Underestimated (74 page)

guess that is up to you.”

“Why would it be up to me?” I asked, turning to

look at him.

He bought our teacups to the table and sat in front

of me.

“If I thought for one second that you were going to

divorce Drew and marry me and raise our family together,

I wouldn’t want Lauren.”

“So, you are doing to her, what I have done to

you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, you are putting her second because you

feel obligated to make things work with me.”

“Is that what you have been doing, Riley?”

“Not on purpose, but I guess so. It’s always been

Drew, Daw. I didn’t always realize that, but it’s a fact.

We could have been happy had things not have happened

the way that they did. If I wouldn’t have forgotten who I

was and fallen in love with my husband for the first time,

things may have been different. I do love you. You have

been my safety blanket from day one.”

“You want out too, don’t you?”

“Yes. I didn’t go to my mother’s. I have been with

Drew.”

“I kind of figured as much, and it wasn’t the first

time. Was it”

I shook my head.

“What about the baby, Riley. If this is my kid, I

want to be a part of his life.”

I smiled at him. I couldn’t help it. “I know, and I

would never keep you from that. I would actually be a

little relieved if I knew that Lauren was going to be the

other female in his life.”

He smiled too. I think at that point we were both

praying that this little boy wasn’t his.

“I’m glad that I had the opportunity to know and

love you,” Dawson, quietly said.

I don’t know why that bothered me, but it did. I

think because I knew he was at the place where he was

telling me goodbye. I quickly swiped the escaped tear.

“Riley?” Dawson said, sadly, wanting me to look

at him.

“I’m not Riley, Dawson. I’m Morgan.”

He smiled a weak smile. “Are you going to be

okay?”

“Yes. I’ll be fine. I’ve been through worse. I’ll

manage.”

“Yes you have, and I hope the rest of your life is

full of nothing but happiness.”

I stood and walked toward the front door. I’d had

enough for one night. I wanted Dawson to leave. “You can

come and get your stuff whenever you want,” I said,

placing my hand on the door knob.

Dawson removed my hand and pulled me toward

him. He held me tight, and I was trying with all of my

might not to cry. It didn’t work, and I let go. I cried in

Dawson’s shirt for the last time.

He pulled away after a bit and held my face with

his hands. He bent a little so that we were at level eye

contact. “I love you, Riley, and don’t you ever think that I

didn’t.”

“I love you too, Dawson. I swear I do.”

I closed the door behind him, feeling like I was

closing the door on that fragment of my life. I knew it was

over for good this time, and I was hurt. I wasn’t surprised,

but I was definitely hurting. I wanted Drew. I didn’t call

him though. I needed time first. I instead called my mom

and cried to her for over an hour.

She didn’t speak and only listened until I was done

sobbing and had cried out the last of my tears.

“Now that you are done, I think I should tell you

something,” she finally spoke.

“No, Mom. I can’t deal with anymore tonight. I’m

coming out there tomorrow. I can’t stay here. Save it for

another day, please,” I begged. She didn’t.

“I understand, Morgan,” she began, ignoring my

request. “Drew flew here when they picked up your car to

bring it to you. I know everything, Morgan. I know how

you spent your first six years. I know that you ran from him

and acquired a new identity. I know that he took you from

the hospital with the same intentions as the day he picked

you up when you were eighteen.”

I was speechless. Drew told her everything. I

couldn’t believe it. Why would he do that?

“I know that he hit you and God knows what else

happened. I know what his assistant did to you, and I know

it was all for money. He was angry that he had worked so

hard on making sure that he was on that will, and you just

happen to pop up out of the blue as the only living heir.

But, you know what else, Morgan?”

I still couldn’t speak. I shook my head, like she

could see.

“I know that man loves you more than his own life.

I have never seen a grown man cry as much as he did

when he confessed all of his sins to me. I can’t even judge

him for putting a dollar before the happiness of another

human being. I did the same thing. Maybe with different

intentions, but none the less, I did the same thing.”

Drew cried? Drew didn’t cry. Drew wasn’t

capable of crying.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“He made me promise not to. He said that he was

going to step aside and let you decide on your own.”

I snickered. “He never stepped aside. The longest

he ever made it was almost three weeks. He couldn’t stand

not emailing or calling or even a text.”

“That’s because he loves you, baby.”

“What if our past always haunts us?”

“Are you afraid of him?”

“No. Not at all.”

“Then don’t let the past haunt you. Leave it in the

past and move forward.”

“If this baby turns out to be Dawson’s it will

undoubtedly complicate things.”

“I don’t think so. We talked about that too. He

actually told me that he was glad that Dawson was there

for you and that if it is his baby, he couldn’t have

handpicked a better father figure.”

I couldn’t believe that it was almost midnight.

“I will let you go, mom. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize

it was this late.”

“I’ve got all night, sweetie.”

“Thanks for listening, Mom.”

“You’re welcome, honey. I am always here for

you, and I am so glad that you are back in my life, even if

you are making me a grandma,” she teased. “I love you,

Morgan.”

“I love you too.” I hadn’t said that to my mother in

years. It felt good, and it felt good to talk to her. I was so

thankful that she was there.

“Can I tell Caroline that you will be here

tomorrow?”

I smiled. “Yes. I can’t wait to see her.”

“Goodnight, Morgan.”

“Goodnight, Mom.”

