The Manning Sisters (30 page)

 

Christy's gaze fell reluctantly on Cody's luggage, which lay open on her bed. The lump in her throat seemed to grow larger every minute, until she could hardly swallow. She'd decided earlier that she wasn't going to be emotional when he left. They'd talked everything out earlier, planned for their future as best they could.

“You called the office?” Cody asked, putting a clean shirt in the suitcase.

“Yes…I told them I still had the flu.” Lying didn't come easy to Christy. She felt as though she'd dug herself into a deep pit.

“What did they say?”

“Marcia, she's the office manager, said it's a slow week and not to worry about it, but she did make a point of asking me if I'd be in on Friday, which seemed a little odd.”

“What about James?”

“He was at the courthouse.” Her eyes widened at the unexpectedness of the question.

“When's the last time you heard from him?”

“Ah…” She had to stop and think. “The day after the engagement party. We talked briefly, and he explained that he wouldn't be able to keep in touch while the trial's going on.” Under normal circumstances she would've seen him at the office, even if it was only for a few minutes, every morning. The fact that he hadn't made an effort to contact her said a good deal about their relationship.

“I see.” Cody was obviously surprised.

“He's very intense and single-minded.”

“Do you think he'll get an acquittal?”

“I don't know,” she said.

“Whatever happens, this can't go on much longer. You realize that, don't you?”

“It won't be more than a few days.” In discussing the situation they'd agreed on a time limit. Even if the trial dragged on for more than a week, Christy had promised to return James's ring and tell her parents that she and Cody were married.

“I still think we should tell your parents now.”

“Not yet,” she pleaded. The way Christy figured it, she'd start dropping hints so the fact that she'd married Cody wouldn't come as such a shock. After Cody flew back to Montana, she intended to drop by the family home and casually point out that James hadn't called her once since the party. She was hoping her parents would conclude that perhaps he wouldn't be the best husband for her, after all.

“Christy, I'm worried.” Cody stood in front of her, his face concerned. “I don't like leaving you, especially under these circumstances.”

“You know I love you.”

His mouth curved into a sensual smile. “Beyond a doubt.”

“Good.” She put her arms around his waist and hugged him close. His heart beat strongly and evenly, offering her reassurance. In time they'd look back on these bleak days and laugh, she told herself. Someday, but not now.

“I'll phone you twice a day,” he promised in a husky whisper. “Morning and night.”

“I'll need that.”

“So will I.”

A sigh of regret rumbled through his chest as he dropped his arms. “It's time to go.”

Neither of them seemed inclined to talk on the ride to the airport. Once Cody had checked in at the airline counter, he hugged Christy and kissed her lightly. It was as if he dared not kiss her the way they both enjoyed for fear he wouldn't be able to walk away. She understood all too well.

“Take care of yourself,” she whispered.

“You, too.”

She nodded, barely conscious of the way she clung to him. “Of course. We'll talk tonight. And before we know it, we'll be together.”

“Together for good,” he added. “I've got to go.”

She closed her eyes tightly to keep from crying.

Cody kissed her again, only this time his mouth was fierce and wild. He released her by degrees, his reluctance tearing at her heart. With everything in her, Christy longed to board the plane with him. How much easier it would be to leave with Cody and then call James and her parents. But Christy knew she couldn't abandon her responsibilities. Cody understood that, too; she was sure of it. Christy Manning Franklin had always done the right thing, even if it was sometimes for the wrong reasons.

 

The next morning Christy returned to work for the first time since she'd left for vacation. What a difference a few weeks could make. She wasn't the same woman anymore.

“Christy.” James's voice rose as he hurried over to her desk. “You're back. I hope you're feeling better.”

For all his brilliance, James had very little experience of life. That was even more obvious to Christy now, and it made her feel oddly protective of him. She smiled as he reached for her hand, squeezing her fingers. Kissing her, even in an empty office, would have been unthinkable. He'd never been openly affectionate, but he was tender and good, and Christy couldn't ignore her guilty conscience.

“I'm much better, thanks. How's the Mulligan case going?”

He frowned and briefly looked away before responding. “Not too well.”

“How much longer do you think it's going to be?”

“I'm hoping to wrap everything up by the end of next week.”

