Sweet Nothings

  “Happy?” he asked.

  “I’ve never been so happy,” she murmured. “And I can barely wait for Christmas.” She rested a hand over the front of her new parka where her swollen tummy stretched the nylon taut. “I still can’t believe you managed to get the house rebuilt in time. Our very first Christmas together, and we get to celebrate it in our home. I can almost see the great room, with lights twinkling on the tree and garland draped over the river rock.”

  When Jake tried to envision it, all he could picture was Molly’s smile brightening the room. He was so glad that fate had led her to him.

  “Thank you, Jake,” she said softly.

  He stirred to glance down at her. “For what?”

  “For working so hard to get the house finished. It wasn’t really necessary, you know. I would have been just as happy to celebrate Christmas at the cabin.”

  He bent to kiss the tip of her nose. “I didn’t want to bring our baby boy home to that drafty old cabin. I knew that if I didn’t get all the work done before Christmas, the holidays would set me back.”

  She sighed and snuggled closer. “Yes, well, thank you. Because of you, the last of my pregnancy is going to be what dreams are made of.”

  Even as she spoke, Jake heard the trace of sadness in her voice and knew there was still one very important element missing in her life. “I couldn’t have done it without help. Hank and the men worked almost as hard as I did. And you contributed, too. What about all those cushions for the furniture that you helped Mom and Bethany make?”

  “That was nothing. While we sat around sewing, you were working the ranch all day and making log furniture at night.”

  He cupped his hands protectively over her swollen middle. It would have been a lie to say that he hadn’t burned his candle at both ends to get the house finished in time for the birth of their child in February. But all the long hours had been worth it.

  “Right after New Year’s, we’ll start getting the nursery decorated and furnished,” he promised. “I found a great pattern for a cradle. It looks like Noah’s ark.”

  She giggled. “You’re kidding.”

  “You do still want to go with the Noah’s ark theme, right? Or have you changed your mind again?”

  “Nope, Noah’s ark it is. Growing up on a ranch, our little boy will be surrounded by animals. We may as well get him acclimated to the lifestyle early on.” She brushed her cheek against his jacket. “Oh, Jake, I love you so. A cradle that’s shaped like an ark? It’ll be darling. You’re making all my wishes come true.”

  Not all of them, he thought, and glanced at his watch again. It was almost five o’clock, and Molly’s most meaningful Christmas present was due to arrive soon. Jake hoped to hell they didn’t have an accident. There was a full-fledged snowstorm occurring in the mountains, making the highway conditions between there and Portland treacherous. He felt certain that traction devices were being required on the passes.

  “It’s all pretty perfect, isn’t it?” he whispered, struggling to stay on track with his side of the conversation.

  Molly rested quietly against him for a moment, saying nothing. When she finally spoke, she injected a note of blissful happiness into her voice. “Oh, yes, absolutely perfect.”

  Jake grinned against her curls. Sweet Molly. She would never dream of admitting that her happiness wasn’t complete and would never be complete until her relationship with one very important person was mended. Jake understood, though, without her expressing her feelings. Every young woman wanted and needed her mother with her when she gave birth to her first child.

  Rodney’s had been a nasty, emotional trial, and Molly had given the most damaging testimony, which had ended with her ex-husband receiving two sentences, one for life, the other for forty years. The justice system being what it was, Jake figured the bastard would probably get paroled eventually to enjoy his golden years as a free man, but that was the way of things in this country. There seemed little point in letting the unpleasant inequities ruin his and Molly’s happiness.

  What bothered Jake—what he absolutely could not and would not accept—was the lack of communication between Molly and her adoptive mother. It had come out during the trial that Jared Wells, Rodney’s father, had suspected that his son was involved in insider trading. Not realizing the extent of Rodney’s depravity, Jared had done what many fathers might have done under the same circumstances. He had turned a blind eye, telling himself that Rodney would hurt only himself.

