A moment later, the ER doctor came in and moved directly to the computer on the stand in the corner. After tapping into the computer for a moment, he looked over and smiled. “You have no symptoms of a concussion, and other than the abrasions on your hands, everything looks fine. Someone will be in to see you in a few minutes with your discharge papers, but of course, if you have any problems or difficulties, come back and see us.”
Smiling, she nodded and sat up in bed, wanting to get out of the hospital gown and back into her clothing as soon as he left.
He made a few more taps on the computer before walking toward the door. Stopping before he left, he said, “Make sure you see your OB/GYN at your regular follow-up and have them continue to monitor your blood pressure. It’s a little low and possibly tied into your fainting spells.”
Her brow crinkled, and she tilted her head as she asked, “I’m new to the area and don’t have a doctor yet.”
At this, his eyes widened slightly, and he said, “Then I’ll have the nurse bring in a list of the local obstetricians so you’ll be able to get in as soon as possible.”
“Obstetricians? I don’t understand. I just fell in the street…that’s why I’m here to get checked out.” She thought he must have her confused with another patient and now wondered about the competency of the hospital.
He turned back to face her fully and said, “I’m sorry, Ms. Parker. I assumed the nurse had come and gone over this with you.”
“Gone over what?” she asked, her voice now rising as confusion snaked through her.
“Ms. Parker, that’s why we didn’t do a CT scan. Your bloodwork showed that you’re pregnant.”
Barking out a strangled laugh, she said, “Oh, no, you must be mistaken. You’ve got me confused with someone else.”
His face softened, and he moved back toward the bed. “When was your last period?”
Her mind raced to give him an answer but realized that she had not had once she been back in Baytown. “But, but…we used a condom.”
His voice was gentle, and he told her what she already knew, “Condoms aren’t infallible, Ms. Parker. The pregnancy was confirmed by both urine and blood test. I can tell this news is shocking, but please, take the list of obstetricians in the area and make sure you see one soon.”
He turned and pushed the curtain to the side and walked out. As Rose’s gaze lifted to follow his retreating back, it landed on Jason standing there, hands on his hips, blue eyes piercing hers, filled with the same stunned expression that she knew must be on her face.
18
Jason glanced to the side at a silent Rose, not having any idea what was on her mind. He had walked back to her ER room, lifted his hand to pull the curtain to the side when he heard the doctor tell her that she was pregnant. Stunned, his hand had stayed lifted, clutching the material as he listened to Rose’s equally stunned response.
As soon as the doctor walked out, she saw him standing there and knew he had overheard. He wanted to rush to her, hold her, tell her everything would be okay, but instead, he froze, uncertain how to react. Their eyes locked for what seemed like forever, but in reality was only a few seconds. She slid off the bed and grabbed her jeans, jerking them on underneath the hospital gown. Turning her back to him, she slid the gown off, snapped on her bra, and pulled her shirt over her head. Tossing the gown to the bed, she shoved her feet into her shoes, bent to pick up her purse and then looked up at him.
Her face carefully blank, she said, “I’m ready to go home.”
Now, feeling like a complete pussy for not saying anything, he was driving her back to Baytown. Sucking in a deep breath, he said, “Rose, babe—”
She shook her head in quick jerks and said, “Not now, Jason. I can’t think. I can’t think.”
Her voice held an edge of hysteria, and not knowing what they were going to face when they got back to Baytown, he sighed and remained quiet. The bizarre events of the day played through his mind, and as exhausted as he was, he knew she was more so. Casting a glance to the side, he could see the pale complexion and dark shadows underneath her eyes. It was late afternoon, and he had no idea if she had eaten since breakfast. He had heard one of the nurses offer her juice and crackers, but she refused, saying that her stomach was upset.
Pregnant. They were going to have a baby. He could not deny that he was stunned, and yet his heart leaped at the idea of her having his baby. Unexpected, but definitely wanted. As much as his mind was whirling, he knew hers was as well. One step at a time, man. I just need to take one step at a time.
