by Mona Ingram
Jeffrey’s car was parked in the usual spot, partly hidden behind some bushes a quarter of a mile from where they usually met. Her pulse quickened as she pictured him there, sitting on the blanket he always brought, waiting for her.
He wasn’t there, and the blanket wasn’t spread out under the pines. She opened her mouth to call, and then spotted a flash of color down by the river. He’d worn her favorite shirt to school this morning; pale blue denim. She took a few more silent steps on the pine needles and paused for a moment to drink in the sight of him. Dark brown hair curled at the back of his neck, and what she could see of his skin was bronzed with an early summer tan.
He bent and picked up a handful of stones, sorted through them and started to skip them on the tranquil waters of the slowly-moving river. Watching him she frowned; his movements were jerky and un-coordinated. Something was bothering him. Maybe his father had been on his case again; asserting himself was a constant battle for Jeffrey. His father expected him to take over the business, but Jeffrey had no interest in the textile mill. He loved animals, and wanted to be a veterinarian. Bella had a feeling his father would win that battle.
She took a few steps closer and he seemed to sense her presence. He turned slowly and she could see at once that he was troubled. Dark smudges of color under his eyes gave him a haunted look and as his gaze met hers the ground shifted beneath her feet. Did he know? Her fingers unconsciously clutched at her bag.
“Jeffrey?” she said tentatively. “Are you okay?”
He looked at her for a long moment, then shook his head. “No,” he replied, his voice little more than a whisper. He closed the gap between them and took her hand. “Come on, let’s go sit on those big rocks,” he said, drawing her along the bank of the river. “We have to talk.”
She followed him, heart pounding in her chest. This wasn’t the way this conversation was supposed to go. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. He was definitely stressed. As a matter of fact, he didn’t look anything like the Jeffrey she knew.
He settled her on a flat rock and sat down across from her. When he finally raised his eyes he looked at her as though he was trying to memorize her face. Prickles of apprehension crept up Bella’s spine.
The silence lengthened until she could no longer stand it. “What is it?” she asked, knowing instinctively that the answer would change her life. Even more than it had already been changed today.
“There’s no easy way to tell you this, Bella.” His gaze met hers for an instant, and then shifted away. “I’m getting married.”
Bella must have heard wrong, because she thought he’d said he was getting married. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Her voice was surprisingly calm, but her heart was thundering in her chest.
His eyes closed for a moment. “I’m going to get married. To Angela.”
Bella couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Angela Sterling?”
“Yes.”
“But why?” She could hear the plaintive tone in her voice, but she didn’t care. It was a fair question, and she deserved an answer.
He lowered his head into both hands. “She’s pregnant,” he mumbled. “I found out last night when she came over to the house with her parents.”
This wasn’t happening! Bella leafed through a calendar in her mind. “But how can that be?” she cried. “You broke up with her months ago. How come you’re just finding out now?”
He raised his head, his gaze darting around before landing on her face. “She asked me to drive her home after football practice one day last month and we...I...” The words started to tumble out. “She wanted to get back together; she was begging me and I was saying no, but she...” He blushed. “She got me at a weak moment, and we had sex.”
The silence was broken only by the sound of a bumblebee and the river lapping against the shore. “Let me get this straight,” said Bella slowly, fighting for composure. “You had sex. While you were supposed to be with me. And now she’s pregnant.”
He nodded.
“And you’re going to marry her.” It pained her to say the words, but she had to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
She stared at him and it was as if she were looking at a stranger. How could he do this to her? Strangely enough, she could picture him marrying Angela. “And how does Angela feel about all this?”
“I don’t know.” He raked his fingers though his hair. “No, that’s not true. Actually, she seems quite happy about it.”
Bella could imagine the triumphant look on Angela’s face.
“I’m sorry, Bella.”
“I’ll just bet you are.” Where had that come from? Within the space of a few moments she’d found a backbone she didn’t know she had. She stood up and grabbed the bag that held the confirmation of the life growing within her. “You know something, Jeffrey Lambert?” She stuck her face inches away from his. “You’re not only a cheat but you’re a spineless asshole.” She climbed the bank until she stood over him. “You may think you’re sorry now, but that’s nothing compared to how you’re going to feel when I get through with you.”
