The Great Baby Caper (18 page)

He expelled a long sigh. “Courtney,
I’m sorry if your folks don’t take the proper pride in your accomplishments.
But you shouldn’t withhold the news of their coming grandchild out of spite.”

“You think I’m being spiteful?”

He nodded. “Partly spiteful,
partly prideful. Not just in withholding this information from your parents,
but in your insisting on keeping my grandfather in the dark, as well.”

“Well, you’re wrong about why I
don’t want to tell my parents. As for M. Billingham—if you think I’m eager to
hear him gloating over my pregnancy, then I’ll admit I’m guilty as charged.”

She heard him curse, low, under
his breath. “Courtney, don’t you even want my child?”

Feeling lashed by the unexpectedly
bitter question, she replied, “Of course I want the baby. Haven’t I told you
that several times now?”

“You’ve told me it’s against your
scruples to have done with it, but whether you really want it . . .” He shot
her a heated look. “Frankly, I’m beginning to wonder.”

She closed her eyes. “Mark,
please. I’ll admit I’m under a lot of stress right now, and maybe I’m not
saying everything perfectly. If so, I apologize. But the truth is, I just can’t
handle all of this today. Let’s just deal with introducing you tonight, okay?”

His reply was gentle but firm.
“Courtney, you’re not going to be able to put this off much longer. The reality
is right there, growing in your belly. And it needs and wants your total
commitment.”

“Don’t you think I know that?”
Courtney felt the unbidden sting of tears in her eyes. “Why all of a sudden are
you accusing me of not wanting our child?”

“Why aren’t you planning to tell
either of our families?” he countered.

“Mark, I’ll tell them soon. Just
not now. And I want your word you won’t spill the beans to my folks before I am
ready.”

“Fine, then, Courtney. Are you
pleased?”

Staring moodily out the window,
Courtney felt anything but pleased. She felt hurt by Mark’s accusation. Of
course she wanted this child.
Of course
. No matter what, this child
would always be a big part of her life, and Mark’s. She just couldn’t find a
way to balance it all out as yet, to merge all their futures when so much
mistrust toward Mark remained. And he was just pressuring her to reveal her
pregnancy before she was ready.

On the other hand, she could see
his reasoning, and she had to admit he’d made some valid points with his
criticisms. She was withholding the information about her pregnancy from her
parents partly out of pride. Already she could hear them gloating—just as M.
Billingham would surely gloat. No doubt they would pressure her to give up her
career aspirations and become a nice little housewife for Mark and mother to
their child. That was why she felt especially tense over having to introduce
her new husband to her family. It would no longer just be Mark promoting the
marriage and family scene; all of them would now band together against her.
Sometimes it all gave her the feeling of being on a runaway train. She was used
to being focused, in charge, planning her own life very carefully. Now the
reins seemed to be slipping away from her.

Then she saw her parents’ street
looming ahead and felt a new pang of uneasiness. Nonetheless, she pointed
toward the sign. “Turn right there.”

Mark wheeled the car around the
corner. “Which house?”

“The ranch style one at the center
of the cul-de-sac. The one with all the cars lined up in the driveway.”

Mark steered straight for the
cul-de-sac, toward a large, beige brick home with a massive pecan tree shading
the yard, and brightly colored flowers spilling from several beds. An
air-conditioning van and two passenger cars were parked in the driveway, and
three SUVs out in the street.

As Mark pulled the car onto the
driveway behind the other vehicles, Courtney watched the front door of the
house open. Then, her family all but burst out—first her grinning parents,
followed by her sisters and their families, her brother and his fiancé. Within
seconds the group had converged on the car like an adoring gaggle of groupies
greeting a rock star.

Courtney glanced at Mark to see
that he appeared immensely pleased. She wished she could have sunk through the
upholstery.

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“Courtney, your husband is a
doll!” Carla declared.

“Yes, and we want to hear the
whole, uncensored story of how you two got together,” added Caryn.

Standing at the kitchen sink,
Courtney flashed her two older sisters a stiff smile. Caryn, Carla, Courtney,
and their mother were all making last-minute preparations for dinner.
Courtney’s oldest sister Carla greatly resembled her, except that her hair was
red; Caryn was a slightly younger, more petite blonde. Their mom, Susan, was an
attractive brunette in her early fifties.

