“Oh,” she said, her brow furrowing. “That’s why Joe wanted you to sleep in.”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Does Skeeter Malcolm know?” she asked, repeating her earlier question.
“He does now,” I said. “I went to the pool hall to talk to him last night.”
“And?”
A burning lump filled my throat.
“Oh, Rose,” she said, squeezing my hand again. “I’m so sorry.”
“I didn’t expect him to be excited. He told me from the very beginning that he never wanted a family. But he also said he loved me.” I sniffed. “So I didn’t expect him to be so…cold.” I released a shaky breath. “He told me to take care of it. He wants me to get an abortion, Vi.”
“Do you want an abortion?”
“No. I want to keep the baby. I’ve known for less than twenty-four hours, and I’m already attached to it.”
A soft smile spread across her face. “Of course you are. You were always destined to be a mother, Rose. You’re such a nurturer. I only wish I could meet your baby.”
“Vi…”
She shook her head. “No. None of that. We take what we can get and accept the rest. I know I won’t meet your baby, but I’m here to help you through this part. You can do this, Rose. You can raise this baby without help from the daddy, but you won’t be on your own, because you have Neely Kate and Jed, Joe, Carly, Maeve—Maeve will be thrilled to help you since I doubt Mason will give her the grandbabies she so desperately craves. You’ll have plenty of help. You won’t need me.”
“That’s not true,” I said. “I’ll always need you.”
She settled back into her pillows. “I won’t pretend I know what dyin’s like. I don’t think you can know until it happens, but I promise you this, Rose—I’ll always be watchin’ over you, doin’ my very best to make things easier for you.” She reached out her hand, and I lay down next to her as she wrapped an arm around my back. “You’re gonna have a beautiful baby,” she whispered. “And that baby will be the luckiest child in the whole world, because I’ve seen you love and defend your friends. I can’t even imagine what you’ll do for the sake of your own child.”
I started to cry.
“Shh,” she whispered in my ear. “You get your sorrow out now, and when you leave this room, allow only joy, because this baby will bring you so much joy. I promise.”
“I don’t want to do this without you, Vi.”
“You hush,” she soothed. “If you want to know the truth, I’m glad you’re havin’ a baby, because now I don’t have to worry about leavin’ you.”
I turned to look up at her.
She gave me a soft smile, sweeping a strand of hair from my cheek. “There’s no love like the love of a mother for her child, Rose. No one will ever take your child’s place. Not even Skeeter Malcolm.”
That was what I was worried about.
“I know things about the criminals in this county,” I whispered. “And they’re worried about what I’ll say in front of the grand jury.”
Her body stiffened. “They’re worried you’ll snitch on them.”
“Like I said, I’m sure James made some kind of deal. He said they’ll know I’m lyin’ if I don’t answer their questions truthfully. Carter Hale told me to do the same, although he didn’t seem happy about it.”
She shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
The worries that had been brewing in my head since last night came spilling out. “If I do what James asked me to do, I’ll make more enemies than I can count. I’ll have to move away or risk retaliation. I’ll be forced to leave the farm, and Ashley and Mikey and everyone I love. But now I have a baby to think about, and I have to do everything in my power to protect him or her. I have to keep my secrets.”
She studied me for several long seconds. “You’re gonna lie.”
“I don’t want to lie, but if I tell the truth and all those men get arrested, they won’t all be put away. I’ll be a sitting duck.” I sat up and turned to look at her. “I’ve worked hard to garner those criminals’ trust and gain a neutral status. If I can maintain it, not only do I continue to have their trust, but also their loyalty.”
She was silent for a moment. “I won’t pretend to like that you’re workin’ with criminals, but Skeeter Malcolm dragged you into it, Rose. You’re only doin’ what you need to do to survive.”
“But I suspect I’m betrayin’ James if I cover for them.”
“You do what you need to do to protect your baby,” she said, her tone firm. “From here on out, your baby always comes first, and definitely before some man who doesn’t even want it.”
When she put it that way, it seemed so simple. Yet I knew it was anything but.
