Before stepping into the reception area, Mandi took a deep breath and pasted on a smile. The events of the past few weeks had taken their toll, but she knew the Oslands would be excited, and she didn’t want to worry them or dampen their spirits. Besides, she was as curious as they were. Was it a baby boy or girl?
The Oslands were already there, as Mandi suspected they would be. She hugged them both and indulged them in patting her abdomen. This might be the last time she saw them before the delivery. “Oh, my gosh,” Jill squealed. “You’ve gotten so much bigger.”
Mandi laughed. “Blowin’ up like a balloon.”
Jill’s wide blue eyes danced, and she was practically bouncing in the chair. It was an excitement Mandi could understand, but one thing she hadn’t experienced. She remembered the shock of gaining weight, and the fear as her pregnancy had become more and more real. At eighteen, the thought of labor had been terrifying.
“We’re working on the nursery,” Jill said. “Ready to paint, but colors will depend on what we find out today. If it’s unclear, we’ll go neutral for now. But, oh, I’d really like to know. I want the room to be ready. It’ll be so much cuter if we can choose pink or blue.”
“You know what they say . . .” Mandi reminded her with a smile. How many times had people told her the gender didn’t matter as long as the baby was healthy? Well, duh.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. And I will adore whatever I get. Hey, I also have a shower scheduled. I’d love it if you could be there.”
Mandi thought about that. She might be able to arrange it, and should probably offer. As she debated, the door opened, and her name was called.
“Send me the info, and I’ll see,” she told Jill.
After the preliminary procedures were complete, they all gathered around the sonogram technician and watched the screen as she moved the wand over Mandi’s skin. Gasps, followed by oohs and aahs, accompanied every turn of the wand as the Oslands got shot after shot of their developing baby.
“Well,” the technician said after several minutes. “If I had to guess, I’d say you’ve got yourselves a baby girl in there. I’m not seeing the identifiable appendage.”
Mandi squeezed her eyes closed. It didn’t matter to her whether it was a boy or girl, but thoughts of Paige flooded in. A baby girl. All that pink and lavender. The ruffles and lace and bows. She imagined Jill picking out a layette full of sweet, tiny socks and soft one-piece sleepers.
Jill squeezed her hand. “Oh, Mandi.” Her lips quivered, and that fast, the two of them were laughing and crying together.
Minutes later, Mandi sat up, and the technician handed the Oslands a stack of photos and a CD. When Mandi hopped off the bed, Jill stood in front of her.
“I saw there’s a smoothie shop in the lobby. Want to meet us down there when you’re done?”
Mandi hesitated a moment, but something cold sounded good. She could spare a few more minutes. Since she no longer had to dash to Jimmy’s she could work a little late at DataPlus if necessary.
“Sure. Give me a few minutes to get myself put back together.”
Mandi could see Hayden and Jill hunched over the sonogram photos at a small café table as she approached. Their happiness was contagious, and Mandi grinned. “Hey, guys, watcha lookin’ at?”
Matching smiles greeted her. Jill rose and took Mandi’s arm. “Let’s get you something.”
Coconut mango smoothie in tow, Mandi followed her back to the table. She’d only taken a couple of sips when Jill leaned over the table, biting her lip as if she were nervous.
“Hey, we have a proposition for you.” Jill shot a glance at her husband before continuing. “We know you’re planning to leave Dallas and move to California, so we were wondering . . . we thought it might be as easy to move from Austin as Dallas. Would you– Would you consider spending the last few months in Austin and delivering there?”
Mandi’s mouth dropped open, and she stared at the couple.
“Deliver in Austin?” she echoed. They wanted her to move to Austin? Why would she do that?
“Well . . . we just thought . . . since you’re leaving here, anyway. And we don’t need the fertility team anymore. I mean, at this point, it’s a regular pregnancy. You could deliver at any good hospital.”
