“I can’t imagine you allowing an infant, even if it is your grandbaby, to spit up on your clothes.”
The older woman sobered. “You really don’t know me, do you, Crystal? I may not have been the mother you needed when you were younger, and I’ll carry that guilt to my grave. But I will never pressure you into getting married and having children just to give me a second chance to make it right with my grandbabies.”
Reaching over, Crystal covered her mother’s hand with her own. “None of us are born knowing how to parent, but thankfully we’re given a second chance when it comes to grandbabies.” She sighed. “The only thing I’m going to say is if or when I do make you a grandmother, you’re not allowed to spoil them rotten, or they’re going to have to live with you full-time.”
Jasmine grinned like the Cheshire cat. “Now I know why I haven’t sold the house—because there’s plenty of room for them to run amok.” Her four-thousand-square-foot home, set on an acre of manicured land overlooking a man-made lake, had four bedrooms and five bathrooms—more than enough room for several grandchildren to frolic in wild abandon.
“And what if they break one of your priceless artifacts?”
“It won’t matter, because everything’s insured.”
This Jasmine Cornelia Eaton was someone Crystal truly did not know. She’d lost track of the number of times she’d begged her to stop smoking, but to no avail. And in the past she had always professed she didn’t want to become a grandmother until she was at least sixty-five. What or who, Crystal mused, had been instrumental in changing her mother into someone who’d become a stranger?
“I wonder how Daddy would react to becoming a grandfather.”
Jasmine rolled her eyes upward. “Maybe he’d realize he’s getting much too old to continue marrying women young enough to be his daughters.”
“He doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to marry his latest girlfriend. Maybe he’ll come to the realization that he can wine, dine and take them away on vacation without being obligated to marry them. I did call him, hoping to see him before I leave, but his assistant told me a group of homeowners and farmers in North Dakota asked to meet with him before they lease their land to oil companies for fracking and drilling.”
“And knowing Raleigh, he’ll look out for their interests as if they were his own.”
Crystal had to agree with her mother. Raleigh Eaton had acquired a sixth sense when it came to investing and financial planning, and those who relied on his business acumen were never disappointed.
She picked up the menu, studying the selections. “What do you recommend?”
Reaching into her handbag, Jasmine took out a pair of reading glasses, perching them on the end of her nose. “The cherry-cheese blintzes are wonderful if you like something sweet, but right now I’m sort of partial to focaccia with smoked salmon and crème fraîche.”
Crystal continued to scan the menu. “I think I’ll start with a melon salad with a yogurt-honey dressing and a slice of mushroom quiche.”
“After we order I want you to tell me about Charleston.”
* * *
May first—May Day. It was a day Crystal would never forget, nor the doctor’s diagnosis: Miss Eaton, you don’t have a stomach virus. We ran a few tests and you’re pregnant.
She remembered screaming without making a sound, and when she did recover her voice she couldn’t stop crying. The doctor waited for her to settle down, then called in the ob-gyn to examine her.
When she revealed she hadn’t missed a period, the doctor quietly explained there were women who had their period throughout their entire pregnancy, and it was only when they went into labor that it became apparent they’d been carrying a child.
A sonogram revealed she was in her second trimester and she was having a girl. How could she call Joseph and tell him she now was pregnant when they’d been apart for three months? He’d think her either crazy or a fraud—someone who wanted to trick him into marrying her. There was no way she would relive the insanity of her parents.
She instructed her father to sell her Fort Lauderdale property, then called Levi in Kentucky and asked whether she could live in his Mamaroneck, New York, condo until his return.
Initially she refused to tell her parents why she’d decided to relocate to New York, but as her condition became more apparent she set up a videoconference, informing them they were to become grandparents. What she refused to reveal was the name of her baby’s father. The exception was Selena and Xavier, whom she swore to secrecy. Xavier protested, saying Joseph had a right to know he’d fathered a child until Crystal reminded him of her parents’ volatile marriage.
Everything for Crystal changed when Levi fell in love with Angela Chase and accepted a position as head of pediatrics at a small hospital ten miles from Louisville. And for the second time within a decade, she would claim New York as her permanent home state.
* * *
Her pregnancy was uneventful. She delivered a healthy six-pound, two-ounce baby girl on a rainy October night. Jasmine had flown up a week before she was to give birth.
Jasmine and Raleigh alternated coming to New York to visit their granddaughter, while Crystal put her career on hold until Meredith was old enough to attend school.
She’d become her mother, but without the bitterness that had plagued Jasmine for years.
She enjoyed running while pushing her daughter along a jogging path, befriended other young mothers she met in a local park and was only reminded of the man with whom she’d fallen in love whenever someone mentioned the bracelet.
Being a new mother had its drawbacks. She’d become sleep-deprived when she had to get up every four hours to breast-feed, or when she would sleep on the floor next to the crib to feel the tiny hands or feet to check to see if Meredith’s fever had spiked.
Being a new mother also had its rewards when Meredith learned to sit up, roll over, learned to say Dada, Mama, bottle, and demand more to eat when it was something she liked. The first time she stood up and took three steps before landing on her bottom Crystal cried happy tears. Her baby was now a toddler.
