Waking Up with the Boss

by Sheri WhiteFeather

  She shifted her feet. “I had bad dreams when I first lost my family, too. But I can’t recall them now. Not the details, anyway. But I do remember that I used to wake up crying in the middle of the night.” She pressed the medicine bag closer to her body. “Then I would be afraid to go back to sleep.”

  “That’s understandable.” He thought about how her family had died, asleep in their beds, poisoned by a deadly gas while she was at a slumber party. “What happened that morning, Carol? Who found them?” This wasn’t a conversation he’d intended to have. But for whatever reason, he needed to know. “It wasn’t you, was it?”

  “No.” She tightened her hold on the bag. “But it became apparent, rather quickly, that something was wrong. My mom was supposed to come get me that morning and take me home. It was only a few blocks from our house, but Mom didn’t want me coming back by myself. Of course she never showed up. She didn’t answer the phone when I called, either, so my friend’s mother drove me home.”

  “The mom who was hosting the slumber party?”

  “Yes. Mrs. Reynolds. Later, I found out that her first name was Nancy. Anyway, when we got there, the front door was locked, but our garage had a little window. Nancy peered into it and saw that both cars were there.”

  “You didn’t have a key?”

  She shook her head. “My parents didn’t allow us kids to be home by ourselves so there was no reason for me to have a key. They were waiting until I was a little older to give me that kind of responsibility. They were overprotective. It’s just who they were.” She paused, took a breath. “Nancy brought me back to her house and called the police. They’re the ones who found my family.”

  And everything changed for her, Jake thought. Just the way it had changed for him. “I’m probably going to be overly protective with our child.” He was already having concerns about keeping the baby safe in Carol’s womb.

  “I understand how you feel, after everything we’ve both been through. What happened to us shaped who we are.”

  “They say that time heals all wounds. But that’s a false statement. The wound is still there, maybe not as fresh, but it’s still there.”

  After a second of silence, she asked, “Was there a service for your family?”

  “No. There was nothing. My grandfather said he couldn’t afford to pay for it. And my aunt certainly couldn’t, not with how broke she was. So I just said some prayers for them in my mind. What about yours?”

  “My parents had a burial plan, so it was prepaid. But my sisters weren’t included in the plan. They hadn’t bought plots for us kids. No one thinks their kids are going to die. Our church took up a collection, so my sisters could be buried with my parents.”

  “What was it like for you, attending the service?” In some ways, Jake was glad that he didn’t have to stand at a grave site, looking like the broken orphan that he was.

  “It was surreal. Like a bad dream. Except that when you wake up, you know it’s real.”

  His heart hurt for her, and for himself, too. “Maybe I’ll ask Shirley to make our baby a couple of dream catchers.” He wanted their son or daughter to dream well. “One for the nursery here and one for the nursery at your place, after we get you settled into your new home.”

  She smiled. “That’s nice, Jake. Maybe she can attach some of the angel crystals to them. For extra protection.”

  “I like that idea.” He liked her being at his house, too, even if it was far more intense than it should be. “You were right. It was too early for me to feel the baby inside you.” All he’d felt was his hunger for her and the kiss it had almost triggered. “But that should get easier when your tummy gets bigger.”

  “Hopefully it will, especially if the baby is moving around.” She lowered her voice. “Otherwise, it just seems like you and me doing something we shouldn’t be doing.”

  “It was my fault for pulling you toward me. I shouldn’t have done that. In the future, I’ll be careful not to do anything to stir those types of feelings again.”

  “I appreciate that. But I’m going to go and hang this up.” She lifted the medicine bag. “So I’ll see you later.”

  “Sure. See you.” He assumed that hanging up the medicine bag was just an excuse to get away from him and the emotion it caused. But he let her go. He couldn’t keep her in his clutches, not when he’d just promised to be careful. Even if, in spite of it all, he still wanted to kiss her something fierce.

  Twelve

  As Carol’s pregnancy progressed, so did her friendship with Garrett’s mother. Over the past few months, they’d formed a nice bond, spending time together whenever it was possible. Today Shirley had invited her over for a cup of tea.

  While they sipped spiced chai and chatted, Carol spotted a delicately painted statuette that she hadn’t noticed before. “You got a unicorn.”

  “I found it online. You know me. I like to collect magical things, even if it’s just a mishmash of stuff. When Garrett first bought this resort, he offered to build me a house on the property, like he did for himself, but I enjoy living at the hotel.”

  Carol nodded. Shirley resided in one of the penthouses, with a spectacular view of the beach.

  “I like knowing that there’s activity around me, and when I’m feeling well enough to get out, all I have to do is go down to the lobby. I can dine in the restaurant of my choice and get my hair and nails done in the salon. Sometimes I even hang out with the concierge and talk to the guests.”

  “Hotel living at its finest.”

  “Indeed, it is. I used to be a hotel maid. That’s what I did when Garrett was growing up. Of course I was sick a lot and kept losing jobs. But he grew up in this type of environment.”

