The Lawman's Little Surprise

by Roxann Delaney

  She turned to stare out the window where the bare branches of the tree swayed in the winter wind. “Not unless something changes.” She looked back at her sister. “Not unless Morgan changes, and only he can do that.”

  “I don’t understand,” Kate said. “I know he’s been moody and was even before you told him about your tour. And I have to say that I don’t think his reason for calling off the wedding had anything to do with that, but that’s just my opinion.”

  “I don’t think it did, either.” Shaking her head, Trish sighed. “I can’t marry him, Kate, and I get the feeling that’s the way he wants it.”

  “Why?”

  Trish shrugged. “He’s only talked about money, nothing else. I’m not even sure he wants to be a part of the baby’s life.”

  Kate reached over and took her hand. “I can’t imagine anyone, even Morgan, doing that. He’ll come to his senses.”

  “To be honest, if he doesn’t, I’m okay with it. I guess we’ll have to see what the future brings.” And if it brought a life without Morgan in it, she would love their baby twice as much.

  MORGAN ROLLED the cold beer bottle between the palms of his hands and thought about Connie’s phone call. He could accept that she’d found someone to share her life with, and he was happy for her. But why another cop? It didn’t make sense.

  Glancing up from the table where he sat in Lou’s Place, he saw Dusty walk into the tavern. Dusty acknowledged him by raising a hand in a hello, to which Morgan replied with a nod. The age-old sign language of men. He suspected Dusty knew Trish was pregnant, but he wondered who would be the first to bring up the subject. Morgan smiled as Trish’s brother-in-law walked toward him. The smile was genuine, but his thoughts were at odds with each other.

  “Have a seat, if you’d like,” Morgan said, inclining his head toward the chair across the table from him.

  “Thanks.” Dusty took the seat and settled onto it, eyeing the bottle in Morgan’s hands. “Drinking on duty?”

  “What?” Then Morgan realized what he meant. “Not on duty. See?” He pointed at his shirt. “No badge.”

  “Ah. I didn’t notice. Trish said you were working late.”

  Morgan nodded, not knowing what to say. When Hettie had badgered him about taking her out to the Clayborne farm to welcome Dusty and Kate home from their honeymoon, the lie came easily. He wasn’t in the mood for a family get-together. At least not until he could sort through the things that had been bothering him.

  Morgan suspected Dusty would understand and decided to tell him the truth about working late. “I guess I could say that plans changed.”

  “You could,” Dusty agreed.

  “But we both know better.”

  Dusty flashed him an understanding smile. “Hettie?”

  With a sigh, Morgan nodded. “It was the only way to keep her from insisting that I should be there.”

  Shaking his head, Dusty chuckled. “Hettie and Aggie. I don’t know any two people more…”

  “Conniving?”

  “That would be the word.”

  “I know they mean well, but…”

  “They do,” Dusty agreed, “but that doesn’t mean they can’t both be royal pains at times.” He waited while the newest waitress took his order for a cold beer, then tipped back his hat with one knuckle and grinned. “You might rethink that invitation, though. Aggie baked a ham and was starting a sweet potato casserole when I left. It should be ready within the hour.”

  It was Morgan’s turn to chuckle. “Now if you’d said Kate had baked the ham and was making the sweet potatoes, I’d bet you I could make it there faster than you could.”

  “I don’t know. Aggie can bake a mean ham.”

  “So how was the honeymoon?” Morgan asked.

  Dusty laughed before answering, and then waited as the waitress brought his beer and walked away. “I’d be crazy if I said it was awful. It was great. Kate got to see places even I’ve never seen, and I’ve done more than my share of traveling. A once-in-a-lifetime experience, even if Kate wasn’t feeling up to doing a lot of sightseeing at first.”

  “She was sick?”

  Dusty looked down at the bottle in front of him. “Sort of.”

  “That kind of sick, huh?”

  Dusty laughed. “Yeah, that kind. I guess Trish mentioned that.”

  “Briefly.”

  Dusty shook his head. “Those two sisters tell each other everything.”

