8 Sandpiper Way (18 page)

Emily didn’t see any notation having to do with the gold watch. She read the list a second time, more carefully now.

“Did you find it?” Geoff asked a bit anxiously.

Emily swallowed. “Is there another section of the will not included here?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Would you mind checking the file?” she asked, making an effort to sound positive.

Geoff returned to the filing cabinet. “Oh, wait, there
is
something else here.”

Instantly Emily relaxed. For a moment there, she’d started to panic.

“Oh.” Geoff’s voice lost some of its enthusiasm. “It’s photographs.”

“Of what?” Emily asked.

“The jewelry. Mrs. Evans had several pairs of diamond earrings and some emerald brooches. The pictures are to distinguish which piece of jewelry she meant.” He hesitated. “I believe Mr. Harris had been urging her to do this for some time because she wasn’t adequately insured.”

“Can I see that?” Emily asked. She knew it was risky to delve into this any further and yet she couldn’t stop herself. She reached for the document.

“Perhaps the gold watch is in here,” Geoff suggested.

“I’m sure it is,” Emily said with a confidence she didn’t feel. Flipping through the pages, she glanced at each photograph until she saw the one she’d hoped not to find.

The diamond earrings.

The pair she’d accidentally discovered in Dave’s suit pockets the afternoon of their wedding anniversary.

“Do you have what you need?” Geoff asked, his anxiety growing. If anyone were to step into the office and discover what he’d done, he could be in serious trouble.

“Here,” Emily said and handed him back the will and the papers.

Geoff immediately filed them and closed the drawer. He studied Emily. “Is everything all right, Mrs. Flemming? You look pale.”

“I’m fine,” she lied.

“Well…I hope that answered all your questions.”

“I appreciate your help,” she said, evading the question.

“You can’t tell anyone I let you see what was in Mrs. Evans’s file,” he told her.

“No one will ever know,” she promised.

Only a few hours earlier, Emily had felt that her marriage was rejuvenated. Dave loved her. He was doing two jobs because of the increase in their house payments. Now, in an effort to do her share, Emily had started work, too.

They needed money if they were going to hold on to the house she loved.

All Emily could do was hope Dave hadn’t found another way of paying their bills…a way that could land him in prison.

T
eri Polgar was still reeling. The gynecologist’s news had been a shock. An incredible, wonderful, joyous shock, but a shock nonetheless, and she wasn’t sure Bobby was ready to hear it. She hadn’t completely taken it in herself.

“James,” she murmured from the backseat of the car. “Please drive me over to Get Nailed.” She needed to talk to someone, and she couldn’t think of anyone better than her best friend, Rachel.

“As you wish, Miss Teri,” James responded. He rarely had a comment or a question.

“Thank you.” Teri started chewing on her thumbnail, then jerked her hand out of her mouth as soon as she realized what she was doing. Nail-biting was a bad habit of hers, one she’d managed—for the most part—to break.

James pulled up in front of the Cedar Cove mall. Without giving him a chance to come around and open her door, she leaped out.

He stood uncertainly by the driver’s door. “Would you like me to wait?” he asked.

“Please,” Teri said over her shoulder. The mall was
busier than she could ever remember seeing it. A woman standing beside a huge red kettle rang a bell, reminding others of those less fortunate than themselves. Teri automatically stuck a twenty-dollar bill inside. As kids growing up with an alcoholic mother, she and Christie had a very limited experience of Christmas, which might explain why she went overboard now. The only gifts they received came from charities like this one. Any extra cash her mother had was spent on booze.

The warmth inside the mall chased away the chill that had come over her. She moved quickly, eager to get to the salon. When she arrived, she walked directly through the waiting area and into the main body of the shop.

“Hey, look who’s here!” Jane called out. She wore a sprig of plastic holly in her hair as she worked on a customer’s nails.

Teri was instantly surrounded by her friends.

“Merry Christmas!”

“Teri, it’s so great to see you.”

Her gaze flew instinctively to Rachel. Rachel would reassure her. Rachel would help her put everything in perspective. Rachel would calm her nerves.

Intuitive as always, Rachel recognized immediately that something was wrong.

“Can you talk?” Teri asked, grabbing her friend’s hands.

Rachel nodded. “I just finished my perm. Mrs. Holman’s coming in for a cut and style, but I can put her off for a few minutes. What’s up?”

Teri released Rachel’s hands and gestured weakly toward the break room. Her knees felt unsteady. “Let’s talk privately.”

“That bad?” Rachel’s eyes turned soft with concern.

“No, not really. Just…overwhelming.”

Rachel led her to the back of the shop and pulled out two chairs. Teri nearly collapsed into hers. “I had the ultrasound this morning,” she said. “Bobby’s so anxious about the baby. He had an important radio interview so he couldn’t go with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to be there, anyway. He worries too much.” She exhaled slowly.

Rachel frowned. “Your appointment was at nine, right?” She glanced at her watch. “It’s nearly noon. Why’d it take so long?”

