Joan Pickart – Soon To Be Brides: The Marrying Macallister / That Blackhawk Bride (страница 7)
“I’m going to be working at home. I’ve already reached an agreement with my boss about it, and I’ve changed the third bedroom in the house into an office. Later, when Miss M. is ready to play with other children, I’ll consider day care. Even if I had been matched with an older child, I planned to stay home with her at first because she’d have so many adjustments to make.”
“Don’t you think you’ll get cabin fever working at home?”
“No, I don’t believe so. I’ll have my daughter with me, remember? Plus, she and I will be going back and forth to the magazine office to pick up and deliver work, connecting with other people. Once we get into a routine I should have a healthy balance during a given day.”
“I hope it all goes the way you have it planned. Life has a way of throwing us curves when we least expect them at times. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you and Miss M. for smooth sailing ahead.”
“That was a rather pessimistic statement.” Caitlin frowned. “Life has a way of throwing us curves? Are you referring to yourself?”
“Me? No, no, not at all. My life is set up exactly the way I want it. I’ve hit a momentary glitch with this enforced-vacation bit, but things will get back to normal for me soon.”
Caitlin nodded.
“The reason I said that about the throwing of curves,” Matt went on, “is because I just saw a woman who reminded me of my cousin, Patty. She’s going through a rough time right now and got more than her share of nasty curves, I’m afraid. I wasn’t implying that anything would go wrong with your plans.”
“Oh, I see.” Caitlin paused, then looked directly at Matt. “You know, we seem to be just on the edge of getting into arguments no matter what topic we touch on tonight. There’s a…I don’t know…a tension between us that isn’t very pleasant.
“If you’d rather not go shopping for baby supplies I’ll certainly understand. We were all on such emotional highs last evening and… Anyway, we can have our pizza and forget about the other if you’d prefer.”
Matt leaned forward and covered one of Caitlin’s hands with one of his on the top of the table.
“No, Caitlin, I’ve been looking forward to this outing all day. I’m sorry if I’ve been shorttempered, or whatever. Hey, let’s start over from right now.”
“I’ve been a bit brusque with you, too, and I apologize.” She smiled. “All right. Hello, Matt, it’s nice to see you again and I certainly thank you for your help with my grand endeavor this evening.”
“Hello, Caitlin,” he said, not releasing her hand. “I’m glad to be of service.”
She had to get her hand back, Caitlin thought frantically. There was a tingling heat traveling up her arm and across her breasts, causing them to feel strangely achy as though needing a soothing touch. Now Matt was pinning her in place with his incredible brown eyes and her heart was beating like a bongo drum.
“That’s our number,” Matt said. “I’ll be right back with a gourmet delight.”
Thank heaven for pizza restaurants that called out lifesaving numbers, Caitlin thought, drawing a steadying breath. Darn it, she had to get a grip on herself, stop this nonsense of being thrown so off kilter by Matt MacAllister’s blatant masculinity. He touched her, she melted; he gazed at her, she dissolved. This would never do.
They were going to be together on a daily basis soon, and she couldn’t fall apart every two seconds because Matt was close to her. Well, she’d probably be fine over there because she’d be focused on the baby. Her precious daughter.
Matt returned with a huge pizza and a pitcher of soda, then trekked back for plates, glasses and napkins.
“There,” he said, sitting down. “I think I have everything we need…except…” He smiled at Caitlin.
“Except?” she asked.
“You don’t happen to have the pictures of Miss M. in your purse, do you? I sure would like to see that munchkin again. She’s already stolen a chunk of my heart. I’m going to be putty in her tiny hands when I actually see her. Do you? Have the pictures?”
Oh, Matt just didn’t play fair, Caitlin thought as unexpected and unwelcome tears stung her eyes. Why did he have to be so sweet, so endearing, on top of everything else he had going for him in the plus column. How many men would ask to see baby pictures as he was? Not fair at all.
Focus on the minus column, she told herself. This was Mr. I Work 24/7/365. He wouldn’t be caught up in cute pictures of babies and putting cribs together if he weren’t being forced to take a vacation. Matt was just filling idle hours with anything available.