CHAPTER 19
I ’d worn Violet out, so I made sure she took her medication, then went to take a shower and get ready.
Carly was sitting at the kitchen table when I went downstairs, staring at something on my old laptop. When she saw me, she looked startled and pushed down the cover. “Hey, Rose. Can I get you something for breakfast?”
“No,” I said, moving to the cabinet to get a coffee mug. “I’m not hungry.”
A sudden wave of grief caught me by surprise. I loved having Carly here, but I missed Neely Kate something fierce. She’d said she only needed a little time, but would she distance herself from me now that I was pregnant?
“Did you sleep in?” I asked her as I started to reach for the coffee pot, then stopped. How was I going to give up coffee?
I put the mug back in the cabinet.
“I did,” she said, “but I’m used to getting up early, so I got up at eight and went for a run.”
I grabbed a glass of water and sat at the table. “Were there any cars out there other than Neely Kate’s?”
“No, should there have been?”
“No,” I said. “Definitely not. If you do, let Joe know immediately.” If James had sent men to watch over me, I wasn’t sure I wanted them hanging around after the way he’d acted last night. They’d proven they weren’t of much use, so if we saw them, we should send them on their way. They might be spying on us.
“Okay.”
“You probably noticed your car wasn’t parked out front,” I said, cringing. “It was involved in an incident.”
She half shrugged and walked over to the end of the table. “I know. Joe told me.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t. It’s a piece of junk. I was thinking that I’ll save up for a better one once I get a job, but I won’t be able to apply for a loan. I don’t even know how I’ll get a job. I’m worried my father will trace my social security number.”
“Don’t you worry about any of that right now,” I said. “We’ll sort everything out as it comes.”
“Thanks, Rose.”
I hesitated, then said, “You know you can share things with me. I won’t tell anyone.”
She grinned. “I think I’ll take you up on your offer when things die down.” Her smile fell away as she glanced back at the closed laptop. “There’s been a new development that worries me.”
I leaned toward her. “Are you in danger?”
“Oh, no. There’ve been some changes in my father’s company, is all. It’s nothing. Seriously. I’m just paranoid.”
“If you ever feel unsafe, please don’t hesitate to tell us. No matter what’s goin’ on.”
Worry filled her eyes. “I would never put you or Violet in danger, Rose.”
“It’s not us I’m worried about. It’s you. Now promise me. None of my worries are too big for me to care about yours.”
Gratitude washed over her face. “I have no idea how I got so lucky findin’ you and Neely Kate, but I’ll be forever thankful.”
“Technically, we found you. And we’re the lucky ones, so hush.”
“Are you sure you’re not hungry? Joe said to make sure you eat.”
“Joe’s a worrywart.”
She laughed. “Tr
ue, but he has a point.”
“Okay,” I said, getting up and walking over to the fridge. “I suppose you both have a point.”
“I was gonna fix it, Rose,” she protested, starting to get out of her chair.
“I’m not an invalid. I’m perfectly capable of fixin’ my own breakfast.” I grabbed some prewashed strawberries from the fridge and carried the container to the table.
“Are you getting used to the idea yet?” she asked softly. “I mean, I know it was a huge shock.”
I popped the top off the container, screwing my mouth to the side. “I’m gettin’ acclimated quicker than I’d expected. But when I stop to think about what it means, I’m shocked all over again. Still, this grand jury nonsense is hangin’ over my head, obscurin’ everything else.”
She took a sip of her coffee. “Are you nervous about testifying this afternoon?”
“Yes,” I said. “In fact, Joe arranged for an attorney from Little Rock to come down and talk to me beforehand. Joe said he’s trying to get my testimony postponed.”
“Do you think you’re in trouble?” she asked.
Carly deserved to know the truth. “Maybe.”
“I know you and Neely Kate get into situations that seem a bit… unethical, but you have a strong sense of right and wrong,” she said. “I trust your instincts, Rose. You should too.”
I heard a knock on the door. Then Jed called out, “Rose? Carly?”
“Back here,” I said. He must have brought my truck back. Had he heard about the night before?