  Wrong. Jared’s error in good judgment had caused a great deal of harm to others, costing his best friend and partner his life and putting Molly through untold hardships in a sanitarium. Jared Wells would bear the guilt of that for the rest of his days, and a terrible guilt it was. He had hung his head at the trial and been unable to look Molly in the eye, thinking she despised him and would never forgive him for his failure to come forward. Claudia, being the loving, loyal woman she was, had stood by her new husband, her eyes revealing a world of heartbreak and regret every time she looked across the courtroom at her daughter.

  What a mess. It was a situation Jake was determined to rectify for Molly’s sake. He couldn’t count the times he’d found her standing by the phone with a wistful expression clouding her features. When he’d asked her what was wrong, she’d only shaken her head and said nothing.

  Jake had known what was bothering her. She wanted to call her mother, but fearful of rejection, she couldn’t quite muster the courage. He understood how she felt. After all the ugliness of the trial, it wouldn’t be easy for anyone to make the first overture.

  Oddly—or perhaps not so oddly, considering that she’d been raised by a fine person like Claudia—Molly didn’t blame Jared Wells for loving and protecting his son. From the first, she had understood why her surrogate uncle had chosen to keep silent. What father worth his salt could turn his child in to the authorities without it tearing his heart out? Jared hadn’t known the extent of Rodney’s illegal activities, and the man had no way of predicting how foul his son’s deeds would become before it was all over. Murder, betrayal. Such things were beyond the comprehension of normal, decent people, and Jared Wells was nothing if not a decent, caring man. Jake had picked up on that the first time he spoke with him on the phone.

  No, aside from Rodney, Molly blamed no one—not Jared, and certainly not Claudia. But as often happened in complicated situations such as this, Molly believed with all her heart that Claudia and Jared resented her because she had been instrumental in sending Rodney to prison. Not only that, but Molly had been understandably joyous when the jury had found Rodney guilty on all counts.

  After seeing that justice was served, however, Molly had gone into a holding pattern, reluctant to make the first contact with her mother and stepfather. “No matter how wrong Rodney was, you know how Jared must be grieving over this. If they want to see me, it’s up to them to make the first phone call!” she’d cried to Jake after the trial.

  As a result, she hadn’t even returned to Sterling and Wells to take her rightful place behind her father’s desk. Out of respect and concern for her mother’s feelings, she probably never would, and that would be a shame. Molly had been raised to follow in Marshal Sterling’s footsteps. The investment firm was important to her, and until she took up the reins, she would never be the woman she was meant to be—or the woman she needed to be. That couldn’t be allowed to happen, and it wouldn’t if Jake had any say in the matter. Six months out of the year, he wanted to see his wife helping to run the firm her father had worked all his life to build. The way Jake saw things, it was not only Molly’s heritage, but that of their future children as well, and he meant to make damned sure Marshal Sterling’s legacy was passed down to them.

  On the outside looking in, Jake saw three people who had once loved each other deeply, and still did. It was time for all of them to talk, shed their tears, and get on with life. Molly and Claudia especially needed to patch up their relationship. A child was on the way. Jake wasn’t
about to let his son grow up without knowing his maternal grandmother.

  To that end, he had telephoned Claudia and insisted that she and Jared come for a pre-Christmas dinner at the Lazy J. Claudia, concerned about how Molly might feel, had been reluctant to accept the invitation, but Jake had finally prevailed after a man-to-man talk with Jared. It would only be for an evening, after all. If things went well, Molly could ask her parents to stay longer. If the visit went badly, the misery would be over quickly.

  “You feel tense,” Molly whispered, jerking Jake from his reverie. She rubbed a hand over his arm. “Are you worried about something? You’re all tied in knots.”

  Jake was praying to hear the faint sound of a car out on the main road. If Molly’s parents had had an accident en route to the ranch, all his plans for a happy reunion might be forever spoiled. He didn’t even want to think how Molly would react if something happened to her mother. At the very least, she’d probably be thrown into early labor.

  “No, honey, I’m not worried. What’s there to worry about? The insurance paid off on all the fire damage. The stable and house are rebuilt. Since the fall auction, we’re actually operating in the black.” He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. “And best of all, we’re about to have a beautiful, healthy little boy. I’ve never been so content.”