While the women worked, the rest
of the crew was outside. Through the window over the sink, Courtney could see a
large contingent of children romping through the grass while her dad manned the
barbecue, his Denver Broncos cap obscuring most of his red-gray hair. Mark
stood nearby, laughing, drinking beer with Joey and her brother-in-law, Mike.

“Yes, dear, I think you’ve kept us
all in suspense long enough,” put in Susan from the chopping block island,
where she was slicing tomatoes. “First, you come home from your convention in New Orleans with some wild story about Mr. Bootle trying to force you to marry his
grandson. You quit your job and run off to hide in Detroit. Then you call up
out of the blue and say you’re marrying Mark, after all—”

“And none of us are invited to the
wedding,” scolded Caryn from the sink. “So what gives? Why did you decide to
reject Mark in the first place, and why did you change your mind?”

“Have you guys ever heard of
minding your own business?” Courtney countered crossly.

“Mind our own business?” repeated
Susan indignantly. “Get out of here, we’re your family.”

“Which gives us the right to
meddle,” added Carla with a smirk.

“Well? Are you going to fess up?”
pressed Caryn.

Courtney sighed, realizing further
resistance was futile. “The truth is, I was drawn to Mark from the outset, but
resented his grandfather’s interference, that stupid trick he played on me,
trying to force us together in New Orleans. So I told Mark then and there that
it was no dice on our having a relationship. We said goodbye, then eventually
he tracked me down in Detroit and, well . . . he changed my mind.” As she
finished, she marveled at the truth of her last statement.

Carla ecstatically clapped her
hands. “Oh, I just knew it! He swept you off your feet, huh?”

“Something like that,” Courtney
replied dryly.

“And here we thought you’d never
marry,” remarked Caryn. “But Mark’s quite a sexy charmer, isn’t he? And that
accent . . . no wonder you fell like a ton of bricks.”

“Well, I wouldn’t put it quite
like that.”

“And taking you to Mackinac Island for your honeymoon,” declared Susan. “Joe and I have wanted to go for
years. Was it spectacularly romantic?”

Courtney was shocked to feel a
bittersweet pain clutching at her heart as she found herself wishing she and
Mark were still sharing those idyllic days, instead of the stress-filled days
confronting them now. She busied herself rinsing glasses to cover her own
uneasiness. “Yes. Spectacularly.”

“And what are the two of you
planning now?” Carla pursued. “Being Mr. Bootle’s grandson, Mark must be loaded
to the gills. Are you going to return with him to London and become a lady of
leisure, have half a dozen children?”

“Being a lady of leisure and
having half a dozen children seems a contradiction in terms,” Courtney pointed
out.

“But think of all the nannies you
could hire,” Carla teased.

“And we could all go visit!” added
a glowing Caryn. “Oh, I’d love to see London.”

“I can hardly wait,” Courtney
quipped back. “But before all of you update your passports and plan out the
rest of my life, bear in mind that I am perfectly capable of taking charge of
it myself. And that will include following the career path I carved out for
myself years ago—much as you guys may not understand it.”

Indeed, Carla appeared astounded.
“But why would you work at all if you don’t have to? I’m so glad Jason’s making
enough now that I can stay home with Josh and Brittany.”

“That decision may be right for
you, but not for every woman,” Courtney replied.

“Well, thank you, Gloria Steinem,”
put in her mother.

A tense silence had fallen when
suddenly, three-year-old Brittany came bursting in through the back door. The
child was adorable with her wide face, green eyes, and blond bobbing ponytails.
Dressed in a pink T-shirt, cutoffs, and sandals, she clutched a rag doll in one
small arm.

Brittany was quickly followed by
Joey and his fiancée, Becky. Joey was a younger, more slender version of
Courtney’s dad, complete with red hair and freckles; Becky was a lovely young
woman with brown hair and eyes and a slender, willowy frame.

“Hi, Aunt Cor’ney!” Brittany chirped. “I like your daddy.”

As everyone laughed, Carla gently
corrected, “Honey, he’s her husband, not her daddy. And it’s Aunt
Courtney
.”

