Honor Bound(49)

"Mother, Gene, you remember Aislinn."

"Of course," Gene said.

"Hello."

Alice smiled at her and asked shyly, "May I see the baby?"

Aislinn turned Tony so that he could be seen easily. Alice gasped softly. Tears filled her eyes as she reached out and touched the dark down on his head. "Lucas," she breathed.

"Anthony Joseph," Lucas proudly corrected her. "My son."

"Oh, yes, I know he's your son." Alice clamped her small, white teeth over her lower lip to keep from laughing and crying at the same time. "He looks just like you. Gene, did you see him? Isn't he wonderful? Anthony Joseph. After father." She looked at Aislinn with tear-sparkled eyes. "Thank you."

"I … we … call him Tony. Would you like to hold him?"

Alice hesitated for only a moment before opening her arms to receive the child. For years she had been taking care of newborns at the clinic, but she handled Tony so carefully he might have been made of porcelain. Her eyes never left him as she carried him to the sofa and sat down, crooning a Navaho lullaby.

"Guess that leaves me to take over as host," Gene said, finally thinking to shut the front door to preserve the air conditioning. "Aislinn, come in and have a seat," he said, sweeping his arm wide to indicate the living room.

"We got married today," Lucas said bluntly, almost as though he expected to be challenged.

"Well that's … that's great," Gene said dubiously.

Again the situation could have been awkward if Alice hadn't intervened. "Please sit down, all of you," she urged. "I'll get you something to eat and drink shortly. But I want just a few minutes with Tony."

"Don't go to any trouble, Mother. We can't stay long."

"You're leaving? But you just got here."

"I want to get out to the place before it gets any later."

Alice looked at her son with disbelief. "Out to the place? You mean to that trailer?"

"Yes."

"With Aislinn and Tony?"

"Of course."

"But you can't move them into that trailer. It's too small. It hasn't even been cleaned, and—"

"Alice," Gene said with gentle reproach.

She fell silent immediately. She glanced at Lucas and Aislinn uneasily. "It's none of my business, I realize, but I hoped you'd spend a few days here with me before moving out there."

Lucas looked down at Aislinn. She hadn't offered an opinion and he knew she wouldn't. God, she was courageous. When the occasion called for it, she was as steady as a rock. He had admired that in her from the beginning. But he could see the rings of fatigue beneath her eyes and the weary stoop of her shoulders. "All right. One night," he conceded, surprising himself.

"Oh, I'm so glad," Alice said. "Here, Aislinn, take the baby. I've been keeping some food warm on the outside chance that Lucas would show up tonight."

"I'll help you," Aislinn offered.

"You don't have to."

"But I want to."

Gene and Lucas followed them from the room. At the door, Lucas caught Gene's arm. "We're not putting you out of a bed tonight, are we?" he asked beneath his breath.

"Unfortunately no," Gene said ruefully.

"Still?"

The doctor shook his head sadly. "Still. Your mother is a rare woman, Lucas. I don't intend to give up on her until she is my wife."

Lucas slapped him on the back. "Good. She needs you."

As they entered the kitchen, he was thinking how rare a woman he was married to. That's why his eyes sought out Aislinn immediately.

She caught his glance and looked back at him shyly. This was a family scene, and yet it wasn't. Her new married status would take some getting used to. Yet she was inordinately pleased when Lucas sat down next to her.

"Lucas, why didn't you tell me about the baby?" Alice asked a half-hour later as she carried their supper dishes to the sink.

The significant pause broadened into a lengthy, uncomfortable silence. Aislinn finally broke it with her confession. "He didn't know about the baby. Not until he came to my house three days ago to thank me for not pressing any charges against him." She tried to meet the startled gazes of Lucas's mother and friend, but found that she didn't have the courage and lowered her eyes.

"I forced her to marry me," Lucas said with characteristic candor. "I threatened to take Tony away from her if she didn't."

Gene shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Alice raised her hand to her lips, hoping her shock wasn't too evident. At last she said, "I'm very glad to have you as my daughter-in-law, Aislinn."

"Thank you," Aislinn said, smiling at the older woman. She knew that Alice and the doctor must be burning with curiosity, so she appreciated their restraint from asking further questions.

"You must be tired after the long drive," Alice said kindly. "Why don't you let me get you settled for the night? You can sleep in my room."

"No." Before anyone could move, Lucas paralyzed them all with that single word. "Aislinn is my wife. She sleeps with me."





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