Page 18 of Miracles and Marriage (Making a Family #5)

In no time his secretary began bringing him up to speed on various situations. He would have wished for more time to transition from the weekend at the cottage.

It had been relaxing and informative. He wanted to process what he learned about Zoe and figure out the best way to deal with each other over the years to come.

Refusing to admit he had enjoyed himself more than he’d hoped, he tried to catalog every aspect from running along the beach Saturday morning, to sitting on the porch while the rain isolated them, to strolling along the sidewalk in Waterford.

He wouldn’t forget the rather quiet weekend in a long time.

There were too few respites like that in his life.

When Emily finally ran down, he assured her he was on his way in and would arrive at the office soon.

“We can go directly there if you like,” Zoe said.

She’d been quiet during the drive and Cal had given up trying to gauge her mood.

“I can take time enough to drop you at your place,” he offered.

There had been a slight awkwardness Sunday morning, but that had passed, only to appear again this morning.

Was that going to be the pattern after every night together?

He gave some thought to their moving in with each other.

It would resolve the awkwardness and give them a chance to learn more about each other faster.

Would she be amenable to his suggestion?

What would it be like to make love to her each night? Wake up with her each morning? Share a home?

He’d always thought in the back of his mind he’d have children. But he’d never really envisioned being married or pictured the day-to-day details like eating breakfast together, sharing a bathroom, a bed.

He admitted a marriage like he envisioned would never have worked with Suzanne.

Or any of the other women he’d dated over the years.

He’d been on a fast track to get Protection, Inc.

off the ground and build it up to the level it had attained.

He liked taking beautiful women to places to show off, but in retrospect, they had all been too self-absorbed to be marriage material.

But Zoe was different. He was learning they shared similar values. He liked being around her.

“I’m going to be pretty busy this week,” Zoe said.

“At work?”

“And afterward. I have plans,” she said, not looking at him.

So much for the idea they’d gone past the awkwardness or that she’d even consider moving in with him.

“Next weekend I’ll be busy,” Cal said. “I’m driving down to Richmond to start the sorting process. I don’t want the house to sit empty for long. Want to go with me?”

“Um,” she said.

“Is that a yes or no?”

“It’s a I’m-trying-to-visualize-you-sorting-through-your-uncle’s-things um.”

“Why is that hard to do?”

“I’d think you’d hire someone to do it.”

“No one can sort through family stuff except family.”

Did she see him that detached, that he wouldn’t care about his past?

“I agree, but I can’t visualize you in a family situation, I guess. You are always so larger than life at work,” Zoe said.

Cal glanced at her.

“I run a successful business, but that’s not all I do or am.”

“What else? You haven’t mentioned any other current interests in our conversations. Getting you to talk about yourself is like pulling teeth. My brothers have no trouble monopolizing the conversation.”

“I’ve learned to give little away. It makes it easer to keep safe.”

“I’m hardly some terrorist or kidnapper.”

She had a point.

“You know I ski in winter, sail in summer and guest speak at the local colleges and universities in law enforcement classes,” he said.

“College classes?”

He nodded.

“There are electives in criminology for the latest techniques for keeping people safe in today’s world. Guest-speaker status only. I have no intentions of becoming a professor.”

“Wow, I’m impressed.”

“I’m not out to impress you, merely letting you know more about me.”

He rarely told people about his activities.

“We talked all weekend and you never once mentioned any of that, why not? You’re too secretive, that’s your problem.”

“I didn’t realize it was a problem keeping my life private,” Cal said, his concentration split between Zoe and the heavy morning traffic.

“Not at work, maybe, but shouldn’t I know more about my baby’s father than what every other employee at work knows?”

“Your husband, you mean?”

“Um, that, too.”

“You drive me crazy with your ums. Do I need an interpretive guide?”

She laughed and Cal felt pleasure at amusing her.

He’d spent more of the weekend finding out about Zoe and her family than talking much about his.

He’d spoken of the past, the vacations with his uncle, but not much about his life since he’d become an adult.

He was a private person. No one could find a chink in his armor if they didn’t know much about him.

He pulled into the parking garage of the high-rise building where the offices were located.

“I’ll get a cab home, if you’ll drop off my bag next time you pass my apartment,” Zoe said, getting out of the car. “Saves dealing with them now.”

