When Lauren picked up, Amanda didn’t even give her a chance to speak. “Theo’s mother is here and on her way to the main house.”
“What?” Lauren asked, sure she’d heard Amanda wrong.
“She just showed up here, demanded food, then turned her nose up at what I offered. I might have gotten mad and told her that she’d have to go to the main house for something more. Lauren, she drove her car right up to the door of the cabin, there are huge tire tracks all over the yard.”
Lauren sighed. She hadn’t expected Bridget to show up. “I’ve only met the woman a couple of times, but she hates the Montgomerys.”
“Why is she here?” Amanda whined.
“I hate to say it, but I would guess that she’s here to check you out,” Lauren said, then added, “But don’t worry, I’ll handle her.” Her voice took on a steely edge.
Lauren did everything in her power to make Bridget as uncomfortable as she could. She gave her a room on the third floor of the main house; it was small and cramped and didn’t have its own bathroom. When she saw it, she wrinkled her nose and said, “Don’t you have something on the main floor? Something a little less… rustic.”
“I’m sorry, this is all I have available. If I’d known that you were coming I might have been able to move some people around. Unless you’d like one of the cabins down by the barns, it gets a little fragrant around there sometimes, but most people get used to it after a while,” Lauren said, the regret in her voice as fake as the smile on her face.
Bridget had finally taken the room with an order to have someone bring her bags up, but Lauren had explained that there wasn’t anyone to do such a thing for her and she that she’d have to do it herself. “We don’t have servants here, Bridget, you know that. If you want your bags, you’ll have to get them yourself. And everyone pitches in when it comes time for meals, you can help cook or clean up, it’s your choice,” Lauren said, enjoying the look that spread across Bridget’s face.
Then she looked at her watch. “Oh dear, look at the time. I’ve got a meeting in fifteen minutes, I really have to go. I’ll see you at dinner.” Then she took off down the hallway before Bridget could say a word.
Dinner that night was filled with Bridget’s complaints about her room, the food, and even the weather. As if that wasn’t bad enough as soon as they’d had desert, she turned on Amanda and began asking her a bunch of personal questions until Amanda had finally fled back to her cabin claiming that she was tired. Of course, as soon as Amanda left, Bridget got up from the table without a word and left the dining room, her dirty plates still on the table. Lauren was tempted to tell the cook that the woman wasn’t to eat until she pitched in, but that wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the people in the house, who would have to put up with her too.
For the next week, Bridget was Amanda’s shadow, following her every place she went including to a visit with Heather. “It seems to me that Amanda weights too much. Is that normal?” she asked after Amanda got off the scale.
“Amanda is the perfect weight for her height and bone structure,” Heather said.
Bridget snorted. “Well, in my day, we tried to stay as thin as we could.” Then she tried to push past Heather to follow Amanda into the exam room.
“I’m sorry, but you’ll have to wait out here,” Heather said, pointing to the chairs along one wall.
“But I’m that baby’s grandmother, I have every right to go in there. After all, my son is paying enough for this,” Bridget said, expecting to get her way.
“It’s not happening. If you want to stay, you’re welcome to take a seat. Otherwise, I’ll have to ask you to leave,” Heather said, not budging.
“Do you know who I am?” Bridget asked, putting her hands on her hips.
“Yes, and I don’t really care,” Heather said, closing the door in her face.
Bridget wanted to scream, no one had ever treated her that way. Stomping out of the clinic, she called Theo to tell him how badly she’d been treated. “Oh, Theo, thank goodness I got a hold of you, you won’t believe what’s been happening to me,” she said, managing to sound distressed even though she was angrier than she’d been in a long time.
“What is it now, Mother? I’m really busy, the harbor is supposed to open up again in three days and we’re not going to be ready,” Theo said, tired of his mother’s complaining phone calls, which had been frequent since the earthquake had hit and more or less destroyed Seattle.
