She swung her arm through the arm and pointed out of the room. “What was all of that, some guilty declaration?”
Lowering the toilet lid, I took a seat and put my head in my hands. “This is exactly why I hadn’t said anything before now. I know everyone will not believe me, nor will they understand, especially my son, with everything that’s happened. Hell, I don’t even understand it. But, Jason told me I needed to start living my life because all these lies and secrets are only going to hurt more the longer they go.”
Shawna shocked me with a tight embrace. “I love you. I’m both excited and sorry. I know how much you wanted another baby for so long, and I saw it each time you held Sam, and I know you couldn’t be more thrilled, but I see the pain in you. Head to toe, it’s obvious. You haven’t told him, have you?”
I shook my head. My body began to tremble from the stress. “I’ve decided I’m going to. Then, I’ll move on with my life.”
“Jason knows then.”
“Yep. He also knows that I want Ian and that he and I will only be friends.”
Relief began to flood me. Jason was right.
“We have to get back before we’re missed.” Standing, I pulled my red t-shirt down over my jeans.
“Now that I know, I can barely see the bump. Keeping my fingers crossed for a little girl so that Sam has a playmate. I’m going to be here every second, you know that, right?”
“Yep. Please tell Jorge that I want to be the one to tell Ian—and I will, I promise.”
“Okay.”
But it’s hard to tell someone something when you don’t know where they are…
Chapter Nine
I honestly felt like it was ‘the first day of the rest of my life’, and I rose bright and early to take charge of it. Finally, I began to sense empowerment and determined to leave the wimpy attitude behind.
When I noticed in the paper that the annual “Pumpkin Patch” event was going on at the Dallas Arboretum, I mentioned it to Ty. It’s a great place to go in the fall, and Ty wanted to play in the pumpkins on our sunny but cool Sunday.
“Mom, can we get hot chocolate today?”
I smiled as Yolo climbed into the back seat of my small sedan and waited patiently as Ty fastened himself into the booster seat. Hot chocolate was code for getting a “Doggie cup” at Starbucks.
“Sure, but after the pumpkin patch.”
On the drive, I looked into the back seat, and I began to think of all the things that I needed to accomplish in a relatively short period of time. One of them—buy another car. There wasn’t room for a big Labrador, an extra car seat and all the stuff that comes with a baby. And Ty was still a long way from weighing enough to get out of the booster seat.
Bigger car
Nanny
Baby furniture
Diapers, oh God, a huge supply of diapers or would I go green?
Extra help at the boutique
Baby names
Stop stressing and just live and enjoy every beautiful day!
* * *
We had a blast at the pumpkin patch, and I had a chance to take some cute photos of Ty that would be adorable on the walls of my office. The Arboretum doesn’t allow pets, but Yolo was happy taking a nap on Ty’s pillow across the entire back seat.
We hadn’t been back on the road for ten minutes when Ty reminded me. “Mom, hot chocolate.”
My kid was relentless.
“You didn’t eat your lunch in the garden. Hot chocolate only after you eat something.”
“I like their grilled cheese.”
Ugh, picky eaters. Mom used to say “Pick your battles.” This was one of them.
“Fine, grilled cheese it is.”
The next baby is going to eat healthily. Yogurt, avocado and homemade baby food.
We stopped at Starbucks and took our lunch outside to the patio with Yolo, who quickly made friends with the boxer at a nearby table.
“Mom, can I call Mr. Ian?” He asked between bites of his sandwich.
God, where did that come from?
“Not right now. He’s away, and I don’t have the phone number where is.”
“Wouldn’t Mam and Grumpa have it?” Persistent.
I had thought about them many times and missed them terribly, but didn’t possess the courage to bring them into our mess.
“Why do you want to talk to him?” All I could think about was him pouring his heart out about Carson. Ian didn’t need to hear that story right now.
