Baby in the Bargain Read online

  “I’ll sit here with everyone if you’ll get someone to give us a hand,” he bargained.

  “Sure.”

  She scooted to the door and opened it.

  “I don’t need a hand,” her grandfather groused. “Foolish to spend money on a doctor when you’re not sick.”

  “Dad, you took in a lot of smoke and coughed the whole way here.”

  “Humph, I took in smoke barbequing beef, but I never had to go to the doctor over it.”

  Willamenia watched her dad’s hands tighten on the steering wheel in exasperation. Hoping to ward off any war of words she was sure would follow, she placed a calming hand on her grandfather’s shoulder.

  “You weren’t eighty-five then.”

  She heard him grunt and quickly fled the confines of the crew cab. Her feet ate up the ground to the automatic doors. With a whooshing sound, they parted, and a cool blast of air rushed over her as she made her way to the nurses’ station. The waiting room was empty except for one or two people patiently waiting to be seen.

  “Can I help you?” a nurse behind the counter inquired.

  Willamenia explained the situation. Leaning back, the nurse motioned for an orderly to grab a wheelchair, and the three made their way back to the truck.

  “Dad, this is Nurse Carol,” she explained as they opened the front door to the truck.

  “Morning,” her dad replied, opening his door. He went around from the driver’s side to the passenger’s.

  “Thanks for coming out to help.” He held out his hand and they shook.

  “If you’re through with the meet and greet, let’s get this monkey show on the road. I’ve got things to do back home,” Willamenia’s grandfather put in.

  Carol leaned in the doorway of the truck, and Willamenia marveled at the welcoming smile plastered on the nurse’s face after the gruff words.

  “Sorry you had to sit out here, Mr. Cogsdale. Let’s go inside where it’s cooler. My friend Mike will give you a hand getting out of the truck. Use him to steady your steps.”

  “I’ll get Alli,” Willamenia whispered to her dad.

  It didn’t take them long to get her grandfather out of the truck, but she could have sworn the wheelchair drew back in fear of the icy glare he gave it.

  “I can walk,” he grumbled.

  “Oh, I’m sure you can,” Nurse Carol agreed. “But it makes the administration happy to put these to work. It’s just a lift in. Honest.”

  “Right.”

  For all his bluster, her grandfather sank into the seat with a sigh as her dad pulled the foot rests down and placed his boots on them.

  “Don’t spare the horses, sonny.”

  They all laughed as Mike wheeled him into the waiting room. Once the paperwork was finished, they placed her grandfather in a cubicle on one side of the hallway and Alli in another across the way. From behind the curtain, she could hear her father arguing with her grandpa to lie still and relax.

  A grin lifted the corner of her lips as she looked down at the child playing with a stuffed rabbit. “You’re such a good girl, Alli. Momma’s so proud of you.”

  The curtain drew back, and she glanced up as a white-coated doctor walked into the room. The doctor’s head came up and a smile spread across her face.

  “Hi, Willamenia. I heard you were back in town.”

  Blinking, Willamenia nodded.

  “Hi, Ariella. I didn’t know you worked here.”

  Lee’s sister moved into the room and placed the folder on the bed.

  “Yep, finished school and was lucky enough to get a job here in Cactus Gulch.”

  She pulled the stethoscope from around her neck.

  “So who is this pretty little girl?” She glanced down at the child.

  “My daughter, Alli,” Willamenia explained.

  “You want to tell me why you’re here? I’m sure it’s not to show off this beautiful doll, even though I wouldn’t blame you.”

  Slowly, Willamenia explained about her grandfather leaving the pot on the stove and the small fire that had messed up the kitchen.

  “Wow, that’s what I call an eventful morning. Well, let’s take a listen to your chest, Miss Alli.”

  Willamenia watched as Ariella rubbed the round end of the stethoscope in her hands to warm it up. Lifting Alli’s shirt, she placed the disk on her chest.

  “My, you are a cute little thing.”

  Lee’s sister smiled down at the child, who willingly grinned back and for a moment ceased moving the rabbit in play.

