Not Quite Forever (Not Quite series) (17 page)

Without words, Dakota moved from the car—tears running down her cheeks—and into her mother’s arms.

Chapter Fifteen

Guest room appropriate
artwork had long since replaced the teenage heartthrob posters. The closet no longer held her clothes, and the dresser was empty except for the bottom drawers where her mother stored extra towels.

The walls, however, were the same. The view from the back of the house and the lush landscape that only the South had to offer welcomed her home.

Dakota lingered in bed longer than she ever would have been allowed when she actually lived with her parents. She’d been a wreck when she walked into the house. Never in her life had tears been so close to the surface. Her mom had shuffled her into the house while telling Dennis, her dad, to gather her things.

Her mother handed her a tissue and put a kettle on for tea before offering to listen. Thankfully, her mother hadn’t probed when Dakota shook her head.

If there was one thing she knew without any doubt, Elaine Laurens wouldn’t last long without an explanation of Dakota’s unexpected appearance.

Dakota looked across the room to the flowery wall clock. It was already after eight, which meant that half the town would already know of her visit. In the absence of truth, the wagging tongues would make up their own minds why she was there. Half of them would be right.

After a long shower and an extra twenty minutes of time in front of the mirror to repair the damage of too many nights of missed sleep, Dakota descended the stairs. Voices carried from the back of the house where the kitchen and den made up the great room.

“She didn’t say a thing, Carol Ann.”

Dakota slowed her steps and listened to her sister’s response. “Well, that just isn’t like her. Something awful must have happened. I’ll bet it’s a man.”

“Of course it’s a man. Remember when you packed up a bag and came home not four months after you and Dale were married? I didn’t think you’d ever leave.”

At least Dakota knew she wasn’t alone in her need to flee home because of a guy.

She forced a smile and walked around the corner. Both her mother and sister promptly closed their lips and painted on fake smiles. Carol Ann jumped up from the kitchen stool and walked around the counter. “Oh, Dakota . . . you look positively awful.”

Dakota accepted her sister’s hug. “Thanks for the vote of confidence, sis.”

Carol Ann was a mini version of their mother. They both had blonde hair that was groomed by the same beautician. Not a hair was out of place with the use of a half a can of spray. Elaine’s hair was just above her shoulders. A cut she said had to happen on her fiftieth birthday “because long hair on old women isn’t right.” Carol Ann had her hair up in a controlled bun with enough of the edges surrounding her face so she didn’t appear uptight. Her sister inherited her mother’s blue eyes and thin lips. They all had the same nose and body shape. Except that Dakota didn’t mind having a few extra pounds on her hips as opposed to her sister. Carol Ann had always been the thin sister, the bashful blonde with impeccable manners. Dakota on the other hand took her father’s hair and dark eyes. She tanned easier than her sister, and always had an independence Carol Ann never managed.

They were opposites on many things, but they were sisters. Having grown up only a bathroom away, they shared many confidences that would go to the grave.

“Well, you do. Sit down, let me pour you some coffee.”

The second after her sister shoved a cup of coffee under her nose, the two of them stared without words.

She sipped her coffee, waited for one of them to speak.

They didn’t.

Dakota sat taller, circled her cup with her hands. “There’s a guy.”

“I knew it!” Carol Ann acted as if she’d won the big stuffed animal at the county fair.

Her mom watched her with a half smile.

“I thought we were doing great.”

“So what happened?”

Dakota looked down at the black coffee and watched the ripples of movement from her hands shaking the cup. “I can’t tell you. One day he just stopped calling.”

“He didn’t tell you why?” Carol Ann asked.

“In the beginning, no. Nothing. Only after I confronted him did he offer his crappy
we’re moving too fast
excuse.”

“That’s rude. He should have flat-out told you his concerns instead of leaving you guessing. You’re better off without a rude and inconsiderate man in your life.”

Yeah, maybe.

Carol Ann moved closer and offered another hug. “We’ll take your mind off Mr. Rude and have you smiling in no time.”

“Thanks. I just need a little time to get my mind off of him.”

“This is just the place, isn’t it, Mama?”

Elaine kept a watchful eye on her as she moved around the kitchen. “What’s family for if not to come home and sulk with?”

“I’m around during the holidays.”

“Not last year,” her mom reminded her.

“I was in Europe.”

Elaine opened the massive refrigerator and pulled out eggs, orange juice, and bread. “You could have flown home.”

“The airport was snowed in. No one went anywhere.” Spending Christmas in a hotel wasn’t ideal, but she and her fellow stranded travelers had made the most of it.

“Do you still like them scrambled?” Her mom was heating a pan and cracking eggs into a bowl.

“You don’t have to do that, Mom.”

“You’re right, I don’t. And after a few days you’re no longer a guest, so enjoy my attention while you have it.” Elaine winked over her shoulder.

“Scrambled is fine.”

Carol Ann leaned over the counter. “So how long are you staying?”

That was the zillion-dollar question. “I don’t really know.”