Pulling off of Highway 13 toward Baytown, he determined to get her home and get food in her soon as possible. She might not want to talk about it now, but the fact was she needed to take care of herself. Not just for her, but now for the baby. Baby. Holy fu— He stopped himself in mid-curse even though it was only in his mind and not coming out his mouth.
Baby. The word that nearly brought his heart to a stop thirty minutes ago now made him smile. Shooting another glance to the side, Rose’s blank face masking her thoughts, he knew they needed to talk. He wanted to take the fear and uncertainty that he saw earlier and replace it with the smile that always lit her face.
Turning onto their street, his thoughts stuttered at the sight of several police cars and the State Police Medical Examiner van parked in front of Rose’s building.
A gasp from the side had him turn to look at Rose as he pulled to a stop in front of his building. Her eyes were wide and mouth open as she stared at her shop. Not caring that she might not want his comfort right now, he twisted in his seat, reached his hand out, and cupped her face, gently turning her head so that her eyes landed right on his.
“It’s been a helluva day, sweetheart, but we’re gonna get through this. And we’re going to get through it together. Right now, I want to do nothing more than deal with what we learned at the hospital, but I’ve got a feeling Mitch wants to talk to you and do it soon. So, here’s what we’re gonna do. We’re going to go up to my apartment, and I’m going to fix you something to eat. You haven’t eaten in hours, and you need to do everything you can to take care of yourself. I’m going to call Mitch and let him know that we’re here, although with the police around, they probably already observed that we just drove up. My phone’s been blowing up, so I figure every one of our friends have been calling to check on you, and we need to let them know how you are—”
She gasped and said, “Not that. You can’t tell them about—”
“Sweetheart, I’m not going to tell anybody anything. But the last they knew, you’d been hit by a car and were lying in the middle the street, screaming. On top of that, the police have been going in and out of your shop for hours, so everybody’s going to be having a fit to know what’s happening and how you are.” With his fingers at the back of her neck, he pulled her gently toward him as he leaned over the console. Placing a light kiss on her cold lips, he said, “No one’s going to know about the pregnancy until we’ve had a chance to talk, and we’ll let everyone know together.”
Pulling backward, he saw her wide eyes staring at him, and he said, “Trust me, sweetheart. I’m going to take care of you.”
He got out of the truck and walked around to her side, assisting her down, not surprised when Lance walked across the street and met them. Before giving Lance a chance to speak, he threw his hand up and said, “I know you guys need to interview her, but she’s had nothing to eat since early this morning. I’m getting her upstairs into my place, the door will be unlocked, and you guys can come in as you need. But right now, I’m seein’ to Rose.”
Lance gave a short nod and headed back toward Rose’s place. Jason kept his arm around her and drew her toward the outer door next to his shop. Leaving it unlocked, he guided her up the steps and into his apartment. Once there, he had her sit on the sofa while he went and grabbed the orange juice out of the refrigerator. Pouring her a large glass, he took it over and said, “Drink that, sweetheart. That’ll get your blood sugar level up,
and I’m going to fix some sandwiches.”
Pleased that she took the glass and began drinking, he worked as quickly as possible, glad that he had all the fixings for ham and turkey club sandwiches. Carrying the plates over to the sofa, he set them on the coffee table before sliding in close to her. He dug in while continually encouraging her to eat a little bit more. She disassembled the sandwich, pulling out the ham and turkey first, but he could not complain because at least she was eating.
Ten minutes later, she set her partially-empty plate back on the coffee table and twisted her head to the side to look at him. She smiled slightly, and he could not hold back his sigh of relief, both that she had eaten and that she was smiling.
“That was good, thank you,” she said, her voice soft. Her gaze drifted to the window in the direction of her side of the street, and she said, “I need to go to the bathroom, and then I want to go to my place.”
