Chapter Twenty-Three Laney
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
LANEY
Have I told you that you’re pretty?”
I blushed. Connor was speaking to me over FaceTime. He had set his phone up against a lamp at his desk at work and insisted we talk for an hour this morning. It was wonderful.
He called me last night and updated me on what they’d found and their plan. For the first time in years, I felt included. I felt important. It was magnificent. I still couldn’t believe the way his face had crumpled when he told me he had to leave yesterday—that emotion couldn’t be faked.
He’d chosen me. That’s all I wanted. It’s all I wanted the last few years, ever since I became an afterthought.
“Stop, you’re already married to me,” I teased back, rolling over in my childhood bed to see him better.
The tree farm event had gone late. My legs were tired, and my arms ached—something I wasn’t prepared for.
My head also throbbed. I rubbed the spot between my eyebrows and made a mental note to take some Tylenol.
Could I? I had to look up if I was able to anymore.
Even thinking about the secret I held weighed me down, and I winced.
I’d tell him soon.
“What’s wrong? Do you have a headache?” Connor frowned. “I can send some stuff to you. Or call your mom.”
“I’m okay.” I sighed, unable to fight a smile. I love having him take care of me. “Just a little headache. I didn’t realize how much I was on my feet yesterday. Wore me out.”
“Baby, you should rest all day then, before the event tonight. Is someone going with you?”
“My mom is stopping by. My dad has a booth, so he’ll be working.” I yawned, stretching my arms over my head. The motion caused my head to spin, and I waited a few seconds for it to settle. That was… weird. The dizziness had stopped last week, but this episode was worse.
“I don’t want you working again alone if you’re not feeling well.” He rubbed his jaw. “I could try to be back by seven—”
“I can handle one night, Connor.” My voice came out strong, and I pointed a finger at him. “You need to focus on saving the company from assholes.”
“Sure, but I also need to focus on making sure my wife is healthy.”
“It’s kinda hot when you say my wife like that.”
His eyes lit up, and my giant grump smiled. “I love saying it. Call me possessive or jealous, but yeah, knowing you are my wife gets me through some tough times.”
I smiled. It was weird how nothing, yet everything, had changed since finding out I was pregnant.
I wanted to wait to tell him, to ensure he’d choose me.
But then yesterday happened, and I saw firsthand the torture it was for him to go to work.
He had practiced his presentation with me.
I wasn’t an outsider when it came to his business anymore, and that had been the missing piece.
I wasn’t going to wait until the New Year to tell him the news.
I’d do it the next time I saw him. Tomorrow.
That way it wouldn’t be a distraction and instead be a celebration.
Even if the board meeting went to hell, this was a highlight, a future for us.
Thinking about his reaction made me giddy.
Because despite how the board meeting went, we’d find a way to be okay.
Connor had sent me three job openings in the suburbs that he’d apply for if everything went south.
They were only an hour outside of my hometown.
That was close for me… not ideal, but it was better than where my mind went last week.
He had even shared his backup plan with me. The man was prepared.
“You sleep okay?” I asked. “You ready for tonight?”
“No.” He chuckled. “My personal pillow was gone, and I don’t want to let you down tonight.”
“Connor,” I chided, “you’re standing up for yourself to the board. That’s admirable.”
Even if he got fired, they’d have to give him a severance package, and that would allow insurance for a while. Plenty of time for us to figure stuff out. Once I learned that, the urgency and fears had lessened.
“Regardless of what happens, you won’t let me down.”
“That’s not true.” He took a sip of water and cleared his throat. “There’s a lot that could happen that would let you down, Laney, but I’m avoiding them at all costs.”
“Have you seen your dad yet?”
His gaze darkened. “No. He’s coming an hour before the meeting to speak with me.”
My stomach clenched. “I hate that I’m not there with you.”
“I wish you were, but the thing with my dad needs to end. It has to be me.” He rubbed his temples as someone knocked on his door. “I gotta head back, but rest before the event tonight, okay?”
“I will. Good luck.”
“Thank you, Laney.” He held my gaze, his jaw working, before he smiled. “I love you.”
“I love you too, husband.”
