Forgotten Honeymoon (12 page)

“That’s right. I remember being surprised
later when I saw you back with Nigel.”

Kelly’s eyes narrowed. “Why?”

“Oh, Nigel’s all right, I guess, but all he
ever talked about was your Dad’s money.”

Was that why he’d asked her to marry him? But
she was more interested in Lars’ motives than Nigel’s. “No,” she
said. “Why did you think I’d stay with Lars?”

“Well, it was obvious you and Lars were
having a great time. I mean, you were all over him.”

This was part of the story Lars hadn’t
bothered to tell her. “And what was he doing?”

Gina was startled. “Don’t you remember?”

Kelly shook her head. “No, I don’t.” Gina
wasn’t one of her closer friends. She hadn’t told everyone about
her memory loss.

“Well, let’s put it this way -- Lars wasn’t
complaining,” her friend said dryly. She turned her head. “Oh look,
here comes Julie.”

Andrea led Julie through the crowd to the
back table. “Surprise!” everyone cried. “Happy Birthday.”

Kelly waited for a few minutes while Julie
exclaimed, and then started opening her presents. Kelly swallowed
her orange juice in one long gulp. She handed Julie a card, and
gave her a quick hug. “Sorry to drink and run,” she said, “But I’ve
got to get home.”

“How domestic,” Kevin, sitting next to her
said.

When she stood up, she bumped into Vic, who
spilled his beer on her. “Sorry, Kelly.”

“That’s okay,” Kelly said graciously. What
did she care about a spilled drink? It was time to go home to
Lars.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Kelly wasn’t there when he came home. Lars
walked through the empty kitchen. He checked his texts. Nothing. No
note on the refrigerator. He dialed her cell phone, then heard it
ringing in the half-bathroom off from the kitchen. He picked it up.
Kelly had a problem with keys and cell phones. She often forgot
where she’d put them. Apparently on the day they eloped, she had
earlier left her cell phone on the top of her car before driving
off.

He telephoned her studio, thinking that she
might have gone there, but there was no answer.

She wouldn’t be visiting her parents, they
were still on their cruise.

So where was she?

It was nine-o’clock. She might have run out
to the grocery store or a fast food place to get a bite to eat, but
there were dinner dishes in the sink, which meant she’d already
eaten.

Lars drummed his fingers on the arm of the
couch. He turned on the television, then turned it off again.

He walked back to the kitchen to see if she’d
left a note on the counter or the back door. She hadn’t. With
Kelly, there was no telling where she might be, or when she might
come home.

If she came home
.

After half an hour, he looked up Nigel’s
number on Kelly’s phone and pressed the call button.

He remembered what she’d said four months
ago

At least Nigel loves me
.

After four rings, Nigel answered the phone.
“Talk fast, babe, I’m heading out the door,” he said
impatiently.

Lars had never known what Kelly saw in him,
but that was his jealousy talking. “This is Lars,” he said simply.
“Is Kelly with you?”

Nigel laughed rudely. “That’s rich. What’s
the matter, have you lost your wife?”

Nigel covered the receiver, but Lars could
still hear a feminine voice in the background. Was that Kelly?

“Shh,” Nigel hissed, apparently covering the
receiver with his hand. “Let me talk on the phone, will you?”

Lars waited until Nigel returned to the phone
and said, “May I speak to her, please?”

“Sorry, she’s not here. But if I see her,
I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.” He laughed again.

Lars touched the screen, ending the call.

That had been an exercise in futility. He
still didn’t know whether or not Kelly was with Nigel. He ran his
hands through his hair.

He’d hoped that he and Kelly were building a
relationship, but all they’d been doing was playing house, waiting
until the baby was born.

If only he knew what Kelly wanted. Did she
want them to have a real marriage or was she just making the best
of a bad situation? With her mercurial temperament, it was
impossible to tell.

But he’d be damned before he’d let Nigel win
by default.

He’d fight for Kelly every way he knew. He
didn’t know whether it would work, but he wasn’t going to give her
up without a struggle.

He tried to think of something concrete he
could do to change the rules, to make their marriage more stable.
Kelly was right, they needed to spend more time together, to talk,
to plan for the future, but with the demands of work, he hadn’t
made the time.

