10

 

Riley couldn’t get the vision out of his mind. The sound of gunfire echoed in his memory. Police swarmed into the bank. Paramedics rushed about. Someone had tried to stop him from entering, but he shoved around them. The metallic smell of blood mixed with gunpowder almost overtook him. His pulse stopped. The woman he loved more than life lay on the floor. No movement. He rushed over to her. But Beth was already gone. There were no last words. No chance for him to say he was sorry for not being there for her. He didn’t know how long he held her before they pulled her away. It was the last time he recalled crying.

Riley stared at the cross in the front of the sanctuary. He had failed before with Beth. How was he going to protect Calley? Especially since he couldn’t locate the whereabouts of the guy after her? God, help me figure this out. She and the baby need Your protection more than they need mine. The door to the room closed behind him. He turned. Matthew stood in the back. The tattoo on the minister’s neck sneaked out over his collar.

“I saw you come in.” He came forward and sat next to Riley. “I didn’t want to disturb you, but you looked like you lost your dog or something. And I know you don’t own one.”

“You getting nervous?” Riley didn’t want to admit the reason for his visit was Calley. “The wedding is less than a week away.”

“I want it over with. I can’t wait to be Lydia’s husband. How’s Calley doing?”

“So far so good.”

“You find Eddy Fulbright?”

Riley shook his head. “Everyone’s keeping pretty tight lipped. It’s just a matter of time ‘til he comes after Calley again.” He raised his eyes to the cross. Please help me protect her.

“Calley’s a strong woman,” Matthew said. “There’s sheer determination to keep her child safe. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have had a gun when that guy came at her the first time.”

“Yeah.”

“I get the feeling you like her.”

“What’s not to like? She’s got a good sense of humor, she’s friendly to just about everyone, and like you said, she’s strong.”

“But?”

“But what?” Riley leaned forward in the pew, his arms on his legs.

“I sense some hesitation.” Matthew patted his shoulder. “Lydia told me a bit about your girlfriend who died. You wanna talk about it?”

Riley raised himself up. “Not much to tell.” He paused. “She was more than a girlfriend. We were a month away from getting married when she got killed.” His throat tightened.

“A robbery at a bank, I understand.”

Riley nodded. He shouldn’t have stopped in. The last thing he wanted to do was discuss Beth.

“Must have been hard not being able to save her.” Matthew leaned back and crossed his ankle over his knee.

“By the time I got there, it was too late.” Riley swallowed hard. “I was supposed to take her to lunch. If I hadn’t let the job get in the way, she wouldn’t have been there.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“I know in my head. It’s the rest of me I have yet to convince.”

“And now Calley, a woman you have interest in, is having problems.”

Riley’s face warmed. Was he that transparent? “What makes you think I have that type of interest in Calley?”

“The way you look at her and the fact she’s at your house right now. I’m not a genius by any means, but I figured it out.” Matthew laughed. “To be honest, Lydia figured it out. And I think Sheryl told her.”

“Great.” Just what he wanted, a bunch of gossip.

“Don’t worry. It’s not going to hurt you to be interested in a woman,” Matthew said. “And for everyone to know about it. Might keep Marylou from continually buying up all the okra in town. From what I hear it’s her best dish, and she thinks it’s your favorite.”

“I just want Calley and the baby to be safe.” Riley rose. He glanced one last time at the cross before he walked out with Matthew following. “It’s got nothing to do with interest.”

“It’s okay to move on with your life. You have to stop shutting yourself off from the rest of the world because of something tragic in your past.”

“It seems everyone near me dies.” Riley slapped his hat from one hand to another. “Beth, Lydia’s husband Justin, my parents. I’d hate to see anything bad happen to Calley and her baby.”

“Have faith. If it’s God’s will, everything will work out. Ask yourself a question. Do you wish you’d never met Beth? Was the pain worth being with her for even one day?”

Riley raised his eyebrows. He walked from the church without answering. What if it wasn’t God’s will that Calley survive? How could he protect her if God wanted to take her?

And how could he live with himself if he didn’t stop it from happening?

 

****

 

“Peter, what are you doing here?” Calley’s heart pounded in her chest. She glanced around to see if anyone saw him. He stood a few feet away from the bench she sat on. He was still as good looking as when she’d seen him last. His blue eyes shined, and his blond hair was feathered back. He reminded her of a male model. His blue polo shirt and khaki Dockers fit to a tee. What did she think would happen in all these months? That he’d get fat and grow warts all over his face?

