Line of Scrimmage (22 page)

Brushing the hair back from her face, he asked, “Are you scared, baby?”

Her chin quivered. “Petrified,” she said with a brave smile even as her eyes glistened with new tears.

“Me, too,” he confessed.

“Pam said everything’s fine, and we have to believe it’s going to stay that way.”

“She’s right, of course.”

“It’s going to be a
long
thirty-nine weeks,” she said with a sigh.

“Agonizing.”

“But at the end of it, we might just have a baby.”

“We
will
have a baby.”

“Yes.” She toyed with the tiny shirt. “But until we do, this is the only thing I want either of us to buy, okay?”

Remembering the painful dismantling of Justin’s nursery, he understood exactly what she was asking of him. He nodded. “Whatever
you want.”

“I also don’t want to tell anyone until I start to show.

That way there’s no one to tell if, well . . . I don’t want to tell anyone.”

“That’s fine. It’ll be our secret until we decide to share it.”

“Thank you for understanding.” He watched her make a huge effort to pull herself together and not let her fears take over
their special evening. “Next on the agenda is more champagne.”

“Um, don’t hate me for asking, but should you be having that?”

“It’s sparkling cider,” she said with a smile as she got up to refill their glasses. “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice.”

“Very clever.” He took his glass from her and brought her back down to his lap. “What comes next?”

“New business.”

“Finally,” he sighed, hooking his hand around her neck to bring her in for a kiss that was gentle, possessive, and very, very
thorough.

Chapter 23

RYAN LAY WITH HIS EAR PRESSED TO SUSANNAH’S stomach. “Hello, in there, it’s me, Dad. Sorry if we disturbed you, but you’re
going to have to get used to it. I seem to have trouble keeping my hands off of Mommy, especially lately. Someday you’ll understand.”

Her fingers combing through his hair, Susannah dissolved into quiet laughter.

“Do us a favor,” Ryan continued, “and let us know if there’s anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable.” He kissed
her bellybutton. “Just don’t check out without telling us.”

“Ry . . . ”

He kissed a path to her lips. “Sorry.”

She held him close and watched the flickers of light coming from the candles he had carried into the bedroom.

After a long period of contented silence, he said, “I was wondering.”

“About?”

“Do you think it’s possible Justin suspected we weren’t ready for him?”

“What do you mean?” she asked, startled by the question.

“Well, it took us so long to conceive him.”

She nodded. “Years.”

“But this guy,” he said, running his hand over her belly.

“Or gal . . . ”

“Or gal. He or she didn’t seem quite so reluctant to join our family. Perhaps it’s because we’re ready for him—or her—and
we weren’t before. Mommy and Daddy still had some things to figure out.” He looked up at her with his heart in his eyes. “Is
that dumb?”

“No,” she whispered. “Not at all.”

“Then we shouldn’t have anything to worry about.

This little person was meant to be, and Justin was meant to teach us a few things.”

Susannah hiccupped as she tried in vain to stem a flood of tears.

Alarmed, Ryan sat up and brought her into his arms.

“What, baby? I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

“You didn’t,” she said between deep gulping sobs.

“Then what’s wrong?”

“You just . . . ”

“What, Susie? Tell me. What did I do?”

“What you said . . . It gives his life meaning. He came into our lives to show us what really matters.”

Ryan wiped away her tears. “Yes. That’s what I meant. It took us a while to get the message, but I think he’d be proud of
us now.”

“I think so, too.”

“I’m sorry I upset you.”

“These aren’t sad tears.”

“No?”

She shook her head. “Thank you,” she said, clutching his hand. “For helping me to see it that way.”

He leaned his forehead against hers.

“Do you remember when they made us hold him in the delivery room?”

“Yeah,” he whispered.

“I didn’t want to, but now I’m glad I did.”

“So am I. They said it might take a while for us to understand why it was so important.”

“It only took two years.”

“Are you okay?”

“I’m good. How about you?”

“Never better.”

“You’re going to have to get used to the tears.

Remember the last time?”

He groaned and fell back against the pillow, bringing her with him. “I’d forgotten.”

“And the heartburn and the cravings.”

“Do I get to rub cocoa butter on your belly again? I liked that part.”

