Secrets Gone South (Crimson Romance) (23 page)

“Cute outfit,” Arabelle said when she realized she’d been staring.

“Thank you.” Aspen looked down at her hands. “I love Valentine’s Day. Also, Halloween and Thanksgiving but Christmas gets on my nerves. I won the Rotary turkey shoot two years ago before I left here—a twenty-five pound turkey.”

Somewhat alarmed, Arabelle said, “You shot a twenty-five pound turkey?”

“No.” Aspen looked at her steadily and paused so the word would sink in. “You don’t
shoot
a turkey. You
shoot
a target. And the winner gets a turkey from the grocery store. I would never shoot an animal. I’m a vegetarian. I only eat meat from the grocery store.”

“I see,” Arabelle said. Had she walked through the door to an alternate universe? “Do you eat enough protein?” It was her fascination that made her ask this question.

“Oh, all the time. My former fiancé was a vegetarian so I know what to eat. Beans, but I only like green beans. Cottage cheese, pears, and peanuts. Also, chicken and steak but only from the grocery store. I would never harm a real chicken or cow. They’re part of nature. I don’t sit in judgment of people who do choose to eat them. It’s a personal decision for me because I draw my strength and serenity from nature. I wouldn’t feel right eating what gives me peace.”

This was Will’s philosophy—sort of. Up to a point, the point about grocery store meat.

Behind her, Kelly turned her back and began to cough. Which reminded her …

“So, Aspen. Kelly tells me you’re feeling a little stuffy and have a cough and have been sneezing.” She flipped the chart open though she knew what it said. “Your vitals are fine. Have you had any fever?”

“No.” Aspen twirled a lock of hair around her finger and looked at the ceiling. “I’m fine.”

Fine? Oh, no. This woman was not fine. By no stretch of the imagination was this woman fine. But one thing for sure, if Arabelle had ever doubted Will’s word on any level that Aspen was delusional, she didn’t now.

Arabelle sat down on the stool and looked into Aspen’s eyes. “Aspen, what about your cough? And the sneezing?”

“Oh.” She laughed and flipped her wrist. “I’m not coughing and sneezing. I just said that so I could get in to see you.”

“To see me? Why do you want to see me?”

“Well.” She looked down and began to pleat the hem of her shirt. “I heard that you married my Will and I wanted to see what you look like. We talked on the phone one time. Remember? I told you I was Will’s fiancée.”

Oh, yes she remembered. It was the day she would have told Will he was going to be a father. If not for that, things might have gone differently from the beginning. If Will was to be believed, he might have come for her and taken care of her when she was so sick and needed caring for. But Aspen had lied and she’d been left sick and alone to make all the decisions with no help.

But was it accurate to say Aspen lied if she truly believed they were engaged? Not that it mattered.

“I do remember that,” Arabelle said.

What now? She looked at Kelly who shrugged her shoulders. There was a tapping on the door and their receptionist, Cora, stuck her head in.

“Dr. Garrett? Miss Snow’s cousin is here.”

Thank God. Maybe it was someone who could be in charge. The woman who walked in didn’t look much older than Aspen and, though she was just as blond, she wasn’t transparent. She nodded to Arabelle and turned to Aspen.

“Aspen, go get in the car. You know you weren’t supposed to leave the house. I told you we’re going to your doctor in Birmingham tomorrow.”

“I was just having a conversation with Will’s Dr. Wife, here,” Aspen said.

“I know that. And you’ve had it. Now go. Flint is in the hall waiting for you. He’ll take you home and I’ll drive your car home.”

“Ah, Erie.”

“Go. Do it.”

Reluctantly, Aspen got off the table and walked toward the door. “Dr. Will’s Wife, give my Will big Valentine smooches for me!” She held her arms wide apart.

“I will, honey. You take care.” Arabelle nodded at Kelly, who followed her out. Couldn’t let her take a wrong turn and get loose.

Erie turned back to Arabelle. “I’m Erie Snow. You were very kind to my cousin.”

“Kindness costs nothing,” she said. “That’s what my grandmother used to say.”

