Page 14 of Miracles and Marriage (Making a Family #5)

“Maybe I’ll take a leave of absence from my job to stay home the first year. I’d need something to replace my income.”

“I’d support you if you choose to do that,” he said.

He lifted his glass and studied the wine for a moment. “This is good.”

She nodded, watching him thoughtfully.

“I didn’t agree to marriage with the expectation you’d end up supporting me.”

He shrugged. It was only money.

“We’ll decide together what’s best for the baby. Tell me more about your family.”

“What do you want to know?”

“What was it like growing up a twin?”

Zoe looked pensive for a moment.

“I never knew any difference. Chloe and I have always been close. We did things together the two of us all the time and yet were always a part of the family. With so many kids, my folks were hard-pressed to give each of us individual time, but they did. Would you like twins?”

“It would be a good solution to having more than one child if you only have one shot at pregnancy,” he said.

The reality of his marrying her for a child rose. For a moment he wondered if she’d glow like some pregnant women did. He’d see all the changes in her body, in her attitude. Rejoice when the baby was born. Have a link to the future. Suddenly Cal wanted Zoe to have his baby more than anything.

Could they do it? Make a baby together? What were the odds she’d deliver twins? They ran in her family, but he’d heard twins skipped generations. Maybe they’d end up with twin grandchildren.

Grandchildren.

He stared at Zoe. Would they still be married then? Would they learn to deal with each other and find an affection or genuine liking that went beyond what they had now?

She was looking at him with questions in her eyes. Cal drew a breath and looked away.

“Dinner was delicious. Thank you for cooking instead of choosing a restaurant,” he said easily.

“Do you think about the future?” she asked, suddenly wondering if he was as confused by the way things were going as she was.

“I plan the best I can.”

“I don’t mean work. What if we have a baby. He or she will grow up, and one day we’ll be grandparents. Did you ever think of that?”

Amusement showed in his dark eyes. Did she read minds?

“The thought crossed my mind.”

“So, what if it happens?”

“Then I expect we’ll deal with it.”

“I want close family ties, laughter and sharing at holidays, rallying around when someone needs something. Memories and fun times and bedrock loyalty.”

Cal would give a lot to be included in that.

“Never mind. We aren’t even expecting a baby yet and I have us as grandparents already. Go sit on the sofa. I’ll bring coffee and dessert,” she said, breaking out of her musings.

“All this and dessert, too?” Cal asked.

“Chocolate cake.”

“My favorite.”

He couldn’t remember the last time someone had made a cake for him.

Zoe quickly did the dishes while the coffee was brewing.

His slow smile when she’d mentioned the cake had her stomach turning somersaults.

Once the hot beverage finished brewing, she prepared their cups and plates with generous slices of cake.

Carefully carrying them into the living room on a tray, she stopped when she saw Cal lying on the sofa, fast asleep.

She quietly placed the tray on the coffee table and sat on the nearby chair.

“Cal?” she said softly.

There was no response.

Sighing, Zoe picked up her plate and began to eat, watching her husband of two days sleep.

Sipping her coffee a few moments later she wondered if she should wake him up to go home, or leave him to get the first sleep he’d probably had in more than forty-eight hours.

She opted for letting him sleep. She picked up the tray and took everything back to the kitchen.

Putting the cups in the sink and wrapping his piece of cake to keep it fresh, she turned off the light and headed for her room.

She had a warm afghan she’d cover him with.

She hoped he wouldn’t get cold during the night.

Zoe had no trouble falling asleep. Cal had to be exhausted. He hadn’t slept at all last night. She hoped he was comfortable enough on the sofa.

Zoe had just come from the bathroom the next morning when she heard the knock on her front door. Running to get it before the sound woke Cal, she skidded to a stop when she reached the living room just as he opened the door to Chloe.

“Oh,” her twin said. “I didn’t wake you two, did I?”

“Not at all,” Cal said and opened the door wide.

“Hi, Chloe. What brings you here so early?” Zoe asked, walking over to her sister and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

She looked warily at Cal. He didn’t know how she’d presented this to her sister.

Cal closed the door and leaned against it, looking from one to the other. He let his gaze briefly track down the length of the robe Zoe had donned, but his interest appeared to be more in the similarities of the two women.

“I have a breakfast meeting and swung by to see how things were going. Well, I take it…” Chloe said, flicking a look at Cal. Her smile was sunny.

