“Yes!” she said. “I did. I thought I had no other choice in this unenlightened era when a single mother is considered—at best—an object of pity. This time is hardly better than the Puritans’.”
“Thought,” he said softly. “Past tense.”
“Yes. Past. Done. I now know I have choices. I have freedom. I don’t have to marry vain little Alan Trumbull just to get his kid because I lost mine. I don’t have to see our daughter’s eyes when we tell her we’re the parents who...” The energy her rage had given her was vanishing. “Who gave her up.”
“Come with me.” Kit’s his voice was soft and gentle. “I want to show you something.”
“I don’t want to go anywhere with you. I hate you! You lied to me. You left me.”
“I know.” He took her hand.
Olivia was feeling too bad to do anything but go with him. She’d had days of little sleep and endless misery. No one would listen to her or believe her. Even on small things like saying they needed to check the gas lines in the basement, she’d been told to mind her own business. And through every hang up, every warning, she’d thought how all this was happening because of Kit. Was it worth it? Must her future depend on him? Wasn’t there another choice? An alternative?
Tears of anger were blocking her vision, but she saw that he had led her to the pond.
On the side were the big towels they brought out for their twice-daily swims, but no one else was there. She had an idea that the men were keeping the children inside. Away from me, she thought. Me and my bad temper.
Kit gave her a very sweet smile. “Feeling better?”
She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and nodded. “I am, but it doesn’t change anything.”
Still smiling, Kit made a lightning-fast move as he bent, picked her up, then twirled around and threw her. Like a human spear, Olivia went sailing through the air to land in the deepest part of the pond. The force of Kit’s thrust sent her underwater. She hadn’t been expecting the plunge and she fought hard to get to the surface.
When she came up, Kit was there beside her, treading water.
“You bastard!” She started swimming to the bank, but Kit caught her ankle. “Let go of me!”
“I have some cousins who—”
“Yeah, I know,” Olivia said angrily. “We’re married, remember? I know your whole family.” Her skirt was wrapping around her legs and she didn’t like treading water.
“In the year twenty-something, right? But that couldn’t be. The world ends at the year 2000.”
“It doesn’t even screw up the computer clocks. I need to get back to feed the kids.”
“You haven’t thought about any of us for the last few days, so why bother now? As I was saying, I have some cousins, a bunch of earth-bound creatures, who say we Montgomerys are part fish. I can stay out here all day, and we will, until you agree to tell me everything.”
“Okay, I’ll tell you.” She started toward the bank, but again he caught her ankle and pulled her back to him. She closed her lips tight and didn’t speak.
“At first, I didn’t mind it when you called me a worthless boy. I knew you were overwhelmed with lust for me, so—”
“I was no such thing!”
“It’s all right as the feeling was mutual. I figured you’d come around eventually.”
“Ha!”
He went underwater and came up on the other side of her. “You did come around. And around.” He paddled in a circle, surrounding her. “And around. And around.”
“Okay!” Some of her anger was leaving her. “The sex was good. I admit it. But there’s more to being together than sex.”
“Trust? Honesty? Sharing things?”
She glared at him. “Like you told me what you were doing for your country? You know what you told me?”
“In the future, you mean? When we’re married?” He was laughing at her.
“Yes! Then. You said you were an idiot for thinking that your country was more important than I was.”