Trading Christmas (26 page)

“Will you return the favor?”

It took a moment for the implication to sink in, and even then Cait wasn't sure she should follow the trail Joe seemed to be forging through this conversation. She leaned forward and rested her hands on the edge of the desk.

“I'm destined to be an old maid,” she said flippantly, although she couldn't help feeling a sliver of real hope.

“You'll never be that.”

Cait was hoping he'd say her beauty would make her irresistible, or that her warmth and wit and intelligence were sure to attract a dozen suitors. Instead he said the very thing she could have predicted. “We're already married, so you don't need to worry about being a spinster.”

Cait released a sigh of impatience. “I wish you'd give up on that, Joe. It's growing increasingly old.”

“As I recall, we celebrated our eighteenth anniversary not long ago.”

“Don't be ridiculous. All right,” she said, straightening abruptly. If he wanted to play games, then she'd respond in kind. “Since we're married, I want a family.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” he cried, throwing his arms in the air, “that's music to my ears. I'm willing.”

Cait prepared to leave the office, if not the building. “Somehow I knew you would be.”

“Two or three,” he interjected, then chuckled and added, “I suppose we should name the first two Ken and Barbie.”

Cait's scowl made him chuckle even louder.

“If you prefer, we'll leave the names open to negotiation,” he said.

“Of all the colossal nerve…” Cait muttered, moving to the window and gazing out.

“If you want daughters, I've got no objection, but from what I understand that's not really up to us.”

Cait turned around, crossing her arms. “Correct me if I'm wrong,” she said coldly, certain he'd delight in doing so. “But you did just ask me to marry you. Could you confirm that?”

“All I want is to make legal what's already been done.”

Cait sighed in exasperation. Was he serious, or wasn't he?
He was talking about marriage, about joining their lives, as if he were planning a bid on a construction project.

“When Paul asked Lindy to marry him, he had a diamond ring.”

“I was going to buy you a ring,” Joe said emphatically. “I still am. But I thought you'd want to pick it out yourself. If you wanted a diamond, why didn't you say so? I'll buy you the whole store if that'll make you happy.”

“One ring will suffice, thank you.”

“Pick out two or three. I understand diamonds are an excellent investment.”

“Not so fast,” she said, holding out her arm. It was vital she maintain some distance between them. If Joe kissed her or started talking about having children again, they might never get the facts clear.

“Not so fast?” he repeated incredulously. “Honey, I've been waiting eighteen years to discuss this. You're not going to ruin everything now, are you?” He advanced a couple of steps toward her.

“I'm not agreeing to anything until you explain yourself.” For every step he took toward her, Cait retreated two.

“About what?” Joe was frowning, which wasn't a good sign.

“Paul.”

His eyelids slammed shut, then slowly raised. “I don't understand why that man's name has to come into every conversation you and I have.”

Cait decided it was better to ignore that comment. “You haven't even told me you love me.”

“I love you.” He actually sounded annoyed, as if she'd insisted on having the obvious reiterated.

“You might say it with a little more feeling,” Cait suggested.

“If you want feeling, come here and let me kiss you.”

“No.”

“Why not?” By now they'd completely circled her desk. “We're talking serious things here. Trust me, sweetheart, a man doesn't bring up marriage and babies with just any woman. I love you. I've loved you for years, only I didn't know it.”

“Then why did you let Paul take me out to dinner?”

“You mean I could've stopped you?”

“Of course. I didn't want to go out with him! I was sick about having to turn you down for dinner. Not only that, you didn't even seem to care that I was going out with another man. And as far as you were concerned, he was your main competition.”

“I wasn't worried.”

“That wasn't the impression I got later.”

“All right, all right,” Joe said, drawing his fingers through his hair. “I didn't think Paul was interested in you. I saw him and Lindy together one night at the office and the electricity between them was so thick it could've lit up Seattle.”

“You knew about Lindy and Paul?”

Joe shrugged. “Let me put it this way. I had a sneaking suspicion. But when you started talking about Paul as though you were in love with him, I got worried.”

“You should have been.” Which was a bold-faced lie.

Somehow, without her being quite sure how it happened, Joe maneuvered himself so only a few inches separated them.

“Are you ever going to kiss me?” he demanded.

Meekly Cait nodded and stepped into his arms like a child opening the gate and skipping up the walkway to home. This was the place she belonged. With Joe. This was home and she need never doubt his love again.

With a sigh that seemed to come from the deepest part of him, Joe swept her close. For a breathless moment they looked
into each other's eyes. He was about to kiss her when there was a knock at the door.

Harry, Joe's foreman, walked in without waiting for a response. “I don't suppose you've seen Joe—” He stopped abruptly. “Oh, sorry,” he said, flustered and eager to make his escape.

“No problem,” Cait assured him. “We're married. We have been for years and years.”

Joe was chuckling as his mouth settled over hers, and in a single kiss he wiped out all the doubts and misgivings, replacing them with promises and thrills.

T
he robust sound of organ music surged through the Seattle church as Cait walked slowly down the center aisle, her feet moving in time to the traditional music. As the maid of honor, Lindy stood to one side of the altar while Joe and his brother, who was serving as best man, waited on the other. The church was decorated with poinsettias and Christmas greenery, accented by white roses.

Cait's brother, Martin, stood directly ahead of her. He smiled at Cait as the assembly rose and she came down the aisle, her heart overflowing with happiness.

Cait and Joe had planned this day, their Christmas wedding, for months. If there'd been any lingering doubts that Joe really loved her, they were long gone. He wasn't the type of man who expressed his love with flowery words and gifts. But Cait had known that from the first. He'd insisted on building their home before the wedding and they'd spent countless hours going over the architect's plans. Cait was helping Joe with his accounting and would be taking over the task full-time when
they started their family. Which would be soon. The way Cait figured it, she'd be pregnant by next Christmas.

But before they began their real life together, they'd enjoy a perfect honeymoon in New Zealand. He'd wanted to surprise her with the trip, but Cait had needed a passport. They'd only be gone two weeks, which was all the time Joe could afford to take, since he had several large projects coming up.

As the organ concluded the “Wedding March,” Cait handed her bouquet to Lindy and placed her hands in Joe's. He smiled down on her as if he'd never seen a more beautiful woman in his life. Judging by the look on his face, Cait knew he could hardly keep from kissing her right then and there.

“Dearly beloved,” Martin said, stepping forward, “we are gathered here today in the sight of God and man to celebrate the love of Joseph James Rockwell and Caitlin Rose Marshall.”

Cait's eyes locked with Joe's. She did love him, so much that her heart felt close to bursting. After all these months of waiting for this moment, Cait was sure she'd be so nervous her voice would falter. That didn't happen. She'd never felt more confident of anything than her feelings for Joe and his for her. Cait's voice rang out strong and clear, as did Joe's.

As they exchanged the rings, Cait could hear her mother and Joe's weeping softly in the background. But these were tears of shared happiness. The two women had renewed their friendship and were excited about the prospect of grandchildren.

Cait waited for the moment when Martin would tell Joe he could kiss his bride. Instead he closed his Bible, reverently set it aside, and said, “Joseph James Rockwell, do you have the baseball cards with you?”

“I do.”

Cait looked at the two men as if they'd both lost their
minds. Joe reached inside his tuxedo jacket and produced two flashy baseball cards.

“You may give them to your bride.”

With a dramatic flourish, Joe did as Martin instructed. Cait stared down at the two cards and grinned broadly.

“You may now kiss the bride,” Martin declared.

Joe was more than happy to comply.