An Unexpected Husband (7 page)

*              *              *

“Oh look at this one!” her Mom said excitedly. Really, how exciting can a stroller be? “And you can jog with it…”

“Are you serious…? Why would I want to jog with my baby? I’ve never jogged anywhere in my entire life.”

“Yes, but after you have the baby, you’ll want to lose the baby weight.” Skye took a deep breath.

“Are you saying I’m fat Mother?”

“No honey, of course not. I’m just saying that you may not feel like jogging NOW because you’re pregnant and tired but you may feel like jogging AFTER the baby is born.”

“I don’t eat that much,” Skye defended.

“I wasn’t saying you do… or that you’ve put on too much weight. I think you look very well. You’re positively glowing.” She smiled at the compliment, her quick romp this morning had gone a long way to flushing her cheeks and putting a smile on her face. “Thanks Mom. I’m sure this one would be great,” Skye said. She had to reign herself in, she’d almost forgotten the plan.

*              *              *

While she picked at a cheeseburger and fries, she sighed. “I’m sorry Mom if I’ve been a little grumpy,” she said seriously.

Her Mom smiled sweetly. She was touched with Skye’s apology. Her daughter had mostly been a sweet and easy to child to raise. Both her and her brother. It hurt her a lot when Skye began to get distant with her. She wanted to share her life, be a part of it. Particularly now, with a grandchild on the way.

*              *              *

“Whatever you said to my little girl seemed to improve her attitude,” Rob said with a grin. “She’s can have attitude at times.”

Shaun frowned. “Really? She’s always had attitude? I thought it was the pregnancy. You know, making her a little impatient.”

“Well, not exactly. She’s always had her moments. Of course her mother would probably tell a different story. In any case, she’s all grown up now. She’ll get over it I’m sure,” he said.

“Yeah,” Shaun said. “She’ll get over it, she’ll have to.”

“Yes I guess she will now that she’s going to be a mother. Thanks anyway, it made her mother very happy that she let her buy something for the baby.”

“It was nice of you to offer, you didn’t have to you know?”

“It’s nothing,” Rob said with a wave. “It’s the least we can do.”

*              *              *

Picking at her fries, Skye now put on her best sad face. “I’m a little worried Mom too.”

“Oh why?” Maddie said taking the bait hook, line, and sinker.

“We’ll be able to manage on two teacher’s salaries, but when I have to have a break. I’m worried that we won’t be able to get all we need for the baby.” A tear came to the corner of her eye as she spoke, maybe telling Shaun she was an actress wasn’t such a lie after all.

“Oh honey, don’t you upset yourself, I’ll get you anything you need.”

Skye gave her a small watery smile. “I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Don’t be silly. It’s my first grandchild! I’d love to.”

“But we wouldn’t be able to take it all back in Shaun’s car anyway.”

“No matter. We’ll just order the stuff and they can ship it to your address from the same shop there.”

“They can do that?” Skye asked, again putting her acting skills to good work. She did feel a little guilty but she knew that once all this came out, Shaun would insist on paying her parents back. They wouldn’t be put out of pocket. As for the consequences, she’d have to deal with that when the time came. It’d be worth it. “Oh and Mom? Might be better if you let me break it to him when we get home. So we don’t embarrass him.” Or me if he does get mad, she thought.

“Of course, I won’t say a word. It’ll be our little secret. Besides, imagine what a lovely surprise it will be for him when you get home and find the baby’s things?”

“Oh I am imagining, Mom. I am,” Skye said with a smile.

*              *              *

“I’m going to miss you Mom,” Skye said. Her Mom had been quite sad this morning with the prospect of them leaving. The shopping experience had brought them closer. She did need to have her own space again but she loved her Mom, and she was going to be an excellent grandmother. She was glad that Shaun had talked her into giving her Mom a chance at showing her that.

She gave both her Mom and Dad a big hug before leaving and she felt a twinge of regret about the shopping prank. Her Mom had put over eight thousand dollars on her credit card, she was pretty sure she hadn’t mentioned it to her Dad either. She could see now it’d been a little mean. Once they were through with the trip to Shaun’s Mom’s, she’d ring and cancel the order or at least tell Shaun what she’d done. No she would definitely cancel the order before she told Shaun.

