A Baby in the House

by Pamela Bauer

  Krystal opened it and found a petition for a divorce. “Carly, I’m sorry.”

  She shrugged. “I knew it was coming. Now you see why I need to find a place of my own.”

  “Have you looked through the classifieds?”

  She nodded. “I couldn’t find anything in my price range, so I phoned a rental agent who’s going to take me to look at some places this evening. I was hoping you’d come with me.”

  Emily tugged on her hand. “I’m going to have a lot of room to play.”

  “That’ll be fun, won’t it?” Krystal said with a smile.

  “You can live there, too, if you want. Mommy said so.”

  Again Krystal looked at her sister. “I thought it might make more sense for us to share a house. I mean, you’re not going to be able to stay here much longer, are you?”

  It was something that had been on Krystal’s mind, especially since Carly’s arrival. She knew the three of them were an imposition on Leonie’s generosity when she’d been on good terms with her landlady. Now that Leonie’s attitude toward her had changed, there was an even greater incentive to move.

  At one time she hadn’t been able to imagine wanting to live anywhere but 14 Valentine Place. Now she knew she really had no choice. She was going to have a baby and even if Leonie wanted her to stay, it wouldn’t be practical.

  “No, I need to find another place, but…” But she hadn’t given any thought as to living with her sister. Financially, it was a good idea, but would it be good for their relationship?

  “I think it would work out really well for us, Krys.” Carly did her best to persuade her. “Soon we’re both going to be in the same situation—two single moms trying to raise kids. And it’s not like we don’t know how to get along. We shared a bedroom when we lived with Mom. We certainly could share a whole house, don’t you think?”

  Krystal had her doubts but didn’t express them. “Are you sure there’s no chance of you getting back together with Joe?”

  “Believe me, Krys. It’s over. Why don’t you come with us to see the rental agent tonight? Emily would like that, wouldn’t you, Emily?”

  “Uh-huh.” The four-year-old gave her a big grin.

  Krystal knew it would be a solution to her housing problem, but then so would marriage to Garret. For weeks she’d been thinking about his proposal. At times she thought it was a realistic solution, and other times she thought she had to be crazy to even consider the idea.

  “First I need to make a phone call,” she told her sister.

  “Are you worried about what Garret will say?”

  “He is the baby’s father.”

  Carly stared at her, hands on her hips. “Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking about marrying him? Krys, you’re the one who told me that you would never settle for anything less than the right man. And believe me, marriage is tough enough the way it is without starting with one strike against you already.”

  “And what strike would that be?”

  “Another woman in the picture? Everyone knows Garret’s been seeing your neighbor upstairs.”

  “He told me he wasn’t.”

  “And you believe him?”

  “Yes, I did. Even if I don’t marry him, I still need to tell Garret what I plan to do as far as housing goes.”

  She walked across the room to the small alcove where her dressing table was and dialed Garret’s number. Getting his voice mail, she left him a message, then said to her sister, “I’ll go with you to look at houses tonight, but I’m not going to make a decision just yet.”

  “But I need to find something soon, otherwise I’m going to end up staying here with you. Krys, you can’t have the baby here.”

  Krystal knew she had a point. “How long are you planning to stay with Mom?”

  “As short a time as possible. She said she’d go with me to get furniture from the house. Emily needs her own bed. I need the rest of my clothes among other things.”

  “Have you talked to Joe about taking stuff out of the house?”

  “Yes, he said I could take what I need.”

  “And what about moving it all down here?”

  “Mom knows a guy who has a pickup and a trailer.”

  And if he was like most of her mother’s friends, he wasn’t necessarily the most reliable person in Fergus Falls. Krystal sighed. “This has all happened pretty fast. Are you sure you’re ready to make such a move?”

  “Yes. I need a new start.” She waved the divorce papers under her nose.

  Krystal could see by the set of her sister’s jaw that she wasn’t going to be able to talk her into taking some time to think about it. “What about a job? Do you want me to ask at the salon and see if they need a receptionist?”

  “You don’t have to. I found one on my own,” she boasted.

  “Doing what?”

  “Helping out in an office. It’s a small company, on the bus line and the best part is, I’ll have a great boss.” She had a cagey grin on her face. “Want to know who it is?”

  “Is it someone I know?”

  Carly nodded. “It’s Shane. He needs someone to help out…you know, answer phones, do some paperwork, that kind of stuff.”

  “I thought Jennifer did that for him.”

  “Apparently she doesn’t have time for that anymore, now that she’s gone back to school. Sounds as if she doesn’t have time for much of anything when it comes to Shane and Mickey.”

  “Who told you that?”

  She shrugged. “No one had to tell me. I have eyes and ears.”

  A hint of uneasiness narrowed Krystal’s eyes. In the short time Carly had been staying at 14 Valentine Place she’d undergone quite a dramatic change. The first few days she hadn’t bothered to even get dressed. She hadn’t fussed with her hair or makeup, too caught up in her unhappiness to care about her personal appearance.

  Today she wore an emerald sweater that highlighted the green in her eyes and a pair of slacks that showed that although she’d gained weight since she’d had Emily, she still had a nice figure. Her blond hair fell in gentle curls around her face, a face that was beautifully made up. Even her nails had been recently manicured. She looked good—almost too good for someone recovering from a broken marriage.

