Winds of Heaven (22 page)

“But you were wrong,” Meredith reminded her. “What did Liz call you?”

“Arrogant and pompous.”

“Ah, yes. Hit the proverbial nail right on the head, didn’t she?”

Casey said nothing but took a long pensive breath and let it out slowly.

“And before this is done, you’ll irritate each other, and you’ll probably do something or say something really stupid and you’ll have to apologize all over again. But in the end, dear, you’ll realize just how much you need Liz Kennedy and her family.”

Casey blinked several times as if trying to register what the hell her grandmother was saying. “I am not in love with Liz. She is not in love with me. I’m only helping her until the baby is born and she can get back on her feet. I’m sure she wants to get her life back and go home.”

Meredith snorted and ate an olive. “Hogwash.”

Casey shook her head. “I—”

The doorbell had Casey groaning as she stood.

“I wonder who that could be?” Meredith asked.

“I just wanted a nice quiet evening.”

“Thinking of Liz.”

Casey growled and opened the door. “C’mon in,” she said and stepped back.

Niles entered and smiled happily when he saw Meredith. “Meredith! How nice to see you.”

Casey glared at him. “Like you didn’t know she’d be here.”

“Oh, shush. Yes, I’d love a glass of wine.” Niles slipped out of his coat. He took Meredith’s offered hand and kissed it.

“Brian is one lucky
sonofabitch
,” Meredith said.

Niles laughed as he sat next to her. He took the glass of wine from Casey, settling back against the deep cushions. “So what have we been talking about?”

“One guess.” Casey resumed her place on the hearth.

“Have you convinced her?” he asked Meredith, who shrugged and swirled the olive in her glass. Niles looked at Casey. “You’re not convinced?”

“I am not in love with Liz Kennedy.”

“Of course you’re not…yet.”

“That’s what I told her.” Meredith set her glass on the end table. “What’s this?” She picked up several pamphlets. “Know What to Do When It’s Time?” She leafed through one, then absently handed it to Niles, who studied each one Meredith gave him.

“What?” Casey said, feeling her embarrassment rising. “She, well, Liz will be here for a few months. I have to know what’s going on. Don’t I?”

Both nodded without looking up as they read. “I didn’t know this.” Niles pointed to the pamphlet. Meredith looked over and read the passage.

“Well, you’re not a pregnant woman, dear.”

They read in silence; it was annoying Casey to no end. She bolted up and sat next to Niles on the couch. Without looking at her, he handed her a pamphlet.

Casey took it and read. “I didn’t know this.”

Niles and Meredith exchanged glances but said nothing.

Casey felt a bad headache coming on.

The next morning, before she headed back north, Casey pulled into the Chicago Library parking lot. The quiet in the huge building was deafening. She walked up to the counter and took the paper out of her pocket. A young woman behind the counter smiled.

“May I help you?”

She spoke so softly, Casey barely heard her. She cleared her throat and handed the woman the paper. “I need to get this book.”

The woman glanced at the paper, then back at Casey. “For your wife?” she asked with a knowing smile.

Casey felt the color flood her cheeks. “Uh, no, no. I have a friend who’s pregnant, and I’m helping out and—”

“You had a long talk with Dr. Martin, and he suggested this book.”

Casey was amazed. “How do you know Dr. Martin?”

The woman presented the paper. It was then Casey realized Dr. Martin had scribbled the information on a prescription. She laughed nervously. “Something like that.”

“I can find this book for you. Come with me.”

Casey followed the woman up the stairs, then down a few aisles until the librarian stopped. She searched the shelves and stopped. “Here we are.” She handed the book to Casey.

“Have, um…”

“Yes, I’ve read it. My wife and I had a baby two years ago. This helped Gina,” the librarian said. “Enormously. She had no clue.”

Casey laughed. “I think your wife and I are in the same boat.”

“You have a library card?”

Casey winced and shook her head. The librarian held out her hand. “My name is
Dorie
. I’ll need some identification.”

Casey shook her hand and pulled out her wallet.

Casey leafed through the book while
Dorie
typed her information into the computer. “So, um, how…I mean, if you don’t mind...”

Dorie
looked up over her glasses. “I don’t mind at all. You can ask anything you like.”

Feeling much more at ease, Casey leaned on the counter. “Did you have mood swings and cravings?”

“Oh, God, yes. I thought Gina was going to leave at one point. And as for cravings? For a while, I craved Chinese food and potato chips.”

“Well, that’s not so odd,” Casey said.

Dorie
stopped typing. “At the same time.”

“Oh.”

“So how far along is your friend?”

Casey heard the hesitation in
Dorie’s
voice when she said friend. “She’s due in December.” She realized that was only a couple of months away. All of the sudden, she felt sick; her stomach was in knots and the room felt as though it was closing in on her. She pulled at the collar of her sweater, feeling the sweat form on her brow. She didn’t realize
Dorie
had come around from behind the desk, guiding her to a nearby chair.

