Tracie Peterson (17 page)

“We saw it,” Deirdre replied. “But sweet wasn’t what we were after. We wanted adventure and something new and bold. We didn’t think about Grammy or the rest of the family.”

“I think Grammy’s right,” Erica added. “I think we are all interconnected. We might be spread out to the four corners of the earth, but we’re still family and we have a strong bond. We need to be there for each other.”

Erica’s words seemed to present the perfect opportunity for Deirdre to ask for the money.

“Oh no,” Erica said in exasperation. “Someone’s at my front door. Do you want to hold on for a minute?”

“Sure. Go ahead and see who it is,” Deirdre said, trying to think of the perfect way to approach Erica for the loan.

Erica came back to the phone after several minutes of silence. “Sorry, but I’m going to have to go. Sean just showed up. I’ll probably talk to you tomorrow.”

Deirdre realized her opportunity had passed. “Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”

She hung up the phone and sighed. It looked like the pawnshop would be her best bet for getting the money back into their checking account before Dave questioned its disappearance.

Chapter 15

The final few weeks of school for Denver Christian Academy were filled with celebrations and picnic outings. Ashley had made more sack lunches in the past few days than she had for the rest of the school year. Zach and John had traveled from one field trip to the next, their level of excitement building as the final close of the school year neared.

Ashley felt anticipation and a sense of relief that the boys were so excited about summer. There were so many plans, in fact, that Ashley had worried that it was simply too much. Athletic camps, trips, and outings of every kind dotted the calendar, and although the boys were an energetic nine and seven, they had things planned out in more detail than many adults might ever have thought to do. Ashley likened it to the strategic positioning of a battle. Each side knew their responsibilities and the ground they would have to cover, and short of taking prisoners and sustaining casualties, she felt certain their summer would be no less effective than a grizzled army general’s plans for assault on the enemy.

But with the boys in school and occupied for at least a few more weeks, Ashley hurried to try to get all of her own loose ends tied up. Dressed in a comfortable pair of navy blue slacks with a white-and-navy sweater, Ashley checked her hair and lipstick before grabbing the box on her front passenger seat. She had promised to help with an early graduation party scheduled for that evening at the country club, and inside the box were two hundred party favors she had helped to make.

She deposited the favors at the front desk and hurried to the
lounge to meet her friends Willa James and Rhonda Reecer for lunch. The floor hostess motioned Ashley to follow her to where Rhonda and Willa were already seated.

“We ordered for you,” Willa stated as though Ashley were always late.

“Thank you! I thought I’d never get here.” She took her seat and immediately latched on to a glass of iced tea. “This mine?”

Willa nodded. “Oh good. Here come our salads now. I had them put your dressing on the side, Ashley.”

“Sounds like a good idea,” Ashley replied, tasting the tea. Frowning at the lack of sweetener, she put it down and made room for the salad.

“I swear, you are never home,” Rhonda stated as she immediately began to pick at her food.

“I can’t help it,” Ashley admitted. “I have a list a mile long to accomplish before the kids get out of school.”

“Me too,” Willa chimed in. “This time of year is a real killer.”

“So what did I miss last week?” Rhonda questioned. She had been away at a women’s conference in Colorado Springs and had been unable to make their weekly women’s meeting at the country club.

“Not much,” Ashley said, spooning a bit of sugar into her tea.

“Have you heard from the lawyer yet as to what your cut of Rachelle’s estate will be?” Rhonda asked Ashley in a brazen manner.

Ashley would never have tolerated the question from anyone else, but she seldom kept anything from Rhonda and Willa. “I haven’t received any real information. Grammy said the estate is tied up in probate. Frankly, I don’t care. I’ll just put whatever I get into a college trust fund for the boys.”

“What does Jack think about that? Wouldn’t he rather you use the money for something to benefit the family now?” Willa questioned.

Ashley shrugged. “I don’t know. Jack’s been so tied up lately, we haven’t really had much of a chance to talk about it. Besides, there may never be any money at all. She had a lot of debt. I guess it went with the life-style.”

“I just can’t imagine being the daughter of Rachelle Barrister,” Rhonda continued. “I mean, I knew it was true, but when I saw you on that news coverage of the funeral, I just about flipped. I mean, there you were—my friend—and you were related to the most popular woman in the world.”

Ashley shook her head. “She wasn’t popular with me or my sisters, and frankly, I’d just as soon not talk about it anymore. It’s been over a month and I’d like it to just fade away.”

Rhonda shrugged and ate in silence, while Ashley tried hard to put the memories behind her. Rachelle’s death wasn’t supposed to be a big deal, yet Ashley couldn’t help but dwell on the things she’d learned about herself at the funeral. She still battled with the idea that everything she’d accomplished in her life had been done in order to show up her mother. What kind of person did that make her?

“Did you hear about Cynthia?” Willa asked, leaning forward to avoid being overheard by anyone else. “She’s marrying Richard Devader.”

“I knew she’d been going out with him, but marriage?” Rhonda questioned in disbelief. “He’s got to be at least thirty years her senior.”

“I know,” Willa said, nodding. “But he’s also at least thirty million dollars richer than she is. Money has always been very attractive to Cynthia, and she probably figures that he’ll die soon enough and leave her a fortune. At least that’s the way I figure it. What about you, Ashley?”

“I suppose you’re right,” Ashley admitted. She continued eating, hoping that this would discourage anyone from soliciting her further opinion on the matter.

“Of course I’m right. We know Cynthia well enough to know she’d never even look at an old geezer like him if she wasn’t going to benefit in a big way. They’re supposed to be married sometime next month, and I just know she’ll expect us all at the wedding.”