“Because about a dozen people had to take a gander. Let me tell you there’s nothing like having your stomach exposed to the whole world.”

“It could’ve been worse. It could’ve been your butt.”

Leave it to Rachel to look at the bright side.

“Everything
is
all right, isn’t it?” her friend asked, studying her closely.

“You tell me.” With trembling hands, Teri opened her large purse and took out the photograph the technician had given her. She laid it gingerly on the table, watching Rachel’s face as she did.

Her friend studied the photo. “Teri!” she cried a moment later. “You’re having twins!”

“Look again,” she said, her voice catching.

Rachel stared at the hazy picture and then gasped. Her hand went to her heart. Her eyes widened. She swallowed hard. “Triplets?”

Teri nodded. “Last week the doctor told me he thought he heard two heartbeats, which is why he scheduled the ultrasound.” The shock had yet to fade. Twins she could’ve dealt with—once she got used to the idea—but triplets? Bobby was already a local celebrity and here she was, pregnant with
triplets.

“You weren’t using fertility drugs, were you?”

“Good heavens, no.” That was one of the reasons the ultrasound had attracted so much attention. Natural triplets were exceedingly rare.

“This is why you’ve been feeling so drained and tired.”

Since this was her first pregnancy, Teri hadn’t known what to expect. “I’ve been really emotional, too.”

“Well, no wonder.”

“Originally, the doctor said I might’ve been farther along than we assumed. I never keep track of my periods, so I didn’t think anything of it.”

“That extra weight!”

“Yes, I made Dr. Joyce apologize about that. I told him I’d been eating properly and that I didn’t deserve to gain so much weight.”

Rachel grinned. “I can imagine you’re pretty shaken, but Teri, this is wonderful news. You’ve told Bobby, haven’t you?”

That was the problem. “I haven’t said a word and I’m not sure I want to.”

“You can’t keep this from your husband.”

“But maybe I should. He’s worried about me giving birth to
one
baby and now you want me to casually announce I’m having three? Three babies. Rachel! I’m scared out of my wits.”

Her friend dismissed her concerns a little too easily. “You’re going to be a terrific mother. And don’t worry, Bobby will take it in stride.”

“I was thinking one baby,” Teri moaned, “and now I learn I’m practically going to have my own hockey team.”

“Give yourself a chance to adjust first, and then tell Bobby,” Rachel advised.

Teri was lost in her thoughts. She didn’t have much of
a role model when it came to mothering. She’d already read six books on parenting. None of them had truly reassured her. Some of the information conflicted with other information. One theory clashed with the next.

“Three babies,” Rachel said. “You’ll do great—and you can afford to hire help if you need it.”

“A nanny?” That hadn’t occurred to Teri. A nanny could come in part-time and help her feed and bathe the babies.

“Can I see the picture again?” Rachel asked. “I was so surprised when I looked at it that I didn’t notice if they’re boys or girls.”

“One of each and the third’s turned in such a way that it’s impossible to tell,” Teri told her friend. She buried her head in her hands.

“I have news of my own,” Rachel whispered. She checked over her shoulder as if she wanted to make sure no one else could hear.

Teri looked up.

“Bruce and I are getting married.”

“That’s not news. I’ve had Valentine’s Day circled on my calendar for weeks.” It was such a romantic date. Rachel wanted a nice, formal wedding and even though Teri would be almost six months pregnant, Rachel had asked her to serve as matron of honor.

“The
reception’s
taking place in February,” Rachel confided. “But…are you doing anything December twentieth?” she asked, keeping her head lowered.

Teri stared at her. “You’re getting married early?”

Rachel nodded. “What’s the point of waiting another two months? We both know what we want and the wait’s driving us crazy.”

“Move in with him now,” Teri suggested. “People do it all the time.”

“I know, but there’s Jolene to consider. We’re trying to do everything properly for her sake. But Bruce is getting impatient and frankly, so am I. I’m so much in love with him, I don’t want to wait a minute longer than I have to.”

Teri understood. Her own wedding had been a rushed affair. Bobby had insisted on marrying her rather than just living together. As Bobby had somehow known—and as Teri had discovered—it
wasn’t
the same. Marriage was a promise. A promise that was often broken, but a promise nonetheless—of enduring love, of enjoying the good and coping with the bad together. A marriage was more than a living arrangement, according to Bobby.

For a girl who’d been around the block more times than the mailman, this told her everything she needed to know about Bobby. The memory of their wedding night brought quick tears to her eyes.

Rachel noticed right away. “Teri, are you still worrying about the babies?”

“No…I was just thinking about Bobby and how much I love him.”

“Tell him soon,” Rachel urged. “He’s going to be thrilled. Yes, he’ll be concerned. Who could blame him? He probably won’t let you out of his sight until May.”

“No, April. The doctor wants to schedule a C-section for the last week of April. He’s afraid of complications, so the babies are now due April twenty-seventh.”

