“Really?” There was definite interest in Lisa’s voice. She lifted one eyebrow in inquiry. “Spill all, Corinne. Are we talking sex here?”
“You saw him. He oozes sex. I’ve never met anyone even remotely like him. I just thought I wasn’t the sexy type. We talked about it, remember?”
Lisa nodded solemnly, hurtling around another corner, missing a parked car by half an inch. Corinne was so used to Lisa’s driving, she didn’t even wince. A horn blasted at them, and Lisa flashed a cheery smile and waved gaily as she cut off the driver to get to her turn. “I thought it was because it was your first time,” Lisa answered carefully; “the beginner thing with John. You had a hard time of it.” Corinne had always been honest with Lisa about her life with John. Everything had been comfortable between them with the exception of the bedroom. Corinne blamed herself, believing she simply didn’t have a strong sex drive.
“More likely it was the chemistry thing, because, believe me, this man and I have some kind of attraction. I’m not certain I would trust myself in a room alone with him,” Corinne mused aloud, shocked at the blatant response of her body. “Maybe you’ve run across his type before in your crowd, Lisa, but for me, this is an absolutely new and very uncomfortable first experience. He could drop a woman at thirty paces.” Corinne sighed and shook back her hair. “It makes me feel guilty over John.” She made it a confession.
Lisa scowled darkly. “Don’t be silly, Rina. John would hate your saying that. He loved you like crazy, but we both know you didn’t love him the same way. You made him happy, you know you did, and for that I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You were always there for both of us.”
“I did love John,” Corinne said, “and I miss him terribly.”
“I know you loved him. I didn’t mean it like that. He isn’t coming back, and he would want you to be happy. You know he would.” Lisa pulled the car up to the driveway of their home. Her unusual, elegant, yet exotic looks had helped provide money for a beautiful home in an upscale neighborhood. The two women enjoyed just looking at their home sometimes. “Of course, I don’t know if he’d approve of Mr. Sex Appeal. What were you talking about all that time? Alone. In the dark,” Lisa teased.
“Babies.” Corinne blurted it out, wanting to confess everything. How could she have told a perfect stranger before telling her beloved sister-in-law?
Something in Corinne’s voice warned Lisa it wasn’t a funny subject. Lisa went very still, her fingers freezing around the car keys while her other hand tightened around the steering wheel. “I’m sorry, I thought you said babies. Why would you be discussing babies with him? I hope you told him babies were out of the question.” There was an edge of challenge in Lisa’s voice. At once her eyes were examining Corinne’s figure, clad in jeans and loose-fitting top.
Corinne looked away from the accusation in her eyes. “I didn’t know, Lisa, I swear I didn’t. The morning John was killed we had made love. After he was murdered, everything was so terrible I didn’t think about it for a couple months; then I noticed I was abnormally tired. Way more than usual. I spotted the entire time, so it just didn’t occur to me I could be carrying a baby. But then when I was so ill, I went to the doctor. Remember I had to go to bed for a while?”
“You’re pregnant? You’re pregnant right now?” Lisa pushed Corinne’s shirt away from her stomach to inspect her. “You’d have to be six months and you aren’t showing.” It was an accusation. It was a plea. But she saw the little mound where Corinne’s flat stomach had been.
Corinne caught Lisa’s hand in hers. “Come on, Lisa, we can get through this together, just like we’ve always done.”
Lisa was shaking her head in denial, tears swimming in her eyes. “You can’t have a baby. The doctors said you couldn’t. You were on birth control. I remember you were so upset when they said it would be a virtual death sentence for you to have a baby. John swore he would never allow you to chance it. He swore it to me. I made him swear it.”