Brides on the Run (Books 1-4)

by Jami Albright

  He shook his head. It was all he was capable of with the sirens screaming in his brain. Karen’s job was going away? Wait. Did Kelly say that she found out right before school started? That was when she’d told him she wanted to get back together.

  “Sheriff?”

  “I’m sorry, what?”

  Kelly laughed. “I asked what I could get for you.”

  “Oh. Nothing for me.”

  “I thought you were getting rocky road, Uncle Hank?” Lottie already had a ring of blue around her lips.

  “I changed my mind, kiddo.” He couldn’t have eaten if someone shoved food down his throat. How had he not known this?

  Derek was right. He was a fucking embarrassment.

  Chapter 24

  Charlie, Scarlett, and Honey waited in an examination room in Dr. Shelton’s office. They’d been kind enough to let them enter through the back door to avoid any accidental sightings. The scent of vanilla soothed her tattered nerves. Honey and Scarlett’s steady stream of conversation helped to distract her from the inkling of fear that’d been her constant companion since she first saw those two blue lines on the pregnancy test. What if she was a terrible mother? She knew nothing about raising a baby and even less about growing one.

  She was nearly at the end of her first trimester, and she was just now going to the doctor. She probably wouldn’t get any mother of the year awards for that. But disbelief had kept her paralyzed for a month. Once Marci and Ron had found out, they’d insisted she not tell anyone or see a doctor. Then they left her. She’d always had people to handle things like this for her. That terrible voice reminded her that she didn’t know how to take care of herself, so how did she think she’d be able to take care of another human being?

  That thought got shoved into the nasty place with the rest of her insecurities. She had no time or energy for that crap. She had a Pod to grow and a life to build, and one way or the other, she would do this. Even if all her decisions weren’t the best, she’d figure it out.

  Probably.

  Maybe.

  Who the hell knew?

  Honey laid her soft, liver-spotted hand over hers. “You alright, darlin’?”

  She exhaled the bad and inhaled Honey’s Jungle Gardenia fragrance. “I’m fine.”

  “I was so nervous my first appointment,” Scarlett said. “Though I wasn’t as bad as Gavin. He was a wreck.”

  Charlie crossed her legs and adjusted her position in the chair. “Really? He seems so tough, or at least that’s his persona.”

  “Lord, that boy ain’t nothing but a big ol’ softie,” Honey said.

  Scarlett laughed. “It’s true. They had to offer him a chair during the sonogram because all the color drained from his face. Then he started to hyperventilate. And I’ll swear you’re a dirty liar if you ever tell him I said that.”

  Charlie made a zipping motion in front of her mouth. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  The door to the room opened, and Dr. Shelton came in. “Hello, Scarlett.” She shook Scarlett’s hand. “How are you feeling?”

  Scarlett gave her a blindingly happy smile. “Peachy.”

  “That’s good to hear. And Miss Honey, are you still getting into trouble?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m too old to change now.”

  They all laughed, and Charlie was grateful that Dr. Shelton had given her a few minutes to adjust to her presence. Coming face to face with a doctor made this all so very real.

  Dr. Shelton extended her hand. “And you must be Charlotte?”

  The physician’s warm, competent demeanor instantly put her at ease. “You can call me Charlie.”

  “Alright, Charlie, it’s lovely to meet you.”

  “Thank you. You too.”

  Scarlett stood. “Dr. Shelton, is there someplace Honey and I can wait?”

  Dr. Shelton washed her hands in the small sink in the corner of the room. “Yes, there is a small waiting room next door.”

  Honey smoothed her hand down Charlie’s head. “Darlin’, we’ll be next door if you need us.”

  “I’ll be fine, Honey.” As grateful as she was for Scarlett and Honey’s help, she would do this alone. She’d gotten herself into this, and she’d take care of it by herself. She’d spent too many years letting other people handle things for her. She would handle this.

  The two left, and Dr. Shelton sat in the chair next to her. “I like to sit and chat for a minute with my new OB patients. Do you have any questions?”