“That long?” She couldn't keep the disappointment out of her voice.

James frowned again. “I didn't realize how negatively this case was affecting you.”

“It's just that…” She couldn't very well announce that she was looking for the right moment to tell him she was married to someone else.

“I know, darling.” He said the last word softly, as though fearing someone might overhear him. “This is a difficult time for us both, but it'll soon be over, and we can get on with our lives.”

Now that Christy had a chance to study him, she saw that he seemed exhausted. Deep lines were etched around his eyes and mouth. Clearly James wasn't sleeping well.

“The case is going worse than you expected, isn't it?”

James sighed. “It's difficult to hide something like this from the one you love. Yes, it's going much worse.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Christy found herself asking.

“Nothing,” he said, giving her a rare smile. “But your concern is greatly appreciated.” He looked at his watch. “It's time I left for the courthouse. I won't be back for the rest of the day.”

Christy nodded.

“I suppose we should meet for dinner. After all, it's been a long time since we've gone out. But—”

“Don't worry,” Christy interrupted. “I understand.” If she was having trouble dealing with a short conversation as James was walking out the door, an entire evening in each other's company would've been unbearable.

“Have a good day,” he said gently.

“You, too.”

He nodded, but his expression was somber. It was all too apparent that he didn't think he'd be having anything resembling a satisfactory day.

At lunchtime Christy looked up to find Marcia standing at her desk. The office manager had been with the firm for over fifteen years and was one of the finest women Christy knew.

Christy smiled. “Do you need something, Marcia?” After a three-week absence, her desk was piled high with folders.

“Can you come into one of the conference rooms for a minute?”

“Sure.”

Leading the way, Marcia paused in front of the wide oak doors and grinned sheepishly. “It's good to have you back from vacation, Christy. It made all of us appreciate how much your bright smile adds to our day.” With that she opened the door.

Christy was greeted with a chorus of “Surprise” from her fellow workers. A large cake sat in the center of the table, surrounded by several gaily wrapped packages. She must have looked stunned, because Marcia placed one hand on her shoulder and explained. “It's a wedding shower for you and James.”

A
week had passed since Cody had come back to Cougar Point. By far the longest week of his life. He wanted Christy with him, hungered for her smile and the way her eyes darkened when she looked up at him in that suggestive way.

He loved Christy, and marrying her had helped him cope with the ridiculous set of circumstances in which they found themselves trapped.

He wasn't pleased that she was still engaged to James, but there seemed little he could do about it. If it had been up to him, he'd have settled it before flying out of Seattle, but Christy had been adamant that she was doing the right thing in waiting. Cody wasn't convinced, but the decision had been hers, and he didn't feel he could go against Christy's wishes.

So they were husband and wife. Cody
felt
married. It was as if he'd lived his entire life waiting for this woman. In the too-brief days they'd been together, Cody knew he'd changed. His life's purpose had been focused on his career, and in many ways it still was. Christy, however, added a new dimension to his personality.

She'd taught him to dream.

Unlike Russ, who'd always planned on marriage, Cody had given up hope of ever finding the right woman. It hadn't been a conscious decision; in fact, he wasn't fully aware of it until he met Christy.

He was getting downright philosophical, he mused. Christy gave his life a deeper meaning, and their marriage made everything else more…important, somehow.

Someone brighter than he was would have guessed what was happening the first time they'd kissed. He still recalled feeling lost and bewildered. When he learned she was engaged to marry James, Cody had been even more shaken than he dared to admit.

James. The other man's name brought a grim frown. Reluctantly Christy had shown him a picture of the attorney. He looked clean-cut, professional, intelligent. But he guessed that James Wilkens lacked passion. It was difficult to imagine James allowing a little thing like falling in love to overcome his inhibitions.

Throwing off his anxiety about Christy's engagement, he stood, moved into his kitchen and poured a cup of coffee. He was supposed to be packing, getting ready for his move to Miles City, but because of everything that had happened between Christy and him, he'd delayed until the last minute.

Almost everything in the living room was inside cardboard boxes, and Cody headed absently toward the bedroom, intent on getting as much accomplished that evening as he could.

He recognized his mistake immediately.

Christy had never slept on his bed, never even been in this room, but the fires she sparked to life within Cody were more evident there than anywhere else.

