After dinner, Bella had brought out his favorite dessert-peach cobbler.
“What’s going on, Bella? Are you buttering me up for some reason?” her father asked. With his dark hair threaded with silver, stormy eyes and craggy features, Jimmy Vincente projected a gruff image. He was an old school Pelican Bay fisherman who owned a bait and tackle supply store by the pier called Fish Tales. He also ran boat charters. He was a working class guy who had raised a house full of girls after his wife’s death. God-fearing and strict, her father didn’t play around. When Heath had broken up with her, she’d had to restrain him from going over and confronting him. She prayed this news wouldn’t send him over the edge. He was already dealing with high blood pressure issues and the possible closure of his business. Things had been tough lately with the economy in Pelican Bay. They were all praying things would turn around for the fishing market and for Fish Tales.
“Can’t a girl just spoil her daddy?” Bella asked as dread rose up inside of her. Just tell him, a little voice urged her.
He looked at her with questions lurking in his eyes. “Bella Rose. I think it’s time you cut to the chase. Did you ding my car or something? Do you need some money?”
Bella shook her head. She couldn’t manage to speak past the lump in her throat.
“Daddy. I-I’m having a baby.”
All the color had left her father’s face. He’d gripped the end of the table with his hands as if seeking something to ground him. “T-that’s not funny, Bella.”
“I’m not joking,” she’d said in a soft voice, hating the tense expression etched on her father’s face. Huge veins were prominent on his forehead. “I’m pregnant with Heath’s child.”
“Are you kidding me?” he’d exploded. “I didn’t raise you to go sleeping around. You were brought up in a faith-filled home where we tried to teach you values.”
Tears had filled her eyes. “I do have values. One mistake doesn’t change all of that.”
He’d put his head in his hands and let out a groan. “What were you thinking? Don’t you want more for yourself than to be an unwed mother with a bastard child?”
A righteous anger had swelled inside her at her father’s blistering words. Every single day of her life she’d loved and respected Jimmy Vincente. His cruel words wounded her terribly. She was seeing a side of him she hadn’t known existed. He was a different person, one who used vicious words to cut her down. Couldn’t he see that she already felt low?
She had stood up from the table and glared at him. “I’d like you to leave my home. I invited you here for support and maybe a little understanding. You always preach about faith, but what part of being a man of God is this? I’m your daughter and this baby I’m carrying will be your grandchild. I didn’t come to you for absolution. Honestly, that’s not what I need.” She’d wrapped her arms protectively around her belly. “What I needed was my father to tell me everything was going to be all right and that he still loved me.”
Without saying another word, he’d stormed out of her house like a tornado. For a moment she’d felt such longing for her mother. Cancer had come in like a thief in the night and robbed her of the most understanding, compassionate person in her world. Her father’s words had pierced her soul like a knife. After her father’s departure, she’d broken down and sobbed, succumbing to the pressure of the last few weeks. This felt like the final straw. She was broken! Thankfully her sisters had come over and rescued her from feeling like her entire world was imploding. She was so blessed to have three wonderful sisters—Abby, Gina and Sophia. They had dried her tears and comforted her, all the while telling her how wrong their father had been to say such horrible things to her. For the next few weeks she had been bombarded with calls and messages from her father, who felt regretful about his behavior. Bella—feeling protective of the life growing inside her—hadn’t accepted his calls. She had no intention of ever speaking to him again. He’d crossed a line by saying such vile things.
“You’re going to have to talk to him sooner or later,” Gina had told her. “He is your father, after all. Don’t hate me for saying this, but he’s been through a lot. I know it won’t be easy, but try and forgive him.”
Forgiveness had seemed like an impossible dream. How could she ever forgive her father for his comments? And the way he’d kicked her when she was down?
One day Bella arrived home to find her father sitting on her doorstep. Although she’d wanted to run in the opposite direction, there had been something about the expression on her father’s face that had stopped her. It made her remember how dearly she adored him.
