CHAPTER 12
After hanging up the phone with Chloe, Rico’s wife, Raegan sat for several moments trying to figure out the best way to handle this situation. She wasn’t expecting Chloe to answer Rico’s phone and she didn’t really expect her to agree to meeting with her. Why did she even suggest it? What is Caleb going to think?
What would she say to this man’s wife?
The one he took vows with—the vows he lied and told Raegan he wanted to take with her. How would she tell Chloe that she was carrying her husband’s baby? Was it even her place to tell? Should she call the meeting off? How would I want to be told if I were ever in this situation? Raegan wondered but quickly dismissed the thought. She didn’t even to want to put herself in Chloe’s shoes and imagine Caleb doing something like that to her.
Chloe requested that Raegan meet her as soon as possible. She wanted to quickly get to the bottom of whatever was going on with Raegan and her husband. She and Raegan agreed to meet at a local coffee shop that was about equal distance between the two of them. On the drive to the coffee shop, tons of reasons bounced around in her mind of why Raegan would be calling her husband. The only thing she could settle on was that he had been seeing her. Why else would Raegan need to speak with her in person? Is she pregnant? Does she have a sexually transmitted disease? Is she intent on breaking up my marriage? Is she willing to fight for her relationship with Rico? Chloe tried to think of the possibilities as she drove. She wanted to brace herself, if possible, for whatever this woman had to say.
Chloe arrived at the coffee shop dressed in scrubs. She didn’t order anything but instead took a seat at a small table near the window. Somehow the chatter from other patrons and the ongoing grinding of the blender kept her from losing her mind as she waited for Raegan to show up. She had no idea what Raegan looked like but had a feeling she would recognize her when she entered the building.
Raegan came into the coffee shop dressed in a lightweight jacket, purple blouse, stonewashed blue jeans and black pumps, with her curls loosely framing her face. She was slightly sweaty, although the weather did not warrant perspiration. Espresso machines and soft chatter filled her ears as she locked eyes with a woman sitting alone near the window. Raegan knew exactly who she was, since she was wearing scrubs and sitting alone. She recalled that Chloe was a nurse because of the accolades she read about her during her internet digging of Rico.
Raegan walked over to her and introduced herself, rubbing her hands against her jacket first before extending a handshake. Is a handshake even appropriate in a situation like this? she wondered.
Chloe extended a limp hand and held her gaze. She didn’t smile but wore a look of concern. Raegan knew that she owed this woman the truth, even though it probably wasn’t her place to tell. Perhaps Chloe needed to hear it from both Raegan and Rico.
“So what is this about?” Chloe asked as soon as Raegan took her seat. Her hands were clasped together and her elbows rested on the table as if that would help brace her for the news she was about to receive.
Raegan swallowed and opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. She knew that the truth would likely tear this woman’s world apart. She couldn’t be the one to do that. If it were me, would I want the other woman to tell me? What could she say to make me believe her? Would I believe her even if she sounded convincing? Raegan’s thoughts continued to swirl around in her head until interrupted by Chloe’s slightly irritated voice.
“Excuse me? Why do you need to talk to my husband?” Chloe pressed, needing answers. She knew she could have gone straight to Rico with this issue, but since she had the opportunity, curiosity got the best of her, and she took it. She needed to hear it from Raegan first, seeing as though Rico had lied to her before. She would get his side of the story later.
Raegan took a deep breath and spoke quickly as if she thought that Chloe would interrupt her. “I was seeing Rico but I didn’t know that he was married.” Raegan raised her hands in defense. “I didn’t realize that he was married until after we broke up. I’m so sorry and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Even though I didn’t know that he had a wife, I still want to apologize to you. I’m sorry for hurting you because I know that this affects you too.” Raegan quickly glanced down at her belly. “I called to tell Rico that I’m pregnant and that it’s his baby. I’ve already had a paternity test so I’m sure. I didn’t come here asking for anything because I don’t want anything from either of you. In fact, I’m perfectly okay with Rico not being in this baby’s life. I’m marrying someone else and the baby will be well taken care of. Although I don’t want him in my life, I did not want to withhold the fact that he has fathered my baby. I guess it was sort of my way of giving him an opportunity to tell you everything himself and ask your forgiveness.” Raegan exhaled deeply after getting that off her chest.
“Why should I believe you?” Chloe snarled, surprising herself. She had a gut feeling that Raegan was telling the truth, but she needed it all to be a lie. Why would anyone go through all of this trouble? What would be Raegan’s incentive to break up what she thought was a happy home? Chloe thought that she and Rico were finally getting back on track, recovering from his past infidelity.
Raegan expected Chloe not to believe her. If she were in Chloe’s shoes, she probably wouldn’t believe anything another woman told her about her husband either.
“You don’t have to believe me; just talk to your husband.” Raegan prepared to grab her things to leave. She had said all that she thought she needed to say. She had already asked God for forgiveness. After apologizing to Chloe, her conscience was clear.