“I’m a lawyer. There isn’t anyone I can’t find.” He smiled with perfect white teeth. How had she not noticed his arrogance before now?

“What do you want?” She straightened her shoulders and raised her chin.

“I heard about Eva. I just wanted to check on you.”

“You could have called.”

“I had to see for myself that you were all right.” He walked forward and took hold of her hand but she jerked away. “I know I hurt you, Calley, but it doesn’t mean I don’t care.”

“I stopped caring the day you told me you were married.”

He took a step back. “I know I should have told you earlier. Everything just happened so fast with you and me.”

“From the way your wife sounded when she threatened me, I wasn’t the first. Probably won’t be the last.”

He stared up at the sky. He didn’t seem fazed at all over what his wife had done. “You’re different, Calley. But when you told me about the baby, I got scared.”

“And now?”

“I’ve been thinking about it. You said you were going to take care of it. Since there’s no more kid, we can go back to the way we were.”

Her belly was hidden from view by the picnic table. He didn’t know. Anger grew inside her at his thoughts. “No more— If I had known you had a wife, there would never have been an us. You don’t honestly think I’d go back to where we were, do you? When I said I’d take care of the baby, I meant raise it without your help.”

His expression turned into a scowl. “I thought you had an abortion.”

She scooted up from the bench. “Apparently not.” She stood. Her belly protruded from under her shirt.

He took hold of her arm. His eyes turned dark and cold. It happened so fast Calley wondered how often she’d missed this side of Peter. “If you think I’m going to pay support for some brat you tried to trap me with, you can think again.” His grip tightened. “I’ll not lose my family over this.”

“Ow. You’re hurting me.”

“I suggest you let go of her before I put a hole in you the size of a silver dollar.” BJ stood on the back patio, a rifle in her hands aimed in Peter’s direction. “If you have any doubts, you might want to check out the trophy collection in my room first.”

Peter released his hold and turned to BJ. “I’m sorry. It was just a slight misunderstanding. I got carried away. I didn’t mean any harm. My name’s Peter Jameson.” Peter held out his hand in greeting.

“Well you just get carried away off my property before I shoot you for trespassing.”

Peter glared at BJ then Calley. “I meant what I said about that kid. Don’t play with me. I can be a very dangerous man if you make me angry.”

“I don’t want anything from you.” Calley refused to cry. He was no longer worth it. What kind of mess had she made of her life? “You stay away from me and we’ll get along fine.”

He shot another glance at BJ then stormed back into the woods.

Calley watched Peter walk into the forest. Her hands trembled and her knees weakened.

“It’s okay, child.” BJ placed her arm around Calley’s shoulder. “Everything’s going to be all right.”

“I can’t believe I thought I was in love with him.”

“We all make mistakes when it comes to men.” BJ led her inside to a chair at the dining room table. “Here, wipe your eyes. I’ll call Riley and let him know what happened.”

“No.” Calley jumped up. “Please, don’t.”

“But he threatened you. He could have been the one who killed your friend.”

“I would have known if it was him.”

“He might have hired someone. That watch was expensive enough.”

“He had no reason to. He thought I had an abortion.” Calley stomped her foot, then fell back down into the seat. “How could I have screwed up my life so bad? Not just mine, but my baby’s, too. Maybe my mom is right.”

“No. She’s not. You’re a wonderful person Calley Regan, and don’t you ever forget it.” BJ pulled up a chair beside Calley and took hold of her hand. “Now what’s the real reason you don’t want Riley to know?”

“It’s not just him. Everyone will find out in time I’m an unwed mother. I don’t want them to realize the father.” Calley paused. Would BJ think less of her? “He’s married,” she whispered.

“Did you know when you first started seeing him?”

“No. I didn’t find out until I was pregnant.” Calley let out a heavy breath. “It’s just one more screw up. How am I ever going to raise a child when I don’t even have control over my own life?”

 

****

 

Riley pulled into the driveway. It’d been a long day, and he wanted nothing more than to eat and get working on his bike to relieve some of the tension. Matthew’s question swirled through his mind. Memories of Beth weighed heavy as he tried to find an answer. He had loved her, and no matter the outcome, he wouldn’t have given up one moment with her.

