Amelia chuckled. “You were warned by my dad about how much they’d eat.”
“I didn’t think it’d be this bad. They’re eating more than twenty pounds a week,” Bailey explained.
Amelia backed the car out of the driveway and drove to the store.
When they arrived at the store, Courtney Drake was at the front counter as she rang up a customer’s groceries. Amelia had seen Tony when they walked in the door. He was in the back at the meat counter. He was busy as he stocked the counter with meat.
“Hey, Amelia, how’re things going?” Courtney asked as they walked by.
“Could be better,” Amelia confirmed.
“I hear ya,” Courtney said as she grabbed another item and rang it up. “Best of luck to you and Zach.”
“Thanks.”
Amelia and Bailey made their way through the store. They placed needed items in the cart.
“Hey, Amelia,” Tony greeted when they neared the meat counter. “How’s it going?”
“Could be better,” Amelia stated. “How’re things here?”
“Going good,” he stated. “Lots of business.”
Amelia smiled. “That’s good.”
She noticed Tony had trimmed off a few pounds. “Losing some weight, huh?”
“Yeah, I met a girl who likes to cook,” he explained. “But not the good food that we all like.”
Amelia chuckled and shook her head. “The healthy food, huh?”
“I think it’s a bit too healthy, if you ask me,” Tony stated as he shook his head. “But, I guess, it’s better for me anyway.”
Amelia turned up another aisle and hollered over her shoulder, “Alright, take it easy on her. Don’t scare her away.”
“Oh, I won’t,” he hollered back to her.
Amelia and Bailey chuckled as they finished their shopping. On their way to the counter, the bell above the door rang and Crazy Courtney walked in. She had the baby in a car seat as it swung by her side.
Amelia and Bailey avoided her as she walked down the first aisle. It surprised Amelia that Courtney had not seen them. She placed her groceries on the belt of the counter and looked at Courtney Drake. Courtney stood behind the counter with her eyes wide. “Was that…?”
Amelia nodded and placed a finger to her lips in an attempt to keep her from saying more. Courtney nodded and rang up the groceries.
“I can’t believe she’s still in Fairshore,” Courtney said.
“It surprised us, too,” Bailey said.
“We’re hoping she leaves, but now it’s highly doubtable,” Amelia said.
Courtney bagged their groceries and gave them a total. They paid and walked out the door just as Crazy Courtney approached the counter to buy formula.
* * *
“Zach, you have an envelope on the table from the state,” Amelia said as she pointed to the stack of mail.
Zach walked to the table and looked through the pile. He pulled the envelope addressed to him and opened it. He read the paper and looked at Amelia.
She refused to wait for him to explain what it said. She asked, “What’s it for?”
Zach smiled as he looked up at her from the dining room table. He sat in the chair and rested his elbows on the table. “It’s the results of the test.”
Excitement filled Amelia, followed quickly by worry. He wouldn’t have smiled if it was bad news, would he? Amelia thought. She impatiently asked, “Results already?”
He nodded. He refrained from giving her more information. She pulled a chair away from the table and sat down across from him. She tapped her fingers on the table and watched him. She was impatient to find out what the results were. She wondered why it was taking him so long to tell her.
“Should I call Bailey over to hear the results?” she asked.
With no answer from him, she picked up the phone and dialed Bailey’s number. When Bailey answered the phone, Amelia told her to get over to her house ASAP. Bailey showed up at their front door within minutes, eager to know what was going on.
Amelia explained Zach had opened the letter and had yet to tell her the results.
“It’s the results already?” Bailey asked, as surprised as Amelia was they had results back so quickly.
Amelia nodded. They walked into the dining room and watched as Zach reread the letter in his hands.
“Well? Are you going to tell us?” Amelia pleaded. “What’re you waiting for?”
Zach looked up at her and stood up. He raised the paper above his head and shouted, “The baby is not mine! They’re ninety-nine point nine percent sure he isn’t mine!”