Tossing his empty plate to the coffee table, he said, “Rose, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Jason, you’re right when you said that this has been a crazy day. I can’t even begin to process everything. But right now, I want to go back into my shop and apartment. I want to see what’s happening, I want someone to explain to me what they’re doing. I know Mitch wants to talk to me, and there’s a lot more room to do it there than here. Plus, that’s my home, and I’m not going to be chased out of it.”
He reached over and cupped the back of her neck, gave a little squeeze and said, “I get that, babe. But I have no idea what they’re doing over there right now.”
“It was a skeleton, Jason. I know I freaked out and scared everybody to death, but I was just so stunned. So shocked. It was like something out of a stupid Halloween movie, and I just went nuts. But it was just the bones of someone who died a very long time ago. There’s nothing there that can hurt me or scare me now. And I know the police are there, but it’s not like a crime scene. It’s not like I can’t go into my own apartment and shop.”
“Sweetheart, we’ve got a lot more to talk about than just what happened at your place.” He watched as her hand drifted to her abdomen and wondered if she realized the movement was protective.
She closed her eyes for a few seconds and nodded. “I know we do. I haven’t had a chance to process the news, and I know you haven’t either.” Her hand moved up to scrub over her face, and she shook her head as though her thoughts caused her pain. Looking back at him, she said, “Let’s deal with my place first.”
Knowing what she said made sense, he nodded. Standing, he took their plates to the sink and put them into the dishwasher. Grabbing a bottle of water from his refrigerator, he held out his hand to her and said, “I want you to stay hydrated.”
Pleased she did not argue, she took the water bottle from him and slipped it into her bag. Hand-in-hand, they walked back down his stairs and across the street.
As much as she did not want to seem weak, she was grateful that Jason’s fingers were linked tightly with hers as they walked over the threshold into her shop. Her feet slowed, and he allowed her that. She looked around the room, seeing all of her shop’s equipment and appliances in place, ready for her deliveries of ingredients so that she could begin making her creations.
Grant was standing at the back of the shop and turned around when they entered. He moved toward them and met them halfway. Bending slightly, he looked Rose over carefully and said, “Rose, honey. Are you okay?”
Nodding, she replied, “Yes. I’m fine. I know I scared everyone, but the car did not hit me. I think it was more me running into the car before I fell to the ground." Looking past him toward the back, she asked, “Please, tell me what’s happening.”
Just then, Mitch and Colt walked from the back, and their actions were very similar to Grant’s, wanting to make sure that she was okay.
Giving them the same assurances, she said, “Please, tell me what’s happening.”
Nodding, Mitch said, “Because we need to make sure everything is handled properly, we’ve called in the State Police to assist with the removal. We know that there won’t be any evidence left on the grounds above the cellar, but it will be processed as well.”
Her face scrunched in confusion, but not understanding what all needed to happen, she simply nodded.
“We need to talk to you, Rose,” Mitch said. “You were talking about someone named Millicent earlier, and we’d like to get as much information from you as possible.”
“Sure, absolutely. Can we…um…do it here?”
Nodding, Mitch said, “So that we’re not right here in the way of those who are working below, how about we go up to your apartment if that’s all right?”
She led the way to the stairs near the back, unable to keep from glancing into the storeroom as she passed by but was unable to see anything with the number of people there. Once upstairs in her apartment, Jason made sure she was settled on the sofa and then sat right next to her. Mitch sat in the chair close by, with Colt and Hunter bringing over kitchen chairs and Lance leaning against the kitchen counter.
She began by telling them about finding the chest of letters, leaning over to the end table where the wooden box had been placed. She explained how she had been spending time deciphering the letters while waiting for everything to get ready for her shop to open.
