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Chris accepted the compliment with a nod of his head. Ally didn’t know what to say next. On the rare mornings Gerry had gotten up anywhere close to breakfast time, he’d read the paper while eating, claiming mornings were too early for civilized conversation. Since he’d moved out, she’d taken up the newspaper habit herself for lack of anyone to talk to. What did people talk about at breakfast?
Chris picked up the conversational ball, but as he asked, “When’s your next doctor’s appointment?” she wished for a different topic.
“End of this month. They’ll do the first ultrasound then.”
“I’ll be there. Just e-mail me the time and place.”
“You don’t have to—”
“But I want to, Ally.”
She nodded as she buttered her toast. “So when are you heading back to Charleston?”
One eyebrow went up. “Eager to get rid of me?”
Not at all. Where had that come from? Even with the slight awkwardness she felt, she kind of liked having him here, doing something simple and homey like eating breakfast. Don’t get used to it, she reminded herself. “You’re welcome to stay, but surely you have other things to do.”
“I do have to leave in a little bit. I have a club meeting this afternoon.” Much to her surprise, it wasn’t relief she felt at his words. If she was going to be honest with herself, she’d have to call that sinking feeling disappointment.
Chris leaned forward, his eyes lighting up. “There’s a race next Saturday—a short one just for fun and bragging rights. Would you like to come?”
Ally chewed her bite of bacon slowly, stalling for time. Chris was trying to include her in his life, and she got the feeling that inviting her to a race was a milestone of sorts. Maybe he really did want this to work out between them. Her chest expanded at the thought, and that raised an even bigger question.
Did she?
She could be her normal, cautious, rational self, or she could be the adventurous Ally she’d discovered on Tortola. Normal Ally said to keep her distance and stay safe; adventurous Ally wanted to take the chance, enjoy whatever came her way for as long as she could.
Good Lord, she was becoming as crazy as her family.
Chris reached over casually to refill her mug, and the simple gesture warmed her, making her feel she was making the right decision. “I’d love to see you race.”
His grin confirmed it.
Her phone rang, disturbing the coziness of the moment. Chris handed her the cordless handset from the counter, and she glanced at the caller ID. She set the phone down and picked up her tea instead. At Chris’s questioning look, she shrugged. “It’s my mom. I knew the silence was too good to last. Let the machine get it.”
A chuckle was his only response, but it was soon drowned out by her mom’s voice.
“Ally, honey, where are you? You haven’t called in days. You can’t still be upset at Erin. I know she hurt your feelings, but it is her wedding, you know.”
Ally rolled her eyes.
“Just be thankful your sister is nothing like mine. Now, lunch has been pushed back to one-thirty tomorrow, and I need you to stop by the store and get the wine. With everything going on today, I just don’t have the time. I swear, your grandmother is going to put me in an early grave…”
Ally walked across the room and turned the volume down on the machine. Chris did not need to hear her mother carrying on about the crisis of the day. “That could take a while. I’ll listen to the rest later.”
“I take it Erin is your sister, but why would you be upset with her?”
Ally tried to think of a tactful way to put it, but came up empty-handed. “She kicked me out of her wedding.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ll be seven months pregnant at the time.”
Chris frowned. “I know this is your family we’re talking about, but isn’t that…”
“Selfish? Self-centered? Slightly sanctimonious?”
Chris leaned back in his chair and spread his hands. “Well, I wasn’t going to say it.”
“Erin’s turned into a Bridezilla over this wedding. I’m kinda glad to have an excuse to be out of the fray.”
“And you’re expected to have lunch with her tomorrow?”
Ally returned to her chair and poked at her fruit. “The Sunday family lunch. Isn’t it a time-honored tradition for every family?” She sighed.
“You don’t sound too keen on that tradition.”
“As I’m sure you’ve gathered by now, my family is a little bit nutty. They’re not happy unless they’re driving me insane.” Ally wanted to take the words back the moment they left her mouth. She’d gotten so cozy with Chris this morning, she’d forgotten her need to keep her crazy family under wraps.
“I understand the feeling.”
That got her attention. “Seriously?”
“I can’t sympathize completely because I don’t have siblings, but I do have several cousins. And Pops can be over-the-top sometimes.” The corner of his mouth curved upward. “Families drive everyone insane. It’s just part of the package.”