He sat in the car and stared at the house. Shadowy figures moved about inside. Calley’s silhouette was evident. Why did he feel a jump in his gut whenever he saw her? She and Beth were so different. Beth was goal-oriented and knew what she wanted from life. Calley at times acted like a child and didn’t seem to have much order in her life. They did have one thing in common. They were both strong. Beth with her sense of right and wrong, and Calley with her loyalty, especially to an unborn child. It would have been easy for her to take the fast way out and kill it, but she chose not to. He smiled. And somehow, she made him want to live again.

He stopped halfway up the steps. A vehicle approached down the long gravel driveway. Marylou honked and waved her fingers at him. Great, just what he needed. In the passenger seat was her friend Tiffany. Riley didn’t know her well. At least she didn’t bathe in perfume like Marylou.

“Riley,” Marylou yelled as she got out of the car. “I noticed you didn’t get any of my fried okra at the party so I made extra last night and decided to bring it by.”

“Thanks. Hello, Tiffany.” He forced himself to keep from rolling his eyes. Tonight he was hoping to go for a test drive on the motorcycle once he worked out a few kinks. He opened the door and allowed the two women inside. It was going to be a long night.

“What brings you two ladies by?” BJ pulled her head up from the oven. Calley was setting plates on the table. “Calley, I believe you met both Marylou and Tiffany at the shower.”

“Yes, I did. How are you?” Calley said.

“We’re awesome. We’ve been at the gym. Need to keep our figures.”

Riley caught the hint of sarcasm in Marylou’s voice. The narrowing of Calley’s eyes said she noticed it also. Riley walked into his room. He removed the tie from around his neck and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt. Murmur of talk from the kitchen area drifted in, but he couldn’t make out what they were saying over the clatter of dishes being moved about.

“Hey.” Calley stuck her head in his opened door. “Would you like a soda or sweet tea for dinner?”

“Tea will be fine.” He leaned toward her. “And by the way, your figure’s just fine.”

Her face beamed. Giving her reason to glow like that eased some of his tension from the day. He leaned an arm over his head on the doorjamb and watched her walk away. She really was a pretty lady.

“Will you be joining us for dinner?”

When BJ asked the question of the two women, Riley wanted to strangle her. How was he to enjoy his meal when he’d be coated with Marylou’s harsh fragrance?

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you.” Marylou’s voice dripped sugar. “We’d love to join you. Right Tiff?”

“Why don’t you place your dish on a trivet in the center of the table?” BJ tilted her head toward the dining room table.

Riley walked out of his room and into the kitchen. The four women bumped and tripped around each other as they finished setting food out. For the first time since he’d arrived, he noticed how tired Calley seemed. Dark circles curved under her eyes. Her footsteps in the kitchen had awakened him in the middle of the night. He couldn’t be sure whether she was having a hard time because of the baby or Eva’s death. It would be a while until she worked through seeing her friend die.

“How was your day, Riley?” Calley said when he took a place at the head of the table.

“Busy.”

“He’s such a gem to talk to, isn’t he?” She leaned over to Marylou who had walked around the table and dropped down in the chair next to Riley.

“Oh, he’s just quiet. Never been one to gossip.” Marylou looked Calley up and down. “Boy when I heard you were pregnant, I hadn’t realized just how so. When’s the baby due?”

“About two months now.”

“Wow. Have you got a dress for the wedding?” Tiffany had a smug look on her face. “I bet it’s hard to find one that fits right and is flattering.”

“I have one, but thanks for asking.” Calley’s cheeks reddened. Riley couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or angry.

“What are your plans once the baby is born?” Marylou sipped from her drink, leaving a lipstick print where her lips had touched the glass. “I’m sure you don’t expect to stay here. There’s really not enough room for three adults and a baby. Besides, with Riley’s schedule, I can’t imagine a baby crying in the middle of the night would be a good thing.”

Riley hadn’t considered Calley leaving once she had the baby. In a short period of time, he’d gotten used to seeing her in the morning before he left for work and having her here in the evenings. The idea of her going away left a hole in the pit of his stomach. He didn’t have much of an appetite any more.

“Don’t you worry about Calley and this baby.” BJ patted Calley’s arm. “She’s welcome to stay as long as she likes. I’m kind of looking forward to having a little one around. Riley’s gotten too big to order around.”

“Yeah, but you still try.” Riley spoke without looking up.

