Then he headed down the steps, got into his car, and drove away.
CHAPTER 13
J oe was right. I needed to face this head-on. If I was really ten weeks pregnant, I wouldn’t be able to hide it too much longer. Besides, the news was likely already running rampant through Henryetta. Maybe it would be best to get ahead of the wagging tongues and tell all my friends at once. Part of me felt it was wrong to tell them before I told James—he had a right to know first—but I had no idea when or how I could talk to him.
Taking a deep breath, I walked inside.
Jed was bouncing Mikey on his knee, and Neely Kate was braiding Ashley’s hair, all while Violet watched with a soft smile on her face. Her gaze lifted to me when I walked into the room and my stomach churned.
At least I understood the reason my guts had been upset over the last two months or so and why I was always tired.
I forced a smile, ready to drop the bombshell, but I couldn’t do it. Neely Kate wanted a baby so badly and I’d accidently made one. This would crush her. And Violet… I had no idea how she would react to the news, although I felt certain she’d insist on knowing who the father was. I needed to tell her the entire truth. I owed it to her.
“Everything okay?” Carly asked, looking up from her conversation with Jonah and Jessica.
“Yeah. Great.” Telling everyone separately would be harder, and I’d still have to get to them all quickly—likely by tomorrow—but it felt like the right thing to do.
Jed glanced down at his watch. “We need to be gettin’ the kids home.”
“I’ll do it,” I said, harboring an ulterior motive. “You take Violet upstairs.” If I put Jed to work, I could get some time alone with Neely Kate.
Jed frowned. “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea given everything else goin’ on.”
Violet gave me a worried look.
“I’m fine,” I said nonchalantly. “I don’t expect to hear from anyone tonight. Besides, I think we’re about to have a shadow watchin’ over us.” Courtesy of Joe, although I wasn’t sure if that would be tonight or tomorrow. I had to believe we weren’t at much of a risk from Carmichael. Surely he thought I had too much to risk by sharing anything about him.
Jed studied me for a moment, then nodded his approval.
I reached for my plate with my barely touched apple crisp and melted ice cream and gathered up a few others. “I’m goin’ to start clearin’ the table while Vi says goodbye to the kids. Carly, don’t you dare touch a single dirty dish. Neely Kate, would you help?”
Eyeing me speculatively, she finished wrapping a hairband at the end of Ashley’s braid. “You bet.”
She hopped out of her chair and grabbed two plates, then followed me into the kitchen. “What’s goin’ on?” she said as soon as we were alone. “Who called you?”
I set my plates in the sink, one of them clattering loud enough to startle me.
“Rose, your hands are shakin’.” She put her plates on top of mine and snatched up my hands. “What’s goin’ on?”
I couldn’t drag this out. I needed to treat it like a Band-Aid.
“The doctor called me,” I said in a tight voice.
Her eyes widened. “Is Violet okay?”
“It was about me. She did an exam while I was there.”
She inhaled a sharp breath. “Are you sick? I knew something was wrong.” When I didn’t answer, she led me over to the kitchen table, pulled out a chair and turned it sideways. After pushing me down, she yanked out a chair for herself, and sat facing me. “What’s goin’ on?”
I started to quietly cry. “I’m so sorry.”
This was going to hurt her so much, and I had no idea how to make it better.
“Sorry?” she asked, her voice rising as she clutched my hands. “What do you have to be sorry about? What do you have?” She lifted her chin. “No matter what it is, we can handle it.”
Her pronouncement made me cry harder. I pulled one hand from hers and covered my mouth to stifle the sound of my sobs as I cast a worried glance at the kitchen door.
Realizing I was concerned about being overheard, she stood and pulled me up with her. “Let’s take a walk.”
Nodding, I followed her. She grabbed two flashlights from the small table against the wall and held the door open so we could go out. Turning on the first flashlight, she handed it to me.