“I’m sorry for just showing up on your doorstep, but you won’t take my calls,” he’d said, his eyes full of sorrow. She hated seeing her father sad. It always reminded her of losing her mother and the grief and sorrow that had hovered over her family like a dark cloud for such a long time afterward.
“I really didn’t think we had much to discuss.” Her voice had been crisp and cold.
“Oh, Bella. I’m so sorry for the way I reacted to your news. My only excuse is that I felt so disappointed. I know I was wrong. I knew it the moment I saw your face. And I’m terribly ashamed of myself. Ever since your Mom died I promised myself that I would go to the ends of the earth to raise you and your sisters.” His shoulders shuddered. “I think I did a pretty decent job, but I was always full of worry about getting it right and making sure the four of you were healthy and happy and on the right track.” He twisted his mouth. “An unexpected pregnancy wasn’t supposed to be part of the plan.”
Her lips had quivered as she’d met his gaze head-on. “Things happen in life and we deal with them. Isn’t that what you always taught us?”
He’d nodded, with tears sliding down his face. “Yes. I did teach you that. I’m so sorry I couldn’t live up to my own code of honor. I’m so ashamed of myself.”
Bella had fallen against his chest and he’d cradled her in his arms and told her how much he loved her. “I’m sorry, Bella. It’s just hard to want things for you and to see something like this happen. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I promise I’ll love my grandchild more than my own life. Please forgive me for the hateful words I used.”
And she had forgiven him. It hadn’t been easy, but Bella believed in mercy. Her father had done so much for her throughout her life. He didn’t have a selfish bone in his body. His entire life had been comprised of sacrificing for his four daughters. She was willing to extend him an olive branch. She’d loved him for a lifetime. How could she really turn her back on her baby’s grandfather?
That had been weeks ago. Things had been smooth sailing between them ever since.
Bella sat down in the chaise in her bedroom. She was sipping a cup of hot ginger tea and reading one of her favorite Love Inspired books set in Love, Alaska. She was feeling way more relaxed than she had in months. Although her heart yearned for Heath, she knew that the most important thing in her life was her unborn child. She was going for her first sonogram in a few days and she was still deliberating about finding out the sex of the baby. It didn’t really matter to her! There was so much anxiety with being pregnant. Every time she felt a fluttering in her stomach she was reminded of the life she was responsible for bringing into the world. It was scary realizing how much could go wrong. No matter the circumstances, Bella wanted this baby so much. She already loved the little bean more than words could ever express.
She needed to be honest with Heath. He was going to be a father. No matter what had happened in their relationship, he needed to know the truth. If she hadn’t been so sick for the past few months she would have told him earlier. The pregnancy had been high risk due to her being diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum during the first trimester. The condition, which resulted in excessive vomiting, had left her bedridden and unable to gain any pregnancy weight. She felt extremely grateful to be past that particular hump.
She let out a sigh and took another sip of her tea. The time had come for her to cont
act Heath and tell him the truth. Her pregnancy crisis was over, according to her gynecologist. Bella patted her stomach. “Hello little one. You’re a tough customer, do you know that? You’re my little fighter.”
The unexpected ringing of her doorbell gave Bella a start. She practically jumped in her chair. Her heart was hammering inside her chest. Who in the world would be at her door at this time of night? A quick glance at her clock on her bedside table showed that it was almost nine o’clock at night. She stood up and walked over to her window, then pulled back the curtain and peeked outside. Her pulse quickened. It was Heath!
She let go of the curtain and stepped back from the window. Why was he at her door after all this time? Did he know she was carrying his child? Was he here to confront her? Or had there been some sort of emergency with his family?
Bella let out a ragged sigh. No matter how she tried to convince herself that she was over Heath Donahue, she knew without a shadow of a doubt that he still held her heart in the palm of his hand.
“I’ve always been a fighter. Fighting for what you believe in is important. It’s the Donahue way. We never give up.”
