by Amy Star
“It’s exciting for a little bit, but Dallas is a bit like New York.”
She turned and looked at him. “Lots of traffic?”
“That and it never seems to sleep. It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep at the hotels in the center of it all, and if we’re going to stay out of downtown, we might as well stay somewhere a little more Texas.”
“I can’t wait to see the place. This is all so amazing.”
“You said that,” he laughed. “I know you’re eager to get settled in, but we have to make a few stops first.” He reached out and placed his hand on her belly lovingly. “I want to make sure you have everything you need to be comfortable.”
“You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know, but you’ve gone so far out of your way to give me a chance to make this work, and I want to show you that whatever you decide, you will always be taken care of.”
She covered his hand with both her hands, taking a deep breath and sighing. “You’re already taking wonderful care of me.”
“If you get tired, just let me know, but I want to try to get your office furniture set up today, too.”
“It would be nice to get a little work done,” she laughed. “I haven’t done much these past few days.”
“Whatever you need, get it. If you like it when we leave in a few weeks, I’ll have it shipped back.”
She nodded. “I’m not sure what to say. ‘Thank you’ seems so trite.”
“‘Thank you’ is more than enough.” He looked at her and smiled. “Seeing you happy is thanks enough.”
He pulled off the freeway and down a quiet street lined with majestic home with perfectly manicured yards. When he got to the end of the road he turned right, driving past a country club and pulling into a strip mall tucked between the golf course and a large park complete with a miniature train the circled the entire property. The train was sitting dormant, the mid-Thursday foot traffic almost nonexistent.
Eli parked by a little boutique, the front windows lined with mannequins wearing the latest in maternal high fashion. A woman met them at the door, welcoming them with a bottle of water with their logo on it.
“Welcome to Maternique,” the woman said. “Wendy will be your personal shopper. We look forward to making your pregnancy the most fashionable months of your life.”
The woman left and a petite woman who looked no more than nineteen took her place, her smile wide and friendly. “I’m Wendy. Do you know what you’re looking for?”
Ava shook her head. “Just some comfortable clothes to work in.”
“I know just the thing.”
The woman turned, leaving the to follow her to the back of the store. There were no clothing racks, just mannequins, each dressed in a complete outfit or dress. No two mannequins were the same, and each displayed a numbered card at the base.
“Are they only one size?” Ava asked.
The smile slid off Wendy’s face, but she recovered herself instantly. Eli chuckled, leaning in close to Ava ear. “You tell Wendy your size and which clothes you like, and she will bring them to the fitting room. There’s a back room set up with every available size of each outfit.”
“It cuts down on theft and keeps the store looking fresh and stylish,” Wendy offered. “It’s a newer thing.”
Ava smiled at Wendy. She knew it wasn’t a new thing, but she appreciated the woman’s attempt at making her look a little less foolish. “I’m sure it’s obvious I’m not from around here. Omaha is growing, but we’re still country.”
Wendy beamed, tossing her head slightly, her bottle blonde locks shimmering beneath the can lights in the ceiling. “I just love Iowa.”
Ava looked at the woman, in shock, then smiled and nodded. “I’m sure you do.” Eager to move past the awkward conversation, Ava pointed out a few of the mannequins and gave Wendy her size.
“If you’ll have a seat over there by the fitting room, I’ll bring those right over. Help yourself to any of the goodies while you wait.”
Ava sat down on the plush couch beside Eli, leaning her head on his shoulder.
“Are you tired?” he asked.
“Always, but this is nice. A little different than I’m used to, but still really nice.”
“If you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else.”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? The clothes are beautiful, and I think Wendy just pretended to think Omaha was in Iowa to make me feel better about not knowing how an upscale boutique works.”
“That was pretty sweet of her,” Eli said. “She works off commission, so the more you buy, the more she makes.”
“Challenge accepted,” Ava teased. “Should I get more? I thought a few outfits would be enough and I could just wear dressed the rest of the time.”
“You need to get a wardrobe full. These are designed so well that you can wear them from now until long after you give birth, and they’ll still look stylish.”
“You sound like an endorsement.”
He held up an ad that was sitting on the table beside the couch. “It says so right here.”
“That’s just so many things to try on.”
Wendy appeared from around the corner, her hands empty. “Our clothes have a consistent fit. Once you’ve tried on a pair of pants, shirt and dress, you can pick anything, and I can box it up with our perfect fit guarantee.”
“Thank you,” Ava said.
“I have you set up in room one. If you’ll follow me.” She handed Eli a remote. “We’ll probably be awhile.”
He pointed it at the wall and sat back, clearly in no hurry.
“Whoa,” Ava said. “I thought that was a painting.”
“We want there to be a certain ambience, but we understand that fathers-to-be are often ready to take a break from assembling furniture and such while their wives get styled. When it’s not in use, it scrolls through different famous works of art every hour. We thought of everything.”
