Oh, Baby!

by Patricia Kay

  “Well, well, well,” Nicole said. “And here she is. We were just talking about you, Sophie.”

  Sophie sighed inwardly. So much for making a fast exit. “Hi, guys.” She smiled at the other teachers sitting with Nicole—Cindy Bloom and Jackie Farrow. Deciding she would not give Nicole the satisfaction of asking what they’d been saying about her, she calmly opened her lunch bag and took out her tuna sandwich.

  “You sure are a sly one,” Nicole said archly.

  “Oh?” Sophie said. She took a bite of her sandwich. She had no intention of giving Nicole an inch more than she had to.

  “You never mentioned that you were dating Dillon.”

  “That’s because I’m not.” God would forgive her for telling a lie.

  Nicole made a disbelieving sound. “Having dinner with him at Genaro’s? You don’t call that a date?”

  “I call it dinner with an old friend.”

  “An old friend?”

  “Sophie knows Dillon from high school,” put in Jackie, who had also been a cheerleader during Sophie’s tenure.

  Nicole frowned. “So you’re not dating him?”

  “That’s what I said.” Sophie continued to eat her sandwich, but she could have hugged Jackie for sounding so matter-of-fact and doing Sophie’s work for her.

  Nicole smiled. “So the field’s still wide-open.”

  “As far as I know,” Sophie said. She almost felt sorry for Dillon as she saw the wheels turning in Nicole’s head, but then she decided he deserved whatever was coming his way.

  And he would certainly be able to handle it.

  She was just glad to have deflected Nicole’s curiosity, because even worse than being dumped by Dillon a second time would be having everyone in Crandall Lake know it.

  Especially little Miss Nicole.

  * * *

  Over the weekend, Joy and Sophie drove to San Antonio and visited Hannah’s House, the home for expectant mothers that Sophie had researched and decided was the best of all the options available. It turned out to be everything she’d imagined and more. The facility was set in a green and tranquil area near downtown and the river, but secluded behind hundreds of trees and a high brick wall that made it feel like a serene oasis. It had been founded by the Episcopal church and was staffed partly by nuns and partly by trained staff, including half a dozen experienced midwives and nurses. It was beautiful, and each guest/expectant mother had the choice of sharing a room with one other roommate or having a private room.

  All the young women there seemed friendly, and when Sophie and Joy were having their tour, they were approached several times by welcoming occupants. By the time they finished their tour, Sophie was sold, and so was Joy. In fact, she smiled for the first time that day when she told Sophie she’d like to come there.

  The cost was high, but Sophie had already known it would be. As per their agreement, she texted Dillon to tell him they both loved the place and she wanted to sign Joy up. She quoted the cost and waited for his reply, which arrived in minutes.

  No problem on my end. If you’re okay with it, sign her up.

  Sophie felt as if a tremendous weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She and Joy filled out the paperwork, and both signed permission forms for various things, including medical care, schooling, supervision and adherence to the rules. Sophie wrote a check for the down payment on a private room, and Joy was given a list of what she needed to bring and what she wasn’t allowed to bring.

  They both shook hands with Sister Monica, and Sophie said they would be back on Wednesday, as long as she could take the day off. “If not, then it’ll have to be next Saturday.”

  Sophie had made a reservation for them at the Marriott on the River Walk, and she was determined she and Joy would enjoy this day away from Crandall Lake. They shopped, Sophie buying Joy some cute clothes that would work as she grew bigger, and then Joy encouraged Sophie to buy herself something. Seeing a gorgeous rust-colored wool skirt paired with a pale yellow silk blouse that was perfect for Sophie’s coloring, she decided to splurge and get herself an early Christmas present.

  Later they had dinner at one of the riverside restaurants and Sophie allowed herself a couple of glasses of wine. “I’m not driving,” she said with a smile at Joy, who actually seemed happy today.