Crystal had just finished taking a load of wash from the dryer when her phone rang. Anchoring the wicker basket on her hip, she raced into the kitchen to answer it before it woke Meredith. “Hello.”
“Is this Ms. Crystal Eaton?”
She went still. “Who’s asking?”
“Are you Ms. Eaton?”
Setting down the basket, Crystal flopped down on the chair in the breakfast nook. “Yes.”
“Raleigh Eaton has listed you as his emergency contact.” She listened, chills washing over her body when the woman informed her that her father had come to the E.R. complaining of chest pain. An EKG indicated several blocked arteries and the attending cardiologist recommended surgery.
“Is he...?” She couldn’t complete the question.
“He’s stabilized, but the doctor wants to wait until you get here to explain the procedure.”
“When’s the surgery?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
Her fear and anxiety vanished, replaced by a surge of determination. Crystal knew she had to be strong, not for herself but for her father.
Chapter 14
Sweet Silver Bells
Joseph stopped for a red light at a four-way intersection. He’d almost forgotten how heavy Miami rush-hour traffic could be. He stared into the rearview mirror unable to believe the woman who’d haunted his dreams sat a few feet behind him.
When he’d walked into the terminal and had seen Crystal, Joseph believed he’d conjured her up.
He’d been in an emotional tailspin, placing his social life on hold, while waiting for her to call him, not for him to remove the bracelet but to tell her how much he loved her and wanted to share his life with her. And Joseph had been wi
lling to wait, wait another eighteen months or eighteen years.
If he’d changed inwardly, it had been the reverse with Crystal. Her face was fuller, her body lush, and a chin-length, layered haircut had replaced the short coif.
He had given her time, and after ColeDiz Tea’s first successful harvest, Joseph checked out of the Beaumont House and found himself constantly checking his phone for her call. He’d scroll through his telephone contacts for her name, but a sense of pride—stubborn pride—wouldn’t let him tap her number.
A smile tilted the corners of his mouth upward, the gesture reaching his eyes when they lingered on the angelic face of the child he and Crystal had created. Joseph quickly did the math in his head. If Merry was born in October, then he’d probably gotten Crystal pregnant the first and only time they’d had unprotected sex. His smile vanished.
Why, he thought, had she told him she wasn’t pregnant when she had been?
He wanted and needed answers, answers that could wait until after her family crisis.
* * *
Crystal quickened her pace when her mother rose slowly from where she’d sat in the lobby of the small private hospital specializing in the heart. “Mama,” she whispered, choking back a sob. “How is he?”
Pulling back, Jasmine cradled her face and kissed her cheek. “He’s resting.” She glanced over Crystal’s shoulder at the tall man holding her granddaughter. “He found you.”
Turning around, Crystal stared at a babbling Merry, who was pointing to the button on the collar of Joseph’s shirt. “I’ll explain everything to you later,” she said through clenched teeth. She beckoned him closer. “Joseph, I’d like you to meet my mother.”
Merry, recognizing her grandmother’s familiar face, leaned over for Jasmine to take her.
“Mum, Mum,” she repeated over and over. She hadn’t learned to say Grandma.
Jasmine took the child from Joseph’s arms. “Come here, baby girl.” She gave her granddaughter a noisy kiss on the cheek. “Grandma loves you.”
Joseph extended his hand to Jasmine. Now he knew where Crystal had gotten her beauty. Her mother was stunning. “I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances, Mrs. Eaton.” He inclined his head. “I’m Joseph Cole-Wilson. Meredith’s father.”
Jasmine gave him a long stare. “Only someone with impaired vision would miss the resemblance, Mr. Cole-Wilson.”
His mouth tightened in frustration. “Please call me Joseph, Mrs. Eaton.”
There was a barely perceptible lifting of an eyebrow. It was apparent her mother wasn’t going to make it easy for her granddaughter’s father. When she’d finally revealed the identity of her baby’s father, Jasmine feared Joseph would sue Crystal for full custody, charging her with deception.
“I haven’t decided yet whether I’ll allow you to call me Jasmine.”
“Mother!” Crystal chastised. Her mother might have been called a lot of things, but never rude. In fact, Jasmine prided herself on having impeccable manners.
Joseph held up a hand. “It’s okay, sweetie.” He could’ve bitten off his tongue when Crystal glared at him. The endearment had slipped out unconsciously. He’d found himself in the presence of three generations of beautiful Eaton women, and two of them were giving him the stink-eye. He took a step backward. “I’ll wait here, Crystal, while you go and check on your father.”
Jasmine handed Crystal her visitor’s badge. “He’s in room 218.” She held Merry at arm’s length. “You need changing. And she also needs to change out of these heavy clothes.” She rubbed noses with Merry. “Grandma will take you shopping and buy some pretty dresses for you.”
Crystal attached the badge to the collar of her jacket. “Her diaper bag is in Joseph’s car.”
“I’ll go and get it,” he volunteered.
Waiting until Joseph walked out, Crystal shifted her attention to Jasmine. “Mama, please don’t make this more complicated than it is.”