“What do you mean?” He looked genuinely concerned.
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to tell anyone about our little love nest. But some day I’m going to make you pay for this. I don’t know how or when, but trust me, you’ll pay.”
He looked at her as though she’d grown horns. And maybe she had. She gave him one last look then turned and walked away. It wasn’t until she got closer to home that she started to shake. How could she have gone from loving him to hating him in the space of seconds? It had been surprisingly easy, and she had the feeling that she’d need every ounce of anger she could dredge up to help her though the next few weeks.
Chapter Two
“You told him you’re going to make him pay?” Her friend Carla made a face. “What kind of stupid threat is that?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Carla. I was just so disgusted by his admission that he’d had sex with her.” Bella had changed her mind about going home and was sitting with her best friend in Carla’s back yard.
“What did you expect? He’s a guy. A woman offers, they take.”
“What about you and Ethan? You wouldn’t say that about him.”
“That’s different.” Carla paused. “We’re different. I mean, who’d ever think an Italian American and an Irish American could get along for this long without any major battles?”
“It’s been known to happen. Besides, we live in a small town in the south. Things are supposed to be different here. Family values and all that.”
“Speaking of which, Ethan wants to go to New York.” Carla picked up her lemonade and studied the condensation rolling down the sides of the glass.
Bella was glad of the change of subject. “Whatever for?” She’d never considered leaving Georgia.
“Two reasons.” Carla put down the glass and looked steadily at her friend. “First one is that he’s got the acting bug and he knows he has to go to New York if he’s going to pursue it seriously. The second is that he doesn’t have confidence in the future of the mill.”
“Really?” Bella frowned as she considered her friend’s words. “What makes him think that?”
“He works in shipping, remember? He sees how much raw material comes in and how much finished product is being shipped.” She paused, watching her friend carefully. “He says they’re only producing about half what they were when he started three years ago.” She took a sip of her drink. “He doesn’t think the mill has more than a few years left. This town is going to be hit hard when it finally closes.”
Bella spoke her thoughts. “My Dad’s always said that having only one major industry in a town is a dangerous thing.” She glanced at her friend. “It’s like that study we did in Economics this year, isn’t it?”
“Exactly. This town of a perfect example of what can happen when you have all your eggs in one basket. Our family bakery will be affected, but it will survive; people still n
eed to buy bread. It’s families like yours that will really suffer. Your dad works for the Lamberts and your mom’s business depends on people with money.” Carla took a large swallow of lemonade. “Speaking of your mom, does she know about this?” She gestured to Bella’s stomach.
“No, and I don’t know how I’m going to tell her.”
“Ha!” Carla gave a short, disbelieving laugh. “She knows.”
“No she doesn’t.”
“Bella Thompson. Listen to yourself. Your mom may have had only one child, but she knows what it means when she hears you puking your guts out every morning. Trust me, she knows.”
Bella placed a hand protectively over her stomach. “Do you think so?”
“Oh, yeah,”
“I wonder why she hasn’t said anything?” Bella looked at her friend thoughtfully. “Assuming you’re right, it will make it easier to tell her.”
“Look, kiddo. I know you’ve only had a couple of hours to get your head around this, but do you know what you’re going to do?”
Bella had thought about little else. “First of all, I’m going to go to Doc Farnham and get it confirmed.”
“No, no, no.” Carla shook her head emphatically. “Definitely the wrong move.”
“What do you mean?”
Carla scooted forward on her seat. “Listen to me, Bella. We live in a small town in the south. It may be the nineteen nineties, but this is a conservative town where people gossip for a living. Your Dad works for the mill and your Mom takes in sewing.” She sat back and waited for her words to sink in. “I agree that you have to go to a doctor for a check-up, but not here. Not in this town.”
Bella looked at her friend. “How do you know all this?”
Carla shrugged. “My cousin Maria.”
“Oh.” Bella vaguely remembered the abrupt departure of her friend’s cousin.
Carla put a gentle hand on her arm. “Go home now, Bella. Tell your mom before your dad gets home. It’ll make you feel a lot better.”
Bella gave her friend a lopsided smile. “When did you get so wise?”
Carla shook her head. “I just wish I could be of more help.” She squeezed Bella’s arm, then let it go. “Call me if you need me, okay?”
