Lined With Silver (11 page)

Oh. If the floor would only open. Like right
now. Sondra snuck a glance at Zack, who seemed startled by the
announcement. She steered him and the Wellingfords away from the
door, where the guests were beginning to back up. As she walked,
she assured Mr. Wellingford, “Actually, I don’t remember us
discussing anything like that, but I was planning on being Mrs.
Carlson everywhere but at work.”

“And why would you keep your name there?”

“I thought it would be challenging to change
the name on all my business cards, letterheads, and all the courts
where I work. It is so much easier to leave my name the way it
is.”

“All the paperwork isn’t that big of a deal.
Doesn’t it all end up in the trash anyway? I think you can go ahead
and make the change.” Mr. Wellingford’s booming voice didn’t need a
microphone.

Sondra stilled a frustrated sigh. “I’m sure I
could. I just want to keep my business and personal life
separate.”

His double chin waggled when he nodded. “I
can see the wisdom in that.” To her relief, Zack arrived with hot
chocolate, steam rising from the cups. Keeping Mr. Wellingord’s
mouth busy was a good move. She politely excused herself and moved
toward the other side of the room where the head of the firm was
mixing with guests.

Cari met Sondra and Zack in the middle of the
room.
“Hi, I’m Cari. I’m Sondra’s—”

“Right hand man.” Sondra interrupted. “She
keeps my life running smoothly. I rely on her for everything.”

Zack shook her hand politely, and Cari looked
like she was sizing him up. Her face spelled approval. “Take good
care of Sondra.” She glanced at her. “Not that she can’t take care
of herself.”

He chuckled. “No worries.”

Sondra slid a hand under his arm. “He served
in Afghanistan. He’s very qualified.” She smiled up at him and then
led him to meet Mr. Andrews.

They spent the next couple of hours shuffling
through Sondra’s clients and the firm’s employees. As they settled
at a table to enjoy some snacks, Sondra scooted her chair close to
Zack’s. She leaned against him and promptly fell asleep, her mouth
open. Zack was talking to Jake Andrews regarding software ownership
law when he was interrupted by a distinctly unusual sound.

Cari, who had chosen to sit next to her boss,
sat and stared for a moment. “I didn’t know Sondra snored. Does it
bother you?”

Zack looked momentarily stunned. Recovering
quickly, he ad-libbed. “No. It doesn’t bother me. I love everything
about her.” He shifted himself and shook her gently. “Sondra, I
think it’s time to go home.”

She started awake and stared around the room,
trying to focus on her surroundings. “How long have I been
out?”

“Just long enough to let us know you snore.”
Cari laughed.

“I didn’t know I did. Why didn’t you tell
me?” Sondra looked up at Zack.

“It’s just one of your quirks I love. What’s
to tell?”

“Perfect answer.” Sondra whispered. This
time, it was her who led the mouth exploration—in front of the
whole room. When she pulled back, Zack looked like a caught
deer.

“Let’s go,” Sondra stood and pulled at his
elbow.

He quickly located her coat, helped her with
it and headed out to his Hummer. He boosted her into the truck.
When he climbed in behind the wheel, she said, “I don’t know what
happened. All of a sudden, I was out.”

She was relieved he didn’t remind her about
her tactical technique for distraction. The kiss had left her
wobbly.

“You’ve been under a lot of stress lately.”
He said.

“It’s not that. I’ve been under stress for a
long time. There isn’t anything about my job that doesn’t spell
stress.”

Zack stared at her a moment, the keys still
in the ignition, the engine off. “Have you done anything about
Nikki’s request?”

“Why do you ask?” Her brows furrowed in
confusion.

“Jade is always tired the minute she gets
pregnant. Like the next day.”

“Really?” Sondra had never heard of anything
like that.

Zack nodded. “She’s always complaining about
it.”

“Well, the embryos were implanted on
Tuesday.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Zack’s voice
deepened with pain.

“I didn’t know you wanted to be a part of the
process.”

Zack’s hurt look stunned Sondra. She didn’t
think he cared. Babies that weren’t even his? Why should he?

