Don't Break My Heart (Return to Redemption, Book 6) (12 page)

She yanked her hand away and swallowed hard as she said in a
hushed tone, “If you’re just shopping for a mother for Haley and someone to
warm your sheets, pal, you’re lookin’ at the wrong model. I get my fill of
teenagers on a
day-to-day basis
, as
you put it,” she lied again, denying her deepest desire to alleviate Haley’s
grief and mentor her late friend’s child. “And any time I want a man’s company,
I can put on a short skirt and a push-up bra and head down to the Colonial
Tavern to buy some stud a drink.”

~*~

Justin’s jaw hung as Trisha escaped into the bathroom. Damn.
What the hell had he said wrong?

“Next time, trying telling her you
love
her,” said the woman who’d been standing behind Trisha in
line.

Apparently they hadn’t spoken as quietly as he’d believed.
“I
thought
that was exactly what I
was saying.”

“We women like to hear the actual words.”

He shook his head as he found the men’s room. Why else did
she think he’d admitted he’d changed his mind about having a real relationship
or asked her to be part of his and Haley’s life?

As he left the restroom a few minutes later, the lights in
the lobby flashed, indicating the end of the intermission. He hurried back to
his seat and found Haley leafing through a souvenir book she must have
purchased that featured photos of the play. Trisha had already returned to her
seat.

He took a few steps down the aisle toward her row, and the
lights dimmed slightly. Two men stepped from behind the curtain, so Justin did
an immediate U-turn to his seat.

The fellow with light brown hair took the microphone and
introduced himself as Royce Harmon and the darker man as his co-producer Matt
Thomas, also known as Tom Foster.

“As most of you know, we’re Matt and Abby Foster’s sons and
are fortunate to have such great parents,” Royce continued. “This show is not
only our way of saying thanks to them, but also to all the veterans who
sacrifice so much for our country. Normally, we would start the second half of
the show right away. However, since so many Vietnam vets and Redemption
residents honored our dad by accepting our parents’ invitation tonight, we’d
like to introduce several of his friends who are featured in this play.”

They called two ex POWs out on stage, one of whom was Ben
Danvers, and the other Cal Washington’s Uncle Leonard. He then introduced Peter
Larson and John Gilbert, Redemption’s mayor and police chief, as well as Justin’s
dentist, Dr. Robert Webber. When Matt Foster joined them, the deafening
applause attested to how much everyone in the audience cared for him.

Matt said a few words of thanks and announced that following
the show Royce and Tom were hosting a reunion dinner at
Le Bernardin
for all of the Vietnam POWs and their families.

Haley leaned toward him and whispered, “They included a
booklet about all the POWs who’re here today with this souvenir album I bought.
There’s like fifty of ‘em. It’s cool reading about what they all did after they
came home.”

The men all left the stage to another round of thunderous
clapping. A minute later, the play resumed.

Songs and laughter filled the theater for another hour, and
when the curtain finally came down after a poignant, romantic ending, every
woman in the audience was either on the verge of tears or actually crying.

“Wow, that was awesome, wasn’t it?” Haley squeezed his arm.

“You said it. I’m glad you insisted we come.” He suspected
the show would be nominated for several Grammy and Tony awards. The little girl
who’d played Abby as a teenager had captivated the audience with her
performance.

Nick stood and stretched. “We have over three hours before
the buses pick everyone up. The plan was to give everyone time to have dinner
before heading home at eight.”

“I vote we go to
Junior’s
for their carrot cheesecake,” Sam said. “The matinees at all of the other
theaters are also letting out around now, so if we want to beat the crowd, we’d
better get moving.”

“Then I guess we’re going to
Junior’s
.” Nick chuckled.

Justin preferred wherever Trisha planned to have dinner.
“Just because Sam voted for a particular restaurant, we all automatically have
to eat there?”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Nick grinned. “In my world, Sammy gets
most of what she asks for. You’ll understand after you’re married.”

Right. So how was he supposed to make
that
happen when he could barely get the woman he loved to talk to
him?

He glanced toward the front of the theater and found Trisha
and Frankie working their way through the crowd along the stage, heading toward
one of the side aisles.

No one had to hit him over the head. She clearly wanted
nothing to do with him.

She’d told him before they’d slept together the night of the
wedding that she had no interest in anything serious and only wanted to have a
good time for the duration of their vacation. Lovesick fool that he was, he’d
refused to believe her.

