Having Justin's Baby

“No, we’d be a Midwest company. Bigger and better.” Kyle took another drink. “We could hire the additional employees we need to bid on the larger commercial projects and you and I could devote more of our time to managing the company instead of doing the physical labor. We were business majors in college,” he reminded Justin.

“I know, but I happen to like working with the trees,” Justin reminded him.

“And that’s fine. All I’m saying is that if we expand, we’ll have the option to delegate more of the work. We’ll also make more money. And that would be a good thing.” He used his beer bottle as a pointer. “We could also afford to move to a nice place—something a little more modern than this place.”

“Even if we sell the house we’re going to have to fix it up a bit…put some fresh paint on the walls.”

“Now you’re starting to sound like Paige. She was always after me to put one of those designer colors on the walls…something called Mesa Sunrise.”

Justin grinned. “It looked like pink to me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not living in a pink house. There’s nothing wrong with white walls.”

“Except these walls look more like dirty socks.” Justin toyed with the label on the neck of his beer bottle. “The whole house needs work. Every year we say we’re going to do it during our slow season and it doesn’t get done.”

“That’s because there’ve been better things to do—like lie in the sun on a beach in Mexico,” Kyle reminded him.

“Maybe this year we should think about staying home and taking care of the work that needs to be done around this place.”

“I thought you wanted me to look up info on those nursery seminars that are being offered in Oregon—which reminds me.” He sat forward, patting his pockets until he produced a folded piece of paper. “I have the name of a contact person. Another reason why it would be to our advantage to have Bonner come on board. You and I could take the seminar at the same time and still have someone running the company back here.”

Justin pondered that a moment. “Good point. Maybe it is time we bring on another partner.”

“What about the house? Should we have a real estate appraiser come out to take a look?”

“It wouldn’t hurt, but I suppose we really ought to talk to Paige before we do anything. She has been our silent partner.”

“Well, technically she isn’t, but we’ve treated her like one since she invested her first paycheck as a teacher to help us get started.”

“That makes her a part of us,” Justin insisted.

“Then we’ll tell her,” Kyle agreed. “I’m sure she’ll say that whatever we plan to do with the business is fine with her. We’ll talk to her about it at the Bulldog Reunion.”

“Speaking of the reunion…did you see this?” Justin slid the invitation across the wooden tabletop. “I thought we told her we didn’t want to have outsiders.”

“We did, but you know Paige. Once she sets her mind to something, she gets it done. And she wanted to bring her fiancé. She called me last week.”

“I hope you told her we weren’t bringing anyone.”

“Of course I did.”

“Good.”

“But then I asked Tammy to come along.”

Justin had been teetering on the back legs of his chair, but sat forward with a thump. “Are you telling me I’m going to be the only one flying solo? Why would you invite Tammy?” Kyle had only started going out with her recently.

“Hey—I had to,” he insisted in a defensive tone. “Paige is going to be bringing that Tiger Woods wannabe and I didn’t want to have to watch the two of them play kissy face all weekend. You know as well as I do that falling in love has changed Paige and not in a good way.”

“I know it’s affected her hearing.” Justin grimaced. “She hasn’t heard a word we’ve said about the guy.”

“I think her common sense has been pushed to the back of her brain.”

Justin didn’t want to talk about Paige. “Look, I’m not going to feel much like going to the reunion if I’m the only one without a date,” he said irritably.

Kyle raised his hands. “Just chill—you won’t be alone,” he said with a devilish grin. “I asked Tammy to bring her sister Tara for you.”

Justin groaned. “Tell me you didn’t.”

Kyle was clearly perplexed. “What is wrong with you? You’ve seen Tara. She’s not only beautiful, she’s fun to be around. Why are you groaning? I did you a favor.”

What was wrong was that he felt the same way as Kyle did about seeing Paige with Michael. But having Tara there wouldn’t help. Only he couldn’t tell him that, so he said, “You told Paige we weren’t bringing anyone, which means she’s made plans for eight people, not ten. You know how she hates a change in plans.”

“I don’t think she’s going to care about two extra people.”

