“Everyone out now!” Detective Martin ordered. “Wait outside.” When everyone vacated, he turned to Beaux. I have to stay here. I’ll go wait by the window.”
Beaux knelt before Lacy, placing his hands on her knees. “It’s me Beaux, Lacy. You’re safe now.” No response. “Lacy can you hear me?” A tear formed in Beaux’s eye in desperation. “Come back to me ma chère, please.” He took her hand and kissed her palm, anxious for any form of response.
Lacy’s frozen expression melted into a pool of tears as she came out of her shock. Beaux stood and positioned himself next to her, enveloping her in the safety of his love. “Shush, my love. He’s gone now.”
“Jeff. Father cut him out. Attacked me.” Lacy was speaking in partial sentences, but it was a start. Beaux was able to put enough together to have an image of what happened. He continued comforting her until the tears subsided. “Are you ready to talk to the police now?” he asked.
“Don’t leave me Beaux. Please don’t ever me again.”
“Never mon amour.” He nodded to the detective who brought in the waiting officers and they took care of business with Beaux never leaving her side. When they left, Beaux continued holding her, as it was all he knew to do. When Lacy said she had to get up, she stood and collapsed on the floor with her first step. Beaux quickly picked her up and declared they were going to the hospital rushing her to his truck. She was too weak to even argue.
Chapter 8:
Sitting in the ER, Beaux took a mental note of the people around him. There were thirty-four other people and from his guess twenty-one of them were patients waiting to be seen. His watched beeped letting him know another hour had past and he took a deep breath to quell his irritation. At this rate they would be here until Sunday. Lacy leaned against him, drifting in and out of sleep. The coffee vending machine across the room beckoned and he knew he needed sleep when he became envious of the people reaching in for their dispensed cup of bitter flavored water. No, he couldn’t leave her side even to walk the twenty feet across the room.
After what seemed an eternity, a nurse in blue scrubs called them back. As she took Lacy’s vitals, Beaux told the nurse about the bug Lacy had earlier in the week, the stress she had been under and the traumatic episode from tonight, leaving out all unnecessary details. Lacy nodded in agreement, too weak and tired to talk for herself. She scribbled notes in the file and took Lacy to a room, connecting her to an iv of fluids.
“The fluids will help her get her strength back,” the nurse explained kindly. “Someone will be in shortly to draw her blood and then the doctor will be in” With that, she closed the curtain, shutting them off from the other patients. An hour passed until a young man who barely looked out of high school came to take Lacy’s blood. She felt better as the fluids dripped into her and she was able to sit up in the bed. Beaux sat beside her, supporting her, relieved to see color returning to her face. More hours passed and the doctor still hadn’t come to see her. A set of nurses alternated checking on them asking if they needed anything. When the curtain opened again, Beaux was about to snap at the poor nurse when he realized it was finally the doctor coming in.
“I apologize for the long wait. Tonight has been extremely busy and we were waiting on the results of your labs.” Beaux gave a nod in response and the doctor continued. “Your labs came back fine ma’am. The sickness you’ve been experiencing is likely due to your early stage of pregnancy, and that combined with the stress of your traumatic episode caused your collapse this evening.”
“My what?” “Her what?” Lacy and Beaux choked out at the same time, not sure if exhaustion was causing them to hear things.
“I can see this was unexpected news. Your bloods tests show you are pregnant Ms. Landon. I’d like to keep you overnight to monitor you and check the baby for safe measure, but we will have no ultrasound technicians on duty until tomorrow.”
The couple remained stunned with the shocking diagnosis, lost in their thoughts.
“I’ll leave you now to some privacy. Someone will be in shortly with all the paperwork to admit you and we will go from there. If you need anything at all, just push that button on your bed.” The doctor left, leaving behind a man and woman still processing the life-changing news.
Lacy tried to gauge Beaux’s reaction. His jaw was set and his eyes full of questions and uncertainty. He had to know this baby was his. There was no doubt of that. Did he welcome this or would be feel trapped and obligated to stay with her. Lacy wasn’t even sure if she welcomed the news. She had always wanted kids eventually but her life was so complicated right now. This relationship with Beaux was still so new, could it withstand this? She had already brought danger to his life, how much could she really expect from him before he decided she wasn’t worth it? For better or worse though, she was going to be a mom and as the news fully hit her, a warm feeling of contentment washed over her.
Beaux took the news hard, but not for the reasons Lacy expected. They had never even discussed the possibility of children, but Beaux knew he wanted them and he knew Lacy would be an amazing mother. So they were being presented with a baby, much, much sooner than expected but that didn’t bother Beaux. He thought of the ring he had intended to give Lacy last night. There was no doubt he wanted to share his life with this woman, but he was worried about her. Life kept piling on her and even the strongest of persons had a breaking point. Would this be hers?
An admittance clerk came in before they had a chance to talk about the situation. They filled out forms and a wheel chair was bought for Lacy as they moved her to a vacant room. As they walked down the long halls passing patients and visitors, they were keenly aware of every baby cry and pregnant woman.
They were alone again and they had to discuss this.
“I’m sorry Beaux.” Lacy broke down in tears.
