Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2)

by Lenfestey, Karen

  Kaylee smirked.

  “Unfortunately, the arm's broken. You’ve broken your arm before, haven’t you?”

  Beth focused her attention on Kaylee who shook her head.

  The doctor continued. “Have you ever been to a hospital before?”

  Kaylee stared as if she were scared to answer.

  Waiting for a response that never came, the doctor clicked the end of her ballpoint pen a few times. She pulled out the black and white X-ray and placed it on a light box mounted on the wall. “See there?” She pointed to a bone that seemed a little out of line. “You’ve broken your arm and since you didn’t go to a doctor, it healed poorly.” The doctor narrowed her eyes at Beth.

  The judgment made Beth cringe. “I’m not her mom. I’m her neighbor.”

  “I see.” The doctor took the X-ray off the wall and set it on a small desk. “Where are her parents?”

  She was so tired of explaining this. “I’m trying to get a hold of her dad. I told him where we are.”

  Sympathy returned to the doctor’s ebony face as she faced Kaylee. "What color cast would you like? Pink, blue or yellow?"

  Beth saw the girl was looking to her for guidance. "Whatever you want."

  Kaylee swung her legs forward and back kicking the examining table. "Do you have turquoise? That’s my favorite color."

  “No, I’m afraid not.”

  Kaylee’s gaze landed on Beth’s shirt. “I’ll take yellow.”

  After washing her hands in the corner sink, the doctor showed Kaylee how to prop her arm up as if she were about to arm wrestle. “Things are a little slow right now, so I have time to put the cast on myself.” She slid what looked like a sock up the arm then wrapped gauze strips around it. “Although the cast is water-resistant, the padding inside is not. So, besides your arm, have you ever broken a bone before?”

  Kaylee shook her head.

  “How did you hurt your arm the last time? Did you fall down the stairs?” No response. “Maybe you fell off a piece of playground equipment?”

  It was as if the girl had gone mute. Kaylee shrugged.

  “Did someone pull on your arm real hard?”

  The girl’s eyes grew wide and Beth suddenly understood why the doctor had time to prepare a cast; she wanted to probe for information about the untreated injury.

  “If a grown-up ever hurts you, you need to tell another adult, OK?”

  At that, Kaylee’s raised arm started to fall like a chopped down tree.

  The doctor gently lifted Kaylee’s arm back into the proper position. “It’s neat that the casts come in different colors, isn’t it? When I was a kid, I broke my leg and I just got a boring white cast.” When Kaylee didn’t respond, the woman turned her attention to Beth. "She needs to keep her arm elevated for the next twenty-four hours. The cast will probably feel tight at first, but that will get better by tomorrow.” When she finished with the padding, she put on rubber gloves and wrapped the arm with colored strips. “It's important that she doesn't stick a coat hanger or anything down into the cast if it starts to itch."

  Kaylee used her good hand to touch the yellow strips. “Yuck.”

  Chuckling, the doctor kept winding. “It’s sticky, isn’t it? Why do you think I’m wearing these gloves?”

  After she finished applying the cast, the doctor looked up at her patient and asked her to wiggle her fingers, which Kaylee did. “Any questions?” Kaylee shook her head. “Well, you’ve been an excellent patient. It’s time for you to pick something from our treasure chest.” She opened the bottom desk drawer and pulled out a box filled with plastic rings, toys and stickers. Kaylee grinned as she found a pack of Trident gum buried beneath the pile. The woman stood to leave the room. “I’m glad to hear you’re out getting exercise, but maybe a parking lot isn’t the safest place to ride your bike.”

  Reading between the lines, Beth felt her shoulders clench. The doctor meant that Kaylee could afford to lose a few pounds. As if the girl needed a medical professional to point that out.

  After the doctor exited, the nurse returned. “I see you found the gum in the treasure chest. We used to have suckers, but the doctor said those aren’t healthy.”

  “I love suckers,” Kaylee said as she stuck the gum in her mouth.

  The nurse smiled at the little girl. “Me, too.” She handed Beth a form. “Take this to the front desk on your way out. And don’t come back to see us again soon.” She giggled and so did Kaylee.

