Family by Design

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Family by Design Page 17

by Bonnie K. Winn


  She couldn’t speak.

  “I have different plans for the Wagner Hill. Your tea parlor has to go.”

  “J.C. won’t—”

  “Grow up, Maddie. This is business, not personal.”

  But his tone told her it was. “I don’t believe you.”

  Owen grasped her hand. “You’re right, Maddie. We are different people now, better, stronger. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”

  Her throat was so choked she could barely speak. “I don’t even know you anymore.”

  “You’ll enjoy getting reacquainted.”

  She snatched her hand back. “No.”

  Satisfaction flooded his expression. “Face facts. You’ve rented out your mother’s house. Your business and apartment will be gone. What then?”

  Maddie shook with renewed anger.

  “Accept it, Maddie. There’s nothing you can do. Nothing.”

  Aimless and shaken, Maddie got in her car and drove. Owen had to be wrong. Malicious, but wrong. She turned into her old neighborhood, needing to get away from any of the more traveled streets. Tears burned in her eyes, clogged her throat.

  Why had she agreed to meet Owen? To hear his lies?

  She gripped the steering wheel. All she had to do was ask J.C. He … Would what? Tell her Owen had invented the story? But why would Owen lie about something so easily disproved? Unless it was true.

  Maddie pictured J.C.’s face at dinner the previous night. Somber, strained, uncomfortable. And he couldn’t get away fast enough once they had eaten. Just as he had avoided coming to dinner all week. She’d had no reason to question whether he genuinely had to work late each evening. Doctors had all kinds of crazy hours.

  Reluctantly, she delved into her memory. Remembering, even though she didn’t want to, that the week’s hours weren’t all that crazy. J.C. had arrived home every evening just late enough to be sure dinner was over.

  The unwanted thoughts kept attacking. J.C. had to consider Chrissy’s interests first. Maddie didn’t resent that a bit. But to be speaking and dealing with Owen … To let Owen blind-side her with the news …

  Tears slid down her cheeks. It wasn’t the loss of her shop that she was grieving. The Tea Cart was only one of her dreams. Disappointment wedged its way through her heart. Even though she had lectured herself not to, hope had been sprouting … making her wonder about a future with J.C. Even a family of her own.

  She drove as though on autopilot until she turned onto her street, to the house she had grown up in, the house that was leased to another family for two years. Maddie had used the tenants’ deposit to paint the exterior. It looked fresh, but not like home. Because it wasn’t theirs again until the lease was up.

  Maddie leaned her forehead against the steering wheel. How could J.C. have made a decision like this without talking to her? Pulling her home and business out from under her without a word?

  Where would she and Mom live? And how would she pay for it? She had already committed the money from renting out their house to the roof contractor. She and her mother could have dealt with another season of catching leaks with buckets, but she couldn’t expect renters to do the same.

  But that paled next to how she felt. How she had hoped J.C. felt about her. Despite her responsibility for her mother, Maddie had thought perhaps it could be different with J.C. That he was different.

  From what? she mocked herself. She’d been out of the dating game since her mother’s first stroke. What did she know about men anymore? Worse, what had she ever known? If not for her mother’s illness, she would be Mrs. Owen Radley. The thought made her stomach turn. Wrenched with pain, she tried to think of somewhere, anywhere to run to. There was only one place.

  Ignoring the tears blurring her vision, Maddie drove until she reached Samantha’s house. Praying her friend was home, she made herself look away from the gate leading to the backyard where they’d held the campout, where J.C. had almost kissed her.

  “Hey! You should have called. I saw you driving up and remembered that we’re out of coffee, and …” Samantha halted, stared, then hurried across the porch, wrapping Maddie in a hug. “What is it?” Samantha’s voice choked. “Not your mother?”

  “No, it’s not Mom.” Maddie allowed herself to be led inside.

  Sam hovered, guiding her to the couch. “Do you want some … water?”

  Shaking her head, Maddie swiped at her tears. Then she poured out the whole story. “I just can’t believe it, Sam.”

  “Well, I don’t believe it. What did J.C. say?”

