Nick of Time [Davis Hollow, Davis Ranch 4] (Siren Publishing Classic)

by JQ Jones

“Let’s plan on meeting around one. I’ve more important things to do in the morning then to speak to David’s breeding sow.”

  “That was original. It would be better if I didn’t agree.”

  David watched the two women in his life walk away hand in hand. He turned to the other people of his group to begin a conversation about the new production he was working for. He had half of their attention but that was all he was giving them. Barbara made her way around the room to speak to her friends before she left twenty minutes later. Manny had spent some time in the corner booth before she rejoined a group of chefs who were discussing new cuisine in loud voices in the corner. From time to time he would glance her way and if he caught her eye he could see the anger boiling there. She smiled and laughed and talked for another hour and a half for she walked over to him.

  “Ready to go, David?” she said with a light and teasing tone although the smile she had did not reach her eyes.

  “Yes, I am. Let me get your coat and we can go.”

  After making general farewells to the room they left the restaurant. The cab ride home was silent as was the ride up in the elevator. Manny sat with unusual care on the couch, removed her shoes and stockings, and accepted a bottle of water from David with a smile. She rubbed her feet and waited for him to speak.

  “Think of it as ripping off a Band-Aid, I had to do it quickly and I had to do it as finitely as I could. I had no intentions of doing that this evening but the opportunity presented itself and I took it,” David said.

  Manny sat without speaking, watching him as she continued to rub her feet.

  “You have a no idea of how tenacious Barbara can be. I explained to her since before I met you that I would not marry her. That I didn’t want to be in any relationship with her. She didn’t take me seriously. But now, since I announced this in a public place in front of people I know she can’t deny what I’ve said. I am very sorry that I embarrassed her like I did. I am very sorry that I exposed our personal life to public scrutiny. But there was no other way.”

  “I’m sorry you did too but I kinda understand your reasoning but I’m going to bed. I’ll talk to you in the morning. I’m just a little bit pissed right now.”

  David sat in the outer suite pondering his night. He had not intended to be so public and outspoken but it worked. There was no way that Barbara could fix what he had said. There was no way that their circle of friends could pretend they didn’t know that he was expecting twins and there was no way that Manny could be say that he had not acknowledged their relationship.

  David sat in the outer room of the suite for another forty-five minutes before he joined Manny in the bed. She was asleep, her hair gathered into a long tight plait that covered both sets of pillows. She lay on her side clutching a pillow to support her knees and growing stomach. David watched her for a minute before he slipped into the bed and assumed his position behind her. Many mumbled in her sleep and then snuggled back against him. It was a very promising sign.

  * * * *

  As dawn broke the next morning, Manny was a little quiet but David could tell that she was over her major hurt. She discussed her plans for the day which included scouting out some locations for the restaurant and checking with the American Embassy to see what type of visa she should get to stay in England for an extended period of time. He left around nine so that he could work with his staff on the new set they were working on.

  Manny listened to him leave. She spent the rest of the morning resting, willing herself to get ready for what was to come. The call to the embassy took care of what she needed from them. She knew the general area she wanted to work, where she should live and what she could expect from Barbara. The rest of the morning she spent trying to decide what to wear to her meeting. During David’s first shopping expedition he had brought her a beautiful blue knit dress that draped beautifully over her breasts and stomach. It allowed her to frame her face in a color that she knew looked good on her. David knew colors enough to know what look good on her and she enjoyed that.

  The cab ride to his house was way faster than she expected. She rang the bell at the converted fire station and waited in the slight drizzle until Barbara decided to open the door. It was a long wait.

  Today Barbara wore a black pencil skirt paired with a tight silk blouse that encased thin, muscular arms and delicate-looking breasts. She wore killer stiletto pumps that emphasized the natural curve of her legs.

  She offered Manny neither water nor tea but sat down on a very uncomfortable-looking linear leather couch. Manny sat in an equally uncomfortable plastic armchair that squeaked mouse-like sounds as she sat down and every time she moved.

  They sat staring at one another for almost two minutes. Manny used the time to look around the converted space of the 18th century firehouse. All three floors were open and visible from the first floor. The second floor looked to be the bedroom and was encased in glass. The steps leading up to the second and the third floor floors were Scandinavian light wood that used a chain metal mesh bannister that moved with the blowers from the central heat. The third floor was some type of media room that was painted black and had bright splotches of pink shot throughout. To Manny it was a hideous collection of eclectic taste that tried too hard to be artistic and settled down into bizarre.

  “Very eclectic decorations.

  “I did it myself and I’ve been told that I have a good eye for color.”

  “Is that what the British call it? It’s not quite my taste but I don’t plan on living here.”

  “I plan on making sure of that. So, it seems you’re breeding. What proof do you have that David is the father?” Barbara sat back on the couch and crossed her thin legs.

  “The proper question is does David think he’s the father? The only answer you need is that he knows he is,” Ben Wallace said.

  “What a clever little puss. David is a bit of a soft touch. He almost thinks the best of people. But you and I know better. How much do you need to go away?”

