Special Delivery (Mountain Meadow Homecoming 1)

by Laura Browning

  She’d straightened that out, and he was making noise about bringing her on full-time. Holly grinned. Extra hours would help. Mr. Crawford had been so relieved to have her handling the books, he’d even mentioned allowing her to bring the baby to work. At lunchtime, she knocked on his office door.

  “Mr. Crawford, I just wanted to remind you about my doctor’s appointment this afternoon.”

  He smiled over the half-moons of his reading glasses. “Right. Thanks, Holly. We’ll see you tomorrow then.”

  She’d told Tyler to wait for her at the general store after school. With it being right off the town square, she figured it would be safe enough, especially since the courthouse and the police station were both within sight of it.

  From Spence, she’d heard nothing at all. Of course, with their tightening finances, she’d had to let the cell phone go, so now he had no way to harass her. And he’d been cautious about calling her cell since the restraining order. No, he was very careful not to provide any solid proof of his badgering.

  Her fingers tightened on the wheel as she drove to her appointment. Spence was a chameleon. That had been part of the problem. The face he presented to everyone else certainly wasn’t what she saw, at least now. He’d been smooth enough to begin with. That’s how she’d gotten sucked in. Only later did she discover he was an adult and much more dangerous version of the kid who was always pinching or punching people behind the teacher’s back.

  She wasn’t fooled anymore. He was a snake, and she needed to stay on her guard to make sure he didn’t slither back into their lives unnoticed.

  The clinic was located in a building right next to the hospital. Holly’s choice of where to stop had been pretty fortunate. Mountain Meadow was the Castle County seat and laid claim to the sole hospital in a three-county area—something she would need. Holly sat in the waiting area with people of all ages. A family practice wouldn’t have been her first choice, but it was close, and she’d had a lot of her prenatal care already done by her obstetrician before she left.

  “Miss Morgan?”

  As the nurse called her name, the curious stares of two older women zeroed in on her stomach. Holly had experienced censure before. Her gaze skimmed around the room, and she noticed only one other expectant mother, an uncomfortable looking father-to-be at her side.

  Holly put her chin up. Well, she couldn’t boast any proud papa, nor did she want to if the choice was Spencer Dilby. He had been little more than a sperm donor, and she shuddered to think of that experience.

  The nurse showed her into the doctor’s office. “Dr. Owens will be right with you.”

  Holly nodded and sat. Knowing she would be leaving Lynchburg, she’d obtained copies of her medical history and dropped them off a couple of days ago. Medical books lined the shelves along one peach-painted wall, but there were no pictures of a husband or children. Her examination halted when the door opened and a petite blonde entered the room. Her hair was cut chin-length, as sleek and businesslike as the doctor seemed to be.

  She held out her hand. “I’m Dr. Owens. Most patients call me Doc or Doc Jenny.”

  Instead of going behind the desk, she sat next to Holly, softening the businesslike exterior. “I read through your file and wanted to ask you a couple of questions before we do an exam. There was a notice you are a no-information patient. I’ll make sure that stays in place.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate it.”

  “Has the baby’s father been attending any birthing classes with you?”

  Holly shifted. Just the thought of Spence having anything to do with her baby’s birth was enough to make her queasy. “The father is the reason I’m a no information patient. H-he denied paternity to begin with, then after our split changed his mind. He’s been pressuring me to give him the baby.”

  “Pressuring?”

  Holly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her hand just a bit shaky. “He’s the heir to the Dilby Department store fortune,” she explained watching the doctor’s eyebrows lift. “It seems his new fiancée can’t have kids, so he’s decided he ‘needs’ mine. His words.”

  “And this pressure was enough you left?”

  “I have a protective order in place against him, which did nothing. He didn’t leave me a lot of choice. See, in addition to myself and the baby, I’m also guardian to my little brother. I had to think about what was best for all of us.”

  Doc Owens nodded. “I’ve seen your ultrasound, so I see you’re having a little girl. Are you aware your doctor had written in his notes he had some concern about your cervix?”