  “I haven’t asked him.”

  “Why not?”

  Tears and sobs exploded as though she had pulled a trigger.

  “Oh, Maddie!” Sam rubbed her back for a few moments. Then she walked as fast as her cane would allow, bringing back a box of tissues. “I always say the wrong thing.”

  Maddie took a handful of tissues and leaned her face into it. When the worst of her crying jag ended, she pressed the knuckles of one hand to her lips to stop them from trembling. Taking a ragged breath, she looked at her friend. “It still seems unreal. I got the call from Owen last night …” She willed herself to not start crying again. “Then this morning when I met him …”

  Sam stared at her in question.

  “He said that J.C. and Chrissy’s futures were at stake. I wouldn’t have gone otherwise. Good thing I did.”

  “Good? Maddie, you’ve got to talk to J.C. He wouldn’t do something like this. Certainly not without discussing it with you.”

  “It’s our whole lives, Sam. Not just the shop, but we rented out our house …” She couldn’t continue. And she had given her heart to J.C.

  “You’re talking crazy. No one’s taking away your home and business. It was J.C.’s idea to back you. Why would he sell to a worm like Owen?”

  “I told you—the money.”

  “No, not J.C.”

  “He has to think about Chrissy.”

  “And you.” Sam face filled with concern and wisdom. “Don’t you see it? He’s nuts about you.”

  Maddie clapped a hand over her mouth, hoping to stop herself from crying. “Wishful thinking.”

  “Bret and I have both seen it. You two belong together.”

  “You know that’s not possible. Besides, you don’t do something like this to the person you love.”

  “Oh, Maddie, talk to him. Let him clear up whatever this is. Owen has cooked this up to try and get you back. The man has no principles!”

  “Which says a whole lot about my judgment.”

  “Don’t say that! You were too young to know what you do now, to see people for who they really are. At the same age, I thought my career was more important than Bret. I thank the Lord every day for the accident, for bringing me back to Him and to Bret.”

  “Apparently J.C. is no Bret, either.”

  Sam took her hands. “No. He’s James Christopher Mueller. A fine man, a principled man of honor who cares about every body he meets. He never gave up on me and I’m not going to let you give up on him.”

  Maddie bent her head, staring down, seeing nothing. “I keep coming back to the same thing. Why would Owen lie? He knows I can ask J.C.”

  “Maybe he hoped you wouldn’t.” Sam squeezed her fingers. “And it almost worked. You took the path of logic he hoped you would. Probably thought he could bluff his way through it.”

  “And what? That I wouldn’t figure it out when the building didn’t change hands?”

  Sam hesitated.

  “What?”

  “It’s possible Owen offered to buy Wagner Hill.”

  Maddie sucked in her breath. “Then it is all real.”

  “No, I didn’t say that. Just that Owen could be trying to buy the building, to be in control.”

  “Control?”

  “Of you, Maddie. Of you.”

  Knowing it must be done, Maddie steeled herself to talk with J.C. Actually, she would know just by J.C.’s demeanor if Owen had been telling the truth.
J.C. didn’t hide his feelings well. At least, she prayed he didn’t.

  J.C. sat by his patient’s bedside. He had operated on her that morning and was optimistic about her recovery from a severe spinal injury. It was quiet in the intensive care unit. Her family had gone to the cafeteria after he assured them that she would sleep while they took a break.

  He listened to the quiet but reassuringly steady rise and fall of her breathing, relieved that the procedure had gone well. J.C. had always felt comfortable at the hospital, it was his second home. One he was likely to need again soon. He had been waiting for Maddie to say something, to deny any involvement in Owen’s plan. But there’d been nothing, no explanation.

  “Doctor?” The nurse acknowledged his presence, then began recording his patient’s vitals.

  J.C. realized that this wasn’t the place to do his thinking. With a nod, he left. The familiar scent of disinfectants was strong since an aide was mopping the floor. Glancing at his watch, J.C. realized it was almost midnight. He’d left a message on the answering machine to let Maddie know he would be late. Chrissy was no doubt asleep in the extra bed in Maddie’s room. When she knew he wouldn’t be home, Chrissy preferred to stay there close to the others. As much pain as he was in, J.C. couldn’t begin to fathom how much it would hurt Chrissy to be yanked out of what she considered her home. When Maddie married Owen, the child wouldn’t be part of her life any longer.

