Finding Forever: Treading Water Series, Book 5

by Force, Marie

  “This way.” LeAnn and Marcy had done Kate’s hair and makeup for years, so both were familiar to Maggie.

  “Ladies, you have a big job to do here,” Maggie said gravely.

  “This is nothing.” LeAnn put a cape over Maggie’s shoulders. “We’ve seen much worse.”

  Maggie laughed. “Good to know it can actually be worse.”

  Over the next twenty minutes, the two women brought about a minor miracle. By the time they were finished, Maggie’s dark hair was shining and straightened and her makeup subtly but artfully applied.

  “Thank you for making it so I won’t embarrass my sisters.”

  “No chance of that, honey,” Marcy said. “You’re a stunner. Those eyes of yours and Kate’s are to die for.”

  “They come right from our mom.”

  “Bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.”

  Jill came into the master bedroom as LeAnn was removing the cape. “Are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.” Maggie followed Jill to the massive great room that had been transformed into a TV studio with cameras, lights and wires running every which way. Three chairs had been positioned together with Kate in the middle, Jill to her right and Maggie to her left.

  “You girls clean up rather well,” Kate said when they were miked and seated.

  “Thanks to your glam squad. This,” Maggie said, making a circle around her head, “would never be possible without professional intervention.”

  “What she said,” Jill replied.

  “You guys are selling yourselves short. You don’t need any help being gorgeous.”

  “Said the one who falls out of bed looking like a star every day of her life,” Jill said.

  Maggie laughed. “Right?”

  “That is not true. Ask Reid.”

  “Ask Reid what?” he said when he came into the room.

  “Whether Kate rolls out of bed every morning looking like a supastah,” Maggie said, affecting a New England accent.

  “She always looks like a supastah.”

  The sisters busted up laughing at him trying to do New England with his Southern twang.

  “Are they laughing at me?” Reid asked the amused cameraman.

  “I believe they are, sir.”

  “Hmm, they do that a lot. Good thing I’m not easily offended.”

  “You know we love you, honey,” Kate said, sending her husband a warm smile that turned into a grimace.

  “What?” Reid asked, immediately on alert.

  Kate rested a hand on her huge belly. “Just an odd twinge.”

  “Another one?”

  Gritting her teeth, Kate nodded.

  “How long have you been having ‘twinges’?” Jill asked.

  “Since yesterday afternoon,” Reid said, his gaze laser focused on Kate.

  “Probably just more of those hideous Braxton Hicks contractions,” Kate said.

  Maggie glanced at Jill, wondering if Kate was in labor and didn’t realize it. After this damned interview was done, they were calling the doctor.

  Lila Johansen, a local news personality Kate had befriended over the years, came breezing in with her team of associates trailing behind her. One of them carried a clipboard, another toted a large cup of coffee.

  Did it really take multiple people to tend to the newswoman? Maggie thought that was a ridiculous waste of resources, but kept the thought to herself. She had found that since she’d been working at Matthews House, she had far less patience for excess, waste, privilege. So many people needed so much help to survive. She was happy to be part of the solution these days, but more attuned than ever before to the many injustices the less fortunate faced on a daily basis.

  Lila flashed the smile that’d made her a local celebrity. “Hello, ladies, you’re looking gorgeous.” Every one of her red hairs was perfectly in place, her makeup flawless.

  Maggie was glad she didn’t have a job that required her to look perfect all the time. She wouldn’t be able to do it.

  Lila bent to hug Kate and whispered something to her that had Kate smiling.

  “Any second now.” Kate placed a hand on her big belly. “I can’t believe you’re making me do this when I look like a whale.”

  “You look beautiful as always, and since you’re taking the next year off, it’s now or never.”

  Kate was so excited about her year off, and Maggie was proud of her sister for standing up for the life she wanted. After busting her ass in the music business for more than a decade, she deserved a break. What good was all the success and money if she didn’t take some time to enjoy it?

  Kate’s break also meant one for Jill, who traveled with Kate.

  Jill still had plenty to do running Kate’s business, which required management even when the star took time off, and she was also going to be working with Ashton at his entertainment law firm in town.

  “If y’all are ready,” Lila said, taking a seat across from the sisters, “we’ll get started.”

  When she began the introduction, her Southern accent disappeared. “I’m so excited today to have music superstar Kate Harrington and her sisters, Jill and Maggie Harrington, with me today for the first sit-down interview the three of them have ever done together. As many of you know, Jill is an attorney who oversees her sister’s business, and Maggie has recently joined the family business as well. Ladies, thank you so much for being with us today.”

  “Thanks for having us,” Kate said.

  “Kate, you’re due with your first child very soon. How’re you feeling?”

  “I’m feeling huge and ready to pop. I can’t wait to meet this little person.”

  “Do you know what you’re having?”

  “I don’t. My husband and I wanted to be surprised.”

  “Speaking of your husband, Reid, our viewers are fascinated by your story. Can you share a bit of that with us?”

  Maggie had to fight the urge to roll her eyes. Was there anyone who followed Kate’s career who didn’t know their story by now?

