If the Ring Fits (10 page)

“I’m fine,” Mary Karen said. She’d eat later, for the babies’ sake, but right now her stomach felt too unsettled.

“Boys,” her mother ordered as the twins began shoving each other. “Back to the table and finish your lunch.”

“Me and Caleb want to go to the park this afternoon.” Connor glanced at his twin who nodded agreement. “Please, Mommy, please can we go to the park?”

Mary Karen thought of the piles of laundry that needed to be washed and the clothes in the mending basket awaiting her attention. Still, the sun shone bright and there might soon come a day when she felt too big and too bulky to make the jaunt to the park. “After you eat your lunch and help me clean up, then we’ll go to the park.”

They cheered so loudly her mother covered her ears.

“Shush.” Mary Karen gestured toward the kitchen. “The sooner you finish your lunch, the sooner we can go to the park.”

Connor started galloping down the hall but Caleb paused, holding out his hand. “You come, too.”

Mary Karen planted a kiss on his blond curls. “I’ll be there in a minute. I need to speak with Grandma about a couple of things first.”

“C’mon, Cal.” Connor returned to grab his brother’s arm. “Race you to the table.”

“I race, too.” Logan pulled his hand from his grandma’s and ran after his brothers.

By the time Mary Karen called out for them to slow down, they were out of sight.

Linda shook her head. “I don’t know how you do it every day. Those boys have so much energy. Why I thought I was busy when I had you and your brother both at home. Two is one thing. Three is a whole different story.”

If her mother felt that way about three, what would she think of five little ones? On the drive home Travis had told her he wanted to be with her when she told her parents about their marriage and the babies. But Mary Karen knew her mother, knew she’d get a more honest reaction if Travis wasn’t in the room. “Mom, I know you need to get over to July and David’s but I was wondering if you had a moment to talk?”

Although she’d tried to keep her tone matter-of-fact, something in her voice must have sounded slightly ominous because her mother stilled, the smile slipping from her lips. “Of course, honey. I always have time for you.”

Mary Karen stepped out onto the porch and gestured with a hand toward the swing. “This will only take a few minutes. I promise.”

Her mother hesitated, her worried gaze darting in the direction of the kitchen.

“Is the stove off? No pots and pans out that they could pull over? Knives out of reach?”

“Of course.” Linda looked affronted that she would even ask.

“Then we should be okay,” Mary Karen said. “This will take two minutes max.”

They moved to the swing and once they’d sat down, her mother turned to face her. “What’s going on?”

Mary Karen took a breath. And then another. She’d always tried to make her parents proud but so often had fallen short. She knew they’d been disappointed when she’d gotten pregnant her senior year in college. And Steven, well, the arrogant rich boy hadn’t been the kind of man they’d wanted for a son-in-law. Still, they’d done their best to welcome him into the family.

They liked Travis. Genuinely liked him. But would they be happy to find he was now part of the family? And what would they think about the babies?

Mary Karen twisted her hands nervously in her lap, struggling to find the right words.

“Sweetheart, please tell me what’s troubling you.” Her mother’s eyes were filled with concern. “Whatever it is, you know Daddy and I are here for you.”

Mary Karen squared her shoulders. “It’s not bad news. In fact, it’s good.”

The frown worrying Linda Wahl’s brow disappeared. “I like good news.”

“Remember when I went to Las Vegas this spring?”

“Of course I do. I couldn’t imagine why you wanted to go alone, but you certainly came back refreshed.” Her mother cocked her head. “Does your good news have something to do with the trip?”

“Actually it does.” Mary Karen licked her suddenly dry lips. “When I was in Vegas I ran into Travis.”

“Our Travis? But wasn’t he in Africa?”

“He’d been at a medical convention in California and stopped off in Vegas before heading to Cameroon.” Mary Karen took another deep breath and continued. “We ran into each other by the pool and he asked me to dinner.”

“What an unexpected surprise,” her mom said. “But how does this tie into your news?”

“I married him.”