I lay awake for hours, thinking about my life. I was

leaving Misty Bay. I couldn’t stay there. It would be too

awkward, and not fair to Dawson and Lauren. Wow.

Dawson and Lauren. I still couldn’t believe it. I had to talk

to Lauren. I had to let her know that I wasn’t mad. I was

happy that Dawson would have her, and I hoped that they

lived happily ever after. I needed to get a hold of a realtor.

No. I should wait. If this was Dawson’s son, I would want

to be close by when he was visiting there. I might need to

keep my house.

I’m not sure what time the exhaustion finally took

over, and I slept, but I didn’t wake until almost nine. I got

up and started packing right away. I had wanted to be on

the road by seven. I was brushing my teeth when I heard

my cellphone and ran to the kitchen to grab it.

“Shit!” I yelled when my pinky toe came in full

contact with the wooden barstool leg.

“Hello,” I danced around answering Drew’s call.

“What’s wrong? Are you in labor?”

“No, you moron. I stubbed my toe trying to get to

the phone, but it feels like labor.”

“I’m afraid you’re in for a rude awakening my

love.”

I chuckled and sat on the stool, massaging my

aching toe. “Are you home?”

“Not yet, getting ready to fly out. What are you

doing? How’s my boy?”

“Your boy is fine, and I am packing to go to my

mom’s.”

That was the first time that I ever said your boy. I

had always rotated it back to my son and not either one of

the two possible dads.

“I thought we were waiting a couple of weeks.

You can’t have the plane until tomorrow.”

“I don’t want the plane. I have a very expensive

BMW, sitting in my driveway.”

“Oh no, Morgan. Don’t you even think about it.

You are not driving all the way to your mothers in your

condition.”

“Drew, I’m pregnant, not crippled.”

“You’re not driving, Morgan.”

“Yeah, okay.”

“I mean it damnit. Listen to me for once in your

life.”

I had to bite my tongue on that one.

“Did you call me to tell me what I can and can’t

do?”

“Yes. Now listen to me, would you?”

“Yes.” I replied. I would just wait until we were

off the phone and leave.

“I don’t think your sheriff is as smart as you think

he is. I can’t believe he is going to let you get in your car

and drive to North Carolina.”

“Dawson doesn’t tell me what to do. Only you do

that.”

“If you take off in that car, I am going to beat your

pregnant ass, and that’s a promise.”

“Hmm, I’m positively doing it now,” I teased.

“You’re a sick individual, Morgan Kelley.”

“You made me that way. Drew can I call you back

in a little bit? Lauren is at my door.”

“Doesn’t Lauren just use her key and walk in?

“We kind of had a fight.”

“About what?”

“I will call you when she leaves.”

“Okay, but don’t you dare take off in that car.”

“I’ll call you back,” I replied, opening the door to

Lauren’s weak smile.

I would call him back, just not until I was on the

road.

“You’re not at work,” I stated the obvious.

“Nah, I’m sick,” Lauren smiled. I moved so that

she could come in.

“You look sick,” I teased. “Do you want coffee?”

“You know I do.”

We were silent for a few minutes. Neither of us

knew quite what to say.

I sat across from her, and it felt the exact same way

it had the night before, when Dawson was sitting in her

chair. I guess I wasn’t as mad, but I could sense the

conversation we were about to have.

“Dawson told me that he told you everything last

night.”

“Actually he didn’t. I figured it out on my own. I

saw the two of you going into Millie’s yesterday. I knew

right away. I have never seen you two like that together.”

“Riley, I’m so sorry. I never meant to fall in love

with Dawson. You were gone. I didn’t think you would

ever be back after all of those months. I thought you ran

away again.”

I could see how she would think that. I had done it

before, and she didn’t know the details behind it. For all

she knew I was running from Dawson, after all we were

about to be married.

“I’m not mad anymore, Lauren. I’m still shocked, I

never saw this coming.”

“I almost left Misty Bay when you came back. I

couldn’t stand seeing him with you anymore.”

“But you had Joel,” I said trying to understand.

“I did, but I never loved Joel. Joel was just a

distraction.”

“You love Dawson?”

She nodded, spinning her cup in circles. “He had a

really hard time when you disappeared, Ry. We spent

hours looking for you. By the fifth month, we had gotten

pretty close. We had gotten pizza and beer one night, and I

guess we were both a little tipsy. Dawson kissed me

and…”

“I don’t want to hear the details, Lauren,” I said

cutting her off. I didn’t.

She nodded. “I was with him the night that he sat

straight up in bed, remembering you telling him about

Drew donating money to your school. I’m a horrible

friend, Ry. I didn’t want him to find you by then.”

I smiled. “You’re not a horrible friend. You fell in

love. And to a good man. I fell in love too, but it wasn’t

with Dawson. I mean I loved Dawson. I still love

Dawson, but it’s not the same kind of love that I feel for

Drew. I was actually going to break his heart last night.

I’m glad that he has you, Lauren, and if this baby turns out

to be his, I’m glad that you will be the other female in his

life.”

“You’re going back to Drew?”

“Eventually, I’m going to my mom’s for a while. I

think I might have the baby there. She’s been out of my life

for a good many years. I want to make up for that.”

“I’m going to miss you like crazy.”

I smiled. “I would say that you and Dawson can

come and visit, but that might be a little too awkward.”