1022 Evergreen Place

  Reluctantly she nodded.

  “You can name the baby if you want,” Bruce said next.

  He hadn’t discussed this with Rachel. However, if it helped Jolene adjust, she was more than willing to let the girl make suggestions.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?” she asked sullenly.

  “It’s too early to tell,” Rachel said. “I won’t have an ultrasound for several weeks.” Personally, she’d rather not know the sex of their baby. However, it seemed important to Jolene. Rachel took longer than she should have to realize why. Jolene was afraid a baby girl would be competition for her father’s affection.

  “I thought you’d show more enthusiasm than this,” Bruce complained.

  “Give her time,” Rachel said, hoping a gentle approach would soothe Jolene’s feelings. She directed her subsequent remark to Jolene. “I understand this is a shock and I apologize if it upsets you.”

  “Jolene’s not upset,” Bruce said. “You aren’t, are you?”

  She didn’t respond. Instead, she glared straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with both her father and Rachel.

  The waitress brought the bill and Bruce reached for his wallet. “How about a movie?” he suggested as he slid his credit card into the holder.

  Rachel couldn’t imagine Jolene agreeing to spend any more time with her than necessary.

  “Can we just go home?” the girl asked.

  “Sure.” Bruce was more than eager to appease his daughter in any way he could.

  They left the restaurant and drove back to the house. Bruce stopped to set the garbage cans by the curb while Rachel and Jolene went inside. Jolene immediately raced to her bedroom.

  Rachel slumped down in a living room chair. This had gone exactly as she’d expected.

  “Where’s Jolene?” Bruce asked as he threw his car keys on the kitchen counter.

  “Her room.” Rachel guessed she was on her cell, talking to her friends, spilling the disastrous news to anyone and everyone who’d listen. And once Bruce was out of the house, the silent treatment would start. It was either that or a tirade against Rachel because of how she’d single-handedly ruined the girl’s life.

  Bruce stood in the middle of the room, hands on his hips. “Why’s everyone so miserable?” he asked. “I couldn’t be happier about the baby. I’m thrilled to death. Okay, I know we agreed to wait for Jolene’s sake, but the deed is done. She’ll get used to it.”

  Rachel feared that was simply wishful thinking on his part. “I hope so,” she whispered.

  “Give the kid some credit,” Bruce said. “Jolene is flexible. It might take her a while to come to terms with the fact that we’re adding to the family, but eventually she’ll be as happy as we are.”

  “Eventually,” Rachel echoed. She wasn’t a pessimist by nature, but she didn’t share his optimism about Jolene.

  He studied her for a moment. “You look tired.”

  “I am,” she said. It was a mild exaggeration, but she needed time alone to think. “Would you mind if I went to bed?”

  Glancing at his watch, he arched his brows. “It’s only seven-thirty.”

  “I know.”

  He smiled slowly. “Interested in company?”

  She smiled back. “Sorry, not tonight.”

  His face fell. “Is it going to be like this during the whole pregnancy?” He sounded like a little boy who’d been deprived of dessert.

  “Bruce,” she snapped, in no mood to deal with this.

  “All right, all right, I apologize. It’s just that it’s been a while.”

  “Three days,” she reminded him.

  “Are you keeping track?” he asked. “Isn’t that like closing the barn door after the cow gets out?”

  “It’s a horse.”

  “Whatever.”

  “I suppose you’re right. We should’ve paid more attention before now.” She stood and started toward their bedroom.

  Reaching out, Bruce grabbed her hand. His eyes were dark. “Are you saying you’d rather you weren’t pregnant?”

  “Oh, honestly, Bruce. You have to know the timing’s all wrong. Jolene is upset and—”

  He released her hand. “Fine. If having my baby is such a hardship, then I won’t trouble you again. I’ll move into the spare bedroom and you can rest assured I won’t interrupt your precious sleep.”

  So it had come to this. The two of them were at odds, attacking each other. This should be the happiest time of her life and it was all Rachel could do not to break into tears.

