Pregnancy Plan (25 page)

“
But that isn’t your responsibility,
it’s mine,” Martin shouted.

“
Then what are you doing here? If
you’re so worried about Susan, why are taking your anger out on
Jillian? Seems like you should be home talking to your
daughter.”

Martin stared at them then collapsed,
burying his head in his hands.

Jillian bent to console him but Derek held
her back. He didn’t let her step any closer to Martin. She looked
up into her husband's face, but he shook his head at the question
in her eyes. “Jillian, why don’t you go call John Paul to come get
his father?”

She didn’t argue, but nodded and turned.

****

Derek waited until she was out of
earshot.

“
She won’t talk to you. Will she?” He
laid his hand on Martin’s shoulder.

“
No.”

“
Can’t say I blame her, seeing that
temper you have.” Derek helped Martin to his feet.

“
How could this have happened? Susan
is a good girl.”

“
It happens to the best of
families.”

“
Well, not to mine. She won’t even
tell me who the father is. But I have a good idea.” Anger lit
Martin’s eyes.

Derek could see the idea of revenge enter
Martin’s mind. “Beating the boy to a pulp won’t change the
situation. Just ask John Paul. He already tried it.”

Surprised by that answer, Martin responded.
“Really? I wondered where he got that black eye.”

“
Look, Martin, you have to settle
down. Susan has managed to keep her pregnancy quiet so far. But if
you go around town beating people up, it’s going to get out,” Derek
stated in a quiet tone.

“
So what am I supposed to do?” Martin
stumbled to the counter, leaning heavily against it.

“
Why don’t you try talking to her? She
knows what she wants to do. Listen.”

“
What if what she wants to do isn’t
what I want her to do?”

Derek shrugged. “Then you have to make a
choice. Support her decisions or lose her altogether.”

“
I don’t want to lose my grandchild.”
Martin shook his head in disgust.

“
That isn’t for you to
decide.”

Martin grimaced. “You know Derek, I’d love
to beat the crap out of you, but unfortunately, you’re right.
Susan’s here for the holiday weekend. I’ve got to get home and talk
to my daughter.”

Martin turned for the door. Jillian called
out to him on her way down the aisle. “Wait a few minutes, Martin.
John Paul is on his way over to pick you up.”

“
I’ll wait outside. I have some
thinking to do and you want to close up.” Martin shut the door and
walked over to his truck.

Derek followed him to the door and locked it
behind him. Then he turned and took a good look at his wife.
Standing in the middle of the aisle, she worked her fingers back
and forth over her left wrist, as if she was nervous.

He strolled to her, and glanced down at her
hand, examining the bruises, before running a light finger over the
dark marks. “Does it hurt?”

When she didn’t answer, he glanced up and
found tears. “He didn’t mean to hurt me. He was just upset.”

Angered by the bruises and the danger she
had put herself in, Derek answered harshly. “He sure as hell meant
to hurt you. If I hadn’t been here, he would have too.”

Upset by the tone of his voice and the
reality of his words, Jillian whispered, “I guess you’re right.”
Without looking at him, she pulled her hand from his grip, walked
over to cash register, and started closing it out for the day. She
slowly worked through the steps of the process.

He tugged her away from the register. “I’ll
do this. You head back to the office and see if you can find some
ice for that wrist.”

She sent him a quick glance, before she
turned and strolled to the office. Her lost and frightened whisper
hit him as she hurried down the aisle. “Thanks for coming to my
rescue.”

“
Wait.” He jammed the receipts in the
moneybag, and raced off after her. His arms slid around her
shoulders when he stepped beside her. She melted into him and he
wrapped his body around her, absorbing the shudders that ran
through her.

“
I was so scared. I didn’t know what
to do.” Her words echoed against his chest.

“
I know, Jillian.” He wanted so badly
to comfort her. “I could have killed him when I saw him with his
hands on you.” He gathered her up in his arms.

How would he ever be able to live with the
sheer panic that had consumed him when she had called his name? No
thought had registered, his mind had blanked and he reacted.

Luckily, she had stopped him from getting
carried away. Otherwise, Martin would be in a lot worse shape right
now. Derek had been too concerned for her welfare to continue the
battle. She was his world and he’d brought her through safely. A
misty patch in his head cleared.

Jillian holding tight to his neck, whispered
in his ear. “Can we go home now?”

He carried the receipt bag with them as he
headed out the back door. After storing her safely in the car, he
hurried to the door to lock up. The hot September weather caught
his attention and he wondered if it was causing all the short
tempers; first Jillian yesterday and now Martin today.

He preferred a different kind of heat. A
smile creased his face as he turned back to the car.

“
Derek, we need to run by the store. I
forgot to bring home the goodie bags for the parade today.” Jillian
hurried in from the living room.

“
No problem, we can run by there on
the way to the school.” He had been watching her rush around all
morning. She hadn’t stood still for a moment, changing clothes
three times since she’d gotten up. For now, she wore a bright
yellow sundress with her hair pulled up into a ponytail with a
ribbon. She looked about sixteen.

She glanced at her watch. “Then we better
get going. The parade starts in less than an hour.” She turned and
headed back the way she had just come.

Derek closed the dishwasher, and started
around the counter. “Does she always get this excited about a
parade?” he asked Michael, who was finishing his breakfast at the
table.

“
Yes, she’s been this way for years.
That’s why Daddy let her ride in it, to get her out of his hair.”
Michael said quietly so that she couldn’t hear.

Jillian eyed her brother suspiciously, when
she returned to the kitchen. “Don’t believe anything he might have
said. He doesn’t have a clue.”

“
Right. She’s the brains of the
family.”