  “I’ve not introduced myself, my name is Manuela Magdalena Menendez, I’m a Cordon Bleu trained master chef. I’m also first cousin to Clint Menendez Davis, COO of Okey Energy. My cousin Moises Menendez is one of the preeminent glaciologists in the world. Iona Davis, who I’m sure you know, is my best friend. Her lover, CJ Davis has been on the Forbes list of wealthiest people since he was twenty-one. I said all that, not to brag, but to say if I wanted money I would get it from any number of people who would give it to me with an open hand and with no strings. Fortunately for me, I have quite a bit of money myself. I’m not really here to discuss my relationship I have with David, I’m here to apologize to you this one time. I met David in Houston where we were intimate before I even knew what his real name was. I got pregnant and had every intention of raising my child alone. But David has other plans. After I met him again and he found about the Bean we agreed to change our plans. I apologize for sleeping with your fiancé, I’m not the type. Well, I guess I am now. But I am not sorry meeting David nor am I apologizing for my babies.”

  Barbara looked over the rim of her wine glass at Manny. The slick of her silk stockings echoed throughout the room as she crossed one shapely leg over the other. “Well, you told me quite a bit about yourself. For instance, you are an unthinking whore who sleeps with men she just met. Moreover you do it with without using any protection and allow yourself to become pregnant then decide to keep it instead of doing the decent thing and get rid of it. I know everyone you spoke of except your uninteresting cousin well so I won’t insult you again with an offer of money. However, David will no longer have any contact with you. He and I have been promised to one another since we were children. I’ve lived my life based on that promise. To be honest, I’ve spent my money knowing that marrying David would make me rich beyond even my exorbitant needs. I intend to have him and to have his money. My money.”

  Barbara leaned over to place her glass on the coffee table made from broken pieces of plastic. She lit a cigarillo and
blew the smoke in Manny’s direction. She smiled as she exhaled and leaned back into her seat.

  “I will allow him to set you up somewhere in a little house where you and your brats can live. I’ll even allow him to visit you from time to time. But you will not marry him.” Barbara’s voice was icy cool and cutting.

  “Now see, I can take the whore thing, that’s an opinion and everybody is entitled to have one. I can take you marrying David, although if you ask me, if a man doesn’t want to marry you and says so publicly, you should probably back the fuck off. But we can continue this discussion civilly only if you don’t speak of my children.” Manny’s voice was direct and to the point. The only time she felt a slight rise in anger was when Barbara spoke of her children as if they were nonentities. I’m a mother.

  “I think you’ll find that not only I, but our families, David’s and mine, are pressing for this marriage. David has never been able to stand up to any of us so I don’t think he will start for you and your spawn.” Barbara emphasized the word spawn.

  “Whether David stands up to you and your respective families is not really my concern. He and I have a relationship. It’s new for both of us. I don’t know where I want it to go nor does he. I will tell you that the David you are used to is not the David that you’re dealing with now. I’m going to leave because I want to beat your ass while I’m pregnant and I don’t want to expose the babies to your vibe anymore. I’ve offered you my apologies, I’ve explained as much as I can explain about our relationship. I don’t think we ever need to cross paths again.” Many slipped her jacket back on and walked toward the door.

  “I’ve invited David parents and grandfather up for the weekend so that we can finalize the wedding plans for April. I expect David to fall into line very quickly after this little visit. His parents can be rather forceful,” Barbara said. Manny turned to look at Barbara for one last time.

  “Well, you certainly told me. Next time add a nah, nah, nah, nah, boo, boo. Good luck with that whole wedding thing.”

  It took a block of walking in the London drizzle for Manny to cool down. After she did she wondered what David would do when faced with the combined force of his family and the Big Bad Barbara. She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk when she realized that she didn’t know what he would do. The thought of him not being the man she thought he was turned out to be more painful than anything Barbara said to her.

  Chapter Ten:

  There Went My Life

  For the rest of the week Manny waited for David to tell her about the impending visit from his family. He never mentioned it. Manny wanted to think he didn’t know. Barbara would surprise him with his people and he would be shocked and walk out. It was a nice dream but all the signs pointed to him keeping silent. He was nervous and edgy. There was no hand shaking or quivery voice but the last few weeks had exposed most of his habits to her. When he was worried he rubbed his left eyebrow as if trying to erase the trouble as it came.

  Most of the trouble was attributable to her. He continued to be the happy, kind, generous man she found him to be but every evening he stroked that damned eyebrow more and more. A few times she almost told him that she knew what he was facing on Saturday but hesitated in a vain attempt to stay out of his life. She wanted them to face his family together as a united front. Manny wanted to be there for him as he was for her but she questioned whether he saw her the same way she saw him. Maybe he wanted children so much that he was willing to take them from someone he didn’t see spending the rest of his life with.

  The realization came, stark and painful, the best thing for David was for her to begin to disengage from his life. She’d started her pregnancy with the expectation that she would be a single mother, independent, self-sustaining and efficient. It shouldn’t be such a big letdown to go back to my original position. Except it was.

