like before Sweet Bean had made the scene.

After the kiss ended, she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Are you tired?” he asked.

“A little. But I’m content, too.”

So was he. He gazed at the plants and frowned. Not so content that he’d stopped going to Corrine’s grave. And not so content that he was willing to share her resting place with Dana. Luckily, she hadn’t brought it up again. But he suspected that it was still on her mind, especially since her intent had been to bring Corrine flowers from this very garden.

“You’re going to be off for summer break soon,” she said.

“One of the perks of being a teacher. And Ryan and Victoria’s wedding is coming up.” He thought about the event they would be attending. “You’re going to love their farmhouse. Ryan’s veterinary practice is on the property, and he has chickens, a horse and a miniature cow.”

“I’m anxious to see it.”

“We’ll be staying there during the wedding, so you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with it. In fact, they asked if you and Kaley and I would stay a bit longer and housesit for them while they’re on their honeymoon.”

“Really? So we’ll get to feed the chickens and the cow and the horse?”

He nodded. “They also have two dogs. But Kaley will probably be in charge of them. They follow her around like lovesick puppies.”

“That’s sweet. You know, I’ve been thinking that I’m going to cut back a bit at the diner. The manager already hired a new girl to fill in for me, so I might as well take advantage of it.”

“Good. I’m glad. You know how I feel about you pushing yourself too hard.”

“Yes, I’m well aware of how protective you are. You barely let me do anything on the yard.”

“I let you do plenty.”

“Not as much as I’m capable of doing.” She was still resting her head against his shoulder. “It drives me crazy. But it’s nice, too.”

He fanned his fingers over her stomach. As a husband and father, it was his job to keep Dana and their child safe. To him, it was the most important role in a man’s life, and Eric was taking it seriously.

Chapter Eleven

S
ummer arrived with a bit of June gloom, but the weather warmed up soon enough. And by now, Dana was definitely showing. Every time she looked in the mirror, she marveled at her cute little baby bump.

Eric entered the bedroom and stood behind her. She gazed at his reflection. They were leaving for Oregon today. They’d decided to drive instead of fly. Kaley would be riding along with them.

“I just know that you and Kaley are going to over pack,” he said.

“Us girls gotta have our clothes.”

“Tell me about it. If you get any more maternity dresses, we’re going to have to move to a bigger house to make room for them.”

“I can’t help that my old clothes don’t fit me anymore. And at least I buy cheap.”

“The thrift store queen.”

She struck a regal pose. “I like old things.”

“Then it’s a good thing you married me.”

She reached back and nudged him. He was always making old-guy jokes. “Knock it off.”

“I’m only going to get older, Dana.”

“I’m going to get older, too.”

“Yes, but you’ll still always be sixteen years behind me.”

“You know that doesn’t matter to me.” She would always adore her husband, at any age.

Adore him? Or love him? she asked herself.

At the moment, she didn’t want to answer that question. She was anxious about seeing Ryan and Victoria and being immersed in how brightly their love shined.

She gazed at their reflections again.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing,” she lied. “We just have a lot going on.” At least that wasn’t a lie. After they returned from Oregon, she would be having the ultrasound that would most likely reveal Sweet Bean’s gender. Plus, they were still in the middle of decorating the nursery. On top of that, Kaley and Candy had been talking about cohosting a baby shower for her and having it here at the house.

He said, “Don’t let me forget to pack the garment bag that has my tux in it. Ryan would scalp me if I left it behind.”

“You won’t forget, but I’ll remind you when we’re loading up the car.” Although this tuxedo was a different style than the one he’d worn to their wedding, he’d rented it at the same shop. “And Ryan would never scalp you.”

“True.” He put his arms around her, resting his hands on the baby bump. “I’m the guy who raised his daughter.”

She leaned back against him. Because he was making her want to melt, she locked her knees to keep from going dreamy.

She said, “Ryan told me that he didn’t like you at first. That he was jealous because he thought you would end up with Victoria.”

“Yeah, but he was way off the mark. Victoria and I were never attracted to each other.”

“Did you know that she was in love with him when she was younger? Did she confide in you about it?”

“When I first met her? No. She kept those feelings a secret, even from him.”

Dana drew a breath. A woman who’d been secretly in love wasn’t the best topic for her to be discussing. But she’d started this conversation, so she was going to finish it.

She said, “At least Ryan made up for the past.”

“He struggled with what he’d done for most of his life. He even married someone else. But he didn’t love that woman enough to make it work, so she divorced him.”

