Chrissy's Deception Pt. 03

Mike stopped in mid-sentence, realizing that he was about to tell Chrissy that he loved her. He wasn't ready yet for that bombshell, so he improvised and said, "And I love each one of them." It wasn't a perfect recovery, but it was the best Mike could manage.

Fortunately, words weren't needed for the rest of the evening, as Chrissy let Mike show her just how much he truly enjoyed her curves! She was pretty sure that, once this night was over, she was going to need Mike to tell her, again and again how much he desired her, but he seemed more than willing to oblige.

After getting that issue settled, the only thing that bothered Chrissy during the weeks to come was Mike's inability to find a job. She knew that he had been very specialized in the work that he had done in the Marines, but she had really thought he would be able to find employment quickly. He had assured her that he had arranged for almost two months of terminal leave, which provided him with a steady paycheck, so he wasn't worried about finding a new job. But Chrissy was getting worried. Weeks had gone by and he hadn't even mentioned getting any interviews. She had tried to talk to him about it, but he hadn't seemed interested enough to even have a conversation about it.

At dinner one night, Chrissy finally decided that enough was enough. Mike had cooked supper for them that night, so they were at home. With no one to interrupt them or to overhear, Chrissy insisted that Mike talk to her about his job plans. Although he was evasive at first, Mike finally explained that he had put in his application for a civil service job. He told her that since he would soon be retired military, he had requested a rather high level job. The paperwork and cross referencing of his qualifications and the available jobs was taking longer than expected. Chrissy was satisfied, though, that he was making progress and that he wasn't going to be unemployed forever. She willingly accepted his explanation and dropped the subject.

Mike was relieved that he had managed to appease Chrissy's interest in his job, but he hated having to lie to her. He had told her part of the truth, but since he still had not told her that he planned on going back to Boise with her yet, he couldn't tell her the whole truth. The whole truth was that he had requested a high level civil service job, but he had already been assured that it would be waiting for him whenever he arrived. He would be working with the U.S. Customs Service out of the Boise airport. The job sounded like a good fit and it allowed him time to settle down, get acquainted with Boise, and help his brother formulate plans for the ranch. He wasn't sure he would stay at the job until he retired, but it was a perfect match for him right now. And, most importantly, it let him stay with Chrissy.

Mike had been keeping another secret from Chrissy as well. After she had put in for her transfer, she had contacted the real estate agent that was selling the two small farms near her sister's ranch. When she had gotten the information, she had shared it with Mike. Although both farms had a lot to offer, one really seemed to appeal to Chrissy. The house was in good shape, there was a creek running through the property and the pastures were already being farmed for corn. Chrissy had told Mike about some changes she would like to have made in the house, such as redoing the kitchen and updating the bathrooms. But, overall, the gleam in Chrissy's eyes when she talked about that house, told Mike that it was definitely the one she wanted. They had even flown over to Boise one week-end to see the house, without Tracy and Mark knowing anything about their visit.

After that week-end, Mike and Chrissy had returned to Chicago. On Monday, as soon as Chrissy had gone to work, Mike contacted the agent and bought the farmhouse! Since he had never married and had never had too much opportunity to spend his income, Mike had invested a great deal over his military career. He had managed to have enough to make a down payment of half the cost of the house and still have enough left over to get the kitchen and bath redone. It had been tricky to keep his purchase and remodeling a secret - not only from Chrissy, but also from Tracy and Mark. But he had done it. According to his contractor, the kitchen was finished and the bathroom would be done in another week. Mike wanted to share his secret with Chrissy so badly, but he knew that, if he did, it would blow his surprise. So he kept quiet, even though it was an agony for him to do so!

One Friday, about four weeks after Mike had arrived in Chicago, Chrissy came home after work earlier than usual. Mike was in her guest bedroom, packing up books in order to prepare for her move. Chrissy burst into the bedroom with her face glowing with excitement. "The transfer went through! I'm going to Boise!"

Chrissy's happiness was instantly contagious, as Mike grabbed her around the waist and they spun around the room together. Finally, when they were both out of breath, Mike set her down. "When? When are you leaving?" he asked her excitedly.

