Her hand leaves her pearls and goes to her chest. “I was not the one who said that. That woman came out on her own. I was never even asked if that was true or not. She was not my doctor. I was seeing a man by the name of Paul Mahoney. He was a nurse at a free clinic.”
Stan points offstage and I see a woman running to see if she can get any information on this man. “What clinic?” he asks.
“I’d rather not say,” Jana says.
“Sure. No problem,” Stan says.
He pulls out the paper I suppose holds her results and his eyes scan over it then he smiles. Jana sees the smile and stands up. “I wasn’t pregnant.”
Morgan grabs her arm and pulls her back down and hisses, “What the hell are you doing?”
“I was about to be found out anyway,” she hisses back.
Stan smiles. “That’s right. When Jana was asked if she was pregnant she answered yes and that was a lie. Thanks for admitting it, Jana. That might have been a little better if you had never told that lie, but at least you admitted it. Anything else you’d care to admit?”
“No,” Morgan says. “Just read the results.”
Stan looks at him. “You sure, Morgan?”
“Completely,” he says with a smile on his face.
I guess the idiot thinks he can fool the machine. He is practiced at lying, I have to give him that. But Jana didn’t fool it and that’s all that really matters.
Stan looks at the camera. “After this commercial break, we’ll be back with the results and see if Channing walks away a free man or goes with this officer.”
A uniformed Miami cop walks out with his aviator shades on and a set of handcuffs in his hand he’s brandishing around for the audience to see. The sound of sirens is filling the studio and Stan looks back at me. “You can take a seat until we go back on air, Channing.”
I nod and ask, “Can I run to the green room real quick?”
He smiles and nods and I take off to see Beth for the two minute break.
Hope she’s happy so far!
Chapter 8
BETH
The door flies open and I jump up and run to meet Channing who has his arms outstretched. “Beth!”
I pepper kisses all over his handsome face. “I should never have questioned you, Baby.”
“It’s okay. It’s nearly over, Beth. And there’s a judge here who’s about to grant me an annulment. Then you and I can go get married.”
He goes to one knee and pulls something out of his pocket. I cover my mouth with my hands. “Channing!”
With a huge smile, he opens the lid of the black box, revealing a monster-sized rock. “Beth, you have made me realize what love really is and as soon as humanly possible I want you to become my wife. What do you say, girl?”
The tears fall and I can barely croak out, “Yes! Yes, Channing, I will marry you!”
He slides the ring onto my finger and it fits perfectly. Then he stands up grabs me and places a hard kiss on my lips.
A little red light goes on in the small room and a bell dings. He pulls away from me. “I have to go. I’m so damn happy, Beth.” His smile goes all over his body and I laugh.
“Go, Channing. And even if you did throw the lying bitch off the boat I still love you and will marry you and wait for you to get out of prison if I have to.”
He gives my hand a squeeze. “Thank you, Beth. You have no idea how much that means to me.”
With a smile I tell him, “I love you, now hurry!”
“I love you, Baby,” he says then lets my hand go and runs to go stand back on stage. But now he has a little secret and a lot of hope.
I’m shaking as I sit on the edge of the small sofa and look at the ring he just put on my hand. Then the music comes back on the television and I look at the flat screen and cross my fingers the test proves him innocent.
“We’re back,” Stan says as he pulls out yet another paper. “Morgan and Jana have been caught in a few lies by our lie detector. And now Channing’s results I hold and will let the world know if his answers were lies or not.”
He walks up to Channing and looks him in the eye. “First, I want to ask you, myself, this question. Channing Michaels, did you throw your wife overboard?”
“No,” he answers.
The camera is so close to Channing’s face you can see his nostrils flare. Then it pulls back and you see Stan holding the paper up high. “When our administrator asked Channing that question backstage earlier today that is the same answer he gave him. Channing has admitted he was in a drugged state and has no idea if he committed that act or not. And Channing, I’d like you to take a seat and feel free to call me, Stan. The results are positive. You are telling the truth! Channing Michaels did not throw Jana Michaels overboard that day! Congratulations, Man!”
Channing shakes Stan’s hand then the two hug and Channing kind of falls back into the chair. Stan claps him on the back before he walks slowly toward Jana and Morgan.
“Now, see here!” Morgan says. “He was drugged. That answer may not be accurate!”
Stan wrinkles his nose and smiles. “That’s why was asked Jana a similar question. She was asked if Channing Michaels had thrown her overboard and her answer was yes. The test showed she was not telling the truth. And we asked her if this whole thing was set up by herself and you. She said it was not. And that was also a lie. We asked her if she ever loved Channing Michaels. She said yes. Guess what?” He looks back at Channing. “That was a lie too!”
The audience is going crazy as Stan throws one lie out after another. Jana is crying and Morgan looks uber-pissed.
“I swear I was telling the truth!” Jana shouts.
Stan walks up to them both. “Stand up.”
They stand and Morgan holds Jana to his side as she cries. I’m sure the tears are real this time. I’m sure she is sad this is over and the whole world will soon know what big fat liars they both are.
