It was partially why I had avoided Jeremiah. My period had never come, though I spotted slightly. Josie had told me that was enough, and for a little bit, I believed her. But then it became clear something wasn’t right. I took the test to ease my mind, to prove that it was all in my head. But instead, it proved that I was pregnant.
“You need to eat, sweetie,” Josie said, reaching across the table and patting my hand.
“My stomach is upset. I’m not sure I can.”
Josie raised her hand and called Felicity over. “One ginger ale, please.”
Felicity nodded and walked off to get the drink.
“Ginger was my best friend during my pregnancy,” Josie confided. “A little ginger ale should soothe the tummy, and from there, eat smaller meals - but you need to make sure you eat.”
“I know,” I sighed, looking back down at my plate. Pancakes had sounded good when I ordered them, but now they seemed like a very bad idea. So heavy with syrup. I reached for my toast instead, nibbling a bit on it.
“Good girl,” Josie said.
Felicity brought over the ginger ale and slipped into the booth beside Josie. “So what’s going on?” She rested her face in her hands. “I’ve been so out of the loop, but I can tell something’s wrong, so spill the beans, girls.”
Josie looked at me. It was my news to share, and so far, she was the only one who knew. Felicity was one of my closest friends, though, and I was going to need all the support I could get.
“I’m pregnant,” I whispered, hoping no one else could hear me.
“What? When did this happen?” Felicity squealed a little too loudly. I hushed her and she apologized before continuing, “So who’s the father?”
I cringed. “Jeremiah.”
“Wait. Jeremiah Jenkins?”
“I think I’m going to be sick,” I stated, wanting any excuse to leave this conversation. But I stayed seated and the feeling passed.
“I take that as a yes,” Felicity leaned back into the booth. “Damn. I work too much. I miss everything around here.”
I checked my phone, and there was a voicemail from Jeremiah. My finger hovered over the button to delete it, but I decided not to this time. I wouldn’t be calling him back. Especially since he had to be at the courthouse soon. It wasn’t the time to talk to him.
But if not now, when? What if he got convicted and went to prison?
Don’t think like that, Elle.
“What was that?” I pulled myself back to the conversation.
Felicity and Josie were giggling about something.
“Nothing, just saying that I’m the last one in our friend group without a family,” Felicity sighed. “That’s what I get for being a workaholic I guess.”
There was some sadness in Felicity’s eyes. A bit of jealousy too. Not that she had any reason to be jealous. The father of my child might end up behind bars; I might be a single mother to not one, but three children under the age of two.
“I better go,” I said, pushing my chair back.
“Oh, breakfast is on me,” Felicity said, waving it off. “Consider it a congratulations gift.”
“I don’t think there is such a thing.”
“There is now. Go, get your baby daddy free and start your family.”
Felicity patted my arm and offered one of her sweet smiles. She had such a good heart; I hoped she’d get her own family one day. And I prayed things worked out better for her than they were for me right now.
Ooo000ooo
I slipped into a seat near the back of the courtroom just as the proceedings were starting. I’d sat in on cases before, but always for work. This was far more personal. I wouldn’t be covering the trial. Lucy was there, sitting a few rows up from me. This was her beat, and I let her cover it. I had personally decided to stop writing about Jeremiah altogether. I should have avoided it from the beginning, but I was even closer to it all now - and everyone was right. I could be biased.
Plus, I didn’t want to divulge anything that Jeremiah had shared with me in confidence. He already didn’t trust me; I didn’t want to give him any more reasons to not confide in me.
We were going to have a baby together, after all.
I took a deep breath as they read their opening statements.
Most of it was a blur. A bureaucratic dance that was similar in most court cases. But then Jeremiah took the stand.
He looked tired, older than usual with bags under his eyes and lines deep in his brow from frowning. But he was still as gorgeous as I remembered him to be growing up. His dark hair was brushed nicely. The greys at his temples seemed to have multiplied since I’d last seen him. There seemed to be more in his beard too, which was trimmed nicely, as always.
I could count on one hand the number of times he’d worn a suit. My father’s funeral was one of those times. While he looked hot as hell in his usual jeans and casual wear, I had to admit, a suit fit him nicely too. It was all black, Jeremiah’s favorite color to wear. Black jacket. Black shirt. And a black tie that had some small details on it that I couldn’t make out from this distance.
His eyes met mine from where he was sitting. He raised an eyebrow; maybe he was surprised I was there. I couldn’t tell.
I wanted to be there for him. Even after the fight, I wanted there to be an us. I just wasn’t sure how it would be possible if he didn’t trust me.
His lawyer brought up the deposits from his account.
“Can you explain why you were sending Lauren Holt large sums of money, at least once a month, for ten months out of the last year?”
“Yes,” Jeremiah said, clearing his throat. He looked away from me as he finished speaking. “Lauren is the mother of my daughters. We had a one-night stand. She got pregnant but didn’t want to be a mother. I sent her money to support her during that time.”
After the judged quieted the gasps and murmurings in the room, Sam continued. “Lauren Holt needed financial support?” Sam asked.
“She didn’t need it, but she didn’t want to use her father’s money since she didn’t want her parents to know about the babies.”
