“Right,” Linc answered hesitantly.
“And I’m sure that since Kerry has declined to be interviewed, she’s going to grant you exclusive rights to the story. Right, Kerry?”
Kerry hesitated. “Uh, right.”
“Well, the story isn’t over yet,” Jenny said. “Don’t you want to photograph the children as they meet their new parents? And you can’t leave without knowing how Joe is going to fare.”
Linc considered his dilemma. Jenny was right in one respect. The story would be better if he stuck around till the end of it. He’d been on the telephone to several magazines that afternoon and was taking bids from editors who were eager to get their hands on the piece. And, by God, he was entitled to exclusive rights to it, whether Kerry had granted them freely or not.
But he didn’t think he could stay under the same roof with her for another hour. He’d either make love to her or murder her, and, for entirely different reasons, he was sorely tempted to do both. The balance was precarious. A slight tip in one direction or another and wham! He was going to cook his own goose.
“I don’t know,” he hedged. “I guess I could get a room in town and—”
“Ouch!”
Jenny’s exclamation brought all eyes around to her. She clutched her distended abdomen with both hands, cradling the precious burden it carried.
Chapter 9
“Jenny!” Cage was out of his chair like a shot. Before Linc or Kerry could even blink, he was at Jenny’s side and his hands had replaced hers on her swollen stomach. “Is it...what is it?”
She took several gasping breaths, then said, “Just one of those cramps I think.”
“You’re sure? It’s not the baby?”
“No, I don’t think so. Not yet.”
“Sit down, Jenny,” Kerry said, scooting Jenny’s chair beneath her.
“I’m fine, really,” she said, easing herself down. “I had these cramping seizures when I was pregnant with Trent.”
“And they always scared the hell out of me,” Cage said, running his fingers through his hair. “Should I call the doctor?”
Jenny raised his hand to her mouth and kissed it. “No. Don’t make a fuss. Sorry I made such a scene.” She encompassed them all in her apologetic smile.
“You did too much today and were on your feet too long,” Kerry admonished gently. “You stay right there and let us clean up the kitchen.”
Over Jenny’s mild protests, the three of them began carrying the soiled dishes into the kitchen. Cage hovered around his wife. Half an hour later Kerry assisted her upstairs.
No one said any more about Linc’s leaving. He didn’t even think about the subject himself until he stepped out onto the font porch. When Cage joined him moments later, he said, “I really should go. My being here is putting an extra burden on Jenny.”
“We wouldn’t hear of it. You’re welcome to stay for as long as you like, if you don’t mind sleeping in the single bed in Trent’s room. And I warn you, he snores.”
Linc grinned. “Believe me, anything will be a pleasant change compared to where I’ve been sleeping.” Hearing his own words, his grin faded. He remembered sleeping with only the ground for a mattress and only a vine for a blanket, holding Kerry close. The memory was bittersweet and assailed him with conflicting emotions. “Is that your ’Vette?” he asked Cage. He had to say something to divert his mind, which seemed to stay on a single track lately.
“Yeah. Want to see it?”
They left the porch and strolled across the yard toward the open garage. Inside it were parked a variety of vehicles, among them the vintage ’63 Corvette Stingray that had caught Linc’s eye. He whistled long and low.
“It’s in showroom condition. How long have you had it?”
“Several years,” Cage told him. “It was in bad shape when I bought it. I hired a guy to restore it for me. We’ll go for a spin in it tomorrow. It’ll still bury you in the seat when you get it up to fourth gear. One of my vices is driving too fast.”
Linc withdrew a package of cigarettes from the breast pocket of his borrowed shirt. He’d bummed the pack off Gary Fleming earlier in the day “Want one?” |
“I’d love one,” Cage said, but held up both hands when Linc extended the pack to him. “But I’ve sworn off. When we got together, I promised Jenny that I’d quit.”
Linc squinted at his new friend through the cigarette’s smoke. “You must have had a lot of vices.”