  “I didn’t know that.” But it made sense that Garrett had become an hotelier.

  “I’m blessed now. My son’s success has spoiled me.”

  “You must be really proud of him.”

  Shirley sighed. “I am, more than I can say. He provides everything I need—the best food, the best medical care, everything I didn’t have before. I probably wouldn’t be alive today if it wasn’t for him.”

  Carol studied her companion. She appeared older than her fifty years, but she was still pretty, with graying black hair, strong-boned features and deep brown eyes. Carol’s mother would have turned fifty-three this year, if she’d lived.

  “What’s wrong?” Shirley asked. “Did I say something that made you feel sad?”

  “No. I was just thinking about my mom.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry. I can only imagine how much you miss her. I’ll bet if she was here, she would be thrilled about the baby. Look how cute that little bump of yours is.”

  Feeling better already, Carol glanced down at her tummy. “It is, isn’t it?” Jake certainly thought so. He was always eager to touch it, even if their attraction still sparked like a lightning rod between them. Somehow, though, she managed to get through those heart-skittering moments, difficult as they were. “Odd as it sounds, I actually like being pregnant.”

  “There’s nothing odd about that. You’re glowing, like an expectant mother should be.”

  “I’m at eighteen weeks already. Oh, and tomorrow is our second ultrasound, the midpregnancy one, where we might be able to find out if it’s a boy or a girl. The first one was too early to tell.”

  Shirley clapped her hands together. “That is exciting. Do you have an intuition about what it might be?”

  “No. But Jake and I both decided that we want to know. He’s certainly been anxious about everything associated with having a baby. Sometimes he can barely sit still. He’s been going to the track a lot lately, racing those cars of his.”

  “He’s always been like that. Running with the wind. When they were boys, I used to worry about his influence on Garrett and Max. That he would pull them into trouble, t
oo. But he never did. I think in some ways, Jake is the gentlest of all of them, even with how rebellious he is. At one time he had a healthy, happy family. He knows what stability is. He understands it.”

  “He’s going to be a wonderful father.” Carol appreciated how attentive he was to her pregnancy. “He adores the baby already.”

  “That must make you happy.”

  “Yes, of course.” But it also intensified her feelings for him, the attachment she’d been battling. Being alone at night was the worst. She longed to sleep beside Jake so he could hold her. Yet if she shared his bed, she wouldn’t be able to resist him. She desired him in other ways, too.

  “Have you started looking at homes?” Shirley asked.

  “For my permanent residence? Not yet. We will once the time gets closer. I’m just surprised we’ve been able to live in the same house for this long. But it’s almost like having separate places, with how big the mansion is.”

  “Jake likes to do things on a grand scale. I’m surprised he doesn’t have the nursery all ready to go.”

  “He’s waiting to find out what we’re having. Then he plans to bring his decorator in to get started.”

  “Be sure to let me know how the ultrasound goes.” Shirley reached over to pat her arm. “Your parents would be proud of you, Carol. You’re a good girl.”

  A good girl having a baby with a notoriously bad boy. “I’m trying to stay true to myself.” Just as Jake was being true to himself, as much as either of them could in the situation they were in.

  “That’s all a person can do. Oh, I forgot to tell you. The job thing is finally in the works.”

  “You mean with Garrett and Meagan?” The last Carol heard, Garrett was still dragging his feet, trying to decide what to do. “He went through with it?”

  Shirley nodded. “He offered her a position as a stable hand, maintaining and cleaning the stables. He submitted it in writing.”

  “Did she accept it?”

  “Yes. She responded to his note and thanked him. But they haven’t seen each other in person or spoken on the phone about it. Garrett doesn’t want to have any further contact with her. He wants to wait to see if the parole board approves the offer and releases her.”

  “Do you think they will?”

  “I don’t see why not. From my understanding, she’s been a model prisoner.”

  Carol couldn’t imagine being in Meagan’s predicament, but she wouldn’t have gotten herself into that kind of trouble in the first place, either. “I wonder if it will be awkward having Garrett as her boss.”

  Shirley sipped her tea. “She won’t be working directly for him. Her boss will be the man who manages the barn. Garrett does spend a lot of time at the stables, though. He keeps his own horses there and rides as often as he can.”

  Curious, Carol asked, “What made him choose that position for her?”

  “She comes from an equestrian family. Both of her brothers are in the horse industry.” Shirley paused. “I know it seems strange that I got my son involved in this, but I think it will help him get over it. He was insanely angry when he first found out. Ragingly mad. I’ve never seen him like that before.”

  “Jake told me that Garrett took it personally.”

  “A bit too personally, if you ask me. And that’s why I think it needs to get resolved.”

  “Why do you think it affected him so badly?”

  “He won’t talk about it. But I have my theories. I think he might’ve befriended Meagan before it happened, and what she did blindsided him. Garrett has been hurt by people he trusted before. But whatever it was with Meagan, I don’t want him carrying that kind of bitterness around in his heart.”

  Carol glanced at the unicorn. It was surrounded by fairies and gnomes and dragons. There were mermaids in the mix, too. “I agree. It needs to get resolved.”