  Morgan was about to get the answer to his earlier question. “So you know—” He didn’t have to finish. Dusty merely nodded. “I should’ve figured that.” Needing to change the subject, he said, “I doubt I could ever afford a trip like the two of you took.”

  Dusty leaned forward. “Something I learned along the way, and a short way, at that, considering. It doesn’t matter where it is, as long as you’re together.”

  “I guess you’re right,” Morgan said. “But I’ll probably never know.”

  “I was going to ask if everything is okay, but I guess you just answered that question. I don’t know where you are with this, but I know where I was. I didn’t want a wife. Rodeo was all I needed. I found out I was wrong. Admitting it was hard, but it was worth it.”

  Without thinking, Morgan said what he was thinking. “Trish doesn’t want to get married.”

  “And you agree?”

  Morgan nodded, and then shook his head. “It’s kind of complicated.”

  “You’ve talked to her?”

  “As much as she’ll let me. She doesn’t seem to want to listen.”

  Dusty grunted and tipped back in his chair, but he kept his voice low when he spoke. “It must run in the family. Kate had her mind made up that she was going to be a single woman, just like her Aunt Aggie. She probably still would be if I hadn’t made her listen. Once I figured out what I wanted, that is.”

  Morgan couldn’t keep from laughing. “I remember that well. Fourth of July celebration, and you roped and tied her in front of half the county after you chased her through town.”

  “Yeah,” Dusty said with a low chuckle, “it took tying her up to keep her still. I tried it without the rope, but it just wasn’t working. Sometimes you’ve got to take the bull by the horns.” He settled the chair on all four legs and leaned forward. “Those Clayborne women are a stubborn bunch.”

  “You’re telling me? And Trish has always been so sweet-natured.” Morgan shook his head. “Lately, she’s like Jekyll and Hyde.”

  “Hormones,” Dusty muttered. “And then there’s the fact that you canceled the wedding.”

  Morgan couldn’t make eye contact. “I had my reasons.”

  Dusty leaned closer. “Does Trish know that?”

  “It’s not something I can talk about.”

  After checking his watch and taking another drink of beer, Dusty stood and laid a ten-dollar bill on the table. “Beer’s on me. I’d better scoot. Don’t want to miss that baked ham.” He started to turn away, but hesitated. “Look, I won’t pry, but I will tell you this. You can’t keep secrets from those women. If you try, you’ll regret it.”

  Morgan could only hope he was wrong. Telling Trish about what had happened in Miami and the incident with John wouldn’t change anything.

  Or would it?

  “AS SOON AS THESE sweet potatoes are done, we’ll eat,” Aggie announced.

  Hettie, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, looked up as Trish and Kate walked into the kitchen. “There you are!” She got to her feet and hurried to give Kate a hug. “You look great!”

  “Yeah?” Kate asked, laughing. “I feel pretty good.”

  Hettie’s smile was wicked. “So you enjoyed your honeymoon on the high seas?”

  “I didn’t have a choice. It was unbelievable.”

  Hettie released her, and Trish watched the exchange, her heartbeat speeding up as she thought about what was coming. It was probably a good thing Hettie had joined them. She and Kate could tell them both at the same time. Double trouble if it did
n’t go well, but her hopes were high it would.

  The timer went off, distracting Trish and announcing that supper was almost ready. “Are we eating in here?” she asked.

  “Don’t we always?” Aggie asked, taking the casserole from the oven.

  “I just thought that with Kate and Dusty home, we might want to eat in the dining room.”

  “The kitchen is fine with me,” Kate chimed in.

  “Dusty’s gonna miss this if he doesn’t get here soon,” Aggie grumbled.

  Kate glanced at Trish and nodded. “He’ll be here. But before he does…” She gave Trish an encouraging smile. “You might want to sit down, Aunt Aggie.”

  The two older women looked at each other, then Aggie shrugged and took her place at the head of the table. Both of them looked worried.

  “Is something wrong?” Hettie asked, getting right to the point.

  Kate smiled. “Well, I don’t think so, but I’ll leave that up to the two of you to decide.”

  Aggie turned to look at Trish. “You already know about whatever this is?”

  Trish nodded and tried to hide her own smile.

