Next Door Secrets (Secrets Series Book 2)

by Lenfestey, Karen

  “How’s the Mall Land empire?”

  “Fine. We’re looking to expand into Minnesota and Idaho.”

  He nodded. “Whenever I babysit my grandkids, they beg me to take them to Mall Land. Even if we don’t need anything, my wife always manages to find something to buy. You’ve tapped into the psyche of women everywhere. I bet young mothers are even better for business than grandmothers.”

  Parker chuckled. “Yes. It seems to be just what American families need and want.” He was proud of his business, but he knew he’d be even prouder if he helped some poor families in Africa learn how to provide for their own families. Why hadn’t he heard anything from the recruiter? He made a mental note to call. Why did he keep forgetting to do that?

  “Are you all right?” Dr. Gartin’s gray eyebrows tilted downward. “You just groaned.”

  “Did I?” Parker felt his face flush. “I didn’t realize. I’m frustrated at how my memory seems to be going.”

  “Have you told anyone at the office yet? It might help them to cut you some slack.”

  “No and I don’t intend to. I don’t want anyone to feel sorry for me. I plan on walking away before the Huntington’s takes over.”

  “Have you told your family or friends?” As Parker shook his head, the doctor continued. “Your girlfriend knows, though, right?”

  “I don’t have a girlfriend.” Parker made sure his tone expressed that the topic was off-limits.

  “Sorry to hear that. You’ll need to start telling the people close to you at some point. You’ll need to make arrangements for people to help you.”

  “I’m well aware of the disease’s progression.” Even worse than the people at work finding out, would be informing his mother. She’d taken care of his father as the disease snaked its way through the man’s brain. She still felt guilty for finally having to put her husband in a home because she didn’t have the strength to lift him in and out of the tub. It would rip her heart in two to watch her son go through the same slow demise. He would be doing her a favor by leaving the country.

  The doctor typed some notes on the office computer. “So, do you want a prescription for the Haldol?”

  Parker promised himself he’d hit the sink and lather up as soon as the doctor left the room. Perhaps that would provide him some stress-relief. “Yes, I believe I do.”

  # # #

  The ringing phone woke Beth from the nap that had snuck up on her. She and Kaylee had taken turns twirling and jumping a long rope with Maria all afternoon and while Kaylee had boundless energy, Beth had reached her limit. Her body was still adjusting to starting her day two hours early and today she’d crashed after Kaylee went home.

  Lifting her head from the arm of the couch, Beth answered the incessant noise. Her voice barely worked. “Hello?”

  “This is Connie Taylor. I want to know what the hell happened when Hannah came to visit you.”

  Beth bolted upright. Had Hannah confessed about the pregnancy? Just in case Hannah hadn’t, Beth didn’t want to reveal too much. “Uh, what do you mean?”

  “I mean ever since she came home, she’s been acting weird. She’s been sneaking out of her bedroom window at night and now she’s quit the swim team.”

  It made sense. Her pregnancy would be hard to hide in a Speedo. “Connie, I don’t want to get in the middle of things with you two. When Hannah was here, I encouraged her to talk to you.”

  “Talk to me about what?”

  Beth rubbed the side of her face that had been smashed against the couch. “Birth control.”

  “You’re the one who put that into her head?” Her pitch rose. “She is way too young to have sex!”

  “I agree. Like I said, I don’t want to come between you two.” Beth looked out her window at two young kids swinging on the apartment’s swing set. The streetlights popped on and the children’s mom signaled for them to stop playing and head home.

  “So what exactly did you two discuss?”

  Taking a deep breath, Beth considered her answer. “She told me about her boyfriend, Ryan, and that she was thinking about taking things to the next level.” Guilt wove its way inside of her. Surely none of this mattered now. “I told her not to rush into anything and to discuss birth control with you.”

  “My daughter’s sex life is none of your business.”

  “Believe me, I kept steering her back to you.” But you went crazy when she finally did reach out. And the worst scenario has come true. It didn’t sound like Connie knew, though. “May I speak to Hannah?”

  “Why?”