“BELLA, COULD YOU COME in here please?” Her mother called her as soon as she stepped through the back door.
“Hi, Mom.” Bella stood in the open French doors that separated her mother’s workspace from the rest of the downstairs. “How was your day?”
Her mother ignored the question and waved a hand impatiently. “Sit down, dear.” She pushed her chair back from the sewing machine. “Are you pregnant?” Her gaze moved to Bella’s stomach. “I want you to tell me the truth.”
“Yes, I am. How did you know?” It was a stupid thing to say, but she hadn’t expected such a frontal assault and needed time to think.
“I’ve heard you in the mornings.” Her mother looked away, out the window. “Have you confirmed it?”
“I did a pregnancy test today.”
Her mother looked startled. “Where did you buy the test? Not at our CVS, I hope.”
Carla had been right; it was starting already. “No, Mom. I bought it last weekend when I went to the mall near Atlanta with Carla.”
“Does she know?”
“Yes...she’s my best friend. I told her I was going to go to Doc Farnham and she warned me against it.”
“Yes, she would,” her mother said vaguely. “After that business with her cousin Maria.”
“You knew about that?”
“Bella, this is a small town.” Her mother paused, took a deep breath. “A very small town. People talk.” She looked up. “It’s Jeffrey, I suppose.”
Bella nodded. It was evident her mother had been thinking about this.
“Have you told him?” Her mother’s eyes narrowed.
“No.” It was Bella’s turn to look away. She spoke dispassionately. “I went to meet him after I took the test. I’d planned to tell him, but he had some news of his own.”
Her mother waited.
“He’s going to marry Angela.”
“Angela Sterling?” Her mother had made several items for Angela’s mother, wife of the town’s leading attorney. “I got the impression from Mrs. Sterling that they broke that off a while ago.”
Bella continued, dry-eyed. “They did, but according to Jeffrey, they had some sort of an encounter last month and now she’s pregnant.”
“What a mess.” Her mother pressed the fingers of one hand into her forehead. “Don’t these young people have any restraint?”
“Was it so different in your day?” Bella surprised herself, but held her ground.
Anger flared in her mother’s eyes, but soon subsided. “No, I suppose not.”
They sat in silence for a few moments, each lost in her thoughts. Finally her mother spoke. “There’s a church in Atlanta that has a home for unwed mothers. I think you should go there.”
Bella studied her mother. She couldn’t blame her, really. Willow Bend was a small town, and a pregnant daughter reflected badly on any mother. “Is that what you want?”
“It’s what I would prefer, yes.” Her mother spoke with conviction, but couldn’t meet her eyes.
“What happens when I get there?” Bella was fairly sure she wouldn’t like the answer.
“You’ll go there before you start to show, and live there. You’ll get medical care, and have your child in the hospital adjoining the facility.” Her mother twisted a piece of fabric nervously. “And after the child is born, it will be given up for adoption.”
Bella nodded. “And then I come back here, like nothing happened?”
Her mother looked up, startled. She obviously hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Yes, I suppose so.”
“No.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“I said no. I’m not giving my child up for adoption.” Her voice started to rise, but she made no effort to lower it. “How could you suggest such a thing?”
“Lower your voice.” Her mother looked nervously out the front window. “People will hear you.”
“That’s what this is all about, isn’t it?” Bella leaned toward her mother, her voice low and steely. “It’s about making sure people don’t find out. What about me?”
Her mother lifted her head. “You lost your rights when you had sex with that boy.” She stood up and walked toward a side window. “Your father and I have talked it over and he’s left all the decisions up to me.” She turned back to Bella. “You either agree to this, or you’re on your own.”
“Just like that?” Somewhere in the back of her mind, Bella admired her mother’s determination.
“Yes, Bella. Just like that.” Her mother braced herself against the back of the chair, and Bella noticed that her hand trembled slightly. “There isn’t any other way.”
“All right.”
Her mother took a step forward. “You’ll go to the home?”
“No, I’ll go out on my own.” Bella’s stomach was bunched in knots, but she managed to speak calmly. “But I won’t wait. I’ll go within a couple of weeks.” She held her mother’s gaze. “And no, I won’t change my mind.”
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