As happy as she was, Chrissy still felt a stab of disappointment that Mike was so eager for her to leave. The thought that maybe he hadn't enjoyed their weeks together as much as she had flickered through her mind. But she pushed that thought aside and smiled up at him, "I report to work in Boise in two weeks! My last day here is Monday. I just can't believe it - I'm really going home!"

Over the week-end, Chrissy and Mike finished packing up the guest bedroom, the living room and most of the kitchen. Mike had already washed and packed Chrissy's extra clothes and dishes. So that only left the basics in the kitchen and in Chrissy's wardrobe. It was exhausting work. By the time Sunday night arrived, they both were ready to take a break.

Looking over at Chrissy who was sitting on the floor in her kitchen, taping the last boxes shut, Mike said, "Want to go out?"

Chrissy looked up at him ruefully, "Not on your life! Order me a pizza and don't forget the coke!"

Mike laughed at her and went to call in their delivery order. When he returned to the kitchen, Chrissy was still sitting in the floor, but rather than taping boxes, she was staring off into space. Mike dropped down beside her and she smiled over at him. It was a happy smile, but with a touch of sadness around the edges.

"Penny for your thoughts," he whispered to Chrissy, as he put his arm around her to draw her closer to him.

Chrissy sighed, "It's just all so hard to believe. I know I'm making the right choice, but I'm also having to step out in faith. I mean, I still don't even have a place to live when I get there. And Tracy doesn't know I'm coming yet. What if this is harder than I can handle?"

Mike longed to reassure her that he would be beside her every step of the way, but he held back. He wanted his surprise to be perfect, when the time was right.

So Mike sat in the floor and held Chrissy while she talked to him about her fears and her hopes. When the pizza arrived, Mike paid for it and then sat back down in the floor with it. "Let's not bother with the table," he said, "Let's just have a picnic here on the floor."

Chrissy readily agreed, then she reached over and pulled some paper towels off of the roll that was sitting on the counter. "Nothing like elegant napkins to accompany our elegant cuisine!" she laughed.

Monday morning dawned bright and early. Chrissy was like a little kid going to a birthday party. She was so excited about her last day at work. Mike watched her bounce out the door and thought about how much he enjoyed being a part of Chrissy's life. She was his perfect mate. And it was almost time to tell her that.

The next day flew by, with movers to be dealt with, utilities to be turned off and last minute details cropping up right and left. Finally, everything was finalized by Wednesday morning. Mike had told Chrissy that he would like to drive to Boise with her since he didn't have anything going on right then. He had implied that he would drop in on his brother for a few days and then head back. Of course, Chrissy had no way of knowing that, when Mike put his duffel bag in her car this time, he wasn't planning on any return trips. He was headed home, in more ways than one.

Chapter Nine

It was roughly 1600 miles between Chicago and Boise. Chrissy and Mike took turns driving. Their goal was to put in 400 miles a day. That was a long day, but not impossible. They didn't want to be worn out when they got to Boise, but they didn't want to waste too much time on the trip, either.

On Saturday night, they were still about 100 miles outside of Boise, in Jerome. They decided that they would stop for the night and surprise Tracy and Mark first thing in the morning. They also didn't want to end up on Tracy and Mark's doorstep in the middle of the night. So they left a request for an early morning wake up call and headed off to bed.

As usual, the room that they had chosen only had one bed. By the time that Chrissy finished washing her face and brushing her teeth, Mike had already fallen asleep. Chrissy crawled in beside him and snuggled up to him. In his sleep, he turned and draped an arm over her, then he sighed in contentment. Chrissy chuckled to herself at how comfortable they had become with one another.

Although she was tired, Chrissy couldn't seem to fall asleep. Somehow in the excitement of the last few weeks, she had forgotten Mike would be leaving soon. She had slipped into the fantasy that they were a real couple and that this move was for them both. She had forgotten that it was all just a temporary arrangement for him. Now, it was over. This could well be the last night that they had together. That thought made her heart ache and tears come to her eyes. She snuggled closer into Mike's arms and hoped that sleep would come soon.