  Beth checked out and then grabbed her cell phone one more time. As she left another message explaining that they were headed home, someone called out her name from behind. She ended the call and turned around to see a somewhat familiar face—one she hadn’t seen in years.

  It was Ivy’s mom, wearing jeans and a faded T-shirt. Unlike Ivy, her mom had gray hair and didn’t bother with makeup. She marched up to Beth with that flat-footed confident gait of hers. “Bethany, did you come to see the baby?”

  “Uh, no. This is Kaylee and she fell off her bike. I brought her for an X-ray.”

  Her gaze fell to the little girl. “I bet all of the kids in your class are going to want to sign your cast.”

  “Why?”

  Ivy’s mom chuckled. “Because that’s what people do.” She looked back at Beth. “Anyway, you have to go see Ivy and the new baby. He’s precious.”

  Beth’s back molars crunched together. “I need to get Kaylee home, but give Ivy my best.”

  “Oh, it’ll only take a minute. I’m on my way out—I have to get to the factory, but I’m sure Ivy would love to see you.”

  Clearly, Ivy hadn’t filled her mom in on the downward turn their friendship had taken. “Maybe some other time.”

  Kaylee tugged on the hem of Beth’s shirt. “I wanna see the baby! Babies are so cute.”

  A deep breath filled time while Beth tried to figure out a way to wriggle out of this awkward situation. “It’s probably best we get you home so you can rest.”

  “Pleeeeease, Beth. I still remember visiting my mom in the hospital after my little sister was born. And now they’re both dead.”

  The entire lobby seemed to grow silent as if everyone had heard the word “dead.” Beth fidgeted with her purse strap. How could she deny the girl anything after she brought up her dead mother? And now it turns out her sister died, too? The tragedy was too great for an eight year old. “OK. We’ll go. What room is she in?”

  Ivy’s mom told them and then waved good-bye. As they stepped into the nearby elevator, Beth struggled to figure out a way to placate Kylee without a confrontation with Ivy. She figured they could walk by the nursery and peek in the windows at all of the babies. That should make Kaylee happy. Once on the third floor, she followed the signs to the birthing center. She pushed through some heavy metal double doors and on the left was the nursery. Scanning the bassinets, she saw that they were all empty. A woman in scrubs carried a swaddled baby away from the window and out the door.

  Kaylee stood on her tip toes looking through the glass. “Where are all the babies?”

  “Probably in the rooms with their mothers.” Beth felt pressure beneath her ribs. She remembered being eighteen and insisting her newborn remain in the room for the two days before the adoptive parents would take custody. An infant’s cry echoed down the corridor. Beth’s knees buckled and she leaned against the wall for support.

  Kaylee gazed up at her. “Beth? Are you OK?”

  It had been sixteen years since she’d felt so alone. Yet seeing the polished tile floors and hearing a baby’s cry brought it all back. Everything blurred in front of her. She blinked her eyes a couple of times to regain her focus. “I’m fine.”

  “Let’s go see your friend. I wanna see the baby.”

  She took a deep breath. Ivy. The woman who married Parker before Beth could tell him she was carrying his child. The woman who had it all and didn’t appreciate it. The woman who’d cheated on Parker and took advantage of his good nature.

  “Um.” Beth chewed on her l
ower lip. “She probably doesn’t want to be disturbed.”

  “Pleeeease! I love babies.”

  “I can’t remember the room number.”

  Chewing her gum with her mouth open, Kaylee reached for Beth’s hand and pulled her down the hall. “I do. It’s right here.” They stopped outside of an open door.

  Beth looked inside but could only see Ivy’s feet outlined by the bed linens. She knocked and heard her old friend say, “Come in.” With a second’s hesitation, Beth finally stepped into the small hospital room decorated with pink and blue wallpaper.

  Ivy sat propped up in bed, wearing a cotton hospital gown, and fluffing her curly brown hair. Her hand froze, however, when she saw that it was Beth. “What are you doing here?”

  Kaylee stepped forward and Beth introduced her. “We ran into your mom downstairs after Kaylee got her cast put on and she said we should stop by. How are you feeling?”