  “You sound just fine.”

  Ariella held out her hands, and Alli grasped them, pulling herself into a sitting position.

  “Good motion.”

  Willamenia gave a sigh of relief.

  “Let’s listen to your lungs from the back.”

  Ariella looked over to her.

  “Can you hold her hands?”

  Willamenia leaned forward and took her daughter’s hands.

  “You’re such a good girl.”

  Looking over her daughter’s head, she caught the flicker of surprise and the fading smile on Ariella’s lips. Her heart skipped a beat. The birthmark.

  Until now, it had completely slipped her mind. The tiny shape of a horse’s head in dark pigment on her daughter’s right shoulder blade had seemed so prophetic at her birth, as if she had passed her love of equines on through the unbiblical cord. It was a telltale mark that Alli’s father wore in the exact same place. A mark his sister would know. Willamenia found herself struggling to swallow.

  It seemed awkward to look up into Ariella’s eyes. Still, Willamenia put her best poker face in place as Ariella met her gaze.

  “She okay?”

  Lee’s sister swung her gaze away as she placed her stethoscope around her neck. “She’s fine.”

  Relieved, she picked up her daughter and cuddled her against her body. She watched as Ariella made a note on the chart.

  “Her birth date is September twelfth?”

  “Yes.”

  Ariella glanced over at the child Willamenia held. “Wow, what a big girl for going on two.”

  She didn’t comment. Instead, she waited until Ariella completed her work.

  “Are we free to go?”

  “Sure, just watch for a few coughs and sneezes as she gets the last of that smoke up from her lungs. Babies are very resilient.” Ariella took a seat on the bed. “How are you? Did you get a lot of smoke?”

  “No, not really. Granddad got most of it. He just stood there like he didn’t know what was going on. I mean completely zoned out.”

  Ariella nodded. “Your dad said that too, the part about him being like he was zoned out. I asked Dr. Lynch to consult. He’s in there with them now. They are trying to convince him to stay overnight, for observation.”

  “Of course. I’m not surprised. It might be good. I mean, maybe you can run a test and find out what’s causing these little lapses.”

  Ariella’s eyebrow arched. “It’s happened before?”

  Willamenia nodded her head in agreement.

  “Not recognizing my voice when I first came home, for instance.”

  “I’ll mention it.”

  There was a pause in their conversation.

  “I know it’s not my business…” Ariella began.

  Willamenia’s eyes grew wide. Instinctively, she knew what was coming. “You’re right; it is none of your business.”

  Ariella sat back and crossed her arms over her chest, but she met Willamenia’s defiant expression with one of persistence. “True, but don’t you think my brother deserves the right to know?”

  Pain lanced Willamenia’s heart. “No one knows.” She waited a moment. “But you.”

  Astonishment filled Ariella’s eyes.

  “You haven’t told your father?” She lowered her voice. “Willamenia?”

  She shook her head.

  “But my brother is working for you.”

  Willamenia looked at her daughter. “I know. I know,”
she whispered. “It’s so hard. I-I thought I could handle it. Coming home, seeing him, but…” Her words ended in a sigh.

  Suddenly, Ariella’s arms were slipped around her shoulders.

  “Oh, honey, you’ve got to tell him. A secret like this is too big to carry alone. You’ve got to come clean to everyone.”

  Emotions awoke and rolled to the surface. Willamenia felt her eyes fill with tears.

  “How can I? Lee doesn’t know how I feel. Shoot, I…I don’t know how I feel, other than angry, confused, frustrated.”

  Ariella’s hands slid down to grasp her hand.

  “My brother loves you. He always has and he always will.”

  “We didn’t part on good terms.” Willamenia sighed and stared down at their clasped hands. “I don’t know how to undo this. You know he asked me to marry him. I…I turned him down, like a fool.”

  “I know.” She gave a soft smile. “He mentioned that when he returned.”

  Willamenia felt her shoulders sag. “My stupid, stupid pride.” She gave a shake of her head. “If I tell him about Allison, he’s gonna marry me because of his pride. I don’t want him to think he has to marry me. I want him to want to marry me.” She took a deep breath. “Because in spite of everything, he might still love me.”