“Of course I have the pictures.” Caitlin smiled. “I never leave home without them. I took them to work today and Marsha and I drove everyone nuts poking our photographs under their noses.” She handed the two pictures to Matt. “Here she is.”
“Hey, kiddo. You’re just as cute today as you were last night. That is wild hair. Maybe we should take her some of the goop, that styling-gel junk, that people use.”
Okay, she had that one figured out, but if she didn’t quit analyzing and overreacting to everything that Matt said and did she was going to fall on her face from exhaustion. Food. She needed food.
“Food,” she said, and reached for a slice of pizza.
Matt set the two pictures on the end of the table so both he and Caitlin could see them. They each ate a slice of pizza, and took a second one.
“This is delicious,” Caitlin said.
“Mmm. You know, that one sleeper Miss M. has on looks okay, but the other one is really faded, worn. You can see how thin the material is in spots.”
“I know.” Caitlin glanced over at the photographs. “The orphanages in China have to make due with what they can get. Miss M. is healthy, so that means she made it through the winter months after she was born without getting seriously ill. The weather in China now is much like it is here…warm, sunny. That makes me rest a little easier about the condition of that sleeper.”
Matt chuckled. “Maybe that’s why she’s frowning in both pictures. She’s all girl and isn’t satisfied with her wardrobe.”
“Oh, okay, I’ll go with that theory, rather than one that says she’s unhappy about something…like a tummyache or…oh, don’t get me started. I’ll worry myself into a sleepless night. I hope Carolyn calls soon and says we’re scheduled to leave. I just want to go get my baby, my daughter. Marsha agrees with me that even though we’ve waited all these months, now that we’ve seen the pictures this is agony.”
“No joke. I wish she would have smiled in at least one of those photos. Nope. Whoa. We won’t dwell on why she looks so grumpy.” Matt narrowed his eyes. “New topic. Sort of. Have you settled on a middle name yet?”
Caitlin nodded, raised one finger as she chewed, then swallowed a bite of pizza. “Her middle name is going to be Olivia, after my mother. I not only love my mom but I also respect her more than I could ever begin to tell you. She conducted herself with such class and dignity through some very difficult years and, well, I thought that naming my daughter after her would really convey how I feel about her.”
“I think—” Matt cleared his throat “—I think that your mother must be very, very honored, Caitlin. I’d like to believe that I might have a daughter someday that thought that highly of me. What did your mother say when you told her?”
“She got all weepy, and Paulo, my stepfather, said it was a beautiful gift to give to her. My mother was a widow when she married Paulo last year. She met him during a trip she made to Italy, and it was a whirlwind courtship. Paulo is a delightful man who is crazy in love with my mother and they’re so wonderful together. I’m thrilled for my mom. She deserves to have that kind of happiness.”
“You said your mother was a widow when she met Paulo.”
Caitlin nodded. “Yes, my father died when I was sixteen.”
“Whew. That’s rough. I’m sorry. Do you still miss him? Especially at a momentous time like this in your life when you’re about to become a mother?”
“No. I don’t miss him at all.” There as a sudden sharp edge to her voice.
“Oh,” Matt said, frowning slightly. Something wasn’t quite on the mark here. There was a…a shadow hanging over the memory of Caitlin’s father. Why? There he was again, stacking another question about Caitlin on the teetering tower. “You said last night that Paulo is ill?”
“Yes. They’re running tests because they’re not certain what is wrong and I’m very concerned about him. I’m praying he’ll be fine and that he and my mother will be able to come to the States soon and meet Miss M.”
“Who will be smiling by then,” Matt said.
“Yes, she’ll be smiling by then.”
And then Caitlin and Matt were smiling as their gazes met, warm smiles, special smiles born of sharing the personal, meaningful story of why Caitlin had chosen the baby’s middle name. The restaurant disappeared into a strange mist that surrounded them, the noise and the people simply no longer existed in the haze that swirled around them.