Wendy opened a powder blue door, and Ava’s mouth dropped open. “This is bigger than my first apartment.”
“Mine, too,” Wendy joked. “I can assist you if you want. You can change behind the screen, and I’ll bring you each piece to try on.”
“Thank you,” Ava said, stepping behind the screen and trying on the first outfit. She checked out her reflection in the mirror, pleased with what she saw. She sighed, then stepped out from behind the partition to show Wendy. “This is much more comfortable than my clothes.”
“You look breathtaking,” Wendy said. “Pregnancy looks good on you.”
“How many times a day do you say that?” Ava laughed.
“All day. I love my job.”
“I can see that.” She looked at her sleeves, then felt around the dress. “There’s no price tag.”
“You’re right,” Wendy said without elaborating.
“Let me guess, nothing has tags.”
“It damages the seams.”
“And the wallet.”
Wendy snorted, then collected her dignity and smiled. “Would you like to try on the rest?”
“I would. I’ll probably wear this one out.”
“That’s the fitting room model. Whatever one you want to wear out, I’ll get you one that’s never been tried on.”
Ava was nonplussed. She took the dress off and tossed it over the side of the partition. It disappeared immediately. By the time Ava had the slacks on and the shirt buttoned, the first dress had been stashed somewhere out of the way and Wendy was waiting patiently to view the next outfit.
“Perfect,” she said. “Those slacks and the shirt come in an array of the season’s latest colors, so just let me know which colors you would like, and I’ll have them packed up.”
“Y’all have thought of everything,” Ava said, utilizing the only Texas slang she knew.
“We try. I also brought you some footwear to try on, and I have a catalog of all the styles available in the back, or I can pick out a few pairs that match your wardrobe and
save you extra work.”
“I’ll let you choose the shoes.”
Wendy clapped her hands together, clearly delighted, and Ava went back to trying on clothes.
It took Ava almost an hour to finish picking out everything she wanted. Once she’d tried on the clothes and the shoes, she sat down with Wendy in the luxurious changing room, pointing out what she liked while Wendy wrote everything down.
When they’d finished, Wendy helped Ava up from the couch and smiled, then led her out to where Eli was waiting. Wendy addressed Eli, taking the credit card that Eli handed her with the same high society grace she’d shown throughout their shopping trip. “Villa Rosa is next door and has an excellent lunch menu. If you’d like, I can have your purchases boxed and loaded into your car while you dine.”
Ava started to argue that it was too much trouble, but Eli nodded. “Excellent,” he said.
Wendy swiped the card on a handheld device she pulled from her pocket, then handed it back to Eli. “It will take about an hour.”
“It’s the Q3,” Eli said, handing the keys to Wendy.
Eli held her hand as they stepped out of the boutique and walked the short distance to the quaint little Italian Restaurant in the shopping center.
“You didn’t even look to see how much it was.”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Eli, the clothes didn’t have tags.”
“It ruins the seams,” he said, then he hugged her and held her face in both his hands. “Things are different now. You don’t need to worry about price tags or budgets. If you want something, I’ll buy it for you. It’s that simple.”
“And what if I’m not the kind of girl that wants to run to a man every time she wants something?”
“I’ll get you your own card.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
The door to the restaurant opened, and the heavenly smell of authentic Italian food made from scratch greeted her. They sat down and ordered a nice lunch, and just enjoyed each other’s company.
When they were almost done, Wendy appeared quietly and handed Eli his keys, then left almost as quickly as she’d appeared.
“They sure do know how to work this customer service angle,” Ava said as they walked out of the restaurant and back to the car.
Eli chuckled when he got into the car and looked in the rearview mirror. “Judging by the number of boxes, I’m going to say you just paid that young woman’s rent for a year.”
Ava turned to look over her shoulder. Her mouth dropped open. “Did I really get that much?”
“I told her to make sure you had enough to last you the rest of your pregnancy. It looks like she took care of that.”
“It looks like we bought out the store.”
“Not even close,” he said.
They went over a bridge that spanned the length of a large lake, then Eli turned onto a two-lane highway. The Dallas skyline faded in the side mirror, giving way to miles of pasture and farm fields.
“How far is this place?” Ava asked.
He slowed down, turning his blinker on and shooting her a devilish grin. “We’re already here.”
“That’s so close to the city.”
“But a world away,” he said.
She gasped when they turned the corner and saw the large farmhouse on the low hill. “Oh Eli, it’s beautiful. Not like the mountains, but wow.”
“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “I thought you would.”
“Between this place and the ranch in New Mexico, you’re making it hard to think about going home to Nebraska.”
He winked at her. “That’s my plan.”
“What’s that truck doing in front of the house?”
“That’s the furniture that you picked out while we were on the plane. I had the realtor swing by and unlock the house for them.”
“It looks like they’re leaving.”
“They have impeccable timing,” Eli said.
