“I don’t think I’ve been that flexible since college,” she mumbled.
Daniel laughed and she listened as the deep sound thundered through his chest. “I thought you were such an uptight prude when we first met. And here we lay, naked and pregnant.” He laughed once more.
She sat up in the bed. “We do have a lot ahead of us.” She looked down at her flat belly. “Sometimes I still can’t believe it.”
“Did you ever want children?” he asked.
She pondered his question for a moment. “It’s not that I didn’t want them, but I never really thought about it much.” She shrugged. “When I met Bob I assuumed we would have children and then—”
“You got sick,” he said, finishing her words for her.
“No,” she replied as she shook her head. “I got scared. The Bob I married was not the Bob I ended up married to. In the beginning, he was kind and caring and I thought, yeah, this is a good guy. But then he started turning into the man he is today: ambitious, cold, and heartless. We could have adopted or even tried surrogacy after I got sick, but the truth was, I really didn’t want a child with him. A woman wants a child with a man she respects, admires, and loves. Bob, never made me feel any of those things for him, so I backed away and made excuses to myself. I blamed it on the lupus, but Bob was the real reason I didn’t want a child.”
He sat up next to her and ran his finger along the outline of her jaw. “And how do you feel now?” He paused as a shadow of regret passed over his face. “I could never stop thinking about you after I left. I wanted to call you a thousand times, but instead…”
“Instead you sent repairmen, and plumbers, and electricians. I understand, Daniel. I think this is a big step for both of us. Planning a future is a lot harder than walking away from one. But I think as long as we are willing to work at this, we might just have a chance.”
He wrapped his arms around her. “Do you think you could ever love a thug?”
She smiled into his face. “As long as that thug is you.”
Chapter 19
The next few weeks were a blur for Pamela. Daniel was with her every minute he could get away from setting up his new office in the Central Business District of the city. During the day she would tend to her wildlife facility and train new volunteers to take over a large portion of the responsibilities she had overseen in the past. At night, Daniel would drive up to her place and they would spend the evenings on the back porch, enjoying the warm nights of summer.
“When the baby comes, we’re going to need to make a decision about where we’re going to live,” Daniel said as he sat beside her on the porch steps one evening, admiring her growing belly.
Pamela sighed as she thought of leaving her beloved sanctuary. “I know. We will have to get a place in the city, so you can be close to your business, and I can be close to the hospital.” She glimpsed the dogs lying next to her on the porch and a sudden stab of guilt tore across her heart. She did not want to leave them, but she knew they would never be happy living in a small yard in the city.
He noted the sorrow in her face and put a consoling arm around her shoulders. “We could stay here,” he suggested. “Dr. Holdford says you’re doing well now that you are in the middle of your second trimester.”
She nodded her head as she patted her slight bulge. “For now. But as the baby grows things will get harder for me, and being close to a hospital is probably a good idea. And you will need to be in the city more once they finish renovating your office building.”
“How about some place in between, like Mandeville,” he offered. “It’s on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, has a few good hospitals, is not a bad commute for me, and it’s away from the city. I don’t think moving back to the city would be good for you.”
Pamela gave him a wary glance. “What makes you say that?”
He removed his arm from about her shoulders and nonchalantly shrugged, as if trying to allay her concern. “I don’t want you exposed to anything that reminds you of your former life with Bob. You weren’t happy then and I want you to be happy now. Being someplace where we can make our own memories would be best, for both of us.”
She contemplated his face for several seconds. “Nice speech,” she finally said. “Why don’t you want to move back to the city, Daniel?”
He sighed as he observed the sun setting on her facility. “What are you, psychic?”
“Not psychic. You’re trying too hard to keep us out of the city. Why?” She frowned at him. “And don’t sugarcoat it. I’m pregnant, not stupid.”
He sat for a moment and collected his thoughts. When he turned to her, his eyes were filled with trepidation. “Bob found out that we got back together and has been spreading some nasty rumors around about me, you, and the baby,” he told her in a calm voice.
