Once In A Blue Moon

by Celia Stewart

  “I want you to rest and take it easy.” He kissed me again and faded away as I dozed off.

  “Bee?”

  “Hmm,” I mumbled, scrubbing at my face and trying to wake up. The smell of soap and him filled my nostrils.

  “Biscuits and gravy.”

  My eyes flew open and I nearly jumped out of my skin as I felt something firm and smooth press against my ear. “What the hell was that?” I screeched, rolling away.

  “I kissed your ear.” He chuckled, knowing damn good and well why I was upset.

  I was wide awake now and eyeing my husband. “You shaved!” I might as well have caught him wearing one of my paisley blouses, I was so shocked.

  He grinned self-consciously and rubbed a thumb across his bare chin. “Yeah. If you don’t like it, I can grow it back.”

  “No more pussy tickler.” I fell back on the bed and covered my face with his pillow trying to block out the shocked look on his face and smother my giggles. The bed shifted as Ty leaned on the mattress. Oh God. He tugged the pillow low enough to reveal my eyes.

  “Did you just say what I think you said?”

  I nodded, snorting with laughter.

  “I kept the mustache. That should count for something,” he replied with a grin. “And I like my sausage well done.”

  “Well just for your information, I like my sausage hard,” I shouted at his back.

  He stopped, one hand on the door frame, and looked over his shoulder at me. “Maybe tonight. If you’re a good girl.”

  I laughed long and loud as he headed out. “Ty Boudreaux!”

  “Yeah, baby?” he bellowed from the living room.

  “You’re a horn-dog!”

  “And it’s all your fault,” he announced with a slam of the door.

  My laughter turned into chuckles that didn’t sit too well on my tender stomach. Wide awake now, I climbed in the shower where I scrubbed and shaved and washed my hair twice. Finally feeling like a whole human, I headed for the kitchen to start Ty’s breakfast.

  Unfortunately, when he returned, he wasn’t alone. I hugged Tim, unable to miss the concern on his face, then set out another plate. All I wanted to do was talk to my husband in the clear light of day with a clear head. Was he avoiding a deeper discussion or was it all just settled in his mind?

  Didn’t look like that would happen this morning.

  After breakfast, they headed out to do whatever ranch work they had to do. I suppose, someday I’d sit down and make Ty give me a crash course in ranching, as long as he didn’t make me get on a horse.

  Jessa showed up later that morning, her belly preceding her.

  “I’ve already warned your husband about not knocking.” Swallowing a sudden bout of nausea, I folded one of Ty’s T-shirts and added it to a growing pile.

  “Sorry. I just came to see how you’re feeling. Looks like you and Ty hashed everything out.”

  “For the time being anyway.” I finished folding a pair of Ty’s jeans and hung them on a hanger. Then picked up a plastic pill bottle and shook it to get her attention. “Do you see these?”

  She nodded, her expression wary.

  “Xanax. Prescribed to Ty Boudreaux. Now, I don’t mean to be a bitch, but I’m gonna. A week ago you walked in my house and threatened me when you should have warned me. You could have saved us both a hell of a lot of heartache.”

  She sighed.

  “Exactly! Instead of threatening me if I didn’t ‘run with the herd’, you could have clued me in. Did you know my husband was medicated!?”

  “No!”

  “But you knew he was seeing a psychiatrist? And you didn’t say a word, even knowing that I love him?” I growled as the front door slammed.

  “Get used to it. There’s nothing you can do about that.”

  “The door? Hide and watch me.”

  “Betti-Sis?” I blew out a sigh of relief at the sound of Angi's voice.

  “We’re in here.”

  “You’ve been busy,” she said, giving me a hug and looking around. “Feeling better?’

  “I’ll live, and good afternoon, Delaney. I see you lurking back there. How are you, sweetheart?” I held my arms open wide. “Come here.”

  With a sigh, she laid her head on my shoulder and we hugged. “I’m alright, and so glad you’re okay. I can’t believe how horrible he was.”

  “He was a rude-ass the night he got here, too,” Jessa said from her spot at the table.

  My anger returned full force. “You mean this was preventable?” I demanded, frowning over Delaney’s shoulder at Jessa.

