“Let me see if I can get hold of your brother Angus.” Farris shook off his sleep. “I’ll make the pick-up arrangements with him. In the meantime, how are you?”
“I’m using the damned breast pump as fast as I can,” Clarice gasped. “I’ve got you on speaker. As soon as Prof Santana rouses a baby sitter, she’s driving me to Nashville. I’ll leave all the emergency numbers where you and Angus can find them.” She clicked off the phone line.
Farris turned on the light and went to his desk for his own set of emergency numbers. Angus, like all young men, was hard to rouse, but he snapped to attention immediately when he learned what had happened. “I’ll get over to her place and hold the fort until the Prof can find a babysitter,” he announced, amid noises of retrieval of fallen clothes. “Just call me with your ETA when you get it, and I’ll meet you over at the Dinkysburg Airport.”
Farris then made a whirlwind series of calls, all the while dressing himself and throwing together a few clothes to take with him. Within half an hour, he was seeing to the refueling of his plane. His fears lay with his new wife, despite the current physical conditions of his new mother-in-law. His gut told him that this was all part of some plot for revenge, hashed out by a spiteful old biddy who has finally realized she had lost the war. He scowled at the thought of this hanging over Clarice’s head like a black cloud of guilt.
“God, I’m glad I can leave you guys in charge here,” he told Terry McGee, who had dressed hurriedly and met him at the aircraft hangar. “The old witch was bound to pull something like this, I just hope nobody hands Clarice the suicide note. My whole marital situation is going balls up for the foreseeable future.”
It was mid-morning before Angus drove the old truck into what he called ‘Dinkysburg Airport’. “What’s the word?” he asked the ground control officer.
“Mr. Croxton will be here within the half hour,” that worthy assured him, “and he’s made arrangements to leave the plane here several days. You let me know if there’s any other way I can help.”
Angus sat in the elderly truck, sweating and trying to relax, until the small metal dot appeared in the sky. He got out and walked to the aircraft as it descended. Farris squealed to a stop, the runway still slick from a random rainfall. Angus watched anxiously for his exit, tapping a nervous finger on his jeans.
Farris jumped from the cockpit almost immediately, taking only a few moments to give instructions, and a wad of money, to the ground control officer. Then he grabbed his small bag and hurried over to Angus. “How are things now?”
“Get in and cool off,” Angus responded. “I’ve got some cold water in the cooler on the seat. I’ll give you the latest while we drive.”
“First off,” Angus started, “the situation has changed a little. The local drug store is already delivering some formula to the cottage to use when we run out of breast milk. Some fool policeman called and upset Clarice, and Prof Santana summoned our Sheriff’s Department to run Clarice up to the Vanderbilt Psych Ward. Prof got the whole thing fixed up with Dr. Carstairs. The poor girl’s really lost it temporarily, and, of course, the baby can’t use her milk when she’s all doped up.”
“Run that by me again.” Farris felt the bottom coming out of his world.
“Look, it’s not that bad, really,” Angus insisted. “Clarice was in fairly heavy therapy right up until little John Thomas was born. This, plus the birth hormones, has thrown her over the edge. She’ll be alright, really; Dr. Carstairs says so.”
“Alright.” Farris took a swallow of water. “I’ve just about got my head wrapped around that. Now, what’s with John Thomas?”
“Right now, Prof Santana and a couple of art coeds are sitting with him. The Prof’s got the full list of instructions Clarice wrote down before she got out of the hospital. We’ve still got some untainted breast milk, and the drug store formula comes with instructions. Everybody will be glad to see you when we get to the cottage, though.” A few minutes later, Angus eased the aging truck onto the stubble-covered ground.
Professor Santana met them at the front door, hands flat in front of her as if to ward off a blow. “Just a minute, Mr. Croxton. Let me get a word in edgewise before you blow your top. Clarice is going to be okay. Some idiot from the police department insisted on reading her a portion of her mother’s suicide note over the phone, and that did it. Fortunately, I was here at the time and helped her contact Dr. Carstairs.”