“Got to keep you in line. Even at your age.”

BJ and Calley both laughed.

Marylou placed her hand on Riley’s arm. “But Calley doesn’t strike me as the type who would want to be a burden.”

“She isn’t,” Riley said. “And she’s not a burden.”

A smile drifted over Calley’s face as she looked down at her plate.

“By the way—” Marylou stroked Riley’s arm. “Another reason I stopped by was to see how you were coming with your toast for the wedding?”

If he hadn’t lost his appetite before, he sure did now. With everything going on with Calley, he’d forgotten about his toast. “I haven’t had time to think about it much.”

“You haven’t? Riley, the wedding is this Saturday. Well, it’s a good thing I came by. I’ve actually written up some ideas I thought I’d let you look at.” Marylou pulled out a piece of paper from her jeans pocket. “This one talks a bit about how you’re such good friends, and Matthew and Lydia are made for each other. The one on the back goes into love and all that stuff.”

“They’re awful long, aren’t they?” Riley glanced over the paper. Each toast filled a page. Did she honestly think he’d want to stand up and talk this long? He certainly didn’t need anyone telling him what to say to two of his closest friends. His appetite had pretty much vanished.

“I think you should keep it short and simple,” Calley said. “Something from your heart about how you feel about the couple.”

“Short?” Tiffany rolled her eyes. “It’s obvious you haven’t been to many weddings. Next to the ceremony, the toast is the most important part.”

A mouthful of pork stuck in Riley’s throat. He wasn’t sure if the toast was as important as Tiffany indicated, but it sure didn’t help his nerves any.

“Does anyone need any more tea?” Calley rose and walked to the kitchen.

“Oh my. Are you having trouble walking?” Tiffany said.

“No, why?” Calley returned to the table carrying the pitcher.

“It’s just that… I’m sorry. I don’t want to sound mean, but you’re waddling.”

Tiffany and Marylou leaned over to each other and giggled. BJ’s lips tightened. Riley shot her a glare so she wouldn’t say anything. Calley could take care of herself.

“It’s the baby,” Calley said. “He’s kind of hard to carry so it makes me walk funny.”

“I imagine. Kind of like being fat, huh?” A smug look came across Tiffany’s face.

Anger rose in Riley. Before he could open his mouth tea splashed across the table and into Tiffany’s face.

She let out a yell. “This is a cashmere sweater. It’s ruined. I’ll never get the tea stains out.”

“Oh, I am sorry.” Calley said. “Since becoming pregnant, I’ve been so clumsy.” She walked around the table with a handful of napkins and patted Tiffany down. “I’ll be more than happy to pay for your sweater.”

“You bet you will.”

“Just get me the receipt. I don’t want to pay full price if you bought it used.” Calley’s jaw tightened. “How about you, Marylou? Anything of yours I can replace?”

Marylou was speechless. Her mouth was opened but no sound came out. It was the first time Riley had seen her like this. He tried not to laugh as he piled potatoes on his plate. His appetite had somehow returned.

 

****

 

Calley fought the urge to strangle Tiffany. How dare that woman say she waddled? Just because it was true didn’t mean she had to say it out loud. Besides, Calley had no control over what her pregnant body did. If Tiffany wanted to insult someone, why not go after her good friend Marylou, who hung over Riley all during dinner? She couldn’t have been more obvious. The house still reeked of her cheap perfume. And when she wiped her mouth, half her lipstick remained on the napkin.

Tears formed in Calley’s eyes as she put the glasses in the dishwasher. She heard the murmur of Marylou, Tiffany, and Riley talking in the garage. It was just like in high school. The pretty girls treating her badly just to make themselves feel better.

BJ had allowed Tiffany to borrow clothes while she tried to wash the tea stains out. Calley stood upright and looked down. She was huge. Her feet used to be visible from here. But not anymore. She let out a sigh and swallowed back her tears. Once she had the baby, she would get back into her exercise routine. She’d show that mean Tiffany.

“Tiffany. Tiffany,” Calley said with a smirk. “Who cares what someone named after a jewelry store has to say?”

“That was really something. I hadn’t noticed you being so clumsy before.” BJ laughed as she entered the room. “And that remark about the shirt being used was priceless.”

“It’s an older style that came out years ago. I can’t imagine she just bought it.” Calley turned away so BJ couldn’t see her getting emotional.

“What’s wrong, child?”

