Marion Ekholm - An Act of Love

“You work too hard. You need to enjoy a wedding, for a change.”

“Since it won’t be the last, I hope you’ll let me cater yours.” Nora gave her daughter a hopeful smile, and Marley inwardly cringed. No way, she thought. No way.

“There is something you can do.”

Marley wavered. If it had anything to do with her father...

“You’re the organized one in the family. Could you help Lindy with the thank-you cards? She’ll never get to them without help.” When Marley nodded, Nora continued, “She sure got a lot of presents.... You can expect the same.”

Not wanting to discuss her own wedding plans again, Marley left. She’d have to pack her things and take them to her mother’s section of the house. As children they had referred to the two additions as “mouse ears.” The additions stood on either side of the main building, one for Poppy and Nana when she was alive, the other for Nora and Red until the divorce.

When Marley went upstairs, she found Lindy on the floor of the playroom, sitting among all her gifts. “Mom said you haven’t written any of your thank-you cards.”

“I thought I’d do it after my honeymoon.”

“Why not get it over with now? I’ll help.”

Lindy rose and shook her head. “Nah. It can wait. Come on back to my room so we can talk.”

“Okay, but I need to get my things out of my room before Aunt Effie arrives. She’ll be using it.”

“Where are you staying?”

“Mom asked me to stay with her.” Marley followed her sister into her room.

“That’s no fun. Why don’t you sleep with me?”

Marley took in the bed surrounded by a few hundred beady glass eyes and shook her head. “Mom probably wants to talk.” She grimaced. Her mother would probably want to talk about Red. Maybe she should reconsider Lindy’s offer.

“I’m so glad you’re getting married,” Lindy said while climbing onto her bed. She turned around. “I didn’t want you to end up alone like Aunt Effie.”

Marley picked up a giant teddy bear off the only chair in the room, intending to toss it at Lindy. Instead, she plopped down on the seat, holding the bear to her chest in a death grip. For several seconds she hid her face against the back of the bear’s soft neck. Well, what had she expected? Hadn’t the family breathed an audible sigh of relief when she’d told them about the engagement?

Once she felt composed enough to show her face again, Marley peeked out from behind the bear’s head. “I better get going before Aunt Effie gets here.”

“No, no. Wait! Silly me!” Lindy shouted, bounding off the bed and reaching for her purse. “I got them right here. Ta-da.” She lifted a bunch of keys and jingled them in front of the bear. “They belong to Rick. You can use his place. He won’t be home till Friday, another two days.”

Marley hesitated. A night at Richard’s place sounded too intimate. “Why on earth do you have his keys?”

“I feed his cat when he’s away. You can do it so I won’t have to.” She handed the keys to Marley. “At least you’ll get one good night’s sleep while you’re here.”

“Are you sure he won’t mind?”

“Who will tell him?” Lindy grabbed Marley’s shoulder and pushed her toward the door. “Use his guest room. That’s the one I always use when I want to get away from the family. It’s on the right when you enter the townhouse.” Marley hesitated. “Just change the sheets and leave the room like you found it.”

Still undecided, Marley asked, “What’s the cat’s name?”

“The Baroness. But she answers to ‘Kitty, Kitty.’ Now go. I’ll explain to Mom.”

* * *

WITH RICHARD’S ADDRESS punched into her cell phone’s GPS, Marley drove to his townhouse in her rented Toyota. Rain had started, again. Normally, Marley loved the sound of rain in Phoenix because it was infrequent and so welcome. But the intermittent downpours since her arrival in Pennsylvania had become annoying. She hoped the rain would end before the wedding.

What would it be like to see Richard again? Had he changed much? Did he still have that golden hair, those eyes that melted any resistance? Did every woman he came in contact with still swoon and long to be in his arms?

Their short romance had occurred while he was a senior at PITT and she a junior. Because he’d been popular with the women, Marley had felt special when he singled her out. Just as things between them had begun to heat up, her father had reappeared unexpectedly in her mother’s life. Nora accepted the situation, but Marley refused to.

No way would she be like her mother, chattel, used by a man who tossed her aside when something better arrived. That promise to herself ruled Marley’s life. All her relationships had turned into slow fizzles the moment she detected any resemblance between the man and her father. At the time, she’d seen all the signs in Richard.

She parked across from Richard’s townhouse in a guest parking space and dragged her one suitcase up the front steps. The Baroness, a solid gray short hair with a white bib, greeted her at the door and rubbed against Marley’s ankles. After cleaning the cat’s box and providing fresh water and food, Marley ran a bath for herself. The Baroness followed every step, demanding constant attention, which Marley gladly provided.

Marley picked up a crocheted ball, one of the many cat toys scattered on the floor, and tossed it. “Here, chase this.” The Baroness ran after it, and Marley could close the door and slip into the tub. However, the cat scratched at the door, determined to get back in the room.

When bubbles trapped around the cubic zirconia made a radiant rainbow of color, she thought of Brant. What made that man tick? He liked being engaged to her way too much. She hoped it wouldn’t create more problems for her when she returned to Phoenix.

Marley slipped off the ring, wiped it dry and dropped it into her shoe. Once back in her T-shirt that served as a nightgown, she bustled about with a need to straighten the bathroom and destroy any evidence of her presence. Spotting underwear in the corner, Marley retrieved them, only to realize they weren’t hers.

She dropped them into a hamper. The discovery of something so personal made her feel uncomfortable. What did she really know about Richard or his lifestyle? He could be having a steady relationship with someone. What a depressing thought. How could she resolve her muddled feelings for him if he already had commitments?

Determined to get some rest, Marley closed the guest room door on the Baroness. She had no intention of sleeping with the cat, especially one whose purr had to equal Aunt Effie’s snoring.

Oh, what quiet, what solitude. Climbing between the sheets, she relished the cool, smooth texture. Finally, a peaceful sleep.

* * *

THE BED UNDULATED, bringing Marley from a dreamless rest to semi-consciousness. When something hit her head, she woke completely. Ominous epithets from a masculine voice brought her back to her surroundings.

I’m going to be murdered! Marley thought as the overhead light turned on. She pulled the sheet over her face and prepared for death.

“What are you doing here?” a man shouted. “Sheba, get out!”

Marley dropped the sheet to her nose. As her eyes adjusted to the light, she took in more and more of broad shoulders and flat waist. She gulped. Richard Brewster. His long pajama bottoms were covered with Pittsburgh Steelers logos.

“Richard! What are you doing here?” She sat up, keeping the sheet protectively under her chin. His expression turned from questioning to incredulous.

“Marley?” he asked. “Marley Roman?”

“Yes,” she said, wishing she was facing a serial killer instead. Anything was preferable to having Richard discover her in his home. She gulped again and stared back as he breathed deeply, dropped his arm and relaxed his shoulders. “Who...” She faltered. “Who did you think I was?”