At 11:30 p.m., he heard a car drive up to the
front of the house. He hurried through the front door and saw Kelly
pay a cab driver. A cab? What had happened to her car?

“Hi,” she said, giving him a tired smile.
“I’m glad to see you.”

He ran up to her to give her a hug, grateful
that she was alive and safe, but as he drew near, he could smell
alcohol and cigarette smoke on her clothes and in her hair. “Where
have you been?” he demanded.

She held up both her hands and shook her
head. “Don’t yell. It’s a long story. It’s been a long night. All I
want to do is come inside and crash.”

He looked at her clothes, snug fitting black
pants and a baggy beaded shirt. “You’ve been dancing,” he accused.
“You went to Julie’s party.”

Kelly sighed. “Can we talk about this inside,
please? I don’t want to put on a show for the neighbors.”

He followed her inside. She sank down on the
living room couch. She slid her feet out of her shoes and leaned
back, closing her eyes. “What a night.”

Lars paced across the hardwood floor. “I
can’t believe you were so irresponsible. Dancing and drinking,
after what Dr. Armanzo said. It bad enough to put yourself at risk,
but the baby deserves --”

Her green eyes flashed angrily. “I didn’t
drink anything! As for staying out late, it won’t happen
again.”

“How do I know that? You’re so impulsive, you
might do anything!”

“What -- like run off to Reno and marry
you?”

She had him there. They’d both been
impulsive, and now they were paying the price. For a moment he
stood there, watching her.

He didn’t want to be angry with her. Anger
wouldn’t solve their problems. Besides, most of his anger was
because of his fears. Fear that she’d been hurt, fear that she was
with Nigel, fear that she’d leave him again. He sat down in the
chair across from her. “What happened to the car?” he asked finally
in a flat voice. “Or did you drink too much to drive?”

She shook her head wearily. “I told you. I
haven’t been drinking anything except orange juice. I smell bad
because Vic spilled his drink on me.”

“And the car?”

“It’s been towed to a garage.”

His voice rose. “You were in an
accident?”

She winced at his tone. “Nothing so dramatic.
The car was vandalized. Someone slashed the tires, broke the
driver’s side window and stole the radio. I had to wait around
while the police filed a report.”

And he thought she’d been out late partying.
He was ashamed that he’d jumped to conclusions. “I’m sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s a bad part of town. At
least I wasn’t mugged.”

“How can you be so calm about it?”

“Because I’m fine, the baby’s fine, and I’m
back home. I don’t want to argue.” She yawned. “I am so tired. I
took a nap today, and I thought it would be okay to drop in on
Julie’s party for a few minutes, but you were right. I shouldn’t
have gone. I guess my dancing days are over.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he said quietly. He
liked dancing with her, especially slow dancing. “We should go
dancing.”

“Thanks,” she said wryly. “But not tonight. I
just want to go to bed.” She held out her hand. “Help me up, would
you?”

Lars rose to his feet to help her up off the
couch. She stood, then wrapped her hand around his arm. She leaned
her head on his shoulder and sighed. “It’s good to be home.”

His throat tightened. “It’s good to have to
you home,” he said huskily. “I was worried.” He didn’t tell her
he’d called Nigel, hoping to find her.

She nodded. “Sorry I scared you. I would have
called, but I couldn’t find my phone.”

“You left it here in the bathroom.”

“Good. I was afraid I’d lost another one.”
She sighed, snuggling closer to him. “Would you mind sleeping with
me tonight?”

“What?”

“Sorry, I’m not making pass at you. I’m too
tired. It’s just that the bed is big, and I’m lonely. I thought it
might be nice to sleep next to you, but if you don’t wa--”

“No, I do want to,” he said quickly.

Together they walked upstairs to the master
bedroom. “I don’t even want to change clothes,” Kelly said. “I just
want to flop down on top of the covers.” She pulled at her shirt
and grimaced. “I smell like a brewery, don’t I?”

“It’s not so bad,” Lars said. “Let me help
you with those buttons.”

For a moment he thought she as going to take
offense at his suggestion, but instead she just stood there and
smiled at him, waiting.