Seconds later, Jed appeared in the kitchen doorway. “Your truck’s parked out front. The keys are in the bowl by the door.”
He started to turn around, but I shifted in my chair and said, “Not so fast. You knew James was workin’ with Dr. Arnold, didn’t you? You let me look like a fool yesterday.”
He slowly turned to face me, a sheepish look on his face. “How did you find out?”
I ignored his question. “How long has it been goin’ on?”
Jed watched me, looking torn.
“Gerard Collard told me it had been goin’ on at least three years. Is he right?”
His eyes darkened. “When did you talk to Collard?”
“Last night, when he sent his son to kidnap me and haul me off to a secret location so he could determine if he was gonna kill me.”
Carly sat down in her chair, her face paling Apparently, Joe hadn’t told her everything. To be fair, he hadn’t known that part.
“What the hell are you talkin’ about?” he demanded. “Collard sent one of his boys here?”
“You’re losin’ your touch, Jed,” I said dryly. “Skeeter Malcolm’s men showed up at Beacon’s Pharmacy and nearly killed me. Brox Collard came out of nowhere and dragged me to his father, where I discovered that James had been workin’ with Dr. Arnold for years.”
“Rose, you’re testifyin’ at a grand jury today. I don’t think we should be talkin’ about this.”
“He lied to me,” I said in a cold tone. “He told me he didn’t have a hand in drugs, and he lied.”
“I didn’t know he told you that,” Jed said, sounding defeated.
“It doesn’t matter anymore. He and I are done. For good.”
He didn’t look convinced.
“I’m surprised you haven’t heard from him,” I said, my tone turning sharp. “I went to the pool hall last night to tell him I’m pregnant, and he said he didn’t know why I was bothering him with it when you could easily take care of it with your connection to a doctor in Little Rock. I figured he would have asked you to get that set up. Pronto.”
His face blanched.
“I will not be requiring that service,” I spat.
Jed took a step closer, looking contrite. “Rose. I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “I want no sympathy from you, Jed Carlisle. He already cut you at the knees, why should we be surprised he’d do the same to me?”
He stood next to me. “He cares about you.”
“Maybe so, and I never expected him to be excited that he’s gonna be a daddy, but I didn’t expect him to be so ugly either.” I shook my head. “Our baby deserves better than that.”
“I’m sure you caught him off guard, Rose,” Carly said, looking sheepish at butting in. “Sometimes people react badly to unexpected news, but then they change their tune once they’ve had some time to think things through.”
She had a point, but I was still too hurt to consider it. “The baby aside, he still lied to me about Dr. Arnold, and he didn’t even reach out to check on me after what happened at the pharmacy. He’s told me one lie after the other.” I took a breath. “I want to trust him, but I can’t. He’s lied and betrayed me one too many times.”
But my fool heart still ached for him. Part of me was scared he’d come back to me. That I’d accept his apology and overlook all the times he’d hurt and betrayed me. The rest of me was scared that I wouldn’t and I’d lose him forever.
Betrayal, lies, hatred. He’d heaped them all on me, and yet I still missed him.
How messed up was that?
“Carly’s right,” Jed said. “You know that’s how he always reacts. He loses his temper, then calms down. He’ll probably come around.”
“He didn’t lose his temper, Jed. He was so cold and ugly it was like he was made of ice. I’ve never seen him like that except when he was talkin’ to his enemies, only this time he was talkin’ to me.”
Jed’s shoulders sagged. “I won’t pretend to know what’s goin’ through his head right now,” he said with a sigh. “But he’s in the middle of somethin’ tense, otherwise why would he have pushed us both away? I can’t believe I’m sayin’ this, but I think we need to cut him some slack.”
I started to protest when the doorbell rang.
“That’s probably my new attorney.” I started to walk past Jed, but he blocked my path.
“What happened to Hale?”