“Are you all right? You looked like you were about to faint.”

Casey took the offered paper cup of water and gulped it down. “I’m fine. I don’t know what happened.”

“Reality.”
Dorie
patted her shoulder.

Casey looked up in confusion when
Dorie
laughed. “You’re just realizing the magnitude of the situation. Gina had the same reaction, right about this time, as well, if I remember correctly.”

With her heart rate returning to normal, Casey laughed along. “Weren’t you ever scared?”

Dorie
struck a thoughtful pose for a moment and it happened. She smiled and the look on her face was the exact look Liz had many times. Casey has seen that look—the look of utter bliss. She envied
Dorie
and Liz.

“I was at first. Then all of the sudden, it became clear as a bell,”
Dorie
said. “I was going to have a baby, and I was happy.” She patted Casey on the shoulder again and walked back to the desk. “And Gina wanted to vomit.”

Casey thought about
Dorie
, all she read, and all that Niles and her grandmother had talked about the whole long drive up north. She couldn’t think anymore. Even the radio did nothing. She couldn’t get it out of her mind. Was she falling for Liz? Was that possible? Did she even want that? She’d asked herself these questions over and over; she prayed for an answer. Casey was sure of this much—the thought of Liz Kennedy made her stomach flip and her heart pound in her chest. Was that love?

At nearly four in the afternoon, she pulled onto her access road, and her heart skipped a beat. The last time she came home, Skye was so excited she tripped and fell. She remembered Liz’s blue eyes, filled with concern for her daughter, and what for Casey? Anything? “Oh, God, stop this!” she begged and parked the car.

She heard their voices down by the beach. As she made her way toward them, she nearly laughed out loud. There was Skye. Liz had her in small inner tube in the shallow water. Liz wore a blue tank top, oversized of course, and shorts. She stood in knee-deep water pulling her daughter around near the shore.

Liz wore sunglasses and a baseball cap, her long hair pulled through the opening in the back. Casey found herself gazing at her body. Her thighs were muscular and her upper arms were firm. Casey wondered what she did before she was pregnant.
 
Was she athletic? Did she work out? Or was she naturally in good shape? Keeping up with Skye most likely helped her keep fit. Though, this didn’t matter to Casey. Liz was beautiful, not because of her looks, but because of who she was. Her smile came from deep within. Liz was a confident, caring woman. Suddenly, Casey felt inept and shallow. When did she become so cavalier about love? Was sex all she would ever have? She jammed her hands into the pockets of her shorts and felt the wave of self-pity ripple through her.

When she heard Skye giggling, she couldn’t help but laugh; her mood instantly lightened. “Thanks,
Shortround
,” she whispered to no one.

Skye looked past Liz and shrieked, “
Cafey
!”

Liz whirled around and smiled so widely, Casey just beamed in return.

“Hey,” Casey called out with a wave and walked down to the beach. Skye struggled out of the shallow water and past her mother. With the inner tube still around her waist, she dashed toward Casey, trying to wriggle out of the inner tube.

“Now you know how I felt,” Casey said and offered her assistance. Skye jumped into her arms; Casey held on tight.

She looked at Liz, who was slowly making her way out of the shallow water. Casey met her halfway and offered her other hand.

“Hi,” Liz said breathlessly.

“Hi,” Casey said. Skye wrapped her arms around Casey’s neck.

“Sweet pea, you’re all wet and you’re strangling Casey.”

“It’s okay. It feels good.” She looked down at their hands, then let go. “You look good.”

Liz stopped smiling for an instant, the crimson started in her neck. She nervously put her hand to her neck and laughed. “Well, thanks, but I think I’ve been out in the sun too long.”

Casey noticed the sunburn as she set Skye down. “Mama,” Casey scolded playfully.

“
Cafey
,
fim
,” Skye said and pulled on Casey’s leg.

“Let me go change. Unless you’re tired,” Casey said, looking at Liz.

“No, please, this is wonderful. Go change. We’ll be here.”

The cool lake rejuvenated Casey as she
dove
off the pier. Liz sat on the pier under an umbrella and watched Skye play in the sand. This would definitely be a bath night. She turned and watched Casey as she swam. Good Lord, what a body, she thought. Watching her, Liz tried to get a mental picture of Casey and Julie together. Not in a sexual way, but in an intimate way. Liz could see what attracted Julie to Casey. She was confident, sexy, and intelligent. Liz shivered when she remembered hearing Casey play the piano that afternoon when she woke. The music was so sensual, so romantic. She then remembered how irritated Casey was. Must be the artistic temperament, she thought. Liz closed her eyes and imagined Julie listening to Casey as she played; she almost envied her. What must it feel like to know someone is playing a song for you and only you?

She rolled her eyes and laughed inwardly. You’re a romantic fool, Kennedy, she thought. It was a nice dream, but as all dreams, it wasn’t real. The reality struck her then. She would have her baby, get on her feet, and…and what?