Farris could feel his temperature boiling at the news, his worst fear come to life. That moron, why would he tell a new mother in her condition something like that just after breaking the news of her mother’s attempted suicide? Where the hell did he get his badge anyway?
“Now. The drug store’s delivered the formula, with instructions for use when we need it. My girls are going to be happy to see you, because John Thomas is upset and needs his daddy.”
Farris rushed into the room, where a college girl in flip-flops was walking John Thomas in a circle, rubbing his back to soothe him. “Oh, good, Daddy’s here,” the girl said. “That flying suit won’t be much the worse for a little drool. Here’s an old diaper you can use.” She draped an obviously used cloth over Farris’ shoulder and handed the baby to him.
Farris began the pats and murmurings he used when one of the bitches had new pups, and his son began to calm down. Big blue eyes stared into Farris’ face. “You know,” Farris said quietly, “Dr. Shaunessy said your eyes are probably going to change color, but that won’t matter between us. You’re my boy, regardless, and you always will be.” The professor and her students looked awed and tremendously relieved. It was clear that Farris would be as good at fathering as he was at raising his horses and ranch, his gentle and reassuring hands were also good for soothing nervous baby boys back to calmness. Farris continued his stroking. “All right, Angus, where do we go from here?”
Angus sat down across from him. “I’ve talked to my Dad, he’s at Vanderbilt right now. His suggestion is that I hire a car here locally that will accommodate the car seat, we can even get one with air conditioning. I’ll drive up to our house, where my sisters are just waiting for a chance to play with the baby. Once we get there, we can leave John Thomas and his gear, and I can take you to see Clarice, or you can rent a car up there.”
“That sounds good.” Farris looked up at Lea Santana. “I remember a diaper bag, and a bunch of other bits and bobs. Can you and your girls collect them, along with the formula?”
The girls gave a giggle at Farris’s vague attempt to take charge of the baby situation. Setting about quickly they located everything little John Thomas would need on the trip. Angus set about reserving the car and the three said their goodbyes to the helpers, waiting anxiously for headlights. Soon the car pulled in the drive and the two men hurried along with baby in hand. Farris’s thoughts drifted sadly to his new wife. She must be so afraid right now. He thought sadly to himself as they drove along.
Alexandra and Bruna Pirtle were delighted to have a chance to play with their new nephew, cooing and laughing at the site of him in his car seat. Farris watched nervously as the woman dotted on his son’s every whim, but knew that John Thomas would at least be in knowing hands while he dealt with this mess. Angus drove Farris to the Vanderbilt Psychiatric Unit to meet Angus’ father.
John Pirtle led both men into the waiting room and sat them down. “Clarice is sleeping now, and they’ll explain to you at the desk the whole rigmarole you’ll have to go through to see her.” He looked at Farris’ dark-rimmed eyes. “You need some rest, too and we’ll have to see you get a quiet bedroom tonight. Actually, this whole thing with Clarice is not as serious as it looks, and it may even prove a blessing she’s getting the thing dealt with now.”
“I’ve heard of post-partum depression,” Farris admitted, “and wondered if Clarice would have a problem with it after all she’s been through.”
“It would have been nasty if she hadn’t just been doing all that therapy with Dr. Carstairs,” Pirtle admitted. �
�As for Marion, I’m afraid this is just the first of many spells I’ll have to deal with, since you’re getting Clarice out of reach.” He snorted suddenly. “And to think one of my bosses told me I had a cheap whore!”
“You’re having to handle some of the expenses for Mrs. Saxe’s care?” Farris asked, genuinely concerned.
Pirtle looked like steam was about to come out of his ears. “Trust Marion to have the cheapest health care – and the highest deductibles currently available. Well, she’s going to have to take an Affordable Care Act policy from now on, because now she’s got one hell of a pre-existing condition.”
Angus stared over at his father, eyes wide. “You mean you don’t think Ms. Saxe made a genuine suicide attempt?”
Pirtle just looked disgusted. “The police have determined Marion took six fairly strong tranquilizers with a fifth of Jack Daniels, slashed her wrists with a lady’s razor, and then pushed her medical alert button. Every law man worth his salt has seen that scenario before, and so have most doctors and bankers.”