His face lit up, and that was the image I wanted before hanging up. Connor happy. Today would suck for him. He could be removed from a job he loved, betrayed by his father.
It was weird how walking away seemed like the only option for him, even if that one was the most stressful. His dad was influential and assertive, and if Connor truly did cut him off, it wouldn’t go over well.
The same dizzy feeling returned with a weighted lead in my stomach. I felt a prickle of awareness, like something was going to happen.
I frowned, sending him a quick text for good luck.
Laney: You totally got this, Connor. I love you. Can’t wait to see you tomorrow. I have news!
Connor: Me neither, baby.
I got up and stretched, then called Sophia while I got ready and updated her on everything that had happened this weekend. My best friend analyzed every interaction.
“So you’re going to tell him tomorrow?”
I nodded. “This feels right.”
“You gotta trust your gut.” She yawned and took a large sip of her coffee. “This actually makes me feel better. Again, always supporting your choices, but he should know. And waiting for the presentation to be over is perfect. He doesn’t need the distraction or worry.”
“Exactly.” I nodded, the butterflies in my gut settling. “We’ll know our future and can plan it together.”
“Be prepared for him to be upset though, Laney. He might be upset you kept it from him, and he’s usually a little overbearing. Just mentally prep for ways to reassure him.”
I chewed my lip. She was right, but I was confident Connor would be overjoyed to learn the truth. “I’ll be able to handle it.”
“I know you will, girl. Now, what are you wearing to this gala event tonight?”
“Ha.” I groaned. “It’s outside, so it’s not like you can look super cute while freezing.”
“Disagree. You have those cute jeans and boots, and the bright red coat. Cherrywood is magical, I swear. Send me pictures of the event, would ya? I want to live through them.”
“You could come?”
She made a face. “I wish I could, but my damn boss has a team dinner tonight for the holiday gift exchange. I picked him, which… I got him coal.”
I snorted. She probably wasn’t kidding, and I loved that about her. “I’ll send you some photos when I can. Thank you for everything the last few weeks.” A rush of gratitude washed over me. “I couldn’t have gotten through this without you.”
“That’s what besties are for.” Soph smiled warmly at me. “Remember this when it’s my turn. When my super-hot and rich and famous husband tries to leave me, and I’m devastated.”
“No man would leave you.”
“No man wants to date me,” she corrected. “Okay, my boss is calling. Let me know how tonight goes with Connor, okay? Love you!”
“You too!”
I wanted to spend the morning prepping for the event, getting my gear ready, doing my hair, and enjoying the atmosphere.
In the days before Christmas, the joy was infectious.
Music was everywhere, people smiled even more.
My dad hummed “Frosty the Snowman” as easily as he breathed, and I swore the air smelled different.
As if so many residents baked cookies at the same time that the atmosphere changed.
Ignoring the twist in my gut, I tried eating a few snacks and… nope. Wouldn’t stay down. Tried a soda. That wouldn’t either.
After a quick scan online, I learned that morning sickness was totally normal. I would keep going and try eating later, as a website had suggested.
Morning shifted to afternoon, then to the evening, and it was showtime.
“Laney, Laney, can you cover the Christmas movie night in the park?”
I waved and nodded to Becky, the event organizer.
The wind had let up for the event, and kids’ laughter, music, and cheers echoed across our town center.
There was a live nativity scene near the church, carriage rides near the bank, and then a holiday movie projected on a screen at the baseball field.
A Charlie Brown Christmas was playing. It truly was an incredible night filled with joy.
I captured the way the streets were lined with lights and ornaments, the way wreaths hung on every door, and if there was space, a tree was put up. The green and red lights lit up the night sky.
“Hi, Laney!”
“Hi, Laney-girl!”
I smiled as neighbors greeted me. Travis and Tessa had volunteered to bartend at the end of the road, and they yelled my name as I approached. The baseball park was to the right of them, where pallets held fuzzy blankets that could be rented.
“Hey, you two.”
“Look at you with that camera.” Travis winked. “Want a drink to go?”
“No, I’m alright.” I held up the device, hiding my wince as another bout of vertigo hit me. It could be stress. Connor met with his dad an hour ago, and the board meeting had started. I hadn’t heard from him since.