Tears welled in my eyes. Such a simple response, one I’d have believed had he told me. Had he trusted me enough to talk to me.
If I were raising his girls, I had a right to know who their mother was. I had a right to now that the Holts could be a threat to them. But Jeremiah had withheld that critical information from me because he thought I’d splash it across the front page of the newspaper as if I lacked any sort of integrity.
“Why didn’t you tell anyone about this before?” Sam asked, facing the jury.
“Because like I said, Lauren didn’t want her parents to know. She was afraid they may try to come after the girls. I was worried about that too. I wanted to protect my daughters.”
“So you told no one?”
“No one. I couldn’t trust anyone to keep this secret. I’m only talking about it now because I’m under oath.”
“And Lauren, where was she the night of James Fitzhenry’s disappearance?”
“She was at the hospital, having just given birth to the girls.”
My heart stopped, and it felt like I couldn’t breathe. When I mentioned Lauren’s car, the reason he knew it wasn’t her had nothing to do with the witness not being reliable - he knew where she was that night and had lied to me.
The rest of the testimony was a blur, and the tears continued to fall down my cheeks. I tried to hide them, but when it became too hard, I stood up and hurried out of the courtroom. I ran to the bathroom, where I locked myself in a stall and cried for what felt like an eternity.
“Elle?” A knock came at the bathroom door. Jeremiah. “Are you in there?”
I didn’t answer.
“One of the guards saw you go in here, so I know you are,” he said through the door. “We’re on recess, but I only have a few minutes. Please talk to me.”
I needed to talk to him. I’d have to face him eventually. I was having his baby. With a de
ep sigh, I exited the restroom. When the door opened, Jeremiah seemed surprised, as if he hadn’t expected me to come out.
“Elle, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you everything. I just had to be careful, for the girls’ sake. I made a deal with Lauren not to tell anyone.”
“You asked me to raise your girls, Jeremiah. Don’t you think this is information they’d want to know someday? That I should know? Just in case the Holts came after them or something?”
“I know. I didn’t think it would come to this,” Jeremiah said.
“You should have trusted me.”
“I do trust you, Elle. In the beginning, I wasn’t sure,” he said honestly, earnestly. “You had a tendency to write about anything you found newsworthy.”
“Wait, you’re still mad at me for the article I wrote about you?”
“Not mad, but it made me hesitate sharing things with you.”
“I’d never put the girls in danger, Jeremiah. I would never betray you, not even for my career.” I felt cornered, with him standing in front of me. I needed fresh air, and I needed it fast. I pushed past him, but he grabbed my arm. I pulled my arm free and glared at him.
“Elle, please.”
“You need to trust me, Jeremiah. Because whether you like it or not, we’re going to be connected whether you go to prison or not.”
“What are you talking about?”
I closed my eyes and spit out the words. “I’m pregnant.”
“What? How did this— Weren’t you on the pill?”
My eyes popped open. “You know, it takes two to tango, right? It’s not just my doing here.”
Except it was. I blamed myself. He still should have worn a condom, but I should have said something.
“You’re right, I shouldn’t have assumed, it’s just—” Jeremiah stammered. “I can’t do this right now, Elle.”
“Can’t do what? Father three children?” I asked, my voice hard. “Because like it or not, it’s happening.”
“Elle, I can’t.”
I burst into tears. This was not how I wanted it to go. I had wanted him to be happy, but I fucked up. It wasn’t the right time, but like it or not, it was happening.
“Well, I have to deal with it. You can check out, but I can’t.” I needed air. My stomach roiled, and I was sweating profusely. I was going to be sick without air. I stormed away, heading for the exit.
“Elle, come back!”
Jeremiah chased me to the front doors, but in the distance, I heard his lawyer’s voice calling him back.
The recess was over. He had to return to the trial.
I stepped outside, and the cool air felt good on my skin. I closed my eyes, breathing in and out, remembering some of Josie’s relaxation techniques.
My emotions were crazy these days, and I blamed the hormones. I was a mess. I shouldn’t have told him like that. What had I expected?
Jeremiah
I’d fucked up with Elle. I had reacted badly. But she had completely blindsided me at the worst possible time. I was fighting for my freedom and she just blurted it out in the hallway.
As soon the trial was over for the day, I tried to call her.
No answer.
As usual.
There were several missed calls - some from Lauren. Others from numbers I didn’t recognize at first.
I listened to the voicemail from Lauren. She hadn’t gone to the police, and like Elle, she’d avoided my calls since the night I talked to her in my home.
“Well it’s out now. My parents heard that Amelia and Grace are my daughters, thanks to the press. I’ve left town temporarily, but be warned - they aren’t going to let this go. And to answer your previous questions, I am not going to turn on my family. I’m sorry. I’m not strong enough to do that.”
The line went dead. With dread, I pulled up the next voicemail.
“Hello, this is Vincent Barry, I’m George Holt’s attorney. I’m calling to discuss George’s granddaughters, Amelia and Grace Jenkins. Please give me a call at your earliest convenience.”
Damn. I stood on the steps of the courthouse, fear running through my veins. I stared off in the distance, not even realizing the voicemail had ended until the next one began.
