Lanie’s eyes went wide. “We weren’t talking about you. I was telling her about the nursery Jacob made for you. And Ryhan was talking about how happy Jacob is with you.” She shrugged. “Well, I guess we kind of were, but not like you think.”
Nat felt all the blood drain down her body to swell into her feet—feet that she had promised to stay off of. “You better sit down.” Ryhan took her by the arm to an empty table. “Sit.” She pulled the chair closest to Nat and sat in it in front of her. “We are your friends, and we know about Jacob’s mom. We know what she did and how she feels, and we don’t care. We care about you. Just like he does.” She threw a thumb over her shoulder at the empty wall. “Wherever he is.” Ryhan shook her head. “You know, I really like you. I like that you’re down to earth, normal in a place where normal is the oddity. But you are two steps from losing a guy who would walk through fire for you. You keep making him prove it, and you’re going to lose him. Doubt is fine. Sharing it is good, too, but you keep throwing it in his face, keep doing things like this, and it’s killing him. He’s walking around on pins and needles. And if it’s the hormones from being pregnant, I’m sorry for saying this, but you’re being a bitch to him. How long do you honestly expect him to stick around and put up with that?”
“He doesn’t care what you were before, Nat.” Lanie shook her head. “Jacob’s mom already made sure everybody knew about you. All these people already knew. And they came here today for you anyway. They came because no matter what you were or what you are, you’re one of us. Our friend. But you need to start acting like it.”
And they weren’t through ganging up on her yet. “Maybe twenty years ago, before Marco’s All Male Dance Review opened up on the outskirts, or before Lulu Chastain had Stanley Garta’s love child,”—Ryhan’s head bobbed from shoulder to shoulder with each new drama she revealed—“or before Jesse tried to swindle the town out of its oil rights, or before John lied about being a gardener and was stalking Lanie for her ex-husband…maybe then your dirty secret might have shaken things up, but not now. You’re going to have to dig a little deeper if you want to want to get a big reaction out of Rangers End.”
Nat hung her head, buried her face in her hands. “Oh God. How am I ever going to face these people? I am so embarrassed.” She was sure she would overheat from the shame of it. Why hadn’t she just shut up and let it go? Been the bigger person instead of some party-ruining lunatic?
Ryhan rolled her eyes and waved off the thought. “Oh, please. This isn’t even the most embarrassing thing I’ve done today.” She patted Nat’s shoulder then took her hand and pulled her to her feet. “Now, come on. You have presents to open.” She smiled, then frowned. “Of course, there’s no cake now.”
Lanie chuckled and put her arm around Nat’s waist. “Did you see her face? When that cake went crashing over her head? That was a Kodak moment, right there.”
Nat turned toward the door. “How can I face these people?”
Ryhan took each of Nat’s shoulders in her hands and moved her toward the front. “Mumble an apology and get on with the day. They’ve seen worse, I promise you.”
Lanie leaned in close. “Now, about those tips and tricks?”
* * *
JACOB: It took a while to convince Nat that she was the only one who cared about her past. To be honest, I still don’t know that she believes it, but I do. I don’t care. No one in that room cared except Constance. Hell, half the town wants a Natasha Henry day instituted. And I would be willing to bet, no one misses another baby shower. Not in Rangers End.
Jacob carried the last of the gifts in the house then sat beside Nat on the sofa. She turned her body to face his, her leg bent between them. “I’m sorry, Jacob.” She toyed with the ring on her finger—his ring, the one he’d bought her to replace the one the network provided. “I haven’t been fair to you. I keep waiting for the minute you figure out you can do better than me.” She shook her head. “Sometimes, I even hope for it because it would be so much easier than letting you down. Which I seem to keep doing anyway.”
He wanted to hold her, but she wasn’t ready for that yet. She kept her body rigid, her eyes down. “I’m not going anywhere. Not today or tomorrow or ever. I don’t care how many cakes you throw at my mom. If you need a bakery on standby during her trips to Rangers End, well it’s an expense I think we can find a way to justify. I could probably even figure out how to make it tax deductible.”