Feeling helpless, missing her so much, Cody sat on the end of the bed. He'd married himself one little hellcat. A smile tempted his mouth. She was a seductress in bed, and an angel out of it.

His need for her was insatiable. Half the time they were so impatient for each other that they hadn't bothered to use any birth control. They'd discussed that; if she were to get pregnant, Cody wouldn't mind. In many ways it would please him tremendously, although he admitted the timing would be all wrong for her. Christy had enough pressures on her already.

A week. They'd been apart for seven days, and it felt like an eternity. Dammit all, he wanted her with him.

Now. Not two days from now.

Not next week.
Now.

His patience was wearing paper-thin. He picked up the phone and called the number he knew by heart. Christy answered on the second ring.

Her voice softened when she heard his. “Soon,” she promised in a seductive whisper that nearly drove him crazy.

“How soon?” he demanded.

“A couple more days.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but didn't you claim it would be ‘a couple of days' a couple of days ago?” His voice was sharp despite his best efforts.

“Yes, but there are complications.”

“Aren't there always?”

“Cody, please, don't be angry with me…”

“I called because I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said, sounding a little bewildered. Cody realized he'd probably pushed too hard and backed off, spending the next few minutes telling his wife he loved her.

When he replaced the receiver, he was more frustrated than ever.

 

Cody was enjoying breakfast in the bowling alley early the following morning when Russ showed up. It wasn't unusual for Russ to eat in town, but rarer since he'd married Taylor.

The rancher slid into the booth across from Cody. “I thought I'd find you here.”

“You looking for me?” he asked.

“You could say that.” Russ turned over the ceramic mug and waited until the waitress came by and filled it for him. He reached for the menu. “You look like hell.”

“Nice of you to say so,” Cody muttered.

“I didn't come here to pick a fight.”

Their friendship was too good for this kind of bickering. “I haven't been sleeping well,” Cody admitted reluctantly, sipping his own coffee. Truth be known, he hadn't had a decent night's sleep since he'd flown home from Seattle.

“How's Christy holding up?”

“A lot better than I am.” She always managed to sound cheerful, as if it was perfectly normal for a couple to be married three days and then separated for weeks.

“You sure about that?”

Russ's question caught Cody off guard. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if Russ knew something he didn't. Russ's attention seemed to be on the menu.

“I'm not sure of anything,” Cody answered thoughtfully. “What makes you ask?”

Typically Russ shrugged. “Nothing in particular.” He set aside the menu, declined to order breakfast when Mary delivered Cody's and sat there looking superior. “Go ahead and eat,” he said, motioning toward the plate of sliced ham, eggs, hash browns and toast.

“I wasn't planning on letting my meal get cold,” Cody informed him frostily. His nerves were shot, and the last thing he needed was his best friend dropping obscure hints.

Cupping the mug with both hands, Russ leaned back in the booth. “Who else knows you and Christy are married?” he asked after a moment.

“Everyone except James and her parents.” Christy's three older brothers were all aware of the fact that they'd eloped. Cody had spoken to the two oldest brothers, Paul and Jason, before he'd left Seattle. Rich had been the first to discover their secret, of course, and he'd quickly let the others in on it.

“Should I thank you for the fact that Mrs. Simmons stopped me in the street yesterday with a jar of her watermelon pickles?” Cody asked, eyeing Russ. “She says she heard the sheriff had taken himself a wife and wanted to give me a small gift.”

“Ah…I might've mentioned something to Mrs. Simmons,” Russ said, hiding a smile. Mrs. Simmons handed out homemade preserves at every opportunity. Each family in town ended up with at least one jar every year.

Russ took another drink of his coffee. “I guess you and everyone else in town figured out Taylor got pregnant on our honeymoon.”

Cody was having trouble following this conversation. “What's that got to do with anything?”

“Nothing,” he said with an enigmatic smile.

“Listen, Russ, if you know something I don't, spit it out, would you? I'm in no mood for games. Is something going on with Christy that I don't know?”

“Did she tell you about the wedding shower?”

Cody scowled. “No. When was this?”

“Last week. The girls in the office held it for her, threw it as a surprise.”

“That was nice.”

“It wasn't for you and Christy,” Russ barked. “What's with you, man? The shower was for Christy and James.”

