* * *
GARRICK GLANCED AT the clock on the kitchen wall and was pleased to see there was time for a second cup of coffee before he had to head to work. He’d just finishing pouring when Joylyn walked in.
“I hate it here,” she announced, her face blotchy and her eyes swollen. “Everything about this stupid town is awful. I wish I was anywhere but here.”
What the hell? “But things were great yesterday,” he said before he could stop himself. “You were happy. You’re making your snowmen, and you and Holly are planning her wedding. You said you were feeling good. What went wrong?”
She glared at him. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
He was proud of himself for holding in the instinctive response of, “Well, I don’t care. You’re going to talk about it.” Instead, he forced himself to relax then said, “Joylyn, I can see you’re upset. I’d like to help. Please tell me what’s going on.”
She slumped down at the table. “You can’t help me. It’s awful. I hate my life.”
Despite a need to bolt for safety, he sat across from her and prepared to wait her out.
The glare sharpened. “You’re not going to make me talk. I have nothing to say to you.”
He sipped his coffee.
She threw up her hands. “Fine. Get off me. I’ll tell you.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. “I have to go to my birthing classes by myself. I don’t have anyone to go with me.”
Was that all? “I’ll go with you.”
“Oh, please. That’s ridiculous. You can’t go to a birthing class.”
“Why not?”
“You’re my father.”
“I’m someone who loves you. I know you’ll be back in Phoenix when the baby’s born, so it’s not like you have to worry about me being there. Chandler will be the one taking care of you. It’s just the classes, right? I can do it.” He smiled at her. “I want to do it, sweetie. Besides, I’m sure all the information will completely freak me out and you’ll like that.”
She smiled. “There are videos of childbirth.”
What? Why would anyone want to see that? He held in a shudder. “See? You’re proving my point. I’ll be your birthing class partner. We’ll have fun like we used to. Remember when we did everything together? This can be like that.”
She looked skeptical. “It’s a bunch of hours.”
“I’m in. Totally and completely in. Just say when and where and I’ll be there.” He held up a hand. “I’ll come home first and pick you up, but then I’ll be in.”
“It’s two evenings this week and next.”
“Done.” He smiled. “So it’s a date?”
“Fine. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t be.” He winked. “Should I bring popcorn for the videos?”
“Dad!”
“So that’s a no?”
“You’re impossible,” she muttered, but she was smiling when she spoke, and that was all he needed.
* * *
WYNN NODDED AS she held her cell phone to her ear. “Uh-huh. I’m putting in five hundred and Garrick wants to put in two thousand. Joylyn says there will be about fifty guests.”
On the other end of the phone, Renee said, “That’s a manageable number. Nick and Pallas have also offered two thousand, and Jasper and I will make up whatever the difference is. We’ll use white linens and add color everywhere else. Obviously the venue is already paid for. I’m talking to the florist right after you and I are done. Silver is holding the spot open, so that’s the bar service. I rebooked the caterer. I’ll let her know the number of guests, and then she’ll send me some menu options. Do we know if Holly has a dress?”
“I have no idea.”
“Okay. I’ll text Joylyn. The cake is going to be an issue. We’re really limited on choices because of the short time frame. The baker the previous bride used will make the cake for us, but says the decorations have to be simple. I’m working on some ideas.”
Renee paused. “Okay, I think that’s all my notes. I’ll let you know when we get our video conference set up. It will be in a day or so. I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to. Time is ticking.”
“I’ll be there.”
“This is fun. I know I plan weddings all the time, but this one is different. I want Holly and Rex to have the wedding of their dreams.” She laughed. “And I look forward to meeting them.”
Wynn smiled. “Talk to you soon.”
“Bye.”
They hung up. Wynn tucked her phone in her drawer, then tried a few deep breaths. She’d asked Hunter to stop by after school, and he was due any second. She still wasn’t sure what she wanted to say to him—obviously she would be expressing her disappointment, but there was a lot more involved in what he’d done.
Right on time her son walked into her office. He was getting taller by the day, she thought. He was still lanky, but he was a good-looking kid. Affable, well-liked, athletic. A few days ago, she would have said she was so lucky that he never did anything really wrong. How she wished that was still true.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
She motioned to the chair opposite hers. He slipped off his backpack and took the seat, then looked at her expectantly.
“Camilla Henderson called me a couple of days ago,” she said.
Hunter’s eyes widened, then he flushed and dropped his gaze to the floor. “Ah, what did she want?”
“You’d left some information off your JROTC application. She wanted me to fill in the blanks.” She put her hands on the desk and laced her fingers together. “You can imagine my surprise to hear what you’d been planning. Joining something like that is a big deal. But that wasn’t the worst of it, was it? Because I quickly realized you hadn’t just applied. You’d faked my signature on the forms.”
He swallowed hard, then looked at her. “You’re mad, huh?”
