In some ways, as weird as it sounded, Riley felt that he had a responsibility to Jerry Sanders. It fell heavily upon his shoulders. The Atlantis would be leaving again in the middle of January, a short three weeks away. All he had to do was keep his pants zipped until then. If he avoided situations such as the one he'd just encountered, everything would work out fine. Once he was back, Sam would be born and he'd face the issue then. But for now, he'd be content to let matters rest as they were.
Hannah didn't know what was different about Riley, but a subtle change had taken place in her husband since Christmas. He was attentive, generous, solicitous. Nevertheless Hannah couldn't shake the feeling he was avoiding her physically. If she had to come up with a word for it she'd say he'd become stingy with his kisses. What kisses? she mused, feeling both abused and melancholy.
She was baking cookies, remembering a piece of sage advice from years past. It was said the way to a man's heart passed directly through his stomach. Hannah swore that if chocolate-chip with walnuts didn't do the trick, she was going to do something desperate… like seduce him.
The thought was almost comical. What did she know of seduction? Well, she determined valiantly, she could learn.
Riley walked into the house sometime after five. Hannah had planned it carefully, so the aroma of melting chocolate would have its greatest impact right around then.
"What's cooking?" he asked, eagerly strolling into the kitchen. Absently he gave her a peck on the cheek and reached for a still-warm cookie.
Hannah had left her hair down, brushing it until it shone. She'd once read that men preferred it when women wore their hair loose. She'd dressed in her best pair of navy blue slacks and a pretty lavender top. There was no hiding her pregnancy, and she didn't even try.
"How'd your day go?" he asked conversationally while sorting through the mail, keeping his back to her. He gave no outward indication that he noticed she'd taken extra care with her appearance. Hannah swallowed a sigh of disappointment. Apparently it was going to take more than freshly baked cookies and a different hairstyle. She wasn't worried, however; there was always Plan B.
"My day went great. I got a call from the department store." She paused for effect and lifted the last of the cookies off the baking sheet. "The crib and dresser we ordered are in." She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "The man said he could have them delivered tomorrow." She told him the last part, making sure her voice dipped significantly.
"Are you going to be around?"
Hannah nodded. "That isn't the problem."
"Then, what is?"
"Well…it's just that the baby's bedroom is going to be terribly crowded." She raised her eyes meaningfully to Riley, her look heavy with implication. Riley was an intelligent man. It wouldn't take him long to make the obvious connection and suggest she move her things out of her bedroom and into his. The chocolate-chip cookie he was eating stopped halfway to his lips. The bite that was in his mouth seemed to go down his throat whole – a lump moving in such tiny increments that she was certain he would choke on it.
"I was thinking," she continued, "I'd move my things into your room." If he wouldn't suggest it, then she would. "You don't mind, do you?" She smiled over at him, as sweetly as she knew how, and realized he'd gone pale.