  “I think I’ll like it here,” Joy said, taking a drink of her iced tea. “I’m excited about signing up for one of the art courses.” In the morning they planned to visit the art institute as well as the art college.

  “You’ll still have to take all the required courses—Spanish and geometry, American history.”

  “I know.”

  “And it won’t be easy with new teachers.”

  “I know, Sophie. Don’t worry.”

  But Sophie knew she would worry. Sure, she had been reassuring Joy and telling her everything would be fine, but she was realistic enough to know that Joy was going to have some tough days. Days when she would be homesick and lonely. Days when her pregnancy would bother her. Days when she would want nothing more than to turn the clock back.

  “What did Aidan have to say about all this?” Sophie finally asked. She’d avoided the question because Joy hadn’t seemed to want to discuss it before, but the time felt right now.

  “Aidan doesn’t want to be involved in this. And I don’t want him to be, either,” Joy said tightly, her eyes darkening.

  “He said that?”

  “He said he hoped he could persuade his uncle to let him go back to Ohio to finish out his senior year and after that he has no intention of ever coming back to Texas again.”

  Sophie understood Joy was trying to act as if she didn’t care, but underneath the facade of nonchalance, Sophie saw the hurt and desolation. Sophie’s heart ached for Joy. The poor kid. Bad enough to find herself in this tough spot, but horrible to find out the boy she thought she loved had feet of clay.

  “Kaitlyn warned me,” Joy added bitterly, “when I talked to her that time, but I told her she was wrong. Just because Billy Newhouse deserted her the moment he found out she was pregnant, Aidan wasn’t going to do that to me. Not Aidan. Ha!” Tears shone in her eyes.

  “Honey...” Sophie leaned across the table and put her hand over Joy’s. “He’s awfully young.”

  “Not too young to get me pregnant!”

  “I know. But still...”

  “Oh, don’t make excuses for him, Sophie. He couldn’t wait to get away from me. He wants no part of this.”

  Sophie sighed, releasing Joy’s hand. “Well, we don’t need him. You didn’t want to marry him, anyway. Both of you agreed you’re too young to be parents. So maybe this is best. A clean, fast break.”

  Joy nodded, but she still looked crestfallen.

  “It could be worse. He could have deserted you without any financial support, either.” Billy Newhouse had tried just that, insisting Kaitlyn Lowe, the senior Sophie had counseled earlier in the year, have a DNA test. His ploy hadn’t worked because he was the father of Kaitlyn’s baby. So even though he wanted no part of her pregnancy, he was still going to be liable financially.

  “Yeah, I know,” Joy said.

  “So, c’mon. Cheer up. Hannah’s House is a wonderful place, and I think you’re going to be happy there.”

  It took a few seconds, but finally Joy smiled again. “Thank you, Sophie. I love you.”

  “I know, honey. I love you, too.”

  * * *

  Dillon wasn’t surprised when Aidan said he wanted to go back to Ohio to finish out his senior year. And even though Dillon had been against the idea earlier in the year, now he thought it might be best for everyone. Certainly Sophie would be happy to see the kid’s backside. So Dillon made a couple of phone calls, and later on Sunday afternoon he cornered Aidan in the living room, where his nephew was sprawled on
the couch watching Ohio State play.

  “I talked to Scooter Davis this morning.” Scooter was an old friend of Dillon’s from his college days. More important, Scooter was on the baseball coaching staff at Ohio State.

  Aidan looked up.

  “He’s agreed to keep an eye on you, kind of be your de facto guardian for the rest of the school year. He said there are a couple of empty condos in the building where he lives and he’d check into rentals for me.”

  “You’re gonna let me go?” Aidan’s voice squeaked in his excitement.

  “You didn’t think I would?”

  Aidan shook his head. His eyes were alight with an excitement Dillon hadn’t seen in a long time.

  “There are lots of details to work out, not the least of which is the kind of behavior I expect from you. There are going to be a lot of rules, Aidan. You are not going to do anything you want just because I’m not there.”

