“I honestly don’t care, Rose. As long you and the baby are happy and healthy, that’s all I care about.” He took my hand in his and cradled it gently. “How about you?”
I looked up at him and gave him a soft smile. “A girl, I think. So I can give her all the love I always wanted when I was little.” A tear slipped down my cheek. “What if I’m a terrible mother, Mason? What if my little girl or boy feels unloved?”
He shook his head, fierce determination in his eyes. “That will never happen, Rose. How could it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Rose, you bless everyone you meet with love. I can only imagine the love you’ll give our children.”
He kissed me gently, then pulled back to look in my eyes. The love shining through his gaze was almost overwhelming.
“Your mother thinks we’re up here having sex.”
His grin was wicked. “Maybe we should after we find out.”
“Let’s wait and see what it says first.”
As if on cue, the timer dinged and my hands started to shake.
“I love you, Rose Gardner, no matter what that test shows.”
I gave him a quick kiss and picked up the stick off the bed and turned it over.
“One pink line,” Mason said. “What does that mean?”
“It means there’s no baby,” I said quietly.
He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me snug against him. “How do you feel about that?”
I looked up at him. “The timing would have been terrible. But while part of me is relieved, there’s a part of me that wants a baby with you and is kind of disappointed. Isn’t that stupid?”
“No,” he said, kissing me gently. “That’s exactly how I feel.”
“So what do we do?” I asked.
He grabbed my hand and held it between both of his. “We haven’t even talked about marriage and I’m not sure either of us are ready for that yet. So having a baby right now would kind of feel like putting the cart before the horse.” He chuckled. “Call me old-fashioned.”
“I agree.”
“Whew.” He looked relieved. “But I do want to marry you someday, Rose. I want to stand at the altar while you walk down the aisle in a beautiful dress. I’ll take you to Italy on our honeymoon, and then we’ll come home and make love every chance we get until you’re pregnant.” He smiled. “And we’ll fill our house with children—as many as you want—and I will be the most blessed man who ever lived. All because you’re mine.”
Tears slid down my cheeks. “I want that too.”
He kissed me and wiped my cheeks. “And we’ll have it all when we’re ready, because I’m not going anywhere, Rose. I’m yours.”
Then we didn’t go downstairs for quite some time.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
We went back downstairs shortly before our guests started to arrive. Maeve had pulled the turkey out of the oven and started the gravy. She was crouched down, feeding scraps of turkey to Muffy, who had made a new best friend.
She smiled when Mason and I entered the kitchen and my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“We had something we had to take care of.” Mason wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. “What can we do to help, Mom?”
She beamed at us. “I’ve got it under control.”
The doorbell rang and I ran to get it. Bruce Wayne, David, Carla, and Jonah all arrived within a matter of minutes, but Violet and the kids still hadn’t shown up by five-twenty when we were ready to sit down for dinner.
I had mixed feelings about her absence. I dreaded seeing her, but I was more upset about her not coming than I’d expected.
Maeve and I were setting the last of the food on the table when the front door burst open and Ashley and Mikey ran through, Ashley carrying a pie.
“Aunt Rose!” they called out. I ran into the living room and dropped to my knees, scooping them into a hug as Maeve retrieved the dessert.
I looked up over Ashley’s shoulder at Violet’s nervous face.
“I wasn’t sure if we were still invited,” she said, juggling two dishes in her arms.
Maeve hurried into the room and grabbed one of the containers from Violet and pulled her into a side hug. “Rose is very happy you’re here, aren’t you, Rose?”
Nodding, I stood. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.” I wanted to ask her about the Christmas trees on the nursery lot, but now didn’t seem like the right time.
Violet was more reserved than usual for most of the evening, but everyone sat around the table eating and laughing. Mason and I exchanged glances several times throughout the dinner, reminding me once again of how blessed I was.
Several hours later everyone left and Mason carried a sleeping Mikey out to Violet’s car, Ashley and Muffy in tow. Violet stopped in the front door, hesitating.
“Rose, we need to talk.”
I took a deep breath. “I agree.”
“Can you come by the shop tomorrow? Say around eleven?”
Now would be a good time to ask about the trees, but I wasn’t up for a fight. One night wouldn’t make a difference. “Sure. I’ll drop by. We need to figure out what to do about the mess anyway.”
She gave me a long look, deep sadness in her eyes. “Thanks for letting us come for dinner. If the roles had been reversed, I’m not sure I would have welcomed you.”
I bit my lip. “I know.”
“And you still let us come?”