Erie looked very tired. “She isn’t like that all the time but she flushed her meds yesterday. I’ve got an appointment for her tomorrow with her doctor in Birmingham.” She closed her eyes and massaged her forehead. “In case you’re wondering, she was hitting on all her cylinders when she started seeing Will and while she was working for him. Well, until she decided they were engaged. As soon as that happened, he fired her and broke up with her. He had no choice.”

Arabelle had not been wondering but now that it had come up, she was relieved to know Will hadn’t knowingly taken advantage of such a fragile creature.

“I’m sorry she got away from us and came here,” Erie said.

“I thought she had left town.”

“She did. Her parents and brother moved to South Carolina several years ago and after the Will debacle, she moved there. She was doing fine, had a job as a receptionist at a spa. But she showed up here a few days ago. We have an appointment tomorrow and we’ll get her straightened out like we always do. But here’s the thing. Can you prescribe something to make her sleep tonight? We had a really rough night last night.”

She didn’t doubt it. Erie had dark circles under her eyes but there were rules.

“I can’t do that,” Arabelle said. “I don’t have her medical history and I can’t discuss this with you.”

Erie looked up and sighed. “You can. She used to come to Dr. Junior. If you’ll look, you’ll see that you can discuss her health with me or my brother.” She whipped out her driver’s license and an envelope. She’d clearly been through this before. “I have a list of her meds signed by Dr. Louis in Birmingham.”

Arabelle turned to her computer and brought up Aspen’s file. “Okay, Erie, I see that I am authorized to talk to you. Just let me see what we’ve got here.” She pursued the list of medications. “All right. I see that she normally does take something at night to sleep. When is she seeing Dr. Louis tomorrow?”

“Right after lunch. We couldn’t get her in today and he wouldn’t call her meds in without seeing her because she’s overdue for a visit.”

She reached for her prescription pad. “I’m going to write this for one dose for tonight. I’ll email Dr. Louis in the morning and let him know that.”

“Thank you,” Erie said. “One dose is all we need.”

“Good luck.” Arabelle handed her the slip of paper. “And thanks for coming to get her.”

“Thank you. And Dr. Garrett, I know you won’t tell Will about this.”

Arabelle was taken back. “Well. She seems pretty fixated on him. I think—”

Erie shook her head. “I know you won’t because you can’t.” She held up the prescription. “You’re not allowed to discuss patients.”

“Oh, Erie. Will needs to know this. Not the medical details, certainly, but that she came here.”

“No, he does not. Aspen is not dangerous. I’m sorry she came here. I am. I’m sorry for the things she does from time to time. But she wouldn’t harm anyone. She’s just off her meds and she’s not mentally deficient.”

“I never thought she was.”

“Thank you. She’s really very smart.” Erie rose to go. “I need to get to the pharmacy.”

“One question, Erie.”

The girl looked back over her shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

“Why is it so important to you that Will not know this?”

“If your brother—if Judge Avery—had these issues would you want him to be further embarrassed when he got back on an even keel?”

“No,” Arabelle admitted. “I would want to protect him.”

“Then you understand.”

And the hell of it was that she did.

Arabelle thanked Cora and Kelly for staying late and walked the two blocks to Heavenly Confections. What a crazy day, crazy week even. It had been beyond bizarre to sign the adoption papers in Luke’s chambers yesterday and hear Luke declare Avery their child. But it got Avery Will’s last name and that had been part of the deal. They hadn’t done anything to celebrate, hadn’t even told her parents it was happening. Why celebrate something that was not only unnecessary but a lie?

On their way home Will had said wistfully, “Don’t you sometimes wish we could just tell the world?”

Her stomach had exploded with fear. She’d been tempted to remind him of their agreement and make him promise again to never tell. She could endure anything except Avery finding out she had given him away. As much as she hated the thought of lying to her child for the rest of her life, it was the price she would pay. She would never risk having him think that she had wanted rid of him and had only taken him back when Sheridan and David died because she’d had to—and she would never risk him hating her. But she hadn’t explained any of that to Will. She had only said, “No. I don’t wish that. It’s enough that I have him. It has to be enough for you, too.”

For the first time in weeks they went to sleep without making love—though he did kiss her awake a couple of hours later and rectify that.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said upon entering the apartment. She felt deceptive, not telling Will about Aspen. But Erie had been right. She was bound by law not to divulge that Erie had come to see her in a professional capacity. “Did you get my text?”