Dana didn’t want to think about failed marriages, not while she was fighting her feelings for Eric. But she inquired about Ryan’s ex, anyway. “What happened to her?”

“She got remarried a while ago. So, basically, it was a win-win for everyone. But they’re all lucky it turned out that way. Not everyone is that lucky.”

Was it luck or was it fate? Although Dana knew the difference, sometimes it seemed like the same thing. Besides, she was confused today.

“I’m going to go check the oil in the car,” he said.

“Okay. I’ll finish getting ready.”

He nuzzled her shoulder, then walked away, leaving her feeling much too alone.

* * *

On the day they arrived at the farmhouse, Victoria and Ryan greeted them on the front porch.

Victoria took one look at Dana’s protruding belly and said, “Oh, my goodness, check you out.”

Dana smiled. “Sweet Bean is getting bigger.”

Victoria leaned in to hug her. “After I gave Kaley up, I used to get sad whenever I saw a pregnant woman. But now it makes me joyous, and it’s especially joyous to see you carrying Eric’s child.”

“Thank you. That means the world to me.”

Their gazes met and held, and Dana wondered if Victoria was analyzing her, if she suspected that Dana might be in love with Eric.

No, that was foolish. How could Victoria suspect anything? She and Dana barely knew each other. But more importantly, Dana refused to obsess about her feelings.

But as the Oregon trip unfolded, she couldn’t seem to help it. Ryan and Victoria’s wedding was filled with love, just as Dana knew it would be.

The ceremony was in the evening, with twinkling lights and hundreds of candles that created a breathtaking ambience. The bride wore a stunning custom-made gown with Native American embellishments, in honor of the groom’s tribe. He wore a tux, but he also had an Indian blanket draped around his shoulders. As part of their joining, they fed each other bits of foods from a traditional Paiute wedding basket.

While they recited their vows, their gazes were locked in sheer joy. There were no stumbling blocks, nothing keeping them from spending the rest of their lives together. The heartache from the past was over. Their grown daughter was sharing this moment with them. Kaley had never looked more beautiful. She wore a buckskin dress and carried a feather fan.

And Eric. The best man. Dana’s heart filled with pride when she saw him standing at the gazebo altar, watching his daughter’s birth parents become one. The blanket was now draped over both of their shoulders, sealing their union.

At the reception, a three-course dinner was served beneath a big white canopy. Throughout the meal, many of the guests tapped their drinking glasses with their silverware, prompting the bride and groom to kiss. Even Eric tapped his, joining in on the ritual. He presented a beautiful toast, too, reciting a Native blessing.

Later, when the newly married couple danced, all eyes were upon them. Eric Clapton’s “Change the World” came on first. The DJ announced that Ryan and Victoria chose it because it was a special part of their long-ago and recent history.

As Dana watched them, she thought about her history with Eric. They didn’t have a long-ago past. Everything was current. No, that wasn’t true, she amended. She’d known him for a year before they slept together. He’d been her customer all that time, with an attraction brewing between them even then.

Once the other guests were invited to dance, Eric led her to the dance floor. Dana relished the feeling of being in his arms, and when he smiled at her, she admitted to herself, right then and there, that she was in love with her husband.

She lifted a hand to his cheek. Would he love her someday, too? Or would his heart be impossible to catch?

“Are you all right?” A stab of worry flashed in his eyes.

“I’m fine.”

“Your hand feels clammy.”

The hand on his cheek? “It does?”

“Yes.” He covered it with his, as if he were trying to warm her up. “Should we sit down?”

“No. I want to keep dancing.” To stay in his arms. “It feels good being here with you like this.”

“Are you sure?” He didn’t seem convinced. “Your hand is still so cold.”

“Then hold me closer.”

Eric did what she asked. He held her so incredibly close that she was able to mold her body against his. Dana wanted to tell him how she felt. She wanted to reveal that she loved him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it.

She was afraid of what his reaction would be, and she was rarely fearful of anything. Her motto had always been to attack life head on, but she couldn’t seem to attack this situation.

“Will you make love with me tonight?” she asked.

“Of course I will. I always want to be intimate with you.”

Sex,
she thought. Passion. It was the emotional outlet that worked between them. Only from now on it was going to take on a different kind of emotion for her.

“I always want to be intimate with you, too,” she said. “And I’m feeling particularly amorous tonight.” It was as close as she could come to saying that she loved him, without actually saying it.

“It’s probably the wedding. The romantic vibe.”

It was so much more than that, but she let him believe that the setting was instrumental in her behavior. “As soon as we go to our room, I want you to kiss me as hard as you can.”