Thoughts swirled in Mandi’s head. What about Dr. Bensen? “Yeah, um–”
Jill touched her hand. “I’m sorry. We caught you off guard. You don’t have to give us an answer right now. Take some time to think about it.”
“Sure. But, Jill, I have a job. I’m afraid I can’t just give up three months’ worth of income.”
Hayden spoke up then. “We’ve talked it over, and we’re prepared to cover your living expenses for that time, Mandi.”
Mandi frowned. Maybe the Oslands weren’t as frugal as she’d originally thought. Did they have family money? They didn’t seem like trust-fund people. But these days, she wasn’t sure she was any judge of character. In fact, she wasn’t sure of anything. “Okay. I’ll think about it.”
“We can always amend the contract to include that. You let us know, and we’ll talk to Susan.”
Mandi nodded. “Right. Sounds good.”
After telling the Oslands goodbye, Mandi lingered a moment, then headed back to the elevators, hoping for a private minute with Dr. Bensen. When she caught her eye, Dr. Bensen’s brows shot up, and she held up a finger, signaling for Mandi to wait while she finished speaking to one of the nurses.
“Did you need something, Mandi?” Dr. Bensen asked as she stepped out of the office.
“The Oslands asked me to move to Austin and deliver there.”
“What? They want to move you for the last trimester?”
“Yeah. What do you think about that?”
“You could, of course. It’s a normal pregnancy. You haven’t had any problems.” Dr. Bensen crossed her arms. “What do you think about it?”
Mandi shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m trying to think it through. Not excited about changing doctors. I’d be more comfortable if you delivered.”
“But remember, there are a lot of doctors in the practice here, hon. There’s no guarantee that I’ll be on call when you go into labor. Any of our doctors could deliver.”
“Really? They won’t call you?”
She shook her head. “Not anymore. Not unless there’s a problem. We’ve grown a lot since you had Paige.”
“Oh. Okay.” That had never been mentioned before.
“Listen, I’ve got colleagues in Austin. If you decide to make the move, I’ll set you up with someone I trust.” She brushed a hand down Mandi’s arm. “Either way will be fine, but don’t let them pressure you, honey. Do whatever you want.”
Mandi walked slowly out to her car, the words of Dr. Bensen ringing in her ears. Do whatever you want. She unlocked the car and slid inside. Was there really any reason to stay in Northtown? Obviously, it’d be easier for the Oslands if she were in Austin. She’d had a whole host of doctors already. What was one more? Mandi shook her head. What did she want? She wanted to hibernate for three months.
**
Lane’s heart slammed against his chest as soon as he saw the long curls in the open door. Those belonged to only one person – the one person he wanted to see. The door opened wider, and her familiar petite figure slipped inside. Relief swept through him. Thank God. At least she hadn’t taken off for California. Yet. He strained to see more, to see physical proof of her pregnancy. Yes, her stomach protruded from her thin body. His pulse pounded. Was that his child?
He glanced around. He would not let this opportunity get away without speaking to her. She moved farther into the room, but still at the back. Probably planning a quick exit. Could he break away for a minute? He shook his head, then realized the city planner was speaking to him.
“Something wrong?” Dave asked, his brows furrowed.
“Oh. Uh, no.” Lane pulled himself back to the task at hand – presenting details of their plan and answering questions. This was important, and he had to focus. Didn’t keep his eyes from pulling toward the back of the room, though.
“You ready to get started?” Dave asked.
Lane nodded, surveying the crowd, glad to see Boyd and Jimmy and some of the other skeptics. Jimmy should be pleased. Boyd would be steamed. But, hey, it wasn’t the city’s responsibility to sell his property or increase its value for him. At least Mandi was there. She’d be relieved. He’d damned near changed things around just to keep from being reminded of her. But reason had prevailed, and he’d basically designed the whole plan with her in mind. He hoped she’d realize it. No, he hoped to tell her himself.
He sat back and let Dave Mahoney start the show. At this point, it was the city’s gig.