“Yes, she will.” The weekend was becoming less appealing by the minute. “Maybe we ought to just skip the reunion this year.”

“And what about Tammy and her sister?”

He shrugged. “We could still go away—we just don’t have to go to the North Shore.”

“That would be fine with me, but what would we tell Paige?”

Justin didn’t have to think about that one very long. “She’d never forgive us for skipping out on her, would she?”

“No, we’re going to have to do this,” Kyle stated with a shake of his head.

“And listen to her talk about her wedding plans.”

This time it was Kyle who groaned. “Don’t remind me. Ever since he gave her that diamond on Valentine’s Day she’s been like a broken record…the wedding this, the wedding that. Michael says…blah blah blah.”

“It’s only one weekend,” Justin said for his benefit as much as Kyle’s.

“So does this mean I can tell Tammy she can bring Tara?” Kyle stood, waiting for his answer.

“All right,” he said, ignoring his instincts, which told him he was making a mistake. “I’ll do it, but you’re going to owe me big-time for this one.”

“Hey—you’ll be thanking me by the time the weekend’s over,” Kyle said with a cocky grin.

Justin hoped he was right, but his gut was telling him that this year’s Bulldog Reunion was not going to be the carefree event it had been in the past. Still, he would go for Paige. He’d been looking out for her ever since that first day she showed up at his mother’s day care. There were things that friends needed to do for friends. So instead of calling Paige and telling her he wouldn’t be at the reunion, he went to look for his Bulldog sweatshirt.

CHAPTER TWO

DESPITE KYLE’S ASSERTION that it didn’t matter whether there were eight or ten people at the Bulldog Reunion, Justin wanted to make sure that Paige knew he and Kyle had changed their minds and were now bringing guests. He wanted an excuse to talk to her—something he hadn’t done for a while. So the day before they were supposed to head out of town for the reunion, he called her while he was on his morning break.

She answered her cell phone with, “You did it again, J.C.” using the nickname she’d given him as a teen.

He smiled. “You were about to call me.”

“I was. I guess we still have that special connection, don’t we?” She sounded a bit amused by their uncanny ability to sense when the other was about to phone. “Do you realize how long it’s been since this has happened?”

“We haven’t talked much lately,” he agreed.

“No, we haven’t. But I am glad you called today because I was worried I wouldn’t be able to reach you and I have to know what you think. You are never going to guess where I am.”

“Dipping your toes in the Cascade River?” It was a favorite spot along the North Shore where they’d spent many a hot summer day. They’d hike along the upper region of the Cascade River where it tumbled and fell over rocks and boulders until they reached the Upper Falls. They’d bask in the sun on the flat rocks where the falls began, before following the winding trail as it twisted and turned its way back down the hilly terrain until they reached the area where the river was shallow enough for trout fishing. That’s where they’d take off their hiking shoes and wade in the cool water, splashing around like kids.

“No.” She sounded impatient. “I’m in a dressing room trying on a wedding dress.”

Justin stifled his groan. “You’re trying on wedding dresses the day before the Bulldog Reunion? Don’t you have enough to do to get ready for the weekend?”

“Of course I do. That’s why I’m standing here in a wedding dress.”

She wasn’t making any sense. More proof that love had made her crazy.

“I was on my way to pick up some munchies for the Bulldog Reunion when I passed this consignment shop and saw this wedding dress in the window,” she continued. “How’s that for serendipity?”

Paige excited over a dress was a novelty for Justin. Unlike most women he knew, she hated shopping, which was why he liked going to the mall with her. She used the “get what you need and get out fast” approach.

“I’m telling you, Justin, this dress could have been made for me. When you see it you’ll know why I had to come in and try it on. And it’s a perfect fit. What makes it unique is that it belonged to a woman who was married in 1942.”

“You want to buy an old dress for your wedding?”

“It’s not old, it’s vintage,” she corrected him. “This dress was worn by a woman whose fiancé was going off to World War II.”

“Your fiancé isn’t going off to war, is he?” he asked, trying not to sound hopeful.