Chapter Four

“What if she doesn’t like me?” Skye asked.

“She’ll love you.”

“She might not.”

“She will.”

Skye’s eyes widened with genuine fear as the car pulled up a circular drive and parked in front of a very large white house. “I wanna go home.”

“It’ll be fine honey. My Mom’s so been looking forward to meeting you.”

“This house is, overwhelming.”

“It’s just a house, come on.” He jumped out and walked around to her side and opened the door.

*              *              *

“Hi Mom we’re home!” Shaun yelled as they crossed the threshold.

The inside of the house was no less intimidating. Skye’s eyes were like saucers.

“Hi hi!” Brenda called as she ran down the stairs. She had pruning shears in her hand and was wearing gardening gloves. She pulled them off immediately and dropped them onto the hall table before pulling the younger girl into a hug. “You must be Skye. Call me Brenda.” She was pleased to see that the girl wasn’t THAT much taller than herself.

“Hi Brenda,” Skye said sweetly. “Pleased to meet you.”

“And me you. Shaun has told me all about you AND the new baby!” She was so excited about the baby she was almost bouncing. “Come on upstairs and I’ll show you Shaun’s room. I didn’t know whether to put you in there or in your own room.”

“She’ll stay in my room Mom,” Shaun said. “Not really my room, I have my own house but the shrine is still here.”

“I like you to know you have somewhere to come back to,” Brenda said with a smile.

“Shaun’s room will be fine,” Skye said.

“You know, while you’re here, we should pick out a room. I’d like to get a room ready for the baby for when he or she stays here.”

“Oh that’s so sweet,” Skye said. “Do you mind if I freshen up?”

“Of course, sweetheart. Come on. I’ll show you to your room.” The two ladies walked up the stairs together and Shaun followed behind.

*              *              *

They were about to walk into Shaun’s room when his brother suddenly came leaping up the stairs.

“Hey Bro!” Tom yelled happily as he took the stairs two at a time.

“Why aren’t you at the office?”

“Cos I’m done for the day and I wanted to see Mom unveil your room.”

“Why?”

“Gonna introduce me to your girl?” he asked, ignoring the question.

“Of course I am. Tom this is Skye. Skye, Tom, my nosey brother.”

“Hi Tom,” she said with a smile.

“Hi there Skye,” he said with a smile. “Welcome to the family. Go ahead Mom,” he said.

Shaun looked on suspiciously. He could tell Tom was just chomping at the bit for him to see something. His Mom frowned at him, she didn’t want him to ruin Skye’s surprise.

*              *              *

Brenda flung open the door and stood back.

“Wow,” Shaun said. No wonder Tom found this so amusing.

What he usually would have been staring at would be a time warp from high school. Athletic and football awards and trophies. His desk and his glow in the dark solar system on the ceiling, it was all gone. His room was now tastefully decorated and very girly. “Nice Mom.”

*              *              *

Skye grinned at Tom’s face. If he’d been wanting a horrified reaction from his older brother, it isn’t what he got. Shaun was smiling from ear to ear.

“Do you like it?” Shaun asked Skye.

“It’s lovely,” Skye said. What she was looking at was indeed a lovely room and one that was bigger than her parents’ living room. In one corner was a crib, a beautiful white cane crib with a hood and skirts all around. Skye walked over and ran her hand over the delicately crocheted baby blankets. Tears filled her eyes as she imagined her baby sleeping in there.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Brenda said. “It isn’t very modern but it’s the crib my boys had and these little rugs were made by Shaun’s grandmother.”

“They’re beautiful. I love it,” Skye said.

Shaun put his arm around her and peered into the crib. “Hard to believe either of us used to fit in there…” he said with a grin.

“Specially with that big head,” Tom teased with a grin. “What’s for dinner Mom?”

“I thought we’d barbecue,” Brenda said. “Are you alright with that honey?”

“Yes, fine,” Skye answered with a huge smile. She liked it here.

*              *              *

After being there for three days, Skye felt as though she was actually a part of this family. Not that she didn’t want her own family, but she felt like she was also a part of this one. Which was odd because she and Shaun hadn’t even made any kind of affirmation that they were a couple. Well she hadn’t. He just assumed, was emphatic, that they were together and staying that way. It was true that they had really good sex and that there WAS a baby on the way and they both wanted to be in the baby’s life full time, and there was the great sex.