“Wait.” Chloe grabbed Raegan’s hand. “Let’s call Rico to see what he has to say,” Chloe said, pulling out her cell phone. She knew that this would have some sort of fall-out, but what better way to clear the air than to have both parties present?
Chloe called him at his office. When he answered, she said, “Hey honey, I’m sitting here with Raymond.” She squinted at Raegan as she spoke.
“Who-who is that?” Rico stammered.
“You should know. Her number was saved in your cell phone. You left your phone at home today and she called. It seems as if there is a situation that we need to discuss.”
Rico whispered some expletive just loud enough for his wife to hear him over the noise in the coffee shop. He thought about denying it but didn’t know where he would start. Even if he wanted to, it was too late now. He practically gave himself away murmuring curse words over the phone.
“Is there anything you need to tell me, dear husband?”
CHAPTER 13
Tammy and Joshua continued with their plans to formally renew their vows, since they were only legally separated. They were excited about reconciling and wanted their friends and family to share in the festivities. Even though they planned to have an intimate gathering, Tammy kept coming up with grand ideas; she wanted the ceremony and reception to be a lot nicer than when they married in college, and Joshua translated that to being more expensive.
She and Joshua disagreed on how elaborate they wanted it to be, and the ceremony planning quickly became an area of tension for the two of them. He didn’t want to spend tons of money for a one-day celebration, believing their money could be better spent on something of lasting value regardless of their financial status. But she didn’t see it that way. She also didn’t think that she was overdoing it, more like Joshua was overreacting. He was the exact opposite of what she thought someone of his status would be like when it came to spending, especially for such an event as this.
“Tammy, I love you and you know that, right?” Joshua said as more of a statement than a question. He shifted his body toward her and waved her planning binder in the air. “But some of this stuff is just plain ridiculous. There is no way we’re going to spend one hundred thousand dollars on a reception that is only going to last a couple of hours. Plus, our guest list has tripled from the initial one hundred people we agreed upon. I think we�
�re getting a little carried away,” he said in such a way as not to put all of the blame on her.
“C’mon. It’s not that big of a deal.” She added quietly, “It’s not like we can’t afford it.”
Joshua pointed to the list, highlighting everything that he thought was unnecessary. Ice sculptures. Crystal centerpieces. Jeweled stationery. Doves. Authentic crystal cocktail tables. Ceiling drapery. Oversized aisle arrangements. Expensive bottles of wine for guests to take home as a gift from the couple.
“But it’s the start of our new life together,” she said with a pout and folded her arms across her chest.
“And is this how you want to start it? By frivolously spending tons of money? I’m sorry, Tammy, but this isn’t going to work. I think we should stick with our original plans.” Joshua tossed the binder on the coffee table and pulled Tammy close, slipping his hands underneath hers so that their hands rested in his lap.
They had yet to discuss how they would handle their financial affairs, and from the looks of things, Joshua knew that he would need to be in charge in that area. He was starting to worry that Tammy had become superficial. He didn’t want to deny her the joy of having this experience become a dream come true, but he was sure there was a more reasonable way to do it.
Money would definitely be an issue that they would have to work through. He knew it would be difficult to convince Tammy that it would be best for him to handle their finances—after all, he did earn a degree in accounting before going off to the NBA, so he felt like he was more qualified to do the job.
Joshua knew that spending the extra money wouldn’t damage their finances, but he didn’t want it to be the start of something more serious down the line in their marriage. If he gave in now, what would it be next? A more expensive wedding ring? Would she demand a certain number of carats? Would it be a vacation home in another country? Or expensive cars? He didn’t live his life that way, and the thought of being paired with someone who wanted to live a flashy lifestyle nearly gave him a heart attack.
“Why is it such a big deal? It’s our celebration of our new life together! It’s one day! Can’t you just give me that?” Tammy slipped her hands out of his; she really didn’t see why Joshua was making such an issue out of it. They would renew their vows, have children, and move on with their lives. She wasn’t planning on spending all of his money; she just wanted to have a nice, intimate gathering with a couple of expensive items here and there.
“You’re exactly right! It’s one day and we shouldn’t spend that kind of money on one day,” Joshua said, gesturing toward the binder that outlined the expensive plans.
“You’ve got to be kidding me! I can’t believe we’re arguing over this.” Tammy stood, folding her arms. He is being impossible, she thought. Why should she have to give up what she wanted simply because he thought they were spending too much money?
In fact, she could spend her own money. She earned it. He had no right to tell her what she could do with her hard-earned money. If he thought that he would be keeping an eye on what she did with her money, then he had another thing coming. She was in charge of her dollars.
“Tammy, please sit down,” Joshua said calmly. He straightened the binder on the table and sat back on the couch staring up at her. He refused to get pulled in to her emotions. She was being irrational. There was no way they were going to spend thousands and thousands of dollars on one day. There had to be some type of compromise.
With her hands on her hips, Tammy paced several times in front of him, silent. She was fuming at the thought of Joshua trying to take charge of their financial affairs. She felt as if he was trying to run some macho game on her. I’m the man and you have to do what I say. She was not going for that. It was her vow renewal, too, and she was determined to get what she wanted, even if he had to be surprised on the day of the ceremony.
