This Matter Of Marriage (18 page)

June 22

S
teve was washing his company truck when Hallie went outside to plant the geraniums. She'd never known a man who took having a clean truck so seriously. He was wielding the long green garden hose, which snaked across the lawn, but he paused when he saw her.

“You seem a lot better,” he said.

He looked darn good, Hallie noted, with his shirt unbuttoned all the way down, revealing a strong muscular chest. The bronze sheen of his skin invited investigation—not hers of course, she was quick to add. After living next door to him all these months, she found herself oddly
surprised
to realize how physically attractive Steve was.

“I'm feeling much better,” she told him. She adjusted her large straw hat and wished she'd applied sunscreen to her bare arms. Kneeling on the soft moist grass, she cleared a space between the tulips and daffodils that had bloomed earlier in the spring.

“What are you planting now?” he asked.

She replied in far more detail than he'd wanted to know, Hallie suspected; she'd even explained about leaving the stalk and leaves of her tulips and daffodils so the bulbs could absorb the nutrients. She'd seen his eyes glaze over, but he'd listened politely. Hallie wasn't sure why she was being so talkative. It probably had to do with the weather, which was glorious, and the fact that she'd spent the week cooped up inside, sick as a dog. Then, too, it might have to do with his open shirt.

When she'd finished transplanting the geraniums from the plastic containers to the flower bed, she strung her hose across the yard.

“I've never understood what a woman sees in flowers,” Steve said. “If it was up to me, I'd stick a couple of plastic tulips in the ground and let it go at that.”

Hallie rolled her eyes. “Well, it's men and their he-man trucks that get me.”

“Women and their romance novels.”

Hallie wasn't going to stand still for that. “Men and their remote controls.”

Later Hallie couldn't remember if she'd
intentionally
doused Steve. She'd laughed while holding the hose, which had jerked and splashed water on the legs of his jeans.

When it happened, Steve's eyes slowly met hers. She opened her mouth to apologize, but then realized she wasn't sorry. Not at all. He was so smug and self-righteous.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” he asked, advancing toward her, a menacing look on his face.

Hallie retreated one small step for each giant step he took. The water dribbling out of her hose was no match for the power sprayer he'd been using on the truck.

“I stand by my convictions,” she announced with melodramatic fervor.

“Do you, now?” He sprayed the legs of her jeans the same way she'd sprayed his, only the water pressure in his hose was much stronger and she was soaked to her knees.

“I'd like to remind you that I've been ill. I probably shouldn't be outside at all.” She feigned a cough.

“You should've thought about that before you started this water war.”

“Water war?” she repeated. “You wouldn't, would you? Seeing that I've been so terribly ill.” She coughed again for effect.

He turned away as if the guilt factor had worked, giving her ample time to cross to the outdoor faucet and increase the water pressure. If she'd stopped to think about what she was initiating, Hallie might have resisted—but the temptation was too strong. Without giving him any warning, she liberally sprayed his backside.

Steve's reaction was quick as lightning. Soon an all-out water fight had erupted, complete with threats and shouts of retribution. In seconds they were both drenched to the skin. Wet tendrils of hair dripped onto Hallie's neck and shoulders. Her hat had long since disappeared, and her blouse was plastered to her front.

“You're a wicked, wicked man,” she declared after being forced to plead for mercy.

“And you're not to be trusted,” he returned.

She laughed, enjoying their exchange. “I just lost control,” she said—which was true enough. His attitude had certainly inflamed her, not to mention his open shirt…well, no man had the right to look that sexy.

“You better get inside and change clothes before you catch your death of cold,” he said.

“You, too.” He might not be as wet as she was, but Hallie had done womanhood proud. Water dripped from Steve—just not as much of it.

“Do you have any plans for later?” he called unexpectedly just as she was about to enter the house.

“Apart from remaining dry? No, not really.”

He smiled. “I thought I'd ride my bike along the Green River. Want to join me?”

Hallie smiled back. The idea was appealing; she'd seen lots of folks on the trail and had always thought it seemed a great way to enjoy a sunny afternoon, biking along the paved road. Exercising, but with scenery. Minus the boredom.

“I'd love to, but I can't,” she said regretfully. “I don't have a bike.” She didn't mention that it'd been at least ten years since she'd ridden one.

“You could use Meagan's. I'm sure she wouldn't mind.”

Hallie's spirits lifted. She knew Steve was at loose ends this weekend. Meagan and Kenny were at their mother's parents for some family function. He didn't seem to know what to do with himself without the kids there.

“This shouldn't be such a difficult decision, Hallie.”

“I…don't know if I remember how to ride a bike,” she admitted, a little embarrassed.

“Sure you do.” He sounded very definite. “Haven't you heard the expression ‘It's like riding a bike'? Once you learn, you never forget. It's like sex.”