  “Well, not all of it,” Kate corrected. When no one spoke, she said, “I have news.”

  “News?” Hettie asked, her frown deepening. “What kind of news?”

  Kate turned to smile at Trish, and Trish nodded. Facing her aunt and Hettie, Kate announced, “I’m pregnant.”

  For several seconds, neither of the two older women said anything. “Really?” Aggie finally asked.

  Kate giggled. “Really.”

  “That was quick,” Hettie said, looking a bit stunned, but happy, if the smile on her face was any indication.

  “Oh, Hettie,” Aggie said, “nobody counts months anymore. Come here, girl,” she told Kate.

  “Of course they don’t,” Hettie replied and got to her feet to wait her turn to give Kate a hug.

  “A baby,” Aggie said, as if the idea was just sinking in. “Well, not exactly,” Kate said, laughing.

  Hettie didn’t even get her hug before stepping back to look at her. “And just what does that mean?”

  Kate turned to flash a grin at Trish, who had no idea what else Kate might have to tell them.

  “Twins.”

  Trish stared at her sister. “Twins? Oh, Kate!” And then she started laughing. “I can’t believe it! You stinker. You didn’t tell me.”

  “I only learned this afternoon,” Kate explained. “That’s the stop we had to make. We had a wonderful time on the cruise, but I was sick for a few days, and Dusty made me promise to see Doc Priller as soon as we got into town.”

  “You met Paige?” Trish asked.

  “Oh, yes,” Kate cried, “and she’s wonderful. She was sure she heard two heartbeats, so she did a sonogram right then and there. There was no question about it after that.”

  “Unbelievable,” Trish said, and then hugged her sister, laughing. “This is wonderful news!”

  “When are the babies due?” Hettie asked. “Oh, I can’t believe it’s babies!”

  “Mid-August.”

  Hettie and Aggie settled at the table once again, still talking as if they’d had a hand in it.

  “Help me set the table,” Kate said to Trish. “Dusty will probably be here soon.”

  Trish knew that was her cue to share her own news. Her hands shook as she mindlessly pulled silverware from the drawer. She’d expected this to be much easier than it had been with Morgan, but—

  “Trish has news, too,” Kate said, matter-of-factly, as she took plates to the table.

  “What’s that?” Aggie asked, looking up at Kate.

  Hettie leaned forward, a wide smile lighting her eyes. “Is the wedding on again?”

  Trish hated to disappoint Hettie, but she hoped her news would make a difference. “I’m pregnant, too.”

  Aggie looked at Kate and then back at her. “Both of you?”

  Trish nodded when Kate did, and then the tears fell. “Why are you crying?” Aggie asked, reaching out for her. “You come here and sit down.”

  Trish complied. If only she could stop crying!

  Kate giggled. “I get the morning sickness, she gets the weepies. What a pair we are.”

  Aggie looked at Hettie. “I think Trish had a bit of that morning sickness.” She turned to Trish and took her hand. “Was that what that bug was?”

  Trish could only nod and sniff.

  “Three babies!” Hettie said, hurrying to give her a hug. “Oh, Trish, there’s nothing to cry about. Babies are a blessing.”

  “I know,” Trish managed.

  Aggie squeezed her hand. “And when should we expect this one? Hettie and I will have to go on a shopping spree.”

  “Middle of July.”

  “Why, they’re almost triplets,” Hettie announced. “And, yes, a shopping spree—several of them—are called for.” She rubbed her hands together. “Oh, I can’t wait!”

  “Could be more twins,” Aggie said with a wink.

  Trish laughed, finally getting her emotions in order. “No! Just one. I hope.”

  “You can count on Paige checking on that,” Kate said, sitting next to her. “Won’t it be great? Both of us?”

  Trish nodded, unable to speak as she saw the love and excitement in everyone’s eyes.

  Aggie got her attention again with another squeeze of her hand. “You weren’t afraid to tell me, were you?”

  Trish thought about it and decided to be honest. “A little. At first.”

  “Well, that’s just foolishness. These things happen all the time,” Aggie said, glancing at Hettie.

  “They do,” Hettie agreed with a nod. “I’m guessing Morgan knows?”