“That’s just what I said,” the
three-year-old protested. “Aunt Cor’ney. And I like her daddy—I mean her Mark.
He’s nice. He swung me and Sissy up high in the air.” She lifted her doll to
demonstrate.

“That was good of him, sweetie,”
Carla replied.

Brittany darted over to Courtney
and grinned up at her. “Are you going to have a baby now, Aunt Cor’ney?”

Courtney could feel herself
blushing as all eyes seemed to focus on her. “I . . . what makes you ask that,
honey?”

“‘Cause my daddy told your Mark
you’ll pro’bly have a baby now. Then your Mark said something I couldn’t hear
and my daddy giggled and slapped him on the back.”

“I see,” Courtney murmured, frowning.

“Brittany, your daddy doesn’t
giggle, he laughs,” admonished Carla.

“Why can’t a daddy giggle?” Brittany demanded.

“Yeah, Carla, I think it was a
giggle,” teased Joey, who had been listening to the exchange with a fascinated
smile. “Hasn’t Jason been sneaking off to ballet lessons lately?”

“Oh, hush!” Carla scolded her
brother.

Amid more laughter, Brittany tugged on Courtney’s hand. “So are you going to have a baby now?”

Feeling at a loss, Courtney
glanced about at the sea of curious, expectant faces. Then Joey strolled over
to rescue her, swinging Brittany up into his arms. Winking at Courtney, he
said, “Honey, give Courtney a break. She only just got married.”

“That’s why I’m asking her!” Brittany protested.

Joey grinned at his fiancée.
“Pretty soon you’ll be bugging me and Becky about having a baby.”

“But you can’t have a baby,” the
child admonished. “You aren’t married yet.”

“You tell him, honey,” Becky
encouraged the child.

Everyone laughed, and Courtney
felt relieved as the tense moment faded away.

***

“Mark, welcome to the family,”
Courtney’s dad announced.

“Thank you, sir,” Mark modestly
replied.

Twenty minutes later, the whole
crew was gathered in the dining room. At the large pine table, Joe Kelly sat at
the head, with Courtney and Mark on either side of him. Most of the adults and
older children were seated with them, while the younger set was gathered about
an adjacent, smaller table, along with Becky and Joey, who had offered to serve
as chaperons.

Joe lifted his glass of iced tea.
“A toast—to Mark and Courtney. May they find happiness together for the rest of
their lives.”

Amid cheers and exclamations of,
“To Mark and Courtney!”, the others present clicked their glasses together and
drank up. Although touched by her father’s toast, Courtney also felt put on the
spot and conflicted. It seemed so hypocritical to allow everyone to assume she
and Mark were seeking eternal happiness, when she wasn’t even sure they would
stay together after their child was born. Glancing at Mark, however, she saw
that he had never appeared prouder.

“Thank you, everyone,” he humbly
replied, smiling around the table. “I must say I’m deeply honored to be
welcomed into such a wonderful, warm clan. Having lost my own parents at a fairly
young age, I feel as if I’ve been granted a new beginning . . . with all of you
as my adoptive family.”

Mark’s announcement was met by
sighs from Courtney’s sisters and sympathetic nods from their husbands and Joe.
Susan smiled at him warmly. “Oh, Mark, I think that’s the sweetest thing I’ve
ever heard. No wonder my daughter loves you.”

Mark stared straight at Courtney
then, and she felt about two inches tall. “Thank you, Mrs. Kelly. I’m proud to
have Courtney as my bride.”

“Please, you must call me Mom.”

“Mom,” Mark murmured. “I’m very
fortunate to have you all.”

Beaming, Susan continued, “As I’ve
already mentioned to Courtney, Joe and I want to throw you two a reception—just
family and a few close friends.”

“Mom, please—” Courtney protested.

Mark leveled a stern glance on his
wife then grinned at Susan. “Sounds lovely, Mom.”

“Oh, good. As it happens our
favorite restaurant has their private room available. How does brunch sound, a
week from Saturday?”

“So soon?” gasped Courtney.
“Impossible.”

“Perfect,” declared Mark.

Courtney shot her husband a
warning look, only to get a glower in return. “Mom, may Mark and I think about
this and get back to you?”

“No need to, Mom,” Mark countered.
“We’ll be there with bells on.”