“I’m in Homestead and it’s awful. They’re treating me terribly. Lauren gave me a room on the third floor, there isn’t even a bathroom in the room. And she told me that I had to help with the chores. Amanda has been nothing but rude to me, she wouldn’t even let me go to her doctor’s appointment with her, they shoved me out of the room even after I reminded her that you’re paying good money to use her body,” Bridget said, enjoying her little tirade, completely clueless that every word she said was making Theo madder and madder.
When Theo was silent for a long time, she was sure that he was just as mad as she was, but then he asked, “Mother, what are you doing in Homestead?”
“Oh, well, I just thought that since you’re so busy I’d come and make sure that everything is as it should be,” she said, thinking he’d appreciate her making the trip.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Theo asked, suspicious.
“Oh, well, you’re just so busy,” Bridget said evasively, realizing that she might not be on as solid ground as she thought. “I mean we have to make sure that Amanda is doing everything she’s supposed to do.”
“So, you just showed up, didn’t tell anyone?” Theo was getting angrier and angrier.
Bridget was silent, now completely aware that Theo was mad. “I want you to come home, you have no business bothering Amanda. I can handle my own life without you interfering, I talk to Amanda every day, I know what’s going on,” he said, gritting his teeth. “Amanda is a wonderful woman, with a good head on her shoulders, and she doesn’t need you poking your nose into her business.”
Bridget knew that she’d over stepped, but she wasn’t going to give up because now more than ever she was afraid that her son had fallen for Amanda, something she would do anything to stop. But she knew that for now she’d have to back off, come at the problem from a different angle. “Okay, I’m sorry, I just wanted to help,” she said, forcing a few sniffles.
Theo didn’t believe his mother for a second, he’d been dreading telling his mother that he loved Amanda, but it looked like they were going to have to have that conversation sooner than later. But he had too many things to do for that conversation to happen right then, so he humored his mother.
“I appreciate the thought, but you need to come home,” he said.
“Oh, all right,” Bridget said, trying to sound sad, knowing that it had always worked in the past.
“Call me when you get home,” was all Theo said, before he hung up the phone.
Chapter 12
Theo looked at his watch again wishing that the drive from Juneau wasn’t as long as it was. Amanda’s due date was only a few days away and he had a feeling that he needed to be in Homestead soon. He’d talked to her last night, then decided that he wasn’t waiting another day, so he’d jumped on a plane and then rented a car for the long drive when she’d told him that she’d been having a few contractions. Things in Seattle had improved a lot in the two months since the earthquake and he’d gladly given his time although it meant that he’d missed a lot in Homestead, but he wasn’t about to miss the birth of his child.
On top of that, he missed Amanda more than he could have ever imagined, and he worried about her every day. The sun was just coming up when he pulled onto the main street in Homestead and parked his car, it was only a short walk to the cabin where Amanda was staying and he didn’t want to waste time getting a four-wheeler, so he took off on foot. When he got to the cabin, Amanda was waiting for him on the front porch wrapped up in a blanket and looking very uncomfortable.
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bsp; “What are you doing out here? It’s freezing,” he said, when he climbed the steps to where she sat.
“I wanted to wait for you,” Amanda said, through gritted teeth, the smiled and rubbed her belly.
Theo opened his mouth to tell her that she should have waited inside, then understood what she meant. “Is it… I mean are you in…” He couldn’t quite get the question out, suddenly he was so nervous that he couldn’t talk.
Amanda only nodded her head, clenched her teeth again, then relaxed. “I already called Heather, she’s on her way to pick me up. I was hoping you’d get here in time,” she finally said, when the pain had passed.
“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so glad I made it on time,” Theo said, pulling her to her feet and holding her close, his arms wrapped around her giving her some strength.
“I’m glad too, I’m scared,” she said, burying her head in his chest.
“Everything going to be fine. We’ll do this together, I’ll be there with you the whole time if you want me to,” Theo said, holding her tightly.
