You're All I Need (15 page)

Tia sipped her morning cappuccino and nibbled on her strawberry croissant while scrolling through her computer calendar. After Chris delivered her breakfast treat with a reserved “good morning,” he had retreated to his office and stayed there until later that morning when he and Adam headed out to an appointment.

They stopped at Tia's desk. “We're off to a deposition in Judge Archer's chambers,” said Adam. “We should be back before lunchtime.”

Waving good-bye, the two attorneys strolled away from the legal suite with their laptops tucked under their arms. Tia sighed.
What's going on with Chris?
Since his meeting with Reynolds three days ago, he had been more distant toward her. Something important was up that he decided not to share with her. This was not a good thing. They hadn't established a rule to reveal every detail of their lives to each other, but Tia could tell that something major was bothering him. Whenever she was near him, he made an excuse to leave. A new tension fueled his movements. When work brought Chris into her orbit, he made an excuse to hurry away at record speed. Being in the same room with Tia made him so tense that he'd cut short his conversations with others and left the room quickly.

Tia also noticed a subtle change in Chris's attitude and mood toward her since his meeting with Reynolds. There wasn't anything she could specifically identify as the cause of this new disposition. He never discussed what happened with the CEO. Not only was he more reserved and quiet, but they also hadn't spent any time alone together.

Tia's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the giggles and thunder of feet racing toward her. Two young boys rushed up to her desk.

“Hi, Tia.” Jimmy Harrison waved at her.

“Hey, Ms. Edwards.” Kevin Harrison dropped his elbows onto her desktop and cradled his head in his hands, gazing adoringly at her.

“Hello to you, Jimmy.” Tia turned to the younger boy. “Hi, Kevin. Where's your mother?”

Wynn Evans-Carlyle moved slowly and deliberately up to the desk. “Hi, Tia. How are you doing?”

Surprised, Tia's eyes widened. Wynn looked beautiful, radiant and happy. In addition, she sported a baby bump. Tia guessed the older woman must be five or six months pregnant. Oh, man! This was news. Wait until Adam returned; she'd have a few words for him for keeping this gem a secret. “Wynn, look at you!”

“Yes, I'm pregnant,” Wynn confirmed with a long-suffering smile.

Tia shook her head. “Wow! You guys just got married and now you're adding to your family.”

“Well, you probably figured it out that this wasn't a planned pregnancy. That doesn't change the fact that I'm going to have another baby.”

Smiling approvingly at Adam's wife, Tia said, “Congratulations. Do you know what you're having?”

Wynn shook her head. “Hopefully one baby. Adam doesn't want to know ahead of time, so it'll be a surprise when he or she arrives.”

Tia rose and moved around the desk to hug Wynn. “I wish you and Adam all the best. Although, I'm going to have to have a talk with my boss; he kept this little detail completely to himself.”

“Don't get mad at him.” She lightly tapped her chest. “I asked him not to tell. Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed about this slipup.”

“Why?”

Embarrassment flashed across Wynn's face and she looked away. “I'm too old for this kind of mistake. I should have handled my business much better than this. Slipups like this happen to teenagers, not grown women like me.”

Tia reached for Wynn's hand and patted it reassuringly. “Don't get yourself all upset. These days, nobody cares about that. You're going to have a beautiful baby. By the way, when is the baby due?”

“Toward the end of the summer. August twentieth is my due date.”

“Thanks. I have to keep that in mind.” Tia returned to her chair, swiveled it to the computer, and clicked on the calendar. She keyed the date into her tickler file and then turned to the boys. “So what brings you guys here today?”

“Baseball!” Jimmy cheered, waving his hands above his head.

Kevin nodded, adding, “We're going to see the Tigers play.”

“Cool.” Laughing softly, Tia rubbed the top of Kevin's head. “Who's playing?”

“Blue Jays,” Wynn answered, moving slowly to the visitor's chair. Sighing heavily, she dropped into the chair, stretched her legs in front of her, and flexed her sandal-clad toes. “It's good to be off my feet.”

“Hmm.” Troubled, Tia studied Wynn's sandals. “My dear, that's going to be a lot of moving about for you.”