“Then it’s a date,” said Susan
brightly.

Courtney was about to protest
again when her father spoke up. “So, Mark, are you a Broncos fan?”

“Joe, please!” protested Susan.
“Don’t start up with football again.”

“I have a right to ask the man,”
Joe shot back. “After all, he’s a member of the family now. So, are you, son?”

Mark shook his head. “No, sir, we
don’t watch many of your American football games on the telly in the U.K.”

“Call me Dad,” Joe replied. “And
don’t worry, we’ll make you a convert.”

“Yeah, look out for Dad,” teased
Carla. “He’s always looking for fresh recruits to drag along to the home
games.”

“Actually, I’d be honored to
attend,” Mark put in gallantly.

“As if your husband minds that I
hold four season tickets,” Joe groused to Carla, tossing a frown toward Jason.

Jason, a handsome, fair-haired man
in his mid-thirties, came to life with an indignant laugh. “Do you hear me
complaining, Dad?” To Carla, he blustered, “Hey, honey, you’re getting me in
trouble here. Your dad’s about to eighty-six me from the games, and you know I
can’t wait to see the Broncs stomp Oakland again.”

“Oh, yes, I just love being a
sports widow,” Carla replied sweetly.

“Stomp Oakland?” protested Joe.
“Heck, we’ll win the Super Bowl this season for sure.”

“Hear, hear,” agreed Jason, and
the other men cheered.

Meanwhile Susan was waving her
hands. “All right, you guys, enough! One more mention of football and you get
to wash the dishes.”

Everyone laughed, and Courtney
observed Mark’s expression of utter contentment. She knew he already loved her
family, just as they were all feeling charmed by him. Everyone was having a
grand time—except for her, of course.

While part of her wanted to be
happy for Mark, and pleased that he loved her family, she couldn’t help but
feel miffed that he’d accepted the invitation for the reception without first
consulting her. And she was still stewing over Brittany’s comment in the
kitchen. Had Mark spilled the beans to Jason regarding her pregnancy?

She strongly suspected he had,
telling her brother-in-law when he had promised he wouldn’t inform her family
just yet. By now, everyone in her clan might know or suspect the truth. Their
looks of frank curiosity certainly indicated this.

Despite these nagging doubts,
Courtney really enjoyed the moments after dinner when everyone celebrated the
twins’ birthday. All the adults gathered about the smaller table where
one-year-old Joshua and the twin boys, Jake and Jeff, were seated. The birthday
boys appeared darling in their matching navy overalls with white shirts, and
jaunty paper hats. They sat in awed fascination as Susan brought in the cake
with its burning candles, and while everyone sang for them. When Susan sat the
cake down, Carla had to grab Josh, who seemed determined to touch a lit candle.

“All right, boys,” said Caryn, the
boys’ mother. “Make a wish then blow the candles out, just like we practiced.”

Both boys began blowing fiercely,
puffing out their little cheeks, to everyone’s delight. Afterward they smeared
cake on each other’s faces and ripped open their many presents.

But the highlight came when Mark
went out to his car and returned with the two huge teddy bears. “Here you are,
my good lads,” he announced, setting the toys down near the twins’ table. “One
for each.”

“Teddys!” exclaimed Jake, and
immediately he and Jeff were off.

Everyone laughed as the two
toddlers grabbed and hugged their prizes, rolling about on the floor with the
huge plush toys, cuddling them, and kissing them. The boys’ dad, Mike, grinned
proudly at Mark. “Looks like you have a real hit there. Thanks so much.”

“My pleasure,” replied Mark.

Caryn stepped toward her sons, who
were still frolicking on the floor with the teddy bears. “Boys, you know
better. Go tell Mark thank you.”

At once both birthday boys
clambered up, rushing over to Mark and grabbing his legs, amid cries of
“Tank-ou, S’Mark.” Mark at once hefted both boys into his arms, not protesting
when Jake smacked him on the face and got blue icing all over his cheek.

“You’re welcome, gents,” he said
proudly.

Watching Mark so contently holding
the youngsters, Courtney couldn’t help but feel touched as she thought about
their own child. For just a moment, all her other resentments were forgotten,
and she had to smile.