  “Me, neither.” Her gaze suddenly caught on a tree off to the right, and a delighted smile swept over her face. “Oh, Jake, look at that one. It’s gorgeous!”

  Jake turned to peruse the tree. His heart sank when he noted how huge it was. “Honey, that thing must be ten feet tall.”

  “We need a really tall one to go in front of the vaulted windows. A short tree will be dwarfed.”

  Setting her carefully off his lap, he stifled a sigh and pushed to his feet. He wanted their first Christmas together to be memorable for her in every way, and if that meant dragging a ten-foot tree all the way home, he’d do it without complaint. He grabbed the saw from where he’d stashed it on the sled and went to work. Minutes later, he jumped out of the way as the huge Douglas fir plummeted to the ground.

  She struggled up from the sled in that awkward, tummy-first way of all pregnant ladies. Once standing, she appeared delightfully round in the parka and thick fleece pants he’d insisted she wear. Her hair fluffed in a brilliant cloud of curls around her head. “It’ll be so beautiful, all decorated with lights.”

  “Not half as beautiful as you are.” Jake meant that with all his heart. All his life he’d been told how radiant some women were during pregnancy, and Molly was one of them. Her eyes sparkled, and her skin seemed to glow.

  After dragging the huge tree over and securing it across the sled with ropes, he and Molly began the homeward trek through the woods. “If you’re not too tired, maybe we can get this monster decorated tonight after dinner.”

  “I won’t be too tired,” she insisted, her voice ringing with enthusiasm. “I haven’t done anything but sit on the sled. You did all the work.”

  Jake guessed that was true.

  As they drew near the house, he saw a beige Buick sedan coming up the drive. Relief flooded through him. Jared and Claudia had arrived safely. He drew the sled over the boards he’d laid out to bridge the creek. Then he stopped and glanced back at Molly. “It looks like we’ve got company.”

  She squinted to see through the falling snow. When she spied the slender woman stepping from the Buick, her eyes widened with incredulity, and her face drained of color. For an awful moment, Jake wondered if he’d made a mistake by inviting Claudia there without asking Molly in advance. But then his wife let out a glad little cry.

  “It’s my mom! Oh, Jake, it’s my mom.”

  “Looks that way.”

  Her questioning gaze jerked to his. Then, before he could guess what she meant to do, she threw herself into his arms, their bodies connecting belly first. “You called her for me! Oh, Jake, thank you!” She rained kisses along his jaw. “I love you. You’re the most wonderful husband who ever lived. I love you, love you, love you!”

  Before he could think of a response, she shoved from his arms and whirled toward the house. Not wanting her to take a spill in the snow, Jake almost grabbed her hand. But then he thought better of it and let her go. This close to the house, there were no fallen logs or rocks hidden beneath the drifts. If she slipped and fell, the deep snow would provide her with a soft landing.

  For a lady heavy with child, she ran with amazing agility. Pulling the tree-laden sled behind him, Jake followed at a much slower pace. This was Molly and Claudia’s moment. He preferred to hang back until they said their hellos.

  As Jake neared the barn, Hank emerged from the doorway. He tipped back his hat, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched Molly launch herself into her mother’s arms. He flicked a knowing look at Jake. “You’re going to be her hero for at least a month.”

  Jake observed the emotional reunion. Then he grinned. “I just set things in motion, that’s all.”

  “You want me to run in the house and get a stack of towels?” Hank asked.

  “What for?”

  “To mop up all the tears.” Hank rested his gloved hands at his hips, his dark face creased in a grin. “It’s going to be ugly. She’s been really weepy the last few days. Once the spigot gets turned on, she can’t seem to shut it off.”

  Jake glanced at the women, who were locked in each other’s arms and sobbing with joy as they swayed back and forth. “Most women cry easily during pregnancy. It’s something to do with their hormone levels.”