  Suspicion had Krystal asking, “How did Shane know you were looking for a job?”

  “I told him. Mickey’s in Emily’s Sunday school class.”

  Which could explain the reason her sister had decided the past few Sundays she needed to get her daughter to church. The uneasiness grew in Krystal’s stomach.

  She’d thought she’d noticed something different about her sister recently and now she knew what it was. There was a sparkle in her eye. When she’d first come to stay she’d been depressed, sleeping away most of her day, uninterested in life. Now she had color in her cheeks, enthusiasm in her voice. Krystal only hoped Shane Donovan wasn’t the reason.

  There was enough tension at 14 Valentine Place because of what had happened between her and Garret. Krystal could only imagine the fireworks that would fly if Shane were to show any interest in her sister.

  The thought of moving was getting more attractive by the minute.

  BEFORE THEY MET with the rental agent, Krystal warned her sister she was not going to make an immediate decision that evening. Although she knew Carly wanted to get on with her life, she also knew that her emotional state wasn’t the most reliable at the moment. She told Carly it was always best to sleep on important decisions and to sit down and do the math to make sure the house was what they could afford.

  After seeing the first two homes, Krystal didn’t think she needed to worry about her sister rushing into any deal. It was a shock for her to see how expensive housing in St. Paul was compared to rental rates in Fergus Falls. After living in an upscale two-story with an interior designed by a professional decorator, Carly found it hard not to find fault with the rental properties the agent showed them. The rooms were too small, the carpets the wrong color, the applian
ces too old.

  Krystal was tired and ready to call it quits for the evening, but the rental agent insisted they look at one more place that had a great location and was perfect for kids. The only problem was that it was out of the price range Carly and she could afford. However, once her sister saw it, she quickly forgot that money had anything at all to do with her decision.

  Krystal could understand why her sister wanted the bungalow. It was perfect for a small family. The rooms were painted bright, cheery colors, the floors polished to a shine. The backyard was fenced with a swing hanging from a large oak tree. The kitchen had been recently remodeled with brand-new stainless-steel appliances and an eating counter as well as a breakfast nook.

  “Look, Krys. There’s a nursery!” Carly told her as the real estate agent flicked on a light in one of the bedrooms.

  It was painted a soft yellow with nursery rhyme characters stenciled around the edges. Krystal could imagine a rocking chair in the corner, a crib along the inside wall.

  “I think we should take this place,” Carly urged her.

  “It’s nice, but…”

  “Ooh, please don’t say but. This house is perfect for us. You can have the room next to this one and I’ll take the smaller bedroom next to Emily’s.”

  It was nice. Krystal chewed on her lip, trying to figure out how she and Carly would be able to afford it. She pulled her aside to talk finances.

  “Are you going to be making enough to pay half of the rent on this place? Don’t forget we have utilities, food, upkeep….” She rattled the items off on her fingers.

  “I’m going to be getting child support for Emily,” she told her.

  “Do you know that for a fact? I thought you said Joe was broke.”

  “He is, but his folks will make him pay for Emily. They told me they will.” She tugged on Krystal’s arm. “Please say you’ll go in on this with me.”

  “It’s a lot of money.”

  “I know, but it’ll be worth it.”

  Krystal was tempted to sign the rental agreement, but finally said, “I think we should sleep on it.”

  It wasn’t what Carly wanted to hear. She moaned and groaned and pleaded with Krystal to have a heart and warned her that if they didn’t act tonight, tomorrow it might be gone. She used every argument she could think of, including the fact that it would only get more uncomfortable at 14 Valentine Place the further along she was in her pregnancy.

  It was that last argument that nearly had Krystal agreeing. Then her cell phone rang. It was Garret.

  “Is everything okay?” There was concern in his voice and she realized that her message had alarmed him.

  She stepped into one of the empty rooms to have privacy. “Everything’s fine. I just wanted to tell you that I was going with Carly to try to find another place to live.”

  “Did Mom ask you to leave?” His voice resonated with disbelief.

  “No,” she quickly reassured him. “But I’m going to need a bigger place eventually and Carly’s looking for something for her and Emily so we thought we might share a house. Actually, we’re in one right now that looks as if it would work for us.”

  There was a silence, then he said, “I see.”

  “It’s small, but there’s a nursery. And it’s in a good neighborhood.”

  “Is that what you want? To live with your sister?” Before she had a chance to answer, he said, “Excuse me a moment.”

  Krystal could hear muffled sounds in the background, mainly a woman’s voice. It was a familiar one and she realized it belonged to Samantha. She felt a twinge—something like jealousy. She shook her head. Why would she care if Garret still saw Samantha?

  “I’m sorry, Krystal. What were you saying?”

  Apparently what Samantha had to say was of more interest. Again the tiny jab of jealousy surfaced, which she knew was ridiculous.

  “I think this house might be a good solution for now,” she told him.

  “It sounds as if you’ve already made up your mind. I take it marriage is no longer an option.”

