Chapter 23
St. Mary’s Hospital
Miami, Florida
The next morning, an early call woke both Taylor and Greer. Greer, who had slept in the fold-out chair beside Taylor's bed, answered it. "Hello," he said in a sleepy voice.
"Is this Taylor Carrington's room?"
"Who is this?" replied Greer.
"This is Lisa Blaine from the Arkansas Gazette. We are trying to verify a story that the wife of Senator Bennett Carrington is a patient at St. Mary's. Our source says that she was brought to the hospital after a car crash. Is this true?"
"How did you get this number?" Greer demanded.
"So, are you confirming the story? Also, our sources say Mrs. Carrington is pregnant and that Senator Carrington is not the father. Do you have any information about this? Are you the father of her child? If so, what is your name?"
Greer yelled, "You people are unbelievable. Leave us alone!" and then slammed down the phone.
With fear in her eyes, Taylor asked, "Oh my word, Greer, who was that?"
"It was a reporter from the Arkansas Gazette asking questions about your accident and the baby. I think we had better get Bennett over here immediately."
Once Bennett got to the hospital, Greer explained what happened. Bennett immediately called Joules, who began researching how the story got out and ways to curtail it, but their efforts were in vain. By lunch, the story had hit the Internet.
Evidently, someone in the lobby the day before had overheard Bennett and Greer's argument and ensuing fight.
They had contacted the paper in Little Rock and sold the story.
Greer and Bennett tried to shield Taylor from as much of what was happening as possible.
Joules and her team released a statement that Taylor had been in an accident and that she was recovering, hoping that would keep the hounds at bay.
Plus, Joules called in every favor she had at television stations in Little Rock and Memphis, trying to keep the story contained. The plan seemed to be working until all hell broke loose around 2:00.
That was when a reporter found Ben's birth certificate.
Since Bennett was not listed as Ben's father, he was not able to link Bennett to Poppy Hunter Thompson and her child.
But that did not stop him from showing pictures of Bennett and Ben and making comparisons.
By the time the news came on at 6:00, every news station in Little Rock had run pictures of Bennett, Taylor, Poppy, and Ben.
Since they didn't have a complete story to print, they used innuendo and half-truths to paint a vivid picture.
Since they knew nothing of Greer, they made it appear that Bennett and Poppy had been having a long-term affair for many years.
They also included personal details about the problems Taylor and Bennett had experienced with infertility.
They made it appear that Taylor, who was pregnant again, had been alone and miserable in Florida while Bennett had been living with his mistress and love child.
Of course, that was not really true, but no one cared as it made great copy.
Bennett was on the phone constantly with Joules.
They were doing all they could to stop the story's momentum, but it had gone viral.
The worst part was that Taylor could see Bennett panicking because he could not get Poppy on the phone.
She knew his first desire was to jump on a plane and rush home to be with Poppy and Ben.
She also knew that Bennett would not do that because he had committed to stay with her until she was released.
No matter how many times she and Greer encouraged him to leave, he refused.
It all stemmed from the promise he had made Tatum years before.
After several tries to convince him that it was okay to leave her, Taylor gave up and accepted that Bennett was not leaving the hospital until she did.
So, the three of them sat all day, waiting and worrying as they tried to stop a runaway train.
By the next morning, both local and national reporters were camped out across the street from St. Mary's.
They were already running footage of Bennett coming and going from the hospital.
Since they were thankfully not allowed in the hospital, they were not able to get footage of Greer or Taylor.
However, once Taylor was released, a decision about where Taylor should go brought the tensions of the last twenty-four hours to a head.
Bennett felt that Taylor should go home with him until the story blew over.
He thought that if she went with Greer to Gulf Shores, that would just add a new twist to the story and give it longer legs.
Greer argued that she didn't need to be in the middle of all the stress.
Bennett agreed but said the reporters would follow her regardless of where she went.
At least by being in Arkansas, she could be protected at the family home.
Security could be brought in to keep the reporters at bay.
The same could not be said for the houseboat.
After several hours of wrangling, the ultimate decision was Taylor's.
She had been a politician's wife long enough to know that running away from reporters didn't make them disappear.
At some point, she and Bennett would have to face them.
Also, she knew that the press was unfairly beating up Bennett.
She could no longer leave him and run off to Gulf Shores.
In all fairness, he was not able to run off to New York and leave her after her family died.
Having made her decision, Taylor said, "I think it would be best if I flew back to Arkansas with Bennett for a few days."
Greer was not happy and tried to interrupt her, "No way. I am not letting you do that. You are coming home with me. We settled this Friday night. We are getting married. You are my future wife and the mother of my child. Over my dead body are you going back with him."
"You're getting married?" Bennett was stunned. He had been too distracted even to notice the huge diamond ring Taylor was now holding up for him to see.
In the excitement of the last two days, Taylor had not gotten around to telling him the good news. "Yes, we are. Of course, you and I must get divorced first, but we love each other and want to be together."
Placing a protective arm around her shoulder, Greer interrupted Taylor again and said, "We would like that to be sooner than later."
