Another Notch in the Beltway (23 page)

Morris rose straightening his creases. “I thought I'd give you the heads-up. Be careful, Corrine. As you say, bad things happen everywhere.”

She took the measure of him. He could see that she wondered if he was making a comment or issuing a threat.

“Don't worry about me, Gerald. I can take care of myself.”

“Yes, so I'm told,” he said, raising both eyebrows provocatively.

Home run, he thought, as her face flashed red.

“Good night, Corrine,” he said and walked to the door, not waiting for or expecting a response.

****

Lenore and MP were eating dinner at the kitchen table instead of the bar. She'd made a quick chicken stir-fry.

“You know all this sex and writing about sex is addling my gray matter,” she said, impatient with herself.

“Couldn't it be the stalker, the bugs, or let's not forget the crazy Maxwell clan and the brains of the operation, Morris? Nah, let's blame it on the one thing pleasurable going on right now.”

“Hey,” she touched his hand. “I was kidding. Kind of like those Catholic wives tales that if you masturbate, you'll get hairy palms, go blind, or something equally as crazy. Too much great sex kills brain cells.”

“Sorry, I overreacted.”

She was silent for a minute, wondering if she had missed something, and then continued. “We talked about my affair with Byron in this room, and even if the audio was illegally made, it could still be damaging if leaked and don't say it's Addy's voice on the tape,” she warned.

“You need to start making a plan as to what you're going to do when it comes out,” he said seriously.

“You think it's going to?”

“I do, and I'd hate like hell to see you blindsided. Your pen name will probably be blown, too.”

“I've been thinking about it as well. If it breaks, I'm going to have no comment and let Connor deal with it. I'll give him a prepared statement he can read. We'll make sure we have plenty of food and hole up until the news dies down.”

“That's fine. It's a plan. But what about Nate? He's got classes, and it might not be that easy for him to hole up in his apartment and hold a sign to the window with ‘No Comment' written on it.”

“You're right,” she said thoughtfully.

“You could be preemptive and release the information yourself—not you directly, but through Walker.”

She looked as if she were going to be sick. “I could never do that.”

He persisted. “You could have Walker talk about the bone marrow transplant and say that after all these years, Maxwell approached—”

“No,” she cut him off with the word as well as an emphatic shake of the head. “Why are you doing this?”

“I'm worried about everything that's going on,
a chuisle
. I'm worried sick about your safety. If Corrine is out to get you, she's not going to do it herself; she'll hire someone.”

“Why wouldn't she go after her cheating husband?”

“Maybe she'll go after everyone.”

“My God. Nate. What if she goes after Nate?” Tears and a mother's panic welled in her eyes.

“
A chuisle
, calm down.” He held her tight. “I'm not saying this to distress you, I'm saying this, because I'm worried for you and for Nate.”

“You should be worried for yourself, too. JI tried to kill you yesterday.” She held him closer, seeing the scene again in 3-D.

“I don't think I should be seen in Washington. I'll hire a car and have Nate and Kelly driven up if he's amenable to it.”

Her cell rang before he could speak.

“Shit, it's Walker. This can't be good.”

She engaged the call and listened to her attorney. She got up, pacing the kitchen. Eventually she stood still and leaned against the counter.

“Jesus. What a nightmare,” she said, dragging her free hand through her hair.

When she closed the phone, her hands were shaking again. She took a step and actually faltered.

MP didn't even hesitate, picked her up, and carried her to bed. Propping her up on pillows he said, “I'll be right back.”

Three minutes later, he returned with hot chocolate. “It's real milk and real chocolate. Not from the double boiler but from the microwave. I promise it's good.”

She looked wary.

“I didn't poison it, Lenore.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “It's not the hot chocolate.”

“Then what?”

“I know on top of everything else this is going to sound crazy,” she started.

“What is it?” His face was full of concern.

