Jessie Belle: The Women of Merryton - Book One (26 page)

“Oh,
yeah.”

He
groaned lowly. “Let’s go to the shop, Madeline.”

“Why?”
she whined.

“Because
that’s where my stuff is.”

“I’ll
be here when you get back.”

He
pulled me closer and kissed me once before they headed out.

Maddie
looked back at me like she was hoping I would save her, but I just smiled and
waved and went back to enjoying my book.

I
think we were all happy the next day was Friday, because it meant no homework.
I blessed the no homework on the weekend policy.

The
no homework on Friday was just the tip of the happiness I would feel that day.
I had gone in the back door at the café that day as I needed to prepare some
paperwork for my accountant and wanted to get it done first thing so I didn’t
have it hanging over me. I was just about ready to head out to talk to my
customers when there was a knock on my door. I opened it almost immediately to
find my husband standing there in his usual attire, but clean.

My
stomach sank. The last time he was here unannounced, it was to drop a bombshell
on me. And he looked nervous - I knew it couldn’t be good.

I
was afraid to even ask why he was there. I stood there staring at him while my
stomach churned.

“Are
you busy?” he asked.

“No
…”

“Do
you mind taking a walk with me?”

“I
don’t know. Does it involve unpleasant news?”

“Jess.”

“What?
You never come here out of the blue.”

“I
know. I should be better about that, but regardless, will you come with me?”

“Sure.”

He
actually reached out for my hand this time.

I
took it suspiciously. I reached up with my free hand and felt his forehead. “Are
you feeling well?”

“Funny.”

“That
was a real question.”

He
shook his head at me and led us to the main area, where we had plenty of
glances, but my little ladies’ group was more than glancing. “You two are at it
early,” Doris yelled out for all the world to hear.

I
didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Others were snickering. Dirty minds
apparently all think alike.

Unfortunately
they weren’t done. “Keep your eye on that one,” Fran said. “She’s a handful, we
hear.”

Blake
was smart enough to keep on walking us out the door.

I
exhaled loudly as soon as we hit the fresh air.

“What
was all that about?” Blake asked.

“That
was your fault.”

“My
fault?”

“Did
you really think your little display of affection at the rec center was going
to go unnoticed? The rumor mill has you in a jealous rage and me playing the
part of seductress.”

“Seductress?”
He grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

I
rolled my eyes at him.

“So,
where are we going?”

“You’ll
see.”

We
walked together hand-in-hand in the bright sunlight past the town square and
the courthouse. We turned at the bookstore and walked one more block. We
stopped in front of my bank at the old-fashioned lamp post that stood out in
front of it.

I
looked up at the gas-burning light that was always lit. “Is there something
special about this particular lamp post?”

He
gently turned me toward the bank. “I thought it was time we had a joint
account.”

I
threw my arms around his neck. “Really?” I whispered in his ear.

He
wrapped me up against him. “Yes,” he said into my ear. “I wish you would have
told me from the beginning this is what you wanted.”

I
loosened my hold on him and looked into is eyes. “You seemed to have strong
feelings against it when we got married and, like I said, I didn’t want to rock
the boat.”

“I
didn’t want you or your family to think I was marrying you for your money.”

“Blake,
my parents had money. I didn’t come with a silver spoon in my mouth or a
healthy bank account.”

“Jess,
by the time I moved here, bought your engagement ring, and paid for our
honeymoon and the deposit on our first apartment, I wasn’t left with much. I
didn’t want you to think I couldn’t take care of you.”

“I
offered to help with those things.”

“That’s
not the way it’s supposed to work.”

“Says
who?”

“Me.”

I
smiled and rested my hand against his unshaven cheek. “So are you doing okay
now?” Of course I knew he was.

He
reached into his pocket and handed me a check, “This is our first deposit.”

My
eyebrows got lost in my bangs out of surprise at the dollar amount. “So you
have done okay for yourself.”

He
shook his head slightly. “I know it might not seem like it, but everything I’ve
done is for us.”

“I
like the sound of us.”

“Me,
too.”

You’ve
never seen anyone so excited to open a checking account or order checks. Patty,
my personal banker, kept giving me odd looks like maybe I should seek
professional help. Little did she know, I had. My therapist was in Evergreen, a
good half an hour from there. I wasn’t dumb enough to see someone in this town.
And I didn’t care what Patty thought. Ordering checks was major progress in my
marriage.

Not
a cure-all—I decided there wasn’t such a thing—but definitely a step in the
right direction.

That
night after work we took Maddie to the movies to see some teen beach movie that
I wished I could un-see, and after, we mapped out a budget as I sat up against
him in his arms on the couch. We decided to each keep our own accounts, but our
new account would pay for all of our household expenses, including the costs of
raising a child, aka Maddie.

“Speaking
of Maddie, have you talked to Sabrina?” I asked him.

“Unfortunately.”

Maddie
was already sound asleep, thankfully. “Blake.”

“Sorry,
she’s just, well, she’s herself.”

“How
is her health?”

“Who
knows? I think half the time she’s either lying or high.”