She looked up and almost smiled. “Don’t make fun of me. That was the single-most humiliating moment of my life. I cannot even believe…” She blew out a long breath. “I should call her to apologize, but…you know how you do something stupid, and you really just want to forget it? Take the easy way out and never mention it?” He nodded. “This is one of those things for me. I am never going to be able to look her in the eye again.”
“It’s not like she didn’t do something horrible to you first.”
“So tit for tat? I don’t want to be that girl anymore. I thought I was better than that now.”
Jacob shrugged. He had no idea how to console her, or how to provide the pardon she seemed to desire for the shame eating at her. “Everybody slips. You just did it kind of publicly.” He bit his lip picturing his mother with caramel hanging from her nose and frosting dripping from her hair. “She’ll be fine.” Now it was his turn. “It’s us I’m worried about.” So worried that most of the time—like right then—he couldn’t shake it. “I can’t keep doing this, Nat.”
She blew out a long breath. “Which part?”
“I can’t be the only one trying to keep us together, trying to hold on to what we have, what we could have if you settle in and relax a little.”
Her eyes closed, blocking him from even a hint of how she was going to take this conversation. Lately, it could go either way—angry and loud, or soft and accepting. “You think I’m not trying?” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and he would gladly have smacked himself for bringing it up, but he had.
She’d learned to cook for him. And wash his clothes—only turned a few shirts pink. He couldn’t say she wasn’t trying, but it was more about the way she took things—behaved, although he didn’t know how to bring that up without causing a fight. “I think you need to come in off the ledge. I think you’ve spent so much time waiting for me to think you’re not good enough that you’ve actually convinced yourself you’re not.”
Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “Jacob…”
“I don’t mean it in a bad way. Or to hurt you because there is no…”
“I don’t care how you mean it, Jacob.” Her breath came in short gasps and she clutched him by the collar of his shirt. “I think we’re going to have to buy a new couch again.”
“What?”
“I think my water just broke.”
No. She still had weeks to go. No. Not yet.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure. I’m not a big pants wetter, but, you know, maybe? I’m scared to go look.” He helped her stand and she looked down. “It just keeps…”
“Okay. It’s all right.” He walked her down the hall towards the bathroom using the same voice he’d called on to convince Clara Miller she didn’t have Mad Cow disease. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and we’ll go to the hospital.”
“It’s too soon, Jacob.”
“I know, but we have a great doctor and a whole team waiting for this baby just in case this happened. Remember when she said it could happen?” Nat nodded. He pushed his own fear down. There was time for it later. Right now, he needed to be strong for Nat. “Okay, they’re prepared and we’re ready. Let’s just breathe, okay?”
She wrapped her arm around her stomach, cradling it as if trying to protect the baby from the outside. “Every time I breathe, I trickle.”
“It’s okay, Nat. You have to breathe.” They took two more steps before she stopped and braced her hands against his biceps.
“You have leather seats.” She moaned the sen
tence as though he cared about the car more than getting her to the hospital.
He smiled. Or tried to. “That’s okay. We’ll take your car.”
“Right. My car.” She started walking again then stopped. “This is bad, right? He shouldn’t be coming now. I shouldn’t have picked up that cake. It was too heavy.”
“Nat, the doctor said this could happen. Picking up that cake had nothing to do with it.”
“You think?”
“I do. Now, I’m going to get you some dry clothes then we need to leave.” She nodded and he left her leaning against the counter while he raced off to the bedroom. Okay. She needed new pants and some underwear. He went to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Thong, thong, really lacy thong. “Babe, where’s your underwear?”
“One of the drawers. I don’t know.” She broke the sentences with a sob, and he knew she was on the verge of a breakdown.
“Okay. I’ll find it.”
