The Friends We Keep (Mischief Bay) (15 page)

Morgan had gotten pregnant within a few weeks. Brent had done the right thing. He’d bought a ring and gotten down on one knee. Morgan had pretended to be shocked, then she’d accepted. They were married two months later and his dream of getting an MBA was never discussed again.

“Brent’s a sweetie and he loves you,” Hayley pointed out. “Be grateful for what you have.”

“Why? You got the good husband. I should have made a play for Rob instead.”

Hayley felt her mouth drop open at her sister’s ugly statement. Did Morgan really think that Rob would have preferred her to Hayley, if only he’d had the chance?

Hayley reminded herself that Rob had never much liked her sister. That Morgan was just being Morgan. That when Rob came back, she would tell him about the conversation and he would laugh. He would hold her and tell her he loved her and—

Her eyes began to burn. Too late she realized she’d crossed that mental line that allowed her to stay in control. Longing and hurt and fear swelled inside her. She was so tired and she hurt everywhere, as if she’d fallen down stairs over and over again.

“What’s wrong with you?” her sister demanded. “Your face is weird.”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine. Are you sick? You’re not going to start bleeding, are you?”

“No. It’s not that.” Hayley swallowed. “Rob left me. He moved out a few days ago.”

She knew that in the name of self-preservation, telling Morgan was an absolute mistake. At the same time, she wondered if she was doing this to herself deliberately. Making the wound deeper. Because she knew she’d been wrong and deserved it?

Her sister sat up. “No way. He didn’t. That man is crazy about you.” Her eyes narrowed. “What did you do?”

Hayley told her. About the clinic in Switzerland, what the doctor had said, the real estate agent, everything. Morgan listened openmouthed.

“You are a complete moron. You know that, right? Dear God, let it go, Hayley. You can’t have a baby. Boo-hoo. Get over it. Adopt.”

The words stung. “You don’t understand.”

Morgan rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You’re so sad. Poor little adopted girl. Your life was hell. I was loved and you were hated.”

“I wasn’t hated. It was different for me.” Their parents had loved her, they just hadn’t loved her as much. Time and again they’d allowed Morgan to have whatever she wanted—usually at Hayley’s expense. Morgan was their biological child and Hayley wasn’t. That was reality.

Morgan waved her hand. “Quit being such a damned drama queen. You had it easy. You were chosen. They picked you. I’m the one they got stuck with. You think I don’t know that?

“Grow up. Move on. The rest of us have. You’re going to lose the best thing that ever happened to you if you don’t. Talk about stupid.”

Hayley stood and reached for her handbag. “I have to go.”

“I’m right,” Morgan yelled after her. “I’m right and you know it.”

Chapter Fourteen

Gabby had been seeing the same gynecologist since she’d graduated college. Dr. Mansfield was part of a larger practice in the Mischief Bay area. But with a thriving practice came difficulty getting appointments, so it was nearly two weeks before she could get Makayla in to see the doctor.

Andrew had planned to talk to Candace first, to give her the option of taking her daughter to the doctor. But Candace had blown off her last two visits with Makayla and time had become more pressing. Which was why Gabby was now standing at the receptionist’s desk.

“Gabby Schaefer. My stepdaughter and I have an appointment. Makayla is a new patient.”

The fortysomething woman behind the computer nodded. “Did you fill out the paperwork already?”

Gabby handed over the sheets of paper, along with their insurance card.

“Thanks. I’ll take a copy of this and get the co-pay.” The receptionist glanced at the paperwork, then at Makayla.

“She’s pregnant?”

Gabby told herself there was no judgment in the tone. Nothing critical. But she felt as if the other women waiting were all staring at her.

“Yes,” she said as calmly as she could.

“All right.” The receptionist nodded toward the door leading to the examination rooms. “She’ll need to give us a urine sample.”

“No problem.” Gabby turned to Makayla. “You’re going to have to pee in a cup. Have you done that before?”

The teen looked blank and shook her head. “Why?”

“They’ll confirm the pregnancy and test for other things in your urine,” Gabby told her. “Sugars and I’m not sure what. The doctor can explain it. Let me take care of this and I’ll walk you back. There’s a whole process.”

Gabby passed over her credit card, then signed the paperwork. It occurred to her that she wasn’t sure of her legal standing when it came to the underage teen. Would she count as a guardian, because she sure wasn’t a parent.

A problem for another time, she told herself.

She and Makayla went to the restroom. Gabby walked the girl through the steps to secure the urine sample, then went back into the hallway to wait.

As she stood there, the receptionist walked up to her with her clipboard. “I want to confirm a couple of things. The date of her last period is unknown?”

Gabby nodded. “She doesn’t keep track.”

“But she does know the dates of intercourse?”

Gabby raised her chin. “I think so. Yes.”

The other woman nodded. “And her date of birth is correct?”

“May 2, 2001.”

“That’s what I needed.”

All polite words, Gabby thought as she waited. But there was
tone
.