“Who?”

“Travis.”

“I—I’m afraid I don’t understand.”

“Travis and I got married in Las Vegas.”

“I’m sorry, honey. This isn’t making any sense.” Linda’s gaze met hers. “You’ve been back from that trip for three months. You never said a word to me about getting married.”

Mary Karen understood her mom’s confusion. “That’s because after Travis got back from Cameroon, we were planning on getting the marriage annulled.”

“I take it those plans have changed?” her mother asked cautiously as if trying to pick her way through an unfamiliar territory fraught with land mines.

“Yes. We’re staying married.” Mary Karen smiled. When Travis had told her he loved her, a giant weight had fallen from her shoulders. With love between them, they could handle any of life’s challenges, including five children under the age of six.

“Why honey, that’s wonderful.” Her mother’s quick smile warmed Mary Karen’s heart. “Travis is a fine young man. You know your dad has always thought of him as a second son.”

Mary Karen gave into the joy bubbling up inside her. “I hoped you’d be pleased.”

“There’s only one concern I have—” her mother began then stopped. “No it’s none of my—”

“What is it, Mom?”

“It’s his views on children,” her mother said apologetically. “He’s made it clear on many occasions how he feels about raising children. And you have three.”

“I don’t need a reminder, mother. I’m well aware how many children I have,” Mary Karen said, her tone sharper than she’d intended.

“Of course you are.”

“People change.” Mary Karen lifted her chin, daring her mother to disagree. “Travis wants to be a father to my boys…and to the babies I’m carrying.”

“I’m sure he—” Linda paused. “What did you say?”

“I got pregnant in Vegas on our wedding night.” Though her cheeks burned Mary Karen somehow managed to keep her tone casual and offhand. “We found out today that we’re having twins.”

T
ravis clicked off his phone and swallowed a groan. According to the message she’d left, Mary Karen had told her mother everything, about the marriage, about the babies. Supposedly it had gone well.

Even though they’d agreed to wait and tell her parents together, he didn’t blame her for confiding in her mother. Still, it put him in an awkward position with her father.

Bob Wahl was a straight shooter. A man who called things as he saw ’em. A man who believed in being honest and aboveboard in both his professional and personal life.

If he arrived home after work tonight and was given such news secondhand, Travis knew he’d drop a few notches in Bob’s estimation.

Which meant Travis had to get to his father-in-law first.

He caught a break when he called from the hospital and learned that Bob was tied up with clients all afternoon and wasn’t expected back in the office until five. This meant Travis still had a chance to catch him before he headed home. Although Linda could tell Bob the news over the phone, Travis had the feeling this was something she’d prefer to tell her husband in person.

After seeing his afternoon patients, Travis hopped into his car for the short drive to Teton Village. The sun shone brightly overhead, the temperature a comfortable seventy-four. Though he had time to change, Travis kept on the navy pants and plaid cotton shirt he’d worn to the office. Boots and jeans didn’t seem appropriate for such an important meeting.

He arrived at the Property Management office of Teton Village at a quarter till five. A half hour later he was still waiting.

“He was supposed to be back by now,” Bob’s administrative assistant said with an apologetic smile. “I could leave a message for him to call you?”

“I’m fine waiting here alone, Jessy,” Travis said. Although he and the leggy blonde had never dated, they had talked a couple of times over beers at Wally’s Place, a local bar popular with the singles crowd. “If you need to get going, I can stay until Mr. Wahl gets back and make sure we lock up on our way out.”

“You sure you don’t mind?” Jessy pulled her bag out of a desk drawer. “It’s Monday Madness at Wally’s and you know how crazy it gets.”

“You’re right. If you want a seat, you’d better leave now.” He smiled. “Good seeing you again.”

“You, too.” She hesitated at the door, her formfitting blue dress leaving little to the imagination, her heels ac
centuating her long legs. “If you have time tonight, stop by the bar. It’d be fun to…talk.”

