The Bitterroot Inn

by Devney Perry

  A woman’s cry interrupted my sentence and all heads turned to the open garage doors at the front of the shop. Jess and I moved first, both of us trained over the years to recognize the sound of pain. Nick sprinted past us, knowing the sound of his wife’s cry. When we got outside, all of the women were hovering over Emmeline, who was bent over and clutching her belly.

  “What happened?” I asked when I reached Emmeline’s side.

  “Contraction,” Emmeline hissed. “A big one.”

  “How far apart are they?”

  “Ten minutes or so. I’ve been having them all day but nothing too close so I wasn’t worried. But that one came right on top . . . uh-oh.”

  A trickle of water ran down her leg. “Okay. Time for the hospital. Are you ready to meet your baby girl?”

  She looked over to Nick at her side and smiled.

  Then chaos erupted as the party got shut down, the Slaters roared away to the hospital and I kissed Maisy on the cheek before following.

  Nine hours later, I stepped out of Emmeline’s hospital room, leaving her, Nick and baby Nora alone to rest.

  Dr. Peterson was Emmeline’s primary care physician but I’d stuck around, wanting to learn from a doctor with incredible experience. I hadn’t delivered many babies outside my residency, and since I was staying in Prescott indefinitely, eventually I’d be the senior doctor at Jamison Valley Hospital. I couldn’t have picked a better baby to welcome into this community. Nora Slater was as perfect as newborns could be.

  Rushing to the locker room, I changed out of my scrubs and dug my phone out of my jeans pocket. Then I called Maisy. It was three in the morning but I didn’t care that I was going to wake her up. She wouldn’t either.

  “Hey, baby,” I said when she answered.

  “Hi. Is everything okay?”

  “Healthy baby girl. Seven pounds, three ounces. Ten fingers, ten toes.”

  She sighed. “Oh, good. Are you coming home?”

  Home. I smiled. “I’m on my way.”

  “Okay,” she yawned. “See you soon.”

  I hustled home and into bed, curling my Maisy into my arms.

  Then I made myself a promise.

  Tomorrow, I’d arrange for Coby to spend the night with Brock and Marissa one night this week so I could tell Maisy everything.

  As soon as my confession was behind us, we could move forward. She’d be wearing my ring, Coby would be my son, and my baby would be growing in her stomach.

  This was the last chalk mark on an otherwise clear slate and it was time to wipe it clean.

  “Hey,” I called into the lobby of the motel.

  “Hi!” Maisy rushed from behind her computer at the counter to give me a kiss. “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to see if you wanted lunch. I had a break.”

  “Okay, sure. Do you want to go somewhere or just eat upstairs?”

  I shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “I’d like to finish those leftovers from dinner last night. Especially if Coby is spending the night with Mom and Dad tonight. That way we can go eat wherever.”

  “All right.”

  It had been two days since Nora Slater’s birth and my resolve to tell Maisy the truth was as strong as ever. Tonight, she’d learn everything. Then I’d fight through the tears, the yelling and the hurt to get us to the other side.

  The door behind me opened and I turned to see a man in a gray suit walk into the lobby.

  “Hi,” Maisy greeted. “How can I help you?”

  “I’m looking for,” he glanced at the manila envelope in his hand, “Maisy Holt.”

  “That’s me.”

  “Can I see some ID, ma’am?” the man asked.

  The hairs on the back of my neck prickled. Some ID? What the fuck did this guy want? He wouldn’t make eye contact with me so I couldn’t get a good read on him, but my gut was telling me something bad was coming.

  Maisy went to her purse on the counter and dug out her wallet to get her driver’s license. When the man looked it over, he handed it back along with the envelope.

  “Maisy Holt, you’ve been served.”

  He wasted no time leaving the lobby as Maisy and I stared at the envelope. With shaking hands, she ripped open the seal and slid out papers. As her eyes scanned the white sheets, her face paled and her mouth fell open.

  “What?” I moved to stand by her side and scan the pages myself, but they fluttered to the floor as Maisy whispered.

  “Everett’s mother is seeking custody of Coby.”