  “I know, I know. And I promise you, I’ll follow all the rules. All of them.” Aidan’s voice actually shook.

  The kid looked so happy and hopeful Dillon didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. All he really knew was that Aidan couldn’t wait to get away from Crandall Lake. And him.

  “Scooter’s going to call me in a couple of days. Just as soon as he has all the information. Until then, we’ll just wait and see, okay?”

  “Okay.”

  Dillon turned to walk away but stopped when Aidan said, “Uh, Dillon?”

  “Yes?” He turned around.

  “Thanks. I—really appreciate this. I know you didn’t have to do anything to help me.”

  Dillon nodded. “You’re welcome.” But his heart was heavy as he left the room. It was a damn shame that the first time Aidan had acted happy to have Dillon as his uncle was the day he knew he was going to escape from him.

  Chapter Eight

  Sophie had no problem getting Wednesday off—she’d talked to Connie Woodson, the assistant principal, who had kindly provided Hannah’s House with Sophie’s transcript and who was not a gossip and would keep that information to herself. So at ten o’clock, car packed with Joy’s things, the two sisters set off again for San Antonio. It was a two-and-a-half-hour drive and they stopped for lunch along the way, so it was a little after two before they arrived. Sophie had texted ahead to say when they would be there, so Sister Monica’s assistant, a pretty young woman named Michelle, greeted them.

  “Your room is all ready,” she told Joy. “And the welcoming committee is waiting for you in the common room.”

  “The welcoming committee?” Joy said.

  “We always have a little party for a new resident. After you put your things in your room, come and join us.”

  When Sophie and Joy entered the common room, Sophie was astonished to see balloons, a cake and ice cream and a small pile of wrapped gifts. Joy seemed stunned.

  The other girls beamed as she opened the presents. There were a couple of onesies, several receiving blankets, a pair of crocheted booties with a matching sweater and cap, and a copy of What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

  “This is so sweet,” Sophie said to Michelle.

  “The girls love doing it.”

  Sophie could feel tears threatening. These people were so nice. Joy would be happy here. And she would have a happy baby because of it.

  My baby, Sophie thought, looking at the gifts. I’ll be using these things. Somehow the sight of the tiny baby clothes made the baby’s coming arrival seem more real.

  Sophie stayed another hour, then said her goodbyes. Joy walked her out to her car.

  “I’m going to miss you,” Sophie said as they hugged.

  Joy’s eyes glistened with tears. “I’ll miss you, too.”

  “But I think you’ll like it here.”

  Joy nodded. “All the girls seem really nice.”

  “You can call or text anytime. You know that. And I’ll come down as often as I can.”

  “I know,” Joy whispered, hugging Sophie again.

  “It’s going to be okay.”

  “I know,” Joy said again.

  As Sophie drove off, she could see Joy standing in the drive. She looked so small and young. Sophie swallowed against the lump in her throat. Hannah’s House was a perfect solution for Joy, and there was nothing to be sad about.

  But it took Sophie a long time to shake off her melancholy. In fact, she still hadn’t completely shaken it by the time she reached the Crandall Lake city limits.

  As if he’d been watching for her return, Sophie’s cell rang as she pulled into her garage. Caller ID showed it was Dillon.

  “Hi,” she said, getting out of her car and closing the garage door.

  “Are you back?”

  “Just pulled in.”

  “How’d it go?”

  “Very well.” She told him about the welcoming committee and the gifts. “Joy’s going to be happy there.”

  “Good.”

  “What about Aidan? Did you talk to your friend again?” By now Sophie was in the house and she dropped her purse and keys on the kitchen table, then sank into a chair to finish the conversation.

  “Yeah, and it’s all set. He leaves on Tuesday. Early flight out of DFW.”

  Sophie nodded, even though Dillon couldn’t see her. Part of her was glad Aidan would be gone. The other part of her resented everything about him leaving. For him, it would be as if nothing had ever happened. He would be able to forget about Joy, the baby and his responsibility for the whole thing, whereas Joy... She would never be able to forget. It just made Sophie so mad. Why was it that women always paid the biggest price for mistakes?