“I did.” Will was wearing khakis and a burgundy turtleneck and had dressed Avery in the red overalls and white shirt she’d left.

“Thanks for dressing Avery,” she said.

“Is this okay?” He gestured to his attire. “I have a blazer but Luke was wearing a tie.”

She picked up Avery and gave him a kiss. “Luke always wears a tie; Luke was
born
wearing a tie.” Impulsively, she gave Will a quick kiss, too. “He’ll never look as good as you.”

Will smiled. “Why, thank you. Arabelle Avery doesn’t pass out compliments lightly.”

“We’re all Garretts now, per your request,” she reminded him.

“True.” He took Avery from her. “Here, pal. Play with your new truck for a minute.”

“Another new truck?” she asked.

“For Valentine’s Day. And I have something for you, too.”

Oh, damn. She hadn’t gotten him anything, hadn’t even thought of it. She’d bought Avery, John Luke, and Emma some small stuffed animals and boxes of goldfish crackers from the grocery store but it had not crossed her mind to get anything for Will.

Will handed her a box from Heavenly Confections. “Grand Marnier truffles,” he said. “Lanie said they were your favorites.” That made her feel somewhat better. It wasn’t like the candy had been any trouble or cost anything. He’d had to walk right through the shop and Lanie didn’t charge family.

Then he put a neatly wrapped package in her hand, about half the size of a shoebox. She carefully peeled the paper away to find the most exquisitely carved box she had ever seen. It was made of white wood, unlike any she had ever seen before, and covered in carved snowflakes of varying sizes, each unique and intricate. Her monogram—two
A
s flanking a
G
—was inlaid in black.

“That’s black mother of pearl,” he said. “I think it turned out pretty nice.”

That was an understatement. It might be the most beautiful thing he’d ever made. It was certainly the most beautiful thing she’d ever owned. “Will. I don’t know what to say. You made this?” Why had she asked that stupid question? Of course he’d made it.

He nodded. “Once, a long time ago when we were teenagers, you told me how much you love snow.” She didn’t remember telling him that but she didn’t doubt it. She
did
love snow. That was part of why she’d gone to Switzerland to have Avery. “Since we don’t get much snow here, I thought I’d give you some.”

“So beautiful.” She ran her fingers over the black initials. “I love it. And I didn’t get you anything. Not even a card.”

He smiled that sweet smile. “You gave me my boy. You let me give him my name. That’s the best thing. But I do have a card for you.”

With shaking hands, she opened the envelope. What if it said he loved her? Would it be because he meant it or because all valentines said that?

To the mother of my child,
read the words on the front. Inside, it waxed eloquent about a joining together in the common goal of raising a strong confident child. Underneath Will had simply written his name and the year. He didn’t even realize he had bought a card meant for a man to give to a woman he wasn’t married to or even in a relationship with.

Maybe they weren’t in a relationship.

“Thank you,” she said. “I’ll get dressed.”

As they walked down the street toward the Brantley building, Will caught sight of their reflection in the bookstore window. He was pushing Avery’s stroller and Arabelle had her head cocked to the side, deep in thought. They looked like a real family and sometimes he felt that.

But this wasn’t one of those times. Arabelle had come in the door acting a little odd and she’d gone especially quiet after he’d given her the gifts. He couldn’t fathom why. She seemed to like the jewelry box he’d made her but maybe she was disappointed there was no jewelry in it. Luke had given Lanie a sapphire bracelet. Maybe that’s what they did in their family. Or maybe he should have gotten flowers—or hell, a unicorn or a magic carpet.

Who knew with women in general, and Arabelle in particular?

She sure did look pretty though. She’d changed out of her scrubs into a pair of white wool pants and a soft pink sweater. She always seemed to look a little better, a little different from other women. He was betting most of them would be wearing red tonight.

“Why don’t you have to work at this shindig?” he asked her. “Lanie said she and Missy had to work in the kids’ activity room and Tolly and Lucy are running the whole thing.”

“I’m not in the Junior League,” she said. “They take new members in the spring. I suppose I’ll join then. My mother wants me to. She always maintained her membership in Merritt, though she was in Montgomery most of the time.”

His mother wouldn’t have known what the Junior League was.