The Lawman's Little Surprise (12 page)

Dusty leaned forward. “Something I learned along the way, and a short way, at that, considering. It doesn't matter where it is, as long as you're together.”

“I guess you're right,” Morgan said. “But I'll probably never know.”

“I was going to ask if everything is okay, but I guess you just answered that question. I don't know where you are with this, but I know where I was. I didn't want a wife. Rodeo was all I needed. I found out I was wrong. Admitting it was hard, but it was worth it.”

Without thinking, Morgan said what he was thinking. “Trish doesn't want to get married.”

“And you agree?”

Morgan nodded, and then shook his head. “It's kind of complicated.”

“You've talked to her?”

“As much as she'll let me. She doesn't seem to want to listen.”

Dusty grunted and tipped back in his chair, but he
kept his voice low when he spoke. “It must run in the family. Kate had her mind made up that she was going to be a single woman, just like her Aunt Aggie. She probably still would be if I hadn't made her listen. Once I figured out what
I
wanted, that is.”

Morgan couldn't keep from laughing. “I remember that well. Fourth of July celebration, and you roped and tied her in front of half the county after you chased her through town.”

“Yeah,” Dusty said with a low chuckle, “it took tying her up to keep her still. I tried it without the rope, but it just wasn't working. Sometimes you've got to take the bull by the horns.” He settled the chair on all four legs and leaned forward. “Those Clayborne women are a stubborn bunch.”

“You're telling me? And Trish has always been so sweet-natured.” Morgan shook his head. “Lately, she's like Jekyll and Hyde.”

“Hormones,” Dusty muttered. “And then there's the fact that you canceled the wedding.”

Morgan couldn't make eye contact. “I had my reasons.”

Dusty leaned closer. “Does Trish know that?”

“It's not something I can talk about.”

After checking his watch and taking another drink of beer, Dusty stood and laid a ten-dollar bill on the table. “Beer's on me. I'd better scoot. Don't want to miss that baked ham.” He started to turn away, but hesitated. “Look, I won't pry, but I will tell you this. You can't keep secrets from those women. If you try, you'll regret it.”

Morgan could only hope he was wrong. Telling Trish
about what had happened in Miami and the incident with John wouldn't change anything.

Or would it?

 

“A
S SOON AS THESE
sweet potatoes are done, we'll eat,” Aggie announced.

Hettie, sitting at the table with a cup of coffee, looked up as Trish and Kate walked into the kitchen. “There you are!” She got to her feet and hurried to give Kate a hug. “You look great!”

“Yeah?” Kate asked, laughing. “I feel pretty good.”

Hettie's smile was wicked. “So you enjoyed your honeymoon on the high seas?”

“I didn't have a choice. It was unbelievable.”

Hettie released her, and Trish watched the exchange, her heartbeat speeding up as she thought about what was coming. It was probably a good thing Hettie had joined them. She and Kate could tell them both at the same time. Double trouble if it didn't go well, but her hopes were high it would.

The timer went off, distracting Trish and announcing that supper was almost ready. “Are we eating in here?” she asked.

“Don't we always?” Aggie asked, taking the casserole from the oven.

“I just thought that with Kate and Dusty home, we might want to eat in the dining room.”

“The kitchen is fine with me,” Kate chimed in.

“Dusty's gonna miss this if he doesn't get here soon,” Aggie grumbled.

Kate glanced at Trish and nodded. “He'll be here. But before he does…” She gave Trish an encouraging smile. “You might want to sit down, Aunt Aggie.”

The two older women looked at each other, then Aggie shrugged and took her place at the head of the table. Both of them looked worried.

“Is something wrong?” Hettie asked, getting right to the point.

Kate smiled. “Well,
I
don't think so, but I'll leave that up to the two of you to decide.”

Aggie turned to look at Trish. “You already know about whatever this is?”

Trish nodded and tried to hide her own smile.

“Well, not all of it,” Kate corrected. When no one spoke, she said, “I have news.”

“News?” Hettie asked, her frown deepening. “What kind of news?”

Kate turned to smile at Trish, and Trish nodded. Facing her aunt and Hettie, Kate announced, “I'm pregnant.”

