Chapter 14
The following day, Krista pulled into the parking lot of the swanky little café that overlooked the breakwater at Ogden Point.
The lighthouse at the end of the long, manmade L-shaped jetty shone bright and white against a dreary gray sky while people and their dogs or companions braved the nasty wind and walked the path.
Harsh gusts threatened to shove them into the frigid green water if they weren’t careful.
The Juan de Fuca Strait sat in front of her with raging whitecaps on dark waves, and snow-capped mountains stood tall and authoritative in the backdrop on the Olympic Peninsula.
Knowing that she had fifteen minutes to kill before the girls were set to arrive—reluctantly, but knowing that cocky, disgustingly responsible roommate of hers was right—Krista pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed.
“Hello?” her mother answered after the third ring.
“Hi, Mum.”
“Krista? Is everything okay, dear?” Apparently calling twice in the span of a week was cause for concern.
She swallowed. “Uh … everything is just fine, Mum, how are you?”
“Getting ready to tear the tree down.”
“I thought you didn’t do that until New Year’s Day?”
“Well, as neither you nor your brother live at home, and your dad and I are busy with work, I figured I might as well make the most of my day off.”
Krista hummed a response and let her gaze focus on a seagull caught up in a wild gust of wind. “Um, Mum?”
“What is it, dear?” She could see it now: Her mother had dropped whatever it was she was doing and wandered over to her chair in the living room, with her basket of knitting on one side and her stack of Danielle Steele novels on the other, with half a cup of long-turned-cold coffee perched on the coaster Krista had made her in the third grade sitting on the end table.
It was her television watching chair, reading chair, knitting chair.
But most of all, it’s where Elaine Matthews went to think.
The woman was anything if not predictable and set in her ways.
“I, um … I’m pregnant.” Good job, hardly hesitated at all.
Silence.
“Mum? You there?”
“Y-yes … I’m here.”
“Did you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“And?” Well, now her mother was just being downright frightening. Krista hoped to God her dad was home, or at the very least a neighbor was within screaming distance, in case her mother went into cardiac arrest and needed medical attention.
“D-do you know who the father is?”
Riiiight—because she didn’t marry Curt, she was a giant hussy, spreading her legs for any man willing.
Krista clenched her teeth. “Yes, Mum, I do. We’re living together.”
Her exhale of relief traveled through the phone, only to send the hair up on the back of Krista’s neck. “When are you due?”
“Early June.”
“And you’re happy about this?”
She couldn’t get a read on her mother’s tone.
“It was a shock at first, for sure. Not exactly planned, seeing as I’m a rookie and all.
But we’re happy about it now. Brock comes from a big family, three brothers, and his mother is wonderful.
This baby is already very loved. And that’s what’s important, right? ”
More silence.
“Mum?”
“All I want is for you to be happy, Krista. And I don’t think you would have been if you’d stayed here.”
Well holy hell, where was this coming from?
“Um … thanks?”
“Are you and this … Brock getting married?”
Too good to be true. Here we go. Get ready to be called a screwup.
Krista let out a weighted sigh.
“Not at the moment. We’ve got some things to sort out first.”
“But he makes you happy?”
Well, now, that was a loaded question if she’d ever heard one. She really had to stop and think about her answer.
Did he make her happy?
Sure, whenever she saw the man, butterflies went bat-shit crazy in her belly, and her body got all warm and tingly.
The way he looked at her, the way he smelled drove her wild.
His voice, deep and throaty like a diesel truck coming to life, was music to her ears.
And the way he unequivocally loved their baby, having jumped in and embraced fatherhood with both feet, made her heart swell. Was that happiness?
But then the man could be so infuriating as well. She could blame her mood swings on hormones and exhaustion, what was his excuse? The man had borderline personality disorder or something, and she was getting mighty tired of not knowing which Brock Hart she was going to wake up to each morning.
But her mother didn’t need to know any of that, so instead, she gave her the short answer. “Yes, Mum. He makes me happy.” She was still trying to figure out the long answer.
“That’s all that matters. As long as you and baby are happy and healthy.”
Krista wiped away the sudden tear that had sprinted its way down the crease of her nose. “Thanks, Mum. That means a lot.”
“How do you feel?”
Krista caught herself smiling in the side mirror of her car. “I’m feeling pretty good. The first trimester sucked. I was exhausted all the time, barfed most mornings as many women do. But now that I’m into my second trimester, things are good.”