  “Did you hear me?” Bruce demanded.

  “If moving into the spare bedroom is what you want, then don’t let me stop you.”

  Thirty-Four

  Roy McAfee wasn’t a man who got involved in other people’s affairs. In his line of work, he’d seen enough to make any man skeptical of the human heart. Because of that, he tried to stay away from divorce cases, especially those that included child custody disputes. Most of his work concerned background checks and insurance investigations. In his opinion, people had a right to live the way they wanted, unless they hurt or swindled others.

  The reason he was making an exception now had to do with his daughter Gloria. She’d made her decision not to tell Chad Timmons she was pregnant. Corrie had given Gloria her word that she’d abide by that decision. Roy, however, saw his own situation reflected in Chad’s—a situation that hadn’t been righted for more than three decades. He refused to let that happen again.

  “Where are you off to?” Corrie asked as he headed out the front door on Wednesday afternoon.

  In an instance such as this, it was best to be vague. “There’s something I need to do.”

  “Is this something I know about?” Corrie eyed him speculatively, as if she’d guessed exactly who he intended to see and what he intended to do.

  Roy swore his wife had some sort of psychic ability. She seemed to instinctively know this had to do with Gloria and Chad. He hedged, reluctant to lie, and at the same time unwilling to admit he was a man on a mission—or to tell her what that mission entailed.

  She raised her eyebrows. “Why don’t you want me to know what this is about?”

  He muttered a few words he’d rather she didn’t hear and opened the door.

  “Roy?”

  “Like I said, this is something I need to do.”

  She slipped in front of him, blocking his exit. “You’re going to talk to Chad Timmons, aren’t you?”

  He didn’t confirm or deny the statement.

  “Roy, don’t. Please reconsider,” Corrie whispered with an urgency that gave him pause.

  He clutched the car keys so tightly they dug into his hands. “That young man has a right to know about his baby.”

  Corrie closed her eyes and he knew she was thinking back to the time she’d found herself pregnant and alone. The same memory had haunted him from the moment their daughter came to tell them she was pregnant and the father was out of her life.

  “This is the first time Gloria has ever come to us with a problem,” Corrie argued. “It’s been a breakthrough in our relationship. If you say anything to Chad, it could destroy her trust. It could destroy everything. I’m begging you, Roy, don’t do this.”

  Roy’s eyes bored into hers and he stood his ground. They so rarely disagreed that it made this standoff even more difficult. Still, Roy was determined. “The young man has a right to know,” he repeated.

  Corrie gave him a sad smile. “What you’re saying is that you had a right to know and I didn’t tell you.”

  “Yes!” he all but shouted. When he’d discovered he had a daughter he would never meet, it had nearly broken his spirit. He loved Corrie and had asked her to be his wife, and yet she’d kept this secret for months. The anger and anguish had nearly consumed him. What she’d done had the power to tear them apart. Roy hadn’t let that happen; instead, he’d buried his feelings. But he understood now that this unresolved matter could still undermine their marriage, their relationship.

  ?
??I’ve never begged you for anything,” his wife said. “Don’t do this. Please, Roy, don’t do this.”

  Unsure now, he walked over to his recliner and sagged into it. His car keys dangled from his hand as he leaned forward, gripped by indecision. He believed that contacting Chad Timmons was the right thing to do for Gloria and her baby. Yet everything Corrie said was true. Their daughter, the very one he’d thought forever lost, was back in their lives. Corrie feared, as he did, that going against her will would destroy their fragile bond.

  Corrie remained where she stood.

  “I need to think,” he murmured.

  “Okay,” she agreed after a prolonged moment.

  He heard the reluctance in her voice.

  “Think of Gloria—this is what she wants,” Corrie said. “Right or wrong, these are her wishes.”

  Feeling the full weight of his years, Roy wiped a hand down his face. “Have you ever wondered what would’ve happened if I’d found out you were pregnant?” he asked.

  Corrie didn’t answer him.

