The Accidental Encore

by Hayes, Christy

  She stepped off the elevator and stumbled in a daze to the glass doors, pushing one open and stopping under the overhang where she could take a deep breath of cold air and think. Okay, she was pregnant. The pee test and the doctor’s confirmation hadn’t made reality sink in, but listening to the heartbeat, watching the little bean shaped being inside her on the black and white screen had felt like a sledge hammer of truth. She was having a baby. Craig’s baby.

  She pulled the keys from her purse and walked numbly to her car. It wasn’t until she saw the reflection in the driver’s window that she realized she was touching her uterus.

  She unlocked the car and got in. She had to tell him. Just the thought of telling him made her want to driver her car off a cliff. She contemplated everything she’d said; all her brave talk about not trying to fix him and not waiting for him sounded so hollow considering she’d just tied herself to him forever. He was going to be mad, he was going to feel manipulated, but come hell or high water, he was going to know.

  Now all she had to do was find him.

  ***

  Craig picked up the towel and used it to wipe his brow. He welcomed the sweat and the ache in his muscles from swinging the ax. His mom needed firewood for the season and he needed to work out some things in his head. Sometimes, there was no better way to get your head right than to exhaust your body.

  And Craig was damn exhausted.

  He’d worked like a dog getting Davis and Stacy Hollingsworth’s house complete. They’d been as thrilled with the accelerated schedule as his contractors had been pissed. It all worked out in the end and everyone was happy—everyone but Davis’ buddy whose job Craig had quoted and then pulled his name from consideration. Allie had thrown him a curve ball and it was time to adjust his swing. If only he could get a grip on the bat.

  His mom interrupted his musings with a glass of lemonade and sandwich with thick slices of ham. God love Patsy Archer, all five feet of her dressed in old jeans and a flannel-lined coat.

  “You’ve worked up quite a sweat in this chilly air,” she said. She set the sandwich and drinks on the table his dad had made from an old oak stump. Patsy sat down in one of the two porch rockers that Craig had noticed could use a fresh coat of stain. “Figured I’d better keep you hydrated and energized if you’re going to make it through the rest of the day.”

  “You figured right.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek before easing into the other rocker. He let out an “ahhh” for both the taste of the sandwich and the relief of his back.

  “I know you didn’t drop everything at home and come here just to chop my wood and eat my excellent sandwiches.”

  Craig scowled into the distance. He loved the view from the front porch; he always had. A man could do some serious soul searching staring into the endless twists of the forest and listening to the call of the birds. At night, if he listened hard enough, he could hear the owls. He’d always loved the owls. “I had some stuff on my mind. I can go whenever you want if I’m cramping your style.”

  “You’re not cramping my style. I just thought a week was long enough for you to stew before I ask you straight out what’s wrong.”

  “Got some things on my mind.”

  “You can’t think at home?”

  Craig smiled at his mother’s sarcasm. “Not like here.”

  “Nothing better than clean mountain air to clear the brain.” She stopped her rocker with the toe of her work boot. “Unless it’s not your brain that needs the clearing?”

  “What else is there?” he asked.

  “You’ve got a pretty dusty heart inside your chest. I figured—all right, hoped—you’d maybe met someone who’s good with a dust rag.”

  “Leave it be, Ma.”

  “Your brother’s happy. I want to see you happy, too.”

  “Who says I’m not happy?”

  “Craig,” she stood up and swiped a hand across his shoulder. “I’ve seen you happy, boy, and this,” she waved her hand in front of his face, “isn’t it. Do whatever you need to do, take whatever time you need to take, and get happy. Life’s too short to waste a second on anything else.”

  Why did every damn body want him to be happy? Not everybody, he admitted, only the ones who cared.

  Chapter 33

  Allie’s stomach curled with each turn on the winding road. Every corner seemed to have the blacktop folding back on itself in an endless climb through the naked woodlands. A month earlier and the leaves would have been spectacular, but now the view seemed as cold and desolate as the task that lay before her. If she made it up the mountain roads without losing her lunch.