“No, but you know Pearl Harbor is my favorite movie. Justin, this dress looks like something Kate Beckinsale would have worn if Ben Affleck hadn’t gone missing and they had gotten married in the movie, which you know is what I wish had happened.”

“And that’s why you want the dress?”

“I want it because I like the way I feel in it—glamorous.” She chuckled. “Me…glamorous,” she said in a self-deprecating tone.

“I think you are,” he told her, but she dismissed the compliment with a sarcastic “Yeah, right.”

“Did I tell you the original owner was a schoolteacher?” She didn’t wait for an answer but rushed on. “Oh, and here’s something else. Guess where the wedding took place?”

“In a church?” He knew it was the wrong answer, but he hated playing Twenty Questions, which was what she seemed bent on doing, and all of them were on a subject that he found irritating—her marriage plans.

“You know I’m not getting married in a church,” she chided him. “The bride who wore this dress in 1942 was married at the High Falls.”

“So you’re going to wear a dress that someone else has already worn to get married in the same place where you’re planning your wedding?” The significance escaped him and he didn’t pretend otherwise.

She sighed. “I should have known you wouldn’t get it. I know you find my wedding details boring, but you are one of my best friends. At least you can pretend to be interested. I thought you’d be happy for me.”

“I am happy,” he lied.

“You don’t sound like it.”

Justin held the phone away from his ear momentarily. Who was this woman? Certainly not the Paige he knew. That Paige would never have gone shopping for a wedding dress the day before the Bulldog Reunion. But then that Paige had never been engaged before, either.

“Justin, you’re there, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I’m here. I think you cut out for a second, but I hear you now.”

“Good, because I need an honest opinion and you always give me that. You need to tell me if I should get this dress. The salesclerk took a picture of me with her camera phone and she said she can send it to you.”

“Can’t you just show the dress to me this weekend?”

“If I wait till then, someone else might buy it. The clerk told me she’s already had several people asking about it. Besides, there’s no room in the schedule this weekend for us to leave the reunion and go look at it. If I’m going to get this dress, I have to buy it today.”

“But, Paige, you never make impulse purchases,” he reminded her.

“That’s why I need your help. Besides. You’re my man of honor. It’s your duty to help me select a dress.”

He frowned. “Shouldn’t your fiancé be the one helping you make that decision?”

“He can’t. It’s bad luck for the groom to see the bride’s dress before the wedding.”

Justin wondered briefly if getting rid of Michael Cross could be as easy as showing him a picture. That alone tempted him to tell Paige to send the photo so he could forward it to Michael.

Paige didn’t wait for his consent. “The salesclerk is sending the picture now. Tell me when you get it.”

Justin’s phone beeped, indicating he had a message. With the touch of a button he found himself staring at a photo of Paige in a long white dress. It fell from her shoulders to the floor in a straight line that made her look taller than her five foot two inches. She looked graceful and feminine standing with her hands folded in front of her. Very different from the Paige he knew. She had always taken great pleasure in being a tomboy. Normally she wore her long brown hair in a ponytail, but today it fell across her shoulders in a way that reminded him of the film stars of the 1940s. No wonder she felt glamorous. The dress was stunning on her. The old-fashioned style suited her, reminding him that she’d never been one for fashion trends yet she always managed to look good.

“I didn’t lose you, did I? Justin? Are you there?” she called out.

“Yeah, I’m here.” He couldn’t tell her that the reason for the dead air was that seeing her in the wedding dress had taken his breath away. The thought that she would be wearing it for another guy made him sick with envy.

“So what do you think?” she demanded.

There was only one answer he could give her. “I think you should buy it.”

“Did you say buy it? You’re cutting out on me. Are you in your car?”

“Yes, but it’s not moving. I just went through the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant and I’m eating French-toast sticks in the parking lot. Paige, I think you should buy the dress. It suits you.”

“You really think so?”

“Yes.”

“I am so glad you said that because I need a dress. You do realize the wedding is only seven weeks away, don’t you? It’s a good thing I had the summer off from teaching and moved up here, because I never would get everything done otherwise.”

“You’re happy then?”