  Her head shook from side to side and tears sprung to her eyes. “Horrible. Wonderful. I don’t know why I’m crying.”

  Seeing Ivy’s brown eyes shine with tears softened Beth’s steely resolve. “It’s hormones. They’ll even out and you’ll be fine.”

  Everyone’s gaze landed on the plastic bassinet next to the bed. Kaylee moved closer and used her good arm to reach in and touch the baby’s wisps of dark hair. Beth lunged toward her. “Don’t touch. You should wash your hands first.”

  Ivy ran her hand through her short curls. “Oh, I keep forgetting that. There’s a bottle of hand sanitizer over there you can use.” Her tiny Adam’s apple bobbed as she swallowed. “I suppose Parker told you about Rick.”

  Beth nodded.

  “He left me. I was about to give birth and he left me.”

  This level of vulnerability from Ivy was rare and Beth didn’t know how to respond. She focused on the sleeping infant with the rosy cheeks. “He’s precious.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “I was thinking of calling him Parker.”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Black dots formed in front of Beth’s eyes and the room tilted. She grasped the bedrail for balance. “He’s not. . . .”

  Ivy twisted the large diamond ring on her finger. “Biologically, no. But in the eyes of the law, yes.”

  Why was Ivy still wearing her wedding ring? Beth didn’t want to hear another word. She placed her hand on Kaylee’s shoulder. “Well, I’ve got to get this girl home.”

  Although Kaylee resisted, Beth won the battle and they exited the room. Kaylee started chattering like a chipmunk. “I love babies. He was so cute. When I grow up, I’m going to have lots of kids. Parker’s a funny name, though.”

  Nodding, Beth didn’t respond beyond, “Uh-huh.” They made their way to her car. As she helped strap Kaylee in, she could smell the cinnamon gum in the girl’s mouth.

  When they pulled into the apartment parking lot, Jim was pounding on Beth’s door.

  He turned and rushed over to help Kaylee out of the car. “Oh my God! Your arm’s broken? What happened?” He shot an accusing look toward Beth as she climbed out.

  Beth started talking quickly as if she had something to apologize for. That’s how the man made her feel. “Some idiot was driving too fast, Kaylee was on her bike and she had to swerve. She took quite a tumble.”

  He kissed the top of Kaylee’s dark crown. “Does it hurt?”

  “Yeah,” Kaylee said. “Bethany took me to the hospital and I got something out of the treasure chest and then we got to see a baby that’d just been born.”

  Beth followed behind them as if she weren’t part of the conversation. “Kaylee was very brave for the doctor.”

  Beaming at the compliment, Kaylee turned to look at Beth. “And the doctor was a woman. I’ve never met a woman doctor before.”

  His hand landed on Kaylee’s shoulder as he opened his door. “I always told you girls can do anything boys can do.”

  “Except play football,” Kaylee said.

  He gave a half-hearted laugh before they disappeared inside.

  After Beth unlocked her own door and closed it behind her, she said, “You’re welcome.” What was that man’s problem? He acted as if Beth were some creep trying to take advantage of his daughter. She shook her head and checked her watch. It was probably too late to have dinner with Parker, but she definitely needed to talk to him.

  She hung her purse up in the coat closet and grabbed her phone. His warm voice answered on the first ring. “Beth, I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.”

  “I know.” She’d seen his name on voicemail, but wanted to wait until she was alone to talk. “It’s been a crazy day.”

  “Want me to come over?”

  Her eyes looked around at the white walls of her apartment and she realized that after six months, it still didn’t feel like home. “Please.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  Twenty minutes later, a knock at the door made Beth’s heart soar. As soon as she saw Parker’s smiling brown eyes, she raised up on her tiptoes so their lips could meet. Feeling his broad shoulders beneath his Brooks Brothers’ shirt made her blood pump faster through her veins. They stood there half-in and half-out of her place, kissing like teenagers.

  He pulled away and laughed. “Maybe I should come inside so we don’t give the neighbors a show.”

  Beth stepped back so he could close the door behind him. They plopped down on the couch side-by-side as she started talking. “Boy, let me tell you about my new neighbors.”