  Maybe if you let her put the baby up for adoption to someone else, it would be better. But Sophie didn’t want to think along those lines, so she shoved the thought away. It wouldn’t be better. Even if Joy never set eyes on her baby after it was born, she still wouldn’t ever forget. A woman could not give birth, then wipe the whole episode out of her mind.

  “Want to get a bite to eat tonight?” Dillon asked.

  Sophie started to say no, but Dillon interrupted, saying, “C’mon, it’s no big deal, just dinner. I thought we could go to Bob’s. There are some things I think we need to talk about.”

  Bob’s Steak House was a local legend. Some reviewers came from as far away as Houston and Dallas and without exception gave Bob’s four or five stars. Sophie hadn’t been there in months. And then it had been with girlfriends. It was tempting to say yes to Dillon. Besides, he was right. They still did have some things they needed to discuss.

  “How about I’ll pick you up at six?”

  “Oh, okay. You talked me into it.” After all, she reasoned, what harm could come from just having a steak with him?

  But later, as they sat across from each other in the dimly lit restaurant and waited for their steaks to arrive, she knew she had once again been lying to herself. Just looking at Dillon was dangerous. And being in close proximity was foolhardy. He gave off an animal magnetism that couldn’t be ignored. Even now, during normal conversation, she found it harder to breathe.

  “I wanted to tell you that I made arrangements to have money deposited to your checking account on the first of each month,” Dillon said.

  “Thank you.” Sophie knew Joy was lucky that Aidan had at least accepted financial responsibility for her condition, and that he had the resources to back it up. Hannah’s House was expensive, and Sophie would not have been able to manage on her own. Not without tapping into Joy’s college fund. Thank goodness that wouldn’t be necessary.

  “Look,” Dillon continued, frowning slightly. “I don’t want you to think Aidan’s running away. He feels bad about Joy.”

  “Not that bad.” The words were out before Sophie could stop them.

  “That’s n
ot fair. He’s just a kid himself.”

  Sophie sighed. “I know that, and I don’t want to fight about this. What’s done is done, and we’re doing the best we can. Let’s talk about something else.”

  “Want to talk about how nobody’s happy with me as a coach?”

  “Seriously? I haven’t heard anything about that.”

  Dillon made a face. “You will. Mayor Ferguson is on the warpath.”

  “Why?” Funny Beth hadn’t said anything. She was the mayor’s administrative assistant and usually knew everything.

  “Because I didn’t play his baby boy the last two weeks.”

  “I thought Jimmy was still recuperating from his shoulder injury.”

  “Doc Ford says he’s okay to play. Trouble is, Devon Washington’s better than Jimmy. In fact, he’s terrific, and as far as I’m concerned, Devon’s won the starting spot.”

  Just then their waiter appeared with their steaks, and for the next few minutes, they were busy fixing their baked potatoes and preparing to eat. But finally Sophie said, “I don’t envy you getting on the bad side of the mayor. But you know what? I think the parents will stand behind you. Mayor Ferguson hasn’t made a whole lot of friends since he took office.” Actually, that was an understatement. Ferguson was so high-handed about any number of things that he’d made quite a few enemies.

  “We’ll see. He says I won’t be offered a new contract.”

  Sophie frowned. “What do you mean, a new contract?”

  “I was only signed on for one year.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Because that’s the way I wanted it.” He cut off a piece of steak. “I wasn’t sure coaching high school football was what I wanted to do, so I figured a trial year made sense.”

  At that moment, when Sophie realized Aidan might not be the only Burke leaving Crandall Lake for good, she knew that no matter what she’d been telling herself, her secret hope had always been that one of these days Dillon would finally realize he loved her. That they belonged together. She hoped her face didn’t betray the dismay she felt. “Everyone here loves having you as the coach.”