“Yes, I’m angry and I’m disappointed. In a funny way, I’m also hurt and a little surprised. I never thought you’d do something like this, Hunter. I never thought you were dishonest. Not in that way. You didn’t talk to me, you lied to them and you lied to me by not telling me. The entire purpose of the program is to teach leadership and personal responsibility and this is how you start?”
“Mom, don’t.” He blinked back tears. “I didn’t know what to do. I really wanted to join the program, but I knew you’d say no.”
“How could you know? You never asked. I refuse you very little.”
“You wouldn’t want me learning to shoot and stuff. You’d think it was wrong.”
“I don’t know what I would think because I never got the chance to figure it out.”
“I wanted to join so I could show you how good it was.” He wiped away tears. “It’s a really great program, and I wanted it so much. I thought you would be proud of me when you found out later.”
She tried to remember the last time he’d cried. It had been at least a year, maybe longer. The tears were genuine—Hunter had never been a faker—but they didn’t move her.
“I’m really sad,” she said quietly.
“Mom, don’t say that!” He looked at her. “A lot of moms said no, so I got scared. I really wanted this. I know I was wrong and I’m sorry, but you have to understand.”
“You betrayed my trust in you. I thought we were a team. I thought we had a special relationship where we understood we would always take care of each other. But you didn’t trust me to want what was best for you. You didn’t trust me to listen and be reasonable. You didn’t trust me at all.”
The tears spilled down his cheeks. “Don’t say that,” he said, his voice cracking. “Don’t say that.”
“Have you ever faked my signature on a form before?”
He stared at her. “No. I’d never do that.”
“But you did this time, and I don’t know if I can believe you
about anything.”
“That’s not fair. It was one time. Just one time. Mom, don’t be like this. Don’t say we’re broken. We’re not. I’m still who I was. I wanted it so much. You have to understand.” He wiped his face again. “You’re right. I should have asked. I was wrong not to ask. You should punish me really bad. Like a horrible punishment so I’ll never do it again. I’ll earn your trust back, I swear. I’ll do anything.”
His mouth twisted. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you or disappoint you. I wouldn’t do that. I wouldn’t!”
“But you did.”
The tears fell faster. “Mom, please. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She believed he was but wasn’t sure that was enough. And she was still in an impossible situation.
“What am I supposed to do now?” she asked.
Hunter looked at her. “What do you mean?”
“What should I do? Tell them what you did?”
His eyes widened. “If you do that, they won’t let me be in the program. Mom, you can’t.”
“You want me to lie, too? You want me to lie for you?”
He shifted on his seat. “Not exactly.”
She waited. He hunched over in his seat.
“If you don’t tell them,” he said, his voice low and full of pain, “then you’re teaching me the wrong lesson. You’re teaching me that it’s okay to lie. If you don’t tell them the truth, then we’re betraying everything ROTC stands for.”
“Yes, we are.”
He stared at her. “What are you going to do?”
Until this second, she honestly hadn’t known. She didn’t like either option. Because of what he’d done, he’d put her in an impossible situation—unless she believed she’d raised a good kid who, despite recent events, understood the difference between right and wrong.
“That’s up to you.”
His eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
“What I said. It’s up to you. You created this problem, so you’re going to figure out how we deal with it.” She paused. “Regardless of what you choose, you’re going to have to be punished, but that’s a separate matter. You tell me how you want to handle this. You can let me know in the morning.”
“You’ll do whatever I say?”
Her stomach flipped over a couple of times as she thought about changing her mind.
She nodded. “It’s on you, Hunter. I’ll go along with whatever you decide.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
GARRICK THOUGHT HE knew everything about Happily Inc, but he was wrong. He never would have guessed the hospital offered birthing classes to expectant mothers.
“Welcome,” a fifty-something woman said when he and Joylyn entered. “I’m Serenity, your instructor.”
Serenity? he mouthed, looking at his daughter.
She rolled her eyes, then looked at Serenity. “Hi. I’m Joylyn Kaberline.”
He held out his hand. “I’m Garrick.”
“Joylyn and Garrick Kaberline,” Serenity said, checking her clipboard.
“Not Kaberline,” Joylyn said quickly. “I mean that’s my last name, but it’s not his.” She sighed. “He’s not my husband. Chandler’s still deployed. He should be back before the baby’s born. This is my dad.”
Garrick did his best not to chuckle. “I’m standing in for Chandler.”
Serenity offered him a glowing smile. “What a wonderfully supportive thing to do for your daughter.” She patted Joylyn’s arm. “You’re a lucky girl to have such a caring father.”
“Thank you,” she muttered.
Serenity pointed to a few empty chairs. “Have a seat. We’ll get started in a few minutes.”
“Did you hear that?” Garrick asked as they walked into the room. “I’m wonderfully supportive.”
“Be quiet.”
“You’re a lucky girl.”
“Stop it.”
But she was laughing as she spoke.
They sat next to a couple in their thirties. The very pregnant woman smiled at them. “Hi. I’m Jill and this is my husband Jack.” She held up a hand. “Please don’t say anything. We’ve heard it all before.”