“Jed won’t like us bein’ out here alone at night,” I said as she switched on her own light. “And rightly so.”
“Please,” she drawled. “I have a gun strapped to my ankle.”
I stared at her in surprise. Her favorite handgun was a big heavy revolver that had belonged to her grandfather.
“We’ll head up to the barn,” she said, leading the way. “Now tell me what’s goin’ on.”
I wanted to see her face when I told her, so I grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop, looking her straight in the eyes as the light from the kitchen windows cast shadows across her face. “Neely Kate, I’m pregnant.”
She stared at me in shock. After a few seconds, she said, “I thought you hadn’t seen Skeeter since right after you were almost killed by the Sugar Branch police.”
“I haven’t,” I said. I’d seen him this afternoon, but he’d implored me not to tell anyone, and it didn’t play into the circumstances of my pregnancy.
Her brow lowered in confusion. “But that was practically the middle of August. It’s early October. That would mean you’re…”
“At least ten weeks along.”
“Oh.”
“I’m so sorry, Neely Kate,” I said, starting to cry again. “Please don’t hate me.”
Her brows shot up to her forehead. “Why on earth would I hate you?”
“Because you want a baby so bad.”
Emotions vacillated in her eyes. The shock was fading into something rawer, something deep and fierce. “I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I’m just takin’ it in.”
I shook my head. “You take as long as you need. I’m still dealing with the news myself.”
That seemed to shake her out of her stupor. “Did you have any idea?”
“No. I’ve still been on the pill.” I gasped. “Oh my word! What if I’ve hurt the baby?”
She gave me a sad smile. “Your baby will be fine. Just stop takin’ them.”
“I wasn’t careless, Neely Kate. I swear it. Dr. Arnold changed my pills. Dr. Newton said he should have told me to use a backup, but I didn’t know.”
“Rose,” she said, grabbing my upper arms and squeezing. “I know you didn’t plan this. And I’m sorry I’m not being a better friend.”
“I don’t want to hurt you, Neely Kate. I’m so very sorry.”
“Oh, honey.” She pulled me into a tight hug. “It’s gonna be okay. I promise. Jed and I are here for you, and we’ll all deal with this together. I just need a few minutes to let this sink in.” She dropped her arms and took a couple of steps back. “I love you, Rose. Please don’t doubt that.”
“I love you too.” A tiny sob escaped me. “I know this is hurtin’ you and I’m so, so sorry.”
Tears filled her eyes. “I’ll be better tomorrow. I just…”
She turned and ran into the house. I understood her pain, and I didn’t fault her one bit for it.
Despite what Neely Kate had said, I suspected the situation might be too hard for her to handle. I wasn’t sure I could count on her full support. Joe had said he’d help, but this was huge, and rumors would be running rampant. What if he decided he needed to distance himself from me so he could live his own life? And Violet would likely be gone before the baby was born. Which meant I’d have to do this on my own.
No, I wasn’t on my own. I had my baby.
I placed my hand on my belly. “I’ll be here for you, baby. I promise you’ll never spend a single day of your life feeling unloved or unwanted.”
I wished I could have had a few days or weeks to get used to this on my own, but Anne had stolen that from me
. She and Dena could drag my name through the gutter all they wanted, but God help the person who dared to hurt my baby.
I wiped my tears. Joe was right. I was no victim. Not anymore. The only two people who deserved an apology from me had gotten one. Everyone else could kiss my lily-white behind.
When I went back inside, I could hear Violet’s voice on the staircase, telling Jed what strong muscles he had as he carried her up the stairs. Witt and Marshall had taken over clearing the table, and Jonah and Jessica were rinsing the plates at the kitchen sink. Neely Kate was in the living room, helping the kids pack up their things.
“Neely Kate,” I said in the doorway to the living room, “could you take the kids and help them into their car seats in my truck? The rest of you, could you gather in the living room for a moment? I have something to announce.”
Neely Kate shot me a grateful look and mouthed, I love you.