Smiling, Wynn leaned closer to Tia, cupped her hand to her mouth, and whispered, “A whole lot of bathroom going, too. I'm hoping we're in one of the company suites. That will make the visit a whole lot easier.”

“Yes, it will.”

Wynn glanced toward Adam's office. “Where is that man I married?”

“Deposition,” Tia answered. “They should be back pretty soon. What time does the game start?”

“Two.” Wynn wiggled around, searching for a comfortable spot.

“You going to be all right?” Tia asked.

Wynn nodded, rubbing her baby bump. “This baby means business. My boys never kept me up at night the way this one does.”

“Maybe it's a girl.”

She shivered and wrapped her arms around her body. “I don't want to consider it. Anyway, Adam promised Kevin and Jimmy burgers at Fuddruckers.”

Tia shut her eyes, dreaming of a Fuddruckers meal. “Oh, man! Take me along. I love their food.”

“So do I,” Wynn confessed. “The best part is that I don't have to cook. That's the main reason I'm here.”

Chris strolled up to Tia and Wynn. “Hi, Wynn.” He leaned down and kissed Adam's wife on the cheek. His gaze landed on her belly. “Look at you!”

Nodding, Wynn rubbed her hand across her swollen belly. “I know. I know. I just heard that from your friend here.”

His gaze skipped past Tia and landed on a spot beyond her shoulder. “Hi, Tia.”

She felt a bit let down by his inability to look directly at her. She couldn't say anything with Adam's family in the suite. Instead, she responded with a pleasurable and professional, “Hi, Chris.”

“I definitely wasn't expecting this.” Laughing, Wynn confessed, “It sort of snuck up on us.”

Grinning down at Wynn, Chris took her hand and squeezed it. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you. Don't be surprised when you receive an invitation for Adam's baby shower. He's been talking about it since we all went to Krista and Brennan's.”

Chuckling softly, Chris promised, “I'll keep that in mind.”

Frowning, Wynn asked, “You're back. Where's my husband?”

“Right here.” Adam strolled up to the workstation, placed a hand on Wynn's shoulder, and leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. “Hey, sweetheart.”

Wynn turned in the chair to face her husband. Happiness spread across her face. “Hi, hon. How did the deposition go?”

“Good.” Adam loosened the knot at his throat and turned to the boys. “You guys ready to go to lunch?”

“Adam!” they yelled in unison, rushing into his arms and nearly knocking him to the floor. He laughed out loud, scooping a boy in each arm and cradling them like footballs. Effortlessly, he swung them from side to side. Their screams of delight and laughter were heard throughout the suite.

When Adam put them on their feet, Kevin asked, “Are we still going?”

“Hmm. Let me think.” Concentrating, Adam tapped a finger against his chin, pretending to consider their question, and finally answered, “Of course. I'm going to change, and then we'll be on our way.” He started for his office and stopped. “Sweetheart, you want to come and help me?”

A blush colored Wynn's cheeks. “Sure.”

“Tia, will you keep an eye on the kids for a few minutes?” Adam asked. “Maybe take them to the store for a treat.”

“Will do.”

“Thanks, Tia.” Wynn rose and followed her husband into his office, shutting the door after her.

Tia turned to Kevin and Jimmy. “Come on. Let's go to the store and get something to drink.”

“Yeah,” Kevin answered.

Jimmy glanced toward Adam's door and shrugged. “Sure.”

Amazed at how different married life had made Adam, Tia shook her head. She reached inside her desk drawer and grabbed her wallet. “This way.” She pointed to the elevator and turned a hopeful gaze on her boyfriend. “Chris, would you like to come with us?”

“No.” He shook his head, sank into her chair, and waved them away. “Thanks anyway. I'll hold down the fort while you're away.”

Nodding, Tia turned toward the elevators. She had hoped he would have shown some sign of interest. Obviously, he didn't care. She swallowed her disappointment and ushered Jimmy and Kevin onto the elevator. “We'll be back in a few.”

 

Chris sank into Tia's chair and switched on her voice mail as he watched the trio disappear behind the elevator doors. The minute they were out of sight, he ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh of relief.
I feel like such an ass, rat, and cheat,
he thought. Each and every minute he kept the truth from Tia made him feel like the lowest subspecies of life.