Stan pulls the microphone back up and says, “Jana you were asked if you loved Morgan Riley. You answered yes and the lie detector test shows us that was true. Want to hear what happened when we asked Morgan if he loved you?”
“Now, see here!” comes Morgan again. “That’s neither here nor there!”
Stan looks at Jana only. “Want to know?” He waits then she nods, and he continues, “The lie detector test told us Morgan was lying when he said yes.”
She really falls apart. “I did it all for you, Morgan! How could you! I hate you! You made me do all of this and you don’t even love me!” She starts hitting him with her thin little hands and he flinches like it hurts him so bad.
“No! It’s not true! Believe me, not them, Sweetheart. I do love you! I do!” Morgan falls on his knees and grabs her hands. “Please, you’re all I have, Jana.”
“Then you have nothing.” She sucks up her sobs and glares at him then looks at Stan as she yanks her hands away. “I did ask Channing to beat me. But I did it because Morgan told me to. I had to endure so much pain because Morgan said we could use it against Channing. All the lies, everything was his idea.”
Stan smiles. “No one held a gun to your head, Jana. You did what he asked because you also wanted Channing’s very hard earned money.”
The judge rises and the audience goes quiet. She clears her throat as a stagehand gives her a microphone. “Officer I need you to take these two into custody for extortion. It’s not punishable for nearly as long as attempted murder and the murder charges they were accusing Mr. Michaels of but it is a crime,” She looks at Channing. “And you can sue them in civil court for falsely accusing you of a crime you did not commit, Sir.”
He gives the judge a nod and says, “Thank you, judge. And thank you, Stan.”
Stan smiles. “You are welcome and I hope you invite us to your wedding.”
Jana jerks her head to look at Channing. “You will never get away with this annulment thing, Channing!”
The cop comes and cuffs them both as sirens go off and the judge comes up on
stage and hands Channing a paper on a clipboard and a pen. “If you will sign on this line that marriage will be null and void and I personally will file this today. You can marry in this state after thirty days and in Las Vegas tomorrow.”
I take in a sharp breath as I know what he’s about to say.
Channing looks into the camera and smiles. “Baby, get ready to leave for Vegas!” He signs the paper and holds it up in the air as he gives a loud, “Woo hoo!”
Woo hoo, indeed!
Chapter 9
CHANNING
Coming up the hallway with the soft blanket Beth said she has to have, I can hear her best friend, Michelle, saying, “Breathe, Bethy. Just breathe.”
“It hurts!” Beth shouts.
I push the door open and find her sitting up. “What did the nurse tell you about that, Baby?” I hurry to her side and lay her back on the hospital bed, placing the blanket around her. “That kidney stone is about to pass and sitting up only makes it that much harder.”
“Why did I have to get a fucking kidney stone?” Beth shouts then her shout goes into a scream as her face goes red. “Dear God, I think it’s coming out now!”
Her scream continues then it suddenly stops. She’s breathing very hard, and she’s pale. I pick up the bag attached to her catheter and see a small rock looking thing in the yellow urine filled bag.
I smile at her. “You did it!”
“Thank, God!” She lies back and closes her eyes. Then opens them and looks dead into mine. “If that hurt that fucking bad, Channing, you can forget about babies.”
I laugh and grab her hand. “Come on now, Baby. Don’t be like that. We’ve been married six months. Don’t you think it’s about time to start thinking about having our own little bundle of joy? It won’t be like this rock you just pissed out. I promise.”
She closes her eyes again. “Channing, you have no idea what it’ll be like. So I am thinking about it and I’m thinking only one word. No!”
Michelle kisses her on the forehead. “Since you finally got that out of your system, I’m going to meet Lance for lunch. I can’t think you two enough for introducing us.”
“Since you’re going, take this to him,” I say as I hand her a hundred-dollar bill.
“What’s this for?” Michelle asks.
“He and I made a bet, and I lost.” I run my thumb over Beth’s knuckles as I hold her hand.
She opens her eyes. “What was the bet?”
“He bet me that you’d pass that stone and tell me you were never having babies. I told him I was sure you would pass that stone and say it wasn’t so bad and beg me to impregnate you immediately.”
Beth laughs a little. “Idiots.” Then closes her eyes and looks as if she’s already falling asleep.
I sit on the side of the bed after Michelle leaves and hold my wife’s hand and gaze at her as she falls asleep. Her dark hair is glued to parts of her face as the stone had her all sweating and hot.
She may be saying she doesn’t want any baby yet but soon she will come around. I know she will.
A little snoring sound comes from her. She’s been unable to sleep for the last couple of days with the pain of the kidney stone.
Moving off the bed, I let her sleep and take out my cell phone to entertain myself while she sleeps. The local news channel has something on social media and the name, Morgan Riley, is in the headline.
I open it up and find my father in handcuffs and being hauled off to prison. I smile and know the jury will most likely find Jana guilty as well. And soon she’ll be where she belongs.
After the Stan Wilcox Show, Stan told me I should see a doctor and be tested for any poisons. Though they were long gone from my system, my hair was used and they found traces of arsenic. A thing found in rat poison.