  “Well, I don’t know if it was preventable, but I can’t say I’m too surprised,” she said with an apologetic shrug.

  I groaned, glad he was gone and praying he didn’t return for nine more years. “I have to go into work for a little while, once I get done here.” I had a couple of haircuts to do. Despite being tired and slightly crampy all morning, I was bound and determined to get off the ranch, at least for a little while, today. I desperately needed to talk to Cassi. “Then I’m gonna come home and take a nap. What have you two got planned for the rest of the day?”

  “Me too. No, seriously, I need my nap before tonight.” Jessa eased to her feet and left about the time Ty showed up to check on me. Our hugging and kissing nearly ran Delaney and Angi off.

  “My God, Ty did you shave?” Delaney asked.

  I laughed so hard, thinking of our morning’s conversation, that I almost missed his muttered, “Yes ma’am.”

  “Looks real nice.” Delaney smiled shyly at him and he grabbed her up in a big bear hug.

  “I need to get back. I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Ty mumbled before kissing me again.

  “I’m fine. Now, go get back to work.”

  “Bye, honey,” Angi teased.

  Ty stopped and looked her up and down. “Rowdy was asking about you, girl. Better be careful.”

  He laughed and never looked back as we yelled indignantly. After we’d settled down, I looked over at Angi, my eyebrows raised.

  “What?” She frowned at me.

  “Watch yourself.”

  “And for God’s sake,” Delaney added, “take your birth control pills. They’re multiplying like gerbils around here.”

  * * * *

  I stuck my head in the door of Cassi’s room. “When you get done, come see me, please.”

  “What in the world are you doing here?” She looked up from the set of nail fills she was working on and frowned at me.

  “Deni’s gonna cut my hair and I’ve got a couple appointments. Catch me in a few.”

  She did, dragging Tara behind her, and they plopped down on the couch on either side of me. “What’s going on, Bettina? Did the in-laws try to roast you for Thanksgiving?”

  “Is it that bad, sister? What did Ty do? Should we take out a contract?” This from Tara. Ms. Pre-Law.

  “On his ex-wife, maybe. Thanksgiving was a national disaster.” I swallowed the lump in my throat, waiting for them to commiserate with me. After all, they were my best friends.

  “Family gatherings just aren’t all their cracked up to be. Hell, my cousin ‘came out’ and no one blinked an eye. That’s what happens when you belong to a family full of hairdressers.”

  I chuckled weakly, but Cassi didn’t blink.

  “Tara, could you leave us alone?” Cassi asked.

  She nodded and very wisely beat a hasty retreat, not even bothering to act insulted at being tossed out.

  “Tell me.”

  “Ty’s brother ... h-he was horrible!” Between sniffles and tears, I finally managed to choke out part of my tale of woe. “He insulted almost everyone ... the things he said to his mother. It was the most horrible experience of my life. We didn’t even carve the fucking turkey.”

  “Oh my God!”

  “Oh, but wait. It gets better ... Rhea abused Ty.” This morning’s low-level nausea seemed to double.

  “Whoa! You mean like spousal abuse, abuse?” s
he hissed her voice just above a whisper.

  “Yeah.” I forced myself to meet her eyes.

  “Did she ... beat him or ... what?” She wrinkled her nose and frowned, obviously as mystified as I about how it had happened.

  “I didn’t ask, and to be honest, I’m not sure I want to know. We still haven’t really had a chance to talk about it.”

  “My God, y’all sure didn’t have much to be thankful for, did you?”

  I shook my head. “Oh but wait, it gets better.”

  She flopped back against the couch. “It’s a wonder you didn’t have a miscarriage.”

  “I found out in front of his whole family, but not until after his brother practically called me a whore.”

  “What an ass!”

  “I feel so sick,” I moaned, sitting up. “What time is it?”

  “You need to take it easy, and you and Ty need to talk.”

  “I know. I know. I just really needed an ear to bend.” I stood and stretched, working out the kinks in my back. “Ty’s playing at the dancehall tonight,” I sighed.

  “Betti?”

  “You’re right.” I turned and gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll pin him down when I get home. You’re the best, by the way.”