  “You babysat one last night, right?”

  “The poor little girl who lives next door must be a latchkey kid. Her mom and sister are dead. Her dad works late hours and leaves her to entertain herself.”

  “That’s too bad.” He put an arm around Beth and caressed her long, blonde hair. “It must be hard to be a single parent.”

  “But here’s the thing. She got locked out yesterday so I invited her to stay here until her dad came home. Instead of being grateful, her dad took her and told me to mind my own business.”

  Parker made a confused face. “That’s weird.”

  “I thought so. Everyone loves me. I’m nice. That’s my thing.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  “Exactly. Today, Kaylee, that’s her name, knocked on my door almost as soon as I got home from work and wanted to hang out. She’s so lonely, I wanted to, but her dad clearly didn’t want my help. Then she was riding her bike in the parking lot and almost got run over. Thank goodness I was watching her from the window.” She rushed to take a breath so she could continue her tale. “It turns out, she broke her arm.”

  “Oh, no.”

  “So I took her to the hospital and since I couldn’t get a hold of her dad, I paid for the whole thing. When I brought her home, he didn’t even act like I was there.”

  “No thank you?”

  “Nothing. No questions about the doctor’s instructions or about the medical bill, either. What’s wrong with this man?”

  Parker leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee. “I don’t know. It sounds like he’s overwhelmed trying to raise a kid by himself.”

  “But I offered to babysit and he said he had someone. But then today Kaylee was by herself again.”

  “Beth, you’re a great person, but you just moved here. Maybe he needs more time before he can trust you with his daughter.”

  “It’s not enough I gave her shelter yesterday during that thunderstorm and then today I saved her from bleeding to death in the parking lot?”

  He laughed at her exaggeration. “Apparently not.”

  Shaking her head, she leaned into his broad chest. It had been two days since they’d seen each other and she missed him. She inhaled his woodsy cologne and her heartbeat quickened.

  Their lips met again and they started removing each other’s clothing. Before any more discussion of the day’s events, they made love on the couch.

  She liked that they were so crazy about each
other, neither of them stopped and announced, “It would be more comfortable if we moved to the bed.” She liked that they were so in sync that getting naked made her feel more secure rather than less.

  As the endorphins dissipated, her mind wandered from how lucky she was to be with him to her nemesis. Not sure if he was awake or not, she whispered, “I saw Ivy today.”

  His body went rigid as she snuggled beside him. “Where?”

  “When I took Kaylee to the hospital, we ran into Ivy’s mom. She acted like Ivy and I were still friends.”

  He stroked Beth’s disheveled hair. “Apparently Ivy’s in denial about her situation. Her mom doesn’t even know we’re getting a divorce. I told Ivy she needs to call someone else next time she needs rescuing.”

  “Are you sure the baby’s not yours?”

  “Yes.” There was no hesitation. If nothing else, he definitely didn’t want it to be his.

  “She said she’s thinking of naming him after you.”

  He sat upright and pulled away from her. “She told you that?”

  Beth sat up, too, since there wasn’t that much room on the couch anyway. “Maybe you should have a paternity test just to make sure.”

  “I know he’s not mine. Ivy and I hadn’t been together in a really long time.”

  Pursing her lips, she nodded. She really wanted to believe him. “OK. I just wanted to make sure. She said something strange, though. She said the baby’s yours as far as the law goes. What does that mean?”

  He sighed. “Because it was conceived during our marriage, it’s assumed to be mine. I’ll probably have to pay child support.”

  “That’s not fair! Can’t you insist on a paternity test?”

  “It doesn’t matter.” He took Beth’s hand in his. “I was mad at first, too, but it’s not the baby’s fault his mom is selfish and immature. And apparently his biological father is even worse. So, for the sake of giving the poor kid a fighting chance, I’ll help it financially. That’s it, though. I’m not going to any father-son camp-outs or soccer games. I have more money than I can possibly spend before. . . you know. So I’ll set up a trust to make sure he can go to college. Consider it my penalty for choosing the wrong woman in the first place.” His thumb smoothed against her skin causing goose bumps to cover her arms.