“You don’t have a return plane ticket?”

Dakota caught her mother glancing over her shoulder.

“I didn’t buy one.”

Her sister patted her hand. “Oh, darlin’, you must have really loved this one.”

It took three days for Dakota to leave the house. The driving need was the headache that had started in the middle of the night and didn’t let go by noon the next day. The last thing she wanted was to have her blood pressure shoot up and end up back in the hospital. Explaining that to her parents wasn’t how she wanted to tell them she was pregnant.

Her mother’s weekly gossip session disguised as a bridge party took her mom away from the house.

“Dad?” She walked onto the back porch and caught him with his eyes closed.

“Hey, sugarplum.” He patted the seat beside him.

She moved to his side and tucked into him. “I was just coming to tell you I’m going into town for a little while.”

He patted her shoulder, didn’t comment. “Are you getting your head back on?”

She grinned. “Little bit at a time.”

“That’s good. Seems your visit is without a lot of yelling this time ’round. Not that I want my daughter’s heart broken, but you and your mom seem to be getting along.”

“That’s because she hasn’t asked about my work.”

He snorted. “Let’s not remind her. I like the quiet.”

“You haven’t asked either.” And her father used to be an echo of her mother’s disdain in her career choice.

“That’s because the doctor told me I needed to decrease my stress level. Bad for my heart.”

Dakota pulled back. “What’s wrong with your heart?”

“Nothing that shouldn’t be for a man my age. Had to cut back on some of the pie, and fried cooking.”

“Are you seeing a cardiologist?”

He narrowed his eyes. “What would you know about cardiologists?”

“I did go to college.”

“I play poker with Dr. Olsen the last day of the month.”

“Dr. Olsen is a general. Not a cardiologist. If you have any pain, high blood pressure, you need to see a specialist.” Olsen had been the family doctor since Dakota was ten. The man had to be seventy by now.

“Don’t worry your pretty head about my heart. Mine isn’t all broken like yours. I’m fine.”

Dakota massaged her forehead. “My heart isn’t broken . . . fractured maybe, a little.”

“Lot you know,” her father huffed. “Broken and fractured are the same thing. Learned that when you broke your leg in the third grade.”

“I cried when I couldn’t have a black cast.”

Dennis started laughing and Dakota felt a smile on her lips. “Your mama was livid. Made them wrap you in baby pink.”

“Then I found a black marker and fixed that right up.”

They were both laughing now.

“I thought she was going to break the other one when she saw what you’d done.”

Dakota glanced at her watch, realized she was going to be late for her own doctor’s appointment if she didn’t end this trip down memory lane.

She stood and kissed the top of his head. “I needed that laugh. Thanks, Daddy.”

“We’re always here for you, sugarplum.”

“I know. That’s why I’m here.”

“She isn’t answering my calls or texts.”

Walt stood on Mary’s doorstep, hands on his hips.

“Welcome to the club. She’s not saying much to me either, and for that, I blame you.” Mary knew that Dakota had made it home and that she’d yet to tell her parents about the baby. Sadly, Mary managed this information through a few scattered text messages. Dakota had yet to answer her call. The last time Mary sent a text, she threatened to call her parents’ home if she didn’t make an attempt to speak with her.

Dakota had a few hours to call or she’d make good on her threat.

Walt looked like crap, and that made Mary smile. “Tell me she’s OK.”

“She’s not in the hospital or anything.” At least Mary thought that was the case. Surely Dakota would call her if something dramatic happened, right?

“Is she getting my messages?”

“I don’t know.”

He turned away, pounded a fist against the side of her garage.

“Hey, respect the plaster, Doc.”

He pulled his wallet from his back pocket, removed a card, and handed it to her. “All my numbers are there. Day or night.”

“I’m not—”

“I’m worried about her, Mary. I care too much to let this go.”

Mary released a sigh. He sure sounded sincere. The cell phone in her back pocket buzzed. She jumped when Dakota’s face popped up on the screen. She answered. “Hey, Mom.”

“Mom?” Dakota’s voice spelled relief.

“Hold on,” Mary told her.

Mary glared at Walt and hoped her face didn’t give anything away. “I’ll call if anything dramatic happens,” she told him.

He shook his head and walked away.

Mary cradled the phone and slammed her front door. “Holy cow, girl. I’ve been worried sick.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I’m in a really strange place right now.”

“I know you are. Are you taking care of yourself?”

“I’m actually sitting outside a doctor’s office with a list of instructions a mile long.”

Mary flopped on her couch. “I can’t believe you’re pregnant.”

“You and me both. I’ve been on the pill since the day I told Mom I needed Midol.”

“So how did it happen?” Mary couldn’t believe she asked such a stupid question.

Dakota must not have realized how crazy the question was. She launched right into answering it. “Get this, the antibiotic I was on last month countered the effect of the pill. Can you believe it? Walt’s dad prescribed a pill that is going to make him a grandfather.”

“Wow.”