He did now, though. The last thing Haley needed was to have
her guardian arrested for stalking.

~*~

Nearly a month later, Trisha flinched at a sharp knock on
her office door. “Come in.”

Haley stepped inside. “Hey, I just stopped to say hi.”

“How are you?” Trisha stood and gestured to the chair in
front of her desk. “Have a seat.”

“I’m good.” Haley’s gaze dropped to Trisha’s stomach which
had grown exponentially in the last few weeks. Three days ago, not a single
blouse in her closet would button over her stomach, so she’d been forced to
start wearing her maternity outfits.

She sank into her swivel chair. “So what’ve you been up to?”

“I tried out for the play. We start rehearsals this afternoon.”

“I assume you accepted the role of Maria.”

“Yeah.” Haley shrugged one shoulder. “Dani’s cool with it.
Ryan asked me to sing a couple of duets with his band at next month’s senior
dance.”

“Wonderful. Everyone loved your karaoke performance in the Poconos.”

An awkward silence reigned in the office for several
moments.

“Uhh, I don’t mean to be rude, but are you pregnant?” Haley
finally addressed the proverbial elephant in the room—an apt analogy since
Trisha had begun to feel like Dumbo.

“I am.”

“Wow. Congratulations. I was afraid to mention it in case
you weren’t and you just put on a few pounds. Are you hoping for a boy or a
girl?”

“I don’t care as long as he or she’s healthy.” Trisha
chuckled. “Although, I think about the baby as a little boy, so I guess maybe
that’s indicative of a subconscious preference.”

“Maybe.” The conflicted expression on Haley’s face suggested
she also wanted to know about the father but knew it would be inappropriate to
ask. “They can tell the baby’s sex from a sonogram, can’t they?”

“Yes. I’ll be having an ultrasound soon. But I can’t decide
if I want to know the baby’s gender.”

“Oh, you
have
to
find out. How else will you know what color clothes to buy? You have to take me
with you to shop for him. I
am
his
honorary godsister, after all.”

Trisha laughed. “I guess you are.”

“That’s something I’ve been meanin’ to ask you. If you’re my
honorary godmother, is it all right when we’re alone if I call you Aunt Trisha?
Uncle Justin isn’t really my uncle but I call him that.”

“I’d like that.” Strangely enough, she really did like the
idea. “And I suppose we could go shopping some day after school if it’s all
right with your uncle. How is he?”

“Grouchy. I think he misses you. I do, too.”

“You can stop by and visit any time, sweetie.”

“He told me not to bother you. If he knew I came to see you
today, I’d be in big trouble.”

Trisha released a soft snort. “Well, you can count on
me
not to tell him.”

“I was also hoping you’d come to my birthday party.” Haley
clasped her hands in a pleading gesture.

Darn. She’d forgotten all about it. She had to dig out the
necklace she’d promised Haley and take it to the jewelers to have the stone’s
setting checked. “It’s on Valentine’s Day, right?”

Haley nodded. “Unless you have a date that night.”

“No. I’m not seeing anyone.”

The child released an audible sigh of relief. “Good. Then
you can come?”

How could she refuse after the pitiful way Haley had cried
for her parents the afternoon they’d gone snowmobiling? Trisha knew from
personal experience that celebrating her sixteenth birthday without her mother
and father was bound to be awful for Haley. She couldn’t add to the sweet
girl’s pain no matter how awkward it might be to see Justin.

“Sure.” She forced a smiled. “I’d love to.”

He would no doubt hear through Redemption’s infamous gossip
network that she was pregnant, so she might as well get the confrontation over
with while she had a crowd around.

“Great. Be at my house at six-thirty a week from Friday.”

“I’ll be there.” With her belly rounder by another whole
week. Trisha leaned closer to Haley and lowered her voice to a confidential
whisper. “So, tell me—are you gonna be sweet sixteen and never been kissed?”

Haley’s cheeks turned pink. “No. Jamal kissed me a couple of
times at the resort.”

“Was he your first?”

She nodded. “He took me to the movies a few weeks ago, but
Uncle Justin insisted on driving. It was so lame.”

Listening to Haley complain about his protectiveness, made
Trisha wonder if maybe she’d overreacted to his suggestion that she fill the
role of Haley’s mom. She would love the opportunity to fill the void her
friend’s death had left in Haley’s life, and she couldn’t think of a nicer kid
to have as her daughter.

