Harbor Street (Cedar Cove #5)(72)

“Ian and the baby again?”

“He refuses to decide on a name,” Cecilia blurted out. “It’s ridiculous, and oh—he’s just so frustrating.”

“He knows the baby’s a boy. So what’s his problem?”

“I’ve been after him for weeks to give me suggestions for names and he just ignores me. Finally I sent him a list of my favorites and he ignored that, too.” This was the one thing Cecilia disliked about e-mail. Whatever he didn’t want to answer, he simply ignored.

“What are you going to do?” Cathy asked. “Wait until after the baby arrives? You can’t call him Baby Randall for the rest of his life, you know.”

“I do know. I told Ian he had his opportunity and if he wasn’t going to make any suggestions, I’d choose the name I liked best without him.”

“So,” Cathy said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity, “what name have you chosen?”

Cecilia placed her hand on her belly. “Aaron. Aaron Randall has a good sound, don’t you think?”

“I like it,” Cathy said, testing the name on her tongue. “Aaron Randall. Yes.”

“Ian’s middle name is Jacob and I thought we’d use that for the baby’s middle name, too.”

Cathy nodded her approval. “Does Ian have a problem with Aaron Jacob?”

She sighed. “For weeks he refused to discuss names and when I told him fine, I’d do it without him, he didn’t respond. But the minute he heard the name Aaron he went nuts. I told him about it when he called last week,” she added.

“Why doesn’t he like the name?”

Cecilia was embarrassed to repeat what he’d said. “He doesn’t want a name that begins with the letter A.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Cathy muttered, and then her eyes widened. “Oh. He’s upset because Allison’s name began with A?”

“Exactly.” The waitress delivered their meals and Cecilia thanked her with a smile.

“Isn’t that being a little superstitious?”

Cecilia nodded. “He’s so afraid, and it’s really starting to bother me. I like the name Aaron. When I first went back to school, I had a teacher at Olympic College who encouraged me. If it hadn’t been for Mr. Cavanaugh, I would’ve dropped out.”

“His first name was Aaron?” Cathy guessed.

Cecilia took a bite of her wrap, which was actually quite tasty. “He became my advisor and steered me toward the bookkeeping classes. I think he must be a friend of Mr. Cox’s, too, because I was hired after Mr. Cavanaugh suggested I apply for the position.” The math professor had been more of a father to Cecilia than her own, and she wanted him to know how much his encouragement had meant to her. She kept in touch with him, sending a Christmas card each year. She’d mail him a baby announcement and thank him again for his kindness.

“Ian had his chance to name the baby.” Cecilia tried a spoonful of soup. “I tried and tried to get him to discuss names and the only reaction I got was that he didn’t like Aaron.”

“Well, like you said, he’s afraid.”

“I’m going to be fine,” she insisted, as though she had to convince herself as well as Cathy. “The baby will, too.” She’d already begun to think of the baby as Aaron, and the name was a perfectly good one.

Half an hour later, Cecilia and Cathy left the Pancake Palace and drove to Silverdale, to the Kitsap Mall. Neither of them had much extra money, so they just browsed in the baby departments. Cecilia did buy some little undershirts that were on sale.

“I’m concerned about Allison Cox,” Cecilia said as they passed a record store and saw a display of DVDs. “I think I told you. She’s fallen for this kid who looks like he’s stepped right out of The Matrix.”

“There’s something highly attractive about a bad boy,” Cathy said and although she was teasing, Cecilia knew it was true. The attraction was certainly there for Allison.

“I thought you told me they aren’t allowed to see each other.”

“They aren’t, and it’s killing Allison. She comes in after school and moans on and on about how hard this is. I listen and try to be sympathetic, but that boy is bad news. I’m just grateful Mr. Cox put his foot down.”

“So what’s your concern?”

Cecilia swung her small plastic bag. “Mr. Cox and Anson have an agreement and, when that’s fulfilled, Anson can see Allison again. The poor girl’s living for that day. I’m afraid she’s setting herself up for a big disappointment.”

“You’re borrowing trouble,” Cathy told her as they strolled past a display of baby furniture. “But on another subject, what do you hear from Rachel Pendergast these days?”

“Not much,” Cecilia said. As soon as Rachel had learned that Nate’s father was a United States Congressman, she’d broken off the relationship. Cecilia still planned to go to Rachel for her haircuts, but it’d been two or three weeks since she’d talked to her.

“I take it she’s running scared.”

“Yeah.” Cecilia paused to run her hand over the side of the display crib. She already had Aaron’s room set up and had purchased a used crib from a secondhand store. Everything was prepared and waiting for her son, although she hadn’t bought many new things.