“What do you intend to do, Crystal? Roll over and let him take your child?”
She shook her head. “It’s not going to be like that.”
“Are you sure?”
Crystal nodded. “Very sure. Joseph knows Merry and I are a package deal. He can’t have one without the other.”
“Have you talked about it?” Jasmine questioned.
“We don’t have to talk about it,” Crystal countered. Don’t you believe a child needs both parents? She recalled Joseph’s query as if he’d just spoken it. He’d grown up with both of his parents, and he wanted the same for his child or children.
The seconds ticked as Jasmine met her eyes. “Do you love him?”
She paused, wondering why her mother was bringing up something to which she knew the answer. Crystal had admitted to Jasmine that she’d fallen in love with Joseph. “Yes, Mother. I love him.” She ruffled Merry’s mussed curls, knowing she had to shampoo her hair, which always resulted in a test of wills. Merry didn’t like water on her face. Turning on the heels of her running shoes, she headed for the elevator.
Crystal stopped in the doorway to Raleigh’s private room. The handsome, elegant man who had women from eighteen to eighty flirting shamelessly to catch his attention appeared to be a shadow of his former self. The rich color in his khaki-brown complexion was missing and his wavy gray hair appeared lifeless, brittle. How, she wondered, had he aged that much since she last saw him at the Eaton family reunion the last weekend in May?
He hadn’t brought his fiancée, and Crystal wondered if he’d come to his senses and decided he didn’t have to have a woman in his life in order to feel complete.
She walked in, smiling when he turned to stare at her. He was hooked up to a machine monitoring his vitals. “Hi, Daddy.”
Raleigh waved her closer. “Hi, baby. How did you get here so fast?”
Crystal pulled up chair next to the bed and took his hand, examining the large, slender, professionally groomed fingers. Her parents were two of a kind. Both had standing appointments for hair and nails. “I flew down, Daddy.”
He smiled. “I just had the attack this morning. You managed to get a flight that fast?”
“I paid for a first-class seat.”
Raleigh’s smile vanished. “I’ll reimburse you.”
“Don’t you dare talk about money when you should be thinking about getting better so you can leave this place.”
“But you’re not working, baby.”
“Have you forgotten I have money from when you bought my condo?” Her father had purchased the condo from her, claiming he wanted to hold on to it for investment purposes.
Raleigh’s eyelids fluttered. “Yeah. I forgot about that.”
Crystal wondered if her father had been given something to make him sleep. “What were you doing before you had chest pains?”
“Golfing.”
She closed her eyes while shaking her head. “Daddy, you can’t golf in ninety-degree weather even if it is October.”
“I found that out the hard way. You know that they call a heart attack the widow maker.” His eyes opened, meeting his daughter’s tender gaze. “If I wasn’t golfing, then I never would’ve known I had a couple of blocked arteries.”
“That may be true,” Crystal retorted, “but you’re going to have to modify your diet.” Even though Raleigh didn’t have a problem with his weight, she knew he occasionally ate the wrong foods for a middle-aged man.
“I know. No fried, fat, or fast foods.” He exhaled an audible sigh. “After surgery I’ll be in ICU for a couple of days.”
“You know you can’t go home once you’re discharged.”
“Why not?”
“You need around-the-clock monitoring, Daddy. I’ll have Mother set up a room for you.”
“No, no and no. I’m not going to put your mother out. Be
sides, Tonya can take care of me.”
“Who’s Tonya?”
“She’s my fiancée.”
“The one you didn’t bring to the family reunion?”
“We had words, so she decided not to come.”
Crystal released his hand. “You had words? What if you have words and she walks out and you end up on the floor? You appointed me to be your medical proxy, and that means I have the final say where it concerns your health, not some stranger who’ll bail on you if things aren’t going her way.”
“What about your mother?” Raleigh asked. “Won’t she have the final say when it comes to me staying in her house?”
“I’ll talk to her, Daddy.” Crystal wanted to remind Raleigh that Jasmine had come to see him round the clock, and that should’ve been proof enough of her concern for his physical well-being.
“If she says it’s okay, then I’ll stay.”
She noticed he was slurring his words. Rising, Crystal leaned over and kissed Raleigh’s forehead. “Get some rest, Daddy. I’ll come back tomorrow to see you once you’re out of recovery.”
Raleigh smiled. “How’s my grandbaby girl?”
“All sugar and a little spice.” Merry was all sweetness until it came time to wash her hair.
“That’s my baby.”
She kissed him again. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you back,” he slurred, his chest rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm.
She took the elevator down to the lobby, handing in the visitor’s pass. Joseph sat next to Jasmine, who’d removed Merry’s outer clothing, leaving her in an undershirt and a disposable diaper.
It appeared as if her mother and Joseph were engaged in a serious conversation. Crystal froze when Jasmine leaned over and pressed her mouth to Joseph’s cheek at the same time his arm went around the shoulders of his daughter’s grandmother. It was apparent they’d reached a compromise. Now all Crystal had to do was convince her mother to let her ex-husband recuperate under her roof.
Sweet Silver Bells Page 20