  His office was quiet, dark. No one left soft lights on for him here. He flipped on the overhead fixture in the reception area, then switched on a lamp on his desk. Everyone had gone home to be with their families, tucked in safe and cozy.

  The office was set up to be practical, not cozy. Accustomed to practical from years of being on his own, that had been fine with him. But it didn’t exactly say welcome, sit and stay a while.

  Sinking into his desk chair, he propped both elbows on his desk and reached to open his laptop. But his hand fell away. Nothing it contained held any interest. Oh, there would be emails from college and med school friends, along with work that always needed to be done.

  His fingers grazed the newspaper he had looked at earlier. The local Rosewood paper that was published twice a week was open to the small real estate section. He had circled ads for an apartment and a house. They would need something large enough for a live-in housekeeper and nanny. One that Chrissy would no doubt resent on sight. Truth was, with Maddie gone, he might as well sell the Wagner Hill. His niece’s financial future would be secure and Owen’s purchase would ensure that the site would never become a superstore.

  Bending his head, J.C. rested it against his hands. How had it come to this? How had he allowed this to happen again? He was certain he had learned his lesson with his ex-wife. Knowing the signs of betrayal, he was sure they would never slip up on him again, that he would spot them immediately.

  But Maddie had crept past all his defenses, made him trust again. Lord, I am lost again.

  Feeling the Lord’s urging, J.C. knew he would need every shred of his faith to make it through this time. Lifting his head, he swivelled his chair so that he looked out into the night. The only cars in the parking lot belonged to the staff and a handful of visitors. He hoped most of the visitors were new fathers staying the night with their wives and new babies, rather than relatives of critically ill patients.

  J.C. remembered his plans for children, the vision he’d once had for a family. When they dated, Amy had assured him that she, too, wanted children. Meeting her near the end of medical school, she had seemed so sweet, so kind.

  He swallowed. Much like Maddie. But that had changed after they were married. It was as though Amy had morphed into an entirely different person. Would that happen to Maddie? Was she wearing an assumed face? One that would change as soon as she and Owen married? The image scorched his already-tortured thoughts.

  He remembered her many kindnesses, the deft touch she had with Chrissy. Instinctively, she had known not to try and step into Fran’s place. Instead, she treated Chrissy like a favorite niece, and encouraged her bond with Lillian. How could she have faked that?

  She didn’t.

  Was that the Lord’s assurance or his own wishful longing?

  The silence surrounding him didn’t clarify which it was. Turning around, he stared out the doorway, the solitude reinforcing the emptiness of his life. It wasn’t as bad during the day when he was surrounded by colleagues, staff and patients. But the nights …

  Exhaling, he tried to close his mind to a lifetime of endless nights. Knowing there was only one thing that would help, he bent his head and prayed. And called on the Lord for help.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The Tea Cart’s birthday party business for children had grown steadily since Chrissy’s debut party. Now it was Lexi’s birth day. Chrissy had pleaded to help host her best friend’s big day. Maddie, still numb, would have agreed to almost anything for the child.

  J.C.’s absences told her Owen hadn’t lied. He stayed gone long into the nights, never home when he could run into her. Apparently he couldn’t face telling her the truth.

  Now, knowing Chrissy would also be out of her life, the hole in her heart deepened. She’d had a taste of what it would be like to have a child of her own. And she’d grown to love Chrissy, hoping she could help her past this worst time in her life, then watch her mature and grow into a young woman.

  Hovering, Samantha clasped her elbow. “What is it?”

  Maddie willed the shimmer of tears from her eyes. “Just thinking how fast kids grow up.”

  The expression on Samantha’s face made it clear she knew there was far more, but she didn’t press. “The cake and decorations are beautiful.”

  “Lexi’s favorite color is pink. And I didn’t want to repeat the gold.” She tried desperately to focus on the setting, to take her thoughts away from herself … the pain.