Travis just smiled. He’d seen the gleam of interest in her eyes and knew that with very little encouragement, the night wouldn’t stop with drinks. But even if he were still single, he’d never let it go that far. For the past couple of years, Mary Karen had been the only one in his bed.

It had been a good arrangement for both of them…until Vegas, when everything had gotten so out of hand. When he’d seen her in that little red bikini reading by the pool, he’d had to go over and say hello. He’d asked her to dinner and before dessert he’d proposed. For reasons he still didn’t fully understand, marrying Mary Karen had seemed to make so much sense that night.

“Travis.” Bob Wahl’s deep voice pulled him from his reverie. “I saw Jessy on her way out and she told me you were waiting. What brings you out this way?”

“I was hoping you’d have a few minutes to talk,” Travis said easily, rising to his feet.

“I always have time for you, son.” Bob shook Travis’s extended hand then took a seat in the burgundy leather chair opposite where Travis had been sitting. Once Travis had resumed his seat, Bob leaned forward. “What’s on your mind? Must be important for you to come all the way out here.”

Now that the time had come, Travis wasn’t sure if being here without M.K. was a good idea. Still, he’d reached the point of no return. “I came to talk about Mary Karen.”

A look of alarm skittered across the older man’s face. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine,” Travis reassured him. “She’s home with the boys, planning a picnic lunch for tomorrow.”

“That’s right. Tomorrow’s the fourth.” Bob relaxed against the back of his chair. “It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again.”

Polite chitchat was fine but Travis knew that every minute he let this conversation deviate from its intended purpose only increased the chance that Linda would call. If she discovered her husband was with her new son-in-law, she just might spill the news over the phone.

“I’ve known Mary Karen a long time, Bob.”

“Yes, yes you have. And you’ve been a good friend to her and to my grandsons.”

“My feelings for your daughter go beyond friendship.” Travis took a deep breath. “I realize it’s customary for the man to ask the father’s permission to marry, but we’re a little past that point, so I’d appreciate your blessing.”

“Of course I’ll give you my blessing.” Bob paused as if finally realizing exactly what Travis had said. “I assume when you said you’re beyond that point, that you’ve already asked my daughter to marry you and she said yes?”

“Actually.” Travis met the man’s gaze. “We’re already married. We tied the knot in Vegas back in March.”

“In March? You’ve been married to my daughter for three months.” Bob straightened in his chair, his voice rising with each word, the tips of his ears now bright red. “Why is it that I’m just hearing about it now?”

“You realize neither of us are impulsive people.” Travis chose his words carefully. “Despite our—our feelings for each other, we were shocked that we’d done something so impetuous. We planned on having the marriage annulled when I got back from Cameroon.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No, the feelings were still there and we’ve been given an extra blessing.”

Bob’s brows pulled together. “What kind of blessing?”

“Mary Karen’s pregnant. She conceived on our wedding night.” Travis hoped his smile didn’t appear forced. “We found out today that we’re having twins.”

“Twins!” Bob roared, springing to his feet. He opened his mouth then closed it. He crossed the room and slammed his palms against the window sill. “Not again.”

The disappointment in Bob’s tone filled the room, making Travis very glad that Mary Karen wasn’t here.

“It’s not the same at all.” Travis rose to his feet. “Steven never loved your daughter. He never wanted to be a family man—”

“And you do?” Bob whirled. “I’ve heard you say a thousand times that your goal was to remain happily single and childless.”

“That,” Travis said with extra emphasis so there would be no misunderstanding, “was before. Before I realized how much your daughter meant to me. Before I saw my babies’ heartbeats on that screen.”

Travis crossed the room and stopped in front of Bob. He met the man’s penetrating gaze with a steady one of his own. “I give you my word that I will do my best by Mary Karen and the children, all of them.”

“You love her?”

Travis resisted the urge to look away. “Why else would I have married her?”

“But twins…do you have any idea what your facing?”

