The moms didn’t stay long. Lukas kept a close watch on the door. He should go and say hi to Tess as soon as they left. On the next chop though, he talked himself out of it. Damn, he hated being so indecisive.
He just about finished off his rick of wood when Tess, all geared up thankfully, and Dio came out. The snow pants helped hide the curve of her hips. Helped.
She held up a thermos as Dio danced circles around her.
“We brought you some coffee.” She smiled, and Lukas tightened his grip on his axe.
“You didn’t have to do that,” he said.
“You look like your freezing.” She laughed, and he knew he’d have to buy another rick of wood if he wanted to sleep without hearing that beautiful sound in his dreams.
A bunny or squirrel caught Dio’s attention, and she dashed off into the trees.
“Don’t go far,” Lukas yelled after her, knowing full well, she’d go where she wanted.
Tess wrestled the thermos in her big gloves. She finally unscrewed the lid and poured him a cup.
“It’s black. Hope that’s okay.”
She could’ve given him dirt water and that would’ve been fine with him as long as she gave him that pretty smile while she did.
“Thank you,” he said. It was hot and good.
“Well, you mentioned coffee last night. Sorry I ran out like I did.” She blushed and shrugged. He relaxed a little. Surely, if the PTA moms had been gossiping, she wouldn’t be out here freezing her ass off and looking adorable.
“No trouble. You were tired.” He drained the rest of his cup and handed it to her with every intention of finishing his last few chops.
“That’s no excuse for being rude. It was kind of you to have me over for dinner,” she said.
She wouldn’t think it very kind if she knew he was thinking about how to get her to come back for dinner again and stay for breakfast this time.
“I’m up next, right?” she asked, and he lost his grip on his axe. Thankfully, it had been resting against his leg.
“Excuse me?” he asked.
“For dinner.”
He’d have her for dinner anytime.
She blinked innocently, and he shook his head.
“Yeah, your turn to cook,” he clarified. He unzipped his coat and let in some cold air. His thoughts were all over the place.
The wind stirred up the snow around them, and she shivered.
“You’re freezing. You should go inside before your nose falls off.”
“I think you’re right. Don’t work too hard.” She smiled again and covered her nose with her gloved hand. She might have blushed, but her cheeks were so wind chapped he couldn’t tell.
Work too hard? He watched her walk to the carriage house. There wasn’t enough work to get her off his mind. He had to find a way. That one deserved much better than him.
On Monday, Tess took a sick day and went to the doctor, grateful there was one on the island. The mainland was awful far to go for doctors’ appointments. Plus, if she went into labor, the doctor here could handle it.
She looked at the gigantic Victorian house that posed as a hospital. This all felt so Doc Hollywood. Big city girl, small town medical facility. She wouldn’t be drinking any of the apple juice. That was for sure.
A woman in her fifties met Tess in the lobby.
She held her hand out. “You must be Tess. I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Dr. Jorgenson.”
“Doc’s wife?” Tess asked, confused.
“The one and only.”
“Why do they call him Doc when you are the island doctor?”
“Island joke, I’m afraid. Please call me Marie. Everyone does.”
“Where’s your receptionist? Or nurse?”
“They show up in March. I’m on my own this time of year. We have a few more doctors who arrive around that time too. They winter in Florida. That’s where you’re from, right?”
Tess nodded. This was bad. She was hoping to keep her pregnancy a secret for as long as humanly possible. The baby wouldn’t come until September, so it wouldn’t impact this school year. She had no reason to tell her boss.
“Well, come on back. Let’s get you checked out and see what’s up.”
When Tess made her appointment, she didn’t give a reason. The mainland suddenly looked like a better option.
Tess followed Marie anyway because she didn’t want to be rude. She stepped on the scale. She gained five pounds since early December. Tess wasn’t sure if that was baby weight or because she was eating more from stress.
When Tess climbed on the table, she made the decision to fake strep throat.