  Maisy

  “We need to talk, baby.”

  “No, we don’t.” I sidestepped Hunter in the living room of my parents’ house.

  Before I could make my escape to the back patio, his arms wrapped around my shoulders, trapping me against his chest. “Maisy—”

  “No, Hunter. No.” I shook my head. He’d been insisting on having “a talk” over the last month, but I’d denied him every time. “I told you. I don’t want to know. If whatever you have to say is just going to hurt, then I don’t want to know.”

  “Please,” he begged. “I have to tell you some things about my past.”

  “No.” I squirmed out of his embrace and turned, planting my hands on my hips. “I love you. I need you. I can’t make it through this if you aren’t by my side. And if you have to tell me something that’s going to make me want to send you away, then I don’t want to know.”

  His jaw clenched tight. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  “Yes, I do.” I stepped closer and covered his bearded cheek with my palm. “I know that whatever you’re going to tell me is going to ruin us. It’s going to break us apart. I see it in your eyes every time you’ve asked to talk. But I’m barely hanging on by a thread here. Please, don’t cut it.”

  He sighed and closed his eyes.

  I fell into his chest and snaked my arms around his waist. “Do you love me?”

  “You know I do.” He wrapped his arms around my back.

  “Then please do this for me. I trust you.”

  He kissed my hair. “You won’t.”

  My heart fell. “And that’s why I don’t want to know.”

  It was foolish and naïve to stick my head in the sand about our relationship—I didn’t care. I’d slid backward this month, every day losing more and more of the confidence I’d found these last few years. The progress I’d made to move past Everett’s actions had disappeared, and the only thing keeping me from completely going off the rails was Hunter. Whatever secrets he had to confess about his past or family would have to wait until I knew the fate of my son.

  Coby needed all of the strength I could summon. He needed all of my wits and my focus. I couldn’t let Hunter break my heart when Coby needed it to stay intact.

  So, like I’d been telling Hunter over and over, I needed him by my side. He was part of the glue keeping all my pieces together. After Monday, when the judge made his decision about the petition, then I’d let all the pieces fall apart.

  “Dinner!” Mom called from the kitchen.

  Hunter let out a deep breath. “I’ll go get Coby.” He kissed my hair one last time, then let me go, walking out of the living room and toward the back patio where my brothers were watching Coby play in the yard with Pickle.

  I turned and walked to the dining room, the mountain of stress on my shoulders making my footsteps heavy.

  It had been thirty-six days since Everett’s mother, Eleanor Carlson, had served me with a custody petition. Thirty-six days of spontaneous crying fits. Thirty-six days of skipping meals because food rarely sat well in my knotted stomach. Thirty-six days of greeting myself in the bathroom mirror each morning with dark circles under my eyes.

  Thirty-six days of waiting for a judge to decide my fate.

  If not for Hunter, I never would have survived this month. I’d lost count of the number of times he’d reassured me things would be okay. The number of times he’d pulled me into his arms because he’d kno
wn I’d been on the verge of tears. Other than when he’d go to work, he’d been constantly by my side. He’d even come to every appointment with Stuart Redhill, my attorney.

  Including the one I’d had this afternoon.

  I wasn’t looking forward to telling my family about my meeting with Stuart, but that was why we were here. This special Friday-night dinner was to prep everyone before the custody hearing on Monday morning.

  “Mommy!” Coby came racing inside, followed by Hunter and my brothers. “Uncle Michael said he’s taking me wif him to the park!”

  “That’s awesome!” I pretended to be shocked even though we’d already arranged for Michael to distract Coby so that Hunter and I could talk to the others about the custody case. “You just have to eat a big dinner first so you’ve got lots of energy, okay?”

  “Okay.” Coby smiled wide, then ran off toward the bathroom.

  I watched him until he disappeared, memorizing everything about the way his hair flopped when he ran. What would I do without him? I wouldn’t make it. That little boy was my entire world. The idea of him spending even one night away from me and with that woman was too much to bear.

