Chapter Twenty-Six
Jessica
Lainey reiterated, “So you think your parents are going to make you marry the old guy from your church?”
I nodded.
“And you obviously don’t want to marry him.”
I continued to be mute as I shook my head. After spilling my guts—to my boss, no less—all my words seemed to be used up.
“But if you don’t get married, your parents are going to kick you out and disown you.”
Finally, I found my voice. “And maybe try to take Ruthie.”
“Okay, I can tell you with almost one hundred percent certainty that no one is going to take Ruthie as long as she’s not being neglected. And I know you’d never let that happen.”
“No,” I agreed solemnly. “I wouldn’t.”
“So maybe you try and find a cheap one-bedroom apartment? I wish my space upstairs was available, but I have a renter in there right now.”
“I don’t want to lose my family. I know they’re a little much, but they’re my parents.
And they’re the only grandparents Ruthie’s got.
” I wasn’t sure if my brothers would shun me.
I didn’t think they even still attended church, although I wasn’t positive since none of them lived in Haven Springs anymore.
But they hadn’t exactly been supportive of me when they found out I was pregnant.
The only family I knew would accept me was Mary. But she lived in Georgia, and I didn’t want to relocate to a big city.
Lainey nodded. “I understand. You said you had been hoping to go on a date with Alan?”
In my word-vomit explanation about why I was crying, I may have mentioned that.
Now, I was embarrassed at my admission and needed to backpedal.
“I mean, it was just a daydream. I know I’m way too young for him, and there’s no way he’d be interested—”
She cut me off. “Oh, he’s interested. But I told him he couldn’t date my staff.” Her voice got lower when she continued, “I don’t think he’s going to listen to me, though. I fully expect him to ask you out before the end of the day. Or at least when he drives you home.”
That made me start crying again, and I howled, “Kevin is picking me up today!”
“Who’s Kevin?”
“Mr. Roberts!”
“Oh, the old guy from church you’re supposed to marry.”
“Yes!”
She pulled me into a hug and murmured in my hair, “Yeah, I don’t see that happening. At least, if I know Alan like I think I do.”
“What can Alan do? My parents aren’t going to listen to anyone outside the church. My mom sounded like their minds were made up.”
“Can I tell Alan about this, and Jade if she comes in later? Between the four of us, I’m sure we can come up with something.”
“Okay.”
I agreed, even though I knew there was no solution. But at least I wouldn’t have to be the one to tell Alan.
****
Alan
Twenty minutes later, Lainey came out of the bathroom—without Jess.
“Everything okay?”
She dragged me toward the kitchen as she replied, “No. No, it’s not. We have a big problem.”
My hackles went up, and I immediately went into fight mode—a byproduct of ten years active in the Marines and my counterintelligence “contracting work” for the government.
The second we were alone, I asked, “Who do I need to end?”
“Whoa, tiger. There’s no need to ‘end’ anyone. We just need to figure out how to keep Jess from having to marry Kevin Roberts, the guy from her church who picked her up the other day.”
My brain was trying to process her words, but I couldn’t make sense of what Lainey just said. In what universe would Jessica marry the old church dude?
And did she say, “Jess had to”? Like, she didn’t have a choice?
“Timeout”—I made the “T” gesture—“what the hell are you talking about?”
She took a deep breath. “Okay, this is what I know. Kevin approached Jess’s parents and offered to marry Jess and raise Ruthie as his daughter. Her parents are convinced no one else will marry her, since she’s such a sinner.” Lainey rolled her eyes.
I shook my head in disgust. “Please. That girl’s got the kindest heart of anyone I’ve ever met.”
“Right? Anyway—her mom told her on the way here this morning that she might not have a choice if she doesn’t want to be disowned by her family.”
My irritation was growing by the second.
“Why does she even need to be married in the first place?”
“Because I have a daughter.”
I’d been so focused on trying to make what Lainey was saying make sense, I hadn’t heard Jessica come into the kitchen.
Her eyes were puffy, but she stood up straight and looked directly at me. She wasn’t defeated, more like resigned to her fate.
“But why does it have to be the guy from your church, who’s old enough to be your father?”
Her stoicism wavered, and her shoulders drooped ever-so-slightly. “No one else will marry me. And Ruthie needs a father, so she’s no longer considered a bastard.”
Had it been anyone else that had used the words “Ruthie” and “bastard” in the same sentence, I would’ve probably flipped the work table in the middle of the kitchen—and it was bolted to the floor.
But I knew it hurt Jessica to say it as much as it had me to hear it. I could only imagine the bullshit that was spewed at her on a regular basis—all in the name of religion.
Lainey beat me in saying. “Ruthie is not a bastard.”
Jess shrugged. “Technically, yeah, she is. But if I marry Kevin, and he legally adopts her, then she won’t be.”
Oh hell no. Not on my watch.
I didn’t think twice. “So, marry me instead.”