by Pamela Bauer
“Not soon enough for you, eh, bro?” Dylan misread the gesture. “I bet it’s soon enough for Mom, though.”
Leonie heard his comment and said, “It’s only natural for mothers to want their children close by. But you, Dylan, know better than any of your brothers that I never interfere with your career goals.”
Dylan lifted his coffee cup in salute. “You’re the best, Mom.”
An echo of “hear, hear,” could be heard as the other family members agreed.
“Shane’s the only one of us who hasn’t spread his wings and flown off to distant parts,” Dylan remarked.
“No, I leave that to my brothers. Me, I’m happy right here in good old Minnesota with this little guy,” he said, wrapping his arms around his son. “You’re smart, Garret, to go after what you want. You might as well travel and do the kind of work that interests you. Once you marry and have a family, you won’t have the choices you have now.”
Garret felt as if his choices had already become restricted. When Leonie and Maddie excused themselves to go to the ladies’ room, five-year-old Mickey announced he needed to use the facilities, too. Shane took him by the hand leaving Dylan and Garret alone at the table.
“One day that’ll be me,” Dylan said as he watched their brother and nephew walk away hand in hand. “I still can’t believe I’m going to be a father.”
“You’re happy about it, aren’t you?” Garret asked.
Dylan chuckled. “Isn’t it obvious?”
Garret smiled. “Just checking.” He was glad his brother had brought up the subject of fatherhood, because it gave them the opportunity to talk. “Did you and Maddie plan to have kids so soon after you were married?”
“No, and to be honest, at first I felt a little cheated. I thought we would have a couple of years with it being just the two of us. Then wham! We’re married one month and she gets pregnant.”
Garret could understand that sentiment—it was what had kept him tossing and turning last night. He too felt cheated. He’d missed out on the chance of falling in love with a woman before discovering he was going to be a father.
“I should have known better though,” Dylan continued. “The same thing happened to Shane and Jennifer.” He wagged his finger at Garret. “So be forewarned. When that time comes and you meet the right woman, it could be wham!”
Garret nodded and looked away, not wanting to give him any indication the warning came too late. He took a sip of his coffee, then asked, “So what got you past that feeling-cheated stage?”
“Seeing how happy Maddie was,” Dylan answered. “She told me the minute she found out. Plus the knowledge that the baby inside her is a part of me. It’s my son.” He shook his head in amazement. “I’m telling you, Garret, it’s an incredible feeling. I can’t explain it. I guess you’re just going to have to experience it yourself someday to know what I’m talking about.”
Garret almost told him about Krystal. He thought about it, but before he could actually do it, Dylan was reaching into his pocket and pulling out an envelope. He handed it to him.
“It’s an ultrasound of the baby, but I guess I don’t need to tell you that, do I?” he said with a proud grin.
“Actually, this printout is called the sonogram,” Garret corrected him. “Ultrasound is the procedure.”
“Can you see? It’s a boy!” Dylan boasted.
Garret smiled as he gazed at the printout. “Yup. Looks like a Donovan to me. Big head, big feet.”
“You’ve probably seen hundreds of these, but it’s the first one I’ve ever seen,” he said, looking at it once more before tucking it back into his pocket. “Technology is amazing, isn’t it?”
Garret nodded in agreement. “You’re going to make a good dad, Dylan,” he said sincerely.
“Thanks. It means a lot to me to hear you say that. I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on things.”
Garret shrugged. “Does that surprise you? We’re brothers.”
“We’re a lot alike,” he said, tucking the sonogram back into his pocket.
“You think so?”
“Yup. You’re very protective of the people you care about. That’s why you were so upset with me when Dad and I weren’t getting along.”
It was the one time in their family history where there had actually been a rift that had caused heartache. Garret was glad it was in the past. “I wasn’t trying to protect Dad,” he felt obliged to say.
“No, you were trying to protect Mom. So was I.”
Garret leaned back, thinking about his father, wondering what he’d say if he were still alive. What advice would he give him regarding Krystal? “I miss Dad.”
“So do I. He did some things I didn’t like, some things I’ll never understand, but he was still my father. And I’m sad that I don’t have the chance to share this time of my life with him. Remember how excited he was when Mickey was born?” His eyes clouded at the memory. “He was a grandpa for only a short time, but he loved it.”
“Yeah, he did,” Garret concurred with a sigh. He eyed his brother thoughtfully, then said, “Marriage has changed you, Dylan.”
“Why? Because I realized that Mom was right?”
“About what?”
“Remember when we were kids and one of us would get mad at Dad, we inevitably would say, Dad just doesn’t get it. She’d always tell us, Oh, he gets it all right. And one day, when you’re a father, you’ll understand just how much he gets it. I think I’m beginning to understand. Fatherhood changes a man’s life.”
Garret agreed with him silently. It had been less than twelve hours since Krystal had told him about her pregnancy and already his life had changed. Only right now it didn’t seem to be the positive change it was for his brother.
Again he was tempted to tell Dylan about Krystal, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when he wasn’t sure what he was going to do. Or what she was going to do for that matter.