  “Have I ruined things by waiting so long to come to the doctor?” The words shot from her mouth. She hadn’t even known she was going to say them.

  The doctor gave a deep, rich chuckle. “I seriously doubt you’ve ruined anything. How far along do you think you are?”

  “Almost three months. I know exactly when it happened.”

  Her caregiver reached into her pocket and withdrew a round paper disc thing. “Tell me the date, and we’ll see when you’re due.”

  Charlie gave her the date and ignored the pain that always came when she remembered that night, or rather the morning after.

  “It looks like your due date is June fifth. A June baby will be nice.”

  Baby. She held onto the arms of the chair. She’d never used that word. Her ever-present friend, nausea, threatened to crash this party.

  “Okay. Why don’t you step behind the curtain and undress from the waist down?” The doctor opened a drawer and pulled out a gown. “Put this on, and I’ll get my nurse in here.” Panic must’ve flashed across Charlie’s face. “Don’t worry. My staff is absolutely trustworthy and discreet.”

  “Thank you.” Behind the curtain, she did as instructed. The whole situation was surreal, like it was happening to someone else. When she emerged from the curtain, there was an older woman with a streak of purple in her black hair.

  “Charlie, this is Beth. She’s my nurse.” Dr. Shelton patted the table, indicating she should have a seat. “She’ll be the one to call with the results of your blood work and any other test we may choose to do.”

  Charlie smoothed down the pink paper gown. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Same here.” Beth held up her arm like she was asking Charlie to arm wrestle. “Give me your hand, and I’ll help you lie back.”

  Once Charlie’s feet were where they needed to be, Dr. Shelton rolled a machine with a screen over to the table. “Alright, let’s get a look at this little bun.” She took something that looked like a curling iron and rolled a condom over it.

  “What is that? And is it going where I think it is?” Even Charlie could hear the distress in her voice.

  The physician chuckled. “It’s the ultrasound wand, and yes, at this stage of your pregnancy, it’s the best way for us to see your little guy or girl. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just a little awkward.”

  With her feet in the stirrups and a paper gown the only thing between her hoohah and the world, how much more awkward could things get? “Okay.”

  “Alright, here we go.” Dr. Shelton placed one of her hands on Charlie’s abdomen, and then the other was between her legs. “Take a deep breath and blow it out.” She inserted the wand in one smooth motion.

  Beth squeezed her hand. “See, that wasn’t bad at all.”

  Charlie nodded. Best to just pretend there wasn’t a long, probing instrument inside her vagina. She kept her eyes locked on the screen. She had no idea what she was seeing, but she kept her gaze firmly on the window that looked like static on an old black and white television.

  The doctor made a sound in the back of her throat. She removed her hand from Charlie’s stomach and punched a few buttons on the machine. “Beth, can you dim the lights, please?”

  “Sure.”

  The seconds ticked by, one after the other. Every tick of the clock notched Charlie’s heart rate higher.

  “How’s the weather out there today?” Beth asked.

  Unease crawled over Charlie’s skin. Her eyes stayed glued to the monitor. “What?”

&
nbsp; “The weather? Is it humid today? My hair feels like it’s humid,” Beth said, like the fate of Charlie’s life wasn’t unfolding in the display window of the sonogram machine.

  “It’s not too bad.” But this was. Beth was trying to distract her. Something was wrong. Dr. Shelton was too quiet, and Beth was too chatty. Agony like she’d never experienced before cracked and splintered the very fiber of who she was. “Is some—”

  “There you are,” Dr. Shelton said.

  “What?” The word came out feeble and weak.

  “There’s your baby.” The physician pointed to the screen. “See, there’s the heartbeat. Oh, you’ve got a strong one.”

  The screen still looked like a lot of static, except for the hollow where her little stowaway floated. She raised her hand toward the screen. “Hey.” The wonder and affection in her voice filled the room. “That’s Pod’s heartbeat?” The fluttering beat mesmerized her. With every tiny hummingbird flicker on the screen, she lost more of her own heart.