“I can kiss you right now.” He lowered his head and put his lips softly against hers.

She moaned her frustration. “That was too light.” She needed to numb her mind with more.

“I want to be light and gentle.”

“Why can’t you be hard and rough instead?”

He slipped his hand down to cradle her bump. “Because I want to be gentle with the mother of my child.”

Her knees went weak. How could she argue with what he said? He was creating an illusion of love, drawing her into a need she couldn’t deny.

Now she wanted it the way he wanted it, craving exactly what he was offering. She wanted to bask in each and every gentle touch, for as long as she could.

* * *

Later that night, Dana slid into bed with her husband. Being naked with him felt like silk over satin, like cream over the sweetest most succulent dessert.

She made soft girlish sounds, sighing while he kissed her.

He caressed her bare flesh, running his hands along her curves. Her figure was much fuller now, not only her stomach, but her hips, thighs and breasts, too.

He lowered his head to tongue one of her nipples, and she ran her fingers through his hair, toying with the thickness.

“They’re darker now,” he said.

It took a second for his words to register. He was talking about her areolas and nipples.

“They’re bigger, too,” he said, dragging his tongue across the other one. “I like how they look. It’s sexy.”

“Then I hope they stay this way.” She wanted to be sexy for the man she’d married. The man she loved.

Would this be the right time to tell him?

She squeezed her eyes shut. No. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t tamper with the warmth of this moment. Eric was being the perfect lover, the perfect fantasy husband. If she told him and he drew away from her, she would lose this night forever.

She was going to wait until she was stronger, more emotionally equipped to say it. She would know, wouldn’t she, when the time was right?

Heavens, she hoped so. It was all so new, so different, so unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

Clearly, this was the way Eric had felt about Corrine. The feeling he mourned. The woman he couldn’t seem to forget.

Dana kept her eyes tightly closed. How could she compete with that? How could she cope with being in Corrine’s shadow now that she’d fallen in love with Eric?

“Open your eyes,” he said, as he pressed his fingers between her legs. “Look at me.”

Look at him? Now? While he pleasured her? It should have been easy to comply with the request. But her eyelids felt weighted down, as if she couldn’t handle the task.

He persisted. “I want us to connect when I make it happen for you.”

“We are connecting.”

“It’s always better when we’re looking at each other.”

She forced herself to meet his gaze. He reacted by heightening her pleasure, by making her body scream for more.

“You’re too good at this,” she said.

“There’s no such thing as being too good at something.”

She arched beneath his touch. “It feels too good.”

He kissed her while he made her shake and shiver, while she clung to him like a desperate reed in the wind.

But it didn’t end there. After she went lax and her heart turned to jelly, he positioned her on her side and got behind her.

He entered her, deep and slow, pulling her into a prism of life-altering passion. He kissed her neck, her shoulders. He moved with masculine confidence, stroking her to another peak.

The room was spinning. Her world was changing. And there was nothing she could do about it.

Except embrace the wonder of Eric.

* * *

During the house-sitting phase of their trip, Eric and Kaley taught Dana how to care for the farm animals that lived on the property. Not only did she learn how to feed them, she also became proficient at gathering eggs, milking the cow and pasteurizing the milk. She thought it was fun, especially with her husband and his daughter as her trainers.

Today they were taking a break and spending a few hours in the woods that flanked the farmhouse. Only Kaley wasn’t with them. She was visiting with June, her Oregon friend, who was home from college for the summer.

“I really like it here,” Dana said.

“So do I,” Eric replied. “But I’ve always appreciated nature. I used to surf when I was younger, as you know, but I also hiked and camped. I still try to commune with Mother Earth however I can, even if it’s in simple ways.”

She thought he looked magnificent in this environment, with the trees towering above him like timber gods.

As his hair blew across his forehead, she itched to touch it. To distract herself, she glanced at the blanket they were sitting on. It was just a plain-colored throw, nothing like the one that had been used in the wedding earlier this week.

“I loved the Native influence in Ryan and Victoria’s ceremony,” she said. “I loved the way you toasted them with a Native blessing, too.”

“Thank you. Ryan has been learning to bond with his culture. His Paiute mother died when he was just a boy, and he was raised by his Anglo father.”

“He told me that his father passed away a few years ago and how they had a strained relationship.”

“I’ve never had any of those issues in my family.”

“Which parent of yours was Native?” There was still so much about him that she didn’t know and that he hadn’t shared.

“My mom, and she was very influential in how I was raised. At my first wedding, I incorporated a Cherokee tradition into the ceremony, for myself, as much as for my mother.”