Carolina Grace (Southern Breeze Series Book 3)

by Regina Rudd Merrick

  “I should wait until Ashton comes home.” She wiped her hands on a towel and put it on the counter. “But I’d rather tell you before he gets home. Then we can discuss it with him.” It was as if she were coaching herself.

  She sat down next to him at the counter and turned to face him, her face set. “I’ve told you how I met your dad, haven’t I?”

  “You met him when you moved to Charleston after your mother died.”

  “Right. I went to work in his company, and before long we were dating. It was quite the whirlwind.”

  Rance snorted. His mother liked to tell how his father swept her off her feet and didn’t give her a choice. She simply had to marry him.

  She hesitated, looking down at her hands, studying her wedding and engagement rings. “There are a few things I never told you.” She shook her head slowly, her eyes closed in pain. “Oh, Rance, you’re going to be angry, I know it.”

  He felt his heart begin to beat harder. He was focused on his mother. “Mom, what is it? And whatever it is, you’re my mother, and I couldn’t be angry with you.”

  She looked into his eyes and shook her head. “Dear, dear boy.” She touched his cheek with her hand, tears forming in her eyes. “I never told you I was married before your father.”

  He was taken aback. Of all the things it could have been, this wasn’t what he expected. Why would this information make him angry? “What happened?”

  “I left. Plain and simple. I had had enough, and I left.” She stared into his eyes. It was as if she were staring at him from a long way off. “I left my husband, and I left my son.”

  He sat and stared at her. What could he say? He had a brother. All his life, he had wanted a brother or sister, and his mother would laugh and wave him off, telling him he had no idea how lucky he was not to have to share her. And somewhere out there, he had a brother, and he had been kept from him.

  His eyes narrowed. The line between his brows matched his mother’s. “I don’t understand.” He didn’t want to start talking until he understood the situation.

  “I know you don’t. You have no idea how many times I wanted to tell you, and then I would put it in the back of my mind and try to forget what I had done. Rance, I left my husband and little boy, and I don’t know if you can ever forgive me.” She reached for his hand. “Can you?”

  He looked down at her hand grasping his. Could he? “Why did you do it?”

  She squeezed and let go. “Clifton and I married right out of college. We were barely twenty-two, and it wasn’t long before Sam came along.” She closed her eyes as tears filled them. “I’m sorry. I haven’t talked about this in a long time.”

  “Take your time.”

  “No, I’ve started, and I want it out before Ashton comes home.” She blew her nose and straightened her back, glancing at the clock on the wall beyond him. “Clifton’s family was part of the Georgetown County elite and owned J.H. Watson Paper Mill. My mama and daddy were so proud when I landed a Watson. They knew I’d be set for life. I had doubts, but it was so flattering to be courted by Clifton Watson. I was young, and he was charming. It’s the only excuse I have.”

  He narrowed his eyes, still confused. This was his mother, and she was telling him things he couldn’t even imagine. “Go on.”

  “Things weren’t good. We lived on the family estate, in the guesthouse adjacent to the pool. Our first mistake was not going out on our own. Then there was Clifton. The happy-go-lucky college student started turning into his father, a workaholic who spent more time at his office than at home.” She stopped to wipe her eyes and after a moment looked up at her son. “I thought once Sam came, everything would be all right. It wasn’t. I spent five years trying to make it work, trying to be whatever he wanted me to be. It came to the point I had to leave. When his family got involved, the only way they would let me go was for me to leave Sam with them.” She gave him a sad smile. “He was a Watson, after all.”

  “Mom, couldn’t you have fought it? Filed for joint custody or visitation rights at least?”

  She shook her head furiously. “Giving up Sam was part of the deal. Well, with J. H. anyway. J. H. was Clifton’s father.” Sadness clouded her features. “I guess you could say I made a deal with the devil.”

  “What kind of grandfather makes a deal like that about his grandson?” This was insane. Was this story true? Had his mother had a breakdown? Once again, he stared at her. “Why are you telling me this now?”

