Casey tightened her grip on the warm little body in her arms. The blue cotton blanket was wrapped snuggly about his body leaving no room for flailing arms. Sarah had explained that current wisdom held that babies liked to be confined since it reminded them of the womb. She wasn’t sure she believed that, but until she had her own…
Tear filled her eyes.
“Case, are you okay?”
She looked at her friends, who actually seemed comfortable with each other again. Maybe Riley’s birth had been the turning point for them. Casey hoped so. They were so right for each other. Just like her and Nathan. “Uh-huh. Just emotional. He smells so sweet and perfect.”
“Our turn next,” Nathan said, putting his arm around her. Their gazes met and his smile grew to a heartbreakingly joyous grin that surely would have broadcast their news if anyone had been looking. Fortunately, everyone was intently digging into their meal.
Half an hour later, after Red had bestowed a plethora of gifts that included a stuffed bear twenty times bigger than Riley and a gift certificate from the same breeder who had raised Belle and Betsy—“Every boy needs a dog”—the new family left.
That’s when their guests of honor—the big guns—took the floor. Dr. H, as he asked to be called, was in his late fifties. He wore camouflage cargo pants, hiking boots and a loose-fitting vest worn over a Save-The-Wetlands T-shirt.
“When Kirby called this afternoon, I did a quick scan of your area from field maps we have on our database. Although this area is rife with vernal ponds that most likely provide habitat for the fairy shrimp, we’ve seen big business get around that argument by promising to set aside environmentally protected areas. What I’m hoping to discover is habitat of the bull-nosed spotted salamander. This, my friends, could indeed be your ultimate silver bullet.”
Casey shook her head. “Sarah and I tried to get permission to take soil and water samples from the GroWell land and they turned us down.”
“Which is why we’re going to explore the parts of your father’s land that haven’t been converted to orchards and other adjoining properties. If endangered species exist in parcels A, C and D, then we can surmise that they’d likely exist in parcel B.”
Casey took a bite of the burrito Nathan had made her. “I’m familiar with the argument,” she said after chewing and swallowing. The spicy flavor went down easily, despite the frequent bouts of nausea she’d been experiencing. “We talked about how to force the county into demanding a full EIR and decided we lacked the manpower and expertise to do the legwork. If the collection isn’t done correctly, we run the risk of having the evidence thrown out.”
“That was before your husband jumped ship and called in reinforcements,” Red said.
“‘Jumped ship’?”
“Bring your wife up to speed, son,” Red chided Nathan. “The rest of the troops are gatherin’ at Maude’s place. We gotta git over there before we lose our light.”
Casey’s heart was racing, but she wasn’t sure if her primary emotion was hurt, anger or fear. Red had done it again—usurped her control, sent her packing. Not literally, like last time, but he obviously was running things, now. But what worried her most was that Red had somehow dragged Nathan into the mix.
She waited until the room was empty before she turned to her husband and said, “Nathan, I don’t know what all of this means, but I do know that if you don’t distance yourself from this mess right away, your career will be down the toilet. If word gets out that you helped us…”
He shrugged. “Word already is out, Casey. I called Gwyneth. She claims she isn’t a spy, but I can almost guarantee that Boston knows by now. I’m giving my formal resignation tomorrow.”
“Your resignation?”
“Having two residences—one in the city, one in the country—isn’t working for me. And since I married a country girl, I’m going to give this place a try. It’s the least I can do since you did the same for me.”
“I did?”
“You made a good life for us in Boston. You threw yourself into that lifestyle with such enthusiasm you made me think you were happy. But you weren’t. Not deep down.”
“Nathan, no…I loved Boston. Meg and—”
He stopped her. “I’m not denying that you loved your aunt. And me. But you’ve blossomed since you moved back to this valley. It’s almost as though a part of you was still here—on the land. I can’t say I feel the same way, but I do feel something. I don’t want to see Red lose this place. I want our children to know what running barefoot with a pack of wild mutts is like.”
