Be My Baby

by ANDREA SMITH

  (God I so wish he would get to the point of this story!)

  "So she's wiping that shoe against the corner of the bale and she's bitching out loud to herself. Every other word is the "F" word; saying how she will never live out here in the boonies with all this 'f-ing' mud and 'f-ing horse-shite around. She's going on about how Trey better give you the house in the divorce cause she's a city mouse used to the finer things in life, yadda, yadda, yadda."

  (Oh My God!)

  "Oh My God," I said, "What happened then?"

  "Well, Trey made his presence known pretty darn quick. He asked her if she had said something to you at Marley's service about that very same thing. She claimed she didn't. He called her a liar and told her that he had no interest in her outside of the office. Then she really got pizzed; she claimed she was better for him than you were. He laughed in her face then asked her why she had come out here to the ranch. She claimed it was to discuss a case. He told her from there on out she was to discuss her cases with one of the other partners; he was no longer a mentor. She then got even more uppity with him and he told her she was a conniving 'beotch' and to leave his home. She told him he would be sorry. He said he was already sorry that he had approved her partnership. Then she flounced out of here."

  "Wow," I said. "I wonder why Trey didn't tell me this?"

  "I don't know Tylar. Maybe he didn't want you to worry about her telling him he would be sorry. Do you think she will try to pull something at work?"

  "I really don't know what she's capable of Marcus. I hope she was simply angry and making an empty threat. Hopefully she's moved on."

  "Yeah - to someone else's husband. Chicks like that are pretty transparent."

  Preston was starting to squirm in my arms.

  "Well hey Marcus, thanks for sharing. I'm gonna take Preston over to pet the horses. Talk to you later."

  "Take care," he called after me heading back into the office.

  I decided that I wasn't going to say anything to Trey about what Marcus had told me. I did want to keep a watch on what Amber was up to. Perhaps I needed to give Leah a call and see if she wanted to meet for lunch soon.

  True to his word Trey got home exceptionally early from the office. Jean had fed Preston and taken her upstairs to play in the nursery. Trey and I ate our dinner in front of the fireplace. It was cozy and romantic.

  "Well Mrs. Sinclair," he said when we finished, "Are you going to fill me in on our vacation plans?"

  I told Trey that Tristan had offered us the all inclusive cruise package since he and Gina couldn't use it before the end of the year. I asked him if he thought it would be a problem for him to get the time off between now and the end of the year.

  He said that he and Tonya would check his calendar to see what could be rescheduled or offloaded. We targeted the week after Thanksgiving. I was thrilled that we were finally going to have a week together alone.

  We discussed our Thanksgiving plans which would take us to Bristol this year. I felt better knowing that Gina would be coming with Tristan and Reese. We would get to see Tess and Nigel's baby. They had named their son Royce Nigel Sinclair. It sounded very British to me.

  I brought the subject of Amber's jacket to Trey. I saw his expression darken at the mention of her name.

  "Oh yes," he said in a very irritated tone, "She was right over in my office first thing this morning asking about it. She made sure that Tonya heard her mention it being left in my car. I do not understand why she is so conniving where I am concerned."

  "Maybe she has some sort of fatal attraction, Trey."

  "Oh come on, Tylar."

  "I'm serious," I replied, "I think she somehow thinks you're interested in her."

  I could tell that Trey was concerned about her prior to what I had just mentioned.

  "What is it?"

  He looked over at me trying to lose the concerned expression but he didn't quite make it.

  "It's nothing," he replied with a shrug.

  "Trey it has to be something. I can read you too, you know?"

  "She made an off-handed comment today when she came to get the jacket. It was something to the effect that I might find it difficult for my partners to believe she hadn't been sexually harassed."

  "Oh God, Trey; she threatened you."

  "Yeah, pretty much."

  "Well, what are you going to do about it?"

  "I haven't decided yet, Tylar. The bottom line is that I should never have kissed her."

  "She kissed you first. I am a witness to that."