  When she looked back up at him, he saw not his mother but a haggard woman with nothing left to lose. “Two reasons. I was pregnant when I left, but didn’t know it, and because the devil is dead, and he was your grandfather.”

  Chapter Six

  Sophie was bouncing in the seat next to her mother. “I can’t wait to see them!”

  Emma laughed. “They’re pretty amazing.” She sighed as she turned at the light down the street from the Highway 17 bridge.

  “What’s the matter, Mom?” Sophie and she had been a pair, the two of them, for the past thirteen years.

  She smiled over at her raven-haired daughter. So much like her dad. “Sometimes I get a little sad that you never had any brothers or sisters.”

  “It’s not too late, you know.”

  Emma arched an eyebrow at her daughter. “Um, do you know something I don’t know?”

  “I’m just saying, you’re not too old to have a baby. All we need to do is find you a husband.”

  “I had a husband, and one was enough.”

  “Mom, Dad died thirteen years ago. I don’t even remember him. Have you ever thought about dating?”

  She pulled into the parking lot and unbuckled her seatbelt. “I did, and it wasn’t worth it.”

  “Really? When?”

  “You were little, and it was a mistake. I decided then and there, being alone was not the worst thing that could happen to me.”

  Sophie looked at her mother soberly. “That’s true. I mean, the apostle Paul made it look like a good option.”

  “You’re wise beyond your years.” She grinned at her offspring.

  “You’re a wedding planner, Mom. Don’t you want to plan your own wedding?”

  “Wise and nosy. Sweetie, right now I wouldn’t have time to go on dates. Especially now, with Lucy out of commission.”

  “Easy out, Mom. I may start praying for you a boyfriend.” When she saw her mother’s dirty look, she laughed. “Okay, man-friend.”

  “You pray all you want, and God will do what He wants. You know, I’ll be praying too.”

  Sophie shook her head in disgust. “This could get interesting, me praying for a step-dad, and you praying for alone-ness. Who even does that?”

  “A lady who doesn’t want to go there, however is pleased as punch when the rest of the community wants to get married and hires me to help them. That’s who.” She got out of the car and locked the doors. “Now let’s go visit those twins before they’re teenagers like you.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Charly rolled the window down on the passenger side of her car. If she rolled them both down, hair went everywhere, mainly into her face. This was the best of both worlds. It had been a rainy March, and now coastal South Carolina could enjoy days on end of warmth and sunshine.

  She pulled into the parking lot of the hospital, glad to see the number of visitors decreased throughout the day, leaving plenty of parking for after-work visitors like her. She took off her sunglasses and slipped her phone into her purse, along with her keys.

  Why did it feel so good to be in the warmth and sunshine after a day at work? She looked around, admiring the landscape featuring azaleas in full bloom backed by the later-blooming crepe myrtle. Naturalized daffodils and tulips were a pop of color in what would, in any other climate, be a sterile, municipal building. Benches were placed along the sidewalk, giving patients and employees a beautiful place to relax on a beautiful day.

  She noticed an employee sitting, sunglasses on, and head back on his laced finge
rs. A smile stretched her lips as she recognized Rance Butler. There was no reason to think he would remember her, so she decided not to bother him. Chances were that his eyes were closed anyway. Let him rest. He was tired. Besides, she was here to see her niece and nephew.

  The automatic door to the entrance of the hospital was just ahead when she heard her name. She turned to see Rance at her elbow.

  “Hi.” She felt flustered. Was her face heating up? It wasn’t that warm.

  “Hey. Here to see the twins?” He squinted when he took off his sunglasses. He looked tired. And his eyes. There was a quality there she hadn’t noticed beyond the fact they were the most vivid blue she had ever seen.

  “Yes. I think they’re going home tomorrow. At least I hope so. I think their big brother is ready to be back at his own house with his mom and dad.”

  “And their entourage.” They both laughed, and Rance’s eyes crinkled, emphasizing his ready smile.

  “Bless his heart, he doesn’t know what’s about to hit him. It’s something I never had to deal with. My brother is twelve years older than me, and I always wanted younger siblings. What about you?”

