Midnight Promises (40 page)

“I’m sensing it will be a big weekend for fast food and pizza,” Elliott agreed. “I’d better get to my next client if I’m going to pay for this trip. Keep me posted on the dates and how things are working out with Dana Sue, so I can surprise Karen.”

“Will do,” Ronnie promised.

Elliott knew the impulsive gift was not without risks. He was going to have to show Karen copies of their bank statement, check stubs to prove the loan was being paid off and his latest receipts from his private clients before she’d accept the gesture. Still, he thought it would be worth it to give her this once-in-a-lifetime chance to do something with Frances before it was too late.

* * *

Three days later, the arrangements had been made for the trip. Elliott had bought the airline ticket for Karen, put it in a box wrapped in baby-shower paper—the only kind he’d found in the house—and tied it with a big red bow left over from Christmas.

He took Karen to Rosalina’s for dinner. He’d wanted to take her someplace a little more special, but he figured he’d be on shaky enough ground with the gift. An expensive restaurant would probably have her reeling.

When their drinks and pizza had been served, he raised his glass. “Happy birthday,
querida!
I hope it’s just one of many, many happy ones we share together.”

She’d worn her new yellow dress and had taken time to style her hair with more loose curls than usual. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkling. He thought she’d never looked more beautiful. As always, when she smiled at him, she took his breath away.

“Thank you,” she said. “I have a gift for you.”

Elliott frowned at that. “For me? But it’s
your
birthday.”

“I know, but this surprise came my way, and I wanted to share it with you.”

“That sounds mysterious,” he said, genuinely puzzled.

Suddenly she looked incredibly nervous. “I know we had a plan, that we were trying to stick to a plan…” she began, but her voice trailed off.

Elliott’s heart suddenly began to race. “You’re not…we’re not…” He could barely speak, partly from being overwhelmed with joy, partly because he was afraid he’d gotten it wrong. “Are you pregnant,
querida?
”

She nodded, clearly embarrassed. “I didn’t mean for it to happen. We’ve been so careful.” Color bloomed in her cheeks. “But not always, I guess.” She studied him intently. “Are you mad?”

“Mad?” he asked incredulously, barely containing a whoop of joy that would lift the restaurant’s rafters. “I’m thrilled. I thought I came here tonight with a pretty darn good birthday gift, but I can’t top this. How soon? Do you know? Have you seen the doctor?” He regarded her intently. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Very sure. Four home pregnancy kits sure. I haven’t been to the doctor yet because I thought you might want to come with me. You won’t be able to see anything. It’s too early for an ultrasound, but still…” She regarded him hopefully. “You do want to come, right?”

“To every single appointment,” he confirmed. “You look happy. I hope you are, because I’m overjoyed. I can hardly wait to tell everyone.”

“Not just yet,” she cautioned. “These early months can be tricky. Let’s get through them first, okay?”

“Whatever you say,” he said at once. He’d have given her the moon just then if she’d said she had a craving for the green cheese it was supposedly made of. He regarded her worriedly. “I don’t want you panicking about money, you hear me? You’ve seen how well the gym is doing. We may be ahead of schedule on the baby plan, but we’re okay, Karen.”

She nodded. “I know that. And the minute I found out, for some reason, I just felt myself relax about all of it.” She reached for his hand. “We’ll be all right. I know we will.”

“We will be,” he confirmed.

A grin spread across her face as she clung to his hand. “Okay now,” she teased, then challenged, “Top that for a birthday surprise.”

He reached into his jacket where he’d stuffed the long, slim box. He couldn’t help chuckling as he handed it to her. “I thought the baby paper was a tacky substitute for birthday paper, but it’s certainly turned out to be on the mark.”

“And the red bow’s exactly the festive touch the night deserves,” she said, laughing.

Elliott held his breath as she opened it and looked at the envelope inside. As she removed the plane ticket to Las Vegas, her eyes grew wide and delight spread across her face.

“You bought me a ticket to go to Vegas with the girls?” she asked incredulously.

“And don’t say that I told you, but Frances is reserving a room for you as her gift. She’s absolutely thrilled that you’re coming along.”

For just a heartbeat, her excitement visibly dimmed. “But can we afford this?”

“Bought and paid for,” Elliott confirmed. “And I have bank statements back home that prove we can. You might have to raid Mack’s piggy bank for gambling money, but I think it won’t even come to that. I’ve gotten some nice tips, and I’ve put a little aside just for you to fritter away on the slots.”

“Maybe I’ll hit a jackpot, and our money worries will be over forever,” she said with surprising optimism.

“Heaven knows, I’m feeling lucky,” Elliott told her. “Want to know why? Because for the first time I can remember, you don’t look absolutely terrified by the prospect of spending a little extra to do something special. I think we’re finally over that hurdle in our marriage.”