Cody rubbed his face. She hadn't said a word, not a single word about any wedding shower. And now that he knew, Cody thought that, maybe, just maybe, Christy did sound a little less cheerful than usual. He was fast losing his perspective.

“I bet she hasn't told you something else, either.”

Cody resented having his brother-in-law tell him things Christy hadn't even mentioned. “You mean there's more?” he asked darkly. “Did her mother take her shopping and spring for a five-thousand-dollar wedding dress?”

“Nothing quite so drastic,” Russ said with a hint of a smile. “I overheard Taylor on the phone last night. She was talking to Christy.”

“What did Christy say?”

“I don't know. I only heard half the conversation.”

Cody had talked to Christy, too. He'd hung up with a restless feeling he couldn't identify, but he'd attributed it to the fact that she was still in Seattle when he wanted her in Montana.

“And?”

“And when I asked Taylor, she seemed reluctant to say much. But I heard her discuss symptoms.”

“Symptoms?”

“I tried to tell you earlier,” Russ informed him with a look that questioned Cody's intelligence, “but you got so damn defensive, I shut up.” Russ shook his head. “Taylor got pregnant in Reno. Think about it, Cody. Taylor and Christy are two of
five
children. Doesn't it seem obvious to you that the Manning women are a fertile lot?”

“Christy's not pregnant,” Cody said with a confidence he wasn't feeling. He felt his head start to spin.

“You're sure of that?”

“She'd say something if she even suspected. I'd bet on it.”

“Of course. She tells you everything.”

“I'd like to think she'd confide in me,” Cody said, growing more uncertain.

“If she didn't tell you about the wedding shower, you can damn well wager she wouldn't mention that she's hanging her head over a toilet every morning.”

Cody felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach. Christy was pregnant and too concerned about protecting her parents and James to risk telling him.

Hell, she
couldn't
tell him. He hadn't made it easy for her, had he? Missing her the way he did, Cody was irritable and impatient while Christy carried the brunt of the load.

Hastily he slid out of the booth and put on his hat. He'd been looking for an excuse to put an end to this nonsense, and now he had one.

“Where you going?” Russ demanded, reaching across the table for Cody's untouched breakfast plate. He leaned forward and retrieved the salt and pepper shakers.

“Seattle.”

Chuckling, Russ nodded. “That's what I thought.”

“Enjoy your breakfast,” Cody muttered sarcastically.

“Thanks,” he responded between bites, “I will.”

 

Christy had been feeling blue all day. Cody wasn't home when she'd tried to call, and that depressed her even more. Nothing made sense. Nothing. She felt weepy and excited. Confused and elated. Engaged to one man. Married to another. She might be pregnant. It might be the beginning of an ulcer. She didn't know which.

She couldn't sleep, although she desperately needed to.

Her appetite was nil. After going through the bother of fixing herself spaghetti and a salad for dinner, her meal sat uneaten on her kitchen table.

Feeling wretched, she sank down in front of the television and turned on the movie channel, silently chastising herself for not writing thank-you notes to her friends from the office. Sending notes of appreciation for gifts she intended to return seemed a ridiculous thing to do.

A 1940s war movie with an incredibly young John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara was on, and she was soon caught up in the fast-paced action. How minor her troubles seemed compared to those on the screen.

Damp tissues crowded her end table. She was sniffling ingloriously when her doorbell chimed.

Whoever was on the other side was certainly impatient. The doorbell rang a second time before she was halfway across the carpet. “Hold your horses,” she said peevishly. She wasn't interested in company.

Christy quickly changed her mind.

“Cody,” she whispered when she saw her husband. “Oh, Cody.” Without another word she broke into tears and flew into his arms.

Seconds later, his mouth was on hers in that urgent, hungry way that was so familiar between them. Cody directed her into the living room, then closed the door with his foot, all the while kissing her.

Christy's hands roamed his face when he released her. She giggled and locked her arms around his neck, holding on to him for everything she was worth.

“Oh…Christy, I missed you,” he breathed. His hands caressed her face. Then he was kissing her again and again as if he'd never get enough of the taste of her.

 

“I've been so miserable without you,” Christy admitted, feeling weepy and jubilant at the same time.