Boots And Booties Part 13

"What?" He frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I have to go."

"Want to go dancing tonight? Billy's is sure to have a band."

"Can't." She slipped off him and fell onto the blanket where her clothes layin a pile. "The boys are having a new friend spend the night. We're rentingmovies."

"Maybe next week."

"Maybe." She dressed quickly, as didCal. She didn't question why she felt theneed to hurry away. She supposed she didn't want him to see that she wasfalling in love with him. How embarra.s.sing that would be for both of them.

Then Addie realized that she was standing in a hayloft with straw stickingout of her bra.

"So, you two went out to dinner a few weeks ago." Addie's mother handed him atall gla.s.s of lemonade. "I hope you like vodka."

"Thank you."Calsat down on one of the new porch rocking chairs and wonderedif Addie was going to join them soon. "Where's Addie?"

"Inside putting the finishing touches on dinner. I'm to keep you out of thekitchen until she's ready. She's feeling better now that she has theair-conditioning all through the house. It's a good improvement, don't youthink?"

"Yes, ma'am." He hadn't seen much of Addie for the past few weeks. There hadbeen no more hayloft visits, and his offers to go out to dinner had beensweetly rejected. The invitation to dinner tonight had been a welcomesurprise, though he'd known it would be a family meal, with John included,too. "I think she's feeling fine."

In fact, Addie had been looking d.a.m.n good. And he even thought she might begaining weight.

Paula looked relieved. She leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I've wanted to talk you for awhile now. I think it's wonderful that you and my daughterare dating each other."

"Dating," he repeated, wondering if that one dinner out qualified. And Paulathought it was wonderful? That was a shock.

"You know," she said, pausing to take a large swallow of her drink. "Peoplemake mistakes."

"Yes, they sure do."Caldecided he needed to be drinking, too. He looked overhis shoulder, hoping to see John appear in the yard, but he was alone withPaula and there was no escape in sight.

"Everyone does," the woman continued. "Some are bigger mistakes than others,of course. But things happen between two people, especially when one of thosepeople is lonely and may have had too much to drink."

"I'm afraid that's true," he managed to say. s.h.i.t. Paula knew about thatnight at Billy's. Why in h.e.l.l had Addie told her mother about it? He wouldnever understand women and their need to tell each other everything they did.

"I love my daughter and I don't want to see her hurt,Cal."

"I would never hurt Addie," he promised, feeling a little desperate toexplain himself. "That night at Billy's just happened. We got a little carriedaway, I'll admit, but that was out of character for both of us." There. Hehoped she wouldn't toss him off the porch, but h.e.l.l, she was the one who'dbrought it up. She stared at him like she'd never seen him before. Her mouthopened but no words came out. "Mrs. Johanson? Paula?"

"You'rethe father?You?" She leaned back in the rocker and blinked. "How on earth did that happen?"

"I'm the father? The father of what?" What the h.e.l.l had the woman put in hisdrink?Calfrowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Addie's going to have a baby," she said. "By some man she met on Valentine'sDay. And since the two of you are dating and you seem like a good man to havearound, I hoped I could pave the way for you to understand what happened andmaybe, you know, forgive her. Stand by her. Be here for her." Paula's eyesfilled with tears. "I was trying to explain that my daughter doesn't go aroundsleeping with men she meets in bars, so that when the time came, you'dunderstand and wouldn't dump her. And now I find out thatyou're the man in thebar. I can't believe that you two knew each other all this time."

The d.a.m.n condom. He'd suspected that it broke that night, but he'd been insuch a hurry to go after Addie that he hadn't paid much attention. He'd justbeen trying to get dressed so that he wouldn't lose her.

"This is all too much," Paula muttered, draining the rest of her drink."Addie should have told me."

"Addie should have toldyou?" He laughed, but he wasn't amused. "I think sheshould have toldme, don't you?"

"I'm sure she was going to," Paula said, but she didn't sound convinced. "I mean, you were going to notice sooner or later, weren't you?"

"Yeah." He stood and turned to head into the house. "I think it's time yourdaughter and I talked about this, don't you?"

"Now?" Paula jumped out of her chair and put her hand on his arm. "This mightnot be the best time to-"

"Mrs. Johanson-"

"Paula," she corrected, looking up at him with a worried expression. "This isall my fault,Cal. I shouldn't have meddled."