For several seconds, neither of the two older women said anything. “Really?” Aggie finally asked.

Kate giggled. “Really.”

“That was quick,” Hettie said, looking a bit stunned, but happy, if the smile on her face was any indication.

“Oh, Hettie,” Aggie said, “nobody counts months anymore. Come here, girl,” she told Kate.

“Of course they don't,” Hettie replied and got to her feet to wait her turn to give Kate a hug.

“A baby,” Aggie said, as if the idea was just sinking in. “Well, not exactly,” Kate said, laughing.

Hettie didn't even get her hug before stepping back to look at her. “And just what does that mean?”

Kate turned to flash a grin at Trish, who had no idea what else Kate might have to tell them.

“Twins.”

Trish stared at her sister. “Twins? Oh, Kate!” And then she started laughing. “I can't believe it! You stinker. You didn't tell me.”

“I only learned this afternoon,” Kate explained. “That's the stop we had to make. We had a wonderful time on the cruise, but I was sick for a few days, and Dusty made me promise to see Doc Priller as soon as we got into town.”

“You met Paige?” Trish asked.

“Oh, yes,” Kate cried, “and she's wonderful. She was sure she heard two heartbeats, so she did a sonogram right then and there. There was no question about it after that.”

“Unbelievable,” Trish said, and then hugged her sister, laughing. “This is wonderful news!”

“When are the babies due?” Hettie asked. “Oh, I can't believe it's
babies!
”

“Mid-August.”

Hettie and Aggie settled at the table once again, still talking as if they'd had a hand in it.

“Help me set the table,” Kate said to Trish. “Dusty will probably be here soon.”

Trish knew that was her cue to share her own news. Her hands shook as she mindlessly pulled silverware from the drawer. She'd expected this to be much easier than it had been with Morgan, but—

“Trish has news, too,” Kate said, matter-of-factly, as she took plates to the table.

“What's that?” Aggie asked, looking up at Kate.

Hettie leaned forward, a wide smile lighting her eyes. “Is the wedding on again?”

Trish hated to disappoint Hettie, but she hoped her news would make a difference. “I'm pregnant, too.”

Aggie looked at Kate and then back at her. “Both of you?”

Trish nodded when Kate did, and then the tears fell. “Why are you crying?” Aggie asked, reaching out for her. “You come here and sit down.”

Trish complied. If only she could stop crying!

Kate giggled. “I get the morning sickness, she gets the weepies. What a pair we are.”

Aggie looked at Hettie. “I think Trish had a bit of that morning sickness.” She turned to Trish and took her hand. “Was that what that bug was?”

Trish could only nod and sniff.

“Three babies!” Hettie said, hurrying to give her a hug. “Oh, Trish, there's nothing to cry about. Babies are a blessing.”

“I know,” Trish managed.

Aggie squeezed her hand. “And when should we expect this one? Hettie and I will have to go on a shopping spree.”

“Middle of July.”

“Why, they're almost triplets,” Hettie announced. “And, yes, a shopping spree—several of them—are called for.” She rubbed her hands together. “Oh, I can't wait!”

“Could be more twins,” Aggie said with a wink.

Trish laughed, finally getting her emotions in order. “No! Just one. I hope.”

“You can count on Paige checking on that,” Kate said, sitting next to her. “Won't it be great? Both of us?”

Trish nodded, unable to speak as she saw the love and excitement in everyone's eyes.

Aggie got her attention again with another squeeze of her hand. “You weren't afraid to tell me, were you?”

Trish thought about it and decided to be honest. “A little. At first.”

“Well, that's just foolishness. These things happen all the time,” Aggie said, glancing at Hettie.

“They do,” Hettie agreed with a nod. “I'm guessing Morgan knows?”

“Since Christmas Eve,” Trish answered.

Next to her, Aggie gasped. “You've known since then? Both of you?”

Kate nodded, and so did Trish.

“Why didn't you tell us?”

“And give you a reason not to go on your cruise?” Kate asked. “No way were we going to let that happen.”