“Joe and I think I need a new one.” When I saw Jed put up his defenses, I said, “I called Carter Hale multiple times for over a half hour last night, trying to get ahold of James. Did you know James changed his number? But Carter still hasn’t reached out to me. What if that had been an emergency?” I shook my head. “He’s James’s attorney. His loyalty will always lie there. I can’t trust him to prioritize my interests.”
I started to walk past him again, but Jed planted his arm on the doorframe. “What are you gonna do, Rose?”
“Ironically, I’m plannin’ to do the opposite of what you’re probably thinkin’, so let me go, Jed.”
He dropped his arm, but the dark look in his eyes told me that he wasn’t happy about it. I couldn’t blame him. We’d gotten ourselves into a right fix.
Jed stayed on my heels as I went to answer the door. A man who looked like he was in his late thirties stood on my front porch, wearing gray dress pants, a white shirt, and blue tie. His dark brown hair was styled, and it was obvious from a single glance that he wasn’t from around here. The expensive leather computer case in his left hand only confirmed it.
“Mr. Hardisty?” I asked.
He held out his hand. “Gary Hardisty. Rose?”
I shook his extended hand. “Yeah. Thanks for comin’ on such short notice, Mr. Hardisty.” I took a step back and gestured to the living room. “Come in.”
“Call me Gary.” He walked in and took a look at Jed, lifting his brow. He held out a hand. “Gary Hardisty.”
Jed hesitated before taking his hand. “Jed Carlisle. Close friend to Rose.”
He dropped Gary’s hand but gave him an intimidating glare.
“Ahh,” Gary said with a knowing look. “Boyfriend?”
“No,” I said, putting a hand on Jed’s arm. “Just a very worried friend.”
Gary appraised him, then nodded. “We have a lot to cover in case we don’t get the stay to your appearance as I’ve requested. Do you have a table where we can sit?”
I nearly took him to the dining room,
but we hardly used that room and I needed comfort. I loved the morning light in the kitchen, so I led him in there. Carly was at the sink, washing the few dirty dishes, and she gave us a startled look.
“Carly, we’re gonna work in here, if that’s all right,” I said.
“Of course!” She shot a glance at the coffee maker. “Do you drink coffee, Mr. Hardisty?”
So she’d heard us in the other room.
“I think I’m gonna need plenty of coffee to get through everything we need to tackle,” he said with a warm smile.
“How about I start a fresh pot, then check on Violet? Hospice said they were coming by later to assess the logistics of getting a hospital bed installed upstairs.”
Gary gave her a curious glance but remained quiet.
The thought of switching Vi to a hospital bed made my heart sink. “I don’t think we’re quite there yet.”
“No,” Carly said carefully, “but they warned me that we’re closer than we’d like.”
Suddenly I wondered if I should be spending all my time upstairs. Maybe Mason would listen if I called him and told him he needed to get his priorities straight. But Violet was sleeping, and she wanted me to get this mess cleaned up. I suspected she wouldn’t be at peace until she knew my baby and I were safe.
“Thanks, Carly,” I said, swallowing the lump in my throat.
Gary crossed to the table and started to unpack his things.
Carly shot him a worried glance as she prepared a fresh pot of coffee. Jed stood in the doorway, watching Gary with a foreboding look. We weren’t doing much to offer him a warm welcome.
“Would you like to stay, Jed?” I asked.
Gary’s face shot up. “Is there any chance that Jed will be called as a witness?”
“It depends on how this goes,” I said.
Gary gave a sharp nod. “Then Jed likely shouldn’t be present during our conference. I’d suggest he consider consulting with an attorney of his own.”
I drew in a sharp breath. “I’m not turnin’ on Jed.”
“That doesn’t matter, Rose,” Gary said in a kind tone that reminded me of a grandfather, despite his young age. “You should both have your own attorneys.” He paused and a dark look filled his eyes. “The fact that you were sharing an attorney with the man you may be called to testify against is alarming. Mr. Hale should have told you to seek out your own counsel, just as I’m suggesting to your friend.” He turned to Jed. “I have a list of associates I can recommend.”
Come Rain or Shine: Rose Gardner Investigations #5 (Rose Gardner Investigatons) Page 19
