A Child Changes Everything

by Stella MacLean

  “You’re probably right,” she said. Kicking off her shoes, she climbed onto the bed and pulled the comforter over her, while he folded his long frame into the most uncomfortable chair he could ever have imagined—all plastic and metal. There was no chance he’d fall asleep, he mused, his gaze traveling over Lisa’s form in the room’s half-light.

  Despite what she’d been through in the past hours, she smiled as she closed her eyes. Odd as it seemed now, regardless of the disastrous end of their relationship and his misguided marriage, Lisa held a very special place in his heart.

  But once this trip was over, Lisa would have a whole new life that revolved around her mother and sister. Lisa would do what was best for her new family, leaving him on the outside once again.

  Her shuddering sigh forced his attention to her face. The tears glistening on her cheeks made him wish he could take her in his arms and hold her while she cried. He waited to see if she’d open her eyes and search for him.

  She didn’t. Instead, she turned away and settled down again as if he wasn’t there. He continued to wait expectantly until he heard the deep, rhythmic breathing that told him she was asleep.

  Feelings of emptiness created by her turning away assailed him. Even in her moment of need, she couldn’t reach out to him. Had he accepted this job in the hope that he and Lisa might get back together?

  In the quiet of the room, he knew the truth. He’d hurt the one woman he’d ever loved in such a way that neither he nor Lisa could forget it. If he’d had the courage that night to go back and apologize, there might have been a chance for them.

  If only…

  WHEN LISA WOKE the next morning, she couldn’t believe she’d slept in her clothes. She’d never done that in her life! She glanced around, realizing that Mason had removed the empty dishes, closed the drapes and turned off the lights, a level of thoughtfulness she didn’t remember him displaying before. Maybe being a dad had changed him.

  Although tired from the excitement of meeting her mother, a strange elation tempered by uncertainty made her restless. She stretched, letting the knowledge that she had a mother and a sister seep through her.

  When she’d fallen asleep, her mind had been focused on the charges against Anne Marie, and how difficult it was to believe that drugs were once again threatening to ruin the life of someone important to her.

  She’d never forget the day her mother got the call. Her father had been shot and was undergoing emergency heart surgery. When they got to the hospital, Alice Clarke’s hysteria had forced the doctors to sedate her, leaving thirteen-year-old Lisa to wait alone for the surgeon to come and tell her that her father had survived the operation.

  But oddly enough, it was during those long hours of waiting that she began to feel at home in the hospital, somehow part of the activity going on around her. She’d decided then that she wanted to go into nursing.

  Her decision had been one positive thing to come out of that nightmare, and she felt hopeful about this situation, too. Because of her tiredness last night, Anne Marie’s dilemma had appeared overwhelming. In the light of a new day there were possibilities she wanted to explore.

  Energized, she called Mason’s room and they made plans for going to the jail. Driving south of Melbourne toward Vero Beach, Lisa focused on Mason’s very capable hands as they rested on the steering wheel—the same hands that had massaged her scalp after a long night shift in Emergency.

  Don’t think about that!

  Pulling her thoughts away from his hands, she focused on the slight frown between his eyes as he kept his attention on the road. They hadn’t talked very much at breakfast, mostly because Mason had seemed preoccupied.

  “Thank you for last night,” she said, trying to draw him into a conversation.

  “You’re welcome.”

  A tiny surge of trepidation made her choose her words carefully. “Mason, I want your advice.”

  He glanced at his rearview mirror before pulling out to pass a truck. “Sure. Fire away.”

  “I doubt Anne Marie has much money, and I have no idea whether she’s got a lawyer. If she doesn’t, I’m going to hire one for her. What do you think?”

  His gaze pinned her. “Lisa, don’t be too quick to get involved here. Talk to her first and then decide. There may be nothing you can do for Anne Marie, or you may discover that she’s not interested in your offer.”

  “But I’m already involved. She’s my sister! I’ll do whatever I can for her,” she said, feeling frustrated that he’d think her sister was someone to be avoided.

