Jeremy (Members From Money Book 4)

by Katie Dowe

  “Oh, Rosalind!” Deidre reached over to clasp the woman’s hands. “I am so sorry.”

  “Do you think you will ever forgive him?” she asked hopefully.

  “I have to. He is my husband as well as the father of my baby.”

  “Dare I hope that there is more?”

  “That’s between Jeremy and I,” she told the woman gently.

  “Please don’t tell him I spoke to you. He told me not to interfere.”

  “It will be our secret.”

  Rosalind got to her feet and smiled down at her daughter-in-law. “I look forward to seeing you back at the manor. The place is not the same without you.”

  “Thanks, Rosalind.”

  ******************************

  “I am afraid we messed up pretty badly,” Robert said with a grimace as he lowered himself into the chair in her living room. “The boy looks like he has not been sleeping for weeks.”

  “I tried to apologize to Deidre but she does not want to accept my apology.” Deborah passed the glass of beer to him and sat in the opposite sofa. They had not renewed their relationship since the night of the wedding. It had been a week since Deidre had found out what they did and had still not moved back to the manor.

  “I wanted to go and talk to her myself, but Rosalind said she already did,” he sighed and wiped the moisture from the glass. “The boy is in love with her, Deb, and he is suffering silently.”

  “She has to come to terms with everything in her own time. She is like her father, very intractable and fiercely independent. I have a feeling she is in love with him but what we did does not sit too well with her. I hear he has been calling Deena every evening to check up on her.”

  “He drives by here each time he leaves the office.”

  Deborah sighed listlessly. “I offered to go and stay with her during the days, but she said no.”

  “When is she due again?” Robert asked her.

  “The second week in June.”

  *******************************

  He went to the club on Friday night. He could not bear the thought of going home to his empty suite again. He had stopped by her apartment and had seen the lights on in the living room. She had not called him and he had not gone back there, not bearing the silences and the accusations. He had already told her that he was sorry and tried to explain how he felt so there was nothing else he could do.

  He went straight to the office and changed out of his work clothes, putting on denims and a T-shirt. He remembered this time last year and how excited he had been about the club, now he found it did not matter to him anymore. She mattered, and he wanted to make it right.

  He closed the door behind him and went to one of the lounge areas.

  “Hey man, I have not seen you in a while.” Jeffry told him with a smile as he walked past the area where some men were playing table tennis. It was a little past seven and there were people outside playing lawn tennis as well.

  “I have been busy,” his smile was a little strained.

  He went over to the bar and Marty came with his usual scotch on the rocks with a twist of lemon. “What are you having?”

  “My usual, Marty, thanks.” Jeffry sat next to him. “I see you have been named CEO of the company.”

  He nodded not in the least bit enthused.

  “I would think you would be very excited about it. Wasn’t that what you always wanted?”

  “I thought so. Now, I just want my family.”

  “You can have both or I thought you had both.” Jeffry commented as he sipped his Vodka with a twist.

  “I messed up and now I am not so sure.”

  “You do love her?”

  “More than my life,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “Then, it will work out.” Jeffry said quietly. “I thought Diana was not my type until I found myself falling in love with her. Now I could never see my life without her. Go fight for your love, man, and don’t stop.”

  **************************

  “He is parked out front.” Deena peered through the thick drapery in the living room for the third time. “Aren’t you going to invite him in?”

  “No,” Deidre said firmly as she looked up from her laptop. She had been doing some designs online to keep her occupied and consulting with her clients over the phone. “We will work it out without any further interference from anyone.”

  “That man has been proving himself over and over for the past week, Deidre; you need to give him a chance.”

  “And I am going to but not because you, mom, Rosalind or Robert think so.” Deidre said impatiently. “It has to be between us from now on, Dee, and I want you to understand that.”

  “I am the one he has to be calling because you are not taking his calls, so I am involved.”

  “And I am extremely grateful for that, but I need some time to think and sort things out in my head, so please allow me to do so.”

  “Okay fine, but in the meantime, I am going to see Malcolm. Will you be okay?”

  “I will be.”

  She looked out the window again. “He is gone.” She looked at her sister. “I know I always rag you about having things easy, but this time I think you are making too big a deal about everything. Jeremy is in love with you and as much as Malcolm and I have something special I have never seen him look at me the way that man looks at you. Something to think about.”

  Chapter 10

  He was on his way back to her when she called him. “Deidre, what is it?” he asked her urgently.

  “I think our son is making his way to come out,” she said ending in a gasp as the contraction hit her again.

  “I will be there in two minutes.”

  He hung up the phone and parked at the curb getting out quickly. He had left there but had not gone too far in case he was needed. He had turned back when Deena had called and told him that she was by herself.

  “You need to be with her, Jeremy, no matter what she says.”