“Of course I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re giving up a lot. Your job, your friends…”

“Marriage will be worth it,” she said with confidence. “And I’m not giving up my two best friends. Oh shoot. I just got a low-battery warning on my phone. I’ve got to run. Thanks for calling me just when I needed you.”

“Paige, wait! Before you hang up I need to talk to you about tomorrow.”

“Oh, that reminds me. Could you come a little early? I want you to teach me to dance.”

“You know how to dance,” he reminded her.

“I’m not good at it and you know it,” she chastised him. “Michael took me to this nightclub in Duluth and it was the worst date we’ve ever had. He loves to dance, but once he realized I have no rhythm, we hardly danced at all. You have to help me so I don’t embarrass him.”

Embarrass him? Anger nearly had Justin telling Paige exactly what he thought of Michael Cross and his dancing skills, but he knew it wouldn’t do any good. She’d still think the guy was the prize of a lifetime. “Paige, you don’t like to dance. Why not just tell him that?”

“I might like it if I were better at it,” she said. “I thought about taking lessons but that freaks me out. There’d be other people watching me make a fool of myself. At least it doesn’t matter if I look like a fool in front of you.”

His thanks must have sounded sarcastic to her ears, because she added, “Hey, that’s a compliment. So will you come early tomorrow?”

“I can’t.” He paused, thinking now was a good time to tell her that he and Kyle were bringing friends.

“Why not? I thought you and Kyle took the day off.”

“We did, but there’s something you need to know. We decided to bring guests. I know you’ve reserved the Pinecone Cabin and it sleeps ten, so there shouldn’t be any problem with two extra people, but just in case you planned any events that require partners or small groups, I wanted you to know there are going to be two more people. You’re okay with that, right?”

She didn’t answer and he worried that she was annoyed at the last-minute change.

“You did say we could bring guests,” he reminded her.

Still there was no response.

Then he saw the tiny “call ended” message in the corner of his screen. “Paige, are you there? Paige?” he asked, even though he already knew the answer. He tried calling her again, but was immediately connected to her voice mail.

Frustrated, he flipped his phone shut. No doubt her battery had gone dead. He wondered just how much she’d heard. Guess he’d find out sooner or later. He hoped it was sooner.

PAIGE CAREFULLY MOVED the plastic garment bag containing the wedding dress from the backseat of her car into the small travel trailer she temporarily called home. When she’d decided to spend the summer at the North Shore, Michael had offered to share his apartment with her until the house they had leased would be ready for occupancy. She had opted to spend her remaining days as a single woman in a campground in what Michael called her bubblemobile. Although it was smaller than an efficiency apartment, it had all the amenities she needed, but its best feature was that she could be lulled to sleep each night by the gentle lapping of waves. She also liked that she could start each day with a hike to the pebbly shore of Lake Superior or a walk through the woods.

Today, however, she realized just how small her temporary home was. No matter how many times she rearranged the things in her closet there was no place for the dress. She finally gave up trying to find a spot for it and spread it across her bed. She would figure out what to do with it after she returned from her lunch shift at the Birchwood Room. She quickly changed into the black skirt and white shirt that were the uniform of the waitstaff at the restaurant and headed for work.

As she pulled into the employee parking lot at the resort, she looked for Michael’s red Mustang, but it wasn’t in the space reserved for the club’s golf pro. He always gave lessons on Thursday mornings so why wasn’t he at work? Thinking he must have been on an errand, she parked her car and went inside.

Because the lodge’s restaurant was open to the public as well as to the guests of the resort, it was usually crowded over the noon hour, and Paige expected today would be no exception. Although the decor was rustic, with wagon-wheel chandeliers and fish and animal trophies lining the walls, crisp white linen tablecloths and fresh-flower centerpieces gave it a casual elegance that set it apart from the informal cafés along the Shore and made it a popular spot for tourists.

Although many of her coworkers were college and high-school students there for the summer, the resort relied on the local community for year-round employment. Paige had been pleased at how easy it was to renew acquaintances with staff members who had been working at the resort the summer she’d waited tables here before her senior year in college.

One of those workers, a woman named Kathy, greeted Paige when she punched in at the time clock.

“Paige! I didn’t expect to see you today.”