  It was as if a shutter closed on his face. The smile was gone, and she couldn’t describe the look on his face. Anger? Pain? “I’m sorry . . . I didn’t mean to get too personal.”

  He shook his head. “No. Don’t apologize.” He gazed into her eyes for a moment and then put the smile back on his face. “Only child. Always wanted an older brother or sister.”

  “Well, for me it was like having a third parent. He’ll always see me as his ‘kid sister.’”

  “Don’t knock it. You seem to have a great family and group of friends.”

  “I do.”

  He gestured for her to precede him into the building. “My break is over, so it’s back to the grindstone.”

  “I understand. I may be a teacher, but when school is out for the day I feel like a kid again, especially in spring.”

  “We’re lucky. Spring starts early here.”

  “Ah, we’re not lucky, we’re blessed.” She crinkled her nose at him. “Better get to the maternity wing. Nice seeing you.”

  “Nice to see you too.” He hesitated at the doorway, looking at her, hands stuffed in his pockets. “You know, we’ve already done the ‘have coffee’ thing.”

  “We have.” Her smile grew as his expression softened.

  “Would you be interested in going out sometime?”

  She tilted her head. It wasn’t as if a handsome man had never asked her on a date before. This felt different.

  “I could be persuaded.” She grinned when his eyebrows shot up.

  “Saturday? Dinner? I’ve heard Alfresco Bistro is good, if you like Italian.”

  “I love Italian, and I’ve only ever eaten lunch there, so it’s a date.”

  “It’s a date, then.” He gave her a brilliant smile. He pulled a notepad out of his pocket. “Give me your number, and I’ll call you later in the week. You never know what can happen around here.”

  She wrote down her number and handed the pad back to him. “I know. And if something comes up, I understand. At least in education there aren’t many ‘teaching emergencies’ on the weekend. Your line of work, on the other hand . . .”

  “Exactly.” He looked down at her clear penmanship and grinned. “Teachers have much better handwriting too.”

  She laughed. “I had to re-learn how to print when I started my student-teaching.” She looked at her watch and looked up at him in surprise, noting the passage of time. “I’d better get up there before visiting hours are over.”

  “Yeah, I think I stretched my fifteen-minute break a little bit.” He walked closer to the door and sighed as he let it open for them. “So, unless I see you before then, I’ll see you on Saturday.”

  A quick glance into the hospital nursery told her Evan and MariAnne were in the room with their mother. She was glad, and she hoped there were no other visitors so she could hog those beautiful babies. There was a little guilt niggling at the back of her mind. She should have brought her mother, but it was much quicker to swing by here after school rather than go all the way back across the rivers to Litchfield Beach and back. She justified her actions by reminding herself the babies would be home tomorrow, and Mom could spend all day with them if she wished.

  When she got to room 206, there they were, Tom, Lucy, Evan, and MariAnne, all snoozing, the television playing, volume turned down to silent. It must have been a busy day.

  As she tiptoed over to the bassinets next to the bed, she was glad they had put a pink cap on one and a blue cap on the other. At this point, they looked identical to her. Mr. Evan decided to choose that moment to stretch his little hand up, fist balled, and scrunch up his face. Now was her chance. She put her hand on his little tummy, and he stilled. There was nothing like a sleeping baby and the sense of accomplishment when you soothed whatever was troubling them.

  Her gloating was short-lived. He shifted a little, stretching out one leg at a time from his previous position of having both legs drawn up and folded together. It was amazing how newborn babies found their pre-birth positions even after birth. He was waking up, and the way his face was working, he was about to let it rip. Did she dare pick him up? She looked over at Lucy, then at Tom, then at sweet MariAnne as she still slept. She dared.

  She wrapped the blanket around the tiny infant and picked him up, careful to support the armful of baby. Finding herself swaying without thought, she felt a jolt of maternal instinct as she never had before. What would it be like to have your own child? As a teen she had held a newborn Hayes and more recently Beau Alexander, Sarah and Jared’s baby. This was part of her family, and she had watched as he came into the world. It was different.