  “Meagan apologized at the sentencing, but I don’t think Garrett believed that she was sorry. I did, though. I went with him just to see what sort of person this young woman was, and she seemed terribly fragile to me.”

  “Is that part of why you took an interest in her when her parole came up?”

  “Yes, and then when I learned that she’d had a baby in prison and the child’s father abandoned her before it was even born, I empathized with her even more. Garrett’s daddy walked out on me when I was pregnant, so I know what that feels like. But the clincher was when I discovered that I was once acquainted with Meagan’s mother. That seemed like a message from above.”

  “All of that makes sense to me. To Jake, too. He and I both feel bad about Meagan giving birth like that.”

  “And now you’re well on your way to becoming parents yourselves.”

  “We definitely are.” And tomorrow, they would be one step closer to knowing more about the ever-growing child in Carol’s womb.

  * * *

  They were having a girl, Jake marveled, a wondrous little being with a strong and steady heartbeat. He’d attended the ultrasound with Carol. He’d sat beside her earlier that day and watched the technician slide the transducer over the gel on her stomach. He’d watched the monitor. He’d seen their daughter.

  They’d been given pictures and a video of her, too. It was the most thrilling day of Jake’s life, even more exciting than the first ultrasound. Last time, their unborn child had looked like an itty-bitty alien. This time, he could totally tell it was a baby. He’d already watched the video a zillion times, studying every detail, imagining how it was going to feel to hold their newborn in his arms.

  “What an amazing experience,” he said to Carol. He sat across from her in a patio chair beside his pool, moonlight reflecting off the water.

  “I know,” she replied, cradling her stomach. “It was wonderful.”

  He never wanted it to end. But he knew Carol would probably be headed to bed soon. Jake had no idea how he was going to sleep. He was far too wired.

  “We should start coming up with names,” he said. “Making a list of ones we both like.”

  “Sure, we can do that.” She smiled at him. “You look crazy excited.”

  “I am. Just think of what a miracle this is. You and me. Two orphaned people, creating a little person like that. I mean, really, how beautiful is our daughter?”

  Her smile turned even brighter. “She’s perfect.”

  “I know, right?” He gazed at the mother of his child, thinking how enchanting she looked, with her hair stirring in the evening breeze, her tummy swollen from the seed he’d planted. “I can’t wait for the next ultrasound, so we can see her again.”

  “Maybe we can give her a name that represents both of our families. You can come up with a Choctaw name, and I’ll work on some Irish names.”

  “You’re Irish?” After all of this time, how did he not know that about her?

  She nodded. “From my mother’s side. Both of my maternal great-grandparents were originally from Ireland.”

  “Whereabouts?”

  “A place in East Cork called Middleton.”

  Jake’s pulse jumped. “That’s where your mother’s ancestors are from? That’s amazing.”

  “Why? Have you been there?”

  “No. But the Irish built a monument honoring the Choctaw Nation, and that’s where it’s located.”

  She blinked at him. “Are you sure you’re not mixing it up with something else?”

  “No, I’m positive. During the Great Famine, the Choctaw Nation donated money to Ireland. Their gift was especially generous, because the Choctaw were still having struggles of their own. Prior to that, they walked the Trail of Tears, where most of them were forced to leave their ancestral homelands in what’s now the southeastern US and relocate to Oklahoma. There were other tribes forced to make the journey, too, but the Choctaw were the first, with many of them dying a
long the way.”

  She seemed riveted by his story, by the past that bound his ancestors to hers. “So, later, when the Choctaw heard about how many people were dying in Ireland from the potato famine, they sent them money?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly it. And since then, there’s been a kinship between the two. The monument is called Kindred Spirits. I’m not sure why they chose to put it in Middleton, though. It might have something to do with the artist.”

  “What does it look like?” she asked.

  “It’s a huge sculpture, with nine steel eagle feathers arranged in the shape of an empty bowl. The bowl represents the Great Famine, and the feathers are symbolic of the Choctaw. I’ve seen pictures of it online, but I’d love to see it in person sometime.”

  “Me, too.” She cradled her stomach even more closely. “What a beautiful legacy this is for our daughter.”

  “We’ll take her there, for sure. To visit the monument, but also to learn about the town where your mother’s family was from. It will be a trip all of us can take together.”

  As soon as the word together was out of his mouth, a sense of fear punched his gut. Not at the prospect of traveling together, but at the future that would also separate them.

  What was going to happen as time marched on, when Carol and their child were living in a different house from Jake? When both he and Carol started dating other people again?

  He considered the possibility of Carol finding the husband she always wanted, a man who would become a stepfather to Jake’s daughter. Just thinking about it twisted him up inside. The baby in Carol’s womb belonged to him, not to an outsider honing in on Jake’s territory.

  Should he offer to marry Carol, securing his place in her life? Clearly, it would be the right thing to do. And the fear of another man taking his place was far worse than Jake buckling down and making a commitment to Carol.