“Are you all right?” Buddy hollered from the outer bathroom area.
“Yeah,” Chuck replied. “I just needed a little shot of steam. You know, dry winter air and all. I’ll have to remember to pick up a humidifier.”
“How’s Grace?” Buddy asked, his eye twitching and smile uncertain.
“Don’t know yet,” Chuck said as he walked up to him. He patted Buddy on the back. “I didn’t want to greet her with a stuffy nose. She’s probably still unconscious anyhow. Thanks for helping us out. Life is sure going to be different as a father, but it’s a journey I’m looking forward to. I have to make sure Grace is set before I leave, though. Where did you say she was going?”
“She’ll wake up completely at the apartment we keep in Skyline. I never send mail there but it’s right on the corner of Oak and Main,” Buddy said.
“Just making sure,” Chuck said. “If Rhianna’s still stable, I’m going to head out after I see how Grace is doing. Goodbyes are hard enough for me. I don’t think I’ll be able to tell her that this is goodbye forever. After she gets to the Skyline apartment, would you tell her I had an emergency or something? After a few weeks of not hearing from me, she’ll figure it out.”
Buddy breathed a visible sigh of relief. Great! No interference from best friend!
The change in attitude confirmed what Chuck had suspected. Liar! You were planning on hiding her from me. Now, you’re relieved that I won’t still be glued to her elbow!
“Yes, if she wants to stay in this part of the country,” Buddy said, “I have a very good friend at an employment agency. I’m sure he can find something for her.”
“Thanks again,” Chuck said, then rushed out the door and into the hall before he threw up.
Pausing at the water cooler to compose himself, Chuck slowly sipped a cup of plain hot water. Be strong. The dads will be there for her. I know they will. This is what’s best for her.
He tossed the paper cup in the trash and braced himself for one of the hardest tasks in his life: saying good-bye.
“Hey, Grace,” Chuck said, standing beside her gurney.
Grace remained motionless as she feigned being asleep. The sense of immense loss was something no one had warned her about. The constant kicking and change of pressure on her internal organs were missing. The new stillness was as scary as a sudden loss of sight or hearing. Those uncomfortable and unpredictable sensations she had endured for the last six months were gone, never to be recovered – their memory, too intense to be forgotten.
“It’s going to be all right, Grace,” Chuck whispered, then sat next to her, his hand gentle on her shoulder. “I feel like a coward, but I’m afraid every time you see me, you’ll remember this, these last few months. I told you that I’d always be here for you. Now, it’s by leaving that I’m doing you the biggest favor. You’re stronger than you know; braver and more generous than anyone I’ve ever met. Keep being you and you’ll conquer this world and all the evils in it. I do love you, Grace. You’ve been the biggest, brightest star in my life. And you’ve given me more than I ever thought possible.”
Chuck stood up, then bent over her and kissed her on the cheek. Tears had left a shiny trail from the corners of her eyes down her temples and into her hair. “Good-bye, my sweet. And good luck.”
Rushing out the door, Chuck was hit with nausea again. Coward! You can’t turn around and steal her away now. Don’t chicken out and do the easy thing. She needs to be free. She can’t – won’t and didn’t – change her mind. Seeing Rhianna would tear her up. She’s out of your life now. All you can do is make sure she’s safe.
“Oh, there you are,” Grace Two said, halting her nervous pacing when she saw him walk back into the neo-natal area.
“Sorry, it took longer than I thought. I…um…ran into Buddy and we had a little chat.”
Grace Two’s eyes widened but Chuck’s minimal head shake settled her fear. She looked to Ellen. “Can you watch all three for a minute? I want to go outside for a smoke.”
“No problem. I’ll let you spell me when you get back,” the other nurse said. “Not for a smoke, though…”
Chuck’s new confidant took him by the elbow and ushered him down the hall and out an exit. She glanced around, verified they were alone, then whispered, “There’s going to be a bust here by morning. I talked the feds into waiting until these babies were delivered and had a few hours to adjust before whisking them away. They’re all fine, but Buddy’s going to get arrested for white slavery and a few more charges. He was going to use your Grace for breeding stock.”