Giving him a stern look, Taylor said, "Greer, please, you are not making this any easier with your attitude. Bennett is trying to do what is best for everyone."
"No, Bennett is doing what is best for Bennett. We could stop this charade right now. We could walk out those doors and tell the reporters everything. But he is not going to do that, is he?" snapped Greer.
"No, he isn't because if he did, several people he loves would be even more hurt, including me. Do you really think telling the truth now will make anything better? No, it will just make things much worse, especially for Ben. He is just a child," replied Taylor.
Smiling at Greer, she added, "If we lay low for a few weeks, this will die down.
Somebody else will do something stupid, and the press can run after that story.
Then, I can come to you. Until then, you have to trust me.
And you have to trust Bennett and Joules.
A lot of people are working very hard to fix this.
Running off and doing something half-cocked will hurt everyone in the end. "
No one said a word for several minutes. Greer walked away and stared out the window at the line of reporters across the street. After a moment, Bennett said, "She is right, you know."
Turning around and looking at Taylor, Greer said, "TJ, are you sure about this? What about the baby? Who will take care of you?"
"The baby will be fine. I will contact Dr. Payne the minute I get back. And I will take care of myself. I think I have been doing a pretty good job of that the last few months, don't you?"
Greer nodded, then, after a moment, walked over to Taylor and put his arms around her. "I will let you do this, but if you need me at any time, just call. I will be on the next plane."
"I know you will, and I love you for it. Thank you for trusting me. This is the only way to deal with this. We will be together again before you know it."
"Guys, I hate to break this up, but since this has been decided, I need to get back to Searcy as soon as possible. I don't think we should walk out together, though. Greer, you should let us go first and then follow after we leave the hospital."
Greer nodded, giving Taylor a long kiss goodbye. Then, she and Bennett donned baseball caps and sunglasses before leaving the room. Greer stayed behind and watched as they safely waded through the reporters and drove away from the hospital before quietly leaving himself.
Once airborne, Bennett looked at Taylor and said, "There is something I need you to understand about Poppy and me."
"Look, Bennett, whatever it is, you don't have to say it. I know you love her. I love Greer. It is fine.”
"I know you do. Otherwise, I would be in Alabama kicking his ass. But this is important, and I might never get the chance to tell you this ever again."
Sighing deeply, Taylor said, "Okay, what is it that is so important for me to hear?"
Looking out of the airplane's window at the clouds below like he was searching for a place to start, he said, "You may not know this, but Poppy and I first got together when she and her grandmother lived over our garage. Her Gran worked for my dad."
"Yes, I knew that," replied Taylor, unsure why Bennett thought this was new information.
"What you may not know is that she was still in high school.
I was in my last year of law school and twenty-five.
She was an eighteen-year-old virgin. I had no business messing with her.
A fact my dad and your brother repeatedly tried to beat into me.
But it did not matter. A heart wants what a heart wants, and I wanted her.
Luckily, she wanted me too. We started officially dating the summer after she graduated.
We had some, I'll call them, moments before, but we did not become a full-fledged couple until summer. "
"I don't remember that. Of course, I was in Scotland doing my student teaching. But, I can imagine that the relationship was not well received."
"It wasn't. For the most part, we kept it very secret.
Poppy used to say she was my dirty little secret.
I hated that because it was true. I did try to keep her secret.
When we first got together, it was magical.
We had the house to ourselves. Looking back, I realized we were just two kids playing house.
But at the time, I thought we were going to last forever.
Even before it came time for her to go to New York for school, our relationship had become strained and was marred by jealousy and mistrust. I loved her so much that I could not think straight around her.
There was a crazy, out-of-control aspect to those weeks with her that drove me mad.
Being with her was like being on a roller coaster.
Because of her age and background, it was such a battle when we first got together.
We fought so hard to be together. I have never felt so out of control or emotionally unsettled as I did during that time.
“It only got worse when she and I split up. I just wanted the craziness to stop for five minutes. When I found out that she had moved on and was married and expecting a child, I was devastated. I never wanted to feel that deeply about anyone ever again. I never wanted anyone to have that much of a hold on my heart, either. Then, we got together. It was so different. You understood my world. On paper, we clicked. Our worlds fit. You never demanded too much from me. Our relationship was simple. God forgive me, but after the emotional vortex I had endured with her, I just was not up for all that again. Not if I wanted to have the political career I wanted. You made it easy. I could be with you and still give almost everything to my career.”
“I don't think I even consciously realized all this until I saw her in New York in February.
The second I saw her, all the old feelings came rushing back.
I did not want to hurt you. I feel like I have failed Tatum and you.
I did not keep my promise to take care of you no matter what. Please say you will forgive me."
When Bennett stopped talking, Taylor just looked at him.
She appreciated his willingness to share that with her.
It helped heal some of the wounds their marriage had created.
Taking his hands in hers, she said, "Thank you for sharing that.
It makes so much sense now why we got together and why you were so different with me than you were with her.
I can't believe I am going to say this, but I think everything has worked out like it was supposed to.
We only have a few more months. I know we can work together to keep this circus going until then.
Now, if you don't mind, this pregnant lady could use a nap.
I think I will try to get one while I can. "