A Match Made in Heaven?. Sun Chara

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       Chapter Two

      Samantha leaned over his shoulder, and the words hit her like a sledgehammer. “Not married!” She snatched the paper from his hand, her gaze riveted on the black bold-faced type. “Not legally married.” She raised her eyes and collided with his look of consternation.

      “Is this possible, Johnny?”

      He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Dunno.”

      Laughter bubbled from her, first softly, then growing louder. She swallowed the hysteria and her shoulders drooped, her face crumbling.

      “Sam?”

      “We-we’re not married.” She swiped her damp cheeks with the back of her hand, sure her mascara, her one luxury, and pancake batter blended on her face. “A-nd I’m six months pregnant.”

      Johnny reached for her, and then let his hand drop by his side. “We can clear this up … sure it’s some kind of mistake.”

      She groaned. “Mamma’ll have a royal fit.”

      He scowled. “More like she’ll boogie woogie.”

      “Wish you two would get alo—” She bit off the words that’d trigger an argument between them and spread her hand across her big belly.

      “You okay?” He stepped closer.

      “No.”

      “Is it the baby?” he asked, his voice uneasy.

      “Yes … no … what I mean is … yes, baby’s okay.”

      A whistle of relief sounded from his mouth, but got snuffed by her next words.

      “But I’m not okay with this bombshell you’ve dropped.” She lifted the spoon from the bowl. “What am I going to do?”

      He slitted his gaze. “You mean we, what are we going to do, right?”

      Blobs of batter dripped at her feet, adding a new dimension to the scruffy linoleum. “No.” She considered him for a long moment. “What are you going to do, Johnny?”

      Her challenge, a gauntlet hurled at his feet, and he swooped it up.

      “I’ll get a new license … I’ll sign this one … I’ll—”

      “Signature on wedding license does not match groom’s identification,” she read. “Document false. Signature forged.” She stared at him, sure her eyes were huge and accusing. “What were you thinking?”

      He straddled a chair. “I was thinking about you.”

      “Huh?”

      “I was mesmerized by your … er … beauty if you remember.”

      She shook the spoon at him. Minute batter missiles sprinkled his face and his shirt. “Johnny Belen, I’m warning you …”

      He ran a finger down his cheek and licked the drop with his tongue. “Mmm, this is good.”

      “Johnny.”

      “Okay, Sam.” He leaped up, a sheepish grin on his lips. “Guess I forgot … but I was sure—”

      “I don’t believe it.” She plunged the spoon back in the batter. “You don’t forget a thing like that.” Swinging open the cupboard, she grabbed two plates, shoved them at him and slammed it shut.

      He set the chipped dishes on the bottle-cap sized table. “You’ll recall ours was no ordinary wedding.”

      Sam sighed. “Yes.” For a fleeting moment, her wedding day replayed at speed before her eyes and emotion swelled inside her. Abruptly, she crammed the memory aside and opened the refrigerator, welcoming the frosty air on her hot cheeks. “I re-re-remember.”

      “It was easy to overlook—”

      She took out the butter and banged the fridge door shut with her elbow.

      “—a thing like that.” What could he say? It was a rhino-size blunder and he felt like a heel for it. He bashed a tuff of hair dangling on his forehead back with his fist. Thoughts of cuffing snoboy into cyberspace had distracted him, and subconsciously he must’ve scribbled Scott’s name on the wedding doc.

      He shot Sam a covert glance.

      She shot one back.

      Until he checked the copy in their safety deposit box at the bank, he’d be in the doghouse under lock and key. “There is a funny side to this, Sam.” He tested the waters, his words half question, half statement, his lips tugging at the corners.

      Silence.