  My nose started to sting and my eyes watered as I took a seat at the table. Pinching some skin under the hem of my shorts, I squeezed tight and twisted. I swallowed an “owie” and let the pain snap me out of my pity party.

  The self-punishment I’d once used to stop saying “like” now stopped me from crying in front of Coby. When he was at daycare or asleep, all bets were off, but I’d worked diligently to keep it together in front of him. As far as my son knew, life was good. He didn’t know a thing about this custody hearing and wouldn’t unless the unthinkable happened and he was forced to meet his “grandmother.”

  A snarl formed on my lips.

  Eleanor Carlson was the devil.

  I didn’t hate many people, but I hated that woman for trying to take my son.

  “Uh-oh,” Michael teased as he sat in the chair across the table. “I bet I know who that look is for.”

  “Yep,” I muttered and dropped my snarl. “This looks great, Mom.”

  She set down my favorite potato salad. “Thank you. Eat as much as you’d like.” She was worried about the five pounds I’d lost this month and had been going above and beyond to make my favorite foods and drop them by the loft.

  “I will.” Since I hadn’t eaten anything all day, I was actually hungry for a change.

  “I’m starving,” Dad said, sitting at his regular seat at the head of the table. He reached for a huge scoop of potato salad but then paused, sighing as he dropped the scoop and went back for a smaller portion, plopping just a dollop onto his plate.

  “I’m proud of you, Dad.” He’d lost nearly twenty pounds since his heart attack two months ago.

  “Me too,” Sabrina said as she sat down.

  He smiled at us both. “Thank you, girls.”

  Everyone else took their seats at the table, Hunter and Coby each taking a chair at my side, and after Coby said grace, we all dug in for a delicious meal. Conversation was quiet as we all scarfed until Beau broke the silence.

  He cleared his throat and covered Sabrina’s hand on the table. “We’ve got some news.”

  Forks and spoons clinked on plates and all eyes landed on my brother, whose face was split in a silly grin.

  “You’re pregnant!” Mom shrieked, standing from her seat next to Dad.

  “Jeez.” Dad winced and rubbed an ear. “Marissa, would you let them talk?”

  She stayed on her feet and stared at Sabrina, waiting.

  Finally, my sister-in-law put Mom out of her misery. “I’m pregnant.”

  “Yes!” Mom’s hands flew toward the ceiling.

  Cheers filled the dining room.

  “Congratulations!” I clinked my Dr. Pepper can with Beau’s beer and Sabrina’s water.

  When I turned to Hunter, he winked at me. If I hadn’t already been smiling, I would have by reflex. That wink had been the catalyst for most of my smiles this past month, so he’d give it to me at least once a day. Besides offering me comfort, making me smile had become Hunter’s mission in life.

  “I love you,” I mouthed.

  His eyes softened. “Love you too.”

  We both turned back to our plates, and per Mom’s request, I ate a second helping of potato salad while we all fussed over Sabrina and offered up baby names.

  What a lucky baby. He or she would have devoted parents and adoring grandparents. I was glad that Beau and Sabrina would never be put through the mess that Everett’s mother was dragging me through.

  “Coby, you ready?” Michael asked as he popped one last bite into his mouth.

  Coby nearly came off his chair. “Is it time to go to the park?”

  Michael nodded and stood. “Let’s do it.”

  “Have fun.” I kissed Coby’s hair before he climbed off his chair and rushed to the door to put on his shoes.

  Mom and I cleared a few plates while Michael secured Pickle to his leash, but the moment the door clicked shut, we sat back down and wasted no time cutting to the chase.

  “Okay. What did Stuart say?” Dad asked.

  Hunter clasped my hand as I started the recap of my attorney’s message.

  “To start, we all need to be at the courthouse before eight thirty on Monday morning. Stuart wants us in our seats and ready so that when the judge starts the proceedings at nine, we’re not rushing in or out.”

  Dad nodded. “We’ll be there before eight.”

  The doors wouldn’t even be open until eight, but since I’d be there early too, they could keep me company on the sidewalk.

  “What else?” Beau asked.