“So did I.” She dragged a finger lazily over his chest and stomach. “Remember what I craved the most?”

He smiled. “I
sure
do. Lucky for you, I’m retired now and available on a moment’s notice to satisfy any and all cravings.”

“A moment’s notice, huh?”

“Yep.” He yawned and stretched. “Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Tired?”

“No.”

He glanced over at her and seemed startled by her expression. “What?”

She crooked her finger at him.

When he tilted his head closer to hers, she whispered in his ear.

Shocked, he asked, “
Now?
”

She nodded.

He stared at her.

“You said a moment’s notice . . . ”

“What
is it
about that outfit?”

She laughed. “Apparently, it came with an attitude.”

“Do we get to keep it?”

“The outfit or the attitude?”

“Both.”

“Bought and paid for. Now, quit talking and get busy.

I’m not getting any younger over here.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“
Oh,
I like that,” she gasped a moment later. “And
that.
”

“We’ve turned The Brown Palace into a no-tell motel,” Ryan said the next morning as they prepared to leave.

“Why do you say that?”

He picked up the framed newspaper page. “Leaving in the same clothes we wore in, no luggage . . . It’s all very seedy.”

“I have my luggage.” She twirled the Nordstrom bag on her finger. “So you’re the only one who’s seedy.”

“I was lured here under false pretenses.”

“You loved it.”

Propping the frame on the chair that still held his hat and coat, he took her into his arms. “You’re absolutely right. I loved
every sinful minute of it. Thank you so much for the most unforgettable night.”

She went up on tiptoes to kiss him. “It was completely and entirely my pleasure.”

“Do we need to check out?”

“Nah, I paid by the hour,” she joked and was rewarded with the dimpled grin she so adored.

“Have you got everything?” he asked.

“I think so.”

“No fishnets under the bed or anything else that’ll end up in the paper?” He was kidding, but they had learned to be careful.

“Don’t worry. I checked.”

“Let’s go.” He held the door for her. “If they only knew what was in that bag of yours . . . ”

“See if you can behave until we get out of here, will you?”

In the elevator, he pinned her against the wall and kissed her like he hadn’t spent the whole night doing just that.

She giggled as she pushed on his chest. “Stop.”

“We’re having a baby,” he whispered.

“Yes, we are.”

“I can’t wait.”

Laughing softly, she cuffed his jaw. “You’d better find some patience. We’ve got a long road ahead of us.”

A bell chimed to indicate they had reached the lobby where they ran into the doorman Ryan had befriended the night before.
“Good morning, Tom.”

Tom’s face lit up with delight that Ryan had remembered him. “Good morning, Mr. Sanderson, ma’am.”

“This is my wife, Susannah.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Tom said, shaking her hand.

“You, too,” Susannah said.

“I wondered if you could do me a favor, Tom,”

Ryan said.

“Of course. Anything you need.”

Ryan pressed his valet ticket and a hundred dollar bill into the astounded man’s hand. “Can you bring the Escalade to my house
in Cherry Hills when you get through with work?”

“For real?”

Ryan laughed. “Yes, for real.” He rattled off the address. “I’d really appreciate it.”

“I’d be happy to,” Tom stammered.

“Can you get a ride home?”

“No problem.”

Ryan shook his hand. “Great. If we’re not home, leave the keys in the mailbox.”

“I will.”

“Thanks again,” Ryan said, ushering Susannah to the door with his arm around her.

“What was that all about?” she asked.

“I want to drive you home.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, Ryan! I can drive myself. What if that kid steals your car?”

“He won’t.”

“How do you know?”

“He and I are old friends.”

She laughed and handed her valet ticket to the attendant. “This is going to be a
very long
thirty-nine weeks if you’re going to be doing this kind of stuff all the time.”

“What kind of stuff? Driving my wife home?”

She shot him a withering look. “Hovering.”

“Loving,” he corrected.

“Smothering.”

“Adoring.”

“Suffocating.”

“Protecting.”

They suspended the debate when the valet arrived with her silver Mercedes coupe.

Ryan held the passenger door for Susannah and then walked around to the driver’s side after stashing the frame in the trunk.
“Thanks very much,” he said, tipping the valet with a twenty. He stuffed himself into the small car and shifted the seat back
as far as it would go but still could’ve used another foot.