He took a sip of his hot chocolate and leaned forward in his chair beside me. “I want to tell him he needs to come back. He makes you happy, and that makes me happy. I miss Oliver—he was a good brother.”
Moms are emo when it comes to their kids, and pregnancy put mine in overdrive. Trying to wipe the tears that were falling fast, I nodded. “Fine. We’ll go see them now.”
“Yay,” he cheered. He jumped down from the chair and untied Yolo’s leash. “Let’s go,” he ordered.
“Ty, get your sandwich and your drink. For once, I’ll let you eat in the car.”
One McDonald’s hamburger at age two taught me never to let my kid eat in the car. Oh dear God.
Ty chatted my ear off as I searched my phone for their address. I hadn’t been to their new home since they’d moved in because it was after Ian’s accident and I hadn’t felt it appropriate.
“Here’s the email with the address. Are you buckled in?” I turned to see my boy feeding the dog his lunch.
“Really?”
He rolled his eyes inward and made a face, giggling. “I’m too excited to eat.”
Truth. I found myself the same.
Mam and Grumpa’s new house was about thirty minutes away from ours. They’d wanted to be closer to the church and retirement area. Plus, one of the area’s best hospitals was right down the street. As I got on the tollway and headed north, I listened as Ty chattered about all the things he wanted to tell Ian. I just kept nodding and saying okay.
The neighborhood was gated, which I wasn’t prepared for. As I approached the guard’s shed, I felt this was a bad idea. Without prior approval, he would not let me in, more than likely. When the door opened, the female officer stepped to my window.
“Who are you here to see?”
“Sylvia an—”
“Mam and Grumpa,” Ty shouted over me.
She laughed. “Grandparents. What would we do without them? Okay, have a nice day.”
She didn’t ask for ID or anything, just buzzed us right on through. My GPS took me around the several neighborhood turns. Ty and I weren’t prepared for what we saw.
“There’s Oliver,” he screamed and pointed to people in the yard a couple of houses down to our left.
Richard was tossing the football with Oliver while Sylvia planted purple and yellow pansies in her front flower bed. I pulled my car to a stop in front of the home across the street from them. Ty didn’t wait for me to help him out, nor did he look both ways when he bolted across the street.
“Chelsie,” Sylvia said as she met me at the edge of the driveway, arms open.
“We’re here because Ty begged to call Ian,” I whispered.
She leaned back and took a good look at me from head to toe. “I know this has been tough, but he still loves you very much. Come inside and we’ll talk.”
“Grumpa?” She uttered over her shoulder.
“Got it,” he answered the unspoken question.
I knew he’d entertain the boys while I fished for answers.
Sylvia poured us a glass of tea and offered me a piece of cake, which I declined. “I’d prayed that you’d reach out to us, but I gave up as the months passed.”
“So much has happened but, one thing hasn’t changed, and that’s my love for him and Oliver. Is Oliver out of school?” I thought fall break perhaps, but it was late for that here.
“No. Oliver lives with us here now.”
I bumped my tea glass and rushed up to get a towel from the sink. “What’s going o
n? Please tell me.”
As I cleaned my spill, I noticed her hands shake while she held the glass. This wasn’t the stroke—she was visibly upset. “The accident changed him, honey. His injuries were severe, and he’ll never practice medicine again.”
I placed my hand on her arm softly, as an offer of comfort. “Where is he?”
“Rehab.”
“Is that why Oliver is here?”
She shook her head, then got up and began to pace. “Oliver didn’t do well with Elizabeth and Carrington. You know they aren’t warm and fuzzy people.”
“Where’s he going to school?”
“At the Christian Academy. He’s doing much better since he got here over the summer.”
He’d been there for months without a word. Hurt filled me. I wanted to understand, but I was angry. Ian was about to propose the day he was injured. Oliver and I were just making headway. And Ty and I had immediately become castoffs.
“Why didn’t you call me?”
She sat back down in the chair beside me and gripped my hand on top of the table. “We were ordered not to. I didn’t want to risk losing Oliver.”
