When they got back to the house, there was a message on the answering machine informing Hannah of a job interview scheduled for the following afternoon. If she couldn't make the appointment, she was to contact the personnel office first thing in the morning.
Hannah's eyes brightened as she listened to the message, and she smiled over at Riley.
"The job's right here on the base," she said, sounding pleased.
"Doing what?" In an effort to disguise his uneasiness about the whole issue of her working, Riley opened the refrigerator and brought out a chicken leg, munching on it although he wasn't the least bit hungry.
"Secretarial work. I…was employed at an insurance agency before… before we were married."
Riley nodded. "Is the position you applied for full-time?"
"I… I think so. It must be."
"I see."
Hannah glared at him as though he'd attacked her family's heritage. "Why'd you say it like that?"
"Like what?" He pretended not to understand, although he had a fair idea what she was talking about. He wasn't keen on her taking on a forty-hour workweek – not when her health was so delicate. Riley swore he never knew anyone who required nine hours of rest a night the way she did, although Dr. Underwood claimed this need for extra sleep would soon pass.
"Like… like you don't approve of my working."
"I don't." There, he'd said it, bold as could be. "I don't happen to think it's a good idea."
"Why not?" Hannah demanded. "Because of the baby?"
"Yes. And other factors."
"What other factors?"
Riley sighed. Already their voices were raised, and he could see he wasn't going to be able to extract himself from this easily. He tossed the chicken leg into the garbage and washed his hands, carefully considering his words. Hannah was staring at him, impatiently waiting. "You claimed you needed some time to adjust to our marriage."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"I feel you should put your efforts into our relationship."
She took her own sweet time to digest his words, but when he looked in her direction, he noticed she didn't seem pleased with his straightforward answer.
"In other words, if I agree to sleep with you, you'd approve of my working."
That wasn't what he'd meant in the least. Yes, he'd been honest enough to admit he wanted to make love to her. He'd made that fact abundantly clear on their wedding day. A brother-and-sister relationship didn't interest him then, and it appealed to him even less now.