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“We have an office supplier on board who would have outfitted your new business to your specifications. I had no idea you intended to put your personal things in here.”
Why was he so upset?
“The condo wasn’t built with a study,” she explained. “Since all this was in mine at home, I thought I could save you a little money by placing my own things around in here. If they look too shabby or don’t convey the right image, we can have everything taken upstairs.”
“I’m not bordering on bankruptcy yet, but I appreciate your concern for our household finances. As for this office, you’ve created a haven of charm that expresses your personality. When the Garden Shop finishes decorating the top floor, I’ll tell them to talk to you about the kind of plants you’d like in here. Shall we go?”
Terri left with him, determined to get back in his good graces if it killed her. “Your worries were for naught,” she teased playfully as they headed for the hospital.
He made no comment, but that didn’t daunt her.
“Your dream ship has been sailing the high seas all day and hasn’t broken down once.”
She heard his sharp intake of breath. “That’s what they said about the Titanic.”
Terri burst into laughter and grasped his hand. To her joy his fingers tightened around hers. “That’s one movie we won’t ever watch. Yesterday I bought frozen pizza which I like to doctor up a certain way. What do you say we watch the Killer Tomatoes in bed and stuff ourselves.”
“You’re not seasick?” He pushed open the doors leading into the hospital.
“Not yet.”
“I’m surprised the pills didn’t make you sleepy.”
“I didn’t need them. Do you know it never occurred to me until right this second how terrible it would be if I were the kind who got deathly sick on the water? After all the trouble I’ve caused you, and then that, too…”
“Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Herrick,” a female voice broke in before her husband had a chance to respond. It was the same triage nurse from before. She beamed at them.
“I wondered when we’d see the two of you in here. Heaven knows, everybody else on the ship has already been by to look at the baby through the nursery window.”
“How’s the mother?” Ben asked before Terri could.
“She’s been in a lot of pain and is sedated right now, but you’re welcome to peek at her little girl. I’ll call for one of the nurses to show you where to go.”
In a few minutes they were standing before the glass while another nurse wearing a mask in the newborn unit held up Juanita’s tiny baby for their inspection.
“Oh Ben—” Terri cried. “Isn’t she precious— Look at all that dark curly hair. Juanita’s so lucky. I hope when she’s feeling better, she’ll let me hold the baby.”
He let go of her hand and put his arm around her shoulders. “I have no doubt of it. In the meantime your husband is salivating for that pizza you were talking about.”
By some miracle he didn’t sound upset anymore. Counting her blessings she said, “I’m hungry, too. Let’s go.”
So far Ben’s bed was her favorite place on earth. They ate, drank and played cards on it while they laughed at the absurd film. He made her promise to wait until the following evening when he would help her open all the other boxes from Lead spread around in the foyer and living room.
Halfway through a rousing game of Spit in the Ocean, she recalled something he’d said to her in the driveway of her mother’s house.
My interest in seeing your apartment stems from pure interest in getting to know you better. Suddenly she thought she understood what had gone on inside her husband.
“Ben— I’m sorry I didn’t wait for you to help me set up my office. I would have been pained if our positions had been reversed and I’d walked in on you sharing something from your past with a virtual stranger.
“I was just trying to get things done and out of the way so I could be of help to you. I didn’t stop to think how it would affect you. It’s probably too late to promise that I’ll never knowingly do anything that thoughtless again.”
“You owe me no apology, Terri. If I came off sounding surly, it’s because I couldn’t find you in the condo. Frankly I was disappointed becau
se I had to look for you. It was a purely selfish reaction on my part.”
Don’t ever get over it, her heart cried.
“Ben, there’s something else.”