  “No.” A ripple of unease trickled down Holly’s spine.

  “I’d like to take a look. You’re just six weeks from your due date, so chances are there’s not a problem, but let’s be sure, particularly since it’s your first. At twenty-two, your age works in your favor.”

  A half hour later, they were back in Doc Owens’s office once more. This time, the doctor’s expression was more serious. “Holly, have you been experiencing any cramps or feelings of heaviness?”

  “Some. I figured it was just stress from moving and everything.”

  Doc tapped her finger against the ultrasound image she’d been studying. “Well, you’re already effaced and starting to dilate, like someone a whole lot closer to term. How accurate is this due date?”

  Holly sucked in a shaky breath. “Very. There was just one night…”

  Jenny nodded, her finger still tapping. “I’d like you on bed rest. You could go into labor any time. If we can get your little girl to hold off, I’d prefer it not be for at least three more weeks. The nearest obstetrician’s more than an hour’s drive away. It might be simpler to have you in the hospital…”

  “No. I can’t do that. I have my little brother to take care of. I have a job…and I don’t have health insurance.” A vision of what might happen if there were complications began to form, but Holly pushed it away. Panic was the last thing she could afford right now.

  When she left the clinic, Holly was still trying to take everything in. She’d always tried to take things in stride, but this overwhelmed her. Bed rest. What on earth was she going to do?

  * * * *

  “I’m sure we can find her, Mr. Dilby.”

  Spence sat across from the private detective who was looking at the information Spence had given him about Holly. The paunchy guy tapped Tyler’s picture. “This might be our best place to start. She’ll have to enroll him in school. I’ve also got a contact who can help me out with tax info. If she’s working someplace, she’ll show up on his records.”

  Spence allowed himself a slight smile. “Excellent. Needless to say, this needs to be kept quiet. I’m now engaged to another woman, but I’m concerned about the welfare of my unborn child. Holly has shown signs during the pregnancy of depression, and I just can’t help thinking about all those cases involving new mothers…” He let his voice trail off and, as he hoped, the detective’s expression grew even more concerned.

  “We’ll find her. Don’t you worry.”

  Spence stood, shook his hand and exited the office building with a small smile of self-satisfaction.

  * * * *

  Jake noticed the dark-haired boy sitting on the bench outside of Mountain Meadow General Store when he drove around the square to pull up in front of the small, brick building that housed the police department and his cramped office. An hour later, as he walked over to Tarpley’s, what most folks called the store, to grab some chips and a drink, the kid was still there.

  “Hey, buddy,” he greeted him. “How’s it going?”

  “Okay.” The kid gave him a sidelong glance from eyes that held more suspicion than he was used to from a boy so young.

  “Kind of cold to be sitting out here so long. You waiting on your mom?”

  “My sister. She’s at the doctor.” He scuffed his sneakers on the pavement.

  “Well come on in. I’ll get you a candy bar and you can war
m up. Mr. and Mrs. Tarpley won’t mind if you sit inside.”

  The kid glanced at Jake’s badge, then at the store. “If you think it’d be okay. My butt is getting kinda cold.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Tyler Morgan.”

  “I’m Lieutenant Allred.” Jake grinned at him and they walked inside together. After introducing him to the older couple who’d run the store ever since Jake could remember, he let Tyler pick out a candy bar. While the kid sat near the window, munching on the chocolate and caramel, Jake spoke to the Tarpleys. “Haven’t seen him around here. He new?”

  Susie Tarpley nodded. “He and his sister Holly rent the old Crawley place.”

  Jake raised his brows in surprise. The house had been run-down when he was a teenager, and knowing old man Crawley, he doubted anything had changed. The bell above the door jingled and a burst of cold air entered. Jake glanced over and caught his breath, feeling as if someone had sucker punched him right in the gut. The woman who walked in was gorgeous, with hair the color of aged whisky, pale skin, and cheeks just touched with pink from the cold air.