“He worries about you—maybe even more than your own parents
would’ve. You have to remember your dad trusted your uncle to take care of you.
How do you think Justin would feel if something bad happened to you on his
watch?”

Haley shrugged. “I guess pretty terrible.”

“I know he would never tell you this, but he bought an I-pad
to surprise you for Christmas. Then he had to buy a gift card at the last
minute because he didn’t want to ruin your excitement over the gift you got at
the wedding reception.”

“I thought he was just working so much he didn’t have time
to shop. Why didn’t he simply tell me?”

“Because he’s a nice guy, and he loves you. He was so
disappointed when he couldn’t give you something special for Christmas.

“I probably should cut him some slack, huh?”

“Probably,” Trisha agreed.

Maybe they both should.

“No offense,
mi
hermano
,” Nick snapped at Justin on the phone after work, “but I’ve had
enough of your griping. Just call the woman. You’ve been acting like a bear
with a thorn in his paw for over three weeks now. If you don’t get laid soon,
I’m hiring a damn call girl to sweeten your disposition.”

“I don’t need to get laid by some
puta
.”

“Well, you need
something
.”

Yeah, Trisha. But not only for sex. He could just listen to
her laugh for the rest of his life and be content. Although, to achieve utter
bliss, then, yeah, he’d need her laughing in his bed.

The front door in the foyer closed. “Look, Haley’s home,” he
told Nick. “
Hablaremos mañana
.”

“
Si
. Think about
what I said.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He pressed the
end call
on his cell phone and glanced up when Haley tossed her backpack
on the chair in the adjacent family room. “Why are you so late? I was beginning
to worry about you.”

“I started play rehearsal today. Remember, I told you at
breakfast this morning?”

Truthfully, he couldn’t recall her saying a thing. Then
again, his mind had been elsewhere a lot lately. “Oh, right. I forgot. How’s
extra cheesy mac ‘n cheese with chopped broccoli in it sound for dinner?” It
was one of the few ways the kid would eat anything green besides salad with
half a bottle of dressing on it.

“Okay.”

He pulled a bag of fresh broccoli crowns from the fridge and
laid them on the cutting board. “So how’d the rehearsal go?”

“Good. I knew most of my lines.” She dug a large pot out of
the cabinet. “Ryan was awful, though. Ms. Connor said if he doesn’t memorize
more of his script tonight, she’s gonna give the role to his understudy.”

“He shouldn’t have accepted the part if he doesn’t have time
to prepare for it.”

“I guess. I was thinking about my birthday next week.”

“What about it?”

“Before my mom died, we made lasagna together for my
birthday dinner every year. It’s my favorite.”

His, too. Lindsey’s lasagna had the perfect meat, cheese,
and pasta ratio, and her sauce had been seasoned just right. “Your mom’s was
the best I’ve ever had.”

“Well, she taught me how to fix it. So after she was killed,
I continued making it to celebrate my birthday so my dad and I wouldn’t miss
her too much.”

“Smart idea.”

“Anyway, before my party on Friday, is it all right if we
have a special dinner—just the two of us?”

“Absolutely. Where would you like me to take you?”

“No, I want to make my mom’s lasagna as a thank you for
taking care of me. Sometimes I act like I don’t appreciate you. You just have
to make sure you’re home by six, so we’re done eating in time for my party.”

“Are you sure, Pinky? You don’t have to cook for me. I love
being here for you.”

“I’m absolutely sure. But you’ll have to take me grocery
shopping this weekend so I can get all of the ingredients.”

“Okay. It sounds nice.” If the meal turned out even half as
good as Lindsey’s, he couldn’t wait.

She quietly filled a pot with water and as she set it on the
stove to boil, she released a wistful sigh. “I wish I could’ve made it for my
dad just once more.”

“I wish he was still here to eat it with us, too.”

“I never really got to say good-bye to him.” She sniffled.
“Or tell him how much I would miss him.”

Justin turned and wrapped his arms around her. “When you
pressed that button to release him from his pain, he knew how much you loved
him. He was trying to hold on a little longer for you, and when you did that,
you told him it was okay to let go.”

“Do you really think so?” She raised her gaze to his face.
Her hopeful expression suggested maybe he’d said the right thing to help her
finally forgive herself for the unwarranted guilt she clearly felt.

