From the Heart

that part of her present decision stemmed from her own experiences. All he could offer her was time and support and his love. He hoped it would be enough.
    Her weeping had stopped. Kasey kept her head down on the table while she rested from it. She hadn’t given into tears for months. Slowly she straightened and began to speak again.
    “I loved him—I do love him. That’s one of the reasons I’m handling it this way.” She sighed. She had needed to talk to someone since she had walked out of Beatrice’s sitting room four months before. “Let me explain things to you, and maybe you’ll understand.”
    Her voice was quiet now, without emotion, and she detailed the circumstances in the Taylor household. When she spoke of Alison, he saw the parallel immediately and kept his silence. Only when she told him of her final encounter with Beatrice did he explode.
    “Are you telling me she threatened you?” He had sprung up, forgetting the strain in his back. He was ready to fight.
    “Not me.” Kasey reached for his hand and drew herself to her feet. “Jordan, Alison. There was nothing she could do to me, nothing that would have mattered.”
    “It was blackmail, Kasey. Simple, ugly blackmail.” His voice was rough with temper. “You should have gone straight to Jordan and told him.”
    “Do you know what he would have done?” Kasey took his arm. “He would have stormed in there, just as you’d like to do right now. It would have been a horrible scene with Alison right in the middle of it. Do you think I could take a chance on there being a court battle? She’s just a little girl. I know how she’d feel seeing her name and picture splashed in the papers, listening to the whispering.” Her eyes were eloquent, and her tears had dried. “Put yourself in my place, Pop. You were very close to it once. If you had to change what you did all those years ago, would you?”
    He sighed and drew her into his arms. “Kasey, I never thought you’d have to go through something like this again.”
    She had needed to come home, to feel his big, strong arms and gentle hands. She had needed a rock and had never known a sturdier one. “I love you, Pop.”
    “I love you, Kasey.” He held her for a moment and said nothing. It struck him suddenly that she was no longer willow slim. He could feel the roundness as she pressed against him. Unprofessionally, he was shocked by the change. She wasn’t his baby anymore but a woman carrying one of her own. “It just occurs to me,” he said softly. “I’m going to be a great-grandfather.”
    “You’ve always been a great grandfather,” Kasey murmured. “The best.”
    “You’ll stay until the baby comes.”
    Kasey sighed and relaxed against him. “I’ll stay.”
    He drew her away. “Are you taking vitamins?”
    “Yes, doctor.” She grinned and kissed his cheek.
    “And drinking your milk?”
    She kissed his other cheek. “What do you think of Bryan?” she asked him. “It could work whether the baby’s a boy or a girl. I think Bryan Wyatt has a nice sound. Dignified but not stuffy.”
    He lifted his brows. “I can see my work’s cut out for me.”
    “Or there’s Paul,” she went on as he walked to the refrigerator. “Of course, I’d have to have a boy, then.” Kasey watched as he poured a tall glass of milk. “Are we going to have some of Mrs. Oates’s goodies now?” She opened the bundle. “Are these damson preserves?” she asked as she held up a Mason jar. “I love damson preserves.”
    “Good.” Dr. Brennan handed her the glass of milk and smiled. “You can have some with your milk before I examine you.”

15
    I t was July before Kasey knew it. There were wildflowers in the woods and geraniums in the kitchen window box. At night the crickets sang incessantly. She could lie in bed late and listen to them while the baby moved restlessly inside her. He’s in a hurry, she thought. Or they are. Her grandfather was all but certain there were two. She had refused his suggestion that they go down to the hospital and make certain. She wanted to be surprised.
    It had been a long time since she had slept deeply. The baby wouldn’t permit it. They wouldn’t permit it. Kasey didn’t need any sophisticated equipment to tell her there were two. No one baby could be so active. When one slept, the other was wide awake and kicking. And she was huge.
    Kasey rested a hand on either side of her stomach. I won’t go full term, she mused. Twins traditionally