by Marie Force
She covered the hand he’d placed on her belly with hers. “He was there. Hailey was fine. I’ll be fine and so will our baby. Stop anticipating doom. You’re reminding me too much of Mac right now.”
“But he was right, and if Maddie had listened to him—”
Janey squished his lips together to shut him up. “Enough.”
A knock on the door preceded Victoria into the room. “So sorry to keep you waiting. We’re straight-out crazy busy today, and David is on the mainland, and…and you don’t care where David is.”
Janey smiled at the chagrined expression on Victoria’s face when she remembered she was speaking to David’s ex-fiancée. “Not to worry, Vic. Ancient history.” As she said the words, she clamped down harder on Joe’s hand to keep him from chiming in on the subject of David. He’d chilled out somewhat since David saved their baby niece’s life, but he’d never be one of Joe’s favorite people.
“Anyway,” Victoria said, consulting Janey’s chart. “Here we are at thirty-two weeks. We’ll keep seeing you every other week until thirty-six, when we go to every week.”
“That’s when we’ll be moving to the mainland,” Joe reminded her. “We’re having the baby at Women and Infants in Providence.”
“That’s right,” Victoria said. “I see that noted on your chart. You’ve been to the childbirth preparation classes there?”
“We did the one-day class last week,” Janey said. “It’s a beautiful facility.”
“It sure is.” She pulled on gloves. “Let’s take a look and see how things are going.”
Janey didn’t think she’d ever get used to putting her feet in the stirrups while her husband was in the room, but Maddie had told her to prepare for many more indignities before it was over. She startled from the cold lube on Victoria’s fingers and held back the urge to pee from the pressure of the internal exam.
Victoria was always very thorough and today was no exception. “I’m not feeling the baby’s head descending, so I’d like to take a quick ultrasound while I’ve got you.”
“Is that unusual?” Joe asked, immediately tense.
“Not entirely, but we like to see the baby starting to move into birth position at this point. He or she might be a little behind schedule, but I’d like to take a look just to be sure.” She removed Janey’s feet from the stirrups and put the table extender back in place. “Be right back.”
“What does that mean?” Joe asked the second she closed the door.
“You’re chilling out, remember?”
He grunted out a reply, but his face was a study in tension.
“Let’s talk about something besides the baby.”
“Like what?”
“I talked to your mother this morning. She’s going crazy cleaning and cooking and getting ready for Seamus’s mother to get here. I offered to help her, but she won’t let me do a thing.”
“You’re damned right you’re not doing a thing.”
“Joseph… You and I are going to have our first major marital blowout if you don’t calm the hell down.”
“I am calm! This is me being calm!”
She narrowed her eyes and gave him her best pissed-off look as Victoria wheeled in the ultrasound machine, arranged a sheet over her lap and raised her gown to expose her belly. “Try to breathe normally and stay very still.”
It took a few minutes of positioning the wand before the baby’s image appeared on the screen.
Joe gasped and squeezed Janey’s hand. “Oh, there he is! Wow, look at that.”
The wonder she heard in his tone almost made up for the crazy way he’d been behaving the last few weeks. “I thought you’d decided he was a she.”
“He, she, I don’t care either way.”
“Just as I suspected,” Victoria said, studying the screen. “The baby is in breech position, which isn’t dangerous or anything, but he—or she—is going to have to turn around before delivery, or we’re looking at a C-section.” She pointed to the screen. “See the feet, there?”
“Uh-huh.” Fascinated by the crystal-clear view of her baby’s toes, Janey wasn’t seeing much of anything else.
“They should be up here by now. Everything else looks really good, though. You’re sure you don’t want to know what you’re having?”
“We’re sure,” Janey said, answering for both of them before Joe could change his mind.
Victoria wiped the gel off Janey’s belly and helped her to sit up. “We’ll keep an eye on it and make some delivery decisions when you get closer to thirty-six weeks. In the meantime, I’d like to see you next week for another check of your blood pressure. It was a tiny bit elevated today, so we’ll need to monitor that, too. You’re not working anymore, are you?”
“No, my last day was Friday. Joe wanted me to relax for a few weeks before the baby gets here, and I’ve been so tired he didn’t have to twist my arm.” Doc and the staff at the vet clinic had thrown a shower for her and invited many of their patients, which Janey had loved.
“Good. Take it easy, stay off your feet, no stress. Relax. That’s your job now, Mom. Dad, your job is to make sure she does nothing too strenuous and keeps the stress to a minimum. Here’s your chance to earn some major points.”
“Hear that?” Janey said to her husband. “Keep the stress to a minimum.”
He scowled at her. “I heard it.”
“Hang in there, Janey.” Victoria patted Janey’s arm. “You’re in the home stretch.”
Stretch seemed to be the key word, and she wondered at times how much more her skin could expand without bursting open. How her mother had ever done this five times was beyond her. This baby would be lucky to get a sibling, let alone four of them.