She almost couldn’t blame the other woman. Gabby knew she would have been thinking fairly judgmental thoughts herself, if she saw a pregnant fifteen-year-old. What she wanted to tell her was this wasn’t her fault. That she’d been the one to insist on the no-boys-upstairs rule. That when she’d tried to express her concern about the kiss, she’d been dismissed. That she was the stepmother, with all of the pain but none of the power.

But no one was listening, she reminded herself. Everyone was busy living her own life. They didn’t have time to do much more than judge and move on.

Makayla emerged from the bathroom. She had her sample cup in her hand.

“Over here.” Gabby pointed to the collection tray. Makayla put it down, then returned to her side.

They went back to the waiting room.

“What will happen at the appointment?” Makayla asked when they’d sat down.

“The doctor will ask questions about your health and listen to your heart. Then she’ll give you a pelvic exam.”

“What’s that?”

Oh, God. “Have you ever been to the gynecologist before?”

“No. Just my pediatrician.” Her big, blue eyes were so trusting. “Is it different?”

Gabby held in a groan. “It is. She’s going to have to examine you and feel where the baby is.” Why hadn’t she thought to ask before? They could have gone online together so Makayla would be more prepared.

Makayla drew back. “You mean she’s going to touch me...
there
?”

“Dr. Mansfield is really nice. You’ll like her. She was my doctor when I was pregnant with the twins.”

“No way,” Makayla said, coming to her feet. “I won’t do that.”

The other women in the waiting room glanced at them.

Gabby rose. “I know it’s uncomfortable to think about, but it’s for the sake of the baby. Don’t you want to make sure he or she is okay?”

“I guess.”

They both sat back down. Gabby wished they could be anywhere but here.

“You wear a weird hospital gown and there’s a paper blanket for your lap,” she said. “I can stay in the room, if you want, or wait outside. It’s up to you.” She glanced at the teen only to find her head bent. “Makayla?”

“You should stay,” the girl whispered. Tears dripped onto her lap.

Gabby lightly touched her back. “I’m sorry. I know this is a lot. The exams get easier, I promise. But the first time, everyone is embarrassed. It’s a strange thing to go through, but we all do it.”

“Thanks. I know it will be worth it when Boyd and I have our baby.” She sniffed and raised her head. “We’ll be a family.”

Not anything Gabby wanted to hear.

One crisis at a time, she told herself. Today she simply had to get Makayla through her first appointment. She would deal with the rest of it later.

* * *

Hayley arrived early at Latte-Da. She wanted to be able to pick a good table, one that would allow her to see Rob arrive. She didn’t want to be surprised by having him walk up from behind.

She ordered a latte at the counter, then took her seat. She pulled out a book so she could pretend to read. As if she were a normal person, doing okay. Just out on a Saturday morning, enjoying herself with a latte and book.

The truth was very different. She was tired, so desperately tired. How could she sleep when the bed was so empty? Plus she hadn’t been eating very much and without the right nutrition, it was nearly impossible for her body to heal.

She was a complete and total mess. Without Rob, she had trouble getting through her day.

Somehow, with all the stress of trying to get pregnant and her miscarriages, she’d forgotten that without her husband, nothing mattered. She’d become so focused on where she was in her cycle, with her drugs, with her ovaries, that she’d lost track of the man she loved. She didn’t know when everything had changed, but it had. She would guess it had happened slowly, over time, but the end result was the same. He was gone and she didn’t know how to get him back.

She never would have thought it would come to this. When she and Rob had first met, she’d been in her second year of college. She’d been working close to full-time and only taking a couple of classes a semester. She’d planned on being a business major—maybe marketing. She’d gone to a party with a friend and had met Rob.

It had been one of those things. She’d taken one look at him and had known he was the one. Maybe it had been how he’d smiled at her, or that he was such a sweet guy. Whatever combination of chemistry and conversation, she’d fallen hard.

She’d been careful to play it as cool as she could. When he’d asked for her number, she’d given it to him without shrieking with excitement. When he’d asked her out, she’d pretended to check her calendar to see if she was free.

They’d gone out the next night and the next. By their fifth date they were lovers, by their eighth, they’d admitted to being in love. By the end of month two, they were engaged.

Hayley had dropped out of college. She couldn’t work enough to support herself, go to college
and
be in love with Rob. There simply weren’t enough hours in the day. So college had been sacrificed so she could work full-time. Six months after the wedding, she’d been promoted to John Eiland’s personal assistant. With that responsibility had come a nice raise.

She and Rob had started saving for a house right away. They’d had a plan. Three years of marriage, then kids. She’d gotten pregnant the first month they’d tried. They’d both been thrilled and happy. Then she’d lost the baby.

“Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Hayley smiled at the teen who brought her the latte. She took a sip, then returned her attention to her book. But instead of words, she saw the empty room at their house. The one they’d been so sure would be a nursery.