He quickly undid the buttons of her blouse
and she swayed forward. He caught her by the arms. “Thanks,” she
said, looking up at him through dark lashes. “I’m so tired, I could
sleep standing up.”

Remember, this is the woman who kicked you
off a couch and said she never wanted you to touch her. Don’t get
greedy.

He helped her ease the blouse off her
shoulders and arms. Underneath that, she wore a lacy camisole. He’d
discovered on their honeymoon that she rarely wore a bra.

“Put that in the laundry, would you
please?”

He did as she asked, and when he returned, he
found her lying in bed. Her jeans were on the floor. “Those, too,”
she murmured, yawning.

He threw her jeans in the laundry basket and
must have broken the world record for stripping out of his clothes
and finding some pajama bottoms, but when he came back, she was
asleep.

Ah Kelly
, he thought, running his hand
through his hair.
You’re going to drive me crazy.

He’d almost blown it tonight, accusing her of
being irresponsible. He knew she wouldn’t knowingly endanger their
baby, but sometimes she acted without thinking, and that worried
him.

He found himself over-reacting, saying things
he’d never meant to say. What was it about her that made him so
vulnerable? He prided himself on his self-control, on always
thinking before he spoke, but lately it was getting more and more
difficult to maintain the mask around her.

He reached over and pulled up the sheet so
that it covered her bare shoulder. She sighed and scooted closer to
the middle of the bed. Did he dare share a bed with her tonight?
From past experience he knew she was a snuggler. She liked to sleep
with her head on his chest and one leg over his.

One step at a time
. Tonight he’d take
what he could get, and be grateful. He slid under the covers,
beside her, moving slowly so as not to disturb her. As if sensing
his presence, she gravitated towards him. He thought of the last
time they’d shared a bed. Tonight at least one of us will get some
sleep, he thought with humor, then sobered.

Please, Kelly. Whatever you do -- don’t
change your mind in the morning.

#

Kelly rolled over, reaching for Lars, but he
wasn’t there. Had she been dreaming? She stretched like a cat,
trying to remember her dreams. She felt warm and snugly and
amorous. She looked over at the other side of the bed, and there
was an indentation on the pillow which meant he’d spent some time
next to her.

Suddenly she remembered waking up on her
honeymoon in the hotel. He was gone, then, too. He’d gotten up
before her and taken a shower. She searched her mind to see if she
remembered any other details, but there were none.

But at least there was hope. Gradually bits
and pieces of those days were returning.

She hugged the pillow to her, breathing in
the musky male scent of him left on the pillowcase. She listened --
was he taking a shower? No, there was no water running. Too bad.
That meant she couldn’t slip out of bed and join him.

She blushed at the thought. Stepping into his
shower would be forward, but by all accounts, she had been forward
before. Gina had said she’d been all over Lars on the dance floor,
and on their second honeymoon, Lars had been surprised by her
shyness.

Which meant she hadn’t been shy before.

Kelly considered her options. As it was, she
and Lars were currently no better than roommates. She could take
the safe route, continuing things as they were, and ten years from
now, they would still be roommates. Or she could take a few risks,
and try to seduce her husband. From his earlier reactions, she
didn’t think he’d mind.

Kelly laughed. Now to put her plan into
action.

#

Lars called Kelly from work at four-thirty.
“Is everything ready for tonight?”

“Yes. Mrs. Levine left everything in the
refrigerator with detailed instructions. All I have to do is put it
in the oven at the right time.”

“Great. Then, I’ll see you at seven
tonight.”

When Lars had mentioned taking a few people
out to eat, she had offered to give a dinner party. “No, we’ll go
to a restaurant,” he’d said. “I don’t want you to do too much. You
need to rest.”

But she’d insisted, telling him that with
Mrs. Levine’s help, it wouldn’t be any trouble at all. Virtually
stress free, she assured him.

And so far, other than trying to finish
decorating the main living areas, the stress hadn’t been too
bad.

This night was going to be perfect, she
thought happily. She was going to be the perfect hostess, the
perfect wife. Lars would look across the dining room table at her
and realize that she was everything he’d ever wanted. And later,
after the guests had gone home, she’d model the new nightgown she’d
bought.