“I’m not sure I could sit through an ordeal like that,” Rhonda
said before Ashley could voice her opinion. “Imagine, marrying only for the money and position someone could give you. Cynthia should be ashamed. Maybe I should speak my mind.”

Willa threw her friend an amused look. “Like it would matter to Cynthia. She’d just tell you not to worry your head over the matter and invite you to her new estate once the marriage was in place.”

Ashley took a sip of tea and changed the subject. “I thought I’d go shopping again this weekend to find something for the annual dance. I want something completely different from the off-the-rack styles around here.”

“Maybe your sister could send you something from New York,” Willa offered.

“Like I could fit into any of Brook’s clothes. The last time I saw her, I’ll bet she was down to a size four.”

“Oh, to be a four again,” Rhonda said with a sigh.

Willa laughed. “I’d just like to be a four for the first time. I think I probably skipped right over it even when I was child.” They laughed together at this.

Ashley glanced at her watch. “Oh no. I didn’t realize it was getting so late. I have to run. Have them put this on my bill,” she said, waving at the uneaten food. She pushed back from the table and grabbed her purse. “I’ll be here to help with the graduation party tonight. Seven o’clock, right?”

“Be here by six-thirty,” Willa corrected. “The kids will get here at seven.”

Ashley nodded and made a mental calculation as she took up her purse. She made a mad dash for the door before anyone could say anything to halt her progress. She had to make a two-thirty doctor’s appointment and still manage to pick up groceries before the boys got home from school. There just weren’t enough hours in the day.

Heading north, Ashley tried to concentrate on the interstate instead of the rest of her itinerary for the day.
The maid should be at the house by now
, she thought.
Hopefully, she’ll see my note about taking the laundry out of the dryer.
She looked at her watch again and saw that she’d only be a
few minutes late. Breathing a sigh of relief, she finally began to relax. Maybe the day would settle down now.

Inside the doctor’s office, Ashley waited for thirty minutes before being called back to consult with her gynecologist. A good friend of the family, Janice Nevin smiled and welcomed Ashley.

“I’m sorry you had to wait so long,” she said. “I had to make a quick trip to the hospital and deliver twins.”

“That’s okay,” Ashley said nervously. She didn’t really mean it, but what could she say given the situation?

“Well, congratulations are definitely in order,” Janice told Ashley after she closed the door. “You’re pregnant.”

Ashley smiled and felt her stomach do a flip. “I was pretty sure about it but just didn’t want to say anything to Jack before I had a test done.”

“You mean he hasn’t suspected?” Janice questioned.

“No. At least I don’t think he has. He’s been too busy lately.”

Janice nodded. “He has had an incredible load. I’ve seen him up at the hospital four times this week. But why didn’t you want to tell him? You
are
happy about this baby, aren’t you?”

“You know I am. But because of the miscarriages in the past, I didn’t want to get Jack’s hopes up until I passed the twelfth week. That seemed to be when the other two went sour.”

“So you’re figuring yourself to be about three months along?”

“A little over,” Ashley admitted.

“Wish I could have looked like you at the end of my first trimester,” Janice said with a grin. “I needed maternity clothes the minute I conceived.”

Ashley smiled and put her hand on her stomach. It was an action she hadn’t allowed herself until just now—now that she knew she was carrying a new life. “This is so wonderful. I can hardly speak.”

“Well, you don’t have to. I want you to set up an appointment with the receptionist and we’ll get your initial blood work and exam out of the way. After that, you probably remember the routine. Eat healthy, exercise, avoid caffeine and cigarette smoke.”

The rest of the advice pretty much went in one ear and out the other.
I’m pregnant
, thought Ashley.
I’m going to have another baby!
More than anything in the world she wanted to tell Jack. He would be so happy.

After bidding Janice good-bye and stopping long enough at the receptionist’s desk to make her next appointment, Ashley fairly ran for the car. She could barely contain her excitement. She and Jack had been trying for nearly five years to have another child, and after one miscarriage in the early weeks of a pregnancy nearly three years ago and a second miscarriage a year later, she had seemed unable to conceive. But now her long wait was over. She was going to be a mother again. Maybe even have a daughter. She really wanted a daughter.

Ashley maneuvered through traffic, well aware that time was getting away from her. It was nearly three-thirty. The boys would be coming home in about ten minutes and she wouldn’t be there to greet them. The housekeeper would see that they were safely looked after, but it wasn’t the same. She wanted to be there for them. She also wanted to share her good news with them. She wanted to tell everyone the news!

Jack’s clinic was out of her way, but it was well worth the effort to go there before returning home. Ashley tried to picture the look on his face. No matter how overworked he was, he would be thrilled to know about the baby. Maybe it would even help him to slow down and spend more time at home.

After a stressful journey through the very beginnings of rushhour traffic, Ashley finally managed to pull into the parking lot of Jack’s clinic. Four o’clock, she noted, frowning at the time. It had taken twice as long to get here as she had hoped, but there was no sense in bemoaning that fact. It wasn’t going to spoil her surprise. On the bright side, Jack would be finished with patients for the day. She could walk right into his office and share the news with him, and maybe he’d even be able to go home with her. Every cloud had its lining, she reminded herself as the tension of the last month seemed to dissipate.

Inside, the private clinic was deserted. Ashley passed the closed receptionist’s window and opened the side door to the private employees’ entrance.

“Oh, hello, Mrs. Issacs.”

Ashley spied the receptionist. “Hi, Shelly. How’s it going?” “We’ve just about broken every record possible for bad days,” the petite brown-haired woman replied. “I’ve never seen so many emergencies. The good weather must have everyone acting crazy.”

Ashley laughed. “Well, maybe things will calm down.” She pushed on down the hall, calling over her shoulder, “I’m just going to see Jack. Is he in his office?”