“I’ll drive you home tonight,” he said, looking at her across the roof of the car.

“I told you, I have plans.”

She turned and began walking toward the elevator at a brisk pace. Cal said a brief expletive and locked the car, lengthening his stride until he caught up with her. Taking her arm, he stopped her.

Zoe looked at his hand and then up to his face.

“What?”

“You can’t walk off like that. I’ll take you home so you’ll have your car for your secretive plans.”

“They aren’t secretive, they just don’t include you.”

Cal suddenly wanted to know what she was doing. Was that a prick of jealousy? He didn’t like the idea. She was free to do what she wanted. As was he.

Only he had no plans for the evening. What was she going to do?

“You might need some of the things in your suitcase this evening,” he said.

What was he doing? Trying to find out what she was up to? If he wanted that intel there were ways to find out.

“I don’t.”

She pulled her arm away and glanced to her left. One of the women from the secretary pool was walking rapidly toward them.

She eyed them warily and continued to the elevator. Turning, she watched as both he and Zoe looked at her. No one said a word. When the doors opened, Zoe stepped forward. He reached out again.

“Wait,” he said.

The elevator doors closed behind the secretary.

“I have work to do,” she said, still staring at the closed elevator.

“I do, as well. But we haven’t settled this.”

She swung around and faced him.

“Settled what?”

“Us.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I think we should move in together.”

“What? Whatever for?”

“It’s not always going to be convenient to run out to the sea cottage every time we want to sleep together.”

“Shhh.”

She glanced quickly around the garage, then stepped closer. “Keep your voice down. Do you want the entire world to know what we’re doing?”

For a moment Cal almost said yes.

“I’m trying to look at this from a practical point of view,” he said evenly.

“Living together wasn’t part of the bargain. I went along with your condition of marriage, but living together isn’t in the cards. Now I do have to get to work before we cause any more gossip than what Sally Ann is probably spreading at this very moment.”

“Sally Ann?”

“The secretary who just passed. Who knows what she heard?”

“Nothing the entire world couldn’t hear.”

Cal turned and walked beside her to the elevator.

The weekend wasn’t ending as he thought it would. He couldn’t force her to move in with him. And he couldn’t go to her place unless she invited him. What a mess.

He needed time to think of a new strategy.

Zoe closed the door to her office with relief. She couldn’t do this. She had given it her best shot this weekend, but sleeping with the boss was more than she could deal with. Especially when they weren’t even having an affair but were solely bent on having a baby. Too totally weird.

How could he have suggested they move in together? She’d barely made it through the weekend. She could never live day after day with Cal. She’d do something totally foolish like fall for him and come to expect more than he could deliver.

She had to keep the relationship focused on the end goal. Nothing more.

She went to her desk and opened her calendar. It wasn’t her most fertile time. She was due to start her period in a few days. So most likely, no baby this month.

The thought of making love with Cal again and again until she did conceive had her giddy. She thought she could be sophisticated about it, but she couldn’t. Picking up the phone, she quickly dialed her twin’s number.

“Chloe here.”

“Hey, are we still on tonight?” Zoe asked.

“Sure. I tried calling you this weekend. Where were you? Even your cell was off.”

“I went to the beach,” she said.

“With Cal?”

“Yes.”

“And?”

She couldn’t tell her sister everything. Chloe would never have gone for a bargain like theirs. But it felt odd holding anything back from her twin.

“And it was wonderful,” she said truthfully. “Rain and all.”

“Especially the rain, I bet. Nothing like forced confinement to find some other way to spend the day,” Chloe teased. “I expect a full report at dinner. Let’s meet at the rib place.”

“Sounds good. Can you give me a lift home? I don’t have my car. We came straight in to the office from the cottage.”

“Better and better. I bet you didn’t want to leave. Sure. Gabe’s out of town again, so I’m footloose and fancy free. See you at six.”

So which was worse, Zoe wondered, the inquisition by her sister or seeing Cal again? She hoped work could keep her mind from dwelling on either.

Zoe made it through the week without a confrontation with either her sister or husband-in-name-only. Cal had dropped off her small suitcase at her apartment on Monday while she’d been at dinner with Chloe.