He lifted Amelia off the ground and spun her around. He repeatedly kissed her. “I told you so! I told you!”
Amelia watched as he sprung around the house and he danced around her. This was the happiest moment of their life. Now it was time to focus on them again.
Chapter Twenty
“The results came back quick,” her mother said into the phone. “I can’t believe it took less than a week.”
Amelia held the phone to her ear as she watched Zach from the corner of her eye. He sat at the dining room table with a smile pressed across his face. He had smiled nonstop since he read the results.
She had been surprised the results were back already, too. She had called the state office and asked if the results were official and explained why she had doubts. She had thought it would have taken over a week for them to find out. The time it took made no difference anyhow. She was relieved by the results.
“I was surprised, too,” Amelia admitted to her mother. She had called her mother this morning to tell her. “I just thought you would’ve liked to know.”
“That’s great news, Amelia Jean,” her mother stated. “I’m extremely happy you two won’t have to worry about that nutty woman anymore.”
“Let’s hope,” Amelia said.
“Cut the nonsense, Amelia. You know dang well she’ll leave you two alone now,” her mother insisted. “At least I hope she does.”
Amelia shrugged. She could only talk so much about Crazy Courtney before she got irked. She changed the subject. “How’s Dad doing? Is he still working nights?”
Her mother hesitated. She was shocked Amelia changed the subject, but went along with it. “He’s doing fine, Amelia. He still works nights. I think he’ll be working nights clear up to his dying day.”
Amelia cringed. The thought of losing either of her parents horrified her. Her father worked at the grain elevator in Linford. He had been working there since she was little. “Well, hopefully he’ll retire soon.”
Her mother chuckled into the phone. “You know how stubborn your father is,” she stated and continued on, “he’s not going to stop working anytime soon.”
Amelia grinned. Her father was a workaholic. He had no sense in him to know when enough was enough. He took pride in his work and his support for the family. “You’re right, Mom. He’s not going to stop working,” Amelia agreed. “When will you guys be coming for a visit?”
“Hopefully here soon,” her mother said. Amelia could hear her flipping through the calendar. “Maybe in a couple weeks. How does that sound?”
Amelia glanced at the calendar. It was already towards the end of January. The weather was warmer and she looked forward to spring. “So you’ll visit the first or second week in February?”
Her mother rustled papers and said, “Yes, I believe so. Is that okay with you, dear?”
Amelia smiled. She would love to have her parents stay for a few days, but knew with her father’s work, they wouldn’t be able to stay for more than half a day. “I’d love that,” she confirmed.
“Okay, I’ll write it on the calendar that way I can look forward to it,” her mother said. She took a pause and said, “There, I wrote it down. I have the fifth as the day we’ll come visit. It’s a Saturday.”
Amelia wrote the day on the notepad on the counter. “That works,” she said into the phone.
“That way we can stay Sa
turday and come home Sunday, if you don’t care?”
“That’s fine with me. I’m sure Zach won’t care either,” Amelia stated and looked at Zach. With the mention of his name, Zach turned his head and raised a brow. She smiled and dismissed his attention. He turned his attention back to the magazine he had in his hands.
“Okay, sounds good,” her mother said. “I better get off the phone and get some things done around here. I’ll be sure to let your father know the results of that test and tell him we’re coming to visit soon.”
Amelia smiled. “Love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him. I’ll see you guys soon.”
“Love you, too, Amelia Jean,” her mother said before she hung up the phone.
Amelia hung the phone in its cradle and walked toward Zach. He looked up at her as she approached him.
“Was that your mother?” he asked.
“Yes, I called her to let her know the results of the DNA test,” Amelia said as she took the spot next to him on the couch. “They’re coming to visit on February fifth. They’ll be staying overnight and going back home on Sunday. I hope that’s alright with you.”
He closed the magazine and tossed it onto the coffee table. “I don’t know. That means we have to be extremely quiet at night,” he reached out and grabbed her. “I don’t think you can be that quiet.”