“I know so.”

She hugged him tightly. “I’m glad he made you my guardian. I
hope he knows that we’re okay.”

“He does.”

She drew back and wiped her eyes. When she opened the pantry
door and pulled out the box of deluxe macaroni and cheese, he returned to
chopping the broccoli florets into tiny pieces.

She silently watched him work for several moments before
saying, “I talked to Aunt Trisha at school today.”

He stopped chopping. “You did, huh? When did you start
calling her Aunt Trisha?”

“Just today. She’s not seeing anyone.”

Especially not him
.
He shrugged one shoulder and resumed cutting the broccoli. “So how is she?”

“Pregnant.”

The knife slipped and sliced his left index finger. “Shit!”

“You owe me a quarter.” Haley tore a piece of paper towel
off the rack and handed it to him.

He rinsed the blood from his wound and wrapped it.
Fortunately, the knife hadn’t cut very deep. “How do you know?”

“What do you mean, how do I know?
You
made the rule about paying a quarter for every curse word.”

“No. I meant how do you know she’s pregnant?”

“Uhh, she
told
me.”

It had been six weeks since they’d slept together. Did
Trisha really think spilling her guts to his goddaughter was the best way to
inform him she was having his baby?

“Sonovabitch,” he muttered under his breath and pulled his
keys off the hook by the back door. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. You’d
better eat without me.”

“Okay—but I heard that curse and it cost you another
quarter!” she yelled after him as he stomped out the garage door and slammed it
on the way to his truck. She should be happy he hadn’t dropped the F-bomb that
had been on the tip of his tongue.

He’d been driving by Trisha’s small Cape Cod every day for
over a month, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, so the vehicle practically
steered itself to her house. It was a good thing because, during the three and
a half mile drive, all he could concentrate on was becoming a father. By the
time he parked at the curb in front of her home, he’d cooled off a bit and actually
began to relish the prospect of being a dad. It would be a big adjustment for
him—and Haley—but he couldn’t wait.

Maybe now Trisha would see they belonged together.

He jumped out of the pick-up, scaled the four steps to the
covered porch, and held down the doorbell’s button, making it chime repeatedly.

“All right already! I’m coming!” Trisha shouted from inside.
Two seconds later she flung open the door.

“How long were you planning to wait to tell
me
?” He dropped his gaze to her
extra-long blouse and the paunch beneath it.

Damn. Samantha had never needed maternity clothes until she
hit almost four months.

“It seems I was mistaken.” He stepped away. “Evidently you
were making trips to the Colonial Tavern long before we reconnected.”

“It’s not what you think—”

“Save your explanation for someone who actually gives a
crap.” He descended the steps two at a time and climbed right back into his
truck. After starting the engine, he shoved the gearshift into first, and the
wheels squealed as he peeled out, laying more rubber than his aging tires could
afford.

He should’ve known. After all they’d used protection every
time.

He swiped at his eyes and sniffed.

Fuck! Now she had him blubbering like a little girl. He
could count on one hand the number of occasions he’d cried since his
papi
passed away when he was ten. The
first time was when Nick and Sam’s premature baby died a few years ago, then he’d
lost it at Lindsey’s funeral and again when Marc received the diagnosis of
terminal lung cancer.

The last time had been the day he’d held his best friend’s
hand as Marc took his final shuddering breath.

He smacked his palm against the steering wheel. What the
hell was he bawling about? So she wasn’t having
his
baby. It wasn’t as if anyone had died today. Just his dreams.

~*~

On Saturday morning, Justin flopped into the chair next to
Haley in David Lambert’s waiting room.

“So what did she say when you went to see her?” Haley asked
for the third time.

The previous night, he’d driven around in circles for two
hours before he finally stopped at the liquor store. When he arrived home, he
locked himself in his office with a bottle of cheap Scotch and spent the rest
of the night getting smashed. Sure, he’d already had a bottle of
twenty-one-year-old Glenfiddich in his liquor cabinet, but no way would he
waste the good stuff on getting hammered—and most especially not over a woman.

Haley had, no doubt, been scared, but he’d been too pissed
off to talk about it—and still was.

“Well?” She leaned forward, staring him down.

“I told you on the way here, I don’t want to talk about it.
Now, do you or don’t you want Dr. Lambert to sign your drivers permit
application?”