Jude Donahue
Chapter Two
Heath was standing at the doorstep of Bella’s pink Victorian house. He could see her white Jeep parked in the pebbled driveway. There was no question about it. She was at home. A tight feeling spread across his chest. Adrenaline began to race through his veins. He rang the bell several times, waiting as patiently as he possibly could. Much to his frustration, she didn’t come to the door. He looked up at the window on the second floor and saw the curtain move. She was inside! He knew it now for certain.
“Bella! Please open the door. I need to see you,” he called out.
He began to bang on the wooden door. He was pounding so hard it rattled. The sudden urgency to lay eyes on Bella didn’t really make sense after all these months, but it felt like something primal deep inside of him was urging him on. He needed to see her!
“I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
Suddenly, he heard a muffled voice from inside.
“What do you want, Heath? It’s late. Why are you banging on my door like this?”
“Because I need to talk to you and you aren’t answering my calls or texts.”
“Now you want to talk to me? After shutting me out for months?” Her voice was raised.
He pressed his forehead against the door. He wasn’t good at laying himself bare. “Bella. Please let me in. I really want to see you. I need to talk to you.”
“This is ridiculous. It’s over. We’re over.”
“I’ve been getting help for my depression. I was diagnosed with PTSD. I’m better, Bella. A lot better.”
“I’m happy for you, Heath. You deserve to be whole. And content. But it doesn’t have a single thing to do with me.”
“This is ridiculous. Can’t you just open up the door to me? What are you afraid of?” he asked as his frustration peaked.
“Go away, Heath!” she replied in a curt tone. “I’m serious.”
Bella!” He shouted her name. Although he’d told himself to tread lightly with Bella, he couldn’t help but feel frustrated. “I don’t want to talk to you through a door. Open up!” He pounded on the door with his fists. “Mrs. Carruthers is on her porch staring at me. It’s only a matter of time before she calls the sheriff’s office. Do you really want law enforcement at your doorstep?”
He heard the clicking of the lock and watched as the knob began turning. The door slowly opened. Immediately, his eyes honed in on the fact that Bella’s hair had grown out several inches. Her eyes were more green today than blue. And her figure looked different. Heath let out a shocked gasp. As Bella came into full view, Heath couldn’t ignore her rounded stomach. The T-shirt she wore left nothing to the imagination. There was no disputing it.
Bella was pregnant. And from the looks of it, she was pretty far along in her pregnancy.
“Come inside and stop gaping at me,” Bella barked. She flung the door all the way open and waved him inside. She turned her back on him and walked away from the door.
Heath staggered inside, almost tripping over the entryway. He somehow managed to close the door behind him. Pregnant! She was pregnant. Expecting. An expectant mother. With child. Preggers! His mind was whirling with a million different thoughts.
She whirled around to face him with her hands on her hips. She pointed to her stomach. “I was planning to tell you, but I’ve had a few complications. I wanted to make sure the baby was going to be all right before I told you the news.”
“A-and is the baby okay?” he asked, his throat as dry as sandpaper. Please, Lord, let our baby be all right.
She nodded. “According to Doc Sampson, the baby is healthy. The worst has passed.”
Heath felt sick to his stomach. Bella had been ill and he hadn’t even been aware of it. He should have been there to support her. He should have been notified.
“I should have been told, Bella,” he said, his voice sounder sharper than he’d intended. It hurt to know he had been so far out of the loop. If he’d known that Bella was pregnant with their child, he would have walked through fire to be at her side. All this time he’d been under the belief that he had been doing Bella a favor by stepping out of her life. It had been an act of love, but in retrospect, he wished he’d handled things differently. He still loved her. Always had. Heath knew he always would. But he had messed things up so badly. He had pushed her away at her most vulnerable time.
