The Forbidden Marriage

Graham nodded. “He’s of the opinion Mike Francis is a womanizer. That’s the polite version of what he told me last night.”

“Zak should know the media sensationalizes everything. I’ve gotten to know the real Mike. He’s a terrific person.”

“I’m sure he is or you wouldn’t be dating him. That’s what I told Zak.” He winked. “Just thought you’d like to know I’m on your side.”

“I appreciate that.”

How ironic that she’d already decided to stop seeing Mike, and all because of Zak.

His mere existence was causing turmoil in this house. Judging by the shadows beneath Sherilyn’s eyes as she came down the stairs to find Graham, it wasn’t over yet.

“Darling? Zak heard the bell and wondered why you haven’t come up for him yet.”

“I’m on my way.” He kissed his wife’s cheek before taking the stairs two at a time.

Michelle hurried over to her sister-in-law and gave her a hug. “He was telling me about Lynette.”

“I can’t believe what’s happened.” Tears entered her eyes. “If that’s not bad enough, Zak’s going away again. We see so little of him as it is.”

“Why don’t you come to the beach on Sunday, with or without Lynette. I’ll fix dinner. We haven’t all sat down together for a long time. It’ll be good for everybody.”

It’ll be good for me to have family around.

“That makes me feel better already. I’ll bring the dessert.”

“Just bring yourselves. Let me wait on you for a change. In fact while I’m taking care of him, why don’t you plan on coming every Saturday for the next month and staying overnight.”

“You’d have to check with Zak first. He keeps his private life to himself, but I know he has a girlfriend because she called his room every day while he was in the hospital.”

For some strange reason Michelle didn’t want to hear about that. She didn’t want to think about him being intimate with another woman.

Furious with herself because she shouldn’t care about Zak’s private life one way or the other she said, “I guess we can talk about future plans on Sunday. Now tell me where his medications are.”

“In the kitchen. I’ll get them.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you at the car.”

Relieved she wouldn’t have to have physical contact with Zak until they reached Carlsbad, Michelle hurried outside and opened the front passenger door.

The month wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to get through if the family showed up on a regular basis. Maybe a miracle would happen and Lynette would come to her senses before this weekend was over.

Michelle slid behind the wheel and shut the door, ready to begin her nursing job. That’s what it was. She had a patient to take care of. Period.

Out of the periphery she saw Zak walk slowly toward the car with her brother and sister-in-law bracing him on either side. This morning he was dressed in sandals and the same pair of gray sweats.

Her thoughts raced ahead. In a few minutes they were going to be alone. She sat there and waited, not daring to look at him.

No one could actually help Zak get in the car. The breath he expelled when he lay back against the seat told her what the effort had cost him.

Graham set an overnight bag in the back seat, then shut both doors. “Drive safely.”

Sherilyn nodded. “Two of our favorite people are inside.”

“Michelle was always an excellent driver,” Zak murmured. “For a number of reasons I couldn’t be in better hands.”

Zak’s voice seemed to have taken on a velvety quality just then. She’d felt it resonate to the very core of her being.

Her hands tightened on the wheel. “I promise to call you when we get there so you’ll stop worrying. See you on Sunday,” she called to them before backing out of the driveway.

Once they drove off he drawled, “What’s happening on Sunday?”

“They’re coming for dinner.”

“That sounds nice.”

“I think so, too.” She was pleased the thought of it made him happy.

“It’ll be good for Lynette to see everyone together,” he murmured.

His comment convinced her he didn’t know the latest development. She waited until they reached the freeway to tell him what had happened earlier that morning.

“Your remarks to Graham were right on,” Zak said when she’d finished relating the gist of the conversation with her brother. “Lynette’s perspective will change once she’s part of the working world. She’s a smart girl. Given time she’ll figure out her life.”

“That’s easy enough for both of us to say, but then she’s not our daughter.”

She bit her lip when she realized what she’d just said.

“If Lynette were ours, at least we know we’d be in agreement over our course of action. Speaking of children, I know you always wanted a family one day. Did Rob’s illness affect your ability to conceive?”

Considering the fact that she and Zak used to be able to talk about anything, she shouldn’t have been surprised by his personal question. But that was before this…awareness of him had sprung into existence with a life all its own.

She had no choice but to tough out moments like this if she was going to last as long as it took to take care of him.

“He became ill before I could make an appointment with my obstetrician to undergo tests for infertility. When Rob was diagnosed, he felt it best we didn’t pursue trying to bring a child into the world.”

She could still hear her husband saying those words in his quiet yet implacable tone that brooked no argument.

“I realize his opinion was colored by all the single mothers whose children he took care of in the emergency room. No father around, no husband providing for them. No hope for a happier future. He wanted me to be free to get on with my career, my life.”

She heard Zak take a deep breath. “His reasoning makes perfect sense. In his place I would have said the same thing. To know you were going to die would bring out every protective instinct to leave your spouse in the best circumstances possible.

“But I’m not in his place yet, thank God, and I can see how much comfort you would have derived from having his child to love and nurture.”

Don’t say anymore, Zak. You understand too much. You have a wisdom beyond your years. You always did.

It was time to change the subject.

“Sherilyn told me there was a woman who called you at the hospital every day. I don’t remember hearing her name.”