Amanda looked up at him and smiled. “I was hoping you’d offer.”
“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Theo said, then to his relief Heater pulled up.
It was nearly midnight, but Theo was finally holding his daughter in his arms. Looking down at her, he couldn’t help but marvel at how perfect she was. Amanda was exhausted but just as happy as he was, had even cried when the baby was placed on her chest. There was no doubt in his mind that he’d done the right thing, not only because of the baby he held in his arms, but because of the woman who had given her to him.
Heather was anxiously waiting for him to give the baby to her so that she could do a full exam, but he was reluctant to let her go. Finally, Heather gently took the baby from him and disappeared into another room, mumbling about new fathers as she went. He looked over to the bed where Amanda had been watching him, a huge smile on her face.
“She’s beautiful and fatherhood fits you,” she said, then closed her eyes, the exhaustion of the birth washing over her now that it was over.
“You did a great job, sweetheart,” Theo said, crossing the room and kissing her on the forehead. “Get some sleep, I’ll be right here when you wake up.”
But several hours later, Heather came into Amanda’s room and gestured for him to follow her, the look of concern on her face making his heart beat wildly. “What’s wrong?” he asked, the minute they were in the hallway.
“The baby is showing some signs of distress. I think we should move her to a hospital. I’m not terribly worried, but I’d feel better if she was in a bigger facility,” Heather said, crushing him with her words.
Theo took second to collect his thoughts. “How bad is she?”
“She’s still fine, I’m just being overly cautious,” Heather said. “Seth is standing by with the seaplane as soon as you’re ready to leave.”
Amanda woke to the sound of birds singing and turned her head to the sound, then closed them again. She was sore all over and felt a bit empty inside, but Heather had warned her that it was normal so she sat up in bed. To her surprise, Theo’s mother was sitting in a chair reading a magazine as if it was perfectly normal for her to be there.
When she saw that Amanda was awake, she said, “Oh good, I see that you’re awake.” Then smiled at Amanda like she never had before. “How are you feeling this morning?”
Amanda wasn’t sure what to think of the woman’s behavior. After her last visit, Theo had promised that his mother wouldn’t bother her anymore. But then she realized that it made sense that the woman was here, after all it was her granddaughter who had been born the night before. Thinking of the baby made her instantly want to see her, but before she could ask, Theo’s mother stood and approached the bed.
“I know you’d probably like to see the baby, but I’m afraid that she’s already gone. Theo took her to Anchorage last night and from there they’ll be heading to Seattle,” Bridget said, trying to hide the pleasure her words brought her.
It had been a stroke of luck that she’d arrived just as Theo and Heather were getting on the plane to take the baby to Anchorage and she’d immediately figured out a way to take advantage of the situation. One look at the baby told her that the little girl was just fine, a bit yellow, but that wasn’t all that unusual, so she’d waved them off promising to follow in the car she’d driven there. A few hours of work and a little bit of money had been all she needed to devise a way to be rid of Amanda and threat she posed to her family.
Amanda was instantly concerned. Heather had warned her that if there was any doubt about the baby’s health they’d take her to Anchorage immediately. “Is the baby sick?”
“Oh, no, she’s just fine. Perfect in fact,” Bridget said, with a big smile, then pulled an envelope from her purse. “Theo asked me to give you this and to tell you thank you.”
Amanda stared at the envelope afraid to open it, her worst fears suddenly springing back to life. “Um, thank you,” she said, so close to tears it was all she could say.
“Well, I’ll be on my way then,” Bridget said, turned, and walked out of the room. She would have liked to see the look on Amanda’s face when she read the letter, but obviously the woman wasn’t going to open it in front of her.
Amanda’s hand shook as she opened the letter, afraid that her world was about to be smashed into a million pieces and by the time she’d read the first line she knew that her fears had been well founded. The letter was painful to read, but it was the last paragraph that really broke her heart.