“I don’t know. I guess Tiffany saying I was fat. I hate people like that.”

“You’re not fat. You’re having a baby.” She pulled Calley’s chin toward her. “And Tiffany is a spoiled brat who needed to be taken down a peg. You did just that.”

A roar in the garage caught their attention.

“I guess Riley’s got the bike going,” BJ said.

Cheers came through the closed door.

“Come on.” BJ patted Calley’s arm. “Let’s see if it’s drivable. He’s been working on it for a long time.”

Calley followed BJ out. Riley sat on the seat of the bike, a black helmet over his head. He took off out the raised garage door down the gravel road. BJ rushed to the driveway and watched him while Marylou, Tiffany, and Calley waited for his return.

Marylou’s phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. She walked into the corner to answer the call. Calley walked outside, hoping to avoid any type of confrontation with Tiffany.

“I don’t care what it takes. I’ve given you half the money already. Just get the job done! I want to get on with my life.” Marylou’s teeth were gritted as she spoke. After her call, she returned to Tiffany’s side. “Trouble with a contractor.”

Calley was glad to see Marylou had trouble with someone other than her.

“I wonder if Riley will give me a ride,” Marylou said. She turned to Calley. “I guess you’re not in any shape. Are you?”

“It’d be like having a watermelon stuck between the two of them.” Tiffany smirked at Calley.

“Yeah.” Marylou giggled. “But I can get real close, with my arms around him.” She got close to Calley’s face.

Calley rolled her eyes. If she hadn’t been pregnant, she’d have considered giving one of them a black eye. She learned a long time ago pretty girls cared what they looked like. A punch in the face usually worked wonders for adjusting their attitudes.

Instead, she withdrew to her bedroom and reclined on the bed. The motorcycle engine died down in the garage, and the door lowered. Riley must have had some problem with it or he wouldn’t have returned so soon. As bad as that was for Riley, the fact that Marylou couldn’t ride behind him gave Calley a sense of relief. Her eyes drifted closed.

The baby shifted, waking Calley from a sound sleep. She heard a noise in the kitchen and hoped Marylou and Tiffany were no longer there. She glanced at the clock. It was nearing eleven.

“Great, now you decide to bounce on the bladder.” She rose and crawled from bed.

When she walked from her room, a cascade of light from the dining room shadowed the hallway. The noise of someone crumpling paper caught her attention as she headed back to bed. She stuck her head around the corner. Riley sat at the dining room table. His elbows were bent, and his hands rested in his hair. He let out a heavy breath.

“You sound like a man with a lot on his mind.” Calley walked up behind him. The aroma of his soap glided into her sinuses. The musky smell enveloped her. She hoped she wasn’t obvious when she breathed it in.

“I’m trying to get my toast written. I’ve run out of time.” He crumpled up another piece of paper. “Getting up in front of all those people is not something I’m looking forward to.”

“You? Mr. Attention-Seeker?” Calley walked into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

He laughed and leaned back in his chair.

“She’s wrong,” Calley said.

“Who?”

“Your girlfriend, Marylou. I’ve been to a lot of weddings, and the only time the toast has been long is when the best man is drunk.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.” His lips tightened.

“Okay. Your wanna-be girlfriend. She makes that pretty obvious.” Calley took a seat next to Riley. “Let me see what you have.” She opened a crumpled piece of paper from the garbage pile and shook her head.

“That bad?” He tossed the pen down.

“No. You’re just trying too hard. Besides, this isn’t you.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re trying to be fancy, poetic. Just be yourself. If you could be alone in a room with Lydia and Matthew, what two sentences would you say to them to convey how you feel?” She rose. “That’s all you have to do.”

“Two sentences?”

“Yeah. Two sentences.” She leaned into Riley’s ear. “I think your wanna-be girlfriend was showing off.” Calley laughed, took a few steps, then stopped and turned. “What’s wrong with the motorcycle?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were only out for a short ride. Did something happen to it?”

“No. It runs great.”

“Marylou said she was going to try to convince you to take her for a ride.” Calley’s nails cut into her hand as she thought of that woman holding onto Riley. “She mentioned it in the garage.”

“She asked, but I told her it wasn’t safe yet.”

“Oh.” Calley headed to the hallway. Her feet slid on the wood floor.

“Besides,” Riley’s voice caused her to stop. “She isn’t the one I want riding behind me.”