She suspected though that Shaun was only saying that he wanted to be with her because of the baby, that wouldn’t fly. If they were going to be a couple, and she had come to realize that that’s what SHE did want, she wanted it to be because he would have wanted her even if the baby hadn’t have happened. She didn’t want Shaun to wake up one day and feel like he’d been trapped.

*              *              *

“Morning son,” Brenda said when her oldest came down to the kitchen by himself. “No Skye yet?”

“I thought I’d let her sleep.” What he didn’t say was that although they’d turned in fairly early, they’d been making love until the early hours. He wasn’t surprised this morning when Skye hadn’t even stirred.

“Good idea,” Brenda said with a knowing smile. “Shaun, when are you going to make an honest woman of Skye?”

Shaun smiled. “Mom I’d marry her tomorrow. I love her.”

“Then what on earth is stopping you from asking?”

“I don’t know. I guess I’m still not that confident that she’ll say yes. I’m scared.”

“There are no guarantees in life but anything worth having is worth taking a chance on.”

He nodded. It did get him thinking.

“What’s for breakfast Ma?” He didn’t really need her to make it for him, he was happy to help but the question signalled the end of the conversation. And it was for him.

Tom came into the kitchen and poured some coffee. “Nice apron,” he said to his brother who had donned one of his Mom’s cooking aprons to save his shirt while he turned the bacon in the pan.

Shaun didn’t even react.

“Pancakes?” Brenda asked.

“Yes please and bacon.” She smiled and made her youngest a plate and then winked.

“Shaun,” Tom said on cue. “You don’t think you could come into the office today…just for a little while?”

Shaun frowned. “Something wrong?”

“No. No, I just want you to look stuff over and make sure it’s all, you know going ok.”

“Hmmm. I don’t really want to just leave Skye here, on her own.”

“Thank you very much,” Brenda said with mock hurt.

Shaun smiled and kissed her cheek “Sorry Mom, you know what I meant.”

“Skye will be perfectly fine here with me. I need some time to get to know my future daughter in law anyway.”

“Mom.”

“I said future didn’t I?”

“Hmm. I guess it’s pretty safe to say it’ll be in the future.”

“I hope so,” Tom said. “She’s the nicest girlfriend you’ve ever brought here. Oh hang on, that would be the ONLY girlfriend you’ve ever brought here. Lucky you knocked her up.”

“Tom shut it,” Shaun said suddenly very serious.

“Sorry I was only joking.”

“Yeah well don’t. “

“Ok, ok,” Tom muttered.

Brenda smiled at the exchange.

*              *              *

By the time Skye pottered down to the kitchen, Shaun had left with his brother.

“Hi Skye. Did you sleep well?” Brenda asked cheerily.

“Yeah, thanks,” she answered with a sleepy smile. “Where’s Shaun?”

“I hope you don’t mind but he’s gone to the office with Tom just to check up on things.”

“Oh.” Skye couldn’t help feeling a little hurt that he hadn’t even said goodbye.

“I told him not to wake you honey. I told him I’d explain. He wanted to.”

Skye brightened a little at that.

“Now let’s get you some breakfast before we get started,” Brenda said.

“Get started on what?” Skye asked with a grin. She had a feeling that Brenda might have orchestrated this. She obviously had something in mind.

“First things first. You need to eat. Now what would you like?”

*              *              *

“Wow.” Skye walked into the enormous attic behind Brenda and was amazed by both the expanse and the contents. It was wall to wall stuff. It wasn’t dusty though. This place had obviously been kept clean and the contents were well looked after. There was only one way to describe it and that was memory central. There were bookcases full of books. Children’s books, photograph albums, old records, the large vinyl kind and a some smaller records that were bigger than a CD and smaller than the big ones. There were even some cassette tapes. Not to mention VHS tapes and a VHS player and television. There was even an old movie projector and screen. There were toys and old pieces of furniture and chests of drawers that she could imagine were still full of old clothes. Probably children’s clothes. Another whole shelf contained board games. Skye could see now where the baby’s crib had come from. “This is amazing,” she said.