“Why not? I’m on the schedule,” Paige reminded her.

“Yes, I know, but…” She paused before asking, “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, it’s great. In fact it’s better than great.” She went on to tell Kathy about finding her dress, but when the older woman looked a bit uneasy, Paige said, “I’m sorry. I must be boring you. I’m like one of those windup toys once I start talking wedding stuff.”

“No, it’s all right. Don’t apologize. Your dress sounds beautiful.”

They were joined by another of their coworkers, a redhead named Rosie. As she punched her time card, she said to Paige, “You look like you’re in a good mood.”

Paige grinned. “I am. It’s a beautiful day.”

“That’s because she found her wedding dress,” Kathy added.

“Well, no wonder you’re so cheery,” Rosie remarked. “Did you get it here in town?”

“No, in Grand Marais.” Paige repeated the story she’d just told Kathy, explaining that she needed to find a place to store the gown as her trailer was too crowded. “I would ask Michael to take it but I’m not going to tempt fate.”

“Oh, noooo,” Kathy drawled. “You definitely can’t leave it with him. That would be bad luck.”

“That’s right,” Rosie agreed. Paige didn’t miss the furtive glances the two women exchanged.

“It’s too bad he’s not feeling well,” Rosie remarked.

“He’s not feeling well?” Paige frowned. That would explain his vacant parking space.

“You didn’t hear?” Kathy asked.

“Hear what?”

Again the two women exchanged glances.

“All I know is that he called in sick today and my David had to go in and cover for him.” Kathy’s husband was semi-retired and substituted for workers at the golf course when needed.

“It’s funny that he didn’t call me,” Paige remarked. “Well, I shouldn’t say that because he may have tried but my cell phone battery died on me today.”

“I’m sure he would have called you if it was anything serious,” Kathy said. “He probably just has a virus.”

“It’s going around,” Rosie added. “Chelsea in housekeeping called in sick today, too.”

“She’s not sick,” Kathy said. “She’s faking it. She went to Las Vegas.”

A chill rattled through Paige. At one time Michael had dated Chelsea Kinseth, an outrageous flirt who thought no man was off-limits. She’d made no secret of the fact that she was still interested in Michael, and Paige suspected that it wouldn’t take much encouragement for her to make a play for him.

Fortunately Michael had assured Paige that he was no longer interested in the woman, whose claim to fame was that for two years running she’d won the wet T-shirt contest at a local bar. Still, Paige had to fight the jealous twinge that made her want to drive over to his place and check on him during her break. She wouldn’t, of course. Michael had given her no reason to suspect the two absences were connected. Besides, she trusted him and knew that it was simply a coincidence that they were both off sick.

The first half of her shift passed quickly as customers waited in line for the opportunity to eat the house special of red ribs and sweet-potato fries. During her break, Paige tried calling Michael’s number, but all she heard was his voice mail. She left a message for him to call her and headed over to the reservations desk to see if she could get the key to the Pinecone Cabin. She planned to stock the refrigerator with beverages and fill the cupboards with snacks.

Behind the counter was a tall slender woman named Stacy Walker, who had been an intern at the resort the summer Paige and the Bulldogs had worked as waitstaff. Now after seven years at the resort, Stacy had worked her way up to manager of customer relations. When she saw Paige, she greeted her with a smile and said, “You’re just the person I’m looking for. I have something for you.”

Expecting it to be the key to the cabin, Paige was surprised when she handed her an envelope with the resort logo on it. Scrawled across the front was her name in what appeared to be her fiancé’s handwriting.

“Was Michael here today?”

“No, he left that last night and told me to give this to you when you came to pick up the key for the Pinecone,” Stacy replied. “You are here for the key, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll get it for you in just a minute, but I need to talk to these people first, okay?” She nodded toward the end of the counter where an elderly couple waited patiently for her attention.

Paige looked at the envelope and wondered why Michael hadn’t simply called her and talked to her. Even if her phone battery wasn’t working, he could have left a voice message for her. She stepped away from the counter and ripped open the sealed envelope. Inside was a single sheet of paper bearing a note in Michael’s handwriting.