Trish was surprised to see her aunt blush. “Well,” Aggie stammered, “you have a point there. So I'm glad you waited.”

Hettie picked up her cup, stood and went to the coffeemaker. “I'm going to ask the question we're all thinking of asking but haven't,” she said as she poured another cup of coffee. “Are you and Morgan planning to get married?”

Before Trish could answer, Kate did. “There's a bit of a problem with that.”

Hettie's eyes widened as she returned to her seat. “What? He hasn't asked? If I get my hands—”

“No,” Trish said quickly. “I made the decision not to get married.”

“You don't want to marry him?”

Trish wasn't sure how to explain. “No, I don't. I have…reservations.”

“You don't have to marry him,” Aggie said, patting her arm. “Not unless Kate gets her hands on that shotgun.”

Trish could only smile. Explaining wasn't easy.

“Go on, Trish,” Hettie said. “Nobody here is going to judge you.”

Nodding as she realized this was her family, and she could tell them anything, she folded her hands on the table. “It's just that he's not the same man as the one who proposed to me almost a year ago. Something happened. I don't know what, but he's changed.”

Hettie nodded. “He has. Sometime back in June? I don't remember for certain.”

“You noticed it, too?” Trish asked.

“He… I don't know. He just kind of pulled into himself.”

“Before I learned about the book tour and told him about it.”

Aggie let go of Trish's hand and stood. “Well, it doesn't matter. It was foolish of him to call off the wedding. I didn't think he was a fool, but I've been wrong before.” When everyone stared at her, she stared back. “Well, I have. It's your decision, Trish, and no matter what, we're here for you. We can plan a wedding or we can change diapers. It makes no difference to me.”

“That goes for all of us,” Hettie chimed in. “Times have changed. It's so much more acceptable than it was in our day to keep a baby if you weren't married.”

“Just ask Hettie,” Aggie said, getting up from the table. She suddenly stopped, a stricken look on her face.

“It's all right, Aggie,” Hettie told her. Turning to the
girls, she sighed, then smiled. “There are things you don't know.”

Trish looked at Kate, who looked back at her. “Like what?”

Hettie hesitated before answering. “I gave up a baby for adoption, years and years ago.”

“Oh, Hettie,” Trish cried and hurried to her side.

Kate moved to kneel beside Hettie. “That had to be hard. However did you manage to get through it?”

Hettie's smile was sad for only a moment. “Aggie helped me through it. I don't know how I could've dealt with it all, if it hadn't been for her.”

“That's what friends are for,” Aggie said, returning to her seat with her coffee. Hettie reached over and squeezed her hand, and Aggie winked at her.

“Can you—” Kate began, but didn't finish.

“Talk about it?” Hettie asked. “Of course I can. Aggie and I went to Chicago after we graduated from high school.”

Kate raised her eyebrows at Trish. They'd known there was something about Chicago in Aggie's history, but nothing else.

“We— I met someone. A young man who had just joined the army. We fell in love and, well, things happened. By the time I knew I was pregnant, he was serving in Vietnam. I couldn't go home. In those days, people in Desperation weren't so broad-minded, and I knew my news wouldn't be welcomed by my father. I was young and scared and alone, except for Aggie.” Her smile for her best friend was filled with gratitude, and she took a deep breath before continuing. “And I didn't have a way to tell Will. The best thing was to relinquish
my baby to be raised by two parents who would love her and take care of her.”

The kitchen was quiet as each of them thought of what Hettie had been through. Trish was certain they all were wondering what had happened afterward. “You know it was a girl?” she asked.

“Oh, yes,” Hettie answered. “In fact, you've met her daughter. Do you remember the young girl who came to stay with me several years ago?” Trish nodded.

“She was a couple of years younger than me,” Kate said. “Didn't she date Boone Randall while she was here?”

Hettie nodded. “Yes, she did. She's my granddaughter. Her mother didn't know she was here, but it was such a joy to have her with me, if even for a little while. Now you know why I'm so glad the times have changed.”

The door opened and Dusty stepped inside. “Is the food ready?” he asked, rubbing his hands together and eyeing the table. “What?” he asked when they all looked at him. “A man has to eat.”