Bella folded her arms across her chest. “You broke up with me. It wasn’t what I wanted, but that didn’t really seem to matter to you. I begged and pleaded with you not to end things, but you did it anyway. I suggested we go to counseling with pastor Johns. You said no. I tried to get you to talk about your past before you were adopted. You said it was water under the bridge. You never wanted to talk about Vinny’s day even though it haunted you. Everything I tried to do to save our relationship was rejected by you. In the end, you walked out of my life.” She let out a brittle laugh. “Correction. You ran out of my life. As I said, I intended to tell you about the baby. I wasn’t going to hide it or anything.”
Heath really wanted to tell her that she had basically hidden it for months, but he was desperately trying to keep things drama-free between them.
She let out a sigh. “Why don’t you come into the kitchen? I can put the kettle on for tea. There’s also lemonade.” Without uttering another word, Bella began walking toward the kitchen. He noticed for the first time she was wearing an oatmeal colored robe and a pair of pajamas underneath. Now that he knew she was pregnant he felt guilty for disturbing her.
He followed after her down the hall toward the kitchen. “I hope you weren’t sleeping when I rang the bell. I’m sorry if I woke you up.”
Bella turned the knob on the stove to heat the kettle. She shrugged and said, “I wasn’t sleeping, Heath. I was drinking a cup of hot tea and relaxing before turning in for the night. For some reason I can’t get enough of tea these days. It settles my stomach and makes me feel calm.”
He felt a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “I take it coffee isn’t good for the baby? I know what a coffee fanatic you’ve always been.”
“It’s probably not the best thing, but Doc Sampson didn’t forbid it or anything. I just know that I needed to switch over to tea since it’s better for the baby.”
He watched as Bella took two mugs from the cabinet, then pulled milk from the fridge.
“Earl Grey, mint tea or orange?” she asked.
“Orange is great,” he said. She busied herself taking out the tea boxes and sweeteners. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She was so incredibly beautiful, the most stunning woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Her blond hair hung past her shoulders now. Although there were slight shadows under her eyes it didn’t take away from her beauty. It made him want to wrap his arms around her and take care of her. Was she eating enough? Taking her prenatal vita
mins?
“Are you getting enough sleep?” He blurted out the question. He didn’t know a lot about pregnancy, but he knew for certain expectant mothers needed plenty of rest.
She frowned at him. “Yes, Heath. I get plenty of sleep these days. I’m just a little iron deficient. I’m taking iron pills as well as prenatal vitamins and making sure I incorporate iron into my diet. I’m eating loads of spinach.” She wrinkled her nose.
He let out a chuckle. Bella hated spinach. “I know how much you love the green stuff.”
“I’m not a big fan, but I’ll do whatever it takes to ensure this child’s good health.” She tilted her chin upward and met his gaze head-on. He couldn’t help but think she looked a bit defiant.
Tension crackled in the air between them at the mention of the baby. Heath had so many questions he wanted to ask Bella. They were burning his tongue. “How long have you known?”
She shifted from one foot to another. “I found out not too long after we broke up.”
Woosh. He felt as if someone had kicked him in the gut. “You’ve been holding on to this news for nearly five months?” he asked in a raised voice.
“Almost,” she said. “I’m almost five and a half months pregnant.”
He let out a shocked sound. Heath held on to the kitchen table for support. In a few months he would be a father. It was exciting and terrifying at the same time.
“Why don’t you sit down?” she suggested as the kettle made a high-pitched whistling sound. He nodded and sank down into one of her kitchen chairs as Bella tended to the kettle. She would soon be six months pregnant. Pregnancy was nine months. His mind did a flash forward—in a few months he would be someone’s daddy. His mind was whirling with the realities of the situation. He needed to start buying baby items—a crib, a stroller, diapers and binkies. Binkies? He didn’t know the first thing about binkies, but he was determined to learn.
He’d missed so much of Bella’s pregnancy. Shame threatened to choke him. Clearly he’d driven Bella out of his life, so much so that she hadn’t wanted him to be a part of the process. She didn’t know he’d been sparing her from having to deal with his PTSD and depression. He’d done the loving thing, even if it now seemed as if it had been a bad decision.
All This Love Page 3