“Ma chère, what is there to be sorry about?”
“This, the baby, Jeff, everything. I’ve brought you nothing but trouble.”
“You’ve brought me everything Lacy. You are my everything. You must know that by now”
“But a baby Beaux? I don’t want you feel trapped. This is something that will affect us our entire lives. We will always be parents from here out.”
They both took a moment to absorb the magnitude of being a parent. Beaux smiled and grabbed Lacy’s hand lacing their fingers. “We are going to be great parents,” he assured her. “Our child will be one lucky little baby to you as their mom.”
“And just as lucky to have you as their dad?” she replied full of love. Hearing his assurance was all she needed.
They had faced another seismic move in their relationship, but their love continued to see them through. Lacy settled back down on the bed quickly falling into a deep sleep. Beaux was hesitant to leave even while she slept, but knew he needed some coffee in his system. Once he was convinced Lacy would not be waking up in the next ten minutes, he stepped out into the halls and went in search of the cafeteria. He walked down a flight of stairs and then a long hallway. As he rounded a corner, he collided with another person. Backing up, he looked to see the subject of his collision and came face to face with his brother Jared.
“Jared? What are you doing here?”
Jared fumbled for words. Never in Beaux’s life had he seen his brother at a loss for words. Clearly, he hadn’t expected to see his brother like this.
“Levi called and told me what happened. I caught the first flight up.” Not a complete lie, Jared justified to himself.
Beaux raised his eyebrows in doubt, but was in no mood for confrontation. “I was on my way to find some coffee. Care to join?”
“Sure.” Jared saw no way out unless he revealed the true reason he was there. Besides, he could use some brotherly support right now even if his brother didn’t know.
“How is Lacy doing?” Jared asked they waited in the cafeteria for fresh coffee to brew.
“Okay, all things considered. She is pretty shaken, but she is tough.” He needed to confide ab
out the baby to someone, but Jared’s reactions could be unpredictable. If he made one of his crass remarks, he might be tempted to slam his fist to his jaw. Beaux led them back to Lacy’s room and they took a seat on the two chairs. Lacy was still asleep, happily oblivious to Beaux’s temporary absence. Jared shifted in his seat, uncharacteristically fidgety.
“What’s going on Jared? You’re not yourself.”
“Just jittery. Too much coffee, not enough sleep.”
“Lacy’s pregnant. We’re having a baby.” Beaux hadn’t meant to put it out like that, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Really little bro? That’s awesome.”
That was not the reaction he expected from his playboy brother, but he welcomed it.
“We had no idea until the doctor told us. I don’t know how it happened, I mean I know how but we were always protected” He was rambling and knew it. He just needed to talk and Justin was probably the better choice for this situation, but Jared was the one here. As he talked, he knew exactly when it had happened and trailed off, savoring the memory. That first time, while in the bed of his truck, with the rain coming down, they had been so impassioned neither had given a thought to protection, either before or after. Knowing that their child was created in the moment he first knew he loved Lacy gave him a satisfaction he had rarely known until meeting her.
“What do you think mom is going to say? You know how religious she is.” Beaux could face his mom’s opinion of him, but didn’t want her to think less of Lacy for being pregnant out of wedlock.
“I think she’ll just be ecstatic to have a grandchild. She’s given up on Rafe or me ever settling down, and Mary still needs to finish college.”
Jared sat, listening to Beaux ramble on. He couldn’t imagine having a child right now, but he was happy for his brother. Beaux was born to be a dad and have a family. He on the other hand, was born to screw up any relationship before it ever started. The walls felt like they were closing in and he had to get out of that room.
“I hate to run, but I have business to take care of. I’ll stop by in the morning. Congrats on the baby” he said then ran out of the room, leaving Beaux to his own thoughts.
Detective Martin dropped by the hospital first thing in the morning. Since Lacy was still asleep, he and Beaux stepped out to the hallway.
“How is she?” he asked and Beaux gave the man credit for caring enough to ask.
“She has been sleeping since last night. The rest will be good for her.”
“I agree. There are some things I need to tell you. Can you come outside with me to talk?” Beaux looked back at the room with obvious reluctance to leave. Seeing his hesitation, Detective Martin added, “I’d really like to talk with you before she wakes up. Your brother is outside; I can ask him to stay with her.”
Not seeing any other option, Beaux agreed, mildly surprised that Jared was still around. Detective Martin called him and he was there in a heartbeat.
“I’ll call you right away if she starts to wake up,” Jared promised. Both brothers looked like they could use some sleep themselves.
Beaux and the detective walked outside, grabbing a cup of coffee on their way. The elder man led Beaux to a picnic table in a secluded corner of the courtyard where they could talk with privacy.
“Jeff admitted to breaking into Lacy’s apartment. We have enough charges against him to book him for the rest of his life. It’s not likely he will ever see freedom again, but he is talking in hopes of getting a plea deal. When are you planning to return to Louisiana?”
“Tomorrow was the original plan, but we will have to see what the doctor says.”
“I have to be truthful, Lacy’s dad and uncle are mixed up in some very serious business. With Jeff in custody and talking, I am afraid Lacy is in even more danger.”