  “We met when I first came to Nashville, but I was just eighteen and about to launch my career. The timing wasn’t right for us. When we reconnected ten years later, that was it. We’ve been together ever since.”

  “And, Jill, you’re marrying Reid’s son, Ashton, in July. Sisters married to a father and son. You don’t hear that every day.”

  Jill smiled, accustomed by now to the question. “No, you don’t, but that’s what happened to us. Ashton and I were thrown together so often, we decided we should get married, too.”

  Lila laughed. “I’m sure it was more complicated than that.”

  She doesn’t know the half of it, Maggie thought. Their relationship had been adversarial before bickering turned to love.

  “Actually, my relationship with Ashton isn’t complicated at all,” Jill said. “I can’t wait to marry him next month.”

  “Your wedding is being held in Newport, Rhode Island, correct?”

  “That’s right. My sisters and I are from there originally and still have family there.”

  “And, Maggie, you’re now working for the family business here in Tennessee. Can you tell us about Matthews House?”

  “Reid, Kate and Ashton have opened the Matthews family home to women and children in crisis, and I’m thrilled to be the director overseeing this important initiative. Since we opened in March, we’ve had ten families come through, one of which is about to move into a new apartment later this week. We hope to continue that track record with all the families who come to us for help.”

  “What an amazing idea. Kate, can you tell us how it was decided to open Matthews House?”

  “We wanted to do something with Reid’s family home, which was sitting empty except for the stables. When it was brought to our attention that there was a shortage of local services available to women and children in crisis, we couldn’t think of a better use for the Matthews family estate. Maggie has done an outstanding job getting our program off the ground and serving t
he families in residence as we help them to put their lives back together.”

  “What an important and much-needed effort. What are some of the services you provide at Matthews House, Maggie?”

  “We offer everything from career counseling to parenting courses to financial planning. We’ve recently hired an equine therapy specialist who’ll be working with the children, and we’re very excited to offer that opportunity to our clientele.”

  “It must be very satisfying work.”

  “It is, even if at times it can be heartbreaking, too. I like to think we’re helping to make a difference in the lives of people who’ve had a variety of difficulties.”

  “Kate, you must be happy to have both your sisters working with you.”

  “I couldn’t be happier. The three of us were close growing up, and Jill and I were thrilled when Maggie decided to join us.”

  “Kate, you’ve decided to take this next year off from recording and touring to stay home with your little one. Of course we’re hearing from your fans who’re concerned that you may be leaving the business altogether. What do you have to say to the people who’re worried they’ve heard the last of you?”

  Kate laughed. “Well, they haven’t heard the last of me, but after more than a decade of writing, recording and touring, I needed a break to recharge my creative and physical batteries. The time away has already been very good for me, and with the baby coming, I’m extending it into next summer, when I may tour again on a limited basis. I’m mostly trying to find some balance between work and the rest of my life.”

  “Totally understandable. A career like yours takes a lot of time and energy.”

  “It does, but I don’t want anyone to think I’m ungrateful for the amazing career I have. My fans are so supportive, and I’m thankful for every one of them. I think more than anything, I’ve had to concede that I’m not a machine who can go at top speed all the time.”

  “No one can do that, and you’re wise to take a break rather than make yourself ill.”

  “I did make myself ill with pneumonia and didn’t take the time I needed to recover from it, which led to the infamous swan dive on stage. That was a real wakeup call for me.”

  “That was scary for everyone who loves you.”

  “It was scary as hell,” Jill said. “I’m really glad that Kate decided to take some time for herself after that. She’s been pushing so hard for so long that something had to give.”

  “You must hear the rumors that fly about you.”

  “I do,” Kate said, sighing, “and they’re hurtful. I’ve never touched any kind of drugs, and it’s a big deal for me to have champagne on New Year’s Eve.”

  “She’s a total lightweight,” Jill said, laughing.

  “I am,” Kate said. “I always have been, which is why I barely drink. I had pneumonia and went back to work too soon. That’s the truth, and when people post accusations about drug use and other lies online, I wonder if they realize there’s an actual human being on the other end of those accusations. Some would say I’m asking for it by choosing to lead such a public life, but really, I choose to perform my music, not be ripped apart online. I understand these things are part of the times we live in, so I try to stay far away from the negativity and focus on the things that matter—my family, my friends, the music.”

  “Sounds as if you’ve got your priorities in order.”

  “That’s the goal.”

  “Well, on behalf of your legion of fans, I wish you the best year ever and early congratulations on the arrival of your little one.”

  “Thank you. I’m nervous and excited at the same time.”

  “Thank you for being with us today, Kate, Jill and Maggie. We appreciate you taking the time from your busy schedules.”

  “Thanks for having us,” Jill said.

  “And we’re out.” Lila stood to shake hands with each of them. “Thanks, guys. That was terrific. The fans will be thrilled to see you, Kate, and to find out more about your sisters. We’re hoping to air it later tonight.”

  “Thanks again, Lila,” Kate said.

  Jill gave Kate a hand standing up, and the three of them went into the kitchen while the TV people took down their equipment.

  “Um, guys?” Kate said.

  Jill and Maggie turned to her.