  “That’s why I’m the best friend.” With a smile, she stood and hugged me. “If you need me, you just call.”

  “Thanks.” I yanked open my office door and hollered, “Deni!”

  She stuck her head out of the room next to mine. “You look pitiful, Boss Mama. I told you not to get married!” she teased.

  “You gonna cut my hair or just stand there giving me grief?”

  We headed for the shampoo bowls and she washed me, cut me and dried me.

  “You wanna talk about it?” She yanked the smock off.

  “In-laws are for the birds,” I quipped, standing.

  “You need anything, just let me know--I know people.”

  I hugged her and headed to my room to get ready for my first appointment while thinking I really needed to start doing background checks on lessees. Physically I felt increasingly yucky ... and crampy, and a quick trip to the bathroom revealed I was spotting.

  I sprawled on the couch, hollering over the intercom for Tara to cancel my appointments. She answered in the affirmative but came to investigate. “Are you okay, boss?”

  “I’m a little sick to my stomach. I think I might have pulled a muscle when I puked yesterday.” My excuse sounded lame even to me.

  “I’m getting Cassi,” she said, heading for the door.

  “Fine,” I mumbled not caring. And suddenly downright scared. I was clammy and my morning’s nausea hadn’t let up.

  “What’s this about you not feeling well?” Cassi asked, as she leaned over me a few minutes later, her hand on my forehead.

  “Cramps. Growing pains,” I quipped, weakly. I’d had them before. My prenatal book had assured me they were just my uterus stretching. But after yesterday...

  From the stern look in her eye she didn’t buy it. “You don’t look good, girl. I think we should get you checked out.”

  “I don’t think Marilyn’s open today,” I mumbled, curling into a ball and breathing through my nose.

  “I’ll be right back,” Cassi mumbled.

  “I don’t feel too good, Tara,” I whispered, looking up at her. I knew the concern in her eyes was mirrored in my own.

  “I’m going to see what’s keeping Cassi,” she whispered, wide-eyed.

  They returned a few minutes later. “I got the Tahoe at the back door,” Cassi said. “We’re going to St. Elizabeth’s.”

  They loaded me up and off we went, the reality of what could be wrong hanging heavy between us on the short, quiet trip. At the door of the Emergency Room, Tara got a wheelchair and loaded me in it, whizzing me toward the check in desk.

  “She’s got cramps,” Tara blurted out as she came to a screeching halt. Luckily, I was hanging on.

  The triage nurse who looked like an ER war veteran quirked one gray brow, as if to say ‘you’re kidding.’

  “I’m pregnant,” I whispered. That made her move. In no time at all, we were in a room--I insisted the girls stay. Cassi gave another nurse all my information while the triage nurse paged someone down from obstetrics.

  “Are you bleeding?” she asked, turning to me.

  “Spotting some,” I confessed, blinking against my tears. I felt as if, once more, I was being punished for reaching too high.

  “When did it start and have you soaked a pad?” the nurse asked.

  “Today. Late this morning and no, I haven’t soaked a pad.”

  “Who’s your obstetrician?”

  “I have a midwife. Marilyn...”

  “--Carstairs. She’ll want to know,” the nurse finished, nodding. “You’ve called your husband?”

  “I did!” Tara piped in, her voice as shaky as mine. “Before we left. Cassi told me to.”

  I owed them both--bigtime. I didn’t want him finding out after the fact if something happened to our baby.

  In the middle of an endless stream of questions, the doctor, a middle-aged woman with curly reddish-brown hair and a stethoscope slung ‘round her neck, came in. She introduced herself as Dr. McAfee.

  “Your friends will need to leave now. I’m going to do a pelvic and I want an IV started,” she shot orders to the nurses standing by.

  Yuck and double yuck! My queasy stomach knotted up even tighter. I nodded at Cassi and Tara and they slipped through the curtain.

  “How long have you been having cramps?” she asked while palpitating my stomach. I winced at the discomfort and pressure.

  “All morning. But I didn’t think--am I gonna lose my baby?” I asked, voice shaking. I couldn’t seem to catch my breath.

  She ignored my question, placing the stethoscope on my belly instead. “Let’s take a listen, shall we?” Her bland facial expressions gave absolutely nothing away.