  “And it’s very kind of you to want to solve her problem for her.” His voice seemed flat, somewhat disinterested, certainly without the enthusiasm she’d counted on.

  Why had she harbored the notion that Mason would be on her side in this? Maybe because she’d been accustomed to him taking her side…

  But that was the past. He was here to do a job, get paid and go back to his P.I. business. He’d made that clear in Tank’s office.

  “We’re here,” Mason said, turning into the parking lot of the jail.

  Suddenly all her determination was swept away by the reality of this forbidding place. She swallowed over the lump pressing against her throat. “Will you come in with me?”

  “If you want, but I’m not allowed to go into the visitors’ room with you.” He shut off the ignition, and in the ensuing silence, her courage seemed to drain away.

  They went through the door and walked to the desk. Lisa listened in dread as Mason did all the talking. She signed a sheet with the necessary information, glanced one last time at Mason and followed a man dressed in a taupe uniform.

  “Your conversation will be through video link,” he explained when they’d stepped into a small room.

  “Video link? You mean I can’t meet her in person?”

  “For security reasons, the prisoners are in another building. You’ll be able to talk to Anne Marie Lewis and see her on the monitor. It’s close enough for you to see her well. You have thirty minutes, ma’am,” the officer said, his smile bleak.

  Sinking into the cold plastic of the chair, she stared at the video screen. In the silence of the air less room, she ran through what she wanted to say to her sister, the strain of the past few days filling her with misgivings. She’d only been sitting there a couple of minutes when a tall woman with brown hair, dark-framed glasses and prison garb appeared. Lisa’s stomach knotted.

  The fluorescent lighting emphasized her dull, limp hair and sallow skin. Anne Marie didn’t look much like the girl in the photo.

  “Who are you?” Anne Marie demanded. “I didn’t ask for a visit with you.” Her eyes radiated distrust, the hard rasp of her voice adding force to her words.

  Lisa was so disappointed she could hardly say what she’d rehearsed on the way over here. “Hi, ah, I’m Lisa Clarke, and I’m your sister.”

  “My sister. I don’t have a sister.” Anne Marie’s brown eyes glared at the camera. “Where’s the proof that you’re my sister?” she asked, sitting back in the narrow chair and crossing her arms over her chest.

  The lack of emotion in Anne Marie’s voice stunned Lisa. She’d expected her sister to be as excited as she was. Was Mason right? Was this woman beyond caring that she had a sibling?

  “Anne Marie, I realize this is a bit of a shock for you. It’s a long story. My adoptive mother died, and she left a letter revealing that my birth mother was alive. I hired a private investigator and he found Carolyn Lewis. She told me about you. I was with your…our mother yesterday and I saw the photo of you in her room.”

  “The photo?”

  “Yeah, the picture of you and me in Myrtle Beach.”

  “Don’t try to con me. The kid in that photo was you? And you’re my sister? You’re lying. Mom would’ve said if she’d known that was you. Why would she keep a secret like that?”

  “I’m not sure. But I can tell you I had the best time that day on the beach, and you were so good to me. Remember the sand castle
we made and those two boys who knocked it down? Remember how you chased them up the beach?”

  Anne Marie leaned toward the monitor, placing her hands flat on the table. “Look, I don’t know what you’re after, but there’s no way my mother would’ve hidden that kind of thing from me. We’re close. Real close.”

  “Well, join the club. My adoptive parents kept our mom a secret from me.”

  “You mean you really didn’t know about your own mother?”

  Lisa nodded.

  Anne Marie pursed her lips. “Okay, if you are who you say you are, what did I tell you I wanted to be?”

  “An astronaut. You’d been to the Kennedy Space Center and you—”

  The video screen caught the sudden sheen of tears in Anne Marie’s eyes. “Lisa. And you’re really my little sister?”

  “Yes. When I visited Mom yesterday, she talked about you and about how difficult life has been, how much she wanted to keep us together, but couldn’t.”

  “Yeah, you escaped while I had to make it on my own. Why didn’t you come before?”