“So what seems to be the problem?” Marie stared with piercing blue eyes and a friendly smile.
“I’m pregnant,” she blurted. It felt good to say it out loud.
Marie nodded. “Do you mind if I confirm that?”
Tess shook her head.
“Okay, why don’t you take this cup to the bathroom, and we’ll make sure.”
While they waited for the results, Marie asked her more questions.
“Do you know when the baby was conceived?”
“December fifteenth.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“Yes.”
Marie pulled out her phone, typed in a few things, and read her something from the screen. “Then it looks like you are due September twentieth.”
Tess probably had the same app on her phone.
“I’ll be right back,” Marie said and disappeared out the door. Tess lay down on the table. She had no idea what the consequences of telling Marie were, but she had to tell someone. Keeping it bottled up inside was killing her.
Marie cracked open the door and poked her head in. “Yep, definitely pregnant.”
“I know. I took four tests.”
Marie chuckled. “Would you like to stay for lunch? I don’t have another appointment until one, and I’m guessing you have a substitute scheduled for the whole day.”
“Sure,” she said. Tess needed to make sure this woman didn’t tell her husband about the pregnancy. She liked Doc, but she knew he also liked to gossip, and didn’t want him spreading news amongst the parents, at least not yet.
“You picky?” asked Marie.
“Nope, I’ll eat anything.”
Marie picked up her phone and dialed. “I’ll have the usual, but make it two.” She hung up the phone and motioned with her hand.
“Come on, let’s go sit somewhere more comfortable, and we can talk about this baby of yours.”
Tess’s heart leapt at the word baby. She’d been so shocked and upset about the whole thing that she hadn’t stopped to think about the baby itself, other than to consider if she should give it away. It. She’d called the baby an it since her first positive test.
Head down, she followed Marie into her office. The room was large and homey with soft blue walls. A small table sat next to the window, and a large desk filled the back half of the room.
Marie pointed to one of the chairs at the table. “The food should be here in about twenty minutes.”
“How do you get delivery on the island?”
“The natives adore me. They give me whatever I want.” She laughed. “That sounded arrogant, didn’t it? They appreciate the fact that I stay. Before Doc and I moved here, they struggled to keep a doctor on the island year round. Doc runs the school, and I run the hospital. I’ve heard they don’t want you going anywhere either.”
Tess shrugged. “I’m not planning on leaving.”
“You say that now. Are you planning on raising a child here all alone? Where is your family?”
“Florida. They don’t know yet. This wasn’t exactly planned.”
Marie laughed sympathetically. “Who is the father?”
Tess clenched her fists. She hadn’t planned on talking about this. Marie was nice and easy to talk too, but Tess didn’t want to start rumors of her bad reputation. She was trying to escape that.
“Tha
t doesn’t matter,” she finally replied.
“You know you can tell me. My lips are tighter than anyone else on this island. Trust me. I know secrets about every single resident. I won’t tell anyone. It actually is important that I know your history.”
A knock sounded on the door. Marie got up and exchanged a few pleasantries with the person on the other side and came back carrying two bags.
“Chef salad with thousand island dressing and a cookie as big as your head,” said Marie, handing her the bag.
“Thanks.”
“Go on then. Tell me the story. You were certain of the date, so it can’t possibly be a long-term boyfriend or husband.”
This woman was perceptive. “You’re right. It was at a party, and I don’t actually know who it is.”
Marie frowned. “You mean you don’t know his name?”
“I mean I don’t know who it is. I had too much to drink and don’t remember the night. When I woke up, I knew what had happened.”
Marie froze mid-bite. Here came the judgment. She should’ve just kept her mouth shut.
Lukas pulled up to his single story cottage that Walt Chapman rented from him. There was another snowmobile parked outside. Chris Whitters probably. He was Chapman’s nephew, but he should be in school.