“I won’t say anything,” Joylyn promised. “I’m Joylyn and this is my dad. My husband is deployed so he’s filling in.”
Jill looked at him. “Are you? That’s so nice. My dad would never do that. You’re really lucky to have him.”
Joylyn groaned. “So I’ve been told.”
Garrick winked at her. This had been a great idea. While he was always happy to help out his daughter, he hadn’t expected so much praise. To be honest, he was feeling pretty damned good about his parenting skills right about now.
The glow lasted nearly thirty minutes, which was about the time it took Serenity to get the meeting started and everyone to introduce themselves. Less than two minutes into the actual instruction part of the evening his stomach was in knots, and he had a very strong need to wait for Joylyn in the safety of the parking lot.
He’d been fine with the course outline at first. The birthing process was a given, and dealing with pain, while not pleasant, wasn’t a surprise. But “Common Complications”? That was wrong. Complications shouldn’t be common, and while he knew that wasn’t what the title meant, he didn’t want to think about any complications when it came to Joylyn and his soon-to-be grandson.
“Finally, we’ll tour the maternity ward and, if you’re having your baby here, get you preregistered.” Serenity smiled. “One less thing for you to deal with while you’re in labor.”
Joylyn leaned close. “Dad, are you okay? You’ve gone white.”
“I’m fine. Just paying attention.”
She didn’t look convinced. “If you’re this tense now, how are you going to get through the videos?”
“I have no idea.”
An hour into the evening, they took a fifteen-minute break. When Joylyn returned from her bathroom visit, she waddled back to her seat.
“I’m feeling so much better,” she said. “Having this information makes me feel like I know what I’m doing. Or I will. I should have signed up for a class a long time ago.”
He stared at her. “Are you insane? You’d want to know sooner? Why?”
She smiled. “I just told you. Dad, are you going to make it through this? We have three more nights.”
“I’m fine,” he said automatically.
He was doing his best to take in all he’d learned. The entire process was iffy at best, and they hadn’t even touched on “complications.”
“What was God thinking?” he demanded. “You can’t do this. There’s no way something that big can pass through any part of your body. There are major design flaws. And how does the baby tell your body it’s time? It’s a baby. It can’t communicate.”
Joylyn grinned. “Dad, there’s no talking. It’s a chemical thing, not an email.”
“Still. The whole process is beyond comprehension.” He looked at her. “You are the bravest person I know. I mean that. You, especially, but all women. Why would you do this? If it were up to me, the human race would be done. I’d refuse. There is no way I would go through any part of having a baby.”
She patted his arm. “I know. It’s okay. I’ve got this.”
“I’m glad someone has, because it sure isn’t me.”
* * *
WYNN WALKED INTO the kitchen the next morning to find Hunter already up. He was sitting at the kitchen table, still in his pajamas. His face was blotchy, and he looked like he hadn’t slept.
Her first instinct was to rush over and check if he had a fever, but she knew that wasn’t the problem. He’d been thinking about what he did and wrestling with the consequences. Now she was going to find out if she’d been right to trust him with the decision about what to do.
She sat across from him and wait
ed. He drew in a breath, then looked at her.
“Can you meet me at the JROTC office after school?” he asked.
She nodded.
“I’m going to tell them what I did.” He swallowed. “I don’t think they’re going to let me into the program after they find out about how I lied and stuff, but telling them is the right thing to do.”
Relief was instant. She did her best not to show her feelings, nor did she rush over to hug him. He had to manage this on his own.
“All right,” she said. “You’ll make an appointment and text me the time?”
He nodded.
“Okay, then. Want some breakfast?”
“I’m not hungry.”
He rose and walked out of the kitchen. She stared after him, her heart aching. Nothing about this was easy, but she knew it was the right decision. Hunter would learn from what he’d done—at least that was the plan. As much as she didn’t like the idea, she was also going to have to punish him herself. She wanted to say not getting into the program was enough, but she knew there had to be more. He’d in essence lied to her—and he’d betrayed her trust. That had to be dealt with.
She turned on the coffeepot and thought how life had been so much easier when he’d been little and most of his transgressions could be solved with a time-out.
* * *
MAJOR ORIN RUMSEY was a stern looking man, with graying hair and glasses. Wynn would guess he was in his late fifties—still fit and strong, and plenty intimidating. His desk was neat. The only seemingly out-of-place object was a small ceramic cat wearing a red bow tie and glasses, sitting next to his computer. The incongruous item added a touch of whimsy to an otherwise plain space.
As promised, Wynn met Hunter at the JROTC office just after three. Hunter was pale and she suspected he was shaking, but she didn’t try to comfort him. She was there as a witness and possibly to answer any questions, but this was her son’s meeting.
Major Rumsey smiled at them as he indicated chairs in front of his desk.
“What can I do for you, Hunter?” the older man asked.
Happily This Christmas--A Novel Page 18