“The ‘Golden Trimester,’ ” her mother said with a chuckle. “Enjoy it. The third trimester is usually rough.”
Krista half snorted, half laughed. “I’ll try to remember that, thanks.”
She tittered quietly on the other end, but then her tone sobered quickly. “Would you like to tell your father, or should I?”
Oh, crap, she’d forgotten about her dad. Her lip wedged its way between her teeth in thought. The image of Wendy’s car pulling into the parking lot filled her rearview mirror. “You can tell dad,” she quickly said. “It was hard enough telling you. I was really worried about your reaction.”
Was that a gasp on the other end? “Never be afraid to talk to me, sweetie. I know we’ve had our differences, but no matter what, I’ll always love and support you.
Your father and I are very proud of the amazing woman you’ve grown up to be.
We couldn’t be prouder. A college graduate, world traveler, and now a respected police officer.
And I’m certain you’re going to make an incredible mother.
I just wish you were closer so I could help you out. ”
Another tear. This time Krista let it fall. “Wow, thanks, Mum. I love you too.”
“I wish I could hug you and congratulate you properly.” The emotion was thick in her voice. Elaine Matthews was a crier. Movies, commercials, documentaries, books, a touching moment, you name it, the woman leaked from her eyes.
And apparently now that she was pregnant, Krista, too, had become an emotional geyser. She blotted her eyes with her sleeve. “Me too, Mum. But I’ll see you guys soon, okay?”
“Okay.”
They said their goodbyes, followed by more I love yous and more tears. When Krista finally hung up the phone, she felt lighter than she had in months. A heavy weight slid off her shoulders and dissolved into nothing but mushy feelings of love.
Her mother hadn’t called her a screwup or a disappointment. She’d simply asked Krista questions and offered congratulations, support and love. All the things a mother is supposed to do.
Had it all been in Krista’s head all this time, for all these years? Did she even know her parents?
Despite her light heart and weightless shoulders, her head began to swim with new thoughts.
All these years, she thought her parents looked at her as nothing more than a screwup, a black sheep, a wild child, and maybe they didn’t look at her like that at all.
She’d simply compared herself with her perfect brother and all his achievements and just assumed her parents were doing the same.
Well, we all know what assuming does …
For the first time in nearly four months, she finally felt proud of her pregnancy. There was no more embarrassment or shame that she’d gotten knocked up on a one-night stand or as a rookie. Sure, the timing wasn’t great, but she wanted this baby and would take the rest as it came.
Marlise’s car pulled in beside Wendy, and with a quick wipe of her sleeve to her eyes, Krista hopped out to greet them. She’d have to thank Brock. Though she wasn’t looking forward to telling him he’d been right.
“Hey, you!” Wendy grinned, having pulled a black toque over her silky blonde hair, the cool winter wind off the water whipping her day-glow green scarf behind her like a jet stream.
Krista shivered and rubbed her hands together. “Hey!”
“How’s baby?”
Krista smiled, wrapping her arms around her midriff. “Letting me keep my breakfast down finally.”
Wendy smiled. “That’s always a plus. They say it’s the most important meal of the day.”
Marlise joined them, having pulled a big, puffy coat out of the back of her car and tossed it on. Even though it was only a few hundred yards to the door of the café, that winter wind off the water was enough to cause a wicked wind burn.
They each ordered a warm drink and a pastry before finding a table far off in the corner next to a window, where the view of more sea birds gliding in the sky like zero-gravity surfers was unencumbered.
They talked about this, that and the other thing.
How their Christmases went. Both Wendy and Marlise had to work, and their shifts had not been without a shit-ton of holiday drama.
They were still both up to their necks in paperwork.
Eventually all three of them grew quiet, their minds drifting along with their gazes out to the blustery day and what Krista could only imagine were equally blustery thoughts.
But she needed to get it out. Besides catching up with two good friends, this meet-up had a purpose, and that purpose was to bring down Senior Constable Myles “Dirtbag” Slade.
“Can I, uh … can I ask you guys something about when you slept with Myles?” Krista finally asked, causing both women to snap back to reality and turn to face her.
Both their faces grew tight, and Marlise fidgeted with her mug. “What do you want to know?” she asked.
“Do you remember all of it?”