Mahoney started the slideshow. “The city is making a substantial commitment to the people of Northtown with this proposal. We think you’ll be pleased. The two key items are these . . . “ He pointed to the overhead images. “A community center and a satellite police station staffed twenty-four-seven.” He paused as gasps and murmurs swept through the crowd.
Not a bad start, Lane thought. But the cynics were there in full force.
“Who’s paying for those?” a man called out.
Lane knew that voice. Jimmy, for sure.
“Folks, this is all tax money. Some of it’s from you, and some of it’s from the state. But the biggest chunk is coming from federal grants.”
“That’s still tax money,” someone else shouted.
“Exactly,” Mahoney said. “Look, the point is, this money is going to be spent somewhere, and we’re choosing to spend it in Northtown.”
That shut the crowd up in a hurry, Lane noted with satisfaction. Jesus, why couldn’t they just keep quiet and listen for ten damned minutes?
Mahoney moved on, pointing out the features in each of the slides. The new sidewalks, the placement of lighting, the new park. “We’ll be clearing away a ton of brush and overgrown areas,” he told the crowd. “And that’ll include a new ordinance. Be prepared, if you’ve got tall overgrown weeds, places that invite trouble, you’re going to have to clean them up or face a fine. We want visibility. For neighbors, and for the police.”
A few grumbles went through the crowd, but they quickly subsided. Lane scanned the faces. For the most part, people seemed genuinely interested, or at least thoughtful. He strained to find Mandi. He saw her, but couldn’t read her face. Then someone bent to talk to her, and she turned, her hair swinging over her shoulder.
“We’ve got some packets of information up here, and you’re welcome to take one. Please take only one, and remember, this is all preliminary. The plans could change depending on timing, costs, availability of land, et cetera. Those are the details we’ll be working on this winter.”
The papers sat in front of Lane. The city’s staff had actually done a pretty good job of taking his written proposal and rough drawings and turning them into simple maps and renderings. Lane grabbed the papers and stood up. He’d hand them out instead. Walking down the outside aisle, he handed stacks of the packets down each row. He sensed movement in the back row before he got there. Shoving the papers at a woman standing in the aisle, he did a quick step behind her, and caught Mandi’s arm.
She let out a soft yelp, and heads turned their direction. Careful not to hurt her, Lane applied pressure on her arm, and pulled her around to face him. Adrenaline rushed through him. “Mandi, don’t run.”
To his relief, she stood still. But she didn’t look at him. Aware that numerous sets of eyes were on them, Lane lowered his voice. “I’ve been worried about you. You moved. You quit Jimmy’s. Are you all right?”
When she looked up, the wariness in her eyes made his heart sink. Was she afraid of him? He just wanted to get some straight answers. No, he really wanted to pull her into his arms and start the hell over.
Heat seared inside Mandi as strong fingers curled like a handcuff around her arm. She could fight him, and make a scene, of course. The men would get him off of her if she screamed. But she couldn’t bring herself to do it. A lot of these people didn’t like him already. They’d probably like a chance to jump him. He didn’t deserve that.
But what did he deserve? Certainly no mercy from her. When she finally looked up and met his eyes, her legs nearly collapsed. Those eyes . . . those eyes pleaded with her. She swallowed hard. “Lane, I’m fine. Please stop trying to track me down.”
“I will, if you’ll talk to me. After this – somewhere public. We could go to Jimmy’s even. Let’s sit down and talk.”
She kept her voice low. “I’m telling you once and for all, we don’t need to talk.”
Talking would only prolong what she already knew. They were done. They were physically attracted to each other, but like Aaron, they weren’t right for each other. Lane liked luxury. Extravagance. He sat on the stage in his designer suit and looked down on the people of Northtown. To him, this was a job. Just a project. What had he called her? The unexpected pleasure of working in Northtown. He’d never be able to separate her from the dirt and grime of this place.
“This baby has nothing to do with you,” she ground out. To her surprise, Lane’s face softened.
“But it has something to do with you,” he said, his voice husky and deep. “And you’re what I’m concerned about.”