  “Holly!” Tyler jumped off his chair. “I thought you forgot me.”

  This must be the sister. As she shifted to give the boy a hug, Jake noticed her pregnancy, and disappointment stabbed him. Someone had already claimed her. Her gaze lifted to his, green eyes wide and wary as she took in his uniform.

  “We need to go, Tyler,” she murmured with an urgency that seemed out of place.

  “How’d your doctor’s visit go?”

  She started to say something, glanced over her shoulder at Jake and the Tarpleys, and said, “We’ll talk when we get home.”

  Jake leaned against the counter, watching the door shut behind them. “Did you say it’s just her and the boy in the Crawley place?”

  “Yup,” Jim confirmed. “They’ve been in several times for groceries. She’s pleasant and polite, but a little shy. The boy’s a good kid. He’s helped a couple of older folks out to their cars with groceries. They keep to themselves.”

  And she had something to hide. The thought had popped into Jake’s head and wouldn’t go away. He’d also gotten the distinct feeling his uniform made her even warier. He must be imagining things. Or trying to come up with a reason to see her again?

  Jake nearly snorted out loud. She was pregnant, no doubt had a boyfriend or a husband somewhere already. He’d just mind his own business. Out where she lived, she was Sam’s concern anyway.

  Chapter 2

  Where was Tyler? Holly shifted on the sagging flowered couch in her living room, fighting panic. Doc Owens wouldn’t let her do anything other than sit, so her comfortable sofa had morphed into a jail-cell bunk. Not that she had any idea what one felt like. She glanced at her watch. Five o’clock and almost dark. Tyler should be here. She braced one hand under her belly, struggling to sit up. He’d walked into town to buy groceries to help tide them over, but even considering the distance, he should have returned by now. What had she been thinking anyway? He was just eleven. Sometimes Holly lost sight of that.

  He had always been mature for his age, but in the year since the accident that had killed their parents, Tyler had become even more so. While she had juggled the paperwork involved in their parents’ estate and her new role in looking out for her brother as stipulated in her parents’ will, Tyler had quietly gone about finding his new normal. Right now, she wished she had more of his stoicism.

  She stared at the laptop she’d set aside. While she still brought in some money from Crawford’s, working part-time from home had put a real crimp in their budget. She bit her lip. Things weren’t turning out quite as she’d hoped the day she’d so optimistically chosen Mountain Meadow as the place to land. Maybe trying to see the bright side of things was part of the problem. Because she’d been so desperate to get away from Spence, she hadn’t spent enough time considering what could go wrong before they’d left Lynchburg. Bed rest the last few weeks of her pregnancy had not been in her plan. She took a deep, shaky breath, but it failed to calm her.

  Now Tyler was MIA. Holly didn’t want to panic, but her options were limited. She should go find him, not sit here doing nothing. She didn’t want to call the sheriff. Her last few experiences with the law hadn’t left her with much confidence in their abilities. An image of the cop in the Tarpley’s store popped into her head. If the sheriff resembled him, at least the law in this part of Virginia was a lot better-looking. Still, she had her doubts about how effective any of them could be in keeping Spence at bay. Her best bet was to lie low, and having to call in help to find her brother shot that to pieces.

  The sudden crunch of gravel and the swift glare of headlights reflecting on the window made Holly jump. She twitched the curtains aside to peer out and her stomach dropped. This time fear, not her baby, caused the lurch. A uniformed police officer waited on Tyler to climb from the big pickup idling out front. Holly swallowed, but her mouth remained bone dry. The cop from the store.

  Tyler appeared fine, so her mind conjured other potential problems. Had Spence found them already? Would her restraining order even apply here? Her hand went to her stomach. This was her baby, and she would not give her up. Not to Spence. He could threaten her with as many lawyers as he wanted.

  Of course when she’d stood up to him and told him she’d just deny he was the father, things had turned even uglier. He might have money and enough influence to get his way in Richmond, but not here, not if he couldn’t find her.