“Well, my family has a jumbo-size package of crazy going on. It’s almost like they try to outdo each other.”
“Is your mom a good cook?”
Ally nearly choked. “Are you angling for an invite to lunch?”
“I should probably meet them at some point—we are about to be related, after all. Plus, you shouldn’t have to bring the wine since you can’t drink it.”
Related. Chris said it so offhandedly, like it was a foregone conclusion. Technically he was right, but it still sounded like something else entirely. But showing up to a family event with Chris…“I don’t know.”
Chris looked at her oddly. “I take it you haven’t discussed me with them yet.”
“Not exactly. I mean, they know I’m pregnant, but I made it clear the topic of the father was off-limits.”
“That was before. Now that you know I’m going to be around, they should probably get used to the idea.” At her skeptical look, he added, “What, you don’t think they’ll like me?”
“Oh, they’ll like you.” And then I’ll never hear the end of it if this doesn’t work out. On the other hand, she’d never hear the end of it, anyway. She’d held her family at bay for the time being, but eventually…Of course, once Chris met the Bat Crew, he’d probably beat feet back to Charleston, solving a number of her problems right there.
She just wasn’t sure if that’s what she really wanted anymore.
“Then it’s a date.” Chris drained the last of his coffee, and Ally watched in amazement as he grabbed empty plates off the table and efficiently put everything in the dishwasher. She didn’t know people with a Y chromosome could load a dishwasher.
She stood to help, only to be waved away with an “I’ve got it.” The surprises just kept coming from Chris. Domesticity was not something she expected from a golden boy like him.
Chris closed the dishwasher with a snap and came to kneel next to her. “As much as I hate it, I have to go. I’m going to be late as it is.” He kissed her gently on the forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ally followed him to the door. “That’s an awful lot of driving for one weekend.You don’t have to come tomorrow. It’s okay.”
He was threading his belt through the loops of his jeans and didn’t look up. “The driving is a pain, but it’s not an issue anymore.”
“Oh.” Had he changed his mind in the last two seconds?
“Victor had the tail rotor taken apart this week, but he promised to have the helicopter back in working order sometime today.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Helicopter? You own a helicopter?”
Chris smirked, then hooked a finger under her chin, closing her mouth and turning it up to his at the same time. “Not personally, but the company does. It saves a lot of time.” He brushed his lips across hers. “Bye.”
Ally closed the door and leaned against it. She could hear the powerful motor of his car roar to life, then fade into the distance as he drove away.
Like she didn’t have enough to process. He owned a freaking helicopter, as well. And he’d be flying down tomorrow just to have lunch with her family. Suddenly, the hundred miles between Savannah and Charleston didn’t seem like such a stumbling block.
Just when she’d begun to think she had her feet under her and a plan in place, Chris had pulled the rug out. Bit by bit, he was slowly chipping away at her entire wall of defense.
How this vapid family produced someone like Ally baffled him.
She’d picked him up at the helipad, then spent the entire drive to her mother’s house “preparing” him, saying her family was a bit crazy but generally harmless. He hadn’t said anything in response to her anecdotes, because everyone thought their families were a bit insane or embarrassing.
Instead, he’d been introduced to the most selfish, narcissistic, self-centered people on earth. They were quick to put two and two together and realize he was the father of Ally’s child, but that hadn’t stopped the snide remarks made to Ally about her unwed, pregnant state.Yet no one seemed to make the same comments to Steven or his obviously pregnant girlfriend, Diane.
Ally favored her mother, Hannah, who didn’t look old enough to have three adult children, but the similarities ended there.
Hannah vapidly bounced from topic to topic, complaining about everything from wedding plans to the way Ally wore her hair. Erin, whom he mentally dubbed “princess,” treated Ally to condescension while simultaneously expecting Ally to manage everything. Ally’s brother was a real piece of work, a man-child who was obviously used to the women of his family waiting on him hand and foot. It extended to his girlfriend, as well, who even in an advanced state of pregnancy perched on the edge of her chair waiting to care for his next need. Through it all, Ally’s father wore the look of a man who’d learned it was easier not to interfere while his family swirled around him.
The entire lot disgusted him. Was Ally sure she wasn’t adopted?
After half an hour, he’d been hard-pressed not to drag Ally out of that toxic atmosphere, but she’d given him a pleading look and a whispered “It’s okay. They’ll get it out of their system soon.”