  “Since Christmas Eve,” Trish answered.

  Next to her, Aggie gasped. “You’ve known since then? Both of you?”

  Kate nodded, and so did Trish.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “And give you a reason not to go on your cruise?” Kate asked. “No way were we going to let that happen.”

  Trish was surprised to see her aunt blush. “Well,” Aggie stammered, “you have a point there. So I’m glad you waited.”

  Hettie picked up her cup, stood and went to the coffeemaker. “I’m going to ask the question we’re all thinking of asking but haven’t,” she said as she poured another cup of coffee. “Are you and Morgan planning to get married?”

  Before Trish could answer, Kate did. “There’s a bit of a problem with that.”

  Hettie’s eyes widened as she returned to her seat. “What? He hasn’t asked? If I get my hands—”

  “No,” Trish said quickly. “I made the decision not to get married.”

  “You don’t want to marry him?”

  Trish wasn’t sure how to explain. “No, I don’t. I have…reservations.”

  “You don’t have to marry him,” Aggie said, patting her arm. “Not unless Kate gets her hands on that shotgun.”

  Trish could only smile. Explaining wasn’t easy.

  “Go on, Trish,” Hettie said. “Nobody here is going to judge you.”

  Nodding as she realized this was her family, and she could tell them anything, she folded her hands on the table. “It’s just that he’s not the same man as the one who proposed to me almost a year ago. Something happened. I don’t know what, but he’s changed.”

  Hettie nodded. “He has. Sometime back in June? I don’t remember for certain.”

  “You noticed it, too?” Trish asked.

  “He… I don’t know. He just kind of pulled into himself.”

  “Before I learned about the book tour and told him about it.”

  Aggie let go of Trish’s hand and stood. “Well, it doesn’t matter. It was foolish of him to call off the wedding. I didn’t think he was a fool, but I’ve been wrong before.” When everyone stared at her, she stared back. “Well, I have. It’s your decision, Trish, and no matter what, we’re here for you. We can plan a wedding or we can change diapers. It makes no
difference to me.”

  “That goes for all of us,” Hettie chimed in. “Times have changed. It’s so much more acceptable than it was in our day to keep a baby if you weren’t married.”

  “Just ask Hettie,” Aggie said, getting up from the table. She suddenly stopped, a stricken look on her face.

  “It’s all right, Aggie,” Hettie told her. Turning to the girls, she sighed, then smiled. “There are things you don’t know.”

  Trish looked at Kate, who looked back at her. “Like what?”

  Hettie hesitated before answering. “I gave up a baby for adoption, years and years ago.”

  “Oh, Hettie,” Trish cried and hurried to her side.

  Kate moved to kneel beside Hettie. “That had to be hard. However did you manage to get through it?”

  Hettie’s smile was sad for only a moment. “Aggie helped me through it. I don’t know how I could’ve dealt with it all, if it hadn’t been for her.”

  “That’s what friends are for,” Aggie said, returning to her seat with her coffee. Hettie reached over and squeezed her hand, and Aggie winked at her.

  “Can you—” Kate began, but didn’t finish.

  “Talk about it?” Hettie asked. “Of course I can. Aggie and I went to Chicago after we graduated from high school.”

  Kate raised her eyebrows at Trish. They’d known there was something about Chicago in Aggie’s history, but nothing else.

  “We— I met someone. A young man who had just joined the army. We fell in love and, well, things happened. By the time I knew I was pregnant, he was serving in Vietnam. I couldn’t go home. In those days, people in Desperation weren’t so broad-minded, and I knew my news wouldn’t be welcomed by my father. I was young and scared and alone, except for Aggie.” Her smile for her best friend was filled with gratitude, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “And I didn’t have a way to tell Will. The best thing was to relinquish my baby to be raised by two parents who would love her and take care of her.”

  The kitchen was quiet as each of them thought of what Hettie had been through. Trish was certain they all were wondering what had happened afterward. “You know it was a girl?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes,” Hettie answered. “In fact, you’ve met her daughter. Do you remember the young girl who came to stay with me several years ago?” Trish nodded.