  She tucked her stethoscope away and pulled out the stirrups. Her and the nurse remained silent all during the uncomfortable exam. Afterward, she snapped off the gloves with a pop. I watched the little cloud of powder disintegrate as she murmured something to the nurse who promptly disappeared. Dr. McAfee helped me get comfortable and adjusted my clothing, then sat on the edge of the bed.

  “We’re trying to reach Marilyn, and we’re going to do a sonogram and draw some blood. Have you been under a lot of stress lately? Taken a fall? Anything?”

  I lay there with hot tears falling, and explained about my recent marriage and the Holiday From Hell.

  “At this point nothing is one hundred percent.” Dr. McAfee patted my hand, her brown eyes solemn. “They’re bringing down a portable machine right now and someone will be here soon to take your blood. I’ll be back in about five minutes.”

  How the hell was I going to explain to Ty that I’d lost our baby? I lay there, silently fighting nausea, and dread and shaking with nerves. Until the doctor returned, Ty on her heels.

  “What happened?” Still dressed in his work clothes, he was wide-eyed and frantic as he came to stand beside me.

  Unable to speak, I could only shake my head. Dr. McAfee introduced herself and shook Ty’s hand. “We’re still running tests. We’ll know something more definite after a sonogram.”

  Ty nodded and swallowed, his freckles standing out. Was he mad? And what happened to us if I lost the baby? I refused to even consider any of it and shoved it from my mind.

  From the cubicle’s entrance Tim blew me a kiss, then stood aside so the nurses could roll the sonogram machine in.

  Once we were under way, I held my breath, unable to speak or look at anyone, but when I heard the baby’s heartbeat, I felt as if someone had jump-started my own heart.

  Above me Ty whispered, “What’s that sound? That’s the baby’s heartbeat, right?”

  Dr. McAfee gave me her first genuine smile. “You got it, Dad.”

  “So that’s good?”

  “That’s very good,�
�� the nurse murmured.

  “Wow.” He chuckled and shook his head.

  “Alright. We have a heartbeat.” She quietly continued the sonogram and I counted off the minutes until she continued with her verdict. “The placenta hasn’t detached, you aren’t dilating, and your initial Hcg levels are within a low but normal range. You’ve had an extremely stressful week or two, young lady. So here’s what we’ll do. You’re going home and putting your feet up for the next seventy-two hours.”

  I opened my mouth, but she beat me to the punch. “It’s better to be safe than sorry, and by then the last of your blood work should be back. We’ll send it over to Dr. Tomb’s office. I’m a little concerned over the small size of your uterus for eighteen weeks. You need to call on Monday and set up an appointment for another sonogram about mid-week. In the meantime, if the bleeding or cramps get worse, heavier, if you start passing clots, you bring her in, Daddy,” she finished with a nod at Ty. “She’s to drink lots of fluids and lift nothing heavier than a spoon. No exertion, no sex, no laundry, no cooking. No stress. Nothing!”

  “Absolutely. I’ll take good care of her.”

  “We’ll get her paperwork ready.” The nurses disappeared in a flurry of activity, Dr. McAfee right behind them.

  Hey what about me? I’m still here.

  The stiff mattress shifted under me as he sat, and we silently waited. Around us, I could hear the hum of a not-very-busy hospital emergency room--pages over the intercom, whispers. In a nearby cubicle a child cried and on the other side of me a woman babbled in Spanish. But I couldn’t think of a thing to say to Ty.

  He leaned over me, his body heavy on mine, and reached for my hand. “Bee.”

  “Hmm.” I couldn’t look at him. I just felt guilty and all I could think about was what had I done to cause this, so I stared at the wall instead.

  “I meant what I said last night, I’ll take good care of you. You won’t have to worry about a thing.”

  “Ahem.” Ty sat up and we both turned toward the cubicle’s entrance. Maggie’s presence surprised me. “Is everything okay? Do we know anything?”

  “She’s on complete bed rest for at least three days.” Ty gently squeezed my side.

  “Oh, Bettina. I’m so glad you’re okay. Especially after yesterday. You know we’ll do whatever you need to help.”