Shutting the motor off, Lukas decided to pile the load of wood on the side of the house and leave without intruding. Chapman could get his worthless nephew to move it on the porch if he wanted. Everything about Whitters made Lukas want to smash his face in. Rat of a man.
Before he could finish, the front door opened, and Chapman hobbled out on his cane. He’d been badly injured in a car accident on the mainland. That’s why he moved to Mackinac. He was staunchly anti-car now. Lukas gave him a break on the rent due to his disability.
“Lukas,” he said.
“Hey, Estelle said you were low on wood.” He stacked the logs neatly, not too high.
“That lady.” Chapman shook his head. He had greasy hair that always looked like it needed a good wash. Had to be genetic because his nephew looked just as greasy when he slinked out behind his uncle.
“I know,” Lukas agreed. “Estelle takes care of all of us.”
“That she does. I appreciate you bringing this over.”
Chapman was a nice enough guy.
“My pleasure. I’ll finish unloading and be on my way.” Lukas gave them a nod and strode to his snowmobile. He hoped they would go inside, and that would be the end of it.
“Hey,” hollered Chapman after him. “Chris here will help and thanks again, Lukas.”
He turned to say it wasn’t necessary, but Chapman was already hobbling inside.
“Damn it,” Lukas swore under his breath.
“Not too pleased about it either.” Chris walked by him and picked up a couple smaller logs.
“Put some on the porch for him,” Lukas ordered and got a grunted reply.
Though he hated to admit it, with Chris’s help, Lukas finished quickly.
He was stacking the last of the wood when Chris leaned against the side of the house.
“I hear the hot new teacher lives in one of your places,” said Chris.
Hot new teacher? Tess?
Lukas put a log on, stretched to his full height, and pulled off his gloves.
“Stay away from her,” he ground out through his teeth.
“So she does. You got dibs?”
“I figured you were the one who ruined her first day.” Lukas shook his head, completely disgusted. Doc might be hard up for teachers, but this guy was a joke.
“You don’t have an ass like that and not get used to the attention.” Chris chuckled.
Lukas didn’t realize he hit the guy until Chris was on the ground in the snow, holding his eye.
“What the hell, man?” Chris yelled. Lukas’s hand hurt, his knuckles red, but he sure felt better.
“Stay away from her.” Lukas shoved his gloves on. “I’d better not hear about you messing with her again, or I’ll break your nose next time.”
“Tess doesn’t seem like the type of girl who goes for jackasses.” Chris propped himself on his elbows. Lukas stepped over him. “Bet she wouldn’t like you if she knew you were the biggest dick on the island.”
Lukas nearly choked on the need to smash the guy’s face in again. It clogged the back of his throat like smoke he couldn’t cough up. Worse yet was the realization that Chris was right.
Chapman stood in the doorway as Lukas stomped to his snowmobile.
“Sorry,” Lukas muttered. “I’ll give you a free month or something.”
Chapman waved his hand in dismissal. “Nonsense. He had it coming.”
Lukas started his machine and headed out toward the bridge. He needed a hard, cold ride to calm him.
Marie put down her fork. “Do you know who threw the party and most of the people who attended?”
“It was at the house of an old friend of mine.” Tess twirled her fork in her salad. She couldn’t eat anything. There was a lump of tears in her throat that nothing could get past, especially food. “I knew some of them.”
“Were you drinking more heavily than usual?” asked Marie.
Tess shook her head, the tears hot in her eyes. She willed them not to fall. Marie reached over and took her hand, giving it a firm squeeze, but Tess refused to look at her.
“I’m not judging you, love. There’s a reason I’m asking.” Marie’s voice was full of compassion that Tess felt she didn’t deserve.
Tess cleared her throat. “I honestly can’t remember. I don’t remember much after arriving at the party,” she finally said.
“Tess, have you ever considered that maybe somebody slipped you something. That you were taken advantage of in the most vile of ways.”
“What?” Tess raised her eyes. Marie’s gaze was so kind.