She appeared surprised. “What kind of rumors?”
“That the baby isn’t mine. He’s telling everyone the child is his and that you left him because you saw dollar signs with me. He’s trying to turn people against you.” He hesitated for an instant. “And by people I mean patrons,” he added.
“That son of a bitch!” She yelled. The dogs all jumped to their feet and stared anxiously at Pamela. “And how did you find this out?” she angrily questioned.
“Val called me after Bob had a chat with her at some political function. She said he basically ranted against the both of us and blamed my wealth for your final betrayal. She knows Bob is full of shit, but the Robillards don’t. She saw him talking to the couple at the same party.”
Pamela cursed under her breath. “That would explain why their accountant called me last week and said they would have to withdraw their funding for personal reasons.” She shook her head. “Well, we don’t need them. With your trust fund and some good business decisions, we’ll be fine.”
Daniel patted his hand on her knee. “I have a sneaking suspicion that Bob’s antics have not been limited to just your wildlife facility, Pamela.”
An uneasy knot nudged its way forward in her stomach. “What do you mean?” she anxiously asked.
Daniel rubbed his hands together and looked down at the porch steps. “I think he may be trying to put up a couple of roadblocks for my business. City inspectors have been out to my office building numerous times, claiming I didn’t have the proper inspection stickers for the water heaters or the fire hydrants. They even said my business sign was not up to code. I’ve had problems with the landlord wanting to change the lease. He says a friend told him that I’m not good for the rent and is now demanding three months’ advanced payment. My office staff keeps quitting for personal reasons, but the problems aren’t limited to just my business. My landlady has even been threatened.”
Pamela’s jaw dropped. “T.J.? Why would anyone threaten her?”
“She got an unidentifiable phone call telling her to get rid of me as her tenant or else her safety, and the safety of her other tenants, would be in jeopardy. She came by and told me about it last week.”
Pamela stood up on the porch step. “We have to do something. Confront him, or at the very least, have a lawyer contact him.”
Daniel stood up next to her. “I don’t think that would be a very good idea,” he conceded. “Bob is angry and anything we do to address the situation might provoke him further.”
She stared into Daniel’s calm face. “I would have thought you would be the one who would suggest fighting Bob at this point. But you seem so relaxed and not bothered by the whole thing.”
“He can’t really hurt me, only aggravate me a little. My import business is very much removed from his sphere of influence and he may try to pull some antics in the beginning, but he will soon grow bored. And why should I let him bother me?” He pulled her into his arms. “I won. I got you and the baby.”
“But what about the lies he is spreading about us. Doesn’t that make you angry?” she asked.
He leaned back from her and nodded. “Before I met you, yes, that would have sent me o
n a tirade and I would have gone over there and confronted him. Probably gotten in another fight and gone back to jail.” He paused and smiled at her. “But I’m not angry anymore. All the hate, hostility, and tension I always carried around have left me. I have a future to care about now. And that has changed my entire outlook.”
She made a fist and lightly tapped it against his chest. “I wish I could be so calm. I want to go over there and kill the bastard.”
Daniel chuckled. “Darling, you’re pregnant. You’re not thinking very clearly right now.”
“Yes, I am thinking clearly,” she argued.
“Pamela, last week you wanted to eat a steak for dinner and you’re a vegetarian.”
“Very funny.” She stepped out of his embrace and walked over to the edge of the porch. “So what do you suggest we do?” she inquired as she took in the last vestiges of daylight.
“Let’s just wait this one out. If it gets too out of hand, I will go over to his office and have a chat with him.”
Pamela shook her head as she thought of her ex-husband. “It won’t end peacefully, I can guarantee that,” she insisted. “Bob has been fighting with the world as long as I can remember. When we were married he used to be known up and down St. Charles Avenue as the rampaging Robert Patrick.”