Amelia felt her face turn red. She slapped at his arm and said, “Shh…you shouldn’t talk like that.”
He tossed his head back and laughed. “It’s so funny to see you blush. You’re too innocent for your own good.”
Amelia shrugged and said, “Oh, well, I’ll show you innocent.”
Zach raised his eyebrows. “Oh, really, will you now?”
Amelia chuckled and shook her head. “You’re such a pervert.”
Zach dramatically pointed at himself. “Me?” He grabbed her and tackled her to the couch. He pinned her arms above her head and let his lips land all over her body. “There’s no way I’m a pervert. I plead the fifth.”
Amelia squirmed underneath him and giggled.
“I’ll show you pervert,” Zach said as he lifted her shirt and found her nipple with his mouth. She squirmed and tried to pull away. “Not uh, you’re not going anywhere.”
“Not down here, Zach!” she shouted.
He pushed himself up and looked down at her. “Listen to you, all innocent,” he said as he kissed her. He lifted her off the couch and carried her to the spare bedroom. “This will change it up a bit.”
Amelia threw her head back and laughed. “I can’t believe you!”
“We own the whole house! The whole house is ours to do whatever, and wherever, we want,” he said as he emphasized wherever. He carefully placed her on top of the spare bed and undressed her. One item at a time dropped to the floor. He trailed kisses down her chest to her stomach. She arched her back and pleaded with him to stop. He continued to tease her. She begged him to stop.
The doorbell rang and interrupted them. Amelia sat up quickly and reached for her clothes. She had to crawl to reach her undergarments. She pushed through Zach as she grabbed her shirt.
“Zach, go get the door!” She shouted through clenched teeth.
He continued to kiss her neck and nibble her ear. “They can wait.”
She dressed and pleaded with him to answer the door. “Zach, go get the door, please?”
He stood and adjusted himself. His eyes watched her with hunger. He grinned. “We’re not finished.”
Amelia threw her shirt over her head and watched Zach walk out of the bedroom. She heard the creak as it opened. His voice boomed through the house as he greeted the person at the door, “What are you doing here?”
Amelia strained to hear the person’s voice. The voice sounded soft and fragile. She was unable to understand what the person’s response to his question had been. She looked in the bedroom mirror and ran her fingers through her hair as a makeshift comb. She shrugged as she opened the door and walked into the living room. From the corner of her eye, she had seen a car seat and a woman who stood at the door. Anger instantly filled her as she made her way to the door. Zach blocked the doorway so she could not get around him. She pushed her way through and glared at the woman who stood with a baby in her arms.
“Why are you here?” Amelia pointed a finger at Crazy Courtney. “Haven’t you realized you’re not welcome around here?”
Courtney said nothing as she cradled her baby in her arms. She swayed side to side as she watched Amelia. Amelia looked at the now five day old baby and realized he was asleep.
Amelia’s voice level dropped to a whisper-yell. She was irritated Courtney had not taken a hint with her visit to the hospital. Amelia demanded an answer as she asked through gritted teeth, “What are you doing here, Courtney?!”
Courtney looked down at the baby and back at Amelia and Zach. “I came here to let Zach see the baby.”
Amelia tossed her arms in the air and spun around. “I can’t believe this!”
Zach grabbed Amelia’s shoulders and tucked her back behind him. Amelia grunted and huffed. In a calm voice, Zach said, “Courtney, your baby isn’t mine. I had a DNA test done to prove the baby isn’t mine.”
Tears filled Courtney’s eyes as she looked up at Zach. Her bottom lip trembled as she tried to talk. She shook her head. “No, that’s not true. He’s yours.”
Zach shook his head. “He’s not mine, Courtney,” he said remorsefully. “I need you to leave me and Amelia alone now. I’m sorry, there’s nothing we can do.”
Courtney’s expression turned sour and she shook her head. “The test is wrong, Zach. He’s your baby, I swear to you.”