He pulled up and parked by the door, stepping out to talk to the man with the clipboard. Eli signed a few documents, then handed the man a tip and waved the man’s young helper over. He motioned to the car and handed the teen a few large bills. The young man was grinning from ear to ear as he looked to the older man for approval.
“That must be his son,” Ava said to herself as she stepped out of the car and grabbed her purse.
The young man nodded to her as he walked past and went to work unloading her purchases. She shook her head with a smile, thanking both men for getting there so quickly and making her way to the door.
Eli followed her in, standing beside her with his arm around her waist as she took it all in.
“I can’t believe this place is going to be our home, even if it’s only for a few weeks.”
“I told you it was special. That’s why I want to hang onto it.”
“I’m glad you bought it.” The young man brought another stack of boxed clothing in. “Is it horrible that I feel a little bit like it’s my birthday? I want to see what all Wendy packed in those boxes.”
“I don’t have anything to do until tomorrow, so why not?”
“Quit teasing. There aren’t that many boxes.”
She opened the box closest to her, surprised to find a set of undergarments in a stunning shade of emerald. “I didn’t buy any undergarments,” she said. “And this tag says, ‘use with outfits three, five and fifteen’. What does that mean?”
“They put together an entire outfit, down to the last stitch. It makes sense that they would want the right items underneath. It can affect the whole fit and look of an outfit.”
“Did you read that in their advertisement, too?”
“Sure did,” he laughed. “They go above and beyond to tailor to your unique needs.”
“Curated wardrobes? That’s a little crazy.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
She opened another box with the cutest pair of sneakers Ava had ever seen, and a list of outfits they would pair with. “Too bad Wendy didn’t accompany us home so she could curate my closet.”
Eli laughed. “I’m sure that can be arranged.”
“Please don’t,” she laughed. “I think I’ve had enough for one day.” Her eyes trailed over the boxes, stopping on a smaller one she that didn’t have the Maternique logo on it. “What’s that?” she asked, grabbing the box and looking at Eli.
“Open it.”
She did, gasping when she saw the locket with the simple inscription on a thin silver chain. She held the box to her chest, tears in her eyes. “It says Mom,” she said, a single tear sliding down her cheek. “Oh Eli, it’s perfect.”
He smiled, moving behind her to help her put it on. When the cold metal rested on her chest, a lump grew in her throat. She struggled to keep her composure. “This is beautiful, thank you.”
“I didn’t think you were quite ready for a ring, but no matter how this ends, you’ll always be the mother of my child. I wanted to do something to honor that.”
She tried to speak, but she couldn’t find the words. It was such a simple gift, but the intention behind it was what undid her. She knew that no matter what happened, they would make it work, and their child would reap the benefits of two people that cared for each other, no matter what their personal relationship looked like to the outside world. It was almost more than she could handle.
He handed her a tissue, then stood, holding out his hand. “Hopefully you can handle one more surprise.”
She sighed and took his hand, following him down the hall to a door with a Do not disturb sign hanging from a simple hook. Eli opened the door and stepped back so she could walk inside.
“Is this my office?”
“It is.”
“Is that a-”
“Top of the line with the highest memory available.”
“I have a laptop.”
“That’s for travel. This is for here. If you like it, I’ll buy another one for the ranch.”
�
�You don’t have to do that.”
He moved so his chest was against her back and put his arms around her waist. His hands settled on her baby bump and he kissed her neck tenderly. “I don’t have to do any of this, but I want to. Let me spoil you, Ava. You deserve all this and more.”
“I don’t know what to say,” she said, surprised that she was feeling so emotional over a desktop computer.
He squeezed her tight. “Just say yes.”
She nodded, not trusting herself to speak.
“That’s all I needed,” he said, then he turned her in his arms and kissed her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Eli kissed Ava goodbye, handing her the keys to the rental.
“What’s this?”
“I’m having a rental brought for me to use. I thought about it, and I realized that you’d need something to drive while I’m off working.”
“I don’t think I need to go anywhere,” she said.
“Trust me. You don’t want to be stuck out here without a way to get into town.” He produced a map printed on a computer paper, complete with little icons. “If you go this way, there are tons of little restaurants and your typical chains without all the Dallas traffic. The closest grocery store is over here.” He circled it. “And the nearest hospital is here.”
“Why would I need a hospital?”
“You won’t, because we’re prepared. Cell service here is sketchy, so I have a landline in your office and in the kitchen. The address is nearby both phones in case you need it.” He handed her a credit card. “It’s not in your name, but it’s a company card, and you’re an authorized user. Anything you need, don’t hesitate.”
“Even if it’s paying Uber Eats an arm and a leg to bring a pregnant woman her latest craving?”
“They’ll do anything for the right price,” he said, laughing. “I have a card coming in your name, but it probably won’t be here until Monday.”
There was a short honk outside. Eli looked over his shoulder and back at Ava.