Zack took her left hand and touched her
rings. “As long as you’re wearing these, I want to be a part of any
process you’re going through. Please don’t shut me out. I want to
be here for you.” He let go of her hand and gently touched her flat
stomach. “And for…him? Her?”

“Them.”

Zack’s look of delight surprised her again.
“Twins? Really? Do you know what they are?”

“They can test now, but Nikki didn’t want to
know. She wants it to be a surprise—at least until the ultrasound
can show.”

Zack stared out the window a moment, then he
turned to her. “If you’re like Jade, it won’t be safe for you to
drive. She falls asleep at the wheel while she’s pregnant. She
falls asleep all the time just like you did. Can you ride
transit?”

“My schedule is too erratic. It would be hard
to fit around the trains.”

His brows drew together then they smoothed.
“I’m at a point in my current project where I can work in Utah. I
won’t be needed in San Jose except for occasional visits. Will you
let me drive you to work?”

“That’s an awful lot of driving in a Humvee
from Park City.”

Zack’s voice was wry. “I think I can afford
the gas, but I was wondering if I could stay at your place.”

Sondra sent a shocked look his way. “I hardly
know you.”

“Do you have an extra bedroom?” He wasn’t
going to let this go.

“Well, yes,” she conceded.

Once more, he linked his hand with her left
one. “We
are
married, you know. It’s not like we’d be
breaking any rules, and it would make it easier for me to drive you
around.”

“This might be a fluke,” she protested.

“And it might not. Are you really going to go
through all this just to lose the babies because you’re too
stubborn to let me drive? Think about it.” He turned the ignition
and his engine roared to life.

It was made for four wheeling. Snowy freeways
would be a breeze, and driving over icy roads while reaching over a
pregnant belly didn’t seem like something she wanted to do. Not
that she was going to be huge fast, she amended.

But twins? Maybe she would. She’d never been
pregnant before. She had no idea how big she’d get nor how fast she
would show. And Nikki always lost her babies early. Taking it easy
seemed like the right thing to do.

Would she even be able to continue to work at
the firm? This whole marriage thing was supposed to allow her to
keep working. Maybe she wouldn’t even be able to. She thought about
the money she’d been putting aside for retirement. She’d have to
dip into that for living until the babies were born. Could she
survive nine months without an income? With Nikki and Brad swimming
in cancer bills, she didn’t want to ask them for any
assistance.

She snuck a glance at Zack. Judging from his
insistence at paying her bills during their stay in DC, she doubted
he’d allow her to pay her own way if she had to quit. He’d want to
pay her bills. She knew him well enough to know that.

Would she let him? She didn’t know if she
could swallow her pride long enough. Nine months of swallowing was
a long time, and that would be a huge sacrifice with no benefit
whatsoever to him.

Realizing that she really wanted to give
Nikki the gift of her babies, she relented. “Your place or
mine?”

Zack shot her a look, then chuckled. “I’m
glad your humor has returned. I’m hoping you’re not as grumpy as
Jade is when she’s expecting. I enjoy having her hours away when
she is.”

“Since you’re my husband, you won’t have that
luxury.” Sondra teased.

“I’m not complaining.” Zack’s glance raked
over her. Unlike Scott’s looks, this one lit a fire inside. It was
a fire that would have to remain unused. She wouldn’t risk the
babies, and she knew Zack wouldn’t, either. “In answer to your
question,” Zack’s voice interrupted Sondra’s thoughts, “since I’m
going to be moving into your place, do you mind if we spend the
night at mine? That way I can gather my things.”

“I’m not that helpless.”

Zack stared at her a moment and then directed
his attention back to the snowy road. “Were you planning on going
anywhere?”

“I have some shopping to do, and I wanted to
attend church on Sunday.”

“If you’re like Jade, you really can’t drive
anywhere.”

Sondra glared at Zack a minute and then
realized it wasn’t his fault. This was a choice she made. Once
again, she relented. “Your place is fine.”

They stopped at her townhouse. As they walked
up the shoveled walks, Sondra felt exhausted. It hit her like a
wall just like it had at the party, but she didn’t want to say
anything to Zack.