“Perfect,” he said, pushing away from the door and crossing to stand beside Zoe.

She almost jumped when his hand came up to her nape and gently massaged.

“We haven’t had breakfast yet. Would you care to join us for coffee or something?” he asked.

Zoe wanted to double-check the tie of the robe, to make sure the opening was secured. She felt distinctively at a disadvantage as the only one not dressed in the group.

And his actions were inexplicable. He knew Chloe understood this wasn’t a real marriage unless there was a baby. What was he doing touching her neck until she was shivering with a tingling awareness that thrust out every cohesive thought?

“Coffee would be lovely,” Chloe said, turning to put her purse down on one of the tables.

“I’ll get it started while you go get dressed,” he said to Zoe, leaning over to kiss her briefly.

She stayed in one spot as he easily crossed to the kitchen.

Would he know where to find anything? Glancing at her sister’s speculative look, she smiled brightly and dashed back to the bedroom.

Things were spinning out of control. What if it had been her parents who had showed up unannounced? Not that they ever had—but they could.

And what was Cal doing? The caress, the kiss.

If she dared spend a second apart from the other two, she would sit on her bed and try to figure things out.

But with him in that kind of mood, and her sister arriving unexpectedly, which was totally out of character, she dared not leave them alone for longer than it took to dress.

In record time, she returned to the living room. Cal sat at the small table with Chloe, both had a wary look about them. What were they discussing?

“Coffee ready?” Zoe asked, looking at one then the other.

“Should be. One great trait of your sister is her speed in dressing and packing,” Cal said to Chloe.

“She has other great traits,” her twin returned.

“I know.”

“Hello, you two, I’m right here. Chloe, if you’re going to be snippy, you can leave,” Zoe said, growing annoyed.

“I’m cranky, ignore me. I’d much rather be sleeping in.”

Zoe nodded, gave Cal a speaking look and continued to the kitchen for the coffee.

“So what’s up with your sister?” Cal asked after Chloe had left twenty minutes later.

“I’m not sure.”

“She’s obviously protective toward you. Does she think I’m going to do something to harm you?”

Zoe shook her head. “She thinks you’re going to bail if we don’t conceive and she resents that on my behalf,” Zoe said without looking at him.

She gathered the empty cups to give herself something to do.

“Why would she think such a thing?” he asked.

Zoe licked her lips and tried to think up an excuse that would fly without coming out with a lie.

“Just say it,” he said.

“She thinks there’s more to this marriage than there is,” she blurted out, balancing the cups and saucers. Slowly she walked into the kitchen.

Cal pushed back his chair and followed her.

“Such as?” he asked from the doorway.

“Genuine caring between us.”

He studied her for a moment.

“I’d agree with that, wouldn’t you?”

“Maybe,” she said slowly. “I told her we were more involved than she suspected. I couldn’t tell her the entire truth. She’d worry too much.”

He stared at her for a moment, his expression closed. Then he gave an abrupt nod and turned back to the living room.

“Want to grab breakfast on the way into work?”

She blinked at the lack of follow-up. Was that it? He was letting it go? No comment, no suggestion that she clear the air?

“Aren’t you going home to change first?” she asked, stalling.

The sooner she got alone, the better.

“I plan to but we can stop for a meal first.”

“I’ll get a bagel at the coffee shop next to the office. I have lots to do today.”

What Zoe really wanted to do was get some time to herself. She was growing more stressed the longer she was around Cal. It seemed easy for him to portray a role. The brief kiss he’d given her had been for Chloe’s benefit. But Zoe couldn’t turn her emotions on and off so easily.

“I apologize for falling asleep last night,” he said. “It wasn’t my intent when I arrived.”

“You were exhausted. It wasn’t a problem.”

Did he look embarrassed? She couldn’t imagine anything disconcerting Cal.

“Except I missed cake.”

She smiled. “Want a piece now?”

“Yes.”

Watching while he ate the cake, Zoe should have been delighted at the carefree glimpse she was getting of a man she thought was totally business oriented. Instead, she felt as if she were sitting on an edge of a cliff and could topple over with the slightest push.

When Cal stood by the table, he looked at her.

“What we need is a honeymoon,” he said.

“What?”

It was the last thing in the world she expected. And the last thing they needed. Was he crazy?