“
I'm glad you finally agree.” She
turned to Derek. “I’ve been telling him that for years.”

“
Yeah, right,” Michael grumbled then
stood.

“
See, he even agrees.” She waited by
the door, and ushered them through it. “We need to get going if we
are going to pick up the goodie bags, drop them and you off at the
school, and then find a place to watch the parade.” She rushed past
them and headed for her car. “Come on, guys, get a move
on.”

Derek headed for the truck in the driveway.
“Jillian, let’s take the truck.” He waited for her and helped her
into cab on the driver’s side. He climbed in after her. “I’ll
drive.”

Everyone buckled in. He backed the truck out
of the drive while his wife wiggled impatiently beside him. He laid
a hand on her thigh.

“
What time is this party over?”
Michael asked as they pulled from the driveway.

“
The parade should be done around
noon. Derek and I are going to try to find a place near the
beginning of the route. That way we can head home and get lunch
ready. Karen Ann is will bring you home and stay for lunch. Then
we’ll all head over to the park together around one.”

“
Should have known you’d have it all
planned out.” Michael shook his head.

“
Well, someone had to.”

Her brother slid his arm around her
shoulders. “But you do it so well.” He continued his teasing. “Does
she plan when, where, and how you’re going to have sex, Derek?”

“
Michael!” Jillian pointed her finger
at him. “And don’t you even think about answering him.”

“
I wouldn’t dream of it.” Derek nodded
as he watched the traffic on Highway 80 go by.

Michael burst into laughter. “I knew
it.”

Jillian hit Michael then turned on Derek.
“Fine, if you don’t like it you can get yourself someone else.”

He watched her cross her hands over her
stomach, refusing to look at either of them. After he pulled the
truck behind the store and parked, he waited for Michael to get
out, then whispered, “You know we were only teasing.”

He could see her searching his eyes for an
answer. Surely she didn’t think he wanted anyone else but her. She
pushed at his chest. “We’d better go get those baggies. We’re
already running behind as it is.”

Once inside Derek located the box and handed
it to his brother-in-law. “Better get that out to the truck.” With
his hands on her waist, he pulled Jillian close for a quick kiss
before leaving the office. “Are you still mad?”

She walked back to the truck and tossed a
look over her shoulder. “No.”

“
Good.” He didn’t want her upset with
him.

She slid in cab beside her brother. “So
Michael, how’s it going with Karen Ann? You two have been dating
for quite a while now. Is it anything serious?”

“
Well, it could be,” Michael
answered.

“
Really?” Jillian’s tone registered
surprise.

“
Yes, it could be, if it wasn’t for
this one little thing.”

“
And what’s that?”

“
She has this real nosy friend that
keeps butting into our affairs,” Michael teased.

Jillian covered the bandage on her wrist
with her other hand and shifted closer to Derek. He knew the
comment had hit a little too close to home. He slid his arm around
her before changing the subject to cover her hurt. “We should be at
the school in a minute. Where are we supposed to find Karen
Ann?”

“
It’s not that big of an area.
Everyone meets in the parking lot. Usually, she tries to park away
from everyone else.” She pointed to the far end of the parking lot.
“There she is.”

****

Excited to see the horses, Jillian headed
straight for her friend as soon as Derek stopped the truck. “Well,
hello there, Blondie.” Jillian called the horse by its name and
held out her hand. She tried not to listen to Karen Ann and
Michael’s conversation, but she caught their quiet words.

“
When did you get here?” Karen Ann
whispered to Michael.

He hesitated then answered in a low voice.
“I got in around eight. I had breakfast with Jillian and Derek
before they brought me over.”

“
You could’ve come in last night.”
Karen Ann’s voice sounded hurt.

Jillian elected to interrupt them before
Michael dug himself into a deeper hole. “What other horses did you
bring?”

“
There’s Stud, who’s over there by the
trailer, and Buttercup with John Paul. He went on ahead to get us a
place in line,” Karen Ann answered, moving away from
Michael.

“
Great, we bought the baggies along.
Where do you want to put them?” Jillian asked as Derek bought up
the box.

“
I thought we would could put them in
plastic sacks and hang them on the saddle horns. It will make them
easier to hand out. I have some sacks over by the trailer.” Karen
Ann led the way.

Jillian handed the small packages to Karen
Ann while she filled the sacks with the goodie bags. “I’ll take two
and give one to John Paul when we catch up with him.”

“
What about your car? Who’s going to
drive it to the end of the parade?” Derek questioned.

“
My cousin will take care of it.”
Karen Ann pointed to a guy saddling another horse.

“
Which horse do I get to ride?”
Michael asked.

“
Take your pick,” Karen Ann answered.
“Both are pretty well behaved.”

Jillian eyed the saddle, wishing she could
ride. Derek slid his arm around her shoulders. “Well, we better get
going. We still need to find a place to watch the parade.”

With her hand in his, she walked back toward
the truck.

****

“
Anyone want any more chips?” Jillian
stood to clear the table.

“
No, but I’ll have some more of that
frog’s eye salad.” Michael dished up another helping of the pasta
fruit salad.

“
What time does the game start?” Karen
Ann asked.

Derek responded. “Somewhere around two is
what it says on the information note.”

“
Then why do we need to get there so
early.” Michael shifted in his seat and laid down his
fork.

“
The picnic is supposes to go on
between twelve and two. I thought we might like a chance to mingle
before the game.” Jillian slid each plate into its assigned spot in
the dishwasher.

“
I have no desire to mingle. There
isn’t anyone in this town I care to see that I haven’t already
seen.” Michael cleared his plate and handed it to his
sister.

“
That’s fine for you. But I care about
the people in this town and I enjoy visiting with them now and
again.” Jillian drew out the top rack.