“What?” Chuck squeaked, quickly bringing down the volume as the word escaped.
“Surrogate mother. She’s proven she can carry three babies and deliver them at a viable weight. Lots of rich couples are eager to have their fertilized zygotes implanted. Buddy will keep her around to recover as long as he can, ply her with a high paying, low skills job; then whisk her off to his birthing house. White slavery still exists. I want to end it right now.”
“How do… How do you know this?” Chuck asked.
“I was one of them. He trusts me. In reality, I was just waiting until I could gain that confidence so I could bring him down. You’re different. You were doing this for her, to get her out of a bind.”
“Wait. The babies…”
“He’s going to whisk them off and ‘resell’ them several times over. The promised parents will be told the babies died, that their fifty grand purchase price for a baby is non-refundable.”
“I’m going to make a call,” Chuck said, his hand on her shoulder – his emotional grounding rod. “Do you think you can help me get all these babies out of here? I have a van all set up for one baby. I think they’ll all fit in the one bassinette, though. At least, until we can clear ground zero.”
Grace Two looked at her watch. “He takes off to be with his wife at the big house at seven every evening, come rain, shine, or blizzard. If you can have your vehicle here and warmed up ten minutes later, we should be able to stay out of the shit storm. What about your Grace?”
“Buddy has a wife?” he gasped. “That explains a lot. Anyhow, her ride’s already enroute. I just texted the new address to them. I hope the message comes through in time. They’re driving up from Massachusetts.”
“Well, make your other call fast then come in. He’s going to suspect something if you’re not spending every moment you can with your baby. Oh, and cell reception is best up there,” Grace Two said, pointing to a cleared area at the end of the patio. “And no cameras.”
Chuck took his cellphone out of his pocket as he walked away, glad that he had taken the time and expense to buy one. He took the business card out of his wallet and dialed.
“Hey, Gloria. This is Chuck. From the baby store. You’re my daughter’s godmother, remember? Yeah? Really? Mine was, too. No, she didn’t die, too. They’re all fine. Shoot. I suppose there’s no holding back. Our daughters are sisters. At least, they’re biological sisters. So, here’s the deal. You need to be at the gas station on Sherlock and Hemingway at seven twenty tonight. I don’t care if you’re in the middle of the biggest dinner party in the world…well, it’s a good thing you’re both home. Anyhow, you and your botanist friend who has dibs on the other baby need to come and grab your daughters then. No, I promise you they’re not dead. They’re all perfectly healthy. Well, don’t let Buddy know I called you. I think he’s in big trouble. Yeah, well, telling you the babies died should be enough for you to doubt everything he says. I’ll be in a plain white van – you know, the kind electricians use? Yeah, well it’s a conversion. I’ll have all the babies with me. Just give me the password ‘Woodstock’ and either I or the nurse will let you in. All right. Bundle up and bring car seats. I only have the one you bought for Rhianna.”
“Rhianna,” Gloria mused as she set down the phone. “Well, they both can’t have that name. We’ll have to find a different one. Roger!” she called upstairs. “Come on down. You got that miracle you were prayi
ng for. Let’s go get her!”
“She’s alive?” the red-eyed man asked, sniffing back leftover tears as he rushed down the stairs.
“Yup. You got me convinced that prayers work. Grab your coat and warm up the car. I’m calling Luther and Leanne and giving them the good news, too. I’m sure glad we left the car seat and welcome home goodies where they were. We’re less than an hour away from holding our baby.”
Chapter 15
The Shit Storm
Enroute to save Grace
January 3, 1992
“You know, a lot may have gone on during the last few months, Dusty. It’s been how long since you’ve seen her?” Hal asked.
“It’s been two-hundred-thirty-three days, sir. Sorry. I’m a little obsessive about the loss.”
“Well, it’s been a month and a day since we’ve seen her. All was fine and dandy at breakfast, then the next thing you know, she and my son had disappeared. Poof!”