  She was in the bedroom when he got there. Her due date was not until the twelfth of June and it was only the fifth now on a Saturday night. “I have the bag packed in the trunk of my car,” he came over and sat beside her. She was dressed and ready to leave and propped up against the pillows.

  “Thanks,” the pain had gone and she was starting to think she had dreamt it. “Can we talk?”

  “Now?” he looked at her frowningly.

  “I still have a long way to go, Jeremy. My contractions are ten minutes apart. I refuse to go into the hospital until my water breaks.”

  “Can we at least call the doctor?” he asked her.

  “I already did.” She patted the place next to her. “Please.”

  He did as he was told and tried to quiet his pounding heart. “Deena told me off good and proper before she left and I realized that she was right.”

  “About?”

  “I hated the fact that I was left out of all the planning–”

  “Deidre–” he began but she cut him off.

  “Let me finish and get it off my chest before I start feeling pain again.” She admonished him. “She was right. You are a wonderful husband and you are going to be a terrific dad. You came into my life and you showed me how much you love me even when I never said it back. You never pressured me and you always let me call all the shots–” she grimaced as the pain came on again, reaching for his hands. “I just have to breathe,” she did so inhaling and exhaling slowly, her hands tight on his.

  “Deidre–”he could feel the panic rising inside him.

  “It’s okay. I have read up on everything and it’s not so bad now that you are here. I prefer to stay here with you than having doctors and nurses hovering around me.” She eased off his hands a little bit but continued to hold him. “I love you.” She smiled at the look on his face. “I am stubborn and love my own way and I will probably cause you a lot of grief or maybe some because I love to have my way, but I do not want to be without you.”

  “Deidre!�
�� his breath was backed up into his throat as he pulled his hands away from hers and framed her face. “Christ! I have waited so long and dared not hope that you were in love with me. I love you,” he put his forehead on hers, his hands trembling. “Baby, I love you so much and I promise never to do anything like that to hurt you again.”

  “I know,” she lifted her head and captured his lips with hers. He almost cried at the familiar sensation going through his body. She loved him! The thought sailed through him that the woman he loved really loved him back!

  He pulled back abruptly as she gasped in pain. This time the contraction was more intense and had her clinging to his shirt. “We are going to the hospital.” He told her firmly.

  She nodded trying to breathe in and level the pain.

  **********************************

  The labor was long. He had called his mother and hers and Deena and his grandfather as soon as he got to the hospital. They had gotten there a few minutes ago, and he had come out to tell them that she was still in the labor room. “The pain is now five minutes apart,” he said with a small smile. “She insisted that she did not want the epidural, but I am not sure how much I can stand to see her in so much pain. Christ, she is stubborn!”

  “I know dear, just hang in there,” Deborah said patting his arm. “I take it everything is back to normal?”

  “Will it ever be normal with her?” he asked with a tender smile. “But we sorted things out. I have to get back.”

  “I thought you had deserted me,” she told him as soon as he came back into the room. “I have been told not to push for another several minutes. Your son is being stubborn.” She eased up and he got behind her.

  “I wonder who he got that from?” he said with a smile.

  “I have no idea.” She settled back against him and closed her eyes. “I love you Jeremy.” She added quietly.

  “I cannot get used to you saying that,” he whispered as she turned to look up at him.

  “Get used to it.” She told him. He bent to kiss her on her lips, deepening the kiss. They had been left alone for the time being, and in spite of the fact that she was laboring with their child he felt the stirrings of desire uncurling inside him. He felt when she stiffened and released her lips.

  “Grab my hands,” she whispered as the pain tore through her! She cried out sharply and he felt as if he wanted to die at the torture in her voice.

  “Baby, please take the epidural,” he begged her.

  “No,” she gasped. “I want to do this naturally.”

  The doctor and nurses bustled in just then and she fell back against him exhausted.

  “Your son is crowning Deidre,” Doctor Livingston told her with a smile on his craggy face. “Any minute now. Are you sure you don’t want us to give you anything to take the edge off the pain?”

  “I am sure,” she felt her husband stiffened behind her and looked up at him. “Please support me on this,” she whispered as she looked up at him.

  His grey blue eyes met hers and he nodded slowly.

  **************************************

  Their son was born in the early hours of Monday morning. A beautiful baby boy with dark brown hair and blue eyes and his mother’s nose and mouth. Deidre refused to go to sleep even though she was so exhausted, she could hardly keep her eyes open. She wanted to hold him in her arms. She was exhausted and the pain had been horrific, but it had been worth it just to look at her beautiful son. “He is perfect,” she said looking up at her husband as he sat beside her on the bed with his arms around her. He had been a very strong support and she knew she could not have done it without him. He had not slept and she knew he must be exhausted. The other members of the family had already been in to look at him, and he was lying in his mother’s arms ready to go to sleep.