“But the city. You’ll miss it.”
He smiled. “That’s what four-star hotels are for, my dear. Any time I need to see a museum or I crave an honest-to-goodness espresso, I know where to find it.”
“What about your career?”
“Your father was telling me about a friend of his who is thinking about retirement. He’s a judge now, but still has his fingers in a little practice that might be right up my alley.” He leaned down and kissed her. “Right up our alley. I could use someone who’s good with people and knows the lay of the land, so to speak.”
She blinked back tears. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do. I mean that. You made a noble sacrifice, but don’t you think I thought of this EIR option? This is my job, Nathan. I called half a dozen experts and was told that even if we found an active colony of extinct dodo birds nesting on the ranch, all GroWell has to do is promise to set aside a tract of land to appease the environmentalists.”
She paced to the sliding glass door and looked out. “The only truly effective deal-breaker is public outcry. You get that by effective use of the press. I tried. The papers aren’t that interested. Turkeys. Big deal.”
“What if there was a scandal? Say GroWell never intended to build a hatchery on that land but wanted to make it look that way so another county would give them tax breaks and other perks.”
She spun around. “You know about the Mono County plan?”
His stunned look told her he hadn’t expected her question. “Of course, but how the hell did you hear about it?”
She looked down. “I’d rather not say.”
“Eric.”
“It wasn’t Eric.”
Roz. Of course. Unlike he and Casey, the couple talked business all the time. “Jeez, Casey, if you knew about GroWell’s Plan B, why haven’t you done something with it? This planning board would be outraged to find out they were being played. There would be talk of tar and turkey feathers.”
“Because GroWell is buying that other parcel through a holding company. I tried to find a concrete link through the usual channels, but there wasn’t one. Or if there was, I couldn’t find it in the time I had to work with. There was no way I could wave that flag without everyone assuming I got inside information from you. Your reputation would have been ruined. I couldn’t do that to you, Nathan. I love you.”
She chose him over the land. Over her father. Over the expectations of everyone around her. She had been prepared to disappoint Red to save him.
He took her in his arms. “You’re my hero, Casey T., but if it’s okay with you, I think we should call a press conference.”
“We?”
“As your father so aptly put it, I jumped ship.”
“But being made partner of Silver, Reisbecht and Lane has been your goal for as long as I’ve known you.”
“Being a partner in a prestigious law firm is one thing. Being a partner with you is another. I love you, Casey Tibbs Buchanan-Kent. I love being married to you and spending time with you. And I would do anything to keep us together and happy. We can be happy again, can’t we?”
She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Again? I’ve never not been happy being married to you, Nathan. Things got a little crazy for a while, but I never stopped loving you.”
He hugged her tight. “That’s my Casey T. Is it time to start thinking up baby names?”
She kissed him—an open-ended invitati
on that robbed him of the ability to worry, then she added, “We have time. After all, some names only fit after you meet the baby. We’ll know for sure who this little person is eight months from now.”
“I can’t wait, but we have a lot to do to get ready for him or her. A house to build. A business to set up. If Eric resigns from SRL, as I think he will, I might ask him to join us. He and Roz definitely want to get out of the city and…”
Casey linked their arms together and started leading the way to the car. They already had a temporary house—and a bed that needed christening. She’d be at his side every step of this new adventure. And Abigail Margaret Kent—plus any future siblings her parents might provide—would be there, too.
She’d lied, of course. The moment she’d realized for certain she was pregnant—maybe even before that instant—she’d known the name of the baby growing within her. Abigail Margaret. As her father once told her, some names just fit.
EPILOGUE
One year later
NATHAN LOOKED AROUND and couldn’t help but feel proud. Together, he and Casey had pulled it off. Today was the grand opening of Kent and Mathers Law Offices in a refurbished brick building just off Robertson Boulevard in Chowchilla.