  After everything she went through to get here, the least of her worries had been the treacherous drive. She’d looked forward to having the time to put her thoughts in order and formulate a plan. So much for a plan. At this point, the only plan was to keep her eyes on the road and not throw up when she arrived. If she ever arrived.

  Mark should have warned her about the hairpin turns, but then he’d jotted down the address and some basic directions before he changed his mind and honored his brother’s request not to tell anyone where he’d gone. Allie had Carolyn to thank for her quiet, but powerful influence in helping to sway his decision. She hadn’t told them why she’d needed to see Craig, but Carolyn understood, in the way only a woman would, that it was vitally important.

  Melissa warned her not to come, said he didn’t deserve to know, that he’d forfeited his right to a say when he’d walked out on her. But she wouldn’t be the second woman in his life to take the knowledge and choice out of his hands. This time, Craig would know from the very beginning.

  When the road leveled out and Allie spotted signs of life along the road, a country store here, a gas station there, she felt the queasiness in her stomach turn to nerves. She spotted the fly fishing shop Mark had said to use as a landmark and turned right at the cross street. After two more turns, she spied the mailbox, a fish mounted on a wooden post with the name Archer illuminated in reflective letters. Allie pulled to the side of the road, took a deep breath, said a small, but potent prayer, and turned up the gravel drive that led through the woods.

  She wasn’t expecting to find Craig sitting on the porch smiling at a short woman with a capful of white hair. Craig’s face fell when he spotted her car and she knew he wasn’t expecting her. At least Mark had kept his word and not alerted Craig to her impending arrival. Without any chance to change her mind and escape, she put the car in park, reached for her coat, and got out of the car.

  Craig and his mother met her at the top of the porch. The scene reminded her of when a judge and bailiff meet the accused. “What are you doing here?” Craig demanded.

  His mother elbowed him in the side. “I’m Patsy Archer,” she said with a warm smile.

  Allie extended her hand in greeting, but stayed below on the walkway. Craig’s posture—his hands on his hips, the muscle twitching in his jaw, and the waves of disapproval that emanated from him—didn’t invite her to approach. “I’m Allie Graves. It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Archer.”

  “Call me Patsy. Would you like some lemonade, Allie? I’ve just made a fresh batch. It’s Craig’s favorite.”

  “No, ma’am. I’m fine, but thank you.”

  The silence only magnified the tension between Allie and Craig.

  “Well, I’ll leave you two to your business.” She ducked inside the large wooden home.

  “I’m sorry to bother you, Craig.”

  “Why are you here?” He scowled down at her. “How did you know where I was?”

  She felt ridiculous standing below him, yet didn’t feel steady enough to join him on the porch. She desperately wanted to ease into her reasons for coming, and yet the way he stood staring at her as if she had three heads, demanding an answer, left her no choice but to summon her courage and spit it out. “I need to talk to you.”

  “So talk.”

  She raised her arm and motioned around her. “Can we take a walk or something?”r />
  “I’m pretty sure you didn’t drive all the way up here to have a walk in the woods. Tell me. Is something wrong with Mark? Is it Leah?”

  “No, no not at all. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  “Okay.” He blew out a breath. “Now I’m just curious, since the last time we talked you told me to get out of your life.”

  She hadn’t told him to get out of her life. Dear God, grant me patience with this man. “I have to tell you something.”

  “I think you said enough the first time.”

  “There’s more you need to know. Something I didn’t know before.”

  He ran his hands through his hair and let out a shaky breath. Good, she thought. She wasn’t the only one unnerved by being together again.

  “Spit it out, already,” he demanded.

  Allie gathered her strength, touched a hand just below her stomach, and walked up the three stairs to look the man she loved in the eye. She wouldn’t allow him to look down on her when she told him the news. “I’m pregnant.”