I love you too, I mouthed back.
She reached out a hand to Mikey. “Come on, you two. Let’s get you buckled.”
The others all gathered around me as Neely Kate and the kids left. Carly was missing, but she was likely upstairs with Jed and Violet. It seemed like Violet had the right to know before everyone else did, but I wanted to tell her alone. This wasn’t ideal, but I’d learned there were no storybook endings for me. I’d strived for normal for so long and had yet to come close. Maybe it was time to wholeheartedly embrace the craziness in my life.
As soon as the door clicked behind Neely Kate and the kids, I took a deep breath. “I know Violet called this dinner together for her own purposes, but I’ve decided to take advantage of the opportunity and share my good news.” I paused, telling myself it wasn’t a lie. I was taking advantage of them all being here, even if I’d only learned about the pregnancy twenty minutes ago. “I’m expecting a baby.”
Witt narrowed his eyes and shot me an ornery grin. “A baby what?” He laughed. “I’m not falling for that one again. Are you gettin’ a new puppy for Muffy?”
Muffy. I shot a glance down to my little dog, who was taking a nap on the sofa, likely worn out from my niece and nephew. How would she handle a baby?
Marshall whacked Witt on the arm. “I’m pretty sure she means a baby baby.” He turned toward me. “Am I right, Miss Rose?”
“Yeah, Marshall,” I said, fighting a laugh. “A human baby.”
Witt stared at me in horror. “You’ve got to be shittin’ me.”
“Congratulations, Rose,” Jonah said, trying not to look worried. He pulled me into a hug.
“I’m fine, Jonah,” I said. “We’ll talk more later.” I suspected I might need a bunch of appointments with him over the next seven months.
“Congratulations,” Jessica said with a warm smile that lacked any judgment.
It struck me that I’d been wrong. Again. I kept thinking I had to do things alone, but Carly was right—the family I’d built was bigger than the one I’d been born into, and they’d be there for me.
Emotion clogged my throat as my gaze landed on Maeve, who didn’t look all that surprised. She was capable of premonitions. Had she guessed this would happen? She knew I was involved with someone, although I hadn’t told her who.
She stepped forward and pulled me into a hug. “Rose, you’ll make a wonderful mother. Your baby will be one lucky child.”
“Thank you, Maeve,” I said, squeezing her extra tight. “That means so much coming from you.”
“I know your mother’s no longer living”—she pulled back just enough to meet my eyes—“and I’m not sure when I’ll ever have grandchildren, so I’d be honored to help you in any way I can.”
I stared at her in disbelief. “But Mason…”
Resolve filled her eyes. “Mason is busy with his own life. You and I are friends. I want to be as involved as you’ll let me.”
“Thank you,” I said with tears in my eyes.
“How’s Neely Kate taking the news?” she asked in an undertone.
I took a breath. “She’s totally supportive, but I know it hurts her.”
Witt gave me a grim look, then followed up with a short nod. “I’m gonna go check on her.”
“Good idea,” I said.
He’d turned toward the door when Marshall asked, “So is Skeeter Malcolm the father?”
Everyone’s eyes flew wide, and Witt smacked him in the back of the head. “Have you lost your ever-lovin’ mind, boy?”
Confusion filled his eyes. “But—”
Witt grabbed Marshall by the earlobe and started to drag him toward the door.
“What did I do wrong?” Marshall whined.
“You’ve got no common sense, boy. That’s what got you shot and damn near killed this summer.”
“But that’s how I knew about Skeeter hookin’ up with Rose.”
Witt whacked him upside the head with his free hand.
“Ow!” Marshall exclaimed.
“Rose should have let you bleed to death in her barn,” Witt grumbled as they stumbled out the door.
Jonah, Jessica, and Maeve stared at me with their mouths dropped open.
Jed came down the stairs, glancing around with a confused look. “What’s goin’ on? Where’s Neely Kate?”
