Wayward Hearts (10 page)

Gloria threw a look over at Lily, who was likely watching the exchange from the back. “Still trying to impress Jason and his mother, I see. Don't waste your energy. Take it from someone who knows. He's not worth it.”

Maxi's hands curled into tight fists. How dare she talk about Jason that way? A string of oaths escaped before she could check herself.

“I can see New York's sophistication hasn't rubbed off on you.” Gloria sneered. “Don't bother with an appointment. I'll come back another time—when the stench clears.”

She turned and stalked out the front door, letting it slam behind her. With great deliberation, Maxi unclenched her hands and took a deep breath. She'd like nothing better than to smack the smug smile off Gloria's overly made-up face.

“Is it me, or do you two have a history of some sort?”

Lily's voice behind her made Maxi start. She blew out the breath she'd been holding. “Sorry about that. I shouldn't have let her get to me.” She paused. “I keep forgetting you've only lived here a few years. You missed the great high school escapades.”

“You want to talk about it? I don't have any ice cream, but I think there's soda in the lunch room.”

Maxi grinned, remembering the time she'd been upset about Jason and Susie Marshall, and Lily had cheered her up with chocolate sundaes. “Soda will do fine. Thanks.”

“So what's with this Gloria person?” Lily asked a few minutes later as she handed Maxi a cola from the fridge in the break room.

Maxi popped the top of her can and joined Lily at the scarred metal lunch table. “We went to school together, but never got along. She was in the popular crowd. You know, a new boyfriend every few weeks, until she ran out of eligible males. I don't know what the guys saw in her.”

“Blonde, built, and available. Say no more.” Lily sipped her orange soda. “I take it Jason was one of her conquests.”

Maxi frowned. “Not back then. But apparently he broke up with her a few months ago.” She was amazed how much the thought of Jason and Gloria together made her see red. “I can't believe he'd go out with her after all the mean things she did to me in high school.”

“Like what?”

Maxi flinched. The pain of Gloria's last stunt still stung, and she didn't relish reliving it. “Let's just say I was the butt of her very public jokes.”

“Why does she hate you so much?”

Trust Lily to get right to the nitty-gritty. Maxi sighed. “For one thing, I caught her cheating on an exam and snitched on her. And two, she wanted Jason. In the worst way.” Maxi took a long gulp of soda and fought the tension curling up her spine. “At the time, he wasn't interested. Jason and I were best friends, but everyone assumed there was more to it. Gloria was flat out jealous.”

Lily shook her head. “Wow. I thought high school in a small town would be simpler. But it sounds worse than mine.” She drained her can. “So why'd he go out with her now?”

“I don't know. Maybe a rebound thing after he and Susie broke up.”

Lily rose and rubbed her belly. “Could be. Susie was really torn up when Jason ended their relationship.”

Maxi snapped to full attention. “Jason ended it?” Maxi had assumed Susie had broken his heart.

“Yup. Things were getting serious between them. Susie wanted to get married, but as soon as she raised the subject, Jason bolted. Word around town says he has an aversion to commitment.”

Of course. It all made sense now. A girl like Susie would expect marriage after dating for two years.

Lily winced and seemed to go pale, but she recovered quickly.

Maxi was sure the baby had just kicked her too hard. She threw her empty can in the trash and followed Lily into the shop. “They're right. Jason is leery of marriage. It has something to do with his father leaving when he was young.” She shook her head. “Funny, I thought Susie would be the one to change that.”

 

****

 

Gloria slammed the door to her BMW and jammed her keys into the ignition. That trash Maxi North was back in town and had somehow wormed her way into Jason's life again. Just when she was about to make her move to get him back. She didn't need Maxi distracting Jason when
she
was trying to get his attention.

The engine purred as Gloria pulled away from the curb.

She'd had to contend with Jason and Maxi's friendship all through high school. When Maxi had finally left town for good, no one had been happier than Gloria. Happier still to hear they'd had some big falling out before she left.