  Look what we made, Hank.

  “Pod?” Beth asked.

  “Like a pea pod.” Tears spilled from her eyes and a sob caught in her throat. Suddenly, she didn’t want to do this by herself. This miracle should be celebrated. “Would you mind getting Honey and Scarlett?” She wiped a tear that was running into her ear. “I want them to see.”

  Dr. Shelton smiled like she knew exactly what Charlie was feeling. “Sure. Beth, would you mind?”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  In minutes the little room was full of people. Her people. Honey and Scarlett each took one of her hands, both ooing and aahing over Pod.

  “Looks just like its mama,” Honey said.

  “Look what you’re growing, Charlie, a strong, healthy baby,” Scarlett encouraged.

  The Pod was strong. Strong and fierce. And Charlie promised the image on the screen that she’d be just as strong and fierce for the two of them.

  Chapter 25

  Charlie would live at the Golden Leaf Garden nursery if she could. She loved the herbs and flowers that covered the Changs’ property, some imported and some homegrown. The quality of her lotions and soaps had gone up exponentially since she’d started buying her supplies from the Changs. She’d had a great place in California where she shopped, but even they didn’t compare to the Golden Leaf.

  “How are you today, Miss Charlie?”

  She whirled around and saw Thomas Chang leaning against a support pole. “I’m great.” And she was. Seeing Pod the day before had solidified a few things for her. She, Honey, and Scarlett had talked about her opening her own shop all the way home from the doctor’s office. She was going to do it. “Are you all exporting things now?” She pointed to the back of the garden, where a few men were loading wooden crates onto a truck.

  “Oh, no. Those are the crates our essential oils come in. We recycle them.” He held up two fingers in a peace sign. “Save the world.”

  She laughed and returned the peace sign. “Save the world.”

  “How can I help you today?”

  She handed him the list. His dark brows climbed up his forehead. “This is a lot more than you’ve been buying.”

  The smile that spread across her face was uncontrollable. “Yes, it is. I’m going into business, Thomas.” She’d done the math, and she was only buying what she could afford. The profits from what she’d already sold would pay for this larger order.

  If possible the brows rose even higher. “Really?”

  “Do you think I’m crazy?”

  He shook his head. “No way. My mother loves the lotions you’ve given her. So are you going to make and sell them from your home, or are you going to have a store?”

  A thrilling excitement made her spine straighter. “A store.”

  He held out his hand. “Let me be the first to shake the hand of Zachsville’s newest successful business owner.”

  She took his hand and laughed. “I have a lot to learn, but thanks for the vote of confidence.”

  “Once everyone finds out Charlie Kay has a store, you’ll sell out of everything.”

  “Klein.”

  “Pardon?”

  “Charlie Klein.” She couldn’t help the steel in her voice. “Charlie Kay is dead and gone.”

  He chuckled. “My condolences.”

  He shouldn’t be sorry. She wasn’t. Not one little bit.

  “Let’s get this order filled.” He led her to the back where they kept a lot of the herbs she used to make her own essential oils. “You know, Miss Charlie, if you’re going to start buying more, then you’re going to want to buy in bulk. I can introduce you to our wholesaler if you’d like.”

  “Oh. That would be great. Yes, thank you, Thomas.”

  “He’ll be here tonight. Will you be at Boon’s?”

  She ran her fingers over the leaves of an African violet. “Yes, I’ll be there.”

  “Maybe during your break, I can introduce you.”

  “Thank you, Thomas. What would I do without you and Golden Leaf Garden?”

  “Let’s hope you never have to find out.”

  Chapter 26

  Hank checked his email on his phone while he waited for Karen to join him at the City Cafe. He was beginning to doubt the wisdom of doing this over lunch. His gut was a knotted mess, no way he could eat anything. But they’d no doubt have an audience, and that was why he’d decided to do it in public. It would make it harder for her to storm off if things didn’t go well. Nothing says you don’t matter more than another person turning their back on you and walking away.