“Do
you think she’ll change her mind about Maddie?”

“No,
but even if she does, I already have a petition filed for full custody.”

“Why
didn’t you tell me?”

“You
already agreed she could stay with us. I didn’t think it was important.”

“You
know, we need to tell her she isn’t going back.”

“We
will. But before we say anything I want her to be settled here.”

“How
do you think she’ll take it?”

“She
seems happy here, right?” I could hear the worry in his voice.

“I
think so, even with a wicked stepmother.”

He
kissed my head. “You are anything but wicked.”

“I’ve
been thinking about cutting my hours at the café. What do you think?”

“If
that’s what you want. But what’s brought that about?”

“Well,
Aaron has everything running like clockwork. And I have a feeling when Maddie
starts school in the fall she’s going to need a lot of help. Then I was
thinking that maybe I would join the PTA and volunteer at the school. You know,
be a mom. Or at least a really good knock off of one.” I said, almost
embarrassed.

“Have
I told you how much I love you lately?”

“No.”

He
kissed the side of my head. “I love you, Jessica.”

It
was moments like those that helped me not to strangle him when he reverted back
to his old ways, like he did on Father’s Day.

We
had been doing so well. Family dinners every night except Sundays, which Blake
designated as father-daughter days. It annoyed me that he wouldn’t come to
dinner at my parents’, but I let it slide. It wasn’t fair to expect everything
to be my way, though I wouldn’t have minded if he had jumped on that train.

Father’s
Day dawned, and I admit I was feeling a little down about the day, or maybe a
lot. It was one of those milestone days, as my therapist called it, a day I had
to deal with the fact that not only was my husband a father now, but it had
nothing to do with me. I tried hard all that week to be supportive of Maddie as
I helped her prepare her gifts for her dad. She had drawn two pictures for him,
one of him playing baseball. She did not capture how fabulous he looked in
baseball pants, but I suppose that was a good thing. She also drew the cutest I
heart my dad picture, complete with 3-D lettering. We found the perfect black
frames that matched his office to complete them. We also purchased his favorite
cologne and I helped her prepare the menu. It was bland, just like he liked it:
baked chicken, asparagus, and a green salad. 

My
dad wasn’t pleased to hear that I wasn’t dining with him on Father’s Day, of
all days.

“She
should be with her husband on his first Father’s Day,” my mom scolded him.

“I
don’t see why the stubborn a—”

My
mother stared him down hard before he could finish that particular thought.

I
kissed his cheek. “I’ll make it up to you, Dad.”

He
touched my cheek in return. “You don’t have anything to make up for.”

Church
was anything but fun that day. It really hit home the fact that I sat there
childless. I think every parishioner came by and offered their condolences to
me. It was sweet, but I didn’t need the reminder that my arms were empty. I had
already been to Carter’s grave that morning. I probably should have skipped
church, but that day was about my dad, the best dad a girl could ask for. He
sat there proudly with both of his girls, as he liked to call us.

So
many people came by to wish him a Happy Father’s Day. He was a pillar of the community,
a mentor and champion of those in need. He was a believer that those that were
blessed and fortunate were duty-bound to give back, whether it be in time,
money, or both. But he taught me time was always the better of the two. He said
anyone could write a check, but to give someone your time was truly a gift of
self. That’s why we always volunteered at the pediatric ward at the hospital
each Father’s Day. The whole floor was named for my father. I loved walking
past the wall that held his name in big gold letters—The Davis Ryan Ward. I
remember the ribbon cutting ceremony like it was yesterday, but it was five
years now that the hospital had been renovated.

My
dad was instrumental in getting the grant and private donor money to fund the much-needed
renovation and equipment. Merryton General may have been small, but it offered
world-class care. I had found myself a patient there more often than I would
have liked or ever imagined.

My
poor dad had tried his best to find a solution to my fertility problem. I think
he did more research trying to help me than he did all in his years of medical
school. We tried different diets and hormone shots right after conception. You
name it, we tried it. I think my dad felt like he failed me, as weird as it
sounds. He had gone above and beyond. My body was just one of those medical
mysteries.

 My
dad and I walked hand in hand down the white-tiled hall that almost looked like
glass, to the children’s ward. My heels and his dress shoes tapped on the
gleaming tile. My dad smiled down at me.

“Happy
Father’s Day, Dad.”

He
brought our clasped hands up to his mouth and kissed my hand. “The day you were
born was the best day of my life.”

“Does
mom know that?”

“She
agrees. You completed us.”

I
smiled with a hint of sadness.

My
dad’s happy demeanor turned concerned. “That’s not to say you need a child to
make a relationship complete.”

“I
know what you meant. And guess what? We have a child now.”

He
rested his hand on my cheek in that fatherly sort of way. “You’re a good girl,
my Belle.”

“Maybe.”

“There’s
no doubt. Are you still considering adoption?”

“I
am.”

“And
Blake?” he asked with distaste.

“He
hasn’t closed the door on it.”

My
dad practically growled right there in the middle of the hall.