  “I only just found out about you yesterday. When I learned you were in jail I had to come and see you.”

  “It’ll be hard to get to know one another with me in here.” Anne Marie shrugged.

  “I’m willing to give it a try if you are. I’m so happy I found you.”

  Anne Marie glanced at the monitor, her hands clenched on the table as her expression ran the gamut from studied indifference to relief and caring. “Me, too.”

  Lisa reached across the empty space, smiling in relief at her sister’s words.

  Anne Marie pushed her glasses up on the bridge of her nose. “Sorry for being nasty, but I thought you were someone looking to make trouble for me. When they said I had an unscheduled visitor, I never imagined it would be you.” Anne Marie moved closer, her face almost filling the screen. “I had no idea I had a sister, but I’m so glad you’re here. My life is such a mess—” A gulping sob escaped her lips. She covered her face with her hands; her thin shoulders began to shake.

  “Oh, Anne Marie, please don’t cry. I’m here. We’ll have lots of time to get to know each other, just as soon as you’re out of here.”

  Anne Marie raised her head, her expression devoid of hope. “It won’t happen. I’m in on drug-trafficking charges. I’m innocent, but no one believes me.”

  “I do,” Lisa said impulsively. She had to believe in her sister. Anne Marie deserved her family’s support. Yet the shock of the past days made her hands tremble. She hid them in her lap and stared across the room at Anne Marie’s image.

  “Do you have a lawyer?”

  “Not that you could tell by what’s been going on. Jeff keeps urging me to be patient, but he never comes to see me.”

  “Who’s Jeff?”

  “Jeff Wallace. He’s—he was my boyfriend, but I’m not sure what he is anymore. I think he may have framed me. I’ve never been in trouble with the law, and now this.” Anne Marie grimaced and looked away from the screen.

  Lisa had urgent questions about how her sister had ended up here, but it wouldn’t be long before the officer returned. “Anne Marie, I want to help you and Mom. I’m going to take Mom back to Durham with me.”

  “You’d do that?” Anne Marie’s expression brightened.

  “She’s our mother, and I want her to have the best.”

  “Thank you so much. I was trying to figure out how I could make the payment for her place in the nursing home while I’m locked up. She’s been getting some money from the government but it’s not enough. I’ve been worrying about Mom…and so many other things.”

  “Well, you can cross Mom off your list. As for you, a good lawyer will get these charges dropped,” Lisa said emphatically, feeling optimistic for the first time since she’d entered the room.

  “But, Lisa, the evidence they have against me is frightening. My name’s on the deed as owner of a house where drugs were sold. I can hardly believe this is happening to me. They claim to have video surveillance of me meeting with local dealers. All I ever met with were my friends or Jeff’s.”

  “I don’t care what they have. You’re entitled to a good defense, and I’ve got the money to provide it.”

  “Where did you get it from?” Anne Marie asked, suddenly suspicious.

  “My adoptive parents, the same ones who didn’t tell me about you or my…my mom. It only makes sense that the money they left should be used to defend my family, don’t you think?”

  Anne Marie’s quiet sobs rose over the speakers. “I…I can’t believe you’re here. I’ve prayed every day since this happened that someone would get me out of this mess.”

  “I’m here and I’m going to stay until I get Mom ready to move back with me. After I have her settled in my house, you can come to Durham if you want. Don’t worry,” Lisa said, prepared to do whatever it took to support her family. No one should have to live without hope, especially her own sister.

  Anne Marie wiped her eyes, swallowed hard and stared across the video link at Lisa. “Are you serious?”

  “Completely.”

  There was a long pause while Anne Marie looked at something above the monitor, then her gaze returned to the screen. “Lisa, I have a huge favor to ask.”

  “Name it,” Lisa said, happy to see Anne Marie’s willingness to trust her.

  “I have a daughter. She just turned three. She’s with a friend of mine right now, but she—my friend—can’t keep her much longer.” Anne Marie’s lips trembled; her eyes swam with tears. “Katie’s my life. I can’t face prison knowing she could end up in some horrible foster home.”

