AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I think it has more to do with Pam. He thought they were in it for the long haul, and she had a completely different idea of the relationship.”
“My poor dad. He really is clueless for being as old as he is.”
“You know she lives on the beach,” Kassandra said. “About a quarter mile down. She designed the kitchen in Iggie’s house. Evidently, Senator Charles Monroe built that place when he was dating her.”
“He should have been stopped at the kitchen,” Tony said, buckling his seatbelt. “The rest of that place makes gaudy look dull.”
Laughing, Kassandra started the car and pulled out of the garage. “It is a monstrosity. But I already know what I’ll do to it. First, I’ll get rid of the gold hardware everywhere. Then, the marble has to go.”
“The entire place is marble,” Tony said, grimacing. “That sounds expensive.”
“Marble isn’t good for babies. It’s too slippery and too hard. I’ll do hardwood throughout. That will be better for the beach, too. Sand and water and sunlight. God, I can’t wait. I hope we can come to an agreement.”
“Do you know what Dad paid for it?” Tony asked.
“I do. And I can tell you right now that if that place were up here, it would fetch twice as much.”
Taking a swig of coffee, Tony looked out the windshield and tried to imagine himself in domesticity. “Kassie?”
“Yes, love.”
“Does this mean we’re getting married?” he asked.
“No, Tony, we don’t have to get married. I don’t want to pressure you. You’re not going anywhere, right?”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“And you don’t mind getting me pregnant.”
“I guess I don’t mind. I never thought I’d be a very good father.”
“It would be wonderful if you wanted to be a father, Tony. But I’m not going into this expecting anything from you except to stick around. If you don’t want to do that, then we might have an issue. I want a happy home, like we’ve had for the past ten years.”
They drove along for a while,the past ten yearsechoing through the car.
“This kind of came out of the blue,” Tony said.
“I’m like that. Once I make up my mind about something, I just do it. If you don’t want to move or have a family or be with someone who isn’t driven to be the world’s greatest cardiac surgeon, then now is the time to say something.”
“I’m comfortable in my condo, I’ll admit. What brought on the sudden urge to change up everything?”
“It’s embarrassing,” Kassandra said, looking over at Tony. “We have that thing going between you and me that I never liked, but you keep saying it.”
“Let me guess,” he said, frowning. “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Right! I hate that, and you know it. And calling me a Barbie doll. It’s so insulting.”
“I promise…”
“No, it’s too late. I had some bloodwork done, and I’m already in perimenopause. My biological clock is not just ticking. The alarm is screamingwake up!”
“It’s unbelievable that we’ve already been together ten years,” Tony admitted. “You’ll always be that young twenty-something surgeon my father was probably lusting after.”
“That’s disgusting, and you know it. Iggie never,everimplied any such thing.”
They drove in silence for miles.
“I’m worried about infertility, too,” Kassandra eventually said. “All the birth control pills I’ve taken.”