  He was going to give her a chance to tell him the truth about the high school job and the timing of when she found out they were pulling the plug on the program. Now that he’d had a little time to cool off, he couldn’t swear she’d only come back to him because she was about to be jobless. And in the grand scheme of things, the timing didn’t really matter, the deception did. It only compounded the lie about the teaching job at the community college.

  He hadn’t known she wasn’t being paid for that job, since she’d insisted they keep their bank accounts separate when they got back together. He hadn’t argued. Like the rest of their relationship, he’d believed they could bridge the gap and once again merge their lives together. That nasty voice in his head called him the biggest fool in Blister County, and he was starting to believe it.

  But if he was a fool, then so was she. Did she think he wouldn’t hear about her losing her job at the high school? If they lived someplace else, he might not find out about her job going away, but not in this fishbowl of a small town. She had to know that. As hard as he tried, he couldn’t figure out her thought process. Was she just planning to spring it on him at the last minute?

  Hell, he didn’t know. He didn’t know much of anything, but that he’d loved Karen once and he’d made a commitment to their life together. If there was the slightest chance it could work out, then he’d exhaust every possibility to save it. But it all hinged on her telling him the truth. Right now. Today.

  Email checked, he slipped his phone into his pocket and scrubbed his face. He knew people were calling him crazy for staying with Karen, but they didn’t have the irresponsible Odom men label. And hadn’t grown up the way he did, without a father, and wondering what he’d done wrong to make the man who was supposed to love and take care of him leave. Fuck ’em. They didn’t have to understand, and he didn’t much care if they did or not. He was trying to change the lineage of his family.

  “Hey. You look deep in thought.” Karen bent to kiss his cheek, then took a seat.

  “You know me, solving the world’s problems.” He chuckled.

  She flipped her straight mahogany hair over her shoulder. “Come up with any solutions?”

  “Not yet. I’ll let you know when I do.” Banter like this used to come as natural as breathing, but now it was stilted and awkward with a million subtexts.

  Hey, what are you thinking about?

  I’m wondering if we have
a chance.

  What’s your verdict?

  Depends on if you can be honest with me or not.

  Her smile was affectionate but reserved. More than anything he wanted to bridge this distance between them.

  He placed his hand over hers and tried to ignore the slight flinch of her body when he did. “How long do you have before you have to get back to the school?”

  “I have forty-five minutes.”

  Twenty seconds was as long as it took for her to disentangle their hands. A frigid breeze of defeat blew across the tiny flicker of hope he had for them. The knots in his stomach jerked tighter. “How are things at Zachsville High?” He attempted to make his tone casual. He had no idea if he succeeded, and with every excruciating second that passed he cared less and less.

  “Oh, you know.” She plucked a saltine packet from a bowl on the table, opened it, and ate the cracker. “Same old, same old.”

  “Yeah? Nothing new, good or bad, happening? Your program’s still going strong?” Geez, he may as well hold up a sign saying, I know your job is going away. Please tell me the truth.

  Her shoulders slumped, and her body language clearly communicated defeat. “Well, I was going to wait until this evening to tell you, but they’ve pulled the funding on my program. I’m done in just a few weeks.”

  Hallelujah. One hurdle down, now to see if she’d tell him everything. “That’s horrible. Did they just spring that on you today?”

  She played with the empty saltine packet. “No…”

  “Hi, I’m Jenni-Lynn.” Their waitress sauntered up to the table. She was new, which was weird. Most of the servers came over on the Mayflower then got a job at the City Cafe. “Jenni with an ‘i’.” She tapped her name tag with her pencil. “What can I get you today?”

  Crap. Jenni with an “i” had shit timing. The thought of trying to shove food down his gullet seemed impossible, but he’d asked Karen to lunch, so he needed to order. “I’ll have today’s special and a sweet tea.”