  “I. . .I don’t want to break any of her confidences.”

  “I’m her mother! Not you! What the hell did she confide in you that she won’t tell me? I can tell something’s wrong.”

  Terribly wrong. “Please, may I speak to Hannah? Just for a minute?”

  There were some shuffling sounds and footsteps that came over the line. “Bethany?” came Hannah’s meek voice.

  “It’s me. Have you told your mom yet?”

  “Uh. . . no. She’s standing right here.”

  Beth rubbed the crusty sleep out of her eye. “You need to tell her. She loves you and will help you figure out what to do.”

  “I can’t. She’ll hate me.”

  “Not a chance. She’ll be disappointed, I’m sure.” God knew Beth was. “Have you thought any more about adoption? My offer still stands.”

  Hannah didn’t say anything and Beth suspected she needed to quit pressuring the girl.

  Since it was getting dark, Beth stood and closed the blinds. “I’m sorry. This isn’t about me. This is 100% about you and what’s best for the baby.”

  Sobs filled the silence. “I can’t tell her. Will you do it?”

  “You want me to tell your mom about the pregnancy?” Her pulse increased tenfold.

  More crying. In the background, Connie said, “Tell me what? Hannah Marie Taylor, tell me what’s going on right this minute!” A moment later the phone sounded as if it had traveled from one person’s hands to the next.

  “Hello?” Beth asked. Had they forgotten about her?

  “It’s Connie. Tell me what the hell’s going on.”

  This didn’t seem right. Beth hated to bring bad news to anyone. She hadn’t even spilled about her own pregnancy to her parents until years later, but now she had to tell Hannah’s mom the sad news?

  Well, Hannah had asked her to do it. And she had to take Hannah’s lead on what their relationship would be. Beth cleared her throat. “Connie, I’m sorry to tell you this, but Hannah is. . . pregnant.”

  “What?” She shrieked into the phone. “Hannah Marie, is this true?”

  Beth could hear her daughter crying, then saying, “I’m sorry, Mom.”

  “It’s that jerk Ryan, isn’t it?” Connie said in the background. “I knew he was trouble. That’s why I told you not to see him anymore. He’s gonna pay for this.”

  “Mom, it’s not him.”

  “Who then?”

  “I’m not saying. It doesn’t matter.”

  A moment later, Connie’s voice softened. “Do you want to keep the baby?”

  “Part of me does, but part of me wants to go off to college next year. Does that make me selfish?”

  Beth imagined Connie sitting next to Hannah on her purple bedspread and pulling her in for a hug. Then she heard Connie say, “Shhh. Don’t cry. We’ll figure this out together.” Then the line disconnected.

  Still tense from the phone call and vicariously reliving her past, Beth rubbed the back of her neck. At least Connie seemed more understanding than Beth’s mom would’ve been. Sure, an unplanned pregnancy still wasn’t welcomed, but at least she wouldn’t be worried about how it would look to the whole congregation, like Beth’s parents would’ve been. All Connie had to do was deal with judgmental looks from the neighbors.

  Would Connie encourage Hannah to choose adoption? How much had adoption changed in the last sixteen years? She flipped open her laptop and typed in “Dalla
s adoption agencies.”

  Selecting the first one, she read the welcome message that offered adoption support groups, open adoption, closed adoption and everything in-between. “Adoption is a loving choice and takes many forms. Let us help you create the relationship that works best for you and your child.”

  She chose the link that said “Adoptive Families,” and professional photos of young, smiling couples formed a column down the page. Next to each picture were their names: Timothy and Alyssa Baker, Peter and Diane Fearless, Steven and Sally Hendrickson, etc. There were tons of couples. She clicked on the Bakers and saw even more photos of the happy couple. On their wedding day, walking in the woods holding hands, playing with their black Lab. She started reading their profile.