As Joe helped her into her tent of a sundress, Janey acknowledged to herself what she hadn’t shared with anyone else, even Joe. She hated being pregnant. She hated feeling fat and bloated and swollen and achy all over. She hated not being able to work or have sex comfortably or even hug her husband without the big old belly getting in the way. The baby couldn’t get here soon enough for her.
When she was dressed, Joe lifted her right off the exam table, like she didn’t weigh an absolute ton, and deposited her gently onto her feet, giving her a minute to gain her bearings. Her balance, like everything else, was out of whack.
“Are you okay?”
“I think so.”
“Do you want to sit for a minute?”
“No, let’s go so you can get to work.”
Janey waddled through the clinic, thankful there was no chance of running into her ex-fiancé when she looked like a beached whale. Not that she cared what he thought of her, but still. A big reason why they’d planned the delivery for the mainland was because neither of them wanted David involved, not that they’d ever spoken of that subject. It was understood.
By the time Joe drove up to the house they’d recently bought near Mac and Maddie’s, Janey’s eyelids were drooping. The appointment had sapped most of her energy, and she was going to need a nap. Soon.
Joe escorted her inside and waited patiently as she greeted her menagerie of pets and used the bathroom. He tucked her into bed and sat on the edge of the mattress to look down at her. “I’m sorry I’m being such a jackass over all of this baby business. The thought of you in pain or in danger or anything other than perfectly healthy makes me crazy.”
“I’m perfectly healthy, and I’m going to stay that way.”
“Promise?”
She smiled at his boyishly handsome face and the adorable pucker of his lips. “I promise,” she said, crooking her finger at him to bring him down for a kiss.
“Don’t worry about dinner,” he said. “I’ll grab something when I get back. Any requests?”
“Whatever you want.”
He kissed her again. “Sweet dreams. Love you.”
“Love you, too. Be careful out there.”
“Of course I will. I’ve got my beautiful wife waiting for me at home.”
Janey sn
orted with laughter. “She’s sooo beautiful. Like an elephant is beautiful.”
He leaned over her, his blue eyes intense and heated. “You are as beautiful as you’ve ever been, and I’ve never loved you more. In fact, if you’re a very good girl and get some sleep while I’m gone, I’ll show you how much I love you when I get home.” A waggle of his brows indicated his intentions. They’d become very creative when it came to lovemaking, and he’d shown how imaginative he could be.
“Mmm. I’ll be very, very good.”
Smiling, he kissed her one more time and left her to rest. As she drifted off to sleep with no work or school or dinner or anything else to think about, she decided maybe there was something to be said for being pregnant after all.
*
Sarah Lawry called Daisy as she was leaving work and asked if she had dinner plans. Since Daisy had nothing at all on the agenda for the evening, she accepted Sarah’s invitation with pleasure. Sarah had been a huge support to her since the incident with Truck. Sadly, Sarah had lived for years in a violent relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband and would testify against him in court this summer. She could relate all too well to what Daisy had been through.
Knowing the court date was weighing heavily on Sarah, Daisy relished the opportunity to give something back to the woman who’d been so good to her.
After the long day cooped up in the hotel, Daisy enjoyed the walk into town in the bright sunshine. The rain earlier in the day had left behind a sweet scent, and the late-day heat had dried the puddles.
On the way home, she popped into Ryan’s Pharmacy to pick up her allergy prescription, which wasn’t ready quite yet. Since she now had insurance, she was able to afford the good stuff, rather than the over-the-counter allergy meds she’d relied on for years.
“So sorry for the delay,” Grace Ryan, the island’s pharmacist, said. She was working alone behind the counter in the back of the store, which they had all to themselves. “We’ve been crazy busy. I swear the entire island decided today was refill day.”
“Whoops. Sorry to add to the load.”
“Not a problem. Is the hotel getting busy?”
“Starting to. We’re fully booked this weekend, so here we go.”
“I officially survived my first winter on Gansett,” Grace said. “I’m very proud of that.”
“As you should be. Winter on Gansett isn’t for sissies.”
“That’s what Evan says, too.”
“How’s his studio doing?”
“Really well. They’re booked through the end of July and getting more calls every day.”
“I think it’s so cool we have a recording studio right here on the island.”
“I think it’s so cool that he’s found something he loves to do that also keeps him right here with me,” Grace said with a wink and a smile that made Daisy laugh.
“Can’t say I blame you for being happy about that. Glad it’s working out for you guys.” Daisy couldn’t help but notice the gorgeous ring on Grace’s finger. “Any wedding plans yet?”
“Not quite yet. We’re thinking about going somewhere warm this winter and getting everyone to go with us.”
“That sounds like so much fun.”
“And how are you doing? Feeling better?”
Grace’s empathetic question didn’t bear a trace of pity, which Daisy appreciated. “Feeling stronger every day and more determined to move forward with my life. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful.”
“I love that about living here. You feel like you’re surrounded by a big family, even though you’re not related to most of them.”
“Yes, that’s it exactly. I came for one summer at the hotel and here I am, still here six years later for that very reason. There’s something special about the people on this island.”
“I completely agree.” Standing before her computer, Grace said, “I’m seeing that you have an unfilled script for pain meds. Do you need that?”