Her breath caught in her throat. She couldn’t breathe. Oh, God. She had to get out of there. She snatched one of the fliers, then turned away and slipped out the door. Thankfully, no one followed. Mandi dashed to her car, and made a quick get-away. Lane had told her that if he got the job there, he’d get a temporary apartment. Maybe moving to Austin was a good idea after all . . .
She had to now. She couldn’t stay in Northtown knowing Lane was there. He belonged to the past, and she was putting that behind her. Still, her hands shook as she made the short drive home, Lane’s words playing through her mind. “You’re what I’m concerned about.”
More likely he was concerned that working in Northtown wouldn’t be as much fun without her to provide weekend entertainment. She jammed the car into park, and checked that thought. Get over yourself, girl. The man would have no trouble finding alternative entertainment.
**
Inside, Mandi considered having a cup of strong coffee with caffeine. Or maybe a glass of wine. She rested her arms against the scratched Formica surface. Seeing Lane had mixed her up. Why did he still want to talk to her? Why couldn’t he leave her alone? She shook her head. It had to be the baby. Otherwise, he would’ve forgotten about her by now. He said they were friends, but she knew better. Their relationship had been based on sex. Her face warmed as she recalled how quick she’d been to come on to him, to sleep with him. And how much she’d enjoyed it, she reminded herself wryly.
With a heavy sigh, she straightened, and started some decaf coffee.
At the table, she spread out the fliers from the meeting. Holding her breath, she let her eyes glance at the proposal. She couldn’t believe they’d actually agreed to a police station. Lane had clearly charmed them the way he had her. Or, she admitted, he was good at his job and had good, solid ideas. She looked at the sketch. The police station was in a perfect location. Windows would look out over a park in back, and at the shopping center in front.
On page three, she let out a sharp gasp, and dropped her face in her hands. The Meadows was still there. But better. The sketch showed a low stone wall and an entryway with tall trees on either side. A nice sign. Those were cosmetic, and could easily get torn up, but at least they were making an attempt to save it. If only Boyd would cooperate.
Mandi flipped through all the pages, then went back and read the fine print. Proposal only. Potential for grant money to purchase new storage sheds for residents. New fencing and paved driveways. She squeezed her eyes shut. Was Lane responsible for this? Or did someone at the city override him? Of course it was all tentative. They could show this to the public to placate everyone, then do something else later.
She knew better than to trust any of them.
**
Mandi reached for the phone, and took a deep breath before answering.
“Hi, Jill.”
“Hey, Mandi. How are you?”
“Good. What’s up there?” They were waiting to hear about an apartment.
“The best news. Listen to this, a friend of my dad’s who’s a professor in the UT biz school is on sabbatical starting next week, and he’d love for someone to live in his house for a few months. Hayden and I went over and checked it out. It’s a nice house not too far from us. Guest bedroom and bath on the main floor, so not a lot of stairs. No pets. What do you think about that?”
“For free?” Mandi asked.
“Yes. We may pay utilities, but you don’t have to worry about that anyway.”
Sounded like the perfect arrangement, Mandi thought. But they were doing so much for her, Mandi wondered if she’d end up feeling indebted to the Oslands rather than the other way around.
“I took some pictures. I can email them to you.”
“Oh, Jill, that’s not necessary. Really. It sounds wonderful.”
“Okay. If you’re sure, I’ll get it arranged. Are you still thinking right after Christmas?”
“Yes. That’ll be great.”
“Are you planning to go see your folks?”
“No. I’ll do that after I deliver this baby girl.”
“Why don’t you come on down and spend the holiday with us, then? You could meet my parents, and my brother. Oh, he’s single by the way. Kind of cute.”
Mandi laughed. The last thing she needed was to meet someone new right before she moved again. And who’d be interested in a woman with fat feet who was six months pregnant, anyway?
“Thanks, Jill, but I’m spending Christmas with a friend. I’m looking forward to meeting your family, though. Have a good holiday, and I’ll see you soon.”