  "Yes and had I left it at that this wouldn't be an issue but I didn't, so it is. You were also a witness to that."

  He was angry with himself now I could tell. He raked his hands through his hair in frustration.

  "She doesn't have anything that she could take to court though. I mean she hasn't suffered any damages, right?"

  "It wouldn't have to even go that far," he replied, "The fact that I am a senior partner and she is the only female partner on staff provides her with a 'hostile environment' argument with the other partners. They may choose to see me as a liability for the firm."

  I could not believe what I was hearing. Trey was genuinely concerned about being removed from his firm.

  "Wait a minute Trey; they can't kick you out of the firm can they? As a senior partner you hold part ownership right?"

  "They can certainly buy my share from me and have me removed by a vote. Listen, I don't want you to worry about that okay? It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world for me anyway."

  I knew better. Practicing law in a prestigious firm was Trey's dream. I couldn't imagine him doing anything else.

  "Well let's not worry about it now," I said, "I think she will probably move on to someone else."

  "We can only hope," he replied, pulling me close.

  Trey and I made love that night over and over again. We fell asleep curled around each other. Our sleep was interrupted around 2:30 in the morning when our landline in the bedroom rang. I was closest to the phone so I jumped up in the dark trying to grab it from my nightstand. My pulse was racing. Calls during the night could only mean bad news.

  "Hello?" I said into the phone. My voice had a panicky edge to it. There was nothing on the other end.

  "Hello?"

  Just then I heard a female voice whisper huskily, "Sorry - wrong number." It was followed by a click.

  "Who is it?" Trey asked from beside me.

  "Wrong number," I replied replacing the phone on its charger on my nightstand.

  I lay awake for awhile contemplating the call. It was no wrong number. It was Amber trying to make trouble. In the morning I checked the call i.d. log on the phone. The call had come in from a 'Blocked' number. I had figured as much.

  I decided it was a pretty lame attempt to rattle me. I wondered what she would pull next. Perhaps she would call and have a pizza sent to our home that we didn’t order? Her actions were fairly sophomoric up to this point. I wasn't overly concerned.

  CHAPTER 18

  Trey, Preston and I were all packed and ready for our flight to Bristol for the Thanksgiving holidays with the Sinclair extended family. We knew that we would see Landon and Caroline since the Andrews family was part of the extended family. They lived close now anyway.

  Susan and I had chatted on the phone several days previously. She had insisted that I call my father and invite him to Bristol as well. She said she wouldn't hear of Preston's other granddaddy not being able to spend the holidays with her. She mentioned that her niece Brenda Brooks from Birmingham, Alabama was coming up to spend a couple of weeks with them before and after Thanksgiving. She said poor Brenda had been widowed nearly a year ago. Brenda was her sister's only daughter and her sister and brother-in-law were traveling for the holiday season. She hadn't wanted Brenda to be alone.

  "So Mom," I had asked tentatively, "Tell me about Royce."

  "Oh," she had gushed, "He is such a beautiful baby boy. I can't decide who is prettier, Reese or Royce so I am
going to settle for them being equally beautiful."

  She had successfully managed to side-step the obvious issue at hand. I had recalled Susan telling me once that a mother never forgets what each of her babies look like when they are born. She had also admitted that when Trey had been born he had reminded her of Tristan. I was hoping that she might provide some insight having seen Royce right after his birth as to whom he favored between her two sons.

  "Well, who does he favor?" I had pressed.

  "Honey," she had sighed into the phone, "I know what you're asking but it is just difficult to tell because he has Tess's brown hair which is nearly as dark as the boys' hair. The baby has blue eyes which is typical of all babies at this point. I just can't tell. Wasn’t that the whole point of this?"

  "I suppose so," I had replied, disappointed.

  "How have you been, Tylar?" she had asked.

  "I am doing better. Trey and I are doing better," I had admitted.

  "I am so very happy to hear that. Now you call your father and invite him. Promise?"

  "I promise," I had replied laughing.