  “You’ll never know because you made the decision not to tell me.” He tried hard to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

  “You were seeing someone else.” Her words rang with painful accusation. “What did you expect me to do?”

  “I expected you to tell me,” he barked. Corrie had taken the choice away from him. He’d been young and stupid, and even now he couldn’t be completely sure how he would’ve handled the situation. He liked to think he would have stepped up and been a man, but again that was something he’d never know.

  “Let me give it more thought,” he said when he’d regained control of his emotions. What had happened had happened; they couldn’t go back and undo the past. Reviving these dead emotions could only hurt them.

  Corrie sat down on the sofa and pressed her hands between her knees. When she spoke she lowered her head, her words barely audible. “I know what Gloria feels.”

  “Tell me,” he urged, wanting to understand how she’d rationalized her silence all those years ago.

  “She’s afraid.”

  “Of what?” he challenged.

  Corrie glanced up. “Rejection. Blame.”

  “Blame?” Roy stared at her. “Why would I blame you? The responsibility for birth control should be shared.”

  “It was more than that.”

  “Explain it to me.”

  “I…had an important decision to make and I wanted to make it myself, without pressure from you.”

  Her reasoning irritated him. “Don’t you think that was rather selfish?”

  “No.” Corrie would not back down. “I was young and immature,” she said. “I had all I could deal with already. I couldn’t handle you being in the center of the situation. Gloria feels the same way. Chad is out of her life. He, too, is involved with someone else. Gloria feels as I did—that she’d rather deal with this on her own.”

  Hearing her so coldly cut out Chad, just as Corrie had eliminated him from the equation, made the decision easy for Roy. He came to his feet and stalked out of the house.

  “Roy!” his wife called after him. “Don’t do this. Please…don’t do this,” she wailed.

  Roy ignored her, climbed into his car and drove off. He couldn’t say he looked forward to meeting Chad Timmons. The task of informing the other man that he was about to become a father wouldn’t be pleasant.

  He drove into Tacoma and parked at the hospital. His visit was brief. He left a message for Chad with the receptionist, asking the doctor to meet him at a tavern close to the hospital. Whether or not Chad decided to show up was his choice. If he didn’t arrive within half an hour of the end of his shift—which the receptionist had told him was 4:00 p.m.—Roy would take that to mean Chad wasn’t interested in talking to him. In that case, he wouldn’t pursue the issue. Corrie and Gloria would get their wish. But, by the same token, Roy would feel he’d done what he had to do.

  He sat at a table in the darkened room and ordered a beer. He wasn’t much of a drinking man. Never had been, but there were occasions that seemed to call for it. This was one of them.

  He’d drunk about half his beer when the door opened and Dr. Chad Timmons entered. They’d met briefly at the opening of the medical clinic, and Roy recognized him immediately. The younger man paused near the entrance and looked around.

  Roy raised his chin just enough for Timmons to spot him.

  Chad walked the length of the room and stood in front of him. “You wanted to speak to me?” he asked defensively.

  Roy gestured toward the chair.

  Chad ignored the silent invitation to join him. “What’s this about?”

  “Sit down, son.”

  With obvious reluctance he pulled out a chair and sat.

  “You know my daughter,” Roy said without emotion.

  “I know both your daughters,” Chad returned.

  For a moment Roy had forgotten that at one time Linnette had been infatuated with Chad.

  “Has something happened to Gloria?” Chad asked. A look of concern passed over his face.

  Roy managed to disguise a smile. “That’s one way of putting it.” He caught the bartender’s eye, lifted his nearly empty glass and held up two fingers. A minute later, two pints were delivered to their table.

  “I didn’t ask for this,” Chad said, still sounding defensive.

  Roy resisted the urge to suggest he was going to need it. Instead, he offered the other man a few words of advice. “Don’t turn down a free beer.”

  Chad cracked a smile.

  “Would you mind if I told you a story about me?” Roy asked.

  Chad motioned for him to proceed.