“Apparently there was a suicide note,” Farris interjected. “Some damn fool in the police tried to read Clarice a portion of it over the phone.”
“Faugh!” Pirtle snorted. “Some of our country officers have spaghetti for brains. I heard Marion had written a note, a five page screed that would push anybody’s buttons. Poor little Clarice. The Franklin County fuzz will probably start calling me now that Dr. Carstairs has her on ice.”
“You think Ms. Saxe wrote some nasty stuff about you, Dad?” Angus asked. “Good grief, that was nearly twenty-seven years ago!”
“I think she directed her venom at Clarice, Farris here, the entire University staff at Sewanee, me, and a couple of her aunts who died forty years ago,” Pirtle replied. “Marion never would let a good mad spell go to waste. She may even have used up a little ink on you and that pathetic little blighter who runs her office.”
Farris was thinking. “So I can get a binding agreement that will keep her out of Kentucky and Clarice’s hair, but I can’t keep her out of the local loony bin.”
“Precisely,” Pirtle told him. “I’ve seen cases like this before. They’re common in the South. Hell, they may be all over the country as far as I know, but our families are more closely knit together down here.”
“And,” Angus added gloomily, “this is probably not a case where you can buy a Greyhound ticket to California and never see the person again.”
“I’ll give you some financial help with Marion, if needed,” Farris assured him, “but the person I’m worried about is Clarice.” He rose. “I’m going to go see what those rules for visiting her are.”
The following morning he returned to finally visit with his new wife after a restless night full of bad dreams. After a list of mundane, routine commands Farris was finally allowed to see his new wife. He was led down a dank and dimly lit hospital wing and shuttered. No wonder no one ever wants to come in these places. He sneered at the saddened conditions around him. In the passing rooms he overheard a woman sobbing to herself and his stomach panged, thinking of Clarice and how she must have felt when that moron officer read that note aloud to her over the phone. I will have to remember to call the station and give that officer a good piece of my mind when this is all said and done. Finally the nurse stopped outside a room, reminding him once more of what he could and could not say to his own wife. Ridiculous. He snorted and shook his head in agreement.
Clarice was quite apologetic when Farris finally entered the room, the sadness showing in her once bright eyes. She held out her hand to him and held up her face to be kissed. “Oh, Farris, whatever must you think of me? It was just that, all of a sudden, everything was too much. And is John Thomas alright? I tried so hard to leave enough breast milk for him.”
“Don’t worry about that.” Farris kept hold of her hand and rubbed it soothingly. “John Thomas is just fine with his new half-aunts. They’re having fun playing with him, and the Professor checked with Dr. Shaunessy to insure she got an appropriate infant formula.” He smiled at her. “I’m sure it’s not as sweet as your milk, but our boy tolerates it well, and the caregivers are loving.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear.” Clarice relaxed a little. “Do you think Angus and his friends could pack my painting gear well enough so John Thomas and I could go straight to Kentucky once we leave here?”
“That’s certainly what we’ll try for.” Farris took both hands now, stroking her brand new wedding ring. He had gotten her an ostentatious diamond band so she would feel she was truly married, even though she would have to wear it on a chain around her neck when she was painting.
“I can’t wait to see how you’ve got the Big House fixed up,” Clarice told him. “I can hardly believe those drawings you’ve emailed me. And you plan to hire a nanny?”
“Clarice Croxton,” he regarded her seriously, “your art is energizing the entire horse breeding community. You’re too important to waste yourself in the day-to-day duties of childrearing. We’re not going to be one of those families where the children only come down to visit their parents at tea, but you’re going to have plenty of free drawing time in your own little guest house.”
Clarice’s eyes sparkled in her tired face. “That’s your wedding present for me?”
She was so overjoyed at the thought of her new little studio, waiting patiently for her return to Two Flags ranch. She thought of the horses and the open fresh air. What a great place it will be to raise little John Thomas. Despite her breakdown and the sorrowing news she was told of her mother, Clarice could feel her spirits building once more.