“Oh, Teri, this is so exciting!”

“It certainly explains why I feel like Elsie the Cow at three and a half months,” she said wryly. “Can you picture me at eight?” Teri didn’t even want to think about it.

“While I’ve got you here,” Rachel murmured. “Give me an update on what’s happening with your sister and James.”

Teri knew the abrupt change of subject was Rachel’s way of distracting her from her worries. Teri had been keeping her friend updated on the romance, such as it was, between Bobby’s driver and her younger sister.

“Where did I leave off?” Teri asked, leaning closer.

“Last I heard, you and Bobby had invited them both to dinner.”

“Well,
that
totally backfired. James refused to come.”

Rachel rolled her eyes. “Men are so stubborn.”

“My thought exactly,” Teri said. “Something must’ve happened afterward, though.”

“What?”

“I’m not sure. The next morning, my sister’s car was still in the driveway.”

“Christie didn’t leave? Do you mean to tell me she spent the night with James?”

Teri shrugged. “Well, she wasn’t with us, so I assumed the same thing as you. But…I assumed wrong.”

“Well, where was she if she wasn’t with him?”

“At home.” Teri had been discouraged by the news. “Apparently her car wouldn’t start.”

“Oh.” Rachel sounded disappointed, too. “So James gave her a ride home?”

“It appears that way. When I asked him about it, he was pretty closemouthed. I only know she was having car problems because James was out tinkering with her car.”

“He fixed it?”

“I guess so. The next time I looked out, the car was gone and so was James.” She sighed. “Unfortunately he wasn’t away for long, which tells me he probably dropped off the car without saying a word to her.”

“What is it with that man?” Rachel asked, groaning theatrically. Ever since the kidnapping incident, she’d
taken great interest in the health and happiness of James Wilbur.

“The thing is, I know my sister. She’s falling for James, but she’s fighting it.”

“James would certainly be an improvement over her ex,” Rachel said.

“A serial killer would be an improvement over her ex,” Teri joked. “Well, not really, but you know what I mean.”

Rachel glanced out at the shop. Her client was waiting at her station; someone, most likely Jane, had already put a plastic cape around her shoulders and given her the current
Vogue.
“I need to get back to work.”

“Thanks for listening, Rach.”

They stood and hugged. “Keep December twentieth hush-hush, okay?” Rachel said.

“You bet.”

“We haven’t told anyone else yet, not even Jolene. Pastor Flemming offered to marry us in the church that afternoon. It’ll be a private ceremony.”

“But I’m invited, right?”

“Of course! I can’t get married without my matron of honor, can I? Not to mention her husband.”

Teri gently squeezed her friend’s arm. “Bobby and I will be there,” she promised. “Thank you.”

“No, thank
you,
” Rachel said. “Anyway, I should go. Some of us still work for a living.” Her good-natured laugh told Teri there was no jealousy in her words. Rachel was merely teasing, exercising her privilege as best friend.

“Don’t be afraid to tell Bobby about the babies,” Rachel said as they left the break room. “And call me tonight. He’s going to be
thrilled,”
she insisted again.

Teri wished she felt as confident as Rachel.
She
was the one who’d wanted to get pregnant. Bobby had been
afraid for her physical safety and thought they should wait. The news that they were having a multiple birth was bound to send him into a panic.

As soon as Teri left the mall, James brought the limousine toward her. Before she could open the door, he was out of the car and opening it for her. Once she was tucked inside, he took his position behind the wheel.

“Is everything all right, Miss Teri?” he asked with a look of concern.

“Yes, I think so. Why do you ask?”

James started the engine. “Your doctor’s appointment was exceptionally lengthy and you seemed upset. Then you asked me to take you directly to the salon—to Miss Rachel, I presume.”

“Rachel’s my closest friend. She’s—Oh, sorry.” Her cell phone interrupted her. She took it from her purse and saw at a glance that it was her sister.

“Hi, Christie,” she said, flipping it open. She watched as James’s shoulders tightened.

“Hi,” Christie returned. “I called the house and Bobby said you weren’t home from your appointment yet. Are you doing anything this afternoon?”

“Ah…not really.”

“Would you mind giving me a haircut?”

“Sure. Can you come around four?” That should leave ample time to tell Bobby her news, with a few hours built in to let him adjust. She hoped.

“I’ll be there at four.” Her sister hesitated. “Do you think James will be around?”

Teri squelched a smile. “I imagine so.”

“He fixed my car,” Christie said, speaking quickly. “So I bought him a little gift as a thank-you. Could you give it to him for me?”

“You should do it yourself.”

“I…don’t know about that.”

“Play it by ear, then,” Teri said. “Let’s see how things go.”

“Okay.”

They hung up soon after that and Teri stuck her cell phone back inside her purse. “My sister’s stopping by later this afternoon,” she said blandly.

“Is there still a problem with her vehicle?” he asked.

“If there is, she didn’t mention it.”