  His body swayed, jolted to a stop, and his face drained of color. “What?”

  “I said I’m pregnant.”

  “How?” he asked.

  “Well…”

  “You were on the pill. You told me you were on the pill.”

  “I am; I mean, I was—”

  His eyes narrowed into a dangerous stare. “Are you sure it’s mine?”

  She didn’t realize what she’d done until she saw his face lash sideways and felt the sting of her hand. Her reaction left them both stunned and speechless.

  When Craig finally spoke, she would have known his anger from the quiet fury of his voice even without the murderous look in his eye. “When did you get off the pill? When you found out I was loaded?”

  He couldn’t have hurt her more if he’d taken the ax against the banister to her heart. “Go to hell.”

  She turned, took each step with care, and walked to the car while pieces of her shattered heart fell like broken glass at her feet. She was amazed, when she put the car in reverse, that she didn’t see a trail of blood marking her steps.

  ***

  Craig stared at the leaves as they danced to the ground in the wake of Allie’s departure. He was frozen to the spot; his feet refused to move. He gripped the porch’s log post and leaned his head against the soft grain. Allie pregnant? He couldn’t get a hold of his emotions or even understand what he felt. Surprised? Hell yes. Afraid? More than he could express. Happy? He wasn’t quite sure. The only thing he knew for sure was that he’d hurt the most precious thing in his life and let her drive off upset. He turned to retrieve his keys from the house and met his mom in the doorway.

  “I’ll be back,” he said as he opened the screen and tried to move past her. She stood firm and didn’t budge. “Ma, please. I’ve got to catch her.”

  “She’s not going anywhere. I put a call in to the sheriff. He’s going to head her off before she hits the highway. He won’t let her leave.”

  “What?” Recognition dawned as his mother stared at him, disapproval written all over her face. “You heard.”

  “Hard not to.”

  “I have to talk to her.”

  “After the way you treated her, Craig, it had better be from your knees.”

  “I know, Ma. I’m sorry.” He shut his eyes, but opened them again when the image of Allie’s face, fraught with pain, appeared in his mind. “I panicked.”

  “I can see that. You’re in love with her. She’s the reason you’ve been hiding out up here for over a week.”

  “Yes.”

  “Love’s a gift, son, one you’re damn lucky to have been given twice in a lifetime. I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t do everything in your power to grab hold and never let go. And now a baby…”

  “It’s not that simple. I can’t…I’m not…”

  “You’re scared is what you are, scared to the bone.” She stepped outside and let the door slap closed behind her. She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Just because Julie died doesn’t mean every relationship is going to end in heartbreak.”

  “It’s more than her dying, Ma. I wish it were that simple.”

  “She hurt you, Craig.”

  He stared at his mother, at the way she was looking at him as if she knew what he’d never told anyone but Allie. “What do you mean?”

  “Ms. Keller was hurting real bad after the accident. Julie was her only daughter and she was looking for someone to blame. She said if you’d been a better husband, her daughter wouldn’t have had to look outside the marriage for comfort.”

  “Jesus, Ma. You knew all this time?”

  “She apologized, begged me not to say anything to you or anyone else. I didn’t want to be the one who told you. You were upset enough as it was. And when you stopped being upset and you turned so bitter and cynical, I figured you’d found out.”

  “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”

  “It wasn’t my place. But now that we’re talking about it, I’m going to say what I should have said a long time ago. I knew Julie Keller since the day she was born. You two were kids when you fell in love, and in many ways, she was still a kid when she died. You and Julie never had to work very hard at being in love, you both just stumbled headfirst, and when times got tough, neither one of you knew how to work at it. When your work took off and she had to compete for your attention, she didn’t know what to do. I’ve seen it played out too many times over the years not to know what happened.”

  “I should have paid more attention. I should have set work aside and been home more.”

  “There’s two sides to every story, and you can shoulda, woulda, coulda all day long. Doesn’t change a thing. She loved you, Craig. She didn’t know how to breathe without loving you.”