I didn’t expect to. Well, maybe a text update or something, but my damn stomach was a mess. Between the nerves and the baby, I wanted to curl up in warm pajamas and sleep.
“This place is still the same.” Tessa’s voice was filled with pride. “We’ve grown as a town, but the stores still go all out. The owners’ association has less drama now that Kelly moved out of town.”
I snorted at their banter and snapped a few photos of them. The tilting of a glass, the light reflecting off Tessa’s eyes as she smiled. Travis standing with pride, a towel hanging on his shoulder as he stared at our town. Grinning, I showed them the shot.
“This is a good one.”
“I look hot.” Travis winked, and I rolled my eyes.
“You are also still the same,” I teased. I left them at the bar and was immediately hugged by my mom’s best friends. They smelled like vanilla and vodka, still, which was why I called them the ViVs. They thought it was hilarious.
A deep longing rooted in my chest as I talked to everyone and took pictures of them.
I loved knowing the town’s history and people.
I loved how they knew me, and despite not being here for ten years, they embraced me like I had never left.
Sneaking out my phone, I sent a picture to Sophia, and then Connor.
“You look happy.”
Matt leaned against the fence, his cheeks pink and his smile wide. He wore a ridiculous hat shaped like the Grinch. I joined him, snapping a few shots of the kids cuddling before the movie started. There was a family in matching jammies that were adorable.
“I could say the same about you.”
“I’m always happy.” He rolled his eyes. “You know this. It was my hippie mom and lunatic father. Every day we choose to be happy. Some might say it’s a curse.”
“They are wrong. Never change.” I reached out for a streetlight as another wave of vertigo hit me. I wish I could’ve taken some meds, but that meant keeping liquids down, and I couldn’t. I swayed a little but righted myself before anyone noticed.
“This place is still amazing.”
“It really is. My niece is out there right now. She’s the five-year-old going on thirteen.” He leaned closer to me and pointed.
“How cute,” I said, not caring that half my body pressed against his.
“Whoa, Laney, are you alright?”
I nodded, but the movement caused my head to spin. I wasn’t sure, but it looked like he winced when he stared at my face.
“Sit. You need to sit down.”
“No, I need to take photos.” My mouth was so dry and gross, and my lips were so chapped. Where was my water? “Becky needs me too.”
“Everyone has a phone. She can create a contest or something for people to submit their photos.”
“Oh, that’s a jolly idea, Matt.” I giggled as he put an arm around me. “You’re so warm.”
“When was the last time you ate?”
“Probably yesterday morning?”
He walked us toward the nearest bench, setting me down and gently placing his hands on my forearms.
“Laney, you need to eat. What about water?”
“Can’t keep it down.”
“You’re so pale right now, it’s freaking me out. Where’s your mom? Your husband?”
“Busy.” My eyes prickled.
“Do you have a drink?”
“We should take you to the emergency room, just to be safe.” He ran a hand over my forehead, his lips turning down in a frown. Matt never frowned.
“Where’s your phone?” he asked, his tone urgent. I handed it to him. He was a teacher and knew how to take charge.
“Connor, yeah?”
I nodded.
He dialed, but no answer. Shocking. He tried again, the concern and worry in his eyes growing.
“He won’t answer.”
“Then I’m leaving a message.” This wasn’t the Matt I knew from high school.
This one was different. “Hey, Connor, this is Matt. I’m with your wife, and she can’t even stand up straight.
She’s swaying, said she hasn’t eaten or drank in a day.
I’m going to try to find her mom to take her to the ER here, but I’ll take her if I have to. Get your ass back here.”
“Whoa. That was very un-Matt-like.”
“Well, your husband should be here with you.”
I winced and rubbed my forehead. “He has a busy board meeting tonight. It’s a big deal.”
“Sure, but if he knew how you were feeling, he shouldn’t have gone.”
“He doesn’t know,” I whispered. “I was gonna tell him about the baby tomorrow.” My stomach tightened at sharing the news with him.
Matt reared back, his eyes wide with something. “Okay, we’re going right now.”
“What?” I blinked, but my world spun too fast. I gripped his arm as I swayed left and then right. Then everything faded to black.