Farris kissed both the hands he was holding. “That’s the least I could do. And wait until you see all the baby presents we’ve gotten. John Thomas can change outfits twice a day for at least a week without Dina even having to do any laundry. Also, unless the economy crashes again, he already owns enough stock to put himself through college.”
Clarice smiled. “That’s because his father is well known in the wealthy horse-breeding world.”
Farris shook his head. “It’s also because his mother is the most famous artist in that world.”
Clarice laughed at the flattery, and it was refreshing to her smile once again. It had been so long since he had seen a genuine one that he had almost forgotten the look when her eyes lit up. She wasn’t sure about the world, but in her new neck of the woods it appeared her paintings were a success. Farris stayed awhile and the two laughed and joke just as they had all those nights on the phone. Though he was sitting in a mental ward, his new wife having a serious breakdown, and things were still a hectic mess. That missing piece felt slightly quelled by her presence. Now if I can just get my family, enacted, back home, I finally might feel some peace and the wholeness return. He thought to himself, squeezing Clarice’s hand lovingly. He stayed on until the evening nurse finally told him visiting hours were long over. Farris gave her a long, loving kiss and headed back to his waiting son and more preparations to move her things on to the ranch immediately.
His commands went unquestioned as the others understood exactly why preparations were being made to move little John Thomas and Clarice the moment she was released. It was just as well, considering that Marion would soon be back on her feet and ready to cause even more harm, this time ending more tragically than this little brush had succeeded in doing.
Chapter 18
It was a week and a half before Marion Saxe woke up to find herself in a beeping hospital ward. A figure swarmed above her. “I want a drink of water,” Marion said muzzily. “Thirsty.” A helpful hand guided a straw to her lips, and Marion heard a voice say, “She should be fully conscious in about an hour.”
When next Marion woke, her eyes were clear and focused. She turned her head to see a man at her bedside. “Who are you?” she asked with interest.
“I am Dr. Gus Hightower, and you’ve given us all a great deal of concern,” he replied. “Judging by the note you left, you tried to commit suicide.”
“Yes, I did,” she agreed, smiling. “Aren’t I clever?”
Dr. Hightower now looked very concerned. “Yes, perhaps you are. At any rate, since you’re awake, we will transfer you to our psychiatric unit for a complete evaluation.”
Marion gave a long cackle, though her throat was dry and scratchy still.
The entire Croxton family had returned to Kentucky and was enjoying the services of their new nanny by the time Angus Pirtle called to talk to the brother-in-law he so admired. His initial conversation was about flying, since Angus had taken to aircraft in a big way, but eventually he decided to pass some news along.
“You’ll be glad to know that Mrs. Saxe has now returned to her realty operation and seems to be giving it her full attention,” he reported.
“How the hell did that happen?” Farris Croxton acted bluntly.
“Well,” Angus chortled, “Dad found out she actually had enough Certificates of Deposit squirrelled away that she could afford to pay the uninsured costs of her hospitalization, so he let her. He never visited her or said another word to her. Apparently a couple of weeks in the psych unit were enough to persuade her she was better off earning her own money. I’d expected her to buttonhole me, since I’m still down here in Sewanee, but she hasn’t said a word. Her business seems to be doing better than ever, too; she advertises a lot.”
“Son of a gun,” Farris swore. “It sounds like she ran out of people to blackmail and turned her attention back to business.”
“That seems to be what’s happening so far,” Angus replied happily. “Of course, it could all break loose again, but now you all are safely in Kentucky.”
Farris was glad he and his new family were safely back home. At least there he could keep a better handle on things, in case the old bat decided to ever have another flare up and try to put his family in jeopardy again. He shuttered at the thought. Some good had come of all of it though, especially when it came to Clarice. The final incident was enough to completely break her chains and allow her the freedom of a happy life with him and their son.
The Cowboy's Secret Baby: BWWM Cowboy Pregnancy Romance (Young Adult First Time Billionaire Steamy African American) Page 9