  I was surprised when my father had graciously accepted the invitation to fly to Bristol for Thanksgiving. I was glad that he was doing so. He was scheduled to arrive late afternoon on Wednesday. He had booked a room at the Marriott despite the fact that Susan had said there was plenty of room for him at their estate.

  There was a limo waiting to take us to Bristol once our flight had landed at Tri-Cities Regional Airport. The weather in Bristol was a bit chillier than what we had left in Atlanta.

  Preston had been a great traveler so far. She had used the potty on the airplane, to my surprise. I had always been a bit terrified of airplane toilets myself.

  Once we were settled in the limo she curled up and fell asleep in Trey's lap. She had her thumb in her mouth. She did that a lot when she slept; not so much during her waking hours unless she was upset by something. She hadn't done that lately. She sensed that the previous stress and tension between Trey and I had dissipated.

  I had met with Karla the prior week for my counseling session. The next appointment was scheduled for the Monday after we returned from our cruise. It would be both Trey and me at that appointment.

  "Are you okay, Tylar?" Trey asked studying me while he stroked Preston's hair gently.

  "Yes," I smiled at him, "I'm just looking forward to next week when we leave for our cruise."

  "Me too, baby. Tonya spent the better part of the week rearranging my schedule where possible; getting other attorneys in the firm to handle some of the depositions and court appearances where schedules couldn't be changed."

  "Trey, it will be so good for you and I to have this time for each other with no interruptions or distractions."

  "I can hardly wait to get you alone in our cabin on that cruise ship, Mrs. Sinclair."

  He gave me one of his devilish grins.

  "Trey, you know that there are a lot of activities on that ship. We can do what you have in mind in our own room at home," I said laughing, shaking my head.

  When the limo pulled up in front of the manor, Susan and Clive were immediately out the door waiting for us on the front porch. Susan squealed with delight as Trey handed Preston over to her. The baby was just awakening from her nap but recognized her grandma right away.

  "She has grown leaps and bounds since Grandma last saw her," Susan wailed, holding her out so that she could have a full view.

  "Mom, it's only been several weeks," Trey responded, giving her a hug and then moving over to give Clive a pat on the back.

  "Gamma," Preston said presenting Susan with her dimpled smile.

  Clive came over and hugged me as Susan was chatting away with Preston, telling her about her new cousin, Royce. She handed the baby over to Clive so that she could greet me. She put her arms around me hugging me tightly.

  "I'm so glad you are here, my darling Tylar," she said.

  "Me too, Mom."

  We got settled into our suite. I noticed that Preston's bed was back in our suite. I tiptoed down the hallway to the other wing and peered inside of Clive and Susan's suite. Another baby crib was located there. The suite next to ours had yet another crib. Evidently, that was the suite where Tristan, Gina and Reese would be staying. Apparently Susan wanted Royce in with them. I tried not to feel jealous about it; after all, both Reese and Preston were just a little bit more than an hour's flight away. Royce was clear across the country.

  Trey was hauling our luggage into our suite when I came back in.

  "Where were you?" he asked.

  "Just looking around," I replied.

  "What time are Tristan and Gina getting in?"

  "They're driving - it will be later this evening. Nigel and Tess are already here I guess. They took Royce over to spend the day with Tess's family. Royce is their first grandchild since Landon and Caroline haven't blessed them just yet."

  I stretched out across the bed pulling a pillow to me.

  "I can certainly see that this Thanksgiving is going to be all about Royce," I commented resting my face on the pillow.

  "Come on Tylar. You know Mom and Dad are crazy about all of their grandchildren. Preston is still their only grand-daughter, and the first to boot. If anything, it will be Reese and Royce that have to compete for attention."

  "Doubtful," I replied, shrugging.

  Trey sat down next to me on the bed. He was studying me carefully.

  "Are you seriously thinking my parents would play favorites?"

  "I guess not," I sighed. "I don't know why I'm so out of sorts about this. I'd say it was sibling rivalry except I don't have any siblings so there is no point of reference."

