Part 2

Mildred sat propped up in bed, her needles flying, staring at the phone resting next to her and willing it to ring. There was some comfort in the lengthening rows of stitches that fell from her needles. The little yellow arm of the sweater Mildred was working on was nearly complete. Only shaping the shoulder remained. As Mildred re-read the pattern, the sharp ring of the phone made her jump and the needles fell to the floor as she scrabbled to pick up the receiver.

"Hi, Aunt Mildred – It's me, Bernard!"

"Oh – Hi,Bernard! How is the graduate coursework abroad going?"

"Great, Aunt Mildred. Austria is fantastic. We see different parts of the country every weekend and different parts of the city every day. I hope I didn't call too late."

"No, Bernard, this is fine. I'm always glad to hear from my favorite nephew. I'm so glad you're enjoying your studies there." Mildred hesitated. "Bernard, by any chance have you heard from your parents lately?"

"Last weekend, I think. Why? Is something wrong?"

"No – just wondered if they'd said anything to you about taking a trip."

"No way - you know my folks – it took a minor miracle to get them to Santa Barbra for my graduation. And even then, Dad drove straight through on the way home so he wouldn't have to pay for another night in the hotel!"

"Right, right. That's your dad! I must have misunderstood what your mom said when I talked to her a couple of days ago. Did I tell you Mr. Steele and Miss Holt got married?"

"That's great, Aunt Mildred. Hey, I've got to go. Some of the guys are heading off to the one of the local… uh, restaurants."

"Okay, buddy – have a great time. Send me a post card. Love you, Bernard!"

"Love you too, Aunt Mildred. Tell Mr. Steele congratulations from me."

Mildred hung the phone up and leaned over the edge of the bed in search of the errant knitting needle that had rolled under the bed. "Where is Eunice?" Mildred muttered out loud as she struggled to right herself again. "She shoulda called by now with that pattern, or at been home when I called! She and that tightwad Harvey never go anywhere."

Steele glanced across to where Laura lay reclined in the passenger seat of the Rabbit. He reached to tug her coat more snugly up over her shoulder.

"I'm awake." Laura opened one velvet brown eye to return her husband's gaze. "Just resting my eyes. Where are we?"

"We went through Redding about fifteen minutes ago. I would guess that we're about half way to Seattle. Ready for something to eat, or to stretch your legs?"

"I'm OK, Mr. Steele. Thanks." Laura peered over into the back seat where Mildred was snoring softly, her knitting lying forgotten in her lap. "Mildred seems to have fallen asleep."

"I'm glad. She's been so worried about her sister and brother-in-law these last few days, I don't think she's gotten much rest." Steele looked at Laura rather pointedly and asked, "Mr. Steele?"

"Well? 'Remington' doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. It sounded much better as the fictitious head of the agency. I have to admit, I've never felt entirely comfortable calling you Remington." Laura smiled a little sheepishly. "Harry. I thought 'Harry' suited you, even before I found out that was the name Daniel called you. How did he come to call you Harry?"

"I'm not sure. On more than one occasion when introducing me, Daniel would smile and tell people I was just some 'Tom, Dick or Harry' he'd run into, and gradually 'Harry' stuck. Personally, I was always rather fond of names from the films." Steele was quiet for a bit. "It was a Chalmers family name, you know – Harrison. I'm really not sure how Daniel came to the conclusion I was actually his son. I would love to have heard more of that story."

"Me, too." After resting one hand comfortingly on Steele's leg for a bit, Laura sat upright, pulling a map open to study it. "Why don't we stop in Weed, at the foot of Mount Shasta? There ought to be plenty of places to stay there, 'Harry.'"

"I like the sound of that, Laura. Now that Mildred's had a bit of a nap, we could all benefit from a good meal. And later, for dessert…?" Steele smiled, wiggling his eyebrows at Laura, whose blush was appealingly evident even in the dim light of the car.

"Mr. Steele!" Laura hissed reprovingly at Steele. Glancing back at Mildred who was still sound asleep, she added "That's the kind of attitude that got us into this trouble in the first place."

One of Steele's most winning smiles slid across to light his face. "Trouble? I prefer to think of it as the kind of attitude that finally won you over."

The Steeles and Mildred were soon ensconced in rooms in at small bed and breakfast. Steele and Laura left their drapes open wide in order to look out on the majestic snow-covered peak. Steele sat propped against the headboard, Laura's hair spread across his chest where she lay secure in his arms.

Steele was profoundly content to be simply holding Laura. His chin rested on the top of her head, his arms lightly on her belly and their as yet undetectable child. In these moments when they ceased worrying about which of them was most vulnerable in their relationship, each found the other to be the perfect answer to all they needed and wanted.

Somehow the differences in their pasts and their temperaments made them fit together like pieces of a puzzle. Where Laura was impulsive, Steele was cautious. Where he wasimpolitic, she wasinsightful. Where she was naïve, he was worldly. And where she was now at her weakest, for the first time in her life not able to depend on her body's usual strength and grace, he found himself feeling strangely strong.

Impending fatherhood wakened in Steele fiercely protective feelings he had not suspected himself capable of. If he could always stand between Laura and anything that might harm her, he would. He was hardly able to bear the thought that acting on their love had resulted in her being so ill over the past weeks.

"Laura?"

"Hmmm?" she responded languidly.

"Are you alright with being 'Mrs. Steele'?"

"You mean being married? To you?" Laura looked up at Steele's solemn face, illuminated only by the dim light of the moon reflected into the room by the snowy mountain. Slowly smiling, she said, "It's been a little crazy, the way we backed into marriage, the chaos of our honeymoons, trying to suddenly fit our lives into 'your' place, or 'mine,' and then throwing morning sickness into the whole mix, but …yeah, it's alright. I haven't been able to picture myself being with anyone but you for a long time now."

"Thank you, Laura. Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but under the circumstances . . ." Steele swallowed. " . . . I'll take it."

"Thoughts on how we ought to proceed once we get to Mildred's sister's place?"

"Hopefully, we'll find them happily watching their favorite television program in their den, all of Mildred's worry for naught."

"Mildred's an ace worrier," Laura said with a smile. "But her instincts are pretty good. We'll all feel better once we figure out what's going on. Tell me – as useless as I've been over the last few weeks, why didn't you and Mildred go to Seattle without me to check on her family?"

"Laura, it took me four years to consolidate our partnership. I'm not about to let you find out you can manage without me. Besides, Mildred doesn't smell nearly as good as you do." Steele inhaled deeply as he whispered into Laura's ear.

Laura snuggled into Steele's embrace with a sigh. "As much as it pains me to admit it, I've come to depend on your support, Mr. Steele… Harry."