“You need to scale back on the tipping,” she said when they had pulled onto Seventeenth Street. “I hate to remind you, but
you’re unemployed.”

“You’ll be glad to know we won’t be on the bread line any time soon. I found out yesterday that my endorsements are safe despite
my retirement.”

“Oh, I meant to ask you what they had said.”

“Apparently, my Q score is intact,” he said, referring to the formula used to determine the value of a persona or image.

Susannah nodded. “They’d be crazy to dump you, especially now when you’ll be all over the media for a while.

I’ll be surprised if there’s ever a dip in your Q.”

“I should’ve brought you with me to the meeting. That marketing degree of yours is going to come in handy.”

“I hope I get to finish it before the baby arrives.”

“You should have plenty of time, right?”

“We’ll see how I’m feeling. I was so tired the last time. If it’s that bad again, school might have to wait.”

“I want you to finish, so we’ll do it together. I’ll help you study.”

“I can just imagine your kind of help.”

“Magna cum laude, baby. You’d be lucky to have me, and since it’s you, I’ll keep my fee very reasonable.”

“Something tells me we aren’t talking about money.”

“More of what you were handing out last night should do the trick.”

“Eyes on the road, Ryan.”

They arrived home twenty minutes later to find Henry’s Toyota parked in the driveway.

“What the hell is he doing here?” Ryan fumed. He leaped from the car but came to a halt when Henry’s mother emerged. “Oh .
. . ”

Susannah got out of her car. “Mrs. Merrill?”

With a nervous glance at Ryan, Henrietta said, “Do you think I could speak to you for a moment, Susannah?”

“Of course. Please come in.”

Ryan unlocked the front door and disabled the alarm.

He took Susannah’s coat and offered to take Henrietta’s.

“I’ll hang on to it, thank you,” she said, appearing to make a huge effort to refrain from looking at him.

“Can I get you something to drink?” he asked.

“No, thank you.”

“Come on into the den,” Susannah said, making brief eye contact with Ryan.

He squeezed her hand and left her with an encouraging smile.

She led Henrietta into the den. “Are you sure I can’t get you anything?”

“You can cut out the social graces, Susannah. We’re past that at this point, wouldn’t you say?”

Startled, Susannah said, “Yes, I suppose we are. I’m sorry you’re upset. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

“What
did
you mean to have happen? When you accepted my son’s proposal, did you ever have any intention of actually marrying him?”

“Yes,” Susannah said softly. “I had every intention of marrying him.”

“You’ve broken his heart—again. For years I’ve watched you use him as your fallback guy, but I never imagined you’d be capable
of something like this.” She gestured toward the other room where Ryan had presumably gone.

“I’m sorry Henry’s hurt, but there are things about our relationship you don’t know.”

“There are things
you
don’t know. Like, for instance, did you know he left college for a semester after you broke up with him the first time?”

“No,” Susannah said, stunned. “I didn’t know that. He told me he had an internship . . . ”

“He barely left his bedroom for three months. His father and I were despondent over his withdrawal from life. Eventually he
pulled himself together, but he never got over what you did to him—until recently, that is. I’ve never seen him as happy as
he was when you two were engaged. He’s waited forever for you, Susannah.”

“
Don’t you see?
” Susannah cried. “While he was waiting for me, he was hoping my marriage would fail! I was nineteen years old. I shouldn’t
be made to feel responsible for ruining his life because I wasn’t ready to commit to my high school boyfriend for a lifetime.”

“What about now? Are you responsible this time, Susannah?”

“I deeply regret that I’ve caused Henry—and you—pain. That was never my intention.”

“What was your intention when you sent your
husband
to intimidate my son at his place of business?”

Susannah gasped. “What are you talking about? I never asked Ryan . . . ”

Henrietta’s round face twisted into a cold smile as she got up to leave. “I wish you the best of luck, Susannah.

Apparently you’re going to need it. I can show myself out.”

After she heard the front door click shut, Susannah sat perfectly still for a long time.

Ryan came into the room holding a sandwich. “Is she gone?” he asked. “Damn, that was awkward, huh?”

“Did you go Henry’s office yesterday and hassle him?”

Without blinking an eye, Ryan said, “You’re damned right I did.”