  "Sweetie," he said stretching out next to me, "I think it is exactly one of those things you mentioned when we discussed our loss. It is a family gathering for the holidays. A family member is missing."

  I looked over at Trey. He was right, of course. I was feeling the loss right now. He pulled me close to him. He stroked my hair gently.

  "We'll get through it, Tylar. It won't always hurt this much."

  "I know, Trey."

  Trey's Blackberry chimed in his pocket.

  "It's your dad," he said answering it.

  Dad was at his hotel and wondered what plans Trey and I had for this evening. We invited him to eat with us at Morelli's. Tristan and Gina arrived by four o'clock that afternoon. They were going to join us at Morelli's. Gina was dying to meet my father. Nigel and Tess wouldn't be back until later in the evening. Clive had driven to the airport to pick up Susan's niece Brenda. Susan had insisted she would watch Preston and Reese while we joined my father for dinner.

  Gina came to our suite as I was getting dressed for dinner. Trey and Tristan were downstairs.

  "So Ty, have you seen Royce yet?"

  "No. Nigel, Tess and the baby have been over at her parent's house all day. I tried to get Susan to open up when I talked to her on the phone last week as to what her thoughts were on the subject."

  "And?"

  "And she says she doesn't have a clue. She said she absolutely cannot tell if he is Tristan's or Trey's and that was the whole point of this anyway."

  "Yeah, Tristan has already warned me to let it go. It just is weird, you know?"

  "Uhh … Yeah," I said. "But hey, let's not let it ruin the holiday okay? I've already kind of got the blues."

  "I know, girlfriend," Gina said. "I kind of thought that you would."

  "Hey listen," she said, lowering her voice as if someone might be eavesdropping, "I did kind of find out a juicy tidbit from Tristan."

  "Yeah?"

  "Yeah - it seems that this cousin of Tristan and Trey's - what the hell is her name?"

  "Brenda?"

  "Yeah, Brenda - it seems that Susan is doing a little matchmaking. She is just a few years younger than your dad and is a widow. From what Tristan said, she is quite an attractive widow."

  "What?"

  "Yep. I think Susan is trying to hook your d
ad up. Kinda cute, isn't it?"

  "Adorable," I answered, chuckling.

  My father met us at Morelli's. It wasn't far from his hotel. Gina was immediately taken with him. She didn't waste any time sharing her opinion when we excused ourselves to visit the 'Ladies' room.

  "Girlfriend - you didn't tell me your dad was hot!"

  "Gina, for crying out loud - I don't look at him that way!"

  "Just sayin," she replied, putting lipstick on and blotting it with a tissue. "He's got that whole 'George Clooney' thing going on; and he is funny, too. I mean, I guess I thought he would be some stodgy old judge-type. He clearly is not what I expected."

  "I don't think you are what he expected either, Gina," I remarked with a laugh. Gina had pummeled him with questions all through dinner; asking if he had ever sent someone to the gas chamber or the electric chair; or if anyone he sent to prison had made threats to get even with him.

  My father had handled her questions good-naturedly. He was amused with her tenacity.

  After dinner, on our way out, my father pulled me aside telling Trey he needed a few moments with me.

  "How have things been between you and Trey since you reconciled," he asked me. "I don't want to pry Tylar; I just need to know that you are okay."

  "Yes Dad, we are doing fine. I had a bit of a meltdown finally when the reality hit about losing Marley. I don't know why I had kept myself in denial. Then Trey blamed himself for allowing me to remain in denial. We are working it out along with other issues."

  "I am glad to hear that," he replied, putting his arm around me and squeezing me. "I know it takes work from both parties to make a marriage succeed. I know that you and Trey have enough love to make that happen. I do have something to share with you."

  "What is it Dad?" This sounded like a prelude to more bad news; I had my fill of that for the year.

  I looked up at my father and saw a hint of a smile pass over his face.

  "I had a visit from Danny Duvall last week. It appeared he had been roughed up a bit."

  (Good! He turned out to be a sorry asshole anyway.)