Payback (27 page)

“I would like that very much.”

After Marie left, Caden closed his eyes, but he couldn’t sleep, and she had trouble concentrating at work.  If they allowed themselves to think too deeply, it resulted in one thing, the understanding that they were headed for deep waters, possible drowning, and neither could see a way to get to shore safely.

After a boring shift, s
he drove over to the hotel and found him in the shower. As he climbed out of the shower, she studied his nakedness, the beauty of his form and his perfect proportions. 

“You’re staring at my penis.”

“Yes, I know. I find a penis a rather strange appendage since I don’t have one. Everything on my body is neatly tucked up, and there you are wagging body parts as you dry off.  And they just happen to be very pleasurable body parts.”

He raised an eyebrow. “I would take you to bed, but I’m starved.”

“We could go to Denny’s.”

He looked shocked, “Isn’t there something better?”

“There’s Bert’s. They have a great French toast.”

“I love French t
oast.”

“I know
, darling.”

They ate
, and after getting some things from her studio, they went back to the hotel to let Marie sleep. While she was asleep, Caden took her car and finished the details of his transaction before turning back to the hotel. At four-thirty, Marie woke up and found Caden reading a magazine.

After using the bathroom, she came out and smiled at Caden. He stood up and dangled her keys. “Come on, I have something to show you."

They drove towards where she worked but took a left towards the southern part of the city. There was a development of about twenty houses. It looked as if there were going to be more homes, but construction was stopped when the housing market went bust. There were signs that claimed there were only three homes left for sale, starting at one hundred and forty thousand dollars.

“Why are we here?” she asked
, as they pulled up next to one of the model homes for sale.

“I want to show you this house.  Your realtor showed it to me.”

“Why?”

“Just come inside.” He refused to say more.  Walking into the house
, he took a deep breath and waited for her to come in. When he turned to look at her, it made him a little dizzy that she was pregnant with his child, something he’d always wanted.  Now that it was happening, it brought both excitement and utter despair.

“Okay, I’m here, now what?” She stopped and scoped out the wide
, marble entrance and cherry staircase. It wasn’t a grand house, but it was much larger than what she had grown up in, and it was beautifully furnished. “This is nice, but why did she show you this house?  Are you buying a house here to be close to the baby?”

“No
. I bought the house, but it’s in your name.  You’ll have to pay the taxes on a yearly basis and the insurance, but the house is paid for outright. You can do anything you want with it.”

Marie knew her mouth was open but was
still unable to shut it. She looked to the right and saw a door to a room.

He gestured at the room,
“That’s a bedroom, and the door next to it is a full bathroom.  Through here is the great room.”

Stepping through the open
archway, there was a massive room that consisted of a kitchen with a breakfast bar, eating nook, formal dining area, large living room area, and a tall terrazzo fireplace with a plastic replica of a flat screen over it.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to buy yourself a television.”

After seeing the large covered patio paved with Saltillo tiles and lovely landscaping in the back yard, she shook her head and sighed. “I can’t take this.”

“Yes, you can
, and you will.  It’s already done. And besides, the court would require that I provide for my child. If you insist on staying here in Bakersfield, I can’t let you live in a neighborhood where you need bars. A security system is going to be installed next week to keep the paparazzi and criminals at bay.”

“I’ll pay you back.”

He let out a sharp laugh and then walked over, putting his hand under her chin. “I’m going to give you ten thousand dollars a month. If you need more or want something, just call my accountant and he’ll make sure you get it. Do you think ten thousand is fair? Frankly, I would give you twice that, but I have a feeling you wouldn’t take it.”

“I don’t feel comfortable taking ten thousand dollars a month. Two would be adequate.”

“I won’t give you less than ten thousand. Buy a reliable car, get yourself some new clothes. And don’t worry about the baby’s education; I’ll make sure he or she goes wherever she wants. Come upstairs.”

They walked up the stairs, Marie waddling as she did.

“You’re looking a little like a penguin when you walk,” he said with amusement.

“Gee, thanks.”

They saw the bathroom at the top of the stairs.  It opened into the hall, and there were small bedrooms on either side of the bathroom.  To the right was the master bedroom, large with two walk-in closets and a large bathroom with a whirlpool tub and two sinks.

“It’s lovely,” Marie said.

“Are you set for health care?”

“I have health care
, but it won’t cover all of the pregnancy or delivery. There’s a big deductible.”

“Never
mind. Get the best care. Arrange for the best obstetrician. I’ll pay for it. In fact, if you want, you can have the baby at Cedars-Sinai.”

She shook her head and rolled her nose up.  “I’m not going to go all the way down to Los Angeles when the contractions start.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

“What about the furnishings?”

“They’re yours. Do what you like with them.”

Marie couldn’t help it; she felt like a kid who’d been given the best Christmas present. She giggled and grinned. “I want to get my things and move in.”

“Now?”

She nodded. “I don’t have much. It
probably won’t take more than an hour to pack up and come back. Would it be okay?”

“The house is yours. T
he cable and Wifi are in my name and will be paid by my accountant. Since utilities are sometimes required to prove residency, I’m afraid the gas and electric are in your name, as well as the trash and sewer.”

“I can pay my own cable and
Wifi. In fact, I only need Wifi because I can get by with the four local channels.”

“It’s done.”

“I guess I need to buy a television, then,” she said, still grinning.