“We’re sisters, Violet. Till death do us part. The last few months can’t change that.” I paused. “But we’re not the same.”
“I know. Can we talk about this tomorrow?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
I was watching her walk to her car when I noticed an envelope sitting in the wicker chair on the porch, labeled with my name. I picked it up and opened the seal, gasping when I saw the bills inside. I pulled out a small piece of paper and read the note.
Rose,
Only with you am I a man of my word,
S
“What’s that?” Mason asked from behind me.
I crumpled the note in my hand and showed him the envelope. “My money seems to have just dropped out of the sky.”
Mason gave me a long look. “Imagine that.”
Imagine that indeed.
***
The next morning, I called Neely Kate on the way to the nursery.
“I can’t believe you haven’t called before now!” she pouted. “I’ve been dying to know what happened, especially after I heard about the bust down by Pickle Junction. Why do I think you know a thing or two about it?”
“Uh…” I hedged.
“And what do you know about the Lady in Black?”
“What?” I asked in a panic. “Where did you hear about that?”
“It doesn’t matter who told me, Rose. What matters is how it all happened.”
I groaned. “It’s a long story.”
“I expect full details.”
“Okay, soon, but I have to tell you something else first.”
“Okay…”
“I took the pregnancy test. I’m not pregnant.”
“Are you sure? It might be too soon to tell.”
“I’m sure. Once we found out I wasn’t pregnant, Mason hounded me into calling the doctor to find out why I haven’t been feeling well. When they said they couldn’t fit me in until next week, he grabbed the phone and convinced them to see me sooner.”
She laughed. “He can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be. What did the doctor say?”
“It’s a combination of stress and my hormones trying to get back to normal. I’m fine.”
“Well, thank goodness for that, although I confess it would have been fun to have babies together.”
I grinned. “Well, maybe with the next one. But wait a couple of years, okay?”
“Deal.”
I was pulling up to the nursery parking lot and my stomach was in a knot when I saw two cars there—Violet’
s and a sheriff’s car. “Neely Kate, I have to go. Violet asked me to meet her at the nursery at eleven. I’m pulling up now and I think Joe is here.”
“Uh-oh,” she said. “Maybe I should take off and come down there.”
“No, don’t do that. I’m fine, but I’ll call you after I find out what this is all about.”
“Good luck.”
There was no sign of Violet and Joe outside, but a teenage boy was standing next to the Christmas trees. He was wearing a black apron bearing our logo.
What in the world?
“Rose,” Violet called from the doorway. “In here.”
I walked through the hole that used to be the front door and I suddenly wondered how Violet had gotten word out that the open house was cancelled. But then again, the way the town liked to gossip, everyone probably knew within twenty-four hours that we’d been vandalized. The place was still trashed but a small area had been cleared and three folding chairs were set up in a circle. Joe stood behind two of them, wearing his uniform.
I took a step back. “What’s going on? Are you here in an official capacity, Joe?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’m on break to be here. Violet and I have something to talk to you about. Why don’t you come sit down?”
I didn’t want to sit with them, but I was so nervous, and I was afraid my legs would give out. I took a seat while they sat in the opposite chairs. Violet was pale and looked like she was about to throw up.
“Why is there a kid out there wearing our logo? And how did we pay for the trees it looks like he’s selling?” I asked.
“That’s what I need to talk to you about.” Violet took a deep breath. “I figured out how to solve our problems.”
“You and me?” I asked. “Or our business problems?”
She swallowed. “Business.”
I nodded and my gaze swung from one of them to the other. “Okay, but first I need to tell you that I got our nine thousand dollars back. As soon as we’re done here, I’m going to the bank to catch up on our loan payments. At least we don’t need to worry about that anymore.”
Joe’s eyes hardened. “How did you get your money back?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It just showed up on my front porch last night.”
“And does this have anything to do with the stolen money being returned to Big Bill’s, the Piggly Wiggly, and the bank this morning?”
“It was?” I was stunned. Skeeter was full of surprises.
Violet looked even more nervous. “We don’t need it now.”
I gave my head a shake. “How can we not need it now? Did they already foreclose?”
“No. I paid off the loan entirely on Wednesday.”
“But...how…”
Then I knew. And I knew why Joe was there.
My anger surged. “How could you?”
“I was trying to help, Rose,” Violet pleaded. “You have to believe me.”
I tried to catch my breath. “Why didn’t you discuss it with me first? This involves me too, Violet!”