  Not so much because she wanted him, she did, but she had strong feelings for him. She and David were different people with different things they wanted to do with their lives. It would be selfish for her to put a burden, true they shared the responsibility for their irresponsible behavior, on a man who was so very nice and accommodating just because they were pregnant.

  They knew very little about one another. She knew David had a grandfather, parents and a sister who lived in Norway whom he loved but that was about all she knew of his family. She knew he was from Essex and his family owned land there. She knew he was a well-known, well thought of and respected set designer. She knew he was funny, passionate, kind, and gentle. She thought he liked her. She knew she loved him. It was the lopsidedness of the relationship that required her to move on and establish herself before the babies came.

  Thursday afternoon was dark and damp. She and David sat in the living room of the suite separating the small mountain of blankets, onesies, bottles, strollers, carriers, boppies and more disposable diapers that he added to everyday.

  “I’ve put my townhouse on the market. In that neighborhood it should sell rather quickly. Meantime let’s look for something a little bit bigger. We could try this area if you like or anywhere else you want to live in London. I have to stay in the City for right now because of the production. But we can look for a bigger house with more land a little bit outside of London next year if you want to,” David said. He was concentrating on putting together a dual stroller as he spoke.

  Manny was quiet for a while. Just yesterday she found a small apartment with an even smaller garden in an area that was close to a restaurant whose chef had offered her a temporary position as his sous chef until the babies came. This happened within the last two days. She would move out of the hotel the middle of the next week.

  “I’ve a few engagements that I have to go to on Saturday. I should be finished by mid-afternoon. Is there anywhere special you want to go? I’d love to take you to this experimental theater that just opened. It’s a little bit avant-garde but I promise you that there are no body secretions in this particular show.” He smiled as he finally put the final pieces together of the stroller. “This is getting easier every time.”

  “I’ll be available. I have a few things I need to do next Wednesday and Thursday so I should be out of pocket then but the rest of the week is clear,” Manny said. She placed some of David’s purchases into a large duffel bag. The small apartment that she had rented was already furnished but the Beans would need some of the things their father bought.

  “Do you want anything from room service before we go to bed?”

  “No, I just need for you to be my back rest again.”

  “Always happy to help out a lady.”

  In just the past week, Manny’s stomach and breast had expanded way past the point of comfort. Every night she rubbed a combination of almond oil with a few drops of honey to keep the skin flexible. Tonight, David did it for her.

  * * * *

  The restaurant that Barbara chose was situated in one of the older more established hotels. The dining room was large and dark. The windows were draped with long, thick, dark green curtains that shut out the sound and cold of the streets. Mahoney panels covered the walls and served as dividers for the sections of the room. Deep red carpets the color of bruised blood muted the sound of hushed conversations coming from tables that were barely visible four feet away. Big candles were lit at each table even though it was only one in the afternoon.

  David arrived well after his parents. By the time he did, his mother, father and grandfather were sitting with Barbara at a roundtable in the back. They seemed to be enjoying tea and gossiping about people they knew.

  David’s mother, Hortense, offered a powdered cheek for him to peck. His father, Joseph, simply raised a thick eyebrow and sniffed. David gathered his now-delicate grandfather, Joseph David Davis into a soft hug before he sat down at the seat left open beside Barbara. His grandfather had retired from the RAF a full Colonel known to be a hard-as-nails commander but as he aged he allowed more human touch from his grandchildren.

  “I can just imag
ine what this is about. Is there reason that we have to get together and go over the same question again?” David said. The waiter arrived with a thin china teacup that he filled with strong dark tea.

  “Barbara informed us that you seem to be having a child by some farmworker. These little indiscretions can be done but only after you and Barbara have been married and have children of your own,” Hortense said. Her soft voice was pitched so that it wouldn’t carry to the other diners.

  “You are speaking of the mother of my children. Before we go any further, understand that I plan on being with her for the rest of my life, if I can persuade her to marry me. I would have married her before now but she is not comfortable with the idea. As to the rest, I’ve explained to you, to Barbara, to her parents, to our friends, to the butcher, the baker and the candlestick maker, that I have no intentions of marrying Barbara. Ever,” David said.

  “Is there more than one baby?” the Colonel said. The old man sat up straighter in his chair. His once commanding rumble had been reduced to a mere echo of its former self. His slightly dimmed and watery eyes searched David’s face for an answer.

  “Yes, Colonel, I’m having twin boys. They’re due the end of March but they may come a little bit sooner. I plan on moving Manuela to a new townhouse within the next two weeks. I’ve got sonograms if you want to see them.” David reached into his pocket and went around the table to show the 3D sonogram photos of his twins to his grandfather. The Colonel placed his glasses on the end of his nose, held the pictures out to arm’s length and still squinted to see what it was David was talking about.

  “This is Bean One, he’s in the front. And right behind him you can see just the first part of Bean Two’s side and head. This one shows Bean Two better because of the angle. In this one shows them both lying side-by-side. She’s only five months but they are progressing well,” David said. His grandfather traced the outline of his great grandsons with an unsteady finger.