That made sense.
About that time, the boys ran into the kitchen with Richard following close behind. “I’m sorry, I tried to keep them outside, but Oliver was insistent.”
Oliver approached my chair with his arms wide open and sported a big grin. My heart completely turned to jello. “My how you’ve grown! I’ve missed you so very much. So has Ty.”
“I missed you, Chelsie.”
There was such a maturity to a little boy, now ten years old. I’d always thought he looked like his mother, but seeing him with his new haircut made him look more like Ian.
My phone suddenly pinged three times in a row, but I ignored it.
“Do you need to get that?” Sylvia questioned.
I shook my head. “Nothing is more important than this right here.”
They invited us to stay for dinner, which we both got excited over. After dinner, the boys played in Oliver’s room, while Sylvia asked me more questions about me than answers she gave up regarding Ian.
“So, is Ian living with or close to his parents?”
They both looked at each other, and Sylvia finally shrugged. “He found this place in Wyoming.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes, but Chelsie—”
Moving to the counter, I retrieved my purse and took out a pen and piece of paper. “I want the name of the place, now. I’m going to see him.”
“Honey, there’s—”
I put my hands up shoulder height. “DON’T. No more lies, secrets, and sins. I’m going to see him. I have to see him. We’re having a baby.”
Shit. Did that just slip out?
“What?” She asked with a hand over her mouth. They looked at each other, and Richard smiled.
“He needs that news, Mam.”
“The night he moved out, he came to see me. No one but Shawna knows about the baby, not even Ty.”
She hugged me. “This is the best news. I believe in miracles. He’s at a place called Martin’s House, I’ll give you the address. Will you call first?”
I pondered my answer to her question for a few moments. “No. I have to get someone to watch the boutique and take care of Ty, but I’ll be going in the next day or two. I don’t want to give him the opportunity to run from me. This is more important than last time.”
“We can watch Ty,” Richard suggested.
Having the boys together again—too much too soon—might build false hopes. “Maybe that isn’t such a good idea just yet. Ty and I both grieved the detachment process. It was awful.”
They nodded as if they understood the pain, but I saw the emotion welling on both their faces. Sylvia’s chin quivered. “We have thought of you and Ty like our own. This baby will be no different if you’ll allow us that, regardless of what takes place?”
Emotions held my voice hostage. All I could do was hug her and cry while Richard leaned from his chair and patted my back.
“This isn’t a coincidence. You were led here…” She whispered in my ear.
* * *
Ty fell asleep on the way home. Our stay had been much longer than expected, and he was exhausted from playing with Oliver. Funny, once he saw his friend, he forgot all about his desire to call Ian. But I hadn’t forgotten my own needs. I craved to see Ian and felt I was ten steps closer, now that he was away from his family getting his physical rehabilitation. He helped me with my eyesight after my fall, and I know that Dallas has a place good enough for him to do his rehab. I was mentally crafting my mission to bring Ian home.
After Ty was all tucked tightly in bed, I pulled my planner out of my purse and started making a list of everything that needed to be taken care of before I could fly off to Wyoming. On Monday, seven candidates were scheduled to interview for a second position at the boutique. Surely there’d be a great hire within the group I selected. With a baby coming and Isabella getting married in less than a week, I’d placed an ad for a much-needed person to float between the bistro and the boutique. Tuesday was full of caterers and florists doing the final walk-through, but Isabella didn’t need me for that. Ty had soccer practice on Tuesday night and Thursday night, with a tournament on Saturday.
I can’t do this.
Yes, you can.
Would both of my personalities please stop talking to each other!
Grabbing my purse from the table, I found my phone somewhere down near the bottom. Suddenly, I remembered the text messages from earlier that I never looked at. Scanning the messages, there was one from Denise.
Son’s work visa on delay. Trip canceled. If you need me, call!