“I often wished that I had copies of the letters she sent to him, but the only ones that are here are the ones that he had written. They were Charles and Millicent Carson, and they lived in Baytown in the late 1800s. He worked for the railroad that went through the area and was often gone. They owned a dry goods shop, and I’m fairly certain it must’ve been in this building. I went and talked to Mona Jorgenson at the museum, and she went to Easton to do some research. She’s the one who told me about the business. It’s been really interesting for me to think about Millicent being here over a century ago, possibly living in this very apartment and working below. I’ve been fascinated with the idea that with her husband gone so much she was a woman having to run the shop by herself. I often imagined that her letters might be a little bit more personal while his writings seem to be written to someone he was very fond of but also a bit more businesslike.”
Looking around at the room full of men, all staring at her intently, she had the feeling that they would appreciate her investigative tendencies but probably not her romantic inclinations. Sucking in her lips, she was not sure what else Mitch might want to know, so she hesitated in her story.
Jason unlinked his fingers from hers so that he could slide his arm around her shoulder and tucked her in tightly while moving his other hand back into her lap to hold her hand. She twisted around and met his gaze, her slight smile silently indicating her appreciation. Mitch, speaking softly, drew her attention back to him.
“Can you explain why you think it was Millicent in the cellar?”
Her brow scrunched together as she asked, “Because of the letter. Because of what Charles said in the letter.” Giving her head a slight shake, she asked, “Who else could it be?”
Continuing, Mitch asked, “What about the letter?”
"I really had to struggle with the script, figuring out exactly what he was saying sometimes. But he warned her that if a storm was coming not to go into the cellar. I guess that was because he was afraid she might get stuck there or it might flood…I don’t know. I had a hard time reading the word cellar, and when I finally figured it out, I still couldn’t understand because I didn’t think there was a cellar in this building. This morning I was in the storeroom and decided that I wanted to move the shelves to the side so that I could put cabinets in the very back. When I moved the metal shelves over, I discovered a handle in the floor and realized that it might lead to a cellar.”
“And you decided to go down there by yourself?” Jason asked, incredulity dripping from his words.
Throwing her free hand up to the side, she huffed and said, “Good grief, what was there to be afraid of? There was so much dirty crud over the
cellar door that it’s not like somebody was down there hiding to jump out and say ‘boo’. I actually hoped that I might find something down there. Old boxes with items from that era. I shined my flashlight around, and it was empty, just brick walls and a dirt floor. It wasn’t until I started to go back up the steps that I spied the chest.”
Suddenly so tired, Rose felt like a balloon deflating its air, and she sank back against the sofa and Jason’s side. “I know I freaked. I know I panicked. I know I just said there was nothing to be scared of, but I’ve never seen a skeleton before. At first, I just thought of running out of there and getting across the street to you. I stupidly ran into the street without looking and almost got hit. Then the shock of everything slammed into me, and all I could think about was Millicent down there dying all alone."
Tears stung her eyes, and she was unable to keep them from rolling down her cheeks. Embarrassed, she bent forward and managed to wipe her tears, begging, “Mitch, please tell me what happens now.”
Speaking softly, he said, “Rose, the remains will go to a medical examiner and then possibly to the State Police’s lab. It has to be treated as suspicious until we have a little bit more information to go on. What you’ve given us really helps, but the lab will give us more answers.”
“When they’re finished, will she be buried?” Seeing Mitch hesitate, she rushed to say, “I can talk to Mona to see where Milicent’s husband was buried. If possible, we can see about having them buried together.”
“I’ll be honest, Rose. This is something I’ve never dealt with before, but I promise to find out everything I can for you,” Mitch said, his voice gentle and his eyes kindly holding hers.
She blew out a long breath and cast her eyes to the side, her mind whirling. Looking back at him, she said, “I hope this doesn’t sound selfish, but once you all have finished removing her uh…remains, will there be a problem with my shop? I should be receiving shipments of fresh ingredients within the next couple of days. I don’t have to use the storeroom, just my front shop area. Will this be a problem?”
Sweet Rose: Baytown Boys Page 15