“Yes.” She sank back in her seat. “Will you take me to get
my permit on my birthday?”

Great, another missed morning from work. “Don’t you have
school on your birthday?”

“All the other kids’ parents let them take off to get
theirs.”

“If all the other kids jumped off a cliff—”

“How did I know you’d say that? You sound just like my dad.”

“I do, don’t I?” He smiled and put his arm around her.

Marc probably would’ve said those exact words. It was the
first time she’d made any kind of disparaging comment about her father or, for
that matter, talked about him without getting weepy. Maybe the talk they’d had
the previous night had been a turning point for her.

“Of course I’ll take you, Pinky.” He squeezed her shoulder.
“You know I love ya, right?”

“I love you, too. That’s why I want you to make up—”

“Enough! It’s not
my
baby, okay? Now we’re done talking about it.”

“Did she tell you that?” Haley persisted.

“She wouldn’t already be wearing maternity clothes if I was
the father.”

“Maybe she’s having twins. When Dani’s next-door neighbor
had twins, she got huge fast.”

He hadn’t thought about that possibility. Maybe he should’ve
let her explain.

The nurse opened the door to the treatment area and called
Haley’s name.

He stood up, unsure what to do. This was the first time he’d
needed to take her to see her pediatrician. “Do you wanna go alone, or do you
want me to come with you?”

“You can come. It’s not like I have to get naked.”

The nurse led them back to an examining room where she
weighed Haley and then took her temperature and blood pressure.

Only a minute after she left, a knock sounded on the door
and Dave Lambert stepped in. “Hi, Haley, Justin. What brings you in today?”

“Haley’s turning sixteen on Friday.” Justin handed him the
Division of Motor Vehicles’ form.

“Ahh, the coveted learner’s permit.” David pulled a penlight
from his pocket and shined it in her eyes and then looked in her ears. “My wife
and I really enjoyed your karaoke performance at the resort. You and Ryan both
have a great set of pipes.”

“Thanks.” She blushed.

After palpating her throat and checking her reflexes, the
doctor listened to her heart for several moments and then hung his stethoscope
back around his neck. He opened the door and waved to someone. “You look
healthy enough to drive. Nurse Janet will take you down the hall for vision and
hearing screenings, okay? After you pass those, I’ll sign off on your
application.”

“Okay.” Haley followed the buxom woman out of the room.

When Justin started to leave with them, Dave stopped him.
“You can wait here. Part of the reason I’d like Haley to go alone is so we can
talk. How’s she doing since she lost her dad? Is she sleeping and eating all
right?”

“I think so. Before Christmas, she became so depressed I
worried she might hurt herself. I took her to talk to Jake Manion. He’s been
seeing her every other week.”

“Good. He’s great with kids.”

“I had to force her to go to Luke and Sabrina’s wedding.”

“She seemed to have a good time.”

“She did. Now that the holidays are behind us, she’s been
laughing a lot more.”

“Celebrating her birthday without Marc will be another big
emotional hurdle.”

“I know. I’m hoping the excitement of getting her permit
will keep her from missing him and her mom too much. My sister-in-law agreed to
throw a sweet sixteen party for her that night and invited all of her friends.”

“That should help.”

“Marc recorded a video for her birthday. She’s doing so much
better, I’m almost afraid to show it to her. I’m worried it’ll set her back.”

“I’d let her watch it. But wait until the day after. That
way it won’t spoil her celebration, and since her birthday will already be
over, any emotional fallout from the video will be short-lived.”

“Good idea.”

David stuck his hand out. “You’re doin’ a great job with
her.”

Justin shook his hand and held on for a second. “Do you mind
if I ask a medical question that has nothing to do with Haley?”

“Not at all.” David leaned back against the counter. “What
do you wanna know?”

“If a woman is carrying twins, is it possible for her to
show at less than two months?”

The doctor pursed his lips and shook his head. “Not likely.
Her waist might thicken a little early, but as for anyone noticing she’s
pregnant, I’d have to say no.”

“That’s what I thought.”

He narrowed his gaze at Justin. “Are you wondering if you’ve
impregnated someone?”

“I was, but like you said.... ” Justin shrugged.

“Am I wrong in guessing it might be Trisha? The two of you
were really hitting it off in the Poconos—only
six weeks
ago.”

“Yeah.” He snorted. “Hitting it off is a great description
for what we were doing.”