A Place for Family

by Mia Ross

  Stepping back, he motioned her into the car. “I’d rather not put it into words. It’s rude.”

  He was completely right, and despite her annoyance she had to laugh. “I’m not sure how I feel about that. I never know what you’re thinking.”

  “Don’t worry, Panda,” he assured her as he started the engine. “When you need to know, I’ll tell you.”

  * * *

  John sat in the obstetrics waiting room, the only guy among a dozen or so women. And girls, he noticed with a frown. Some of them didn’t look old enough to drive on their own at night. Where were the boys who got them this way? he wondered angrily. If you were old enough to create a life, you were old enough to take responsibility for your child.

  That led him straight back to thinking about the selfish Ted. He not only cheated on his wife and lied to Amanda, but he wanted to pay her to end a life that had every right to continue. Forgiving by nature, John was human enough to believe that Ted deserved whatever disasters fell on him.

  This was the last time he’d think about it, John promised himself as he stood to give his seat to a very pregnant woman with a toddler in tow.

  “Oh, bless you.” As she and her little boy sat down, she gave John a faint smile. “I’m just about ready to drop.”

  She looked it, but John kept his opinion to himself and grinned back. “No problem. I could use a stretch, anyway.”

  “My husband usually comes with us.” Reaching into a bag for a coloring book and crayons, she handed them to her son. “But he had to work.”

  Noting that she wore a gold band on the chain around her neck, John assumed her comment about having a husband was for the benefit of anyone listening. He couldn’t help wondering how Amanda would handle that kind of thing. Some Harland folks were open-minded about single moms, some not so much. Considering her proud nature and breakneck personality, she’d need every ounce of courage she had just to walk down the street.

  Amanda’s situation made him view this stranger with more sympathy than usual. When she placed a hand on her stomach and winced, he hunkered down beside her. “Can I get you anything?”

  A doctor, maybe?

  Obviously in pain, she gritted her teeth and shook her head. When the spasm passed, she sighed. “Just some Braxton-Hicks contractions—nothing to worry about.”

  “O-kay.” She sounded like she knew what she was talking about, but he didn’t feel right leaving her alone. “I’m John Sawyer, by the way.”

  “Melinda Reed,” she breathed. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Can I get you some water or something?”

  “That would be great. Thank you.”

  He filled two cups from the watercooler, handing one to her and the other to her son. She thanked him again just as a nurse appeared in the open doorway.

  “John Sawyer?”

  Jumping to his feet, he almost knocked over three plastic kids’ chairs. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “Calm down.” She added an understanding smile. “And follow me.”

  “Is everything okay?” he asked as they walked down a hallway between a dozen closed doors.

  “Just fine. Amanda wanted you to see something.”

  Being more or less clueless about pregnancy, he wasn’t sure he was ready for any of this. Man up, he chided himself. It’s not like he was the one having the baby. How bad could it be?

  The nurse opened one door that looked like all the others, except Amanda was on the other side. Lying on a table in front of a computer screen, she smiled and held her hand out to him. “Come and meet my daughter.”

  Stunned beyond belief, for a second he couldn’t move. When her joyful smile began to droop, John forced himself to go in and take her hand. With the other she pointed at the screen, where he saw a blob he couldn’t have identified as human if he tried. As he watched, it actually moved a little, and he registered a low drumming sound.

  “Is that your heartbeat?” he asked Amanda.

  “No.” Eyes shining with excitement, she squeezed his hand tighter. “It’s hers. My daughter’s.”

  He felt the kick in her pulse as she said those words, and he had no idea what to make of it. Her reaction was a complete turnaround from the very pragmatic view she’d had of her situation until this moment. The change in her attitude was bewildering, and he covered his uneasiness by studying the wavering image on the screen.

  A baby, his brain insisted, although it was kind of hard to tell. Amanda’s baby. This child wasn’t his, wasn’t even remotely his responsibility. But John knew himself pretty well, and he suspected that if this little girl ever asked him for anything, he’d lay himself out flat to give it to her.

  Just as he’d always done with her mother, he realized with an inward groan. While he hated to even think about it, his instincts told him his carefree days were over.

  * * *

  When Amanda entered the waiting room, she found John surrounded by women. As usual, she thought with a mental eye roll. He was a Sawyer boy, after all. Impossible as it seemed, he couldn’t help being irresistible.

  “John, are you flirting with the patients?”

  As Amanda joined them, one of the moms-to-be smiled up at her. “He was helping, not flirting. Your husband is very sweet.”

  Amanda almost corrected her, then decided it might be smarter to let the misunderstanding go. This pregnancy would be trying enough without her blurting out to every stranger she met that she wasn’t married.

  Apparently reading her mood, John stood to his full, very solid height. “Ready to go?”

  “Very.”

  The lengthy exam and endless questions had been aggravating, and she was worn out. Listing the details of her family’s medical history—high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes—had been more than a little depressing. When it came to her mother’s pregnancies, she had no clue because they didn’t talk about things like that. Considering that their last conversation had ended with some very personal insults and an abrupt click, Amanda wasn’t keen on calling to ask Mom to fill in the blanks. So she was on her own.