"It's between Addie and me now," he said. He was going to be a father. Addiewas pregnant. No wonder she'd been feeling poorly. All that time, and shehadn't told him. Why the h.e.l.l not? Was she intending to tell him, or was shegoing to let him think the baby belonged to someone else? And what if it did?No. It was his, only his. He'd bet money on it.

"Of course you want to talk to her, but could you wait until after dinner?"She trailed after him as he entered the house and strode into the kitchen. He smelled roast beef and apple pie, heard the laughter of the children and sawred and white balloons hanging from the chandelier over the battered farmtable. There was a fancy, red tablecloth and crepe paper streamers, countrymusic blaring from the stereo in the den and Addie, an ap.r.o.n tied around herwaist, smiling at him.

"Happy birthday," she said, her beautiful eyes filled with laughter as shenoted his stunned expression.

"Happy birthday!" the boys yelled, and John clapped him on the shoulder.

"Sit down," Addie said, motioning him toward the seat at the head of thetable. "The boys and I have been planning this all week. Are you surprised?"

Calforced his frozen lips into a smile. "Yes," he managed to say. "I've neverbeen more surprised in my life."

Chapter 11.

Addie blinked back the sudden spring of tears. ObviouslyCalhad never had asurprise birthday party before, or he wouldn't have looked so shocked. The manhad actually turned pale as he stood in her kitchen. She knew he'd grown up ingroup homes, but she hadn't expected him to react this way to a simplebirthday. The boys were all over him, but he didn't seem to notice theirexcitement except to tousle Ian's hair and pat Matt on the shoulder. He stoodthere by the table and stared down at her as if he'd never seen her before.

"Sit down," she said again."You're the guest of honor so you sit here."

He sat, but so slowly she wondered if he was all right. Come to think of it,he didn't look too happy about his party. She hoped he wasn't one of thosepeople who hated birthdays. The boys bounced around him, chattering about howthey'd helped frost the cake and wrap the presents. John chuckled and askedhow it felt to be forty. And hermother, who looked a little fl.u.s.tered by allthe commotion, refilledCal's drink.

"Here," Paula said, setting another spiked lemonade on the table. "Drink up.I'll make another pitcher right away."

"We thought you should have a party, especially for your fortieth," Addiesaid, placing a platter of sliced roast beef on the table. "Come on, everyone.Sit down and eat."

"I wish I could remember when I turned forty." John took a seat next toPaula, with Matthew next to him. "Sure was a long time ago, though. I don'tthink I had a party. You feel any older,Cal?"

"Yes," he said, giving Addie a strange look. "I sure do."

She put the rest of the food on the table and sat down onCal's right, Ianbeside her.Calstared at her ap.r.o.n and she hurried to untie the old thing.She'd bought a new mint green sundress for the occasion, something that lookedcool and made her appear slim, but she was afraid that she couldn't hide hercondition much longer. Next week, she promised herself. She'd gather hercourage and tell him next week.

"You look very pretty tonight,"Calsaid, taking two slices of meat from theplatter John offered him.

"Thank you."

"New dress?"

"Yes." She blushed and pa.s.sed the bowl of whipped potatoes to him. "Gravy?"

"Please."

Calhelped Matthew fix his plate as if he'd been doing it for years, but hedidn't smile. He didn't look happy about his party "Mom made a pie, too," Ian announced. "In caseMr.Caldoesn't like cake. Do youlike cake?"

"Yes,"Calsaid. "I like it a lot."

Matt grinned. "I said you liked cake. With choc'late frosting."

"Absolutely."

Addie watched him with the boys and her heart lifted. Maybe this could workout somehow. Maybe he would hold her and tell her that he was in love withher, too. That he would move heaven and h.e.l.l to make her happy She was wrong, she discovered later. He led her outside after John and Paulahad volunteered to clean up the kitchen and the boys had fought over puttingthe candles on the cake.

"When were you going to tell me?"Calstood looking down at her and waited for an answer.

"It was a surprise party, Cal. That was the point."

"About the baby, Addie," he countered. "When were you going to tell me aboutthe baby? Or were you?"

