"Come on, honey," he said softly. "Let me take you home."

Feeling like a fool, but not willing to run the risk of throwing up in front of her crew, she reached into her backpack and took out her cell phone. She dialed and when Ted answered, she asked him to ride hard on the plumbers. When she hung up, she didn't look at Spike, but got to her feet.

"Let's go," she muttered.

Cass slept most of the day. She couldn't stomach anything more adventurous than some of Libby's chicken broth for lunch, but by the time five o'clock rolled around, she was able to force herself out of bed. A shower perked her up a little and she slipped into a black sheath of heavy silk. She put on some makeup and did her hair. Threw on a pair of earrings.

She felt like she had to gird herself for the party.

By the time she walked into the living room, everyone else was there. Nate and Frankie were by the fire, their dark heads together. Joy was pouring some Perrier for Spike and laughing. Gray and Alex were talking.

Where was- "That is a fabulous dress," Madeline said.

"Thank you."

The other woman was dressed in black slacks and a black turtleneck and she looked drop-dead gorgeous. Worse, her smile was open, engaging, as if she was hoping to talk. To be friends.

Cass searched her mind for something to say. "So it's very cold, don't you think?"

The weather. How original.

Madeline nodded. "And, man, the snow is everywhere. I've forgotten how much they get up here. I was crazy to take the Viper, but I love that car. With so much of my time being spent on the ocean, I don't get to drive it enough."

Gray and Alex came over. Cass faded to the edges of the group, looking around the room until she'd memorized where every piece of furniture was. She felt Alex watching her, but couldn't meet his eyes. She just didn't want to deal with all the emotions she was feeling, and if that made her a coward, fine. Paint her yellow.

Abruptly he went over to Spike and said something to him. Spike left and came back with two large, thin presents that were wrapped with what looked like mathematical precision.

Alex raised his voice. "Since we're all here, I have something I want to give Frankie and Joy. Spike, prop them up on the couch, okay?"

When the two gifts were against the sofa cushions, Alex checked the back of one and motioned his sisters forward.

"Frankie you're on the left. Joy, the right."

He stepped to the side.

"What is it?" Frankie asked, staring at hers.

"See, that's the thing with presents. You have to open them."

"Who goes first?"

"Together. I want you to do it together. Sorry there are no ribbons. I couldn't find any I liked."

Frankie and Joy ripped the things open. And then just stood, staring.

Cass leaned from side to side, trying to see what he'd given them.

Alex cleared his throat awkwardly. "All right, maybe it wasn't a good idea. But see-Here, move out of the way."

Cass gasped. The gifts were beautifully framed sets of sailboat drawings.

Their father must have done them, she thought, putting her hand to her throat.

"These are Dad's," Alex said. "I've gone through all of his plans and when I saw these two boats, I thought of you." He eased himself down on the floor. "This one, Frankie, is a schooner, a three-master. She'll take care of you. She's the one you want when you have your crew with you and you're in a storm. She's stable, she's responsive, she's beautiful. She'll never let you down. And her lines...just perfect." He turned toward the other. "And, Joy, see this one, she's the one you want when it's just you and your woman and the two of you are going out at twilight. She's a dream to captain because she's maneuverable so she'll let you enjoy the beauty of the ocean and share it with someone even if you're at the helm. She's a quiet ocean kind of girl, but she's no dummy. You need to get home quick and she'll take you as fast as the wind. She is totally reliable."

He sat back, looking at the drawings, hands on his thighs. "I tell you, when Dad drafted these, he had the two of you in mind. And all the markings are his. Well, except for the transom cross sections. I took the liberty of printing your names on them. I hope that's okay."

There was total silence in the room as Alex focused on the sailboats and his sisters stared at him.

Suddenly, he seemed to realize everyone had gone quiet, and he glanced over his shoulder, flushing. "Yeah, ah, sorry to monopolize the party. I just-" He coughed a little as he leaned on his cane to get off the floor. "Anyway...I wanted you to have them. Maybe you could, uh, hang them somewhere. If you wanted to."

There was a strangled sob. No, two of them.

Frankie and Joy launched themselves at him, throwing their arms around their brother. The sounds of crying were muffled against his sweater.

He stiffened and looked down at their heads with a frozen expression. Then he wrapped his arms around his sisters, pulling them closer, dropping his own head between theirs. Words were exchanged among the three, quietly.

Cass used her fingertips to wipe away tears. Needless to say, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. Even Spike was blinking furiously.

When the trio pulled apart, Frankie smiled as she mopped up her face with a cocktail napkin.

"This is so perfect," she said, sniffling. "Those gifts on tonight of all nights." She reached out for Nate and he took her hand, kissing her on the lips. "We're pregnant," she announced.