The throbbing behind his temples shifted to the frontal lobe and went from a constant beat to an almost deafening pounding. He shut one eye and massaged his temples, hoping to calm the raging storm in his head. Everything he'd sacrificed and worked for sat out of his reach until he talked to Tia.

The elevator chime rang. Chris glanced at the doors and was relieved that it wasn't Tia and the boys returning so soon. He needed time to figure out a way to approach this problem and find a resolution. He swiveled from side to side as he considered ways to get out of his predicament. How did he plan to make his relationship with Tia work out when he moved back to France?

Chris had seen the hopeful glint in her gaze when she asked him to join them on their trip to the lobby store. He couldn't. Not yet. Not until they finally talked and worked through this situation. Chris didn't want to play nice or give her false hope and then hit her with one of the most difficult situations. She didn't deserve that.

For the past three days, he had avoided any private moments with her while he debated how to tell her his news. But each time he approached her to talk about his meeting with Reynolds, something interfered. On one instance, Adam had work to discuss with Tia. Another time, Tia's mother had telephoned. It was almost impossible to have a private conversation at the office. Chris didn't feel right hitting her with Reynolds's request at her home. Since the office and her home were out, they needed a neutral place to talk. A restaurant might provide the perfect atmosphere to discuss their future without interruption.

Twenty minutes later, Tia returned with Jimmy and Kevin. The boys rushed out of the elevator and across the suite. At that moment, Adam's door opened and Wynn's giggles echoed through the area. The newlyweds left Adam's office and started for Tia's workstation.

Since marrying Wynn, Adam acted and looked like a new man. He teased and laughed with everyone. There was a different spirit about him that radiated outward and touched his coworkers with the intensity of his emotions. Chris studied the woman at his side. There was no doubt that Adam loved this woman. It was clear to everyone.

As usual, Tia looked beautiful, but there was something fragile about her that he hadn't noticed before. That wasn't true. It had been there all along. He'd ignored it while concentrating on his own issues. Seeing the sadness in Tia's eyes felt like a knife had been plunged into his heart. The strength of Tia's pain gripped him and made him feel one shade worse. This couldn't continue.

What did he truly want? The answer came swiftly and without hesitation. Chris wanted what Adam had found, the peace and happiness that came with loving and being loved. He wanted Tia to be happy and to share that radiant smile that shimmered over him and made him feel wonderful. He couldn't have it until he took the first step.

What was he waiting on? There was a simple way to make this work out.

Tia eased toward her desk cautiously. “Hey,” he greeted, vacating her chair.

She smiled, but the light didn't reach her eyes as she slid into her chair.

“You guys ready to go?” Adam asked. He'd changed from a business suit to a polo shirt, denims, and sneakers. His arm rested against the doorjamb.

“Yeah!” they yelled back in unison.

Wynn peeked from under his arm and pointed a finger at Tia. “You're not going anywhere until you thank Ms. Edwards for taking you to the store and watching over you while I helped Adam.”

“Thank you,” Jimmy answered promptly.

Kevin ran up to Tia's side and wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, Ms. Edwards. When are you coming to our house?”

“Yeah. That's a good question. Why don't you and Chris come over for dinner before I give up cooking?”

Adam hugged his wife close and added, “Yes, you should. We'll schedule something next week.”

“It's a date,” Chris replied, not wanting Tia to reject the invitation before he had a chance to talk to her.

Instantly, Tia turned in her chair and stared at Chris. Her forehead crinkled into a frown. He ignored her expression.

“Tia, Chris, it was good to see you both.” Wynn halted and thoughtfully considered. “I don't think we've seen you since the wedding.”

“I do believe you're correct,” Chris agreed.

“Okay. We're out of here. Tia, Chris, I'll see you guys on Monday.” Adam took his wife's hand and pointed toward the elevators. “Kevin, Jimmy, hit the button.”

The boys raced to the elevator, but a split second before they reached it, the doors opened. Jimmy and Kevin hurried inside. “Come on.”