It was something he hadn’t given much consideration until now. He’d spent most of his time thinking about the impact this baby would have on his life. Now he realized he hadn’t given any thought as to what it would do to hers. Like him, she had decisions to make.
“Listen to me, rambling on about fatherhood like this. I’m probably boring the socks off a single guy like you,” Dylan said with a brotherly pat on his shoulder.
Garret shook his head. “No, not at all,” he said honestly.
“I’m just so excited about this baby,” he told him. “I’ll tell you what. When the day comes and you’re in my shoes, I promise I’ll let you talk my ear off.”
Again Garret was tempted to tell him that day had come, but Maddie was coming toward them. “Bet I can guess what you two are talking about,” she said.
“I had to show him the picture.” Dylan hugged her before she sat back down, his hand on her slightly bulging stomach.
It was such a loving gesture Garret couldn’t help but be envious. Little did Dylan know that Garret was walking in his shoes. The problem was, he couldn’t fill them. He didn’t have a happy marriage, or a loving wife. He didn’t even live with the mother of his child. Maddie had told Dylan the minute she suspected she was pregnant. Krystal had known about her pregnancy for months before she even told him.
No, he would not be walking in Dylan’s shoes. He was going to have a pair all to himself. He only hoped he knew what to do with them.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS SOON AS EMILY HAD finished eating her breakfast, Krystal took her back upstairs. Carly wasn’t asleep, but was on her cell phone. From the look on her face and the tone of her voice, Krystal knew she wanted privacy and suggested she finish her conversation in the hall.
While she was gone, Krystal made good on her promise to Emily to paint her fingernails and toenails. When that was accomplished, she braided the little girl’s long blond hair, then read her a story. As she suspected, her niece fell asleep before she’d turned but a couple of pages.
It wasn’t much later that Carly came
back into the room wearing the same weary, downtrodden look she’d had when she’d arrived on her doorstep that morning.
“Are you okay?” Krystal asked.
She nodded. “That was Mom, in case you couldn’t tell. She gave me the usual ‘you don’t solve problems by running away from them’ speech.”
“She ought to know.” Krystal knew it was a catty remark, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Yeah. How many times did we move because of some guy she no longer wanted in her life?” She dropped down on to the futon. “I feel sick.”
Krystal sat beside her. “You’re exhausted. I wish you’d try to get some sleep.”
“I can’t sleep. I keep seeing him…with her.” She shivered, then rubbed her hands on her arms. “Everyone in town knows about it. I’ll never be able to face anyone ever again…not even Sofie.”
Sofie was her best friend. She also was Joe’s cousin. “It’s probably not as bad as you think.” Krystal tried to be optimistic.
“Yes, it is.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t care what Mom says. I’m never going back, Krys. I can’t.”
Krystal knew at this point it wouldn’t do much good to tell her sister it was unrealistic to think she could run away from the situation forever. Instead, she said, “What about your house?”
“I don’t want it. It’s his anyway.”
“He built it for you.”
“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want it anymore. He can keep it.” There was no emotion in her voice, just a flat resignation that told Krystal how deeply hurt her sister was.
“You don’t need to make that decision now. How you feel today might not be how you feel tomorrow, and you have to remember that even if you don’t reconcile with Joe, you’re going to need a place to live,” she stated pragmatically.
Carly didn’t appreciate her attempt to be rational. “Look, if you don’t want me here, just say so. I’ll leave.”
“I do want you here. You’re my sister and I love you and I want to help you in any way I can. All I’m saying is that at some point, you’re going to have to sit down with Joe and get this all straightened out.” She worked at keeping her voice even, not wanting this to disintegrate into an emotional argument.
“Maybe you didn’t hear me. It is straight as far as Joe is concerned. He doesn’t want me for a wife. He wants Miss Bathing Suit. There’s nothing left to think about.” Carly’s voice rose in frustration.
Krystal raised her hands in surrender. “All right. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply you hadn’t thought this through. But I have to tell you, Carly, that it doesn’t seem right to me that he’s the one who cheats on you, yet you’re the one who moves out. Do you know how many times I’ve heard you say that house is your dream home?”
“That was before he brought her there.”
“He didn’t…” She trailed off in disgust.
Carly nodded. “That weekend Emily and I went with Mom to visit Aunt Lois? She was there at the house, eating in my kitchen, taking a bath in my whirlpool tub, and sleeping with my husband in my bed!” Again the tears ran down her cheeks.
“Why, that big zero! Who does he think he is?” Anger coursed through her. “You should have kicked his butt to the curb, Carly. He doesn’t deserve you or Emily.”
Carly looked at her with woeful eyes. “He told me he built the house for me. He said it was a gift of love, that it would be the house where all our dreams came true. Then he turns around and does that…with her.”
Seeing the pain of betrayal on her sister’s face made Krystal want to smack her brother-in-law. Carly was far from perfect, but she was a good wife to Joe and a good mother to Emily. She didn’t deserve to suffer such a humiliation. Krystal wrapped her arms around her sister and tried to comfort her.
“Oh, Carly, I’m sorry. No wonder you’re so upset. That is unforgivable.”