“Um, Mr. Armstrong. I don’t mean to sound rude,” Dusty said, his foot off the accelerator as he thought of how he should word his concern without losing his new customer. “But don’t you think it would have been a good idea to tell me that my girlfriend ran away with another man? You made it seem like…”
“Excuse me, son,” Silas said. “We’re in a hurry here. If you can’t put the pedal to the metal, pull over and let me drive. Don’t worry about Chuck. He’s Doctor Armstrong’s youngest son. He’s a doctor, too. He’s the one who’s been taking care of her.”
“Are you sure they didn’t fall in love or something?” Dusty asked. “I mean, she’s a wonderful woman, and beautiful, too.”
“Pretty sure,” Papa Doc said.
Silas leaned over and whispered, “Plus he’s gay.”
“He is? Oh, thank heaven!” Dusty blurted out, his foot now heavy on the accelerator. “I mean, that’s good for me. And for her, too. I hope.”
“And him eventually,” Papa Doc added, comforted by the pat on the shoulder by Hal.
“So, Dusty, I don’t mean to be a downer,” Hal said, “but she has been gone for a long time. Would you still love her if she, say, gained a lot of weight?”
“Mr. Stillwater, I’d still love your daughter if she was a deaf-mute quadriplegic.”
“And what if she committed a crime like maybe stole something big?” Silas asked.
Dusty sighed deeply, his foot coming off the gas again.
“Keep up your speed, son,” Silas warned.
“Oh, yes, sir. Sorry about that. You see, though, she already is a thief. She stole my heart. She’s who I think about when I fall asleep at night, and my first thoughts in the morning are of her, too. We were going to get married. I mean, we hadn’t set a date or anything, but we knew we wanted to be in each other’s lives forever and ever.”
“Sounds like someone’s been watching too many animated fairy tales,” Hal whispered to Papa Doc.
“I heard that,” Dusty said. “But yes, I do believe in happy ever afters. I know not everyone gets one, but I know that if we can just talk for a minute, I can convince Grace that we can have ours. I’m on the right track with this new career. She can help me with it, doing the books and all. We can get our own little apartment to start with, then maybe save up enough money for a down payment on a…”
“Just drive,” Silas said. “We all know what a happy ever after is. We’re just as eager to find out what’s happened in the last month, too.”
“It’s been nearly eight months for me, sir. I’m sure she’s just as beautiful and sweet as ever, though.”
“Anyone for coffee and a granola bar?” Papa Doc asked to redirect the conversation. “I didn’t bring the chili. Not a good idea in close quarters, if you know what I mean.”
“Granola bar and coffee sounds good to me,” Silas said. “Why don’t you pull over and I’ll drive. Speed limits were meant to be flexible in extreme circumstances. I can drink and drive legally as long as it’s coffee. Come on, kid. You’ve been working all day. You need to rest up at least a little so you’re in top shape to see her.” And don’t pass out on the spot when you see she’s either pregnant or a new mother of twins!
***
Three hours later
“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty,” Hal said, nudging the dozing Dusty who had fallen asleep. “We’re at the rendezvous spot.”
“Huh? We’re where?” Dusty looked around, blinking moisture into his eyes as he tried to figure out where he was and who these old men were. A smile erupted on his face, splitting his dry bottom lip. He licked it and brought his elation down to an earthly level. “She’s here? Now? Where?”
“I guess they haven’t got here yet,” Silas said. “The text said he’d let us know when she was on the road. Whatever that means.”
“What does that mean?” asked Dusty.
“If I knew, I’d tell you. Just keep your eyes open. Now, Dusty,” Silas said, turning sideways in the seat to face the anxious young man, “she might look a little different…”
Hal and Papa Doc snickered at the same time, then brought their hands up to contain their explosive reactions to a very pregnant Grace looking a ‘little’ different. “Sorry,” Papa Doc sputtered.
Dusty gulped audibly, then reached for the thermos of coffee and poured a splash into his cup. “There’s a little left if anyone else wants some,” he said. He gulped it down, waiting for more comments. When none came, he voiced his suspicion. “I’m beginning to think that you all know something big and don’t want to tell me.”