“I have the paper with the results, would you like to see it?” Zach asked as he attempted to turn around. “I have it in here on the table. I just read it again this morning.”
As Zach turned around, Courtney shook her finger at Amelia. “You bitch! This is because of you! He was mine! You took him from me!” she hollered as she pointed a finger in Amelia’s face.
Amelia stood frozen in one spot, unsure of what to say or do. She never thought the crazy woman would come to their house.
Zach hurried back to the door with the paper in his hand and blocked Amelia from Courtney. “Courtney, you need to leave or I’m calling the cops.”
“You need to take your son, Zach,” Courtney insisted. “He’s yours and you know it.”
“According to the DNA test results, I’m not the father,” Zach stated once again. He held up the paper so Courtney could see the results for herself. She attempted to grab the paper. Her face twisted in anger and frustration when she missed. Zach pulled the paper out of her reach and said, “Last chance. You need to leave now, or I’ll call the cops.”
Amelia jogged to the kitchen and dialed the non-emergent number for the police department. Her instincts told her this scene wasn’t going to end well. Courtney let out a heart-wrenched cry. She peeked around the corner and could see Courtney on her knees as she cradled her baby and cried.
The dispatcher answered on the second ring, “Fairshore Police Department.”
“Hi, I need an officer at my house. I have a distraught female at my front door,” Amelia calmly stated. She told the dispatcher her address and hung up the phone.
She walked to the front door where Zach stood as he watched in disbelief. Courtney sat on her knees as she sobbed uncontrollable sobs and pleaded for Zach to take the baby. Zach turned to Amelia and shrugged his shoulders.
Amelia whispered, “I have police on the way. They should be here any minute.”
“Why would you do this to me?” Courtney asked Zach as slobber escaped her mouth. Snot ran down her face and it mixed with her tears. “Why?”
Amelia watched as Courtney’s body shook from the sobs. She could not believe Courtney had collapsed into an emotional mess on her front porch. She wondered what the neighbors would think. She shrugged at the thought of what people would say.
A police car pulled up to the curb in fro
nt of their house. Two officers got out of the vehicle and made their way to the front steps. “Evening, folks,” one of the officers greeted. “What seems to be the problem?”
Courtney screamed at Zach, “You called the police?!”
Amelia pointed at Courtney to inform the police officers what the problem was. One of the officers nodded his head and took a step forward. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to calm down,” he said as he approached Courtney. “What seems to be the problem, ma’am?”
Courtney placed the baby into the car seat and buckled him in. She shook her head and said, “Nothing, I was just leaving.”
The other officer walked toward Amelia and motioned for her to step inside. Amelia turned and walked into the living room.
“Are you the one who called us here?”
Amelia nodded. “Yes, I did.”
“Can you explain what’s going on here?”
Amelia explained the whole situation to the officer. She started with the events from the summer until now. She explained how Courtney had been insistent the baby was Zach’s. She told the officer what had happened when Courtney came to the door and the events which had led her to make the call to them.
“So she didn’t assault either of you?” the officer asked. “Or make threats to either of you?”
Amelia shook her head. “No, not today.”
“What would you like for us to do today?” The officer asked as they walked toward the front door.
Zach answered the officer’s question, “I’d like for you to make her leave.”
The officer nodded and walked through the doorway onto the porch. He whispered something to his partner. They turned and one of them asked Courtney, “Are you going to leave these folks alone, ma’am?”
Courtney lifted the car seat and anchored it on her hip. She nodded and avoided eye contact. “Yes, like I said, I was just leaving.”
The officers moved to the side of the porch and made a clear path for her to walk by them. “Alright then, don’t let us hear of you coming back to this house. You leave them alone, you hear?”
Amelia watched Courtney as she smirked. Courtney looked at Amelia and smiled an evil smile. Amelia shuddered and Zach pulled her close to him.
Unexpected Chances (Fairshore Series Book 2) Page 9
