Chapter Twenty-three
It was pointless. Kate tried to study but it was no use. She couldn't get her mind off Colin.
Grant wasn't faring any better. His attention was focused on Chloe who was sitting at a table across the room.
"Grant?" Kate whispered.
He didn't respond.
"Grant?" She said again. "Are you hungry?"
"I'm almost done." He replied as he turned another page in his book.
It was clear he didn't understand the question.
"Would you like me to go tell her to come over here?"
"What?" He looked up, confused.
"Chloe. Do you want me to tell her to come over?"
"Don't - Katie." He warned her.
Her own problems were forgotten for the moment. "What's going on? It was bad before - now you aren't even talking?"
His voice started to shake. "It's never going to happen - Kate. Just leave it alone."
"Grant."
He slammed the book shut. "Let's go." Grant said as he pushed back from the chair.
Kate grabbed his arm. "Go talk to her."
"Are you walking?" Grant threatened. "Because I have the keys."
Chloe rubbed her palms against the fabric of her jeans, willing herself to calm down. She had been staring at him for two hours. She took a deep breath as she approached them. She was determined to at least say hello. This whole thing was ridiculous and it was killing her.
"Actually - looks like she's talking to you." Kate said with a smile as she saw Chloe walking towards them. "Hey Clo."
"Hi Katie." Chloe said softly. "Hey Grant."
"Chloe." He breathed her name. His heart began to pound. Even with her hair thrown up in a knot and no makeup on she was absolutely gorgeous.
"How are you?" She asked. Chloe was sure he could see right through her but she didn't care. Do you miss me as much as I miss you? She wanted to ask him.
"I'm OK." This was torture. He missed being near her so much that now it hurt to even stand across from her. He had to put some distance between them. "How's Doug?" He asked then.
She was startled by his question. "Why are you asking me that?"
"He's your boyfriend." Grant shrugged. "Seems like a normal question."
Kate was about to smack her brother for being such an idiot. It was clear Doug was the last person Chloe wanted to talk about.
Chloe didn't quite know how to answer. The truth was she broke up with him a week ago, but she was beginning to get angry. Grant was acting like such a jerk, she didn't think he deserved to know the truth. "He's OK." Chloe said.
He thought she might tell him she wasn't with him anymore but as always, he had absolutely no luck. "Good. Glad to hear it." He had to get out of here. "Ready, Kate?"
Kate wasn't going to let her brother throw this away. "Chloe. Do you want to come get some lunch with us?"
"No." She shook her head. "Thanks. I still have a ton of studying to do." She took a deep breath and looked over at Grant. "See you around." She turned and walked away.
He wanted to be strong enough to just leave, but he knew he couldn't. "Clo?" He called out after her.
"Yeah?" She said as she slowly turned around, willing herself not to cry.
He stared at the floor, unable to meet her eyes. "That gift you made for Becky? Clo - it was amazing. She loved it."
"Did she?" Chloe's smile brightened for the first time in weeks. "I'm so glad. I didn't know if it was the right thing. Once I got started - I couldn't help myself."
"It was. I'll have a feeling she'll make me play every night." He said as he finally looked up at her.
"Sorry." Chloe said with a grin.
"It's OK. It won't be for too long. She's already started to eat it." He smiled back.
"Thank you." He said softly. "It's great."
"You're welcome." Chloe replied.
That was something at least, Kate thought to herself. And her brother proved he wasn't a total loser in the process. She didn't know all the gory details and she didn't want to push but ultimately she couldn't help herself. She loved matchmaking; it was a trait she got from her mom. Someone deserved to be happy if she couldn't be.
"Sure you don't want to come Clo?" Kate asked again.
Finally speaking to Grant for the first time in weeks had made Chloe so happy that she just wanted the feeling to last. She didn't want to risk spoiling it.
Though she wanted to follow, she heard herself say. "No. That's OK. I really do need to keep studying." Her voice was full of hope as she added, "I'll see you soon?"
"Sure." Grant said with a smile as he watched her walk away. This whole thing was killing him but he knew he'd rather be her friend than nothing at all.
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"That was a brilliant idea." Alison said as she twined her leg around Rafe's and snuggled closer.
"What are you referring to exactly?" He said with a laugh.
"All of it." She giggled back at him. "More specifically, I was talking about having Ian pick Becky up from practice and taking her over there to play with Maggie."
"That was a good idea wasn't it?" He whispered as he kissed her.
Alison sighed, listening to the silence around them. "Brilliant. Especially since being alone like this is not going to be so easy when the baby comes."