“I should have packed a bag.” He didn’t comment to ask why she hadn’t. He just kept rooting through her panties trying not to drool. This wasn’t the time. He needed to focus. Be the man on the mission to help his wife through this. But, wow. She had a lot of lace in that drawer.
Finally, buried at the bottom, he found a pair that didn’t remind him of hot nights with his wife. Next, he went to the closet and stood back gaping. Dear Lord did she really need this many clothes? He flung dresses and shirts out of the way in a desperate hunt for pants. Jeans, jeans and more jeans. Shit. He needed a pair of sweats or those yoga deals she liked so well. He pawed through the shelves. More jeans. Dear Lord. If she lived to be a hundred and wore nothing but jeans, she’d never have to wear the same pair twice.
“Nat? I can’t find pants.”
“Just get me a pair of your pajama bottoms.”
Yes. Why hadn’t he thought of that? He snatched a pair out of his clothes stockpile and walked as calmly as he could back to her. “Here you go.” She snatched the shower curtain across her body to hide whatever it was she didn’t want him to see. “Do you need me to help you?”
“I can manage.” But each word seemed to strain her.
“Nat, I’m a doctor. I’ve seen it all before.”
She glared at him. “I have a hand towel folded between my legs, and while I can’t see what’s going on down there, I think I don’t want you to either. Okay?”
He nodded. “I’ll wait in the hall.” He pulled the door shut and leaned his head back, trying to not to stare at his watch.
“This is so gross.” The panic had receded and she actually sounded happy. “I’m telling you, I read all of those books from cover to cover, and not one mentioned the very unpleasant odor of amniotic fluid.” She popped open the door.
Yeah. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses during labor and delivery. He’d served his time in an OB rotation. He was always quite happy to refer his pregnant patients elsewhere. “Well, what did they mention?”
She shook her head. “I know you’re humoring me so I won’t think about what’s going on in my britches, and I would love to think about anything else, but if we don’t get going, I’m gonna need a new towel.” She clung to his arm, let him help her into the car then sat back and sang to the radio while he drove. Straight past the hospital.
“You forgot to turn.” Her lips twitched.
“Yep.” He whipped the car around.
“Nervous?”
“Little bit.”
He parked in the emergency circle and climbed out. Rules didn’t apply to husbands bringing their wives in to have babies. That’s what he told himself as he helped her out.
“Before we go in, they can fix this, right? Give him more time?” Her wavering voice almost undid his courage.
God he hoped they made it in time. “They’ll do everything they can.”
* * *
Lucah Michael Henry was born sixteen hours later, weighing in at an even four pounds with a length of seventeen and one-half inches. He had all ten fingers, ten toes and two beautiful blue eyes. As soon as Jacob heard that first strong cry, he knew he’d never been more in love with anyone in his life. Well, maybe Nat, but it was too close to call.
He smoothed the hair from Nat’s forehead. “You did so great.”
She smiled up at him, brought her hand to his cheek. “I am not going to say that was the most fun I ever had.” The nurse brought their swaddled son over and laid him on Nat’s chest. She kissed the top of his head. “I will say it’s worth it, though.”
Jacob, who’d done little more than hold her hand, couldn’t have agreed more.
18
God, what a day that had been. She’d pushed, cried, pushed some more and all he’d been able to do was hold her hand, tell her how much he loved her and how brave she was. She’d cursed him and God and everyone in between, but when Lucah finally came, she’d smiled, brought all the life back into the room. It had been one of the top ten days of his life.
And now, they were almost at the end.
* * *
LUCIA: I wouldn’t do one thing different. What these kids found together isn’t something that comes along every day. And right now, he’s angry, but I think once he sits back and looks at all the circumstances, he will figure out that I was only interested in helping them. I hope so anyway.