“I helped raise my seven younger siblings. Five should be a snap.” Travis chuckled. “Especially with
Mary Karen beside me. You raised a wonderful woman, Bob. She’s a great mom, and I’m a lucky guy to have her as my wife. I know this all came as a shock—”

“What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger,” Bob muttered. His gaze searched Travis’s face. “If you’re not sincere, I want you to walk away now. I don’t want you changing your mind like Steven did.”

“No. No. I’m definitely sincere,” Travis said. “I would never hurt Mary Karen or the children.”

“Your word is good with me.” Bob said with a satisfied nod and just like that the interrogation was over. He clapped a hand on Travis’s shoulder. “Welcome to the family, son.”

“Thanks, Bob.”

“I have to say I’m happy to hear that Mary Karen loves you and you love her. She didn’t have that with Steven and I know that broke her mother’s heart.”

Travis had the feeling it wasn’t only Linda’s heart that had been broken. Bob loved his daughter and seeing her stuck in a loveless match had hurt him, too.

It wouldn’t be like that for him and Mary Karen, Travis vowed. He would do everything in his power to make her happy. To give her the type of life she deserved.

And, if that wasn’t love, it would have to be enough.

“She didn’t faint?” Travis dumped a handful of spaghetti into the boiling pan of water.

When he stopped by the house after speaking with her father, Mary Karen had greeted him with a kiss and invited him to dinner. Knowing the extent of her culinary skills, he hadn’t expected much.

“Mom was shocked, no doubt about that.” Mary Karen picked up a knife from the counter and began
cutting the French bread into small slices. “But by the time she left, I think she was getting excited about the marriage and the babies.”

“Your father came around, too,” Travis said, omitting the part about Bob’s reservations. “I think he was happy to have such a brilliant, talented and sexy guy be a part of his family.”

Mary Karen rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’m sure that was it.”

Travis grinned and tossed a little salt into the boiling water. He’d never understood the purpose, but his sister Margaret used to do it every time she cooked spaghetti, so he figured it must be important.

“I think it was reassuring to them to know that we’re in love….”

“And that we’re married.” Travis put down the salt shaker down and leaned over to kiss her.

She surprised him by dropping the knife to the cutting board. Mary Karen slid her fingers through his hair, opening her mouth to his probing tongue.

“Mommy and Travis sittin’ in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G,” Connor sang from the doorway.

Mary Karen tried to pull away but Travis held her tight.

“I like kissing your mom, Connor,” Travis said in a matter-of-fact tone though he still felt slightly out of breath. “Remember what we talked about earlier?”

“You and Mommy are married,” Connor said.

“And you’re going to have a baby,” Caleb said as he entered the room behind his twin. “An itty bitty baby brother.”

Mary Karen shook her head. “We don’t know that yet—”

“It’s not just one baby, Cal,” Connor interrupted.
“Two babies. Mommy is having two babies. Like me ’n’ you.”

“Itty bitty baby,” Logan repeated in a high-pitched tone. “I like babies.”

“See,” Travis whispered against her cheek. “I told you it would be okay.”

“You’re so smart,” she said, happy to have been proven wrong.

She’d worried the boys might be angry or resentful, but they’d been more curious than anything else and thrilled that Travis would be moving in and be around all the time. They’d stopped over and told Lexi and Nick then called Rachel and Derek in California. So far everyone had been happy for them.

“Tomorrow, we’ll start telling everyone,” Travis said.

“I hope people aren’t angry we kept this from them.” Mary Karen thought of her hospital coworkers and some women from the church.

“They might be a little upset,” Travis said, his arms still encircling her. “But they’ll get over it when they see how happy we are.”

“We are happy, aren’t we, Travis? I mean, you don’t have any regrets.”

“The only regret I have,” he said, kissing her neck, “is that I don’t have you to myself right now.”

“I promise.” Mary Karen trailed a finger up his cheek and lowered her voice to a whisper. “After the boys are in bed, you will have my full and undivided attention.”

He smiled. “I’m going to hold you to that promise.”

“I’m counting on it.”