The Marriage Wish

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“I’ll get it,” Peter said, motioning his sister to stay put. “It’s probably Rachel. She said she would call when they got home.” He got to his feet to get the phone in the kitchen.

He was gone only a few minutes. He came back to lean against the doorjamb. “Jennifer, it’s for you. He said his name was Scott?”

Jennifer’s eyes closed briefly. “I’ll take it in the bedroom,” Jennifer replied, knowing that statement only dug her a deeper hole, but needing the privacy. She was going to get grilled as soon as she got off the phone. She shifted Alexander so she could get her legs clear of the coffee table. She passed her brother, choosing not to meet his eyes.

In the bedroom she turned on the lamp on the end table. Took a deep breath. Pulling together her nerve, she picked up the phone. “Hi, Scott.”

“I’m sorry, Jennifer. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

Jennifer cut him off. “My brother, Peter, and his boys are over. We’re just watching the Monday-night football game.”

“Who’s winning?” She could tell he was relieved.

“The San Diego Chargers. The 49ers can’t execute even a simple screen pass tonight. It’s awful.”

Scott chuckled. “I didn’t know you were a football fan.”

“Monday-night football is something of a tradition at my place,” Jennifer explained.

“I just wanted to call and say hi. I’m just leaving work.”

“Problems?”

“Just a lot of paperwork to catch up on,” Scott replied. “How’s the book coming?”

Jennifer pulled her feet up on the bed to get comfortable. “Good. I wrote twenty pages today.”

“You sound tired.”

Jennifer smiled. Perceptive man. “I am.” She propped the second pillow behind her back.

Scott, at his desk fifteen miles away, quietly tapped his pen against the pad of paper in front of him. He had been doodling her name along the edge of the pad of paper, then finally decided to call her. He swiveled his chair around to look out over the surrounding countryside. The city lights were hazy tonight.

“I’ve got a favor to ask,” he said, having finally made up his mind how to handle the dilemma he found himself in. Having canceled out on taking Twiggy to see the play in order to take Jennifer, he was now on the hook to his sister.

“Name it, Scott.”

“My sister, Heather, wants to meet you. Would you be game after dinner next week to stopping by her place for coffee?”

Jennifer’s memory for certain things was very good. Scott’s comment that Heather was pregnant was still clear in her mind. Could she handle meeting her? Jennifer simply did not know. But to say no would force her to talk about some things she simply was not ready to talk about. She forced a lightness in her voice that she was far from feeling. “That would be fine, Scott.”

“We won’t stay long.” Her hesitancy had not escaped him. “Thanks, Jennifer.” He glanced at his watch, realizing he’d keep her on the phone almost twenty minutes. “I had better let you get back to the game.”

“Thanks for calling.”

He smiled. “I’ll talk to you later, Jennifer. Good night.”

“Good night.” Jennifer set down the phone quietly. It was several minutes more before she got the nerve to venture back to the living room.

Alexander had moved down to stretch out beside his brother.

“The 49ers scored just before the half ended. They are ahead seven to three,” Tom informed her, his gaze never leaving the display of stats being shown during the halftime break.

Jennifer smiled. “Great. Let’s hope they walk all over the Chargers in the second half.” She took her seat again on the floor beside Peter. Peter handed her back her drink.

“Who is he?” Peter asked quietly.

Jennifer knew there was no way to duck the questions. Frankly, it was nice to know Peter was still there to run interference. Even if it was not needed in this case. “A friend. We went out to dinner and a play last Saturday night.”

“Who is he?”

“His name is Scott Williams. He runs an electronics company.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“On the beach when I was taking a walk.” In for a penny, in for a pound. “He fixed me breakfast last time.” It was clear she had thrown him a hard curveball. Jennifer reached over to put her hand on his arm. “Relax, Peter. You would like him. He’s active in his church, single. He’s a nice man. He’s read all the Thomas Bradford books now. We’re friends.”

“You like him a lot?”

Jennifer nodded, surprised with how true the answer was. “Very much.”

“Does he know about Jerry and Colleen?”

Jennifer looked away. “He knows about Jerry,” she replied.

Peter’s hand touched her arm. He offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I’m prying, Jennifer.”

“That’s okay. I’ve been kind of ducking telling you about him.”

“I notice,” Peter replied dryly. “That’s why you couldn’t stay for dinner Saturday?”

She nodded.

Peter gestured toward the other room. “Did he ask you out again?”

Jennifer chuckled. “We already have a date arranged, brother, dear, that was a hi-how-are-you call.”

“It takes half an hour to say hi? You who can’t stand talking on the phone?”

Jennifer thumped him with a pillow pulled off the couch. “Yes. Now lay off,” she ordered with a grin.

“I can’t wait to tell Rachel.”

Jennifer groaned. “Don’t you dare elaborate, Peter. She already suspects something.”

“Have you told Beth yet?”

“Are you kidding? She’d be buying a maid of honor dress within the hour.”

“Face it, Jennifer. You’re surrounded by serious matchmakers.”

“Just don’t you join their numbers,” Jennifer warned.

Peter laughed. “When do I get to meet him?”

“Never,” Jennifer muttered beneath her breath.

“What?”

“I don’t know,” she replied. The second half of the game began, buying her a reprieve. The 49ers finally won the game but it took them until the final few seconds, a field goal giving them a two-point lead.

Alexander was asleep again. Even Tom was nodding off. The caramel popcorn was three-quarters gone, Jennifer and Peter having both begun to work seriously on it during the fourth quarter of the game. Peter got slowly to his feet as the commentators gave the game wrap-up. Jennifer began packing up the remains of the chips and dip and the snack crackers. If they left it with her she would eat it. While her doctor would definitely like her to gain ten pounds, she didn’t think this was what he had in mind. Tom held the sack for her. “Thanks, Tom.”

“Alex, it’s time to go home, son.” Peter gently woke the boy. Alex reluctantly got to his feet. “Who won?”

“The 49ers,” Peter replied. Alex could not keep his eyes open. Peter picked him up. “I’ll be back in a minute, Jennifer. Let me get this one settled in the car.”

Jennifer nodded. “Tom, can you reach the porch light for your father?”

The glasses back on the tray, it took only a couple minutes to put the room back in order. Jennifer carried the tray into the kitchen.

“Thanks for having us, Jennifer.”

She smiled at her brother. “Same time next week?”

He smiled. “Deal. I’ll get Tom to help me make some homemade ice cream.”

Jennifer groaned. “I am so full that doesn’t even sound good.”

Peter looked at the bowl of caramel popcorn. “We did a pretty good job on that,” he agreed. He smiled. “Let me know when you hear from Scott again.”

She pushed him toward the door. “Go home, Peter.”

The phone rang as she was getting ready for bed.

“What’s this I hear about you having a date?”

Jennifer sat down on the bed. “And hello to you too, Rachel.”