“Big?” Hal whispered, then Papa Doc started snickering again.
“So, what did she do, go on an eating binge and she’s as big as a house now? You think that just because she got fat, I won’t love her?” Dusty fumed. “Because that’s what it sounds like you’re trying not to say!”
Silas lay his hand on Dusty’s shoulder. “You’d make a good investigator, son,” he said. “Yes, we’re trying not to tell you that she got big. Last time we saw her, she was big as a house. Well, not a real house, but so big she could hardly walk.”
“But why would she keep overeating if she couldn’t even… Oh, shit! Is she pregnant? Is that why she’s so big? Is that why she ran away from me? She’s having our baby and…”
Dusty stopped when he felt Silas squeeze his shoulder. “What? Are you doing that because I’m right or I’m wrong?”
“The last time we saw her,” Silas said, his voice slow while he chose his words, “she was pregnant. Very pregnant.”
“Well, we did have sex, so I guess that means using the pull method doesn’t work…”
Hal harrumphed but didn’t say a word.
“Sorry, Mr. Stillwater. I guess we were a little early on the honeymoon part, but we are going to get married. I promise you. If Grace will have me, we’ll get married right away.”
“A lot went on after you saw her last,” Papa Doc said. “It seems she and my eldest son were sort of an item, so to say.”
“What? But she loved me! I know she did!”
“Yes,” Hal said, his indignation overridden by compassion for the confused young man. “And her mother forbade her to see you again, then set her up with a new beau. Sorry, Doc, but we all know it’s true. Grace wouldn’t have slept with Alex if her mother hadn’t essentially blackmailed her.”
“How could she blackmail her own daughter? Grace didn’t have any money that Mrs. Stillwater couldn’t have taken anyhow.”
“She blackmailed Grace with you. She was going to have you and your father arrested for… Let’s just say my wife was ready to make up false charges against you and your father that would have put you two in prison for a long time. Grace pretty much had to become intimate with a stranger to protect you. I believe that she did it out of love for you.”
Dusty’s face skewed up. “You mean she had sex with another man because she loved me? That is what you’re saying, isn’t it?”
All the men hemmed and mumbled, but it was Papa Doc who spoke up. “She may h
ave been coerced into it, but she knew she could never go back to you. Not because of you but because of what her mother would do. She had to start anew. What she hadn’t planned on was falling in love with my son, Alex.”
“But you guys said he was gay – that she ran away with your son the gay doctor.”
“No,” Papa Doc corrected. “Different son.”
“Okay. So, maybe the baby’s his. I’ll challenge him, though. Even if that isn’t my baby, it’s hers. We can bring him or her up together. Where is he? I want a duel or at least a chance to win her back.”
“First off,” Hal said, “whether she goes with you or not is totally her decision. At least, you say you love her no matter what.”
“And second,” Papa Doc said, “I wish there was a way you and Alex could duel or duke it out or just sit down and talk about it, but you can’t.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’s dead,” Silas said. He turned around and saw he was right to answer for Doc. His best friend was crying all over again, recalling the loss of his son.
“I’m sorry, sir,” Dusty said. “Truly, I am. But I swear to everyone in this car, that no matter who’s the father, I’ll take care of both Grace and the baby.”
“Babies,” Hal corrected. “They’re twins.”
“What? I’m going to be the father of twins?” Dusty screeched excitedly, dropping his empty cup on the floorboards. “That’s great! I mean, it might be a little crowded in my trailer for a while, but we can…”
“Hold on there, Champ,” Silas said, physically holding the excited man down with a shoulder grip. “I don’t think it’s going to be that easy. If it was, Grace would have stayed where she was with us. And we wouldn’t be making a middle-of-the-night exodus into New Hampshire based on one phone call and a couple of texts. Something screwy’s going on. You and I and everyone else need to keep a level head. Let me take the lead on this. The worst thing you could do is burst out of this truck as soon as you see her, scaring the Bejesus out of her.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Dusty mumbled. “Damn it.”
The Set Up (Triplets: Three Aren't One Book 1) Page 14