  Oh. No. There was a child trapped in this night mare? “Where’s the father?”

  “Jeff’s not interested in Katie. I already asked him.”

  “You must have other friends who could look after her. Besides, with a decent lawyer, you’ll be—”

  “Would you bring her back to Durham with you and Mom?”

  There was no way in the world she could take on the responsibility of a three-year-old. She wasn’t capable of caring for a child; she’d proven that the night Linda Jean Bemrose nearly died thanks to her carelessness. Because she couldn’t forgive herself for what she’d done, she’d spent her entire life away from children. Working as a pediatric nurse had been helping her cope with her anxiety around children, but she still fought it every day. She was the wrong person to be Katie’s guardian.

  “I don’t— I mean, I’m not good with kids. Besides, you’ll be out on bail. I’ve got the money—”

  “Lisa, please understand. I really appreciate that you want to hire a lawyer for me, but it won’t matter. I’m going to prison.” She hid her face with her hands again, then shifted her gaze to the monitor.

  “I can survive anything, anything at all, if Katie’s safe. Katie’s an easygoing little girl. She’s your niece. You’ll love her. Please,” Anne Marie begged. “Please take care of Katie.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  LIKE A SLOW-MOVING freight train gaining momentum as the minutes ticked by, shock and dread rolled over Lisa.

  She tried to form the words to deny her sister’s plea.

  The troubled look in Anne Marie’s eyes made her feel guilty, but fear and children went together in Lisa’s life. Her attempt to overcome her fears and guilt by working on pediatrics had gone well…so far.

  But seeing how vulnerable sick children could be, how quickly their condition could change and how helpless she felt when things went wrong, all intensified her lack of self-confidence where children were concerned.

  There was simply no way she could take on a toddler, even if she wanted to. She had no personal experience with kids that would guarantee Katie’s safety and happiness. Working in a hospital with qualified staff was one thing. Being totally responsible for an innocent little girl twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, was an entirely different situation.

  “Anne Marie, Katie would be so much better off with someone who has k
ids she can play with.”

  “Katie’s easy to care for. She sleeps through the night. She’s been in day care three days a week for the past year, and she’s toilet trained.”

  “But what am I supposed to do with her? I mean…I have a job, other demands.”

  “You said you’re moving Mom back to Durham with you, and Katie would be so good for Mom. I haven’t been able to take Katie to visit her grandmother as often as I’d like. But if she was living in the same house, the three of you would be able to get to know one another. Mom would be thrilled.”

  “You don’t understand. I’ve never looked after anything—not a child, a cat, a dog or even a goldfish. Katie’s not safe with me—”

  “Lisa, I had so many dreams, and I’ve made so many mistakes. I didn’t start out this way. Mom loved me and Aunt Helen was good to me, but I never had anything or anyone to call my own—until Katie. I quit school, and that was a big mistake, but I needed to work. Hooking up with Jeff was another mistake—except for Katie. If you’ll help me just this once, I promise you the minute I’m free I’ll come and get her.”

  Lisa continued to listen to Anne Marie across the video link, her mind in complete turmoil. She realized what a pampered child she’d been, free of any problems or worries. Sure, her parents had kept secrets from her, and her mother had planted all these fearful ideas about kids, but she’d always known love and security—maybe too much security.

  To be trapped in jail, waiting for whatever justice there’d be and fearing that your daughter wouldn’t be well cared for, had to be terrifying. Lisa rubbed her hands to ward off a sense of the inevitable.

  What if she didn’t take Katie? Where would the girl end up? Was this how it’d been for her mother all those years ago when she’d given her up for adoption? Or had it been much worse? How would it feel to give up a child you loved because you couldn’t provide for her?

  She’d confronted her mother with her anger over being abandoned. Yet wasn’t she doing the same thing to her niece if she refused to take her? Katie deserved to be with relatives, especially considering her mother’s situation. Whatever happened in Anne Marie’s life, Katie needed to be cherished by her family.