Accident (41 page)

“It's amazing how life changes, isn't it?” Page said wistfully as they sat at the edge of the lake at sunset. They were going home the next day, and the kids were all up at the house getting ready for dinner. They were going out that night, to a new restaurant in Truckee. “Five months ago my life was in a whole different place …and now look what we've been through, where we've gone. You never know in life what's going to happen.” They were richer for it in the end, but at what price. They had paid dearly for everything that had happened.

“I never want to relive that day,” Trygve said thoughtfully. “I still remember when they called me …and then I saw you at the hospital …I thought they were with you.”

“And I thought you'd been killed when they said the driver had been killed on the bridge …God, what an awful moment.” She looked up at him with wide eyes, filled with respect for the power of destiny, its cruelty and its kindness. “I guess we've been pretty lucky.” She smiled at him, and took his hand in her own.

“You've been so good to me these past months.”

“You deserve even better. Just give it time.” She laughed then, as though he'd said something funny, and he had, but he didn't know it. “Have you been doing any thinking about our plans?” He didn't want to push her, but he brought it up from time to time, just to remind her. He still wanted her to marry him when her divorce became final at Christmas.

“Yes, I have.” She said it quietly, looking out across the lake as he watched her, and then she turned to him with an odd expression. “Are you really sure that's what you want, Trygve? It's a lot to take on. I've got two kids …and Allie's recovery won't be easy.”

“Neither will Chloe's. And Bjorn will always be who he is. What about you? For all my pushing, how do you feel about my burdens?”

“I happen to love them very much. I never knew I could love someone else's kids as much.”She had even grown fond of Nick in the short time she had come to know him better over the summer.

“I'd say it's a fair match.” He smiled, and she nodded, and then he looked serious again. “I used to feel that I really shouldn't get married again because of Bjorn, that it wasn't fair to him. I couldn't imagine anyone loving him as much as I did, and I didn't want anyone to hurt him. And then you came along,” his eyes grew damp as he pulled her closer to him, “and you were so wonderful to him … he really deserves to be around people who love him. He's such a good little soul, in spite of his limitations.”

“So are you,” she said, nestling close to him, and she hadn't found his limitations yet.

“How does Christmas sound to you?” He smiled, looking mischievous, and this time she laughed.

“Actually, I was going to discuss that with you,” she said, and then lay on their towel and looked up at him.

“Are you serious?” He looked thrilled. She had been reluctant to move too soon before, but now everything looked different since Allie had come out of her coma.

“Maybe. I have to discuss something with you first though.” Her face grew serious and he lay down on his side next to her and waited. “There's something I think I should tell you.” Something about Allyson perhaps … or Brad …maybe she was going to tell him that she still loved him and thought he should know that. He had considered that himself, but she seemed to have adjusted remarkably well, better than he had after Dana. “Remember what you said about wanting to have a baby right away?”

She looked worried and he laughed. He knew she was reluctant about that. She said she wanted more, but she was afraid she was too old, and didn't want to be distracted from helping Allie.

“I can wait on that if I have to. I just thought it would be nice. But if you need time …we're young enough to wait a while.” And if she decided she couldn't handle more, he was willing to accept that, but she was frowning at him now. She was looking worried. “It's not a deal breaker, Page.”

“Let me put it to you this way,” she said, propping herself up on one elbow. “How would you feel about getting married at Christmas,” his heart soared and he laughed out loud, he was ecstatic, but she wasn't finished, “if I was nearly six months pregnant?”

“What?” He sat up and looked down at her, and she grinned at him sheepishly and rolled over on her back and chuckled.

“I don't know how the hell it happened. I think you overworked my birth control or something, about six weeks ago. I thought I was imagining it at first, but I wasn't. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about this, with the kids and all …it's kind of a shock for everyone, and it makes for kind of an interesting wedding.” She looked like an embarrassed kid as she explained it to him. She felt foolish, but pleased. She always wanted another baby. And they had certainly started this relationship with a bang in every way. It was like being shot out of a cannon …and landing in a field of flowers.

“You know, you amaze me.” He lay next to her and held her close to him. “I can't believe it.” And then suddenly he laughed again. He was thrilled. This was exactly what he had wanted, even faster than he'd wanted it, which was fine with him. “I guess this'll be yet another miracle baby for us.” He laughed openly as he teased her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, there's Bjorn, who's pretty special in his own way. And Chloe is pretty miraculous now too …and Andy who was so premature and is fine now …and Allie's miraculous recovery …and let's see, if we get married in December, and you have the baby in what …three and a half, four months after that …think of what a miracle that will be! A three-month baby!” He was laughing and she looked sheepish.

“You're awful. Think how embarrassed our poor children will be.”

“Then we won't let them. If they can't understand how lucky we all are, and how blessed, and that grown-ups can make a mistake occasionally too, then to hell with them. I'm certainly not going to question a gift like this, or God forbid turn it away when it's been offered to us …I'm going to hold it as close to me as I can, and you along with it, and whisper my thanks every night before I go to sleep … as miracles go, I'd say we've cornered the market,” he said proudly, and without saying another word, he reached down and kissed her, and she held him close to her, thinking how far they had come, how far they had traveled on dangerous shores, and how lucky they were to have each other.

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