“Maybe not over it,” she warned. “But it’s not nearly as high and scary as it was a few months ago.”

She frowned again. “What about Sullivan’s? If Dana Sue and I are both going, Erik and Tina can’t run it alone, even for a couple of days.”

“She’s shutting it down for the weekend. Erik’s coming, too. He’s hoping to keep Helen sane.”

Karen laughed. “I don’t envy him that task. She’s totally freaked out.”

“Just so you’re not,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I want you to go on this trip and have the time of your life. You deserve to run a little wild. Just don’t go picking up any handsome strangers in the casinos.”

She held his gaze. “Why would I want to when I’ll have the sexiest man on earth, the father of my child, waiting for me back here?”

As celebrations went, Elliott thought this had been the best of his entire life, not because of what he’d given his wife, but the gift of pure joy she’d given to him.

* * *

After the euphoria of her birthday celebration, Karen’s mood sank the next morning when she opened the door to find Adelia on her doorstep, her expression dark. She was obviously shaken. Even after their recent detente, the visit came as a surprise.

“Adelia, is everything okay? You look upset.”

Though Adelia stepped warily inside, she couldn’t seem to bring herself to meet Karen’s gaze. There was no hint of the friendliness of a few days ago. Instead, she asked tersely, “Is Elliott here?”

“No, he’s already at the spa,” Karen said. She took a closer look and realized that her sister-in-law had been crying, though she’d tried to hide her swollen eyes with makeup. “Why don’t I pour you a cup of coffee and we can talk. Elliott made it, so it’s strong the way all of you like it.”

Adelia shook her head and backed toward the door. “I should go.”

Karen reached out and put a hand on her arm. “You’re obviously upset about something. I’m happy to listen. I can do it without judging or giving advice, if that’s what you want.”

“You’ll think I’m an idiot,” Adelia said, clearly embarrassed.

“Why on earth would I think such a thing?” Karen asked, genuinely shocked. “I thought we made some progress the other night toward being friends.”

“We did, or at least I hoped we had,” Adelia said, “but still, after all of the commotion I stirred up over you being divorced, how can you not laugh when I say I’m leaving my husband?”

After blurting out the words, Adelia couldn’t seem to bring herself to look at Karen. Karen knew what it had cost her to make that admission, especially to her.

“I’m sorry,” she said softly to her sister-in-law. “I know it couldn’t have been an easy decision for you.”

Adelia seemed startled by Karen’s compassion. “You really mean that, don’t you?”

“I promised you no judgments,” Karen said. “I’m certainly in no position to make them, not about this.”

Adelia sighed heavily. “Mama is going to have a coronary. I doubt the rest of the family will be any better.”

“Probably not,” Karen said candidly. “But they’re not the ones walking in your shoes, are they?”

As Karen’s careful choice of words sank in, Adelia stared at her. “You know, don’t you? You know Ernesto has been cheating on me?” She sank onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands. “I knew he hadn’t been even the tiniest bit discreet, but I was hoping the word wasn’t all over town.”

“I don’t know that it is all over town,” Karen said. “Selena said something to Daisy. Daisy didn’t totally understand, but she told me.”

“And my brother knows, too,” she guessed, sounding resigned. “I thought he did. More than once I’ve had to warn him not to have a talk with Ernesto. I was hoping it was only because he knew I was unhappy.”

Karen nodded. “Yeah, I’ve had a little trouble reeling in his temper myself. I told him it would only humiliate you to have him interfering.”

Adelia nodded. “Thank you for that.”

“Now, please, come into the kitchen. Let’s have that coffee. I can call Elliott, if you’d like. I’m sure he’d come home if you want to talk. Or you can use me as a sounding board. I’ll just make a quick call to the restaurant and let Erik know I’m running late.”

“I didn’t mean to come over here and disrupt your day,” Adelia apologized. “I’m not even sure why I came. I actually threw Ernesto out days ago, but I woke up this morning and it hit me that my husband is gone and I have an appointment this morning to see Helen.”

“Would you like me to go with you?” Karen asked at once.

Adelia managed a weak smile. “God, what did I do to deserve your kindness?”

Karen grinned. “You bought me a dress.”

“I’ll buy you twenty if you’ll stick by me once Mama starts ranting and raving about what a terrible person I am.”

“You’re not a terrible person,” Karen said.

“But I was so superior and mean when Elliott first brought you home. I didn’t want to hear any of the reasons behind your divorce. The church said it was wrong and that was enough for me. Now here I am with my marriage falling apart and I’m pouring out my troubles to you and you’re actually being sympathetic.”

“Did you want me to throw you back onto the street?”

“I probably deserve it,” Adelia said.

“You’re family,” Karen said simply. “Lately I appreciate more than most what that means.” She set a cup of coffee in front of Adelia, then offered her a slice of the pie she’d baked the night before.