“Good morning, Mrs. Fulbrook. How are you today?“ Diana smiled with cool politeness.
“As well as can be expected. What about you. Miss Prentice? Is it true you’re marrying Savagar?“
“Word travels fast around here, doesn’t it?“
“Saw Evelyn Thorp at the grocery store,“ Margaret Fulbrook explained impatiently. “She told me all about it. I couldn’t believe it at first. You look like a reasonably bright young woman. Why on earth would you want to marry Savagar? Has he gotten you pregnant the way he did my daughter?“
For some reason the blunt question got to Diana. She had thought she was ready for anything Margaret Fulbrook could dish out, but in spite of herself, she turned pink.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Mrs. Fulbrook. If you’ll excuse me, I have a few other errands to run.“
Colby appeared on the other side of the glass doors. He strode into the small lobby just as the old woman’s sharp eyes widened and then narrowed in open speculation. She studied Diana’s blushing face, “So that’s it, is it?“ Margaret Fulbrook said with grim satisfaction. “Forty years old and the man still hasn’t learned how to keep his jeans zipped up.
You have my sympathy, Miss Prentice. But not much of it. I warned you to stay away from that man.“
Diana came close to losing her temper. She had always felt sorry for the bitter woman who had denied herself her own grandson for nearly twenty years, but this was going too far. Colby was already moving forward, a dangerous expression on his face. In another moment there would be fireworks.
Diana smiled serenely at Margaret Fulbrook. “The wonderful thing about being my age is that one gets to make one’s own decisions. One needn’t listen to the warnings of others.“
“Diana?“ Colby came to a halt, no longer certain he had an adversary. “What the hell is going on here?“
“There you are, Colby.“ She went to him and stood on tiptoe to kiss him lightly. “I’ve got the mail. Shall we leave?“
Colby scowled at Margaret Fulbrook. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.“
“Just a moment, you two,“ Mrs. Fulbrook snapped. “I hear you’re getting married here. Is my grandson going to be coming up from Portland for the wedding?“
“Not that it’s any business of yours, but, yes, Brandon will be here on Friday,“ Colby growled as he shouldered open the glass doors. He let them swing shut on the older woman’s next remark. “What was that all about?“ he demanded.
“Margaret Fulbrook was speculating on the reason behind our hasty marriage plans.“
“Yeah, that figures. The old witch.“ Colby came to a halt beside the Jeep and captured her face between rough palms. “Are you okay, honey?“
“I still feel a little dazed whenever I think about being pregnant,“ she answered truthfully.
“You’re going to make a good mother once you settle down and get your priorities straight. You’re still panicked, but once you’re past that part, you’ll be fine.“
“How do you know?“
“Because I’ve been there, remember?“
Diana clasped his wrists and looked up at him with anxious eyes. “Oh, Colby, I know you have and it’s not fair for you to have to go through this again.“
“If you bring up the subject of fairness again, I’m going to get really angry. There’s no going back for either of us, so we don’t talk about it. I thought I made that clear?“
She nodded, her smile tremulous. “You did. And you’re right. I won’t bring up the subject again.“
“Good. Let’s go pick up those groceries.“ Colby glanced into the Jeep. “Stay put, you idiot dog. We’ll be right back.“
Specter gave him a bored look.
“You and my dog have made some headway toward detente,“ Diana observed. “At least the two of you don’t growl openly at each other any longer.“
“I wouldn’t trust that mutt as far as I could throw him, and what with the way you overfeed him, that’s not far. If he
’s behaving himself around me these days, it’s only because he knows he’s living under my roof and he’ll get kicked out if he tries anything really nasty. This isn’t detente, it’s a power struggle. Specter’s gone underground for the time being,“
“I think you credit him with a little too much deviousness. He’s only a dog, Colby.“
“Hah. He’s jealous of me. Before I came along, he was the only male in your life.“ Colby glanced down at the letter in her hand. “Except for that damn boss of yours. What’s he writing to you about this time?“
Diana opened the envelope as they walked toward the grocery store. Quickly she scanned the contents of the letter. “He says my position is still waiting, work is piling up, and they could really use me. He thinks he could wangle a raise for me if I return from my leave soon.“
“Forget it.“
“I’m not so sure, Colby. I was thinking that going back to work for Carruthers and Yale might be the perfect solution until the baby arrives. I’d feel strange about starting a brand-new job with another company and then having to take maternity leave within the first year. But I’ve worked for Carruthers and Yale for several years now, and as far as I’m concerned they owe me.“
“They do owe you after the way they refused to promote you because of the fact that you’re a woman.“
“Don’t you see? I could use my old position as the perfect fill-in job until the baby arrives, and then I could quit. It would serve those old fogies right, and it would give me a well-paying job for the next few months. After the baby gets here, I can start hunting for a permanent position with another firm.“
“You don’t have to work at all until the baby arrives,“ Colby said irritably. “There’s not much point. I can support you, and you can spend the time getting ready to become a mother. You’ve got a lot to learn on that subject.“
Diana slid him an uneasy glance. She did not want to start a quarrel but she also wanted Colby to understand.
“You know how I feel about working.“
“I know you’ve got this thing about not becoming financially dependent on a man, but that’s hogwash in this situation. You know damned well I’m not going to run off and leave you stranded.“
“I know that, but…“