  “You’ve all had your preliminary meetings with Stuart. He wanted me to remind you to stick to honesty. Don’t try and memorize a speech, just speak from the heart. Tell them what kind of a mother I am and your honest opinion of how Coby would react if he was placed with Eleanor.”

  “He’d be miserable,” Mom said, shaking her head. “His home is here. He has no business living in Michigan.”

  And he had no business living with Eleanor Carlson.

  Eleanor had made quite an impression during our court-mandated interactions this past month. Basically, she’d proven she was a nasty bitch without a loving, nurturing, playful or grandmotherly bone in her body.

  The week after I’d received the custody petition, Eleanor and I had appeared before the district judge so he could explain how our case would be handled. Given the small-town nature of Prescott’s court system, it had been a fairly informal meeting. The judge had explained that because this custody petition wasn’t due to parents divorcing, but instead a grandparent requesting custody—not just visitation—the process would be unique.

  He’d ordered Coby to be evaluated by a child psychologist in Bozeman. He’d ordered Eleanor to present any evidence deeming me an “unfit” parent. And he’d ordered both of us into mediation to determine if we could come to an agreement outside the courtroom.

  Eleanor had barely looked at me during that first court appearance. And the few times we had made eye contact, I had been met with an angry glare. Stuart had done all of the talking on my behalf and I’d just sat there for the thirty-minute meeting, trying my best not to cry.

  The mediation had gone even worse.

  Eleanor had refused to budge an inch on her petition. She was asking for Coby to live with her in Michigan for six months. Six months. She’d sat in silence as the mediator had tried to convince her to compromise on something more reasonable. But every time, Eleanor had just said no, then shot me her evil snarl.

  Finally, after three hours, the mediator had given up.

  “Did Stuart have the psychologist’s final report?” Dad asked.

  I nodded. “Yes, and it all came back fine. She called Coby a ‘delightful and happy little boy.’ Stuart thought that with the psychologist’s report, plus the fact that Eleanor doesn’t have any evidence proving I’m an
unfit parent, she won’t get the custody she’s after. But . . .”

  “Uh-oh,” Mom muttered.

  This was the part of the recap I didn’t want to give. “Stuart was very honest with us today. There’s a good chance the judge will grant her some time. Maybe a weekend a month. Maybe a month around the holidays. Judge Tubor is going to be fair, but at the end of the day, Eleanor is Coby’s grandparent. If it’s in his best interest to see her, then the judge will allow it.”

  “But it’s not in his best interest!” Mom flew off her chair. “How can bringing in anyone related to that monster be in his best interest? I don’t care if Eleanor is Coby’s grandmother. She is Everett’s mother. Period. The last thing my grandson needs is to be confused about his biological father. Coby knows nothing of Everett and it should stay that way until he’s older. This is . . . this is fucking ridiculous!”

  Mouths around the table fell open. I could count on three fingers the times Mom had ever said the f word in my presence and the curse didn’t sound right in her sweet voice.

  “Mom, really?” Beau said, stifling a laugh. “Please don’t ever say that again.”

  She huffed and sat back down, crossing her arms.

  I fought to keep my laugh inside but Mom’s face was so hilariously red, I lost the battle. The minute I started giggling, the entire table broke out in laughter. Dad was the only one who tried to hide it with a cough.

  The thing was, Mom wasn’t wrong.

  This was ridiculous. Fucking ridiculous.

  So much so, that instead of screaming like I’d wanted to for thirty-six days, I let go of my frustration through hysterical laughter. Laughter that filled the room for a few minutes, easing some of the tension from earlier.

  As my laughter slowly faded away, I wiped the corners of my eyes. “Thanks, Mom. I needed that.”

  She pouted. “Glad I could help.”

  “Oh, Marissa,” Dad chided, pulling Mom into his side with a playful shake. She relaxed and let go of her frown.

  “Anyway, what else did Stuart say?” she asked.

  “Not much. Mostly just wanted all of us to be prepared.”

  “But he’s confident?” Beau asked. “Stuart is confident that Eleanor isn’t going to get the fifty-fifty split she petitioned for?”