She tossed him a perturbed look. “Very funny, Marris.”

“I'll give you a refresher course. On the bike-riding, I mean.” He grinned. “It'll take you ten minutes, I promise.”

She didn't hesitate. “You've got yourself a deal. I'll change clothes and be right out.”

She changed in short order and met Steve in front of his garage.

“I'll probably need to raise the seat a bit,” he said, looking at her legs and then the bike pedals. “Here, climb on and I'll see how much I should adjust it.”

“But…”

“Don't worry, I'll hold on to the bike. You aren't going to fall.”

Doing as she was instructed, Hallie perched on the seat and placed her feet on the pedals. Since Meagan was considerably shorter than she was, her knees thrust up toward her face. Conscious of making a comical sight, she glanced at Steve to discover that his attention had left her and was riveted on a car down the street.

Hallie's gaze followed his to the dark blue vehicle.

“It's Mary Lynn,” he said. His voice had a breathless quality that spoke of surprise and delight. His ex-wife pulled to a stop and parked.

Completely forgetting about Hallie, Steve released the handlebars and started walking toward Mary Lynn. Before Hallie could free her feet from the pedals, the bicycle toppled sideways onto the grass.

Steve didn't notice. Hallie lay sprawled on the wet grass, and for all intents and purposes she might have been invisible. Her backside was completely drenched before Steve looked back at her. He might not have even then if Mary Lynn hadn't said something.

“Are you all right?” Mary Lynn asked when Hallie awkwardly lifted the bike away from her and stood. They'd met briefly a few times, including the day Meagan had gone to work with Hallie. The conversations had always been a bit awkward. They'd waved to each other a couple of times since, when Mary Lynn was either dropping the kids off or picking them up.

Hallie brushed the grass from her pants and noticed a trickle of blood on her elbow, where her arm had struck the concrete. She twisted her arm around to evaluate the damage. It wasn't much, just a little scraped skin, but it fired her anger.

She stared at Steve who was gazing longingly at Mary Lynn. It was pathetically obvious that he was hoping his ex-wife had come to announce she'd had a change of heart and wanted him back.

“Can we talk for a moment?” Mary Lynn asked Steve in a voice that couldn't have been sweeter.

“Of course.” He nearly fell all over himself leading the way into the house.

Mary Lynn had the grace to glance guiltily toward Hallie. “If now's convenient?”

“Why wouldn't it be?” Steve asked.

When Mary Lynn continued to look at Hallie, Steve finally seemed to realize she was there. “Hallie, sorry. You okay?”

“Just peachy.”

Either he missed the sarcasm or he chose to ignore it. “We'll go cycling another time, all right?” He didn't wait for a response.

Apparently she was of such little consequence, he could leave her without a thought. How dared he treat her like this, dismiss her with no regard for her feelings—as if she was nothing.

She stood in the driveway, hands on her hips. Steve Marris wasn't any different from the other losers she'd met. He was rude, inconsiderate and thoughtless. Good thing she had no romantic illusions about him!

Angry, Hallie returned to the house and doctored the cut. The small scrape didn't really require a bandage, but she applied the largest one she could find. She'd actually been looking forward to cycling with Steve, but there'd be frost in the tropics before she'd consent to do anything with that man again.

Twenty minutes later the doorbell chimed. It was Steve.

“I can't believe it,” he muttered in disgust.

“Neither can I,” she said coolly.

Apparently he didn't notice her remark. “Wait'll you hear what Mary Lynn wanted.”

Hallie supposed he was going to tell her whether she was interested or not. She crossed her arms and blocked the doorway.

“She left the big family get-together to come and ask me in person if I'd be willing to take the kids for two weeks while she's on her honeymoon with Lard Butt.”

He seemed to be waiting for her to respond. Hallie didn't.

“Doesn't that beat all?” He shook his head as if this was the most unreasonable thing he'd ever heard.

Hallie would wager a month's income that he'd agreed to do it, too. Anything for his precious Mary Lynn.

“Are you going to?”

“Well, yeah, but that's beside the point.”

“Uh-huh. That's what I thought.”

He squinted at her. “Is something wrong?”

“Should there be?” she replied, wondering how long it would take him to realize how badly he'd insulted her.

He stepped off her porch as if to get a better view of her. “Mary Lynn used to do that,” he said, wagging his index finger. “If you've got a beef with me, spell it out. Don't expect me to play guessing games.”

“Beef?” she repeated, highly amused by the term. “What you did to me just now was…” She couldn't find a word bad enough. “Despicable,” she decided, spitting it out. “Mary Lynn drives up and not only do you completely forget I exist, you let me fall off that stupid bike right in front of her. I was mortified.”

“Oh, come on, Hallie…”