  “Corrie and I were college sweethearts. I was playing for the football team and became a bit of a campus celebrity. I’m afraid I let that attention go to my head.”

  “It can happen easily enough,” Chad said. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table.

  “Especially when one of the sexiest cheerleaders on the squad made a play for me.”

  “Hey, you’re only human.”

  “Yeah, only human.” Roy wasn’t proud of this next part. “I broke up with Corrie. As they say, I had bigger fish to fry. I knew I’d hurt her and I felt bad about that, but Alicia—the cheerleader—made it clear she didn’t like competition.”

  Chad grinned as if he understood Roy’s quandary. “It was either one or the other, right?”

  “You’ve got the picture.” Roy paused and sipped his beer. “Corrie left school and I have to tell you I was relieved not to see her around campus. Especially after Alicia dumped me.”

  “Any particular reason you lost the cheerleader?”

  Roy nodded. “I got hurt, put on injured reserved. My star had fallen. Alicia moved on.”

  “Bigger fish?”

  “You bet.” Roy’s hand tightened around the beer mug. “I decided that if I was going into law enforcement, I couldn’t risk another injury. So I gave up sports and concentrated on my studies.”

  “You joined the Seattle police force, didn’t you?”

  Roy nodded. “I made detective.”

  Chad arched his brows.

  “That injury returned to haunt me years later, when I hurt my back during a chase, and it led to my taking early retirement. But that’s another story.”

  “Is there a point to this story?” Chad asked.

  “Oh, yes, there’s a point. I’ll get to it in a minute.”

  Chad lifted his mug. “If you’re buying the beer, take as long as you want.”

  Roy chuckled, relaxing against the back of the captain’s chair. “I ran into Corrie on campus a short while later. That was the following year. We met at the library. When I saw her again, I was stunned by how beautiful she was. How genuine. I couldn’t believe I’d left her for someone as superficial as Alicia.”

  “I’m surprised Corrie would have anything to do with you.”

  Roy had to agree. “She didn’t make it easy. I sort of ac
cidentally on purpose showed up at the library every night, about the same time I knew she’d be there.”

  “Smart man.”

  “I didn’t make detective on looks alone.”

  Chad grinned.

  “Eventually Corrie realized I was serious and agreed to go out with me again. I didn’t make the same mistake twice, and just before I graduated I asked her to be my wife.”

  “Now that was a good move.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.” Roy straightened and stared down at his beer. “The night before we were married, Corrie told me that when she’d gone home to live with her family she’d given birth to my baby.” He made eye contact with Chad.

  “Gloria.”

  “Yes, Gloria. I didn’t know I had a daughter until after she’d been given up for adoption.” Chad frowned.

  “Like her mother, Gloria tends to be…cautious with what she shares. Private.”

  “Yes, she does,” Chad said.

  Uncertain how to lead into the purpose of his visit, Roy met Chad’s eyes again. “She says you’re seeing someone else now.”

  Chad held his look. “If you don’t mind, I’d rather not discuss my personal life.”

  “That’s fine with me. However, before I say anything more, I want to tell you that I’m taking a huge risk seeing you this afternoon.”

  “How so?”

  “My wife is dead set against it, and when Gloria finds out she’ll probably never speak to me again.”

  “She came to see me.” Chad took a sip of his beer. “About three weeks ago.”

  “So she said. Did you ever ask her why?”

  “I know why. She changed her mind again. Frankly, she’s done this to me twice and I’m through playing her games. If she sent you to talk to me, then you’ve wasted your money on good beer.” He paused, as though everything was beginning to add up. “But you said she might not appreciate the fact that you came to see me, so what’s up?”

  Roy ignored the question. “I came because I wasn’t going to sit idly by and let history repeat itself.”

  Chad stared at him.

  “Are you that obtuse, young man?” Roy asked.

  Chad’s mouth fell open. It seemed to hit him all at once. His chest expanded and then as quickly deflated. He stood, thrust his hands in his pockets and walked around the table.