“Dad,
it’s not because he doesn’t want a baby. He’s afraid of the heartache it may
cause me. He’s trying to protect me. And his own heart. He’s lost as many
babies as me.”

My
dad’s features softened. “I want you to be happy.”

“You
and Blake have that in common.”

“I
only wish he was more …” He thought for a moment, and then another moment.

“More
like you?” I smiled.

He
grinned. “Why not? I can’t imagine anyone loving you more than me.”

“He’s
trying his best. And a lot of things he’s done are so that you wouldn’t think
less of him.”

My
dad narrowed his eyes.

“I’m
serious. You’re not an easy person to have to follow in their footsteps or live
in their shadow. Blake has tried to prove to you that he’s a good provider.”

“I’ll
give him that.”

“You
know, you two might get along if you gave him a chance.”

“If
I ever saw him, maybe we would.”

“Maybe
if you invited him to Sunday dinners he would come. Or you could come to our
house. I can probably count on one hand how many times you’ve been to our
place.”

He
gave me that look that indicated I was right, but he wasn’t going to admit it
verbally. “Let’s go put some smiles on some kids’ faces.”

“I
love you, Dad.”

“That’s
the only gift I need today.”

“I
guess I’ll take back that new fly-fishing pole I got you.” I winked.

“Maybe
Blake and I could go fishing sometime,” he said offhandedly as we continued our
walk toward our destination.

“I
think he’d like that.”

And
that was the last we talked of my husband for the day. For the next couple of
hours it was playtime.

My
dad was an amateur magician, or at least he thought so. He made balloon animals
and coins magically appear out of ears, but mostly he made the children smile
and laugh, which was magical all on its own.

The
most magical moment came when we entered the room of Brandon Richter, Katie’s
seven-year-old younger brother. I didn’t know he was in the hospital. The town
grapevine had let me down. He had fallen out of a tree and done quite the
number to his little body: broken femur, cracked ribs, bruised from head to
toe. He looked like he had been through a battle. He lay there still in
traction, with his cute mom, Sherry, by his side. She looked tired, worn, and
worried. I could only imagine how it would feel to see your son like that.

I
sat next to Sherry and took her delicate hand and my dad sat at the edge of
Brandon’s bed.

“I
had no idea Brandon was in the hospital. I’m so sorry,” I said quietly to her.

“It
just happened on Friday.”

“Do
you guys need anything? You know Katie is welcome to come stay with us for a
few days if you need her to.”

Her
worn eyes teared up and she wrapped her light sweater more tightly around her
small frame. “Your family has already done more than enough.”

I
shook my head in confusion. “We have?”

She
looked confused at my confusion. “Blake didn’t tell you he hired on Tad?”

“No.
I didn’t know Tad was out of work.”

“We
were trying to keep it quiet. Tad had been at the same engineering firm for
over ten years and then one day they come in and tell him they’re shutting down
his whole department. They gave everyone one month’s severance and kicked them
out the door. That was six weeks ago.”

“I’m
so sorry.”

“We
tried to keep it from the kids. We didn’t want them to worry, but Katie
overheard us and she told your daughter.”

It
was weird to hear her refer to Maddie as my daughter, but I didn’t correct her.

“She
told your husband and Blake offered Tad some work while he looked for another
electrical engineer position. It’s been a livesaver. But now this,” she
whispered lower.

“Do
you have insurance?” I asked, knowing it was a nosey question.

“Yes,
but the deductible is killer.”

I
squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry, it will work out. And I’m sure an arrangement
can be made to pay the hospital.”

Tears
leaked out of her pale blue eyes. “I’m just trying to be thankful my son’s
alive and going to recover.”

“That’s
definitely something to be thankful for.”

We
both turned to my dad and Brandon, who was smiling from head to toe. My dad had
just dazzled him with a card trick. I sure did love that man. I also found my
heart swelling with pride for my husband. I loved the quiet way he helped
people. Heck, he didn’t even tell me. He was a good man.

A
good man that needed a kick once in a while, but a good man all the same.

I
came home late that afternoon. I promised Maddie I would help her get dinner
ready. We had baked the cake the day before and covered it, hiding it in the
back of the refrigerator. I was still worried about it, but Maddie was sure her
dad was going to love it. I was just hoping that he would put on a good show.

Blake
and Maddie had spent the day biking again. It was Blake’s favorite pastime and
it was Father’s Day. Still weird for me. It was especially weird as I tried to
pick out a card for him. They didn’t really make cards that fit our situation.
Most of them said things like to the father of my children or our children are
so lucky to call you dad. They didn’t make anything that said, so you knocked
up my old roommate and wow you’ve turned out to be a great dad to your baby
mama’s kid. I would have even taken one that said, thanks for making me a
stepmother. I really needed to contact Hallmark with my ideas. I settled for a
blank card and wrote my own thoughts and impressions down. All joking aside, he
was turning out to be a very attentive and loving father. Not that I’d had any
doubt. It was just such an odd circumstance. But being the smart aleck I
sometimes could be, I did add in the whole “thanks for making me a stepmom” in
the postscript.