  The morning’s only saving grace was the sonogram picture she had tucked in her purse. Her daughter, she thought mistily while John started the car. It was almost too much for her to process.

  Closing her eyes, she rested her head back against the seat and focused on the wind rustling through her hair, the warmth of the sun on her face. When she felt the car slow and stop, she rolled her head to look over at John.

  Shutting off the engine, he swiveled and put a hand on the back of her seat, the way he used to. The sweet memory popped up all on its own, making her current predicament seem even worse by comparison. Tears welled in her eyes, and she blinked to keep them contained. Hormones, the doctor had explained. What a pain.

  John responded by brushing a thumb across her cheek. “Talk to me, Amanda. Tell me what’s going on in that pretty head of yours.”

  It had been forever since someone had spoken to her so tenderly, and it made her smile. “How much time have you got?”

  “How much do you need?”

  The question struck her as a reflex, proving just how different John was from Ted. Generous and caring, ignoring the pile of work waiting for him back at the farm because she needed him. This wonderful man cared about other people, and would go out of his way to help them if he could.

  And he loved her. He’d not only said it, he’d shown her, over and over. If she could trust anyone to understand, it would be him.

  “I’m scared, John,” she confided in a whisper.

  He scowled at that. “What did the doctor say?”

  “Oh, the baby and I are fine.” She waved away his concern. “I just don’t know what to expect. I got a book about pregnancy, so I’m okay on most of that. But none of my friends had children, so when it comes
to babies, I’m a little lost.”

  “You could talk to Caty and Marianne.”

  Disgusted by her utter lack of knowledge, she groaned. “I’m so clueless, I wouldn’t know what to ask.”

  “Then it’s a good thing I got this.”

  To her surprise, he reached behind the seat and handed her a plain white plastic bag. Opening it, she pulled out a copy of a book with a woman holding a baby on the cover. She looked so happy, smiling out at the reader, projecting the idea that impending motherhood was a good thing. Checking the bag again, Amanda noticed there was another copy.

  “They had ’em in the shop at the clinic,” he explained. “I got one for you and one for me. Y’know, so we can be ready for what’s coming.”

  His thoughtful gesture played on her unpredictable emotions, and she swallowed hard to keep back a rush of tears. “That was really sweet. Thank you.”

  “I read some while I was waiting.” He started the engine and pulled back onto the road. “It says being extra emotional is normal.” Glancing over, he grinned. “Just don’t push it.”

  Laughing, she shook her head. “How is it you always know how to make me laugh?”

  “It’s a gift,” he said, echoing the comment she’d made to him on her first day back.

  So she repeated his snotty comeback. “If you say so.”

  They both laughed at that one, and John asked, “Have you thought of any names yet?”

  “I think I’ll wait until she’s born. Then I’ll know if she looks more like a Sophia or a Karen.”

  “Makes sense, I guess. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving,” she replied immediately. “I was so nervous about my appointment, I couldn’t eat a thing at breakfast.”

  “Ruthy’s?”

  Just hearing the name of Harland’s blue-ribbon chef made her mouth water. “That sounds fabulous.”

  “We can get caught up on all the gossip while we’re there. I’m pretty much stuck on the farm this time of year, so I miss a lot.”

  “Even if you weren’t, you wouldn’t know anything. You’re too busy chasing women to hear much.”

  “For the record, Sawyer boys don’t chase women.” Glancing over, he gave her a shameless grin. “They chase us.”

  Amanda hooted at that. “I can’t imagine Caty Lee McKenzie chasing after Matt for one second. She’s way too smart for that.”

  “Yeah, well, she’s an exception. So are you.”

  The warmth in his voice soothed her frayed nerves, and she sat back to enjoy the ride.

  * * *

  When John pulled onto Main Street in Harland, Ruthy’s Place pulled him in like a beacon in the middle of the town’s small business district. He adored the owner, but if he was honest, the fact that she made the best pies in three counties probably had something to do with that.

  “You’d best watch yourself with Ruthy,” he warned Amanda as he opened the passenger door. “It’s hard to keep secrets from her.”

  “Whatever. Right now I’m too hungry to care.”

  Shrugging, he pulled open the antique glass door to let her go through. There were a few people in line ahead of them, and Amanda scoped out the dining room with a nostalgic smile. Glancing up, she said, “That wall didn’t have any knickknacks when I was here in June. Who put that shelf up?”

  “Seth built it for her. Said next time they’ll have to add a new row under the old one.”

  “It must take her hours to dust all that stuff.”

  John chuckled. “Listen to you, sounding all domestic.”

  “Impressed?” she asked with a cute smirk.

  The lighter mood was a huge improvement over her earlier frame of mind, and he wanted to keep it going. “Definitely. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  A mischievous gleam lit her eyes. “I’m just full of surprises.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Amanda!” Ruthy called out, hurrying from behind the counter to fold her into a warm embrace. Holding Amanda at arm’s length, she asked, “How’s the PR business?”

  “So far, Danielle’s my only client. She said her orders have picked up, though.”