  And if he did find her? Her chin lifted. He’d have a fight on his hands. It wasn’t Holly’s fault his new fiancée couldn’t have children. Spence had no right to stalk her, to threaten her.

  She pushed to her feet and struggled to the door. No way did she want this police officer to think she couldn’t take care of Tyler. With a jerk of the warped wood, she yanked it open. Her eyes darted from her little brother to the tall, broad-shouldered cop at his side. Though she felt the cop’s eyes on her, she ignored him to focus on her brother.

  “Tyler! Where have you been? Are you all right?” Her hand rubbed the dull, persistent ache in her lower back. “Ar-are you in trouble?” she choked out as her gaze flicked again to the tall police officer.

  “No, it’s not like that, Holly,” Tyler told her. “This is the guy I told you about the other day…the one who bought me the candy bar.”

  The officer stuck out his hand. His smile eased her tension somewhat, but she still hesitated before she allowed her slender fingers to disappear in his firm grasp. “I’m Lieutenant Jake Allred, Mountain Meadow’s assistant police chief. I saw your brother walking with your groceries as I was headed home, so I gave him a lift.”

  His easy grin and dark hazel eyes, with just a hint of shyness, sent an unfamiliar tingle through her, but he was still a cop, and Holly had good reason to be wary. Spence had gotten around her restraining order again and again. It seemed to her the police had been unable or unwilling to stop him. She doubted this place would be much different.

  Holly forced a smile to her lips—less than genuine but the best she could do—and pulled her hand away.

  “Thank you. I know it was out of your way. I’m Holly, and you’ve met Ty.”

  The lieutenant smiled, turning his easygoing grin on Tyler. “Yeah. We’re old friends by now. Why don’t you grab those groceries since your sister knows you’re okay?”

  “Yes, sir.” Tyler jogged out toward the pickup truck.

  “Nice kid. You should be proud of him.”

  Holly relaxed a little. Tyler was a great kid, doubly amazing considering it had been little more than a year since their parents’ deaths. She started to thank the cop and noticed his eyes had dropped to her belly. She splayed one hand across her stomach, her tension increasing. She’d received more than a few odd glances around town and had to assume she was already grist for the gossips.

  “The Tarpleys mentioned you’d rented this place. You’re a little iso
lated out here,” he commented, looking around at the surrounding hills. “Kind of a long haul for your brother to cart groceries. Is there a problem with your car?”

  Why was he being so nosy? As his eyes drifted to her beat-up compact, Holly leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb and rubbed her back. When she didn’t answer right away, the tall officer regarded her with curiosity. Holly swallowed. “I—my doctor, that is—put me on bed rest.”

  Now his eyes did focus on her belly, and Holly rubbed her stomach. When the lieutenant frowned, his glance going from her stomach to Tyler returning with several bags of groceries, Holly’s concern increased.

  She didn’t want to draw attention. She’d figured such a rural area and such an isolated rental were just the thing. But now, here was this dark-haired, hazel-eyed hunk of a police officer standing on her front porch quizzing her. It made her nervous. He made her nervous…and way too aware.

  She needed to send him on his way. As soon as Tyler scooted into the kitchen, she gave the lieutenant as much of a smile as she could muster. “Look, thanks for giving Tyler a ride. I don’t want to keep you. I’m sure you must be anxious to get home.”

  Holly started to turn away, but when he spoke again, she paused.

  “Your brother said you hadn’t been here long.” He pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to her. “Look, you’re in Sam’s—Sheriff Barnes’s—jurisdiction, but I’m out this way a lot. If you need anything, give me a call. I’m happy to help.” He shifted, sneaking a glance at her. “You know, not in any official capacity.”

  She took the card, her brow furrowed. As much as she wanted to get back to the safety of her little house, she had to know. “Why? I mean. We’re not your concern.” She made a face. “I’m sorry. That was rude. We’re fine. It was kind of you to give Tyler a ride.”