  “It’s gorgeous. The tiaras are a nice touch.”

  “They were Chrissy’s idea.” Maddie smiled in spite of her distress. “And she insisted that we find one with pink and clear rhinestones for Lexi so it would be extra special. Tina ordered one that was a little larger than the others and switched out some of the clear rhinestones for pink.”

  “Chrissy’s a sweet girl. Nice to see her that way again.”

  Swallowing around the lump in her throat, Maddie agreed. “She saved all of her allowance so she could buy Lexi a special birthday present.” Maddie had contributed the difference so that Chrissy could buy the locket she wanted for her friend.

  “Maddie, you haven’t told me what J.C. said.”

  “Sam, he avoids me, doesn’t come home until he’s sure no one’s still up. He has to let us know if he’s going to be late so we can take care of Chrissy. But he makes sure he leaves a message on the answering machine so he doesn’t have to talk to me.”

  “You mean you haven’t asked him about Owen and the building?”

  “There’s not any point. I can tell by the way J.C. avoids me that Owen was telling the truth. Then, I was tidying up his apartment and saw …” Maddie drew in a ragged breath. “He had the real estate section of the paper next to his chair. He’d circled places to buy or rent.”

  “Could be any number of reasons …”

  “Even you can’t finish that statement.” Maddie raised her gaze, seeing her friend’s concern. “It’s okay, Sam. I’ve always known I couldn’t have a relationship anyway. Mom’s my first priority.”

  “But J.C.—”

  “Needs to move on. I’ve prayed about it, Sam. He has to do what’s right for Chrissy.”

  “This is what’s right for Chrissy. You’ve made a home for her, returned her ability to trust.”

  Maddie squinted against the pain. “She’s given me the opportunity to know how it would be to have my own family. It’s more than a fair trade.”

  Samantha stamped the foot of her good leg. “Maddie Carter, if you don’t ask J.C. about the sale, I will.”

  “You can’t.” />
  “Oh, but I can. I’m not going to let you throw away your happiness because of pride.”

  “It’s not pride.” Maddie swallowed. “It’s reality. You know, that bothersome fact that intrudes on stupid dreams.”

  “I want you to promise me that you’ll talk to J.C., find out what’s really going on with Owen.”

  “There’s no point.”

  “Humor me,” Sam implored. “I know this isn’t right. It stinks of that rat. Don’t let Owen ruin your future. You deserve more.” She paused. “J.C. deserves more.”

  It wasn’t a promise Maddie wanted to make. But Sam was only voicing what she had already decided. She did have to talk to J.C., if only to learn why.

  And when her life would shatter.

  The kids started arriving in the afternoon. Lexi had invited only girls. On the shy side, she preferred a princesslike tea party and didn’t want the rowdier boys. Chrissy nearly popped waiting to show Lexi the special tiara with the sparkling pink and clear rhinestones. It looked perfect with the dainty pink dress Lexi’s mother had sewn. Chrissy chose to wear one of the dresses that Tina had created for the Tea Cart. Maddie thought it was endearingly sweet that Chrissy didn’t want to steal Lexi’s spotlight by wearing her own special lavender birthday dress.

  The other guests chattered nonstop as they picked out their dresses and popped on their tiaras. Maddie took mental snapshots, knowing she would never forget this day or the other days she had spent with Chrissy … with J.C.

  Even though Maddie had baked a birthday cake, she also prepared tiny pink petits fours in the same pale pastel pink. Their dress-up tea party was touchingly sweet. All on their best behavior, the girls drank punch from teacups while wearing their petite white gloves.

  Sam, along with Lexi’s mother, helped Maddie serve. Lillian had opted to stay in her nook with two friends. Giggles resonated through the tea shop, causing the other few customers to smile. It was easy to imagine being ten years old again, having a fancy tea party with friends.

  Concentrating on carrying in the birthday cake, Maddie didn’t notice J.C. until she nearly slammed into him. He deftly stepped aside, preventing the crash. Flustered, she muttered an apology.

 

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