The Way to Yesterday. Sharon Sala

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СКАЧАТЬ to regain her composure before she went back outside. But when she stood up and turned, Daniel was standing in the doorway.

      Mary flinched, wondering how much of their conversation that he’d heard.

      “I was just coming back out,” she said, and made herself smile.

      “Hope’s wet,” he said.

      “I’ll change her,” Mary said, took her from Daniel’s arms and escaped into the nursery.

      Daniel’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he watched her go. He hadn’t heard the conversation, but he’d heard the panic in her voice. What the hell was going on? Better yet—why wouldn’t she tell him?

      He followed her into the nursery and slipped an arm around her shoulders as she fastened the last tab on Hope’s diaper. Just for a moment, he felt her hesitate and then lean back against his chest, just as she’d done so many times before. His heart quickened. He couldn’t remember the last time she’d let her guard down like that.

      “Are you okay?”

      The deep rumble of his voice, as well as the gentleness of his touch, was almost her undoing. She wanted to tell him now, in the quiet of their daughter’s room, but then he took hold of the hand that she’d cut and placed a tender kiss in the palm of her hand.

      “How about we give this poor little hand a rest? I’ll make us some sandwiches for lunch and tonight we could order in. We’ll have an early dinner…maybe watch a movie. It’s been a long time since we’ve done anything for us.”

      She laid Hope in her crib and then turned, unaware that the shimmer in her eyes was a dead giveaway of her emotions.

      “I’d love that. You choose the food. I’ll choose the movie.”

      He grinned. “As long as you don’t make me watch You’ve Got Mail again, you’ve got a deal.”

      Mary made a face. “But I like Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks.”

      “I do, too, but I’ve seen that movie enough already to last me a lifetime.”

      “Then how about Sleepless in Seattle?” she asked, fully aware that her two favorite actors also starred in that movie, as well.

      He growled as he swung her off her feet.

      “You pick the food. I’ll pick the movie,” he bargained.

      “Chinese.”

      “Lethal Weapon.”

      They laughed in unison and then walked out of the room arm in arm. For now, the tension between them had been shoved aside in the joy of the unexpected reunion.

      Less than an hour later, the doorbell rang. Daniel was in the act of slicing tomatoes for their lunch.

      “I’ll get it,” Mary said. The smile was still on her face as she opened the door, but when she saw the expression on Phyllis O’Rourke’s face, it was all she could do to be civil. “Phyllis…what a nice surprise. Please, come in.”

      “Where’s Daniel?”

      “In the kitchen making sandwiches for our lunch. We’d love to have you join us.”

      Phyllis glared. “Isn’t it enough that he works all week as a lawyer? Must he come home and feed himself, too?”

      Mary’s stomach began to knot. She held up her bandaged hand to add to a hasty explanation.

      “I cut myself this morning. He’s only helping—”

      “It’s always something with you, isn’t it?” Phyllis said, and physically pushed Mary aside as she strode into the house.

      Mary staggered, then steadied herself by grabbing onto the small table in the hall. Sick at heart, she turned around and saw Daniel standing in the doorway. The look on his face was somewhere between disbelief and fury.

      “Mother?”

      Phyllis turned, her expression full of indignation.

      “I called you about an hour ago, did you know that?”

      “Yes, Mary told me. Didn’t she tell you that I would call you back when I had time?”

      Phyllis looked as if she’d just been drop-kicked. She glanced at Mary and then back at her son.

      “Well…yes…I suppose she mentioned it, but you didn’t call and I needed…” She took a deep breath and started over, refusing to admit she’d been wrong. “Your Aunt Evelyn is in town. She and Hubert are coming to dinner tonight and I want you to come.”

      Daniel looked at his mother, then at Mary, who was still clutching the hall table as if it were a lifeline. Suddenly, things were beginning to make sense.

      Mary braced herself, waiting for Daniel to accept and knowing that she would have to endure a night of misery when they went. But Daniel surprised her by refusing.

      “Sorry, Mom,” then he walked past Phyllis and put an arm around Mary and gave her a quick hug. “We’ve already made other plans.”

      Phyllis’s lips went slack. If he’d slapped her, she wouldn’t have been more surprised. She glared at Mary, convinced that the woman was, somehow, at the bottom of Daniel’s refusal.

      “But Evelyn hasn’t seen your daughter and there’s no telling when they’ll be back in town.”

      Ignoring the whine in his mother’s voice, he tightened his grip on Mary.

      “Hope isn’t just my daughter, Mother, she’s our daughter, and I’m sorry we can’t come. Tell Aunt Evelyn we’ll send her some pictures, okay?”

      Mary was in shock. She still couldn’t believe what was happening or what had caused it, but it was all she could do not to giggle with relief.

      “Want to stay and have lunch with us?” Daniel asked. “It’s not much. I’m not as good a cook as Mary, but she cut her hand pretty badly this morning and I’m filling in. I still think she should have gotten stitches, but she thought otherwise. Anyway, it’s only canned soup and sandwiches, but I slice a pretty mean tomato.”

      Phyllis wouldn’t look at Mary and couldn’t meet Daniel’s gaze.

      “No…I’d better not. Since I’m having company tonight, there are a dozen things I need to do.” She smoothed a hand down the front of her dress and then lifted her chin and made herself smile. “Thank you for the invitation, though. Maybe some other time.”

      “Give our love to Hubert and Evelyn,” Daniel said.

      “Yes…yes, I will,” Phyllis muttered. “They’re going to be disappointed.”

      Daniel chuckled. “Then maybe next time they’ll call ahead and let people know they’re coming.”

      Phyllis didn’t bother to comment as she let herself out of the house.

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