  When her mother was her age, she had Tom. The idea startled her a little. Tom was thirty before he married, and she assumed she would be older, as well. Maybe she would be. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted a family. A husband. Staring down at the infant in her arms, she began to tremble at the thought. Tears were close to the surface when she heard a soft “hey” from the bed. Lucy was awake.

  “Hey, yourself.” Charly made herself relax and smile at her sister-in-law. “Lots of company today?”

  “You know it. I think half of the sheriff’s office and half the church was here today. Emma and Sophie left not too long ago.” Lucy pushed herself up and adjusted the bed to a higher sitting position. “I see you got little mister quiet. I didn’t hear you come in, but as soon as he squeaked, I started waking up.”

  “You do have mom-antennae, don’t you?” Charly laughed and looked down once again at the sleeping infant. “I could do this all day. What did Sophie think about them?”

  “She fell in love immediately, which is common with these two, it seems.” Lucy giggled. “As for holding them all day, we may be calling you to do it all night in a few weeks.” Lucy peered over at her sleeping daughter. “I’m so glad I have a girl now. I love my amazing boys, but I love hair, makeup, and shoes, and it’s not the same with boys. They grow to resent it.”

  “Especially the makeup part.” Tom’s voice surprised the ladies. “Hayes, Evan, and I will be glad for you to experiment with makeup on MariAnne instead of us.”

  “Oh, hush, you.” Lucy’s laugh tinkled through the room and woke the sleeping princess. “Here, Charly, hand Evan to me, and you get Miss Priss.”

  “Happy to do it.” She went over to the bassinet, wrapped the baby up as tight as she had Evan, and picked her up, staring into her beautiful eyes. The baby couldn’t seem to be able to decide whether she wanted to cry or coo, so Charly started singing softly, which quieted the infant. Her eyes never leaving MariAnne’s, she spoke, in a sing-song voice. “Are they hungry?”

  “What do you think?” Lucy raised her eyebrow and twisted her lips in a smirk. “They are, but jaundiced babies have a hard time. They want to sleep, and as soon as they start eating, they get all comfy and you have to make them stay aw
ake.”

  Lucy began nursing Evan, and sure enough, he began dozing as soon as he began to eat. “It’s easier to feed them one at a time, since I have to flick their cheeks or do something to keep them awake. Later on, when they’ve gained a little more weight, I’ll be able to feed them at the same time.”

  “Are you going to bottle feed?”

  “Occasionally. I want other people to be able to feed them, in case of emergency. You never know, something could come up, and then where would they be? Traumatized. They say it’s not a thing, but I did the same with Hayes, and look at him. He’s perfect.”

  Charly’s face lit up. “He is, isn’t he?”

  “Active, but perfect.” Lucy looked up when Evan began eating in earnest. “So, what’s going on with you? School go okay today?”

  “Pretty good. I’m glad the school year’s winding down. As much as I love it, I can’t imagine doing this twelve months out of the year.”

  “I know. I loved my kids, but all teachers need a break. It’s so intense at the end of the school year. Spring fever.”

  Tom laughed. “The sap is rising.”

  “You bet. As soon as the first pretty day comes, all eyes are on the windows, and all thoughts are at the beach or the ball field.” Charly shook her head. “Our problem student is doing better. Thanks for your advice.”

  “No problem. I’ll send you a bill for my usual consultant fee.”

  Charly laughed. “Babysitting?”

  “You bet. And as you can see, I’ve raised my rates.” She gestured to the two infants.

  “Perfectly fair rates, if you ask me.” MariAnne began to squirm. “I think this one is ready for tea time.”

  Tom rose from the chair and took his sleeping son, putting him on his shoulder to burp.

  “Hand her to me. We’ve got this routine down.” She snuggled her daughter and kissed the top of her head before feeding her. “They both smell so good, don’t they?”

  “Nothing like new-baby smell.” Tom flipped up the footrest on the recliner and leaned back, Evan sleeping soundly after a burp that would put a man to shame. Within minutes, both Livingston men were asleep.