I took a second to pull myself together, but my voice still shook when I said, “I asked her to put the kids in the car so I could tell everyone else my exciting news.” I held his gaze as he approached. “I just shared it with Neely Kate a few minutes ago.”
Maeve stepped forward and gave me another hug. “I’m going to give you some space and head home. Try to get some rest, and let us help you more, okay?”
“Okay.”
She gave me a concerned smile. “And don’t worry. Your secrets are safe with me. All of them.”
I flashed a quick glance at Jed and swallowed. “Thanks.”
She headed for the door, and Jonah said, “We need to be goin’ too. Same for us about secrets, Rose. If you need to talk about this or anything else, I’m just a phone call away.”
“Thanks, Jonah…and you too, Jessica.”
“We won’t tell a soul, Rose,” Jessica said with a warm smile. “And we’ve heard much more controversial things.”
Nice of her to say so. Surely Jonah had talked to an unwed mother or two in his capacity as a pastor, but how many of those babies had been fathered by the king of the criminal world?
They headed out the front door, leaving just me and Jed in the living room. Muffy was still asleep on the sofa, blissfully unaware that her world was about to change too.
“Rose, what’s goin’ on?”
I was half tempted to tell him to ask Neely Kate, but that wouldn’t be fair to either of them. “Jed, that was the doctor’s office on the phone call I took on the porch.” I forced myself to look him in the eye. “I’m pregnant.”
His eyes flew wide, then filled with concern. “Neely Kate.”
“I know. She took it better than I expected, not that I’d expect her to get upset with me, but I know this has hurt her and will continue to do so.”
A grim look washed over his face. “Yeah.” He stared at the wall for several seconds, and I could see the wheels turning in his head. “When are you due?”
“I’m not sure. I’m at least ten weeks. Maybe more.”
He was silent for a moment, then gave a sharp nod. “You told Skeeter yet?”
“No. I literally just found out. It wasn’t even on my radar. I only had a physical in case I decided to let the doctor put me on anxiety medication. I…I would have kept it to myself awhile longer, but Dena knows and she’s likely telling anyone who’ll listen.”
“How did she find out?”
I told him about Anne and Dr. Newton’s call, his eyes growing darker by the second.
“We’ll sue.”
“That’s not gonna put the horse back in the barn, Jed.”
“No, but it’ll give me some satisfaction.”
I pushed out a sigh. “We’ll decide on that later.” I su
spected it would likely hurt Dr. Newton and not Anne.
“How are you handlin’ the news? You seem to be doin’ pretty well considerin’ you just found out.”
“I was in complete shock, but then I thought about Dena draggin’ my name through the mud and decided not to give her the satisfaction of makin’ me feel bad.”
“Does anyone know it’s Skeeter’s baby?”
“Marshall just said so in front of everyone,” I said. “He knew I was connected to James and put two and two together.”
“That stupid kid,” he grumbled. “I’ll have a talk with him.” He glanced toward the door. “Can you count on them to keep quiet?”
“Jonah and Jessica are used to keeping parishioners’ secrets, and Maeve…”
“Is Mason’s mother.”
“Won’t tell a soul. She has her own premonitions, and I suspect she already knew James and I were involved. She gets feelings, not visions.”
Jed frowned, clearly not appeased.
“She promised my secret is safe, Jed. She’s none too happy with what Mason is up to.”
“I still don’t like it, Rose.”
“Then get Marshall in line,” I said in a firmer tone than I’d intended.
He looked surprised, but then he nodded. “I intend to.”
“I’ll walk you out,” I said. “I need to get the kids back to Mike’s.”
His concern was evident, but he didn’t try to stop me as we walked to the front door together. Carly stood on the staircase landing, cringing.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping, I swear. I was just comin’ down and overheard you.”
“Don’t worry,” I said. “This is all very much a part of your life, so you have a right to know. What part did you overhear?”
Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 13