They’d been so happy once, she thought wistfully. Back before they’d realized how hard it was going to be for them to have a child of their own. When they hadn’t known there were problems, that she couldn’t seem to carry a fetus to term. That her eggs weren’t easily harvested—meaning a surrogate wasn’t an option.

“Hayley.”

She’d been so caught up in her thoughts, she hadn’t noticed Rob approach. Now she looked up and saw him standing next to her small table.

“Hi. Are you getting a coffee?”

“I’m good.”

He sat down across from her.

He looked the same as he always did. The same haircut, the same glasses. Maybe he looked a little tired—she thought there were shadows under his eyes, but maybe that was just the light in the shop. He didn’t seem happy to see her, but he wasn’t mad, either. At least not that she could tell.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

She raised the book so he could see the front cover, mostly because she had no idea what she’d thrown in her bag.

She hadn’t seen him in nearly two weeks and now that he was here, she didn’t know what to say. “I miss you” was the obvious choice, but was it the right one?

“How are you?” she asked instead.

“Busy at work. How about you?”

“The same.” She picked up her latte, then put it down. “I thought we should talk.”

“I agree.”

He was still wearing his wedding ring. That was something. Because she’d been afraid he would take it off. That being married to her didn’t mean anything to him anymore.

“Where are you staying?” she asked.

“I’m renting a room. A couple of college kids and me.” He smiled briefly. “I think I cramp their style, but the check clears so they put up with it.”

“You could come back,” she whispered. “I miss you. Us. We could see a counselor or something. If that would help.”

His gaze was steady as he listened to her. When she was done, he leaned toward her. “I love you, Hayley. More than you know. I miss you, too. I want to come home. It’s where I belong.”

Some of her tension eased. “That’s wonderful. So come home.”

“Have you talked to the doctor?”

“What do you mean?”

“Have you scheduled your surgery?”

“No. Of course not. I can’t do that.” She leaned toward him. “Rob, please understand. I
have
to do this. I have to try. A baby is everything to me. You’ve always known that.”

“I have.”

“Then you know how wonderful it will be when we have a family of our own. You want that, too.”

“I want you more.” His mouth turned down at the corners and sadness filled his eyes. “You’re still planning on going to Switzerland for treatment.”

He wasn’t asking a question, but she answered anyway. “Yes. As soon as I can raise the money.” She reached for his hand. “I want you to be a part of that. I want—”

He pulled free and rose. “Goodbye, Hayley.”

With that, he turned and walked away. She was left with her cooling coffee and a book she knew she could never, ever read.

* * *

“You look beautiful, Mommy,” Kenzie said.

Gabby turned back and forth, letting the full skirt flow around her. “I am a princess,” she said dramatically. “You servant girls, do my bidding. You there.” She pointed at Boomer. “Fetch my carriage.”

The long-suffering dog, dressed in a ridiculous yellow-and-purple-striped jacket, wagged his tail. The twins collapsed onto the floor in a fit of giggles. Jasmine, sensing trouble, had fled long before the dress-up party had gotten started. Gabby would guess the feline had safely hidden under the king-size bed in the master, where she would stay until things quieted down.

It was late afternoon on Friday. Andrew was taking Makayla to her mother’s for the weekend. Candace knew he had something to discuss but didn’t know the topic. Gabby tried not to imagine how the conversation was going. Andrew would share all when he got home.

She secured the “tiara of power” more firmly on her head and pointed at Kennedy. “You will quack like a duck,” she said imperiously.

Kennedy sat up and made the appropriate noise. Kenzie joined in and Boomer bayed. Her bidding completed, Gabby took off the tiara and passed it to Kennedy.

“I yield my princessness to you.”

And so it went. Everyone got a turn being the princess and bossing the other two around. A little before five, Gabby ushered the girls out of the playroom and into their bathroom.

“Hands washed,” she said briskly. “Hair brushed and then we’re off.”

A very brave Ellie Davidson from the summer camp was having four girls over for dinner. Gabby had no idea why. Lunch, sure. An afternoon birthday party, yes. But dinner? Late in the day meant tired kids. There was more potential for disaster. But she hadn’t been consulted. When the invitation had come, the girls had been excited to get it.

Twenty minutes later they were walking the three blocks to their friend’s house. Kenzie and Kennedy each had a small gift bag in their hands.

“It’s nice to take something to the hostess,” Gabby explained. “To thank her for the invitation. Adults bring flowers or wine. Sometimes a dessert. We could have chosen hair ribbons or a book.”

“Mrs. Davidson will like the cookies,” Kennedy said. “They were delicious.”

Gabby only had their word to go on. Despite the ongoing Makayla crisis, she’d been faithful to her diet. According to her scale, she was down nearly eight pounds. A fantastic victory. She’d been attending classes at Nicole’s studio twice a week and eating way more vegetables than a biped should. She was a little less crabby than she had been at the beginning, but just as hungry. Still, she was seeing results and that was what mattered.

She was waiting to go clothes shopping until the week before she started work. Hopefully she would be in a smaller size by then.