  Ariella grinned. “Just relax. I’m pretty sure he does. You know, he hasn’t dated since he returned. Most call him the monk of Cactus Gulch.”

  They both laughed.

  “I just don’t want him to think he has to because there’s a baby in the bargain.”

  “Give him a chance to know you. I was once told that pride has to fall before you can see the true promise of tomorrow.”

  Willamenia let the words sink in. “I bet that comes from some wise medicine man.”

  Ariella shook her head. “Nope, I read it in the Bible. However it went along the lines of pride goeth before the fall.”

  “I like your version better.” She took a moment to gather her thoughts. “You…you won’t tell him?”

  “Nope.” Ariella shook her head. “Patient-doctor confidentiality.”

  “Thank you. It was nice to kind of get this off my chest.”

  “I bet. Just remember you can’t keep secrets for ever. They are bound to come out, and often at the worst time.”

  “Thanks.”

  Ariella pushed the curtain back.

  “Your grandfather is over there.” She pointed across the hallway.

  Willamenia walked over and peeked through the curtain. “Can I come in?” She could see her grandfather lying in the bed, his arms folded over his chest.

  “Course,” he grumped. “Maybe you can talk these two yahoos into letting me go.”

  Willamenia’s brows rose. She glanced at her father, who stood off to the side with a scowl on his face and his arms in a similar position over his chest.

  “Mr. Cogsdale, you have to listen to reason,” Dr. Lynch began.

  “Reason, my—”

  “Dad!” her father bellowed.

  Her grandfather swallowed his words, but the simmering look he cast at the two gentlemen at his side left no doubt as to his true feelings.

  “Grandpa, what’s wrong?”

  She crossed over to the bed and took a seat beside him.

  “They say they want me to spend the night. To keep an eye on me.” He spat. “Just a ploy to get my money. But the laugh’s on them, ’cause I don’t have any.”

  “Now, stop your fussing,” Willamenia soothed as she tucked the blanket in around him. “Think of it as a vacation.”

  “Vacation,” he grumbled and took a breath, then let out a cough that shook his body.

  “Easy.” She patted his arm.

  “You think I should stay.”

  She nodded. “I do, Grandpa. I love you. I want to make sure you are okay. It will be just for a day or two.”

  He thought about it.

  “You’ll come see me?”

  “Sure I will.”

  His eyes took on a faraway look.

  “I left your grandma for a day, and she left me.”

  “Oh, Grandpa, we’ll be here, and you’ll see that once they run these tests and make sure you’re fine, we’ll go home together.”

  She watched him glance toward her father.

  “Jeremiah?”

  “I’ll be here, Dad.”

  Her grandfather lay back and pulled the sheets tight to his chest.

  “All right, I’ll stay.”

  Willamenia heard her father give a sigh of relief.

  “I’ll get your father into a room on the second floor, Mr. Cogsdale.”

  Her dad nodded.

  “Willa, honey, can you hold the fort down while I call Mr. Davis?”

  “Sure, Dad.”

  Seated beside the bed, she bounced Alli on her knee for a few minutes as her father and the doctor left the room. Her grandfather appeared to be napping, so she began to play patty-cake with her daughter. The baby’s laughter filled the room.

  “So you gonna tell Lee the truth?”

  The soft tone of her grandfather’s voice made her pause.

  “Excuse me?”

  She glanced at the man in the bed beside her. Her grandfather had one eye cracked open, and its sharp blue stared back at her.

  “Playing possum, were you?” she fussed.

  “I asked if you were going to tell Lee Hawks that Alli is his daughter.”

  “H-How did you…” she stammered.

  “Don’t take a wizard to figure it out.” He gave a tired sigh. “All anyone has to do is look at her. She’s got your hair and coloring, but those eyes… Those eyes belong to him. To be a Hawks, he sires beautiful children.”

  “Grandpa.”

  “No, you listen to me, Willamenia Cogsdale. You gotta bend with the wind at some point. You got to put that pride of yours away. Marry that man and fill that house with his beautiful children. You do that for your old grandpa, you hear?”