No wonder Ally approached the world with such caution. Her entire family had the emotional maturity of fifteen-year-olds, and no matter what happened, it was Ally’s job to fix it or else take the blame and to soothe ruffled feathers. When her brother handed Ally a checkbook for her to balance, it was almost the last straw. Couldn’t these people handle anything without Ally?
An hour later it hadn’t gotten any better, and Chris’s appetite and patience were long gone. When his phone rang, he went onto the porch to take the call and stayed out there to cool off before facing her family again.
“They’re usually much better behaved in front of company.” Ally spoke from behind him. “I’m sorry.”
Her heart-shaped face was earnest and concerned, and all the light had gone out of her eyes.
He bit back the disparaging remarks. This was Ally’s family, after all, and she obviously cared for them. He wouldn’t score any points with Ally by insulting her family—however well-deserved and correct the observations were. “They’re certainly…” He searched for an adjective.
“Crazy?” Ally provided. “I told you that,” she added with a sigh.
It wasn’t the word he would have chosen, but it would do. “They’re nothing like you, that’s for sure.” He touched a finger to her chin.
“Somebody has to be the grown-up. Can you imagine how they’d function if I weren’t around?” The corner of her mouth tipped up like she thought it was amusing.
“They’re adults,” he said, although it was a loose interpretation of the word. “They can take care of themselves.”
“You’d think.” Ally seemed to ponder that statement as she leaned against the porch railing. “It’s just easier to humor them than it is to deal with the fallout.”
“Let me guess. The reason you left Tortola so unexpectedly wasn’t simply because Steven had been in an accident, but because someone had to come deal with the grown-up stuff.”
Ally inclined her head slightly. “Of course I was worried about Steven, but, yeah, they needed me to deal with the hospital and the insurance companies and such. They don’t deal well with actual emergencies.”
He tried to keep his voice light. “What are they going to do when you’re busy with the baby and not able to drop everything when they call?”
She paused, seeming to think about something, so he let the silence stretch out. “Molly asked me the same thing.”
“Maybe it’s worth thinking about.”
Ally kicked off the railing and started to pace. “Sometimes I get really fed up with them. They’re flighty, they can’t hold down jobs or be responsible about anything. Theylovedmy ex, and looking back, I can totally see why. He was just like them. Happy to just sit back and let me take care of everything.”
Bitterness tinged her voice, and she seemed to be talking to herself now. “Calling me home from my vacation was par for the course. And at the time, I actually thought they’d done me a favor.”
“A favor?”
“After I got over the anger at having my vacation interrupted, I realized that given a few more days, I probably would have latched onto you. Tried to bring you home with me.”
Understanding dawned. “And I’d be just someone else for you to take care of. A beach bum with no job.”
She nodded. “No offense intended. I still toyed with the idea of trying to find you for a little while, but then I turned up pregnant.”
“And you figured the baby would be enough responsibility.”
“God, yes. I just didn’t have any more to give.”
“So doing it alone was your solution?”
“It was easier than trying to figure out how you’d fit into the picture.” She snorted. “Of course, that’s before you showed up and proved you didn’t need me to take care of you, too.”
“That’s because I’m an actual adult—not like them.” He jerked his head in the direction of the house. She winced, then nodded in agreement. “I don’t need a keeper.”
“I know that now. I misjudged you, and I’m sorry.”
He stepped forward and smoothed his hands over her crossed arms. She’d provided him with an opening. “I’d like to help take care of you, you know. You and the baby.”
Ally’s eyes met his, and he could see the confusion there. She really had been flying blind through this. And while the front porch of her parents’ house wasn’t exactly a good place to be having this conversation, he forged ahead.
“We kind of went about this all backward and out of order, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make it work.”
Ally inhaled sharply. “You’re talking about getting married, aren’t you?”
He took a deep breath and asked for patience. “Yes, Ally, I’m talking about getting married. But not immediately.”
Her shoulders dropped and she sighed audibly in relief. That irked him a little. “But this game we’re playing—dancing around like there’s a better solution—is crazier than your family.” His voice turned husky. “There’s a lot to build on.” This time when she inhaled, he watched her eyes darken and knew she was also thinking about the night before last. His body hardened in response.