Again, I want to thank you for fulfilling your part of our contract and doing such a wonderful job. Your dedication and hard work haven’t gone unnoticed so I’ve included a round trip ticket to anywhere you want to go and some money so that you can take a nice long vacation. You’ve earned that and more. I’ll always think of our time together with affection and hope you do as well.
Sincerely,
Theodore Taylor
C.E.O. Taylor Industries
She let the letter fall into her lap, too shocked by the brush off to do anything but sit and stare into space. When the nurse came in a few minutes later to check on her, Amanda was already out of bed and dressed, determined to get away from Homestead as fast as she could. There was no way she could stay in Homestead where everyone knew that she’d fallen for Theo’s game or whatever it had been. Humiliated, she packed her things and hitched a ride on a truck headed for Juneau. From there, she’d have to decide what to do; right then all she wanted to do was get away.
Theo lowered Faith into her crib and leaned against it watching her sleep. It still amazed him how much he loved his little girl, this little bundle of joy who had changed his life so completely in only a month. But as strong as that love was it still didn’t completely fill the cavity left by Amanda’s departure and he sighed deeply wondering where she was just then, if she was missing him as much as he was missing her. He heard his mother come into the room, but didn’t look up, wishing that she’d go away.
Julien had just left, and he’d been looking forward to a few quiet minutes of wallowing in his sadness over losing Amanda. “Are you thinking about that woman again?” she asked, in a whisper.
“I was just watching my daughter sleep,” Theo lied, not wanting to have the same conversation he’d had with his mother again.
“Good, I told you before and I’ll tell you again, you don’t want that woman in your life,” Bridget said, then just to make sure Theo knew that she was right, she boldly lied, “She asked me for more money. Did I tell you that?”
Theo’s head spun around so fast, she realized that she’d messed up. “What? When?”
Bridget tried to think of a way out of the lie she’d just told, one that contradicted another lie she’d told him. “Oh, I, um, well, the truth is I didn’t want to tell you. I mean I just stopped by to give her…” she said, getting in deeper.
“To give her what?” Theo asked, his voice rising.<
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“Shhh, you’ll wake the baby,” his mother said, putting her finger over her lips, hoping to distract him.
Theo grabbed his mother by the arm and pulled her into the hall. Something didn’t feel right about what his mother was saying. When she’d given him the letter from Amanda, she’d told him that it had been in the cabin where Amanda had been staying, that when she hadn’t found her in the clinic she’d gone there looking for her but only found the note.
“Mother, you’d better tell me what you’re talking about. I thought you said that you didn’t see Amanda, that she was already gone when you got there.” Theo’s voice had gotten loud enough that Julien poked his head out of his door.
Bridget looked from Theo to Julien, then did the only thing she could and began to cry. When that didn’t make Theo back down, only stare at her that much angrier, she began to defend herself.
“I was only looking out for you. That woman isn’t right for you, you just needed someone to show you that,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “Ask Julien, he’ll tell you the truth.”
Theo stared at him mother shocked. “Tell me what you did right now.”
When she’d told him everything, he cussed and began to pace the hallway. “She could be anywhere in the world. Mother, I can’t believe you did this. How could you?”
His mother raised her chin and said, “I did what I had to. Someone had to stop you before you made a huge mistake. That woman is only after your money, I know the type, she’s a shallow money grabber who will bleed you dry.”
Theo glared at his mother. “That’s the one thing that Amanda isn’t, and if you had an open mind you’d know that,” Theo said, then turned to Julien. “I have to find her. What am I going to do? I love her and I have to tell her that.”
Bridget sucked in a deep breath of shock. “But, Theo, you can’t love her,” she said, desperately.
“Oh, but I do, Mother. I wasn’t sure before, but now thanks to you, I know now that I do. I love Amanda and I have to find her.
Julien patted him on the back and said, “I’ll watch the baby, go do what you have to. Find Amanda and bring her back here, I miss her,” he said, flashing a huge smile at Bridget.
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