  “Don’t freak out, but if you could please tell Reid I need him to get me to the hospital, like now, that’d be great.”

  Chapter 7

  The next few hours were a blur for Maggie as she and Jill supported Kate and Reid through the early stages of labor. When she and Jill had declined to be in the delivery room for the baby’s arrival, Kate had called them wimps. However, Maggie was one hundred percent sure she’d made the right decision, especially after watching Kate suffer through early labor until she reached the point where she could push.

  That’s when Jill and Maggie had run for their lives to the waiting room. Maggie took advantage of the opportunity to visit Corey, who was in the same unit, still being closely monitored. The goal was to give the baby another couple of weeks to develop before being born.

  “I’m so bored,” Corey moaned. The young blonde woman’s hair was messy from being in bed, and her hazel eyes were rimmed with red from lack of sleep and probably a few tears. “They let me up only to use the bathroom and shower once a day, and they’re making me stay because my blood pressure has been so up and down.”

  “It’ll all be worth it to have a healthy little one.”

  “I know.”

  Maggie had wondered about the baby’s father and Corey’s family, but the young woman had been reluctant to share anything about her past when she first arrived at Matthews House.

  “Hey, check it out!” Corey gestured to the TV where the interview Maggie and her sisters had done earlier was airing. “You’re on TV.”

  “Oh yay.” It was so weird to see herself on TV. Maggie was used to seeing Kate all the time, but not herself or Jill.

  “It’s so cool. I hope I get to meet Kate while I’m staying with y’all.”

  “She’s going to be pretty busy having a newborn for the next little while.”

  Corey nodded and seemed to fade a bit at the mention of having a newborn.

  They watched the interview together, and Maggie was relieved that she hadn’t embarrassed herself or her sisters. She sent a text to the family group chat to tell them the interview had aired and to look for it online.

  Maggie spent another hour with Corey before heading back to the waiting room to try to get some sleep.

  At four o’clock the next morning, Jill woke Maggie to let her know the baby had arrived and was eager to meet her aunts. “She’s here,” Jill said.

  “She’s a she?”

  “She is.”

  As she followed Jill into Kate’s room, Maggie stretched the kinks out of her neck caused by sleeping on a stiff love seat in the waiting room.

  Sitting up in the hospital bed, swaddled baby in her arms and her husband next to her with his arm around her, Kate looked as happy—and as tired—as Maggie had ever seen her.

  “Come in,” Kate said to her sisters. “Come meet Poppy Harrington Matthews.”

  “Poppy,” Jill said with a sigh. “I love that.”

  Maggie loved it, too, but the huge lump in her throat made it impossible for her to say anything, so she squeezed Kate’s shoulder as she gazed down at her sleeping niece.

  “I’m so glad you like it. We settled on it early on for a girl, and we kept coming back to it.”

  “Don’t forget how much you love the flower poppies, too,” Reid added.

  “That, too,” Kate said, smiling at him.

  “It’s perfect,” Maggie whispered, blinking back tears. “And so is she.”

  “How do you feel?” Jill asked.

  “Like I got sawed in half in one of those magician boxes and put back together all wrong.”

  “Ouch.”

  “Your sister was incredible,” Reid said, seeming to batt
le his own emotions. “She was a warrior and never gave up until our little angel arrived.”

  “Couldn’t have done it without you, babe,” Kate said, gazing up at him.

  “Mom and Dad are dying for us to FaceTime,” Jill said. “Are you up for that?” Their parents had asked them to call the second the baby arrived, no matter what time it was. Knowing Clare and Jack, they were both up pacing as they waited to hear from them.

  Kate grimaced when she shifted to find a more comfortable position. “Sure.”

  “Was it as bad as you thought it would be?” Maggie asked.

  “I’ll never tell. I want to have nieces and nephews.”

  “So it was horrific,” Jill said.

  “I never said that!”

  Jill called their mother while Maggie called their father. Both picked up right away, as if they’d been staring at their phones willing them to ring. Knowing them, they had been.

  “The gang’s all here,” Jill said, laughing as Aidan squeezed into the frame next to Clare, and Andi did the same next to Jack.

  “We’re dying over here,” Jack said. “What’s the verdict?”

  “Reid and I are pleased to introduce you to Poppy Harrington Matthews.” Kate angled the baby so they could see her face.

  “Poppy,” Clare said softly. “We have a granddaughter! I’m a grandmother! How dare you do this to me?”

  Everyone laughed. No one was more excited to be a grandmother than Clare had been in the last few months.

  “Congratulations, guys,” Jack said, his voice wavering. “She’s beautiful.”

  “We can’t wait to meet her,” Clare said. “We’ll be there tomorrow.”

  “Looking forward to seeing you all,” Kate said. “Poppy can’t wait to meet you, either.”

  “You look beautiful, Kate,” Andi said.

  “Doesn’t she?” Reid asked. “You’d never know what she just went through.”

  “Thanks, guys. You’re good for a girl’s ego. Aidan, will you let Grammy and the rest of the O’Malleys know that Poppy has arrived?”

  “I already hit the group text, and congrats are flooding in. Colin is calling me Gramps.”