* * *
8 Days Earlier
* * *
The last eight weeks had been hard. The baby never slept, or if he did, he did it with his eyes open and his lungs wailing. He’d spent eleven days in the hospital—long enough to gain a pound and three ounces, before the hospital sent him home. And he hadn’t slept well since. Nat, exhausted before she ever got out of bed, never got fussy, never raised her voice, just held the baby, walked with the baby, talked and sang to him as if she hadn’t been up for almost days straight. She had this parenting thing well under control where he felt like lying on the floor and having a tantrum or two of his own. His own kid didn’t like when his father held him.
Jacob couldn’t really blame the baby for only being happy when Nat held him. Those were the best minutes of his day, too. Although, they’d been few and far between since they brought Lucah home. At night, when she finally managed to lull Lucah into a short nap, she sat next to the crib with his tiny fist wrapped around her finger. She was power napping her way through life in twenty minute increments.
It didn’t really help that every day one of the women from town showed up. Or maybe it did help and he just didn’t understand how. And the gifts…piles and piles of toys and clothes, décor and crocheted bibs, so many gifts he could hardly find the furniture beneath to sit on after work. But Nat was happy. And that was enough.
Even on a Sunday morning when Lucia arrived before the acceptable hour of any time after noon. When he strolled out of the bedroom in a desperate search for anything caffeinated, she had the baby in her arms cooing and rocking. He dropped a peck on her cheek and plopped down beside her.
“He’s a love, isn’t he?”
Jacob nodded. Maybe he was biased, but the kid was certainly the best kid ever born, crying jags and all.
“Is he sleeping better?”
Jacob yawned his answer. Nat came out of the bedroom, hair freshly washed and her new curves…curving under a tight white T-shirt and jeans that made his mouth water. “Oh God, thank you Lucia. I feel like a new woman.”
“Oh, anytime you want me to hold this little man, you just call me. I will even give up my Tuesday morning Knitter’s Guild.” She winked. Knitter’s Guild was Lucia’s secret code for trips to Marco’s.
Nat sat gingerly in the chair across from the sofa. “That is a lovely necklace, Lucia. I like the way the letters twine together.” Jacob twisted to look at the pendant. It was a swirled letter mixture of Lucia’s initials. He’d seen it somewhere before, but never had he seen Lucia’s skin go so pale. “Um, I forgot I even had it on.” Her fingers touched the pendant and she forced a smile he knew her well enough to know she didn’t feel.
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At the same time he realized why the design looked so familiar, Nat’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. She turned her gaze back and forth between the logo on Matt’s camera to Lucia’s necklace.
“Oh, Grandma. What did you do?”
“I did what I thought was best for both of you.”
He couldn’t wrap his thoughts around it. LGI productions. Lucia Gilden Productions. Okay. That didn’t mean she’d done anything wrong. Right? Lucia stood and put the baby in his bassinette. Thankfully, he stayed asleep.
Nat’s shoulders went straight and her eyes blazed with fire. “You’re the devil we made our deal with?”
Lucia nodded. “Yes, but you would have never gotten together otherwise. I was trying to help you.” She sat by Jacob, didn’t flinch when he refused to take her hand. “I know I deceived you.”
“Lied. You lied, Grandma.” Jacob had trusted her his entire life. He’d believed she would never be so bold as his mother to try to interfere with how he lived. “I am grateful that you brought me and Nat together, but you lied to me. Over and over.”
She clasped her hands in her lap, lifted her chin. “Sweetheart, I wanted you to be happy.”
“And the whole time you were setting this up, you sent me on one bad blind date after another. You made me think there was something wrong with me.” He shook his head. This was too much.
“They had to be bad, Jacob, or you never would have agreed.”
“You made the dates bad?” This was so much worse than he thought.
“Not at first. But then one of producers came to me, said you were perfect for what they had in mind. They told me about the show, how they’d already pitched it to that cable network. All they needed from me was to get you to agree and to put up the payment at the end.”
“And how did I end up in this mess?” Nat’s voice missed the anger surging through him. How could she sit so quietly and be so calm when someone—his own grandmother—had manipulated them into an arrangement that almost broke them?
The Wedding Plan Page 16