She wasn’t accustomed to having someone in
her life to lean on, and she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to
get used to it. It would only last until the babies were
born—longer if his father hadn’t yet passed away.

She snuck a look at Zack. His wide shoulders
looked strong enough to help her with her burdens, and it was only
during the pregnancy that she would be this helpless. Maybe she
could lean on him. He took care of her at trek. He would certainly
be willing to do it now. He hadn’t changed in all the years she
hadn’t seen him. Except he was even better looking than he was back
then.

As they walked into the living room, Dewk was
scratching at the sliding glass door. Sondra let him in. He bounded
up and stopped just short of knocking Zack over.

“I forgot about your companion.” Zack
confessed.

“Yes, he can be rather annoying. You’re not
allergic are you?”

“No allergies. I’m just not used to animals
in the house.”

“You didn’t grow up with pets?”

“Jade has asthma, so no, I didn’t.”

Dewk’s tail was slapping against the wall as
they walked to the bedrooms. His happiness was audible. Sondra
hoped Zack enjoyed dogs as much as Scott did. She hadn’t thought to
ask.

She opened the door to the guest bedroom. It
was done in neutral colors. She’d been mindful of her dad and Brad
as visitors when she’d planned the décor. “This will be your
room.”

“Nice.”

“You can use the bathroom in the hall. I’ll
use the one attached to my room.”

“Sounds good.”

“You know,” Sondra turned to him. “I’ve never
entertained a man in my house. I have no idea what I’m supposed to
do.”

“Just pretend I’m Brad. I promise I won’t be
any trouble.” He held up his right hand in an oath.

Sondra stared at him a moment, her heart
racing. He didn’t look anything like Brad, and she wanted to do
much more than sister-in-law things with him right that moment. She
flushed and turned away. Being married was harder than she
anticipated. Somehow, the ring sitting on her finger meant things
that were taboo suddenly weren’t.
Is this live-in arrangement
really going to work?
She walked into her room and shut the
door, leaning against it.
This is all for the babies. I can do
this. I can be strong, and I won’t do anything I will regret
later.
She took a shaky breath and then added,
I
hope.

She changed out of her evening dress, hanging
it carefully. She caressed the soft material.
Will I be donating
this to Deseret Industries?

The hair clip and her earrings were
unceremoniously dumped into her jewelry box. She was too tired to
do more than shake out her curls. She managed to change into cotton
loungewear, grab a change of clothes and a couple of essential
items and stuff them into an overnight bag. She slid Dewk back
outside. He’d be fine in his heated house.

She doubted she’d be able to stay awake for
the drive to Park City. She was right.

By the time Zack had hit the corner, Sondra
was already asleep and snoring softly. She didn’t emerge until Zack
started pulling her out. His intent was clear. He was going to
carry her.

Horrified, Sondra managed to wriggle out of
his arms. “I’m okay. I can walk.” She stumbled as she moved forward
and grabbed his steady arm.

She didn’t like feeling this helpless. She’d
heard the word before.

Drained.

It had new meaning now. In a life where she
hadn’t really understood all the talk of women who had been through
the experience of pregnancy, she was right there experiencing it.
It scared her.

She’d always been strong and in control. This
was something she simply couldn’t work around. She thought of the
Bear Hunt game she’d played with her mom when she was little. “You
can’t go under it. You can’t go over it. You have to go through
it.” How would she get through
drained
?

With help. She would have to rely on Zack.
She gripped his arm tighter and walked with him to the elevator
bank.

The condo was in the complex she had
researched herself. A tiled entry led to wood floors that reflected
the artificial light. Although the furnishings were sparse, they
were adequate for two. “Do you mind if I explore?”

“Not at all.” He directed her around the
unit, showing her his room and the room he was planning to have her
use. “The sheets were washed this week, so you don’t have to
worry.”

“You wash your guest sheets?”

“Not normally, but Jade and her family are
planning to visit over Christmas, so I wanted the bed clean for her
and Stan.”

“Isn’t it going to be awkward staying at my
house when they’re visiting?”

Zack stopped and turned. “Isn’t this whole
event meant for both of us? What better way to show Jade we’re
happily married?”