“Rose,” Joe said, leaning over his legs and clasping his hands together. “It’s okay. Violet was trying to save your business, and I’m not sure why you didn’t come to me in the first place. You had to know I’d want to help.”
I shook my head. How had this happened? “I didn’t come to you because we’re not together, Joe! I’m with Mason now! I don’t want you to have a stake in our business!
“Damn it,” Joe said, sitting up straighter. “I put as much effort into getting this place up and running as you both did. You have to know I want it to succeed. Why would you lose your business over your stubborn pride?”
Violet reached a hand toward me, then stopped. “Rose, it’s not as bad as it seems.”
“No, it’s worse!” I stood. “I quit.”
“What do you mean you quit?” she asked, jumping out of her seat. “You can’t quit. You own this place!”
“Apparently, not anymore!” I tried to get control of my anger. “You can’t do this. I’m not even sure it’s legal.”
“Rose.” Joe stood and moved closer to me. “Just look at this calmly and rationally. Your business was in trouble and I had the money to help. Nothing illegal happened. I’m the chief deputy sheriff for God’s sake.”
“When are you going to get it through your head that we’re done?” I asked. “I don’t want to be with you, Joe McAllister!”
“Well, I should hope not,” a woman drawled behind me in a genteel Southern accent. “Especially if you don’t even know his name.”
Joe and Violet stared at the doorway, horror painted on their faces. Even before I turned around to see a beautiful redheaded woman in the doorway, I knew who was standing behind me.
Hilary.
“What the hell are you doing here, Hilary?” Joe barked, walking halfway across the room toward her.
“Joe,” she pouted. “Is that any way to treat me after you haven’t seen me for a couple of weeks?”
Joe cast a glance toward me and I could see the wheels turning in his head. He’d spent the last week trying to convince me they were done, yet here she was.
“I told you we’re done, Hilary,” Joe said, gruffly. “Now will you do us all a favor and just leave? You’re not wanted here.”
She took several steps into the room and gave him a seductive smile. “I think you might change your mind after I tell you our good news.”
He shook his head in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
“Joe, darling.” She closed the distance and placed her well-manicured hand on his chest. “Congratulations are in order. You’re going to be a daddy.”
I sank down in my chair in shock.
Oh, crappy doodles.
*****
Thirty-Three and a Half Shenanigans – coming November 4, 2014
*****
AVAILABLE TO NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBERS ONLY: Read Picking up the Pieces, a Rose Gardner novella for FREE on Denise’s website!
The novella will be serialized beginning August 1, with two more installments uploading on September 1 and October 1. Each part will be password protected. The passwords will be sent out in the monthly newsletter. To sign up for the newsletter click HERE.
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Other books by Denise Grover Swank:
Rose Gardner Mysteries
(Humorous Southern mysteries)
TWENTY-EIGHT AND A HALF WISHES
TWENTY-NINE AND A HALF REASONS
THIRTY AND A HALF EXCUSES
FALLING TO PIECES (novella)
THIRTY-ONE AND A HALF REGRETS
THIRTY-TWO AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS
THIRTY-THREE AND A HALF COMPLICATIONS (November 4, 2014)
PICKING UP THE PIECES (novella - August 1, 2014 to newsletter subscribers)
Chosen Series
(Paranormal thriller/Urban fantasy)
CHOSEN
HUNTED
SACRIFICE
REDEMPTION
On the Otherside Series
(Young adult science fiction/romance)
HERE
THERE
The Curse Keepers
(Adult urban fantasy)
THE CURSE KEEPERS
THE CURSE BREAKERS
THE CURSE DEFIERS
New Adult Contemporary Romance
AFTER MATH
REDESIGNED
BUSINESS AS USUAL
About the Author
Denise Grover Swank was born in Kansas City, Missouri and lived in the area until she was nineteen. Then she became a nomadic gypsy, living in five cities, four states and ten houses over the course of ten years before she moved back to her roots. She speaks English and smattering of Spanish and Chinese which she learned through an intensive Nick Jr. immersion period. Her hobbies inc
lude witty Facebook comments (in own her mind) and dancing in her kitchen with her children. (Quite badly if you believe her offspring.) Hidden talents include the gift of justification and the ability to drink massive amounts of caffeine and still fall asleep within two minutes. Her lack of the sense of smell allows her to perform many unspeakable tasks. She has six children and hasn’t lost her sanity. Or so she leads you to believe.
You can find out more about Denise and her other books at:
www.denisegroverswank.com
or email her at [email protected]
Thirty-Two and a Half Complications Page 32
