When they returned Elizabeth ate the salad, and then they sat back to wait. Amy and Randy exchanged glances, determined to keep the conversation away from the fake pregnancy as long as possible. Finally, the Vet appeared and announced that Charlie survived the surgery.
“You should all go home and get some sleep. Charlie will be here overnight. Assuming she does okay, you should be able to take her home tomorrow. My assistant will stay with her tonight. I’m going to keep Charlie sedated. I can call you in the morning with a progress report. If you’d like to see her briefly, I can take you back.”
Elizabeth and Amy followed him to the recovery area. Charlie lay sedated on a padded table. IV fluid dripped slowly through a narrow tube from the plastic bag that hung next to Charlie’s head into a bandaged area around her neck. Amy broke down as she reached out to touch Charlie’s head. She stroked her ear and said, “Good girl Charlie, you saved mama.” Then turned and hugged Elizabeth.
Elizabeth turned to the Vet and said, “Thank you for saving her. She’s the sweetest dog I’ve ever known. She was determined to protect our home from the bear.”
The Vet smiled and said, “She was very lucky. Most dogs that confront a bear are dead before they reach my office.”
Elizabeth reached out and stroked Charlie’s back, forcing the tears back. Amy released her and headed back to the waiting room. Elizabeth leaned down, kissed Charlie’s nose, and whispered, “I love you, Charlie.”
************
The two couples chose a booth on the far side of Sadie’s dance floor. Josh ordered a pitcher of beer and a glass of iced tea for Elizabeth. They sat in silence waiting for their drinks. Amy snuggled up against Randy and sighed, then gazed over at Elizabeth.
Josh put his arm around Elizabeth and pulled her near as the drinks arrived. Randy poured the beers as the girls sampled their wine. As if on cue, the jukebox rang out with a slow, soulful tune.
Elizabeth leaned against Josh, then pulled back saying, “Don’t think I’ve forgotten what happened.”
Josh’s face filled with sadness. He gazed at her. She looked so incredibly beautiful. He couldn’t remember ever seeing her so vulnerable before. She slipped from his grasp, and he pulled his arm back. He could see the pain in her eyes, pain that was somehow his fault.
Josh said softly, “Beth, there is no other woman in my life.”
Randy took that moment to ask Amy, “Would you like to dance?”
Elizabeth waited until they reached the dance floor then answered, “Josh, what other reason would you have for denying me entry to your house that night? I could hear laughter and a woman’s voice as I walked up to the door.”
Josh sighed and held her gaze, “That was my ex-wife. She was dropping off my children.”
Elizabeth frowned; she should have known. So it began, the fall of the pseudo persona and it only took a few months. “Your children live with your ex-wife?” She began as she slipped into her research mode.
Josh flashed an irritated look and said, “No, they live with me full time, but visit their mother out of state for most of the summer. I get them back for the 4th of July, and they return home in time for school. Aren’t you going to ask me about them? How many I have? Are they boys or girls? How old are they? Do you even care?”
Elizabeth was startled. There was a depth of purpose in his eyes, sincerity. He wasn’t offering any excuses for the divorce or trying to reason away the birth of the children as an accident, or a byproduct of the marriage. He wasn’t trying to assure her the kids wouldn’t get in the way of their relationship. He wasn’t embarrassed that he was divorced with children. He was proud of his children. He wanted to share them with her. Her expression softened as all thoughts of the pseudo persona left her mind.
She said, “I’m sorry. I do want to know about your children. It’s just such a shock. Why didn’t you tell me about this before?”
Josh reached out and took her hand. He said, “I’ve learned you don’t drop the kid bomb on the first date and frankly, I haven’t been sure where this relationship was going. Then after the speech you gave on TV, I was sure you considered this a casual fling. I don’t introduce my kids to anyone I date. I don’t think it’s a good idea for them to form an attachment to someone who might only be in their lives for a few months. Now with the baby coming I just don’t know what to think.”
Elizabeth’s head was reeling. She stammered, “Your ex-wife is pregnant?”
“What?” Josh said staring at her in confusion. “No! You are pregnant.”
“I’m pregnant?” Elizabeth’s eyes opened wide in shock, and then she began to laugh.
Josh glanced over at Randy, then back to Elizabeth. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “I’m not pregnant.”
Josh smiled in relief. He shot Randy an angry glare and turned back to Elizabeth, “Can we start over? This whole thing’s gotten out of control.”
Elizabeth squeezed Josh’s hand and said, “Hello, I’m Elizabeth. I’m an author. I’m also divorced, I have no children, and I’m not pregnant.”
Josh laughed and kissed her, then answered, “I’m Josh. I own a construction company. I’m divorced, and I have two great kids, a boy named Jake who’s twelve, and a daughter named Molly, who just turned six. I am also not pregnant.”
Randy and Amy returned and sat down across from them as Josh added, “I might be spending the night in jail once I drag the local Sheriff out back and beat the crap out of him.”
Randy glanced up from his beer and looked from Elizabeth to Josh and back, then pointed at Amy and said, “It was her idea.”
Josh shook his head and smiled, adding, “Well, then, it’s up to Elizabeth.” He turned to her and asked, “You want to take Amy out back or should I?”
Elizabeth ignored his question and rose her wine glass in a toast saying, “To Charlie,”
The others followed suit and raised their glasses answering in harmony, “To Charlie,”