"I was," she replied, her heart racing. Had he noticed the roundness of herbelly and figured it out? Oh, Lord. "Of course I was."

He didn't look convinced. "How much longer were you going to let this go on?Until you needed a ride to the hospital?"

She put her hands on the small swell of her abdomen. "I'm barely three monthspregnant,Cal. I didn't know what you'd say, and I didn't want you to think Iwas trying to trap you into marriage or anything."

"Or anything," he repeated, wincing. "Youdidn't think I deserved to know?"

Addie lifted her chin. "I decided it wasn't going to be your problem."

"You decided?" The man looked as if he was going to explode. "You're havingmy child and you didn't want to involve me?"

"I didn't think-"

"Mom! We got the candles on!" She turned to see Ian poking his head out thedoor. "We gotta light the candles now!"

"We're coming." She turned back toCal."They want to sing 'Happy Birthday' toyou. Come on."

"We'll talk later, Addie," he said, his gaze dropping once more to herabdomen as if he couldn't believe there was a baby growing inside.

"Yes," she promised, though she would haverather scrubbed horse stalls. Howshe managed to get through the next hours, she didn't know.Calobligingly blewout his candles and a.s.sured the boys he'd made a wish. He opened hispresents-a new pair of work gloves from John, the new Johnny Cash CD fromPaula-and dutifully admired the new boots she and the boys had picked out forhim in town.

"John told us what size," Addie said, hopingCalwouldn't think she'd beensnooping through his house. "And of course you can exchange them."

"They're great," he a.s.sured her as the boys hugged him and leaned against hischair. "Thank you."

"Cake," Ian said. "You want ice cream, too?"

Yes,Calwanted ice cream. Cutting the two-layer chocolate cake, slicing thepie and dishing out ice cream gave Addie a reason to keep busy. Her motherkept looking at her with a worried expression.

"I'm sorry," Paula whispered later, when the men had taken their coffee, andthe twins, into the den. "I let the cat out of the bag."

"You toldCal?"

"Well, I didn't know he was the father. I was just talking about how peoplemake mistakes." She set a stack of dirty dishes by the sink. "I was doing alittle matchmaking and it backfired."

"No kidding." Sometimes she wished she'd been an orphan. "He's angry aboutthis."

"He'll get over it. This actually couldn't have worked out better," Paula continued, reaching for a sponge. "This thing with you and Cal, well, it'slike it was meant to be."

"Not really, Mom. I think you're simplifying things too much. Just becauseCal and I have been, um, intimate, doesn't mean that we're automatically meantfor each other."

"You could do worse," her mother sniffed. "And sometimes the most simplesolutions are the best."

"I'll keep that in mind." But she didn't think any of this was going to besimple. Not from the expression on the rancher's face when he looked at herstomach as if she was incubating an alien from Mars.

"Come outside with me."

"Just a sec. I have to put-"

"Now, Addie. Your mother will take care of the boys,"Calsaid, then raised hisvoice. "Paula? Addie and I are going to my place for a while."

"Take your time," she called, ensconced on the sofa with both boys snuggledup next to her. "We're watchingBonanza."

"Bonanza?"Calgathered up his birthday gifts.

"It's their latest obsession." Addie looked as if she was going to run, notthat he blamed her. He'd heard pregnant women were sensitive, and he couldbelieve it. He'd spent his birthday meal looking at her and remembering thetimes she'd gotten dizzy, and how he'd seen her eating crackers and lookingsick. He should have guessed what was going on. But he hadn't given it muchthought. And now he was trying to hold on to to his temper, trying tounderstand why Addie had preferred to keep her secret instead of tell him thetruth. He was going to be a father and it scared the h.e.l.l out of him.

"Why didn't you tell me? What were you afraid of?" he asked, once they werealone in his house. He turned on one light and stood in the middle of theroom, waiting for an answer.

She didn't answer, d.a.m.n her. She stayed near the door and crossed her armsover her chest. She looked fragile and pale and very, very lovely, but hedidn't know what was going on in that head.

"Afraid I wouldn't believe it was mine?"

"No." He walked over to her, lifted her by the waist and deposited her on hisnarrow bed.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't have a conversation with a woman who looks like she's going to runout the door.Is it mine, Addie?"

"Yes."