“I like
seeing you happy. Let’s go get your things.”

When they reached her home, they packed her things in the sweltering heat and made
two trips to and from her house until the little studio was empty.  She made up the bed, and then they happily fell into it. She called in sick and made love to Caden throughout the afternoon and evening. Her night was spent in Caden’s long, comfortable arms.

“You’re not going to buy my book
, are you?”

“How did you know?”

“You wouldn’t be buying me houses in Bakersfield; you’d buy me one in Los Angeles.”

He tightened his grip.  “I have your book on a thumb drive. I was going to buy it so that we’d have something to work on together, but it doesn’t make sense now, does it? If we worked together, it would be painful for both of us
. And one thing I know, when I’m around you I can’t ignore you—I’ve tried.  I’ll leave Hollywood for good and go back to Montana and my ranch; you can stay here or move. At least I know that you’ll have a nest egg if you chose to go somewhere.”

“So you’re not going to stay for the rest of my pregnancy?”

“If you need help, I’ll hire someone.”

“I was thinking more of moral support. It’s a little scary thinking I’m going to have to give birth in a few months.”

“Sign the prenup, marry me, and I’ll be by your side for the next hundred years.” Jumping up, she ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. He yelled after her, “I take it that’s a ‘no.’”

“Fuck you. Go back to Montana, walk out on me when I need you,” she yelled through the door.

“You don’t need me, Marie. You never have needed anyone.”

There was silence from the bathroom, a silence that worried him more than all the cussing. He went to the door and gently opened it.  She was sitting
in the bathtub, her knees to her chin, sobbing.

His heart broke. “Oh, Marie, I’m sorry. I know you’re probably very worried, but I can’t do this anymore. I deserve to find someone who will wan
t to share my life and love me enough to sign the prenup.”

She looked up into his eyes, the rims of hers quite red and watery. “Yes, you do deserve that
, and I deserve a man who loves and trusts me, the mother of his child. We’re so wrong for each other, aren’t we?”

He shrugged
, as he put his hand under her arm to pull her up. “Come on, darling, get out of there and let me hold you.”

There was no fight left in her. It was all too depressing to know that tomorrow he would leave her—for good. Marie decided that she would put it out of her mind for the rest of the night. Latching onto the naked body of the man she loved, she held him tight.

Kissing the soft, golden crown of her head, he sighed. “You will always be the love of my life.”

Nodding, she squeezed him, her breasts pressing into his chest. “I feel the same way.”

Caden walked her back to the bedroom where they sat on the side of the bed together. “It’s only five p.m.; we’ll go out for dinner and then stop by and get you some things for the baby.”

“Things for the baby?”

“Would you like that?”

She hadn’t even thought about things for the baby,
having spent all her financial efforts on a down payment for a house. Wiping tears from her eyes, she managed a hopeful smile and nodded. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”

“Me too.”

They went out for a steak dinner at Marie’s request. She’d been hankering for a piece of red meat for a long time, but it hadn’t been in her budget. Over dinner, they talked of the ranch and what Caden expected to do for the rest of the summer.

“Branding, fattening
, and then we’ll drive them to market. I’ll be very busy.”

“Jason is running the ranch right now?”

He nodded. “I’m building a second house on the ranch, and he lives at the ranch rent free. Once the house is built, he’ll move into it. We’re taking a lot of ribbing from the locals. They’re calling the ranch, “Brokeback Ranch.” I upped Jason’s pay significantly and, of course, gave him legal rights to bind me in contracts relating to the ranch.  He’s happy, I think.”

“Chris?”

“Chris still has the little house in Whitefish, but she comes up on the weekends and stays on the ranch. I spoke to Jason, He says hello and that he’s pleased about the baby. Of course, that was when he thought we might get together.”

“Oh.”

On the way home, they drove by the local department store and had a blast picking out a crib with a matching rocker and dresser with a changing table, which was to be delivered on the weekend.  Then they filled two baskets with a car seat, stroller, clothing, linens, breast pump, diapers, baby intercom, and all the accessories a baby would need.  Caden enjoyed watching her throw things into the basket and then pull them out when she realized their cost, only to have Caden throw them back in when she wasn’t looking.

“My God, we spent over three thousand dollars! I didn’t realize how expensive babies are,”
she said, as she systematically went through the receipt on their way home.

He chuckled. “No more than I’d pay for a good
heifer.”

Marie threw her head back and laughed with such amusement that it made Caden want to pull over and kiss her. They made one more stop at the grocery store
, picking up several bags of food for breakfast. 

At home, Caden spent a long time pleasuring
Marie, first with his tongue, then his fingers, and finally his ample erection.  Marie could only hang on as Caden once again played her body like a violin, bringing forth such sounds and vibrations of joy that he found himself wishing there was some way for one of them to back down and still save face. But deep inside, he knew it was too late.

The morning was bittersweet.  The lovemaking was slow and painfully emotional for both of them.  While cooking breakfast
, they tried to make small talk, but it was excruciatingly difficult, and they both had to dig deep to keep the conversation going. 

On the way to the doctor’s office
for the scan, they were quiet. After signing in, they were shown to a room where Marie sat on the examination table.  Caden paced with his hands in his pockets until the doctor showed up. She gasped and stepped back when she saw Caden.

“My God, you look just like Caden Kelly!” she said
, and then laughed as if it was all a joke.