  When we met in college, we knew we’d get married someday. Timothy and I were both pre-vet and were determined to finish school before tying the knot. Once we earned our DVMs, we worked for other vets until we had enough money to start our own practice together. Since then, we’ve been taking care of Coal, our black Lab, and trying to start a family. Unfortunately, we have fertility issues. We’ve tried several rounds of IVF, but I keep having miscarriages. At this point, we’ve decided that God wants us to adopt. Timothy and I both love kids and can’t imagine our lives without them. We enjoy reading, hiking, canoeing, and of course, animals. I would even take a year off of work in order to devote myself to our new baby. Please allow us to be a part of your child’s life. We are willing to do any kind of open adoption, even welcoming regular visits from the birth parents, if they would like.

  As Beth finished reading, she returned to the page with all of the parents’ profiles. Every single picture was a couple. No single parents. They probably didn’t have a shot. Like Hannah said, if she wanted her baby to have a single mother, she’d raise him or her herself.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  Sometimes the cure was just as bad as the problem. Parker stifled a yawn as Tina handed him the messages that had been left on her voicemail overnight. “How are you?”

  Today she wore a navy sheath dress on her tiny frame. “I’m good. And you?” She stood there at attention as if whatever Parker had to say was her top priority.

  “Fine. I didn’t sleep well, but I’ll get over it.” He wondered if this was a side effect from the Haldol. If so, he wasn’t sure it was worth it.

  “Would you rather I brought you regular coffee today?”

  “No.” He didn’t want to risk his hands twitching. “I keep telling you that I don’t expect you to bring me coffee at all.”

  She shrugged. “I don’t mind. It’s just as easy to pour you a cup when I get mine.”

  He sorted through the pink message slips and hesitated when he saw Ivy’s name. “What does she want?” An involuntary sigh pushed out of his lungs.

  “Something wrong?”

  Shaking his head, he thought about the fact that Ivy’s mom had sent a baby shower invitation to Beth. Ivy probably hadn’t told her mom yet about the end of their friendship. Just like she hadn’t mentioned the end of her marriage to her mom. “My ex won’t accept that it’s over.”

  Tina gave him a sympathetic look.

  Thinking of Beth, he wasn’t doing too well separating from her, either. He’d nearly brought her to tears yesterday when he announced they’d never get married. A box of chocolates could hardly make up for that. “Tina, you’ve dated a few guys, right?”

  She crossed her arms. “I suppose.”

  “Do you mind if I ask you some advice?” He got up and closed the door to give them some privacy. “Have a seat.” He gestured toward the sitting area in the corner of his office. After she selected a chair, he sat across from her. She always seemed a bit skittish, like a mouse, and he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.

  “This is kind of strange. You’ve never asked for my advice before.”

  Theirs had always been a professional relationship. He knew she grew up on a farm, but because of hay fever, preferred the city life. She knew that he worked from sun up to sundown, pouring his heart into Mall Land. First, as founder and CEO and even now, when he was supposed to focus on their educational outreach programs, he still assisted the new president in most major decisions.

  He cracked his knuckles. “I’m wondering, what’s the best way to break up with someone?”

  “Are you talking about Ivy? I would think the fact that you’ve hired a divorce lawyer would make it pretty clear that it’s over.”

  Chuckling, he leaned back. “I’m talking about someone else. I don’t want to hurt her feelings, but I also don’t want her to get too attached.” Even as he spoke the words, he knew it was too late. “Is it possible to gently let someone know you’re not interested?”

  “Do you want to remain friends after the break-up?”

  “Definitely.” The scene from When Harry met Sally popped into his mind. Harry said it’s impossible for men and women to be friends if it’s someone they’re attracted to. And Parker was definitely attracted to Beth with her perky nose, blue eyes and curvy physique. “Do you think that’s possible?”

  She crossed her legs. “That’s probably the most difficult kind of break-up to achieve.”

  “Whenever I broke up with girls in college, it wasn’t a big deal. I’d simply not schedule another date. After a while, they figured it out. In hindsight, I wonder if I was too callous. I don’t know. They seemed to deal with it OK, but I’ve been out of the dating scene for sixteen years. I keep trying to pull away from this woman, but it doesn’t seem to be working.”

  “Why not?”