It was George himself. “Think you can hide my granddaughters from me, huh? Lauren may have had a moment of selfishness, but she will come to her senses, you can count on that. Those girls will be raised by their mother.”
The line went dead again. I stopped the voicemails. I’d heard enough. I had to get to my girls. Then I’d talk to Sam. There was no way Lauren’s family would take them away from me. I wouldn’t let those monsters near my children.
Liberty being as small as it was, the daycare wasn’t very far from the courthouse. I still drove there as quickly as I could, not wanting to carry the girls in the cold if I could help it. I parked in the lot and hopped from the car.
Right away, my gaze fell on a red Porsche parked near the entrance.
Oh hell no, I thought. Only family in Liberty that drove cars like that were the Holts. I knew Piper would never hand over my girls to someone other than me, but I also knew George and Alex were big men.
I quickened my pace, and as I approached the Porsche, the door swung open, nearly hitting me. George Holt stepped out of the passenger side. His son, Alex, had been behind the wheel.
My girls weren’t in the car as far as I could tell. That was a relief.
“What are you doing here?” I growled.
“I’m here to see my granddaughters,” George said with a smirk. “Maybe take them home, if you’ve come to your senses and realize they belong with their mother.”
“Never.” I clenched my fists at my side.
George laughed. “We’ll let the court decide that, and let’s face it - you might have money, but you have nothing compared to us.”
“Money can’t buy you everything. Not in Liberty,” I said, walking up to George and standing an inch of him. I felt his breath against my face. He didn’t move back. “Your reputation precedes you. And once the truth comes out about the bribes, your family is the one going down. You’ll be the ones in cuffs and orange jumpsuits.”
George reared his head back and cackled. “Do you hear that, Alex? Jeremiah thinks we’re going to prison.”
“You will. Mark my word. Your wife was already seen accepting bribes and—”
“Elizabeth? Dear, old Elizabeth accepting bribes?”” George chuckled and rubbed his face. “No, we’ve already cleared that up. Brody even spoke to the police on our behalf. Brody purchased some antique chairs from my wife and was merely paying for them. We have the receipts and everything to back it up.”
“Why would you meet in an alley after dark to exchange money for antique chairs?”
“That alley is also where people park when they visit the local shops, isn’t it?”
“The shops were closed. It was eleven at night.”
“The diner was still open, and Elizabeth had popped in to pick up a salad she really loves. Since she was in the area, she decided to meet Brody. It’s all innocent.”
“Bullshit.” I knew a lie when I heard one. It sounded like a good one, but there were holes in his story. Too many holes. Like why would Elizabeth drive herself into town? She often had staff pick up things like that for her. But I knew no matter what questions I asked, George would have an explanation. They’d worked on their story, and Brody was working with them.
The question was, did the police buy it? Since I hadn’t heard of any arrests, apparently they’d worked something out.
Dammit, Lauren. I need you to go to the police, I thought to myself.
George continued smirking and I wanted to punch that smirk right off his face.
“Is there a problem here?” A man’s voice spoke from behind me.
I turned to find Grant Barnes, Piper’s husband and the owner of the property, standing behind us. He was a good guy, ex-military, a friend of Elle’s growing up as well.
“Not
at all,” George said, backing away from me. “I was just leaving.”
George climbed into his Porsche, but before closing the door, he offered some parting words. “I will see my granddaughters, Jeremiah. One way or another. I will see them, and they will be coming home with me shortly.”
He slammed the door, and the car sped off. I watched it as it left the parking lot, my blood boiling. I was relieved that they were gone but worried about what the future might hold.
“What was that about?” Grant asked.
“I guess you haven’t heard the news?”
“Nope. Don’t really keep up with the news or gossip really.”
Probably the only person in Liberty who hadn’t heard yet.
“Don’t worry, you’ll hear about it before long,” I muttered. I marched into the daycare. I wasn’t about to waste any more time talking.
I needed to get my girls and take them home where they belonged.
Ooo000ooo
“Lauren, please call me back. We have to talk.”
Dammit, Lauren. She’d left town, leaving me to handle this.
Amelia and Grace were on the floor beside me. I didn’t want to leave their side; I was even thinking of moving their cribs to my room. If I ever managed to sleep. I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of everything. My phone rang, and I wasn’t sure if I hoped more for Elle or Lauren to be calling me back.
“Jeremiah, I told you - I’m not dealing with this. It’s your problem, not mine,” Lauren said without a greeting.
“Your dad is threatening to take the girls away.”
Lauren was quiet for a long time. “I don’t know what to tell you. This is why I was worried about having them. They’d have been better off if I’d—”
“Stop it. Don’t you dare say it.”
I stared at their sweet faces. Grace lifted her head and offered a few gurgles and a smile. Amelia gripped the handle of a rattle in front of her, her eyes staring at it like it was the greatest thing ever.
My heart broke for my babies. So sweet. So innocent. They deserved better than this mess.
“Jeremiah, I can’t do anything. Just be careful, because my parents will stop at nothing to get what they want.”
Daddy’s Best Friend Page 15