“All right, then. Merry Christmas!”
“You, too.”
Mandi would spend Christmas with Judy and her family. She was expecting a big family holiday with people of every age who were happy and fun to be around. It’d be crowded and noisy the way it should be. Mandi’s family had had that one good Christmas – the last one before Paige died – when her dad had actually caught the festive spirit, and set aside his disapproval long enough to enjoy his grandkids. Warren and Jessica and their baby had come. Paige had just turned three and was so much fun. She’d been the star of the show that year. Everyone had taken turns sticking bows all over her, and she’d danced around the room giggling, delighting in the attention. Christmas hadn’t been much fun since then.
She’d barely set the phone down, when it buzzed again. Her mother. Mandi sank onto the sofa.
“Hi, Mom.”
“Hi. Did you get your package?”
“Package?” Mandi echoed. Oh, no. She hadn’t thought of that. Of course her mother would send Christmas gifts. Should she tell her she’d moved? Mandi bit her lip, contemplating the pros and cons. She couldn’t give her the address of the apartment and then turn around in a few days and give her another address in Austin. She could not tell her mother she was moving to Austin because that made no sense at all.
“It was supposed to be there yesterday,” her mother said. “Guess I’ll have to track it.”
“Don’t do anything yet,” Mandi said. “It probably came while I was at work, and my neighbors have it.”
“Wouldn’t they call?”
“Maybe it came today. I’ll call next door in a minute.”
“All right. Let me know. I hate you being there alone for Christmas, you know.”
“Yes, but I won’t really be alone. And it’s just this once. I’ll see everyone in April.”
“Have you got all your applications done?”
Mandi couldn’t help but smile into the phone. Finally, that was done. “Yep. Pushed send on all six of them. Now I wait.”
“Uh-huh. I remember how much fun that was last time.”
Mandi’s throat constricted. So did she. But this time would be different. This time she was going to college. “Yeah. I’m anxious to know where I’m headed so I can start planning.”
She could hear her mother’s sigh. “There are perfectly good universities in Florida.”
“Mom. Not again.”
“I know, I know. Just remember, I want to go out there with you to find a place wherever you end up.”
“Sure. That’ll be fun.”
“Well, I’ve got some more wrapping to do, so I’d better get busy. Be sure to check on that package.”
“I will.”
“Love you.”
“Love you, too, Mom.”
Before she had a chance to forget, Mandi dialed Maria’s number and confirmed that a package had arrived.
“I’m sorry. I just haven’t had a single minute to myself to call and let you know,” Maria said.
“No problem. I’ll swing by tomorrow and pick it up. How are things over there? People talking about the project?”
“Umm. Not a lot. I doubt we’ll know much of anything before bulldozers show up on the street.”
“Probably true. Well, let’s hope the city sticks with the plan.”
“Yeah. Are you– Have you talked to your friend about it? Keeping in touch?”
Her friend. Her ex-friend. Not keeping in touch. Not being touched. Maria’s simple question had Mandi’s skin in goose bumps as Lane’s warm caress quickly came to mind. She crossed an arm over the bulge at her mid section, and let the moment pass. “No. I haven’t talked to him for a while. Not since the plan was announced.” She hadn’t given Maria a lot of details about her relationship with Lane. And there was no point now.
“I need to tell you, Maria, that I’m moving again. I’m having the baby in Austin, near the parents, so after Christmas I’ll be gone for good.”
“Wow. That’s fast. I suppose it makes sense, though. Come by tomorrow, okay?”
“Sure. See you then.”
She ended the call and turned, surveying the kitchen. Guess she could start packing up again. Who’d have thought she’d be moving again. And so soon? He didn’t know it, but Lane had given her two reasons to move on – his presence in Northtown, and his redevelopment proposal. The proposal gave her the peace of mind she needed to leave Maria and the others. Thank God Lane hadn’t buddied up with Boyd and wiped out The Meadows.