Joy clasped her hands to her mouth and teared up all over again.

Alex beamed, wrapped Frankie back in his arms and shook Nate's hand. There were all sorts of congratulations and well-wishing and weepy smiling.

The fabric of life, Cass thought as she watched. The basis of family.

When it was appropriate, she stepped in and kissed Frankie on the cheek. Then she made a quick excuse to Libby and left the room.

Her stomach was back on the roller coaster again, and she just wasn't up to sitting at the table. There was no way she could pretend everything was all right any longer, and in the midst of such happiness, she didn't want to be the pill in the corner with a frown on her face.

As she went upstairs, she put her hand on her flat belly.

She would never have what Frankie had, Cass thought. New life growing inside of her. The man she loved beaming and proud by her side. The happy announcement.

Empty. So very empty.

She wanted to cry, except it struck her as useless. So she undressed, got into bed and closed her eyes. For some reason she was cold even though she was under the covers.

Alex stared at Frankie, feeling the smile on his face stretch his cheeks until they burned.

"So are you ready to be an uncle?" she asked.

"Yeah, I am."

"Oh, Alex, those drawings." Her eyes welled up. "That is the loveliest thing you've ever done."

Joy came up to him and took his hand. "Oh, Alex. They're so beautiful, so thoughtful. I never expected you-"

As his sister fell silent, he laughed a little. "Never expected me to what?"

"To know how much it would mean to us."

"What made you think of it?" Frankie asked.

He looked around. Everyone else was across the room, examining the plans in front of the couch. The three of them were alone.

Might as well finish it, he thought.

"You've had no help from me, no support, since the two of them died. And yet I come home, bashed up, needing all kinds of things, not the least of which being patience and understanding. You both took care of me. You never hesitated. I didn't deserve it. I still don't."

"Alex," Frankie cut in, "you're our brother-"

"How do you figure that? I left you two here all by yourselves. Not real brotherly. Not the mark of a good man, either." He cleared his throat. He was not going to cry. Damn it, he was not. "I'm going back out to sea."

He paused, taking in their stricken faces.

"But I'm going to return here more often, and I want to help out. I know Grand-Em's care is expensive. I want to pay for it."

The cost would take a chunk out of what he earned. After all, sailing was a rich man's sport so the trophies were gorgeous, but the purses, even the America's Cup, were small.

"Alex, you don't-" As he stared at Frankie, she had the good sense not to argue.

He smiled and reached out to her belly.

"The next Moorehouse," he murmured.

What would it be like, he wondered, to put his hand on a woman's stomach and know that his son or daughter was nestled inside?

He thought of Cassandra. It was crazy, but he wished she wasn't on the Pill. And that they'd had unprotected sex every single night that she'd been up in Saranac.

He wished she were pregnant.

He glanced at the people by the couch and realized she was gone.

"Cass went upstairs," Joy explained. "She told Libby her stomach was still off."

"Do you know if she ate lunch?"

"Libby said only some of her homemade chicken broth."

"Then I'll take some more of that up to her."

Chapter Sixteen.

When a knock sounded, Cass looked up from the novel she'd been skimming through.

She pushed herself a little higher against the pillows. "Come in."

The door swung open. The big, dark shape between the jambs could only be Alex and he was holding a tray on his palm like a waiter would. She wondered how he'd worked the knob with his cane.

But then, that was Alex. Great physical coordination.

He stepped into the room and kicked the door shut. "Before you say anything, I owe you this, remember? You brought me food when I wasn't doing too well."

She pulled the comforter up to her chin. Even though her flannel nightgown was as translucent as a two-by-four.

"You can leave it over there on the bureau," she said. "Thank you."

He ignored her and came to the bed. "You aren't going to let me feed you this soup, are you?"

"No, I'm fine."

He put the tray down and sat on the edge of the mattress, his weight causing a dip she had to fight not to get swallowed into.

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

His eyes narrowed. "No matter what I ask you, you're going to answer fine, right?"

"Alex-"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bait you." He dragged a hand through his hair. "You've been working too hard."

"Not really."

"You need time off."

"I'm-"

"Fine. Yeah, sure. Listen, maybe you should take a few days for yourself. Or a week. Maybe you could even take a vacation. Go somewhere with-" Alex's face tightened "-O'Banyon or something."

God, she wanted to scream at him. "Alex, I'm going to give this one last shot and then I'm done, okay? There is nothing going on between Sean and me. That kiss you saw? It was the one and only time our mouths have ever met. I was...trying to feel something for him, but I didn't. That's the truth and I refuse to justify my business to you again."