  “Her phone’s been ringing off the hook since you did that emailing. I’ve had my hands full helping her keep up.”

  “That’s great news. The website revisions are almost ready. If she likes what I’ve done, it’ll go live on Monday.”

  “It sounds like things are rolling right along,” Ruthy continued, handing them each a menu.

  They chatted back and forth for a few minutes, and John marveled at her ability to talk with Ruthy without revealing a single detail about anything. Caty and his sisters were adept at that, too. It must be a woman thing, he decided while he checked out the specials board.

  His reprieve didn’t last, though. Before long, Ruthy’s sharp eyes landed on him. “And what about you? Last I heard, you were dating the new gym teacher.”

  “Over the winter, I was. Now it’s summer.”

  “Oh, you’re terrible,” she scolded, smacking his shoulder. “I thought with Matt settled down, you might decide it looked good to you, too.”

  “I might.” Grinning, John winked at her. “You never know.”

  “Don’t you try that on me. Gus would have your head.”

  “Gus?” Amanda repeated. “Gus Williams, the owner of Harland Hardware?”

  “The same.” Ruthy’s eyes sparkled, and she proudly displayed her left hand. Dusted with flour, it sported an impressive circle of emeralds. “He flew all the way to Dublin to get this from an antiques dealer he knows. We got married on St. Patrick’s Day.”

  “That’s wonderful! Congratulations.”

  “John didn’t tell you?”

  “I wanted to let you tell her,” he explained. “You enjoy doing it so much.”

  “That’s true enough. I’ve got a fresh batch of sweet tea. Would you like some while you look at your menus?”

  John agreed, but Amanda shook her head. “Water for me, thanks.”

  Ruthy’s puzzled look lasted less than a second, telling John her instincts were as bang-on as ever. After she’d left them alone, he leaned in to avoid anyone overhearing. “She knows, Panda.”

  “I doubt that,” Amanda scoffed as she opened her menu. “I know everyone around here thinks she’s psychic or something, but she’s not.”

  But when Ruthy brought her a little plate of soup crackers to go with her water, Amanda gave John a long, wry look. Once they’d placed their orders, she laughed. “Sorry. I guess you were right.”

  “After Mom died when we were kids, Ruthy sort of became our fairy godmother. Y’know, looking after us and Dad, making sure things got done around the house.” He pointed at the ceiling. “Those apartments she keeps upstairs, she lets folks use ’em for free until they’re back on their feet. She’s got a knack for reading people, and knowing what they need. Sometimes before they know it themselves.”

  Amanda’s gaze drifted upward, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what was going on in that quick mind of hers. John wasn’t keen on her leaving the farm to fend for herself, but in the end it was her decision. At least here Ruthy would watch out for her.

  Popping a couple of the small crackers into her mouth, Amanda chased them with water. “I guess I was too young to appreciate all that before.”

  “Nothing had gone wrong for you yet. You don’t pick up on that stuff until things go haywire.”

  “You’re right.” She made a sour face. “I guess I’m making up for it now.”

  John wasn’t big on lectures, whether he was on the giving or receiving end. Feeling dangerously close to sounding preachy, he decided to switch tracks and lighten things up at little. “Would you like to do something tonight?”

  “Like what?�
��

  He shrugged. “I’ve gotta help Matt bale hay this afternoon, but maybe you and I could catch a movie.”

  She flashed him the megawatt smile he remembered from high school. “That sounds like fun. Thanks for asking.”

  Chapter Ten

  Amanda fell asleep halfway through the movie, and John razzed her about it until she had to smack him. Sunday morning, their eventful day was still fresh in her mind, and she’d come to terms with something that hadn’t been in her plans when she decided to return to Harland.

  John was standing by her. Even though she was carrying another man’s baby, and he clearly didn’t approve of what she’d done. Despite his personal feelings, John wouldn’t let her flounder through this pregnancy on her own. While he acknowledged her mistake, he hadn’t judged her for it, hadn’t turned his back on her when she’d finally dredged up the courage to tell him the truth.

  Finding out that he’d loved her all these years was a wonderful bonus.

  Was it Harland, with its small-town values, that had made him that way? Or was it his family, who had always supported each other through thick and thin? Or was it simply that John was born to be a solid, stand-up kind of guy a girl could depend on when she needed him?

  Whatever the reason, Amanda mused as she took her egg-and-sausage casserole from the fridge, she was grateful that he’d finally agreed to keep her secret as long as possible. The next few months would be difficult, at best, and she’d need all the help she could get. When she reached into the cupboard over the stove for the frame that went with the casserole dish, a hand appeared from behind her and plucked it free.

  “Got it,” John said, handing it to her.

  “I can reach.”

  “I can reach easier.” Grinning, he tickled her nose with his finger, probably because he knew it drove her crazy.

  “You need to stop. If you keep babying me, your family’s going to figure things out.”

  “Not likely.” Leaning in, he murmured, “But maybe you should be up front with people instead of letting them figure it out on their own. They might surprise you,” he added with a meaningful look at the happy group gathered around the table.