  “Just like you,” Jeremy had cried openly as soon as he saw him and had spent some time looking down at him before handing him to her. “How about giving him to the nurse and getting some sleep?”

  He had decided that he was not going into the office. He had told his grandfather that he was taking here days off.

  “Will you stay and sleep with me?” They had brought clothes over for him so he had showered and changed.

  “Of course.” He smiled at the nurse as she came over and took Jaden away to put him in the nursery. Deidre slid down and rested her head on his chest feeling the warmth of him and the steady beat of his heart. “Thanks.” He murmured.

  “You are welcome,” she murmured drowsily, and within seconds she was sleeping. Jeremy did not drop off at the same time. He had not slept last night while she was suffering through labor, but he was wired thinking about what she had gone through bringing their child into the world. He had not brought her jewelry or flowers or the entire company but he had a feeling that those would not suffice! He had felt the tremors gripping her body after each contraction was over and had wanted to take her place! He had felt he could not bear anymore and had almost gone mad with the need to make her stop feeling so much pain, but she had never once complained. He loved her so much that he found it hard to breathe! He kissed her softly on top of her head and drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.

  *******************************************

  “You look well,” Marcus said softly eyeing her up and down. He had asked her to meet him at the café near his law firm, and she had hesitated but had decided to find out what he wanted. The divorce was ongoing and they were only communicating through their lawyers. She had her own money so she did not need anything from him and she was earning a very good salary at her job.

  “Thank you,” she told him politely looking at him in his expensive jacket suit and his pompous air and wondering what she had been so afraid of! She ordered the shrimp salad and he had the lobster quiche. His firm had an account there and she knew he was not spending his own money.

  “Look,” he began right after they had been served their meal. “I have to admit that I did not treat you the way you deserved to be treated and want to apologize for that.”

  She looked at him in surprise at the statement. He had never apologized to her for anything in his life. “It’s okay I have stopped thinking about the pain of being married to you,” she told him coolly as she ate her salad.

  “Ouch!” he said with a small laugh as he looked at her.

  “What do you want Marcus?”

  “I just wanted to run something by you baby,” he said in a conciliatory tone which had her highly suspicious.

  “Go ahead.” She stopped eating to give him her entire attention.

  He pushed the fork around in his meal and avoided her eyes. “The partners are frowning at the divorce.”

  “Oh,” she laughed suddenly. “So what do you want us to do Marcus? Go back into that hellhole we were in? Perfect on the outside and smelling like crap on the inside? Do you know how many times I curled up into a ball and cried myself to sleep because you have been out for most of the nights? Do you know how I wonder how I could make myself into the woman you wanted? The ‘deal woman’? I spent the time trying to be the woman you wanted and hating myself because I was not? You want me to willingly go back into something like that?”

  He stared at the passion on her round attractive face and the anger in her large dark eyes and saw something there that he had not seen before. The truth was that he had been left high and dry by the woman he had set his hopes and sights on, and the firm had told him to get his life straight or else! “I am sorry,” he muttered really meaning it.

  “That’s not going to make me go back to you Marcus. I have moved on and I want to thank you for telling me to leave. That was the best thing you ever did for me.” She told him contemptuously as she dug into her pocketbook for a suitable tip to leave. Suddenly sitting even this near to him felt suffocating. “I have to go.”

  “Wait!” he stood up with her. “Please think about it.” He pleaded earnestly. “I was a fool and I should not have let you go.”

 
; “Yes, you were an idiot,” she told him coolly. “But I am glad you let me go.” Without a word she walked out and left him standing there with her head held high.

  **************************************

  “You should have seen the look on his face Deidre,” Deena touched fingers to her nephew’s soft cheek. Gosh he was the most beautiful baby she had ever seen! She thought. It was a week since her sister had come back from the hospital and her husband had finally gone back to the office. They were in the nursery in the late afternoon. Her mother was downstairs having after dinner drinks with Rosalind. Both grandmothers could not get enough of their grandson and neither could his great grandfather who had declared that now he could die a happy man!

  “I am happy you stood up for yourself honey,” Deidre said as she folded her son’s blanket and put it away. She was thinking of taking an extended leave from her work to spend time at home with him. She had not spoken to Jeremy about it yet. She intended to as soon as he got home later. “And I am happy you discovered that your worth is not tied up with some man. You deserve a whole lot better.”

  “Jeremy is one in a few thousands.” Deena put the baby up on her shoulder and rubbed his back so he could burp. “I take it you have told him how much you appreciate him?”

  “And how much I love his fine ass,” she laughed softly as she took her son and put him inside his cot.

  “Good for you,” Deena said approvingly.

  “What about you and Malcolm?” Deidre passed a hand over her son’s fine brown curls and watched his long lashes covered his beautiful blue eyes as he drifted off to sleep.