“See, I don't act like this. I'm not a watering pot, I don't swoon, I—could be pregnant. We have been less than diligent about using condoms.” Tears were now rolling down her cheeks. “Oh God I'm sorry.” She covered her face with her hands.

“For what, love? Not because you're crying or because you might be with my child.” His hand automatically went to her womb. “I don't want you sorry for either one.”

“But—”

“But nothing. If you're pregnant, we'll get married right away. It was going to happen anyway. I didn't want to ask you for fear of scaring you off. Special license, isn't that what you call it in your books when a couple need to get married fast?”

“Yes, but do you want a leg shackle and a baby all at once?”

“Yes, and even if you're not with child, I want you as my wife.”

Tears flowed. He handed her his white handkerchief.

“Do you carry these for me?”

“I bought new ones for you, but I've always carried them.”

“Quaint habit,” she said, taking a deep breath.

He handed her the hot chocolate, and after she took a few sips, he said, “While I'd rather be snuggled with you here in bed and contemplating baby names, what did your legal man have to say?”

“It's what started this entire crazy jag. Corrine is the one who's behind this,” she said and went on to explain.

“Jesus,” he said, taking her hand.

“Mary and Joseph, we need them, too,” she teased.

“And everyone else we can rally. The woman's got brass ones.”

“Yes. Connor thinks your idea might have merit, especially if we can get Maxwell to unite with us. Even if we don't make a preemptive statement, we should develop a plan that the major players buy into and stick to once word is out. We also need to clue in Nikko in case, as you pointed out, my pen name is outed.”

“I agree.”

“But I'm not doing anything unless Nate is on board.”

“I understand.” He rubbed the top of her hand, trying to soothe away all the chaos.

“I know we need to tell Nikko about this, so she can have time to spin. But I don't want to meet anywhere near Hubble. He might have her office bugged for all we know.”

“Then ask her to come here, and we'll double up on two New York trips.”

“Okay.”

He got up from the bed.

“Where are you going?” she asked, missing his warmth already.

“To the drugstore.”

“For…”

“A pregnancy test.”

“It might be too soon.”

“Then it will be here when the time is right.”

“If it will make you happy.”

“If you're pregnant, I will be over the moon.”

She laughed, thinking of the use of moon in her book titles. Well, this was yet and still another full moon moment.

Lenore tried to feel upset about possibly being pregnant but couldn't. If she was, the child was meant to be. MP would make a wonderful father, maybe a husband, too. For some reason, marriage had never entered her mind. She'd thought they'd live together, but that was apparently never his intent.

She had been emotional and borderline hypoglycemic when she was carrying Nate. Lenore was also exhausted the first trimester. She touched her flat stomach. “If there's someone in there, hello,” she whispered and smiled to herself.

Lenore awoke the next morning to see MP watching her. “I'm going to feel incredibly bad if I'm not pregnant.”

“We'll keep practicing then, and if we're meant to have a child it will happen. If not, we'll wait and be grandparents to your Nate's children, spoil them rotten, and send them home.”

She laughed. “I hate to ask, but what's the scoop on the test?”

“You knew I'd read the box.”

“Dah, of course.”

“They recommend at least fourteen days after ovulation but certainly no less than seven.”

“My period is due in three days. Can you wait?”

“No, I bought two tests,” he said, handing her one.

“All right.”

“You urinate on the stick, and if there are two lines you're pregnant, and if there's only one, you're not.”

“Got it,” she said, taking the box with her into the bathroom and closing the door. She was almost surprised he didn't follow. She read the directions herself anyway, peed on the stick, and set it on the counter. The results would appear in five minutes or not.

She washed her hands, combed her hair, and brushed her teeth. If she was not pregnant, then she was turning into a loon.

“We still have three minutes to wait,” she said. “I hope I don't disappoint you. I feel bad that I said anything.”

“I won't be disappointed.” He kissed her to make his point.

She snuggled back down in the covers and rolled into the warm spot he'd left.