He came up beside her. “And what’s his excuse for being that way?”
“A past he’s ashamed of, a drunken father who beat the hell out of him as a child, there are a number of reasons. He was good at keeping it under control when we were first together, but about six months after we were married, the real Bob suddenly appeared. We were out at a restaurant having dinner and he started a fight with the waiter. The kid was eighteen and was just being polite, but Bob went after him because he thought the poor guy was hitting on me.”
Daniel took in her profile in the fading light. “Why didn’t you leave him then?”
“I had watched my father go through four marriages and I swore I wasn’t going to end up like him. So I stayed until Bob didn’t want me anymore.”
Daniel nudged her with his shoulder. “And when we are married, are you just going to take my crap, as well?” he asked softly. “Or are you going to remind me that I’m turning into Bob and threaten to leave me if I don’t change.”
She turned to him. “When we are married?” She tempered her excitement. “Are we getting married?” she calmly inquired.
He placed his hands about her waist. “I’ve wanted to bring it up, and while we’re on the subject… I think we should make this legal before the baby comes.”
She backed away from him. “Don’t use the baby as an excuse for marriage. We could just live together and see how things go.”
He moved closer to her, his dark eyes seemingly lit from within. “Then marry me because I love you and want to spend the rest of my days with you,” he demanded.
A reluctant smile worked its way across Pamela’s delicate face. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I have never been so sure of anything before in my life. You make me happy.”
Pamela shrugged, trying to appear unflustered as her heart quivered with happiness. “Then I guess we’re engaged.”
“Don’t be so cavalier in your affections,” he teased.
“I’m trying to be reserved, not cavalier,” she informed him.
Daniel placed his arms about her. “Why don’t you just tell me how you really feel,” he suggested.
“How I really feel?” Pamela wrapped her arms about his neck. “Hungry!”
* * * *
Not long after the renovations to Daniel’s business offices were completed, Pamela was putting the finishing touches on his private office. After she had hung the last picture on the wall, Pamela surveyed the room. She had decorated the pale yellow walls with framed photos of the animals that had passed through her facility. The pictures, and luxurious tan leather furniture, gave the office a peaceful ambience. Just as she was about to step down from the ladder, she felt the baby kick.
“Yeah, I like it too,” she whispered, rubbing her protruding belly.
“Damn it, Pamela!” Daniel shouted as he came into the room. “What did I tell you about hanging pictures in here? I’m supposed to be going up and down on ladders, not you.” He grabbed her hand and made sure both her feet were firmly planted on the floor before he reproached her with his eyes.
“You’re being overprotective,” she objected.
“You know me better than that. Dr. Holdford is the one who said you should be taking it easy. He told you not to stress your body in any way. No more exertion.” He folded the ladder and moved it to the side.
“Do you like it?” she asked, waving around the room.
Daniel inspected the pictures of foxes, squirrels, skunks, Lester, as well as Rodney, covering his office walls. He pulled Pamela into his arms. “It’s wonderful. It’s like having a piece of your sanctuary here with me. And you put my little Pamela and her babies up there as well. Thank you.”
Pamela nodded to the photograph of the flying squirrel family. “It was the last picture I took of her and the three babies before I released them. I figured if you’re having a bad day, you can just look at the pictures and maybe it will help you to relax.”
He felt the baby kick. “She’s feisty today.”
Pamela rolled her eyes. “Tell me about it.”
Daniel gave her face a thorough going over with his eyes. “Are you all right? You look tired.”
“I’m fine.” She gingerly patted his cream dress shirt and red tie. “Where were you? You said you would meet me here half an hour ago. Were you held up in your meeting?”
“No, I had an errand to run after my meeting.” Daniel reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small blue velvet box. “I didn’t want to tell you about it before because I wanted to pick this out myself.” He handed her the box.
Inside Pamela found a diamond ring with three large round cut stones set side by side in white gold. She looked from the ring to Daniel.