Then Gloria had to bide her time until Jason's relationship with Susie Marshall ran its course. It hadn't been too hard to get Susie to push Jason for marriage. A few strategic suggestions and Susie had bridal gowns blinking in her brain. Gloria knew Jason would head for the hills at the mere mention of the idea. Her plan had worked to perfection. He'd dropped Susie like a grenade about to detonate, and once they'd broken up, Gloria had taken full advantage of a very lonely Jason.

True, she hadn't been able to keep his interest for long, but their brief time together had only increased her feelings for him. As well as her determination to win him back.

Gloria gripped the steering wheel with iron fingers. There was no way she'd let Maxi North's unexpected arrival ruin her plans.

She would keep Maxi away from Jason—no matter what it took—because one way or another, Gloria
would
become Mrs. Jason Hanley.

 

 

 

 

10

 

Maxi hummed to herself as she made her way to the nurses' station near her mother's room. On her way to the hospital, she'd stopped in the Kingsville camera shop to get the pictures of Lily's hairdo printed. Maxi's pulse had quickened as she studied the results. They'd turned out even better than she dared hope. With Lily's exotic looks, the photos would make a wonderful addition to her portfolio.

Residual excitement lingered as she waited for the nurse to update her on her mother's condition. Finally a woman came to tell her that Mama had improved greatly in the last twenty-four hours, and she'd be able to go home in the next day or two.

Sure enough, when Maxi poked her head in the room, her mother's color looked much better. Maxi bent to kiss her cheek. “Hi, Mama. How are you feeling today?”

Her mother struggled to sit upright in the bed. “Much better. How are you, dear?”

“Good, thanks.” Maxi rearranged the pillows behind her mother's back and then pulled up a chair beside the bed. “There's something I need to tell you, though.” She couldn't put it off any longer.

A frown creased Mama's forehead. “What is it?”

“We're going to have to stay with the Hanleys for a while until repairs are done to the roof and the soot is cleaned out.”

Tears edged her mother's eyes. “So we didn't lose the house?”

“No. The damage is repairable. Jason is helping with that.”

“What about the insurance? Won't they handle it?”

Maxi hated the lines of worry on her mother's face. “Eventually, but you know how much red tape is involved. Jason's going to start on things, and when we get the money from the insurance, we'll reimburse him.” No use worrying now whether the insurance would pay. Truth was on her side. Neither she nor her mother had started that fire, and if arson was involved, they could prove their innocence.

Her mother smiled. “Sounds like you've got it all worked out. I should have known better than to worry. God will take care of us. He always does.”

Maxi bit back the sarcastic remark that burned on her tongue. She wouldn't ruin her mother's optimism with her own negative thoughts. Nothing Maxi said would change Mama's unwavering view of the Almighty. Maxi sighed, wishing she could regain the simple faith of her youth. It would be nice to lean on God for help with life's problems. Truth was, ever since Drew's senseless death, Maxi didn't feel entitled to call on God for anything.

She spent another twenty minutes with her mother until Mama's lids began to droop. She left her mother to rest, with the promise to pick her up as soon as the doctor released her.

Maxi had just turned onto the road to Rainbow Falls when her cell went off. She glanced at the display. Jason. This was the first time he'd initiated contact with her since the kiss. Looking in the rearview mirror, she slowed her speed and pulled off to the side of the road before answering the call.

“Maxi. Thank the Lord. Can you come over to Lily's right away?” Panic infused his voice.

Her hands stiffened on the wheel. “What's wrong?” It wasn't like Jason to show fear. He was a fireman, trained to handle emergency situations.

“Lily's not feeling well. I think she might be in labor.”

“Labor?” Was that why Lily seemed so pale when she left the shop earlier? “Did you call Doc Anderson?”

“Yeah. But I can't reach him. I called for an ambulance, and they're tied up with a multi-car accident. They'll be here as soon as they can. And Nick's in Bismarck today. He's not answering his cell. I suggested the hospital, but Lily won't hear of it. Not without Nick.”

“Is she having regular pains?”

“I don't know. She's moaning a lot.”