  Thoughts collided inside his brain. Because he couldn’t stand to hurt Beth. Because every time she called, his heart skipped a beat and he couldn’t wait to talk to her. Because in another situation, he’d ask her to be his wife. “Can I tell you a secret?”

  Leaning forward, she raised her eyebrows. “Sure. I’m good at keeping secrets.”

  He swallowed. “I’m thinking of doing volunteer work in Africa for a while. Before I go, I need to break-up with my girlfriend.”

  “She won’t support your going away?”

  “I don’t know. She might be willing to wait for me, but that’s just it. I don’t want her to. I want her to move on with her life. I want her to find someone else and pursue her dreams just like I’ll be pursuing mine.”

  Her tiny mouth twitched to the side. “It sounds like you really care about her.”

  “I do. That’s the problem. So how do I break up with her without being a total jerk?”

  “Good question. Have you tried telling her the truth?”

  A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “What a crazy idea.”

  # # #

  Standing on Beth’s stoop, Kaylee demonstrated the Walk the Dog yo-yo trick.

  Beth clapped before she picked up the basket of goodies resting at Kaylee’s feet. “Wow! How did you learn to do that?”

  “By watching YouTube.”

  Chuckling, Beth unlocked the apartment door so they could go inside. “You must’ve practiced a lot.” She put down the basket and reached for her smartphone. “Let me get a video of that.”

  While being recorded, Kaylee demonstrated the trick again. “Did you know today’s my birthday?”

  “It is?” Beth put down her phone and kicked off her loafers. “How old are you--nine?”

  “No.” Kaylee pulled a homemade granola bar out of the basket and took a bite. No matter how much Beth corrected her, she still had no problem talking with her mouth full. “Now I’m eight. Today’s my secret birthday.”

  The air stopped moving in and out of Beth’s lungs for a second. “What’s a secret birthday?”

  “It’s my real birthday, but Dad said I’m not supposed to tell anyone. I figure me and you are friends, though.”

  “You and I.” Even though grammar was the least of her worries, the maternal instinct never seemed to take a vacation for Beth. She crouched down to the child’s level. “I’m confused. You really were se
ven until today?”

  Kaylee nodded. “My school records say I’m eight, but my real birthday is today! Can we go get ice cream to celebrate? Dad’s killing me with all of these healthy snacks.” She gestured toward the half-eaten granola bar in her hand.

  Returning to her five-foot-four-inch height, Beth rubbed her head. Her mother hadn’t found out any information yet, but this gave credibility to the Facebook page. It had said the missing girl was seven and the truth was, Kaylee had been seven until today. Jim must’ve forged her birth certificate, changing her birthdate and name and everything. This poor girl had to live a lie.

  “Maybe after we visit Maria at the church, we can get some ice cream. Or low-fat frozen yogurt.”

  “I want ice cream! Dad said he might bake me a cake, but I can’t have a party or invite any of my friends. It’s not fair.” She bit into her granola bar with a vengeance.

  Beth patted Kaylee’s shoulder. “OK. Let me change clothes and I promise we’ll get ice cream.”

  Dropping a raisin on the floor, Kaylee shoved the last of the granola into her mouth. She picked up the shriveled fruit and dropped it into the trash. “What’s this?” Holding up Ivy’s baby shower invitation that had been in the trash, she followed Beth into the bedroom. “Is this your friend we visited in the hospital?”

  “Yes.” It was the easy answer. “We were roommates in college.” Beth stepped into the bathroom to change into jeans and a T-shirt. When she returned to the bedroom, she tossed her dirty clothes into the laundry hamper.

  “The baby’s name is Parker?” Confusion crossed Kaylee’s smooth features. “Isn’t that the name of that guy--your friend?”

  “Uh-huh.” Beth focused on tying her walking shoes. That guy who was not her boyfriend. That guy she loved. That guy who didn’t want to be with her. Yeah, that was Parker all right.

  Beth took the invitation out of Kaylee’s hand and set it face down on her coffee table. Soon they were out the door, enjoying the mild weather. Birds were singing and the flowers were starting to bloom. “I love spring, don’t you?”

  “It’s my favorite time of year because it’s when I was born.”