Lenore had fallen back asleep immediately and was woken by MP jumping on the bed and kissing her breathless. He was beyond over the moon. “There are two lines,
mo chuisle
, look.” He showed her the test stick, she smiled, and her eyes misted. His happiness was so genuine that she couldn't help but revel in it.

“I'll be here every step of the way, Lenore. I told you I don't do anything halfway.”

“Apparently not,” she teased. “Pretty quick, too, I might add.”

His delight and joy were infectious, and she let him sweep her away with them.

“I love you, Lenore.”

She kissed him sweetly and welcomed him into her arms, her body, and her heart.

****

“What are you doing?” MP asked when he saw Lenore making two carafes of coffee.

“One regular and one decaf.”

“Decaf for you, I take it.”

“I'll wean myself off the caffeine. If I go cold turkey, I'll get headaches.”

“I'll go caffeine-free with you,” MP said.

“You don't have to. I'm not convinced that caffeine in moderation is bad for anyone. In fact, a number of studies show it's actually good for you. But on the off chance it's bad for the baby, I won't be drinking it for long.”

“No reason for you to be making two pots of coffee. In a few weeks, we'll both be caffeine-free.”

“Okay. Are you going to gain weight with me, too?”

“Maybe.”

“I should warn you, I was borderline hypoglycemic with Nate, and I need to have OJ and crackers or some other kind of carbs handy in case I get light-headed and woozy like I did last night. But don't be freaked. It's what made me think I might be pregnant.”

“Anything else I need to know? I want to know everything.”

“The tears, they maybe here for a while. Don't take them personally.”

He laughed. “Raging hormones.”

“Raging hormones got me into this predicament. Pregnancy hormones make me cry.” She was laughing with him.

He wrapped his arms around her and tugged her in for a kiss.

“Omelets will burn. Let me go.” She batted his arm lightly with the spatula to be released.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Please don't ma'am me. I hate that. Makes me feel old. I like
bitch
better.”

“Those hormones make you feisty, too?”

“No, I always have that tendency.”

“Do you now?”

He playfully grabbed for her.

“Other side of the counter. Go now.”

He patted her bottom before he did.

“When do Nate and his young lady arrive?” Michael Patrick asked, taking his assigned stool.

“Kelly. About 6:00. I can't wait to meet her.”

“So you've said.”

“Michael Patrick, you're not worried about meeting Nate are you?”

“Of course I am, love. Like I said the other day, I want him to think that I'm worthy of his mother's love and attention,” MP said sincerely.

“He'll like you. I think his only criterion for the significant other in my life is that he treat me kindly and with respect.”

“I should leave bruises only where he can't see them then,” he teased.

“Exactly. But let's not tell him or anyone about the baby yet. I want to make sure that everything is all right. It's so early, I don't want to jinx us. Plus, it's nice having the baby as our secret for a little while longer.”

He smiled. “Never took you for superstitious, Ms. Held, but I do like the idea of keeping the baby to ourselves for a bit. Although I'm so ecstatic I could burst.”

“I can tell. I'm amazed and shocked myself, but I'm going with your euphoria.”

“Lenore, I want to get married.”

“Are you sure? I'm okay with living together,” she said as she slid an omelet and hash browns across the bar to him.

“You don't want to get married?”

She saw disappointment on his face.

“You'll gladly have my child, but you don't want me?”

Not disappointment, but upset and hurt, both were clearly visible now.

She came around the counter, set her plate next to his, then insinuated herself between his legs and looked directly into his eyes.

“I want this baby's father a great deal. That's why the baby is here.” She placed his hand on her stomach and left hers on top of it. “But I don't want you to feel you have to marry me because of the baby. We've only known each other for four months and become intimate in the last several weeks.” Tears were threatening. “Damn it.” She swiped angrily at them. “Point I'm trying to make is I'm okay with waiting to get married. I love you but don't need a piece of paper to make me secure in that love.”