“No, I can’t take narcotics. They make me loopy. I’m getting by with the over-the-counter stuff.”
“I’m glad that’s working for you.” Grace rang up the prescription and handed it over to Daisy. “You should come to one of our girls’ nights. They’re always a lot of fun.”
“I’ve heard Maddie talk about your adventures. I’d love to come sometime.”
“Great. I’ll make sure she lets you know about the next one. It usually turns into date night when the guys crash, but it’s still fun.”
“Sounds like it. Thanks for the meds and the chat. Good to see you.”
“You, too. Take care, Daisy.”
Chapter 4
As Daisy was walking home, David called. When she saw his name on the caller ID, she was so excited she fumbled with her cell phone and nearly dropped it. “Hello?”
“Hi, there.” Those two words in that distinctive deep voice brought back all the feelings he’d stirred in her the night before. “Daisy? Are you there?”
“Yes, I’m sorry. I’m here. How are you?”
“Good, just tired after a long day. How was your day?”
“Not bad. I’m on my way home now and going to dinner with Sarah Lawry. Oh! I have to tell you the funniest thing.” She relayed Maddie’s story about Thomas catching his parents in the act, laughing again as she told him, as if she was hearing it for the first time.
“Oh, man. That’s got to be so weird.”
“Just a bit.”
“I like to hear you laugh. It sounds good on you.”
He made her knees go weak and her head spin when he talked to her in that intimate tone. “Does it?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I haven’t had a lot to laugh about in the last few weeks, so it felt good to let loose with Maddie earlier. Although, I did most of the laughing. She was dying.”
“I can’t even think about what that must be like. The poor kid.”
“The poor parents!”
“True,” he said, chuckling. “Kind of a mood killer.”
“To say the least. However, I got the feeling that the crescendo was what got Thomas’s attention, so…”
His quiet laughter warmed her.
“I wish you weren’t all the way over in Boston tonight,” she said and then immediately winced when she realized the statement was somewhat revealing.
“Believe me, I wish I wasn’t either.”
“What’re you doing there, anyway?”
“I had a couple of appointments. I should be back by late tomorrow afternoon. We’re still on for tomorrow night?”
“Sure are,” she said, trying not to let it bother her that he hadn’t elaborated on his appointments. Work appointments? Personal? She’d love to know but would never ask.
“Good. I’ll get reservations at Domenic’s.”
“That sounds nice. What’s the occasion?”
“A night out with you.”
“You’re very sweet.”
His voice sounded pained when he said, “We really need to talk, Daisy.”
“I know.”
“I just… I hope…”
“What? What are you hoping?”
“I want to be honest with you, but I don’t want you to hate me after.”
“I could never hate you.”
“You say that now…”
“Let’s postpone this conversation until tomorrow. I don’t want you to worry about anything. Remember what I told you last night about how kind you’ve been to me since everything happened with Truck, and how I won’t ever forget it?”
“I seem to recall something along those lines.”
“You’ve got a lot of points accumulated,” she said as she stepped into her house. Even though she was apprehensive after Ned and Maddie had tried to warn her, she didn’t want anything to ruin the lovely memory of evening they’d shared. “Whatever you have to tell me, we’ll talk about it and figure out what it means. That’s all we can do, right?”
“I suppose so.”
“I
have stuff, too, you know.”
“I bet none of your stuff is all that bad.”
“You might be surprised,” she said.
“I look forward to being surprised by you.”
Daisy’s smile stretched across her face as she curled up on the sofa with the phone cradled against her shoulder.
“You’re going to think I’m feeding you a line,” he said, “but I miss you. I wish you were here with me.”
It was all she could do not to sigh—audibly—into the phone. “I miss you, too. I’ve gotten used to seeing you every day around this time. Feels kinda weird to know you’re not on the island.”
“Feels weird to me, too. At some point during the last few months, Gansett has become home to me again.”
“What boat are you on tomorrow?”
“Aiming for the five, so I’ll be there by six-thirty, okay?”
“I’ll be ready.”
“See you then.”
Daisy wanted to sit and rehash every second of their conversation, but Sarah would be by soon to pick her up, and she needed a shower after the long day at the hotel. By the time Sarah arrived, Daisy had relived the entire phone call at least a hundred times and was wondering how she would survive until tomorrow night when she could finally talk to him about whatever was weighing on him.
Sarah was driving the battered, twenty-year-old blue Ford she’d recently bought for herself—the first she’d ever purchased on her own. She was so darned proud of that car, and Daisy was proud of her, for surviving her violent marriage and for making a new life for herself on the island.
Blaine Taylor had introduced Daisy to Sarah, thinking the two women might be able to help each other due to their common experience with domestic violence. They had since formed sort of a mother-daughter relationship, or at least that was how it seemed to Daisy. It had been so long since Daisy had seen her own mother that she was enjoying her new friendship with Sarah, a mother of seven.
When she saw Sarah’s car pull up to the curb, Daisy grabbed a sweater and dashed out the door.