Tammy sat down in his lap. “I’m sorry. You may be a teensy bit right,” she agreed, pressing her thumb and pointer finger together. “I will downsize it a little so that I won’t blow the budget,” she conceded, although she had no intentions of cutting as much as she led him to believe.
CHAPTER 14
After Chloe’s call, Rico left a customer sitting in his office, yelling to his coworker to take over for him. That was one commission that he would have to forfeit. He fumbled with his keys on the way to his car, dropping them several times. All of a sudden, his tie felt like it was too tight. He had known that his indiscretions would likely catch up with him, but not in this way. There was no telling what Raegan had said to Chloe, and he knew that lying would make the situation worse with his wife. He never intended to hurt Raegan or allow things to go too far; he had feelings for her but he knew that they could never be. Is this payback? he wondered. He never wanted to hurt Chloe either, seeing as though she is the one he took vows with.
As Rico raced to the coffee shop, he tried to come up with the right apology that would appease Chloe and save their marriage. If Raegan had shared everything, which he had no doubt that she did, then Chloe must be dying inside. He banged his fist against the steering wheel in frustration. There was likely nothing that he could say to charm himself out of this; this would be the one time that his smooth talk would not be able to save him.
When he arrived, he parked next to Chloe and hopped out of his car. He ran into the building wearing the look of a deer caught in headlights. He paused in the doorway to see both women turned to face him. Were they ganging up on him? He commenced a slow stride to the table and took a seat next to his wife, looking from her to Raegan, trying to read their expressions.
Raegan did not speak. In fact, she turned her attention toward his wife, hardly acknowledging his presence.
“Rico, choose your words carefully because I’m only going to ask you this once,” his wife stated calmly, eyes burning a hole through his skull. “Do you know this woman?” She tilted her head toward Raegan, never taking her eyes off him.
Running his tongue along the back of his teeth, he indeed thought carefully before answering. There was no easy way to tell the truth. Quickly darting his eyes to Raegan and then back to Chloe, he scooted his chair closer to hers. “Yes, but please let me explain.”
Ignoring his plea, Chloe asked, “Were you having an affair with her?” Her voice became slightly elevated but not enough to alert the other patrons.
“It didn’t mean anything. Chloe, baby, listen . . .” he began, but again she cut him off. Meanwhile, Raegan’s blood was beginning to boil. It didn’t mean anything? She could have pulled out the printouts of the countless letters that he’d written to her about missing her, loving her, her being all that he wanted in a woman and him wanting to marry her. But proving her point would further hurt his wife and she wasn’t there to do that.
Resisting the urge to reach over and strangle him, she interrupted, “Excuse me, can I say something?” Raegan treaded lightly. She no longer wanted to be in the middle of whatever their issues were. She wanted out, and that was her primary reason for contacting Rico one last time.
Both Rico and Chloe stared at her, Chloe wondering how this woman became a third party in their marriage.
“I don’t want anything from either of you,” stated Raegan, holding her palms up in surrender. “In fact, I plan to raise this baby without support from you. My only request is that Rico sign over his parental rights to this baby,” Raegan said, pulling out a piece of paper and handing a pen to Rico.
She was serious when she said that she no longer wanted Rico to be a part of her life in any way. Even though she was carrying his baby, she had no intentions of raising this baby as his and she wanted to make sure that decision didn’t come back to haunt her later. Her baby would be raised as one belonging to both her and Caleb. As far as she was concerned, Caleb was her baby’s father, biological or not.
Chloe was partially relieved, but a part of her hurt for her husband. She knew he wanted to have children one day and that was the one thing that she was not ready to gi
ve him.
Rico sat quietly. No emotion exuded from him. He was still stunned that Raegan was actually carrying his baby—a child that he would never get to kiss, cuddle or love if he signed over his parental rights. This could be his one chance to have the child he always wanted—from his own bloodline. He could give up his opportunity to be a father, or he could put his marriage in further jeopardy and fight Raegan for custody or at least for visitation rights. He and Chloe had talked about getting pregnant but had never moved forward with planning for a child, but now the opportunity to have his own flesh and blood was right in front of him and simultaneously being snatched away.
Rico cared for Raegan but he wanted his marriage with Chloe to work. He’d mistreated her and done things that didn’t uphold his marital vows, but he wanted to do right by her even if that meant giving up his chance of having his own child.
Rico took one look at Chloe, accepted the pen from Raegan, and signed his name on the signature line without even reading the document. He thought that would make Chloe happy and at least prove to her that he wanted to put everything that happened with Raegan behind him. Exhaling one deep sigh, he handed the pen and paper back to Raegan, returning his gaze to Chloe.
Raegan’s business was complete. She didn’t have another word to say to either of them. They were no longer a part of her life as far as she was concerned. She had told the wife all of the information that she would give; anything else Chloe wanted to know, she would have to get from her husband. Raegan didn’t care; she just wanted out.
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