Harbor Street (Cedar Cove #5)(66)

Maryellen agreed. She’d had a busy day at the gallery and was exhausted. She’d experienced this same fatigue when she was pregnant with Katie—and the baby she’d miscarried, too. She felt as though all her energy was used up by eight o’clock. Jon never complained, but she worried that she wasn’t giving her husband enough attention.

“Come to bed early tonight,” she suggested, caressing the side of his face. “I miss spending time with you.”

“You’ll be asleep.”

“I won’t be if you wake me up.”

Jon slowly grinned. He knew exactly what she meant and what she wanted. They hadn’t made love since Christmas morning, and Maryellen craved the intimacy. She was well aware of the reason Jon so often delayed coming to bed. He was afraid their lovemaking might distress the pregnancy, but there was no indication of any problem. She felt fine, and other than the fatigue, she was perfectly healthy.

“Is it…safe? I mean, are you farther along now than you were with the other baby?”

Smiling, she nodded. She’d miscarried at nine weeks and was currently entering her fourth month. Jon took over with Katie, letting their daughter choose her favorite book—Goodnight, Moon at the moment—and then settling in the rocking chair with her on his lap. In the meantime, Maryellen prepared for bed. She fell asleep almost immediately and woke some hours later, when her husband joined her. She’d chosen a low-cut, silk gown that he’d given her a year ago on Valentine’s Day.

“What time is it?” she asked, rolling onto her back.

“Eleven,” he whispered, moving closer to her.

She yawned sleepily. Slipping her arms around his neck, she brought his mouth down to hers. His kisses were deep and probing, and his lips devoured hers with urgency.

“Oh,” she sighed softly. “What took you so long?” she whispered, excited by the way her ni**les hardened at his touch.

Their lovemaking was exquisite, painstakingly slow and filled with passion and tenderness. Afterward, Jon held her and kissed the tears from her face. Her emotions seemed so close to the surface; that was another effect pregnancy had on her. She felt everything more intensely. In the aftermath of their lovemaking, she was so moved by Jon’s devotion to her and their family that she began to cry.

“Why are you crying?” he asked between kisses. He followed one stray tear to the edge of her mouth and kissed her again.

She was breathless when he finished. “I love you so much.”

“I love you, too…and Katie. And this baby.”

“I know you do,” she whispered, but that didn’t stop the flow of tears. Jon held her in his embrace and with her arm draped over him, she returned to sleep.

At some point during the night, she felt Jon get out of bed. He often stole away for an hour or two and then came back. Most of the time she was only vaguely aware that he’d left. One night, his leaving had stirred her awake and she’d climbed out of bed and gone to see if he was ill. Maryellen had found him sitting in the living room, reading the Christmas card that had accompanied the gift from his father. He’d turned on only one small lamp. Deep in thought, he hadn’t noticed she was there, and rather than disturb him, she’d returned to bed alone. A small crack had developed in the wall Jon had built blocking out his parents. One tiny fissure. She prayed that eventually the relationship would be restored.

The next morning, Jon was whistling and in a cheerful mood. Come to think of it, Maryellen was in a good mood, too. A very good mood. Jon had a cup of herbal spice tea waiting for her when she came downstairs, dressed for work. Katie sat in her high chair banging her cup and looking pleased with herself.

“What time will you be home tonight?” Jon asked as he walked them to the car.

He asked this same question every morning; it was part of their ritual and the answer never changed. “Same as usual,” she promised.

Jon placed Katie in her carrier and buckled her in, kissing the top of her head before climbing out of the rear seat. “Have a good day,” he said and she saw the reluctance in his step as he rounded the car to kiss her, too. “I wish you didn’t have to go into town.” This was a familiar complaint.

“I wish I didn’t, either.”

Jon kissed her, but rather than giving her a token peck on the cheek, he kissed her passionately.

“Wow, what was that for?” she asked, fluttering her eyes, hardly able to catch her breath.

Jon chuckled. “I’m not sure,” he responded. “I guess it’s because I’m a satisfied husband.”

“I plan on keeping you that way.”

“You do?”

“Definitely.” She got inside the car and watched as Jon walked back to the house, his steps lighter now.

By one o’clock Maryellen hadn’t had a chance to eat her lunch. The gallery was doing a robust business, much to her delight. Fortunately, Lois showed up to relieve her, and she went into the back room to warm the soup delivered by the Potbelly Deli nearly an hour earlier. While the soup du jour, beef barley, heated in the microwave, she took a washroom break. That was when her happy world went into a downward spiral. She was spotting.

For a minute or more she sat there, her head spinning. This couldn’t be happening. Not again. Perhaps it was the lovemaking, but the doctor had reassured her on that score. Terror clawed at her as tears sprang to her eyes.