It seems she used a tiny bit in many of my drinks. And all of it was Morgan’s idea. They wanted to kill me while she and I were still married so she’d get my money and business and even my beloved team.
The team would have hated that!
Thankfully, the investigators I hired found more than enough evidence to prove my father and Jana were moving on from poisoning me slowly to planning the attempted murder plot and hoping to extort money from me.
Thanks to Stan and his wonderful staff that didn’t happen.
Beth’s doctor walks in. “I saw her friend in the hallway and she told me the good news.” He looks at the bag and nods. “And I see she’s sleeping soundly. That’s good to see. She needs her rest. Especially now.”
“I know. She’s been up for two nights. She’ll most likely sleep this entire day and night away.” I cross my legs and get ready to sit here forever while she sleeps.
The doctor looks at me and smiles. “That too, but I meant for another reason as well.”
“What other reason?” I ask as I look away from my phone and at him.
“When I did the sonogram to find the stone, I thought I saw something and told the lab to run one more test on her blood.” He pulls the top page off his clipboard and hands it to me.
I look at the top of the page and see the word, pregnancy, there. I look back at the doctor. “No way!”
He nods. “She’s pregnant. Maybe a month or so. We’ll have to check her out more and find out when her last menstruation was.”
Tallying up the days since I know when it was, I look back at him. “Shit, Doc! It was only thirty-five days ago. Wow! You picked that up quick.”
With a smile, he says, “I just saw the uterus was a bit swollen looking and decided to add the pregnancy test to the other blood work I had going on.”
“Good call,” I say and have to smile back at him. “I’m ecstatic. I don’t know how she’s going to take the news as she just told me after this experience she’d not be having any babies. But I think I can get her on board.”
“Great! I’ll leave you two alone. Since you’re here, I’ll tell the nurses to leave her alone and let her sleep. You can buzz them if she needs anything. Congratulations, Mr. Michaels.” He leaves the room. Turning off the light before he does and leaving me in the dimly lit hospital room.
Getting up, I stand over my wife and lean down and kiss her cheek. She has no idea she’s going to be a mommy before the end of the year.
Then I fall back into the chair and close my eyes and try to picture how our baby will look.
I hope it’s a girl and looks just like her!
Chapter 10
BETH
The flash of the photographer’s bright light makes Little Channing close his eyes and start to fuss. “Oh, I’ve made him mad,” the young male photographer says with a laugh. “But I got the picture. You can come back in a week to see which ones you like, Mrs. Michaels.”
I pick up my crying six-month-old and carry him out. “Thanks, Jack. And I’ll go ahead and set up the appointment for his seven-month-old pictures then.”
“Fabulous!” he says as I leave.
Channing wants a large picture of every single month of his first child’s life then he says after that he only needs one each year. The mansion will be filled with pictures of this little cherub by the time he’s grown.
God forbid we have any more kids or we’ll have to buy an old art museum to keep all their photographs in!
After selling the beach house, we bought a mansion on the Florida Keys. It’s gorgeous, and I love the fact Channing and I are making it into our home. He wanted the past put far behind him and I can’t say I blame him at all.
We had two smaller homes built at the back of the property for our families. Mine visit on occasion but their hippy lifestyle doesn’t click with the wealthy way we live.
Channing’s mother and grandparents live in theirs. A thing I was very happy about. His mother and I clicked once we actually met.
After calming Little Channing down, I place him in his car seat in the backseat of the Beamer which is what we use as our family car. And our little trip into town will be done after we eat lunch with his father.
Going down the highway to get to Channing’s office, a place I used to work at, I work from home now, I’m going to pick him up for lunch.
I have to slow down for some people who are picking up trash on the sides of the road and wearing orange jumpsuits. A few guards are around and then I see the van they came in.
A skinny blonde woman draws my attention as she pulls her hair back into a ponytail. And I recognize Jana in an instant. I tap my horn and give her a little wave.
She waves back but only uses one finger.
Still a bitch!
Oh, well. That made my day, anyway. It’s nice to see her get what she had coming to her for trying to kill my husband. The lousy bitch!
I look in the rear-view mirror at our son. Our chubby, little, dark-haired boy with his father’s blue-green eyes and smile. “How’s Mommy’s baby doing back there, Lil’ Chan?”
He gurgles and coos and smiles back at me as he grabs his toes and tries very hard to get them to his mouth.
Channing hates when I call the baby, Chan. But I always tell him he shouldn’t have insisted he be named after him. I’m not calling my son, Junior and there are no real nicknames for Channing. So Chan it is.
I wanted to name him, Dagger, but Channing said that was a bad-boy name and he wanted his son to be a good-boy. I told him girls love bad boys, but he said they should love good boys.
He knows nothing about the female psyche!
I give Channing a call as I pull up to the building his office is in. “Hey, Baby, I’m here.”
“Be right down.” He ends the call and I leave the driver’s side and get into the passenger’s side.
In minutes, he’s slipping into the driver’s seat and leaning over to give me a kiss. The baby laughs and we both look back at him.
“What are you laughing at, you little booger?” Channing asks him.
The Billionaire’s Lighthouse Series: A Billionaire, Bad Boy, Romance Page 66