His whole family was here. Joan was holding three-month-old Abby, dressed in lavender frills that she seemed to tolerate for her grandmother’s sake alone. Instead of moving into an adult-living center, Joan had taken up Casey’s job offer: part-time nanny to Abby. His mother had moved into the little house Red had built for Casey just weeks after Nathan and Casey moved out. Their newly completed home, which sported wraparound verandas and had a great view of the foothills, was nestled beneath the stately palms of the original homestead.
“Looking good, isn’t it?” Eric asked, beaming.
Thirty pounds lighter and strikingly fit, Eric had come through his near miss with flying colors. He’d embraced every healthful dietary habit his wife suggested, including downsizing. When Nathan suggested a partnership in a small town in the Central Valley, they’d jumped at the offer.
“Come on, you two,” Roz called. “Photo op.” With the help of Eric’s daughters, the men playfully snipped the ribbon at the door of the offices. Then both families posed for the reporter from the local paper.
After Casey hustled their guests inside for coffee and cake, she grabbed Nathan’s hand. “Jimmy and Sarah are anxious to leave. You’re sure you’re okay with us babysitting Riley overnight?”
“Jim’s anxious to leave,” he corrected. “I don’t think Sarah is all that thrilled about leaving her baby boy behind.”
Casey tossed her head and laughed. “Wrong. As a breastfeeding mom, I can assure you that the first chance I get to run away for a romantic tryst after Abby is weaned, I will be the one pulling you out the door.”
After the exchange of diaper bags and contact information, Sarah handed Riley to Nathan. Holding the twenty-three pound toddler, who was dressed in cowboy boots and snap-crotch jeans, made Nathan realize how fast babies grow and change.
As if picking up on his emotional state, Sarah stood on her toes to plant a peck on Riley’s cheek. “Isn’t it amazing how things worked out? A year ago, I never could have predicted that we’d all be together—good friends with two babies. I’m so happy I could cry.”
“Does that mean you don’t want to go on our trip?” Jimmy asked.
Casey kicked him playfully. “Don’t be a boob. Of course she wants to go. That’s just hormones talking. And unless you want Riley to have a sibling sooner than you’d planned, you’d better be careful. These maternal juices are potent things—and contagious. Nathan is already planning for child number two.”
“I’m not surprised,” Sarah said, wiping away a tear. “The only father who dotes on his kid more than Nathan dotes on Abby is Jimmy.”
Casey agreed. Their husbands were turning into amazing fathers. And Red, who’d bounced back after his cancer treatments with his usual orneriness, was “Grandpa” to all the children in their newfound community—Riley, Abby and the Mathers girls. He and Joan shared babysitting duties on the three mornings a week that Casey worked in the law office.
Casey had worried that Joan would be homesick for Sacramento, especially since she was used to being so close to Christine and Kirby. But everyone had adapted to the change. Chris and her family visited the ranch at least one weekend a month, and Kirby, who’d graduated a few months earlier, had just accepted a teaching position at the new university in Merced.
Although GroWell was history, there were plenty of other land issues to keep Casey busy once she’d attained permission to practice law in California. She’d begged Nathan not to burn any bridges when he quit Silver, Reisbecht and Lane, but he’d explained his position to Gwyneth quite succinctly. If GroWell persisted in the application, he’d alert the media to their unethical practices. The company dropped their plans to build and promptly sold the property—for a substantial profit—to a farmer who planned to grow organic wine grapes.
Gwyneth had taken over the San Francisco office after Eric and Nathan left, but according to Roz, who remained in touch with several of her husband’s ex-colleagues at SRL, she hadn’t even lasted the month. The barracuda was back in Boston.
Casey had expected to feel relief when her beautiful nemesis left the west coast, but, in truth, she’d been too happy—and busy—to notice. Her life was chaotic at times, Abby and Red made sure of that, but, at least now, she didn’t have to worry about keeping up. Not with Nathan at her side.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-1874-1
A BABY ON THE WAY
Copyright © 2006 by Debra K. Salonen.
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