  He turned his back when he felt his throat close up. “I wouldn’t have cheated on her. I couldn’t have.”

  “She wasn’t as strong as you. You have to forgive her. All this bitterness is making your heart so hard. I haven’t heard you laugh in so long. I haven’t seen so much as a blip on your emotional radar until that beautiful girl came driving up to the house.”

  “She thinks I can’t have a relationship because I’m not over Julie. I’m so over Julie I could spit.”

  “You’ve never forgiven Julie. As long as you cling to the bitterness and anger you feel towards her, Allie’s right, you’re not going to be able to move on.”

  “I don’t know how to forgive her, Ma.”

  “It’s three little words, Craig. Three little words that will set you free. Say them, mean them, and get on with your life. Allie doesn’t seem like the kind of woman who’ll run away when things get ugly.”

  “I guess I’m about to find out.” Craig felt the fist on is throat loosen. “She’s irritating.”

  “So was your dad. It was one of the things I loved most about him.”

  “I’m mean to her, not quite as mean as I just was, but honest. I tried everything I could to keep her away, but she wouldn’t listen. She loves me, or at least she did.”

  “She’s got good taste.”

  “She smells really good all the time and she’s so smart. She doesn’t have any idea how strong she is. She doesn’t play games.”

  “Then I’d say you’d better grovel.”

  Craig nodded. “I’m going to marry her, Ma, and not just because of the baby. I love her.”

  “Don’t tell me, son. Tell Allie.”

  Chapter 34

  “I don’t understand, Officer. Why am I being detained?”

  Allie watched the sheriff of Fidley, North Carolina fidget from foot to foot. He’d taken her license and registration and held them hostage in his car for over twenty minutes. At first she thought she’d been weaving on the road. She could barely see through the angry tears. After a good cry while she waited on the sheriff, however, she started to get worried. She’d moved beyond worried when he meandered back to her window announcing she’d have to stay put while he c
hecked some details that pulled up when her ran her license.

  “It’s probably nothing, Ms. Graves, but it’s standard procedure to check these things out.”

  “What things?”

  He glanced behind her car along the deserted road. “I’m afraid I can’t say.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “Is it because I was upset? Was I speeding or weaving on the road?”

  “Now, Ms. Graves, don’t go getting yourself all worked up again. I’m sure this will get settled in just a minute or two more.”

  “Well, what are you waiting on?”

  The look of relief on his face had her turning just as she heard the roar of an engine. A diesel engine. Craig’s black truck barreled to a stop in front of her car, barring her escape. “What the…”

  He hopped out and shook hands with the sheriff after he handed Allie her license and registration. “You have a nice day now.” He skipped to his cruiser and maneuvered a hairpin U-turn before speeding away.

  Allie fumed. Of all the backwoods, low down, manipulative crap he could have pulled, this was beyond compare. She turned the ignition.

  Craig threw his hands in the air. “Allie, I’m sorry.”

  She ripped the car in reverse and hit the gas. She was forced to brake when he jumped on her back bumper. “Allie, please. Let me explain.”

  “Why should I?” she shouted.

  “Because I’m the father of your baby.”

  “Oh, now you believe me.” She put the car in drive and revved the engine.

  “You wouldn’t hit my truck,” he warned.

  “I’ve done it before.”

  “Allie…”

  She shifted into park and set her head on the steering wheel, defeated. Nothing about this was going even remotely well. “Go away, Craig. I don’t have any more skin for you to peel off.”

  He opened her door and kneeled down so they were eye to eye. “I didn’t mean what I said. I know you don’t sleep around. I know you didn’t plan this. I don’t know what to say other than I’m more ashamed than I’ve ever been in my life.”

  Allie knew they’d hit rock bottom and there wasn’t anywhere to go but up. The question remained whether they came up together or alone. “You hurt me, Craig.”