There is a wonderful God. Another miracle just happened.
Immediately I sent a text back letting her know that yes, I indeed needed her for the whole week if she could help out and told her I was going to see Ian. Instantly, she phoned, and we quickly worked out her schedule where she would be over in the afternoon to pick up Ty and would be ready for the busy week.
The big sigh of relief was probably audible to Australia. The cards were stacking up beautifully, and I couldn’t believe it. In fact, I pinched myself just to be certain. I rubbed my tummy. “You’re going to get to hear your daddy’s voice very, very soon. I can’t wait to tell him about you.”
With a smile on my face, I searched through flights and found that I would have to go the night before and stay an additional night, so I picked Tuesday night to fly up and return on Thursday and put the ticket on hold. If Shawna could babysit the boutique, I could put a neat bow on the project.
I sent her a text, unsure if she was still awake, and explained I’d found Ian and wanted to see him, but needed help at the boutique. She’d helped many times during the holidays and begged to be my partner on multiple occasions, but then she never wanted to give up flying or the perks that came with it. She and Jorge had traveled the world for several years. The luxury of being a pilot.
Seconds later, she responded with glee, so excited to help. Note to self: Find ribbon, wrap it up and go to bed smiling!
Chapter Ten
Excitement flooded within me like “new boyfriend” butterflies. I barely slept, role-playing the visit with Ian in my head. Now at the office, I could barely hold it together long enough to interview the applicants. All I wanted to do was rush to Wyoming.
When the third candidate walked in, I was charmed immediately. Parker Conrad was smooth as Casanova and gorgeous beyond belief. Tall, black hair, dark eyes, and a deep voice. Even the way he sat in the chair was sexy.
“Why women’s fashion?” Some of the best designers were, in fact, men, but I wanted his opinion.
He re-crossed his legs and adjusted the glasses he’d put on. “Styling a woman and helping her feel beautiful is rewarding. But it goes much further than that. My specialty isn’t runway or high fashion, it’s chic and hip. A younger crowd. However, I do have ambitions to do bridal design
s of my own someday.”
His answer was in keeping with the largest percentage of our fall fashion orders. “Do you work well with women employees, not just the clientele?”
“Absolutely. Most women love working with a gay man.”
I knew it. He was perfect.
With a smile, I said, “Well, of course, that’s not a question I can legally ask, but, if what you say is true, we shouldn’t have issues. If you’re selected as our top choice, when would you be able to start?”
He leaned forward and with a soft smile, “I’ve been working for my dad’s menswear shop since I was fourteen, and he knows I want to branch out. In fact, he hired my replacement over six months ago, so a notice period won’t be necessary. I’d like to start tomorrow.”
Confidence without arrogance. I liked that.
I stood and extended my hand. “It’s been nice meeting you, and I’ll be making my decision by the end of the day and will get back to you. Thank you for coming in.”
“See you tomorrow, Chelsie.”
His fragrance lingered long after he was gone, as well as his charm. I knew he was going to be a tough candidate to beat. Smart, sexy, NYC internship, personable—what’s not to like? Plus, he loved to cook, and Sabrina took to him quickly as well. I was certain Izzy would love working with him, and Mick wouldn’t be jealous once he knew of Parker’s preference for men.
* * *
By the end of the day, I found myself physically frazzled and weathering a massive headache, but I’d made my decision to hire Parker, and he’d accepted. Since Denise had Ty taken care of, I asked Parker if he could come back to the shop for a couple of hours to go over inventory, our register and point-of-sale software for both sides of the store.
After forty-five minutes with him one-on-one, it became apparent I’d hired a blazing professional, and in part, began to feel like the student. He had so many great ideas. He already knew the business software, the clothing lines were his niche’ except for the new children’s additions we’d recently added, and when he asked if he could make me hot tea and an espresso for himself, I fell in love.
Captivated On 5th Avenue: Book 3 (5th Avenue Romance Series) Page 5