“I figured we needed to get rolling on this wedding of ours.” He pointed to the ring. “This is the first step.”
“Daniel, it’s beautiful,” she said, admiring the ring.
He took the ring out of the box and placed it on the third finger of her left hand. “I don’t know how you will feel about this but Val called me and I told her about our plans. She wants us to have our wedding at her place in the French Quarter. I said we wanted something small and she offered her house for the ceremony and reception.” He searched her face for a reaction. “What do you think?” he anxiously asked.
“I’m stunned Val would want to do that for us,” Pamela replied.
“She likes you. And she has always been a good friend to me.”
“Well, if she wants to go to all of that trouble. It sounds like a wonderful idea.”
“I told Val I would talk to you about it. She said she could take care of all the details but she needs to get together with you to find out what you want. It is your wedding after all.”
Pamela shook her head. “I have no idea what I want, but definitely something simple and quick.”
“Sounds great to me. I’ll call Val and let her know,” Daniel said.
Pamela gazed down at the ring on her hand. “When Bob gave me that ring after we had made our arrangement, I felt so empty inside. But now I feel like the world is filled with so much hope.”
Daniel placed his hand over hers. “There is something else.” He paused. “Val called me to give me some news about Bob. You remember you told me once that a patron owned the fifty acres next to your facility and that you would release animals there?”
Pamela felt all the happiness that had filled her heart suddenly melt away. “Bob owns that property,” she mumbled.
“Well, not anymore. Val said Bob is going around telling everyone in the city that he sold the property to a developer. They want to put a posh subdivision there. And you know what will happen then.”
She wrung her hands together and her eyes filled with dread. “My animals will be trapped and killed if they go into residential neighborhoods.”
Daniel nodded in agreement. “And if enough neighbors complain, you could have problems with the zoning commission, animal control, and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.”
“But where I live is surrounded by horse and cattle farms. They can’t just rezone the whole area,” Pamela reasoned.
“You know as well as I do how urban sprawl begins, Pamela. First, they take over the land and displace the animals. Then, with time, they force out the original residents until all that is left is concrete and manicured gardens.”
A single tear trickled down Pamela’s pale cheek. “That place is all I have, Daniel.”
“It will be all right, Pamela,” he whispered. He wiped the tear away and gave her an encouraging smile. “Val had an idea. She knows the developer. She suggested we make the guy a counter-offer for the property, or at the very least go in with him on the development. She says she knows for a fact that with the economy being the way it is, the developer is going to have a tough time getting funding from any of the local banks. She proposed we go to him with our idea.”
“What idea?” Pamela questioned as she felt her curiosity stir.
The heaviness in Daniel’s heart lifted as he saw the tears retreating from her eyes. “If he doesn’t want to sell the land, then we offer to fund the development on the condition that he will make it a nature friendly subdivision.”
Pamela considered his words for a few moments, and then asked, “What exactly is a nature friendly subdivision?”
“I wrote down some thoughts on that.” Daniel walked over to his dark oak desk and picked up a pad of paper. “You know how so many subdivisions have restrictions about keeping lots cut and cleared of debris, and even tell builders how and where to build? We could do the same thing, but make it less destructive for the woods and animals that will be displaced by the construction.” He stepped back over to Pamela’s side as he glanced down at the pad in his hand. “Maybe we could limit the amount of the land that is cleared and offer larger lots to potential residents. Put in non-trapping and no killing restrictions in the subdivision rules to protect animals that are not a threat. Encourage the use of green building materials that are environmentally friendly. Have an education center for people who want to aid in preserving the animal friendly environment.” He raised his eyes to her. “You could offer wildlife rehabilitation and living with wildlife classes to all those who are interested. Design and develop a living area that is animal friendly instead of animal fearful. You know there are other animal nuts in the world, and I bet they would be willing to pay to live in a subdivision that tries to preserve nature instead of trying to conquer it.”
Broken Wings Page 24