“So I was right?” Beaux asked.
“Yes you were. The two brothers were never estranged. They developed an elaborate ruse to cover their tracks. It worked for a long time, but the past few years they have gotten sloppy. We’ve been able to piece everything together and have been working to build up more evidence.”
Beaux leaned back, taking in what he had just been told. This was above his head and realm of ability to protect her on his own. Detective Martin continued on.
“We will be giving you both new and added security. Levi and Monica are on administrative leave pending an investigation on last night’s events and Monica’s recovery. Your replacements have been standing guard since last night and will follow you back to Louisiana. I don’t mean to pry, but I assume Lacy will be staying with you?”
“That is correct sir.”
“Then with your permission, I would also like to add security to your house and add cameras and surveillance.”
“Anything to keep Lacy safe,” Beaux answered then thought for a moment. “I should probably tell you Lacy is pregnant. We found out last night.” He didn’t expect the detective eyes to light up as they did.
“That’s wonderful news. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“It may not seem like good timing son, but the distraction will do her good and keep her looking forward.”
“I hope you are right sir.”
Beaux was itching to return to Lacy and the detective could tell. “One last thing, Lacy’s cousin Sara and her husband are also being given this same protection and we believe she is in just as much danger. I understand you all to be good friends?” Beaux nodded and Detective Martin continued. “Be cautious, but go on about life as though everything is okay. Continue hanging out with Sara and her husband, if that’s what you would normally do. The more naturally everyone acts the better for all of you.”
He stood up and shook Beaux’s hand. “Once Lacy wakes up, I’ll come back and introduce the two of you to your new security men. Now go on, I know a man in love when I see one.”
Beaux raced back to the room and Lacy still hadn’t stirred.
“Thanks for staying with her,” Beaux offered to his brother. “Are you sure you’re okay? You really look like hell.”
“You don’t look so hot yourself, little bro.”
“When are you heading home?”
“That’s up in the air right now.”
“Why are you really here Jared?” There were no accusations in his voice, just genuine concern for his brother.
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” he answered, then stood to leave making it clear he would not elaborate.
Lacy finally woke at eleven o’clock. Her brain was fuzzy, trying to remember where she was. Memories of conversations flowed through her head. Were they real or part of a dream she had.
“Good morning sleeping beauty.” Beaux was by her side at her first movement.
“Good morning. What time is it?”
“Almost afternoon. Did you sleep well?”
“Yes.” She paused, unsure how to ask her question in case it was just a dream. “Beaux was I dreaming or did the doctor tell me I’m...” She trailed off unable to say the word.
“You weren’t dreaming ma chère. We are going to have a baby.” She smiled now that she knew it was real. That meant all Beaux’s assurances were also real. Rubbing her stomach as though trying to connect with the life inside of her, she looked up to Beaux. “I don’t understand how it happened. We were always protected.”
“That’s what I thought. Then I remembered that first night in the bed of the truck.”
A hot blush crept up her neck at memories of that night. “That was a pretty amazing night.”
“Yes it was”. They were deep in love as they sat there, dreaming of their future. The whispers and laughter of lovers filled the room. They were interrupted by a nurse coming to take them to the ultra sound room. They gripped hands eager to see their baby.
The room was dark and Lacy was lying on a thin hospital bed while the technician gooped some warm gel on her belly. As she moved the wand around, there was static until they heard a sound similar
to a far off train.
“That sound is your baby’s heartbeat. Its heart rate is right where it should be.” She moved the wand around stopping several times to click a button. When she was done, she printed off an image for the parents to be. “Your baby looks fine. By its size, you are between four and five weeks pregnant. I’m surprised I found the heartbeat so quickly at this stage.”
Beaux and Lacy shared a private smile, knowing exactly how far along she was. They studied the picture, trying to make sense of the image in front of them. Giving up, they asked the technician. She chuckled, and pointed to the jelly bean shaped object. “This end is the head. As your pregnancy progress, you will see more detail.” They returned to their room, still staring at the picture, in awe of the life they created together.
At two o’clock Detective Martin knocked on the door accompanied by two other men and a female.
“Glad to see you up and about Ms. Landon. How are you feeling?”
“Much better, thank you.”
“I won’t stay here long. I just wanted to introduce you to your new security. Brad, Matthew and Angela will be your new protection. They will always be close by and if you need anything from them, just ask. And again, you have all my numbers. If you need me day or night, don’t hesitate to contact me.”
“Thank you detective.”
“Were you able to decide when you’ll be leaving South Carolina?”
“First thing Monday morning,” Beaux answered. “We will go pack what she needs from her apartment tomorrow, around ten.”
“I’ll make sure I have an officer there with you.”
“That’s much appreciated.”
“I’ll leave you two love birds alone now. Take care.”
The doctor came in immediately following the detective’s departure.
“Good news Ms. Landon. You are free to go as soon as the nurse brings your discharge papers. Make sure to drink lots of fluids and take the pre-natal vitamins we are sending with you. You will want to follow up with an ob in the next week or so to set up your pre-natal care.”
The Best Laid Plans (Brothers of the Bayou) Page 9