Mike woke Chrissy up with kisses the next morning. He started by kissing her forehead, then moved down her face, lingering over her mouth, then continuing down her neck. By the time that he had begun kissing the soft mound of her breast, she was wide awake and moaning. Mike kneaded her flesh with his left hand, while his right arm was occupied with pulling Chrissy as close as possible to him.

For her own part, Chrissy wasn't willing to be passive in their lovemaking. She reached out and stroked Mike's shoulders and ran her hands up and down his back. As Mike's touch became more insistent, Chrissy began to wiggle in his arms. He held her tight though and continued to love her. She was fast reaching the point of no return, but she wanted to take Mike with her. Without warning him, she suddenly shifted her weight and lowered her body onto his erection. It was Mike's turn to moan as he sank into her softness. That sound gave Chrissy a rush of power and she began moving under him. Mike picked up the pace and soon they were over the edge, finding their release almost simultaneously.

Instead of drifting back down slowly, Chrissy grinned and jumped out of bed. She ran to the bathroom and started the shower. She turned back to Mike and said, "Want to conserve some water, Marine?"

Surprised, Mike looked at her closely. He said, "Are you sure? We've never showered before."

Chrissy's only answer was to arch her eyebrows suggestively before she jumped behind the shower curtain. Mike laughed out loud and bounded in after her. Getting clean had never been so appealing!

Their shower ended up lasting far longer than either one of them had planned. It had resulted in another bout of lovemaking, which then required additional cleaning. Although they had hoped to leave by 7:00, they finally managed to get their clothes on and pack up to leave around 10:00. "Well", said Chrissy, "we can show up at their house when they get home from church!"

The last 100 miles seemed to last forever. Chrissy was determined to hang on to her excitement and not give into the anxiety that was gnawing at her. Mike seemed extraordinarily relaxed which helped her stay upbeat. By the time that they had stopped to grab a bite of breakfast, and driven the last stretch, they were pulling into Tracy and Mark's driveway about 12:30.

Mike was driving since Chrissy was too excited. He saw Tracy and Mark just getting out of their car at the end of the long drive. He pulled up behind them, blocking their car in. Mark gave a questioning look over the top of his car, wondering who would be showing up at their home. When he recognized his brother getting out of the car, he couldn't stop himself from yelling, "Mike!"

Tracy had made it into the house already and was returning to see who had arrived. She heard Mark's excitement, but couldn't make out what he was saying. When she rounded the porch and saw Chrissy standing in the yard, she yelled herself and began running toward her sister. The two women hugged each other tightly and kept trying to talk at the same time. Finally, Mike raised his voice loud enough to be heard by them all and suggested that they go inside. The four of them finally managed to get into the kitchen and sat down around the table.

Chrissy started by saying, "I wanted to come home."

Tracy looked at her, somewhat confused. She said, "But you were just home at Christmas. Why did you want to visit again so soon?"

Chrissy's face burst into a huge smile, "I'm not visiting, Sis. I'm here to stay!"

The squeals of delight between the two sisters were almost more than Mark and Mike could handle. They just looked at one another and shook their heads, waiting until the women calmed down enough for Chrissy to continue.

It took about 20 minutes to get the whole story out because Tracy and Mark kept interrupting with questions. Mike watched Chrissy as she talked to her sister and brother - in - law. He knew by the look on her face that she had made the right decision. She had never looked happier or more beautiful than she did right then. Mike couldn't wait until he could get her alone and let her know how much he loved her.

Chrissy and Mike had left everything in the car when they had arrived. After finishing up her story, Chrissy realized that she wanted some of the things she had left out in the car. She had brought a few presents and some information for Mark about incorporating the ranch in order to obtain a loan. Mike and Mark volunteered to go get the stuff in order to let the two sisters have a few minutes alone.

As soon as Mike was out of the kitchen, Tracy turned to Chrissy and said, "So how far along are you?"

Chrissy looked at her sister in confusion. "Far along with what?" she asked.

Tracy said, "Oh come on, how far along are you in the pregnancy?

Chrissy's face fell. "I didn't get pregnant, Tracy. I started my period right after I got back to Chicago."

Tracy looked at her sister suspiciously. "Chrissy, I might not know a lot of things, but I know a pregnant woman when I see one. When was your last period?"