Maxi let out a relieved sigh. Jason was likely panicking for nothing. If he couldn't tell whether or not Lily was having contractions, it couldn't be too serious. Maxi pictured him pacing as he talked and had to grin at the thought of Jason alone with a pregnant woman who might be in labor.

“Calm down, Hanley. Everything will be fine. I'll be there in a few minutes.”

 

****

 

Maxi wasn't laughing half an hour later when she saw her friend's pain firsthand.

No wonder Jason had sounded so panicked on the phone. Up in the master bedroom, Lily writhed on her bed, emitting gut-wrenching moans with each contraction. Maxi wiped Lily's sweat-soaked face with a cold cloth and then laid it on her forehead.

Lily reached over and clutched Maxi's arm, fear evident in her dark eyes. “This is happening too fast, too soon. I'm scared. I should have let Jason call for an ambulance sooner.”

Maxi's pulse sprinted to a dizzying rate. Her friend needed someone—a doctor, a mid-wife—anyone who knew something about delivering a baby. But Doc Anderson still wasn't answering his phone. Probably off on an emergency call. “If Jason and I help you downstairs, we can get you into the car and drive you to the hospital.”

“I don't know if I can…” Lily's fingers clamped like a vice around Maxi's wrist.

Maxi tried to ignore her friend's panic and stay rational. Provide calm assurance.

“Sure you can. First we'll get you sitting up.” Puffing and straining, Maxi struggled to lift Lily's upper torso and push some pillows behind her. When another contraction hit, a scream exploded from Lily's chest, resonating through Maxi's frame. The blood drained from Lily's face, and for a second, Maxi thought she might pass out. Maxi murmured soothing platitudes while Lily endured the pain. When the death grip on her hand eased up, Maxi knew the contraction had ended.

“Thirsty,” Lily croaked from between lips that were beginning to crack at the corners.

Maxi rearranged the sheet over Lily's extended belly and patted her hand. “I'll go get some ice chips. Be right back.”

Guilt washed over her at the relief she felt to be out of the room. Like a prisoner executing a jailbreak, Maxi made her way down the stairs and into the kitchen.

Jason was pacing the length of the room when she entered. Lines of worry wrinkled his brow. “How is she?”

Maxi swallowed hard, trying to quell her own anxiety and not make matters worse. “I'm pretty sure she's in advanced labor.”

Her hand shook as she opened the freezer and took out the ice trays. How could this have come on so fast? Lily had been fine earlier. Or had she? She had seemed spent when she left Peg's. Had Maxi's photo session contributed to the early onset of labor? Maxi attacked the cubes with the kitchen mallet. Each crash of the hammer jarred her arm up to her elbow. “Did you reach the doc yet?”

He shook his head. “No. I left another message. You'd think he'd have some way of getting hold of him. Ambulances tied up, and the only doctor in town out of contact with a pregnant woman in labor.”

His exasperation would've been comical if Maxi didn't want to scream. She had no idea what to do for a woman in labor. “What about Nick?”

“Can't reach him either. The last thing he said was that he'd have his cell on. I don't understand it.”

Maxi tried to think clearly, to focus on a logical solution. “Lily's in too much pain to move her now. She couldn't even sit up for a minute.” She dumped the ice chips in a bowl. “You said you called the Kingsville Hospital, and they're going to send an ambulance as soon as it's free?”

“Yeah, they're all tied up with some car accident.” Jason scrubbed a hand over this face as he walked. “I put in a call to the guys at the fire station. They're in the same boat as the ambulance drivers.”

“We need help. Who else in town has experience delivering a baby? Is there a midwife or anything?”

Jason's eyes slid away from hers. He jammed his hands deep into the pockets of his ripped work jeans. “Well…”

“What is it?” She fought the urge to shake the words out of him.

“I've had some training with the birth process—as a fireman, I mean. We worked with dummies and watched videos, so nothing firsthand.”

She could see the fear in his eyes. A bubble of hysterical laughter rose in her throat. He could dash into a burning building without blinking, but assisting a birth scared him to death. She took a breath to control herself. His training was all they had to go on. “What do we do? Boil water? Rip sheets?”