“That’s what I told Mom. She thinks I should just go back home, but I can’t forgive him, Krys.”
“I don’t blame you.”
“Then you don’t think I’m wrong for leaving?”
“No! How could you be wrong for walking out on someone who’s done that to you?”
“Mom said all men make mistakes and that before I do anything I’ll regret, I should think about Emily,” she said between sobs. “She needs a father.”
“She also needs to see her mother treated with respect,” Krystal pointed out.
Just then Carly’s cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she whispered, “It’s him.”
For one moment Krystal saw a spark of hope in her sister’s eyes. It was enough to tell her that no matter what Carly said, she still cared for Joe.
Again Carly went out into the hall for privacy, but this call was significantly shorter than the one she’d had with their mother. When she returned, the hope that had momentarily brightened her eyes was gone.
“He only called because he wanted to talk to Emily,” she said, tossing her cell phone on to the futon. “I told him she was sleeping, but I don’t think he believed me.” She groaned in frustration. “I wish I could run far away where he’d never be able to see her again.”
“Mom’s right about one thing, Carly. He is Emily’s father and, no matter what happens between the two of you, that’s not going to change.”
“I don’t want him in her life,” she said bitterly.
Krystal didn’t think it was a good time to remind Carly of Joe’s responsibilities toward his daughter. Her sister was too distraught to have any perspective on Emily and Joe’s relationship.
“I don’t blame you for feeling that way. It’s only normal for you to be angry right now. He’s done a terrible thing and I know you only want what’s best for Emily.”
Carly looked up at her with gratitude in her eyes. “I knew you’d understand. You don’t want Garret in your baby’s life, either, do you?”
She shifted uncomfortably. “Carly, I never said I wasn’t going to tell Garret I’m pregnant.”
“If you were smart, you wouldn’t,” she advised her.
She didn’t tell her that it was too late. Garret already knew. Instead she moved the conversation back to her sister’s situation. “Did Joe give you any money when you left?”
“He doesn’t have any.”
“What do you mean he doesn’t have any? His parents own half of Fergus Falls.”
“I know, but they stopped giving him money a long time ago. They knew it was ending up in the casino.”
“He has a gambling problem?” Krystal frowned. “How long has this been going on?”
Carly shrugged. “Since he got bored being with me, I guess. I’m a boring person, you know.” Self-pity laced her words.
“You are not boring. And even if you were, it wouldn’t give him the right to gamble away your household money. How bad is your financial situation?”
“Bad enough.”
“You do have some money, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, I have some.” She got up and began to pace the floor, rubbing her forehead with her fingers. “I can’t believe he had that woman at the house when he was talking to me.”
“Carly, would you forget about the other woman? You need to think about what you’re going to do. How much money do you have right now?” She tried to steer the conversation back to the practical.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. A couple of thousand, I guess. There should be some money in my savings account.”
“Don’t you know?”
She shook her head. “Joe was the one who took care of the bills.”
“Obviously, he didn’t take care of them very well if he’s broke,” Krystal said with disdain.
“Can we not talk about him?” Carly pleaded.
Krystal sighed. She knew they would not have a rational conversation at this point. Krystal knew it was up to her to get things under control.
“We need to talk about you and Emily. You need a place to stay until you figure out what you’re going to d
o,” she told her sister.
Carly interpreted that statement as a sign that she wasn’t welcome as Krystal’s houseguest. “I knew you didn’t want me here.”
“I do want you here, but look at this place.” She waved her arm in the air. “It’s not big enough for three people.” Although her room was quite large for an efficiency-size apartment, she had no kitchen and she had to share a bath with the other second-floor tenant.
“All right, all right, I get the message,” Carly said impatiently, jumping to her feet. “I’ll get out of your way and you won’t have to be bothered by me.”
Krystal groaned. “Will you stop?” She reached for her sister’s hand. “How many times do I have to tell you I want you here?” She let out a long sigh of frustration. “If you would let me finish what I have to say, I’d tell you that I am not going to send you home or to Mom’s. I’m going to ask Leonie if you can use the apartment across the hall. It’s about the same size as this one.” It was not a request Krystal wanted to make—not after what she’d told Garret last night, but she didn’t see any other option at the moment.
A ray of optimism brightened her sister’s face. “You think she’ll say yes?”
“I’m not sure what Leonie will say,” she answered honestly, knowing her relationship with her landlady could have changed dramatically since yesterday. She didn’t tell Carly that but said, “We’re not supposed to have children in this building, but she’s made exceptions in the past so she might now.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Krystal glanced at her niece asleep on the bed. “No. You stay here with Emily.” As she headed toward the door, she said, “Wish me luck. I’m going to need it.” And for more reasons than one, she added silently.
WITH EACH STEP KRYSTAL TOOK down the stairs, her anxiety increased. She knew Leonie was home because she could hear voices. The sound wasn’t coming from the kitchen, however, but the great room.
As she stepped into the entry, she saw that most of the Donovans were gathered there. All heads turned in her direction at the sound of her footsteps. Conversation ceased and from the way everyone stared at her, Krystal thought it could only be for one reason. Garret had told them she was pregnant with his child.