Chrissy scrunched up her forehead as she thought back. "Well," she said, still trying to remember clearly, "I told you, it was right after I got back to Chicago. Yeah, that was the last time."

Suddenly, it dawned on Chrissy what she had just said. Startled beyond speech, she could only stare at Tracy.

"Honey," Tracy began, "that was the first of January. This is the first week in March. You are a month late!"

Chrissy suddenly felt dizzy. She had never even noticed that she hadn't had a period. She had been too busy focusing on her move. As much as she had wanted a child three months ago, now she wasn't sure what she was going to do. Then she had developed a plan, had a schedule and had made arrangements accordingly. Now, she was winging it. She was in a new town, at a new job, madly in love with the father of her baby, and facing his imminent departure. How was she going to manage?

"What am I going to do? How am I going to handle this?" Chrissy muttered, in her shock. It didn't even cross her mind that Tracy might be wrong. She knew in her heart that Tracy was right - she was going to have a baby. "Mike's going to kill me! NO! Mike is not going to know!"

Tracy looked at her like she had lost her mind, "What do you mean, Mike isn't going to know? You two are a couple. You made this baby together. He has to know."

As they heard the men come back into the house, Chrissy turned to her sister with panic written all over her face, "Please, please, don't say anything. I know you don't understand, but please, promise me you won't tell Mike. Promise me, please!" Tracy nodded reluctantly as the men walked into the kitchen.

"Hey, Tracy, what's for lunch?" Mike joked. Tracy tore her eyes from her sister and looked at him. Her face still held traces of annoyance, which surprised Mike. They had been home less than an hour and Tracy and Chrissy were having problems? That didn't bode well for the future.

"I'll have some lunch for us all in a few minutes. Mark, why don't you take Mike and show him the new barns that we have decided on?" Tracy said.

Chrissy knew that her sister was trying to get her alone again, and she was not interested. She turned to Mike and Mark and said, "I would love to see the barns as well. Can I come?" Mike looked suspiciously between the two women and noted Chrissy's look of forced innocence and Tracy's scowl of displeasure. Man, this was going to be a great visit!

When the Mark, Mike and Chrissy returned to the kitchen, Tracy had set out sandwich fixings and had warmed up some tomato soup. The four of them settled at the table. Mike had been afraid that the conversation would be stilted, given whatever was going on between Tracy and Chrissy. But Tracy and Chrissy seemed to have called a truce and the meal was pleasant and peaceful.

Chrissy asked where Sky was since she wasn't there to keep them all entertained, and Tracy explained that Sky's friend from Christmas was now her official boyfriend. After church every Sunday, Steven's family insisted that Sky join them for an afternoon of fun and games. It gave Tracy and Mark a chance to have some time together and Tracy knew that Sky and Steven were well chaperoned by his family. All in all, it was a nice situation.

After the meal, the four of them moved into the den to sit in more comfortable chairs. It didn't take long for the conversation to become a chore as they all relaxed more and more. Finally, when Mark woke himself up with a loud snore, they all decided it was time for naps. Mike and Chrissy naturally went up the stairs to her old room and Mark and Tracy headed for the other end of the house to their bedroom. The quiet house and the lazy Sunday afternoon combined to make for a very peaceful atmosphere, as they all settled down to rest.

Chapter Ten

When Chrissy woke up, she was shocked to find herself alone. She wondered where Mike was, and then, with a start, she remembered what she had discovered earlier. She was going to have a baby - Mike's baby. She wasn't sure if she wanted to laugh or to cry. She didn't want Mike to feel obligated to her or the baby in any way. Her original plan had been to use him merely as a sperm donor. Yet that was so long ago. So many things had changed. Now what was she going to do?

The door to her room opened and Mike stepped in. He was carrying a tray with two glasses of coke and some powdered dough nuts on it. "No one else is awake yet, but I wanted something sweet," he said. "Care to join me?" he invited. Chrissy moved over on the bed so he could sit with her. They enjoyed the snack and then Mike took the tray back downstairs.

When he returned, he looked anxious about something. Chrissy almost didn't notice since she was caught up in her own trauma, but when he kept hanging around the door and finally began pacing, she knew something was up. "Mike? What's going on? What's wrong?"