  It wasn’t what she’d decided at all, but the woman’s voice in the background reminded her of Carly’s words earlier that evening. Did she really want to consider marriage to a man who was attracted to another woman?

  “No, it isn’t, and I need a place to live, Garret, and so does Carly. Before I make a decision I thought I should let you know.”

  “Thank you for that at least,” he said a bit tersely. “I’d like to take a look at it. Give me the rental agent’s name.”

  He wanted to make sure it was an appropriate place for his child to live. She knew it was what she’d want to do if she were in his shoes. If he were looking for housing for her baby she’d want to see where he planned to live.

  Later that night she couldn’t help but wonder if he hadn’t been relieved when she’d told him she wanted to move in with Carly. It was a thought that kept her from falling asleep that night. And one that was on her mind the next morning when she awoke. In fact it bothered her all morning long. It wasn’t until she glanced out the window and saw Samantha walking toward her car, smiling as she talked on her cell phone, that she realized why.

  The reason she didn’t want to see Garret with Samantha had nothing to do with the kind of stepmother she’d make. It was because she didn’t want to see Garret with another woman.

  She was jealous.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  THE FOLLOWING MORNING when Krystal left for work she ran into a rumpled Samantha coming home. Her clothes looked as if they’d been thrown on in a hurry, her hair, which was normally pulled back in a chignon, hung loose around her shoulders and she had a look about her Krystal recognized as one that said, I’m sneaking in after spending the night somewhere I hadn’t expected to be.

  “Hi. How are you?” Krystal greeted her with the standard neighborly greeting.

  “I’m great, thanks,” she said with a grin that could only be described as If you only knew how great, you’d be so jealous.

  “Good,” Krystal said pleasantly.

  “And you?”

  “Oh, I’m great, too,” Krystal replied, which was hardly the truth. She hadn’t slept much and her back was bothering her.

  “I’m glad to hear that. Have a nice day,” Samantha said, and continued up the stairs, humming to herself, definitely pleased about something.

  Krystal could only imagine what…or whom. Memories of her phone call with Garret last night flashed in her mind. Samantha had been in the background. Laughing.

  Throughout the morning at work, Krystal’s mind drifted back to her conversation with Garret. She wished she knew what was going on in his head. Had he been disappointed that she wanted to move in with Carly or had he been relieved?

  But that was the trouble with Garret. One never knew what he was thinking. When she first met him she thought he was simply shy. Now she knew it was more a case of him not talking about what was on his mind. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to share his thoughts with people. He simply wasn’t in the habit of doing it.

  Which was why Shannon suggested that Krystal ask him what he thought about her plan to live with her sister. It did no good to make assumptions about his feelings.

  When he called her on her cell phone she was determined to do just that. She was in the middle of cutting a client’s hair but excused herself, knowing that if she didn’t talk to him she might not get another chance.

  Before she could bring up the subject of marriage, however, he said, “I only have a minute, Krystal, so I need to talk fast. I saw the house. It’s great. I don’t see any reason you and Carly shouldn’t rent it. In fact I ran into Carly there and I told her the same thing. She said the two of you had talked last night and that you had already decided to take the place if I approved, so it looks like you have a house. Carly can fill you in the details. She has the lease.”

  Krystal gulped. “The lease? You mean it’s a done deal?”

  “Yes, I thought I just said that.” He so
unded a bit impatient and once again she could tell he was preoccupied.

  “What about the rental deposit?” she asked, knowing her sister didn’t have the money to cover it.

  “It’s taken care of,” he answered.

  “What do you mean it’s taken care of?”

  “I paid it.”

  “You shouldn’t have done that!” she protested.

  “Krystal, I have an obligation to this baby. Part of that obligation is to provide housing. This is a nice house. I wanted you to be there.”

  So she hadn’t been imagining things last night. He was relieved that she’d decided to share a house with her sister.

  “But the money—” she began but he cut her short.

  “We can figure out the financial details another time. I really can’t talk right now. I’ll call you later.” And with a quick goodbye he hung up.

  She slowly clicked her cell phone shut and put it back in her pocket. Hearing Samantha’s voice in the background during their phone conversation last night, seeing her on the steps this morning, and now hearing Garret’s eagerness to have her rent the house all fed her suspicion that despite what he said, he was still interested in Samantha.

  “Is everything okay? You look a little troubled,” her client said as Krystal went back to her workstation.

  “No, I’m fine. I’m just a little surprised at how quickly things happen, that’s all. It looks like I’m going to be moving out of 14 Valentine Place.”

  KRYSTAL TRIED CALLING Carly numerous times that afternoon, but she had her cell phone turned off. After leaving a message three times and not getting a return call, she decided her sister was ignoring her. And rightly so. Carly had led Garret to believe that all that was needed for them to rent the house was his approval. It still angered her to think about it.

  When she got home that evening she went straight up to her room to tell Carly exactly what she thought of her methods. Only her sister wasn’t there. She’d left a note saying she’d gone back to Fergus Falls to get furniture for their new place.

  Krystal crumpled the note and threw it in the trash, then dialed her mother’s number. She should have known better than to make that mistake. First of all Carly was not there and, secondly, her mother wasted no time telling her what she thought of her new living arrangements.