  “I told her how big her stomach was yesterday, and she burst into tears,” Hank said. “I felt terrible, but nothing I said made it better. I never meant to hurt her feelings. She’s such a sweetheart, and she’s cute as a button with that big tummy poking out.”

  “She feels fat and unattractive right now. I think most women do at this stage.”

  “She doesn’t look fat,” Hank observed. “I think it’s cute, the way she waddles.”

  Jake shot his brother a warning look. “Do not say the word waddle in front of her. She’ll be upset until after the baby’s born.”

  Hank huffed. “Do I look that stupid?”

  “Yes.”

  Another shrill wailing sound drifted to them. Jake turned to peer at his wife through the thickening downfall of snowflakes. His heart caught when he saw that Jared had joined the women and was now participating in a three-way embrace. Molly buried her face against her mother’s shoulder, and then she turned to press her cheek to Jared’s chest. Even from a distance, Jake could see the happiness in her expression.

  He was glad—so very glad. From the start, he’d sensed Molly’s loneliness. To someone like Jake, who’d grown up with so much love to sustain him, it seemed tragic that other people weren’t so fortunate.

  Smiling, he watched Claudia cup Molly’s face between her hands. The tenderness in the older woman’s actions spoke volumes, making Jake recall the afternoon he’d told Molly that everyone, both humans and animals, saw themselves as others did. He also remembered with a twinge of sadness how Molly had once gazed at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and told him she couldn’t find herself anymore, that the person she’d once been was gone.

  Jake had assured her then that the real Molly still existed, that she only needed time to rediscover herself. This reunion was the final step in that process, a reclaiming of childhood memories and a reestablishment of family bonds that defined who she really was and how deeply and unconditionally she was loved.

  A lump came to Jake’s throat. Eventually Molly and Claudia would have ironed things out on their own. The love between them ran too deep for it to happen otherwise. Nevertheless, he stood a little taller, knowing he’d been instrumental in making it happen today—before Christmas and before their son was born. What better gift could he give his wife?

  As if Molly felt his gaze on her, she turned to search him out. The radiant smile she flashed his way was all the invitation Jake needed. He dropp
ed the sled rope and started toward her. Breaking away from her parents, Molly ran to him.

  Jake met her halfway and caught her up in his arms. She laughed tearfully and leaned back to search his eyes. Jake allowed her to look deeply, hoping to convey his message without words.

  Judging by her radiant smile, he knew she understood—that, in his opinion, she was and would always be the most beautiful woman in the world.

  Here’s an excerpt from Catherine Anderson’s next exciting contemporary romance

  Back in My Heart

  Coming in August 2002

  Ellie Grant tugged her son Kody’s basketball jersey from between the cream-colored sofa cushions. The white knit was streaked with mud and covered with black dog hair, and the team name, “Trojans,” in green lettering across the front was smeared with what appeared to be mustard. Scrunching the nylon in her fist, she almost lifted it to her nose and then caught herself. What on earth was she doing? Granted, she missed her boys, but they’d be gone only until tomorrow night. She could survive another weekend without them—no shirt sniffing allowed.

  Turning, she stared at the television, which was usually on and blaring when they were home. Light from the adjoining dining room reflected off the dusty screen, highlighting the words, “Wash me.” Ellie grinned in spite of herself. The brats. In the time it had taken one of them to scrawl that message, he could have polished the glass.

  Her smile slowly faded. The quiet inside the house seemed so loud that it echoed against her eardrums. Most mothers would probably take advantage of the reprieve to read a good book or take a luxurious bubble bath, but Ellie just felt lost. For two weeks straight, she hadn’t had a second to call her own. Now she suddenly had twenty-four hours of emptiness stretching before her.

  It was always this way when Tucker had the boys. She never knew quite what to do with the time. She stared at the dog hair on the mauve carpet and briefly considered hauling out her old Kirby, but like an alcoholic tempted by drink, she shoved the thought away. Instead, she stepped to the entertainment center and punched on the stereo. Zach, her fourteen-year-old, kept the CD player filled with his favorite country-western disks. Garth Brooks would chase away the silence and lift her spirits in short order.