"I know." He was trying to figure out what she was saying. Was she having second thoughts? He toyed with the ends of her hair as he asked, "Are you changing your mind?"
She shook her head no and pulled him closer. Her eyes sparkled as she said. "I think it might be too late now."
"Alison?" He said with a grin. "Something you want to tell me?"
"Not quite yet." She smiled back at him. "It's just – I always got a feeling when the kids were conceived. Something was always different right away. With all three of them I could tell you exactly when it happened."
Alison cracked him up. He didn't want to argue with her, but it was funny how she thought she had some odd sort of sixth sense when it came to the kids. "You're kidding?" He said with a laugh. She'd never mentioned this before.
She leaned her chin on her hand and stared into his eyes. Why did he always doubt her? He should know better by now. "No. I'm not kidding. It's true. Except for Kate, though you have to admit there was a lot going on then. But once I figured it out I knew exactly when it happened."
"You sound very sure of yourself. OK. Enlighten me." He prompted as he kissed her forehead.
She was glad to. She loved talking about their kids. Looking at Rafe, she thought of Grant first, since their son was acting so much like him at the moment, She took her hand and smoothed the hair off his forehead. "I'll start with Grant." Alison sighed at the memory. "I know that he came to be the night of our first Thanksgiving here. Do you remember? Kate slept straight through till morning and we spent the night by the fire?"
It was close to 17 years ago but he had to admit that he did. It was a pretty spectacular night. He suddenly wanted to reenact it. "Ah yes. We haven't done that since have we?"
She gave him a grin, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "I think we might have but it has been a long time. Let's plan on doing that again soon." She suggested as she kissed him softly.
"No argument from me." He replied, trailing kisses up and down her neck. He moved to whisper in her ear. "OK. What about Becky?"
"Becky." Alison smiled just thinking of her cute little face. "Remember that August when we were having work done on the house and the power went out for two days? Abby and Cam watched the kids and you surprised me and took me away for the weekend. You took me back to that inn we went to when Katie was first born."
Rafe remembered it well. Something always came over Alison when they were there. Whenever they went there it was like she couldn't keep his hands off him – not that he was complaining about it at all. They'd have to do that again soon too. "That's a great inn." He said as he kissed her again.
"It is." She said with a dreamy expression "Now, then there's my Katie." She loved all her children equally, but there was something so special about the first. "That was the day you took me to the barn – right before all that horrible stuff with Joshua. Right before Abby first came to town. The day I realized I was pregnant – I knew at that very moment exactly when it had happened." Her eyes welled up as she smiled at him.
God she's beautiful was all Rafe could think at that moment. He ran a hand over her hair, letting it linger on her cheek as he looked into her eyes. "So. What are you saying? You think that this baby will be the one we conceived the morning after you made me sleep on the couch and I messed up your kitchen?"
"Could be." She laughed. At this point in their lives it seemed fitting. "Romantic, isn't it?"
"I could think of worse things." He said as he nuzzled her neck.
Alison trailed her fingers up and down the arm he had curled around her, completely and totally content. Honestly, when he first made the suggestion she had been a bit unsure, but now the mere thought of having another child was filling her with joy. Suddenly, Alison couldn't wait. She was getting that feeling again. She had to know for sure soon or she'd go crazy. "I'll take a test at the end of next week and then we'll know." She said as she turned to look into his eyes.
Hearing her words, it became all too real. Suddenly Rafe wasn't quite sure he was ready. "The end of next week?"
She couldn't help laughing at his expression. He looked like he was about to faint. "Yes. The end of next week. Don't worry Rafe. It'll take nine months before the baby's actually here."
He had a hard time finding his voice. "Alison…"
She brought her face close to his and kissed him deeply. "This was your idea you know." She said as pulled back she stared in his eyes. "Deal with it."
"What? Having another baby?" Rafe asked, though he already knew the answer.
Alison glanced at the clock and figured they still had about an hour before Kate and Grant came home.
"mmm hmm." Alison murmured. "I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure it's already happened."
She decided to give herself a little insurance. She moved closer to him and tangled her fingers in his hair, bringing his lips to hers. "After all these years you should know better than to underestimate me." She dipped her head and placed soft kisses across his chest making him shiver.
Laughing, she knew she had him now. She grinned at him, her lips hovering inches above his. "Rafe. C'mon. Don't try and fight it." Alison smiled and kissed him again before she whispered. "You wouldn't have had to sleep on the couch if you'd just remember. I'm always right."