  “I hear, Grandpa. I hear.”

  Chapter Six

  The sun was low in the sky as Willamenia pulled into the yard. The nursing staff had been wonderful, getting her grandfather settled, making sure they knew what was going to happen tomorrow, just easing their fears. Her dad had contacted Mr. Davis, who agreed that he should stay and offered to go check on the horses himself. To say her dad was relieved was an understatement. Still, even before that call he had elected to stay the night in case Grandpa got a bit nervous. She chuckled.

  “Yep, you weren’t fooling anyone, Dad. You were just plain worried about him.”

  She eased the truck to a stop and cut the motor. Taking the keys from the ignition, she sat for a moment, staring at the house. Something was wrong with her grandpa. It wasn’t just that he was growing old. Willamenia felt the world shift and lean heavily on her shoulders. The slam of the back door alerted her to someone coming to greet them. She watched the tall figure saunter out from the porch, down the steps toward her.

  The closer he came, the more the pain and terror of the day leached out of her body. He was calm, steady, the kind of man you could lean on. Her brow furrowed. Yet he’d left her. Did he leave? Or did you drive him away? She shifted in the seat. Her own thoughts made her uncomfortable.

  Lee must have read the anguish in her eyes. He rounded the truck and came up alongside, then opened the driver’s door.

  “Hey, Willamenia, what’s wrong?”

  She gave him a half-hearted smile. “Nothing.” She tried to swallow the lump that suddenly manifested itself in her throat.

  He tilted his head to study her.

  “Really. It’s just leaving Grandpa in the hospital…”

  Lee’s mouth formed a thin line. “Yeah, I can understand that. Come on, let’s get you inside.”

  With a nod, she pulled the strap of her purse onto her shoulder and stepped from the truck. Together they walked around the hood to the passenger side, where he opened the door and she leaned in to unbuckle Alli from her carseat. />
  “Do you have to take the truck back? I can follow you.”

  “No.”

  She pulled her daughter from the seat before turning to speak to Lee.

  “Dad’s spending the night. He’ll call tomorrow, after Grandpa has a test, to tell us if he’s coming home.”

  “Sorry to hear he has to stay there. I’m sure it doesn’t sit well with him.”

  “No, it doesn’t.” She shifted the baby on her hip.

  “Allow me.”

  Willamenia’s defense rose.

  “I can take her.”

  Lee met her gaze with quiet determination.

  “I didn’t say you couldn’t.”

  The words his sister had spoken hit Willamenia hard. Let your pride go. Heart pounding, she held her breath as his arms reached out to hold his daughter.

  “Were you a good girl for your mommy?”

  His innocent words tore a hole in her heart. She wondered if he knew how close to the truth his actions were. Shifting the bag on her shoulder, she smiled.

  “She’s always a good girl.”

  “I bet she is.”

  Lee placed his daughter on his hip as they turned toward the house. With a hand on the small of her back, they walked up to the kitchen door. The warmth from his palm seemed to ease the tension along her back. At the kitchen door, he pushed it open for her to walk through.

  Willamenia expected the stench of smoke and ash. She was mildly surprised to be greeted instead by the fragrance of lemon and wood soap.

  “I didn’t expect you to do all this by yourself.”

  She moved to the table, laid her purse on top, and glanced around the well-scrubbed kitchen.

  “There are a few cabinets to replace,” Lee explained. “Some repainting will have to be done. It would be my opinion that you should replace the stove.”

  She looked at the appliance only to discover two of the knobs appeared to be somewhat melted.

  “Sounds like good ideas.”

  Reaching up, she placed her hand on her neck and rubbed the tired muscles there.

  “I need to fix Alli some supper. After that, I’ll work on getting us something to eat. If you want to feed up, you can.”

  “All ready done.” Lee smiled at the child in his arms.

  Alli seemed more interested in her father’s face than in food. Tears welled in Willamenia’s eyes, and she turned away. “Well, let’s get Alli fed, and then I can fix supper.”