“It would be impossible to prove now. Any drugs in your system would have cleared out long ago, but I think you should cut yourself some slack. I don’t believe you’re a bad person. I think you were raped.”
Tess recoiled. That word had never occurred to her. Somehow drunk and taken advantage of was easier to accept. Tess supposed it didn’t matter; her mother would be disappointed. Her friends would think she was just a slut who got into another mess and let some guy use her.
“I was thinking of maybe adoption,” said Tess. She wiped her eyes with her napkin.
Marie fiddled with her salad before responding. “I understand. I can get you some information, and when the snow clears, there are some people on the mainland I can put you in touch with that can help. First though, forgive yourself. Think of the baby as a part of you, outside of what happened. Then we can talk about it again in the spring.”
Marie resumed eating. Tess dug around for her cookie. Marie hadn’t exaggerated the size any, and it was still warm, melt-in-your-mouth good.
“Also,” added Marie. “We should do some tests. Make sure you didn’t pick up any random STDs.”
Tess grimaced. She hadn’t thought about that. “Yeah, you are probably right.”
“I’ll draw some blood after we eat. We’ll have to send it to the mainland. But I should have the results in a few days. Have you told anyone else about this?”
“No.” She didn’t plan on telling anyone either.
“You shouldn’t keep this bottled up. I hope you feel like you can talk to me. It’ll help you process. Any other skeletons in your closet?”
Tess laughed. “Loads. But none that are relevant to this conversation. It does feel good to talk though.”
“Anytime. Psychiatrist is one of the many hats I wear, and your secret is safe with me. Though, I’m not sure how long you can hide it. Are you going to tell Doc?”
“Probably not until late spring. I plan on returning next year, but, obviously, I’ll need some time off.” She frowned. “Are there daycares on the island in case I do keep it? The baby.”
Marie smiled and nodded. “Just one. Well, two, but one does
newborns to two, and the other is more of a preschool. Cate runs it. She only has two kids right now, but Priscilla is due in April, so her baby might be there as well. Cate is good at what she does. If I had little ones, I’d trust them to her. Are you sure your mother is going to be okay with you living here by yourself with her grandbaby?”
Tess laughed. No her mother was not going to be okay with that. At all.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead. This will the first grandbaby. But it’s not her child.”
“You’re pretty headstrong.” Marie chuckled. “But kids have a way of changing things. As much as I want to keep you around, you might want to consider going home in the summer and having the baby around your family.”
Tess shook her head. “I don’t want to raise a baby in Miami. Besides, I like here. In spite of the fact that it’s freezing outside.”
“Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you. When are going to tell your mom?”
“Probably not until this summer. She’s planning a visit after school’s out.”
Marie put her cookie down and frowned.
“You’re going to wait that long?”
“Yes. Didn’t you just say that she would try to talk me into coming home? The longer I wait to tell her, the less time she has to try to convince me to come home.”
“You will tell her before she gets off the plane though? Imagine her reaction if she sees you before you tell her? You’ll be pretty big by then.”
“I don’t know. It might be worth it just to see her reaction,” Tess said, grinning.
Marie shook her head. “Your funeral.”
“Do you have kids?” Tess wanted to take the attention off herself. She blathered plenty about her own problems.
“Yes. Two boys. They both live in the L.P. One is in college studying engineering, and the other has a medical practice in Grand Rapids.”
“L.P.?”
“Lower Peninsula. Do you know any of the Michigan acronyms?”
“Sorry. No. I’ve only been here for a week.” Tess stuffed another bite of cookie in her mouth. At this rate, she wouldn’t be hiding her bump for long. “You must be very proud of your sons.”
Marie smiled and wiggled her eyebrows at Tess. “I am. They are both coming home this weekend. You should come for dinner on Friday and meet them.”
Snowfall and Secrets (Omega Mu Alpha Brothers Book 1) Page 5