Chapter 30 #2
“Why would I be embarrassed? I’m not the old lady having a baby.”
“Not funny.”
He laughed. “I know. Sorry.”
“Apology accepted. So you’ll make room reservations for us?”
“Already done. I already figured Joe might want to come to help out in case Grandma gets out of hand, so you have three rooms, bought and paid for.”
She paused. “By your father?”
“Yep. I figured it’s the least he could do, Mom.”
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t pry. Her son was an adult now, more than capable of making his own decisions. She supposed she’d need to remind herself of that more than once.
Nonetheless, after they said good-bye, Maddie’s stomach felt queasy, despite the prenatal vitamins she wanted for the duration of her life.
She guessed it was because the next day she’d face Rex, and the list of things she’d planned to say to him were now long gone from her mind.
Maybe it would be better if she winged it, anyway.
Maddie bungled her way through the next morning by killing time weeding out closets and dresser drawers that did not need weeding out.
Finally, she put on stretchy pants, a camisole, and a vibrant red tunic—a color that the clerk at The Green Room in Vineyard Haven said complemented the coppery shade of Maddie’s skin.
One thing was certain: Thanks to the weeks since she had seen him, Rex would be shocked to see how much bigger her belly was.
Once she made it to the hospital and parked Orson, she turned off the ignition and unhooked her seat belt.
Then she rubbed her belly to calm the baby, which she hoped would calm her, too.
After a few deep, rhythmic breaths, she got out, walked slowly across the asphalt, entered Windemere, and took the stairs up to his room, the same one where he’d been before.
He was awake. And alone.
“Hi,” she said, stepping inside. He looked healthier than the last time she’d seen him.
He smiled, and her heart began to melt. “Hi back. I didn’t know when, or if, I’d see you again. And, by the way, you look … beautiful.”
“Rex …”
He held up his hand, palm first. “No need to explain. I’m glad you’re here. And I’m sorry about the drama of the past few weeks.”
Tears sprang to her eyes; her lower lip started to tremble before she could press her teeth down on it.
She stepped closer to the bed. “I’m the one who’s sorry.
I’m the one who did that, who made your blood pressure spike.
Which must have been so scary for you. And not that it matters, but it scared me, too. ”
He shook his head, reached out and took her hand. “Maddie, don’t. First of all, it wasn’t your fault. I was on a new med that my BP didn’t like. It wasn’t you. But I’m okay now. Honest.”
She wanted to believe him.
“Please,” he said. “Sit. We need to talk.”
Her belly felt upset again, but she didn’t want to rub it because she didn’t want him to think there was a problem with the baby.
She began to move the chair next to the bed when she realized the big neck thing was gone. “Where’s your neck brace?” she asked.
“Dumpster,” he replied.
She smiled and pushed the chair close to the bed.
He took her hand.
Her anguish melted, truly melted, right there on the spot.
“I wasn’t finished when you left,” he said. “My fault again, not yours. I should have told you what happened from the end to the beginning, not the other way around.”
Maddie didn’t know what he was trying to say, but wished he’d hurry up.
“Raejean …”
Her insides cringed. After all, she already knew that though he hadn’t been married, they’d lived together seven years, almost twice as long as she’d lived with Owen. She shifted on the chair.
“Wait. I started that wrong again. I should have said, ‘It wasn’t until I was in prison that I found out there wasn’t, and never had been, a baby.’” He paused, letting that sink in.
It took a minute. Maybe more.
“Raejean was never pregnant. My attorney ran into her a few months after I was arrested, and told me ‘in no way’ did she look pregnant, when by then she should have been bulging. When he questioned her, she laughed and took off. Bottom line was she didn’t want to take the blame for her shenanigans, so she tricked me into it. And then she disappeared.”
The only sound in the room was the gentle hum of a couple of machines that Rex was still hooked up to.
“You’re serious,” Maddie finally said.
“Yup.”
“Couldn’t you have fought the conviction?”
“My attorney and I talked about it. But I couldn’t prove she lied to me—it was a ‘he said/she said’ kind of thing without a drop of proof.
By then I was mentally and physically exhausted, anyway.
So I kept my mouth shut and did my time.
Which helped me get out in three years instead of five to seven.
Unfortunately, I’m still considered an ex-con.
I should have told you all this when we first started seeing each other.
But things with us happened fast … and it’s not exactly the kind of thing you want to mention on a first date.
Or even on a second. Plus, we always seemed to have people around us. Then I went to California, and …”
Maddie’s hand felt safe and warm in his, as if it had always belonged there.
“It wouldn’t have mattered to me, Rex. You had me hooked from the beginning.
” Saying that made her realize it was true.
“I only wish you’d told me sooner. When you finally did, I wondered if there were other things you’d been holding from me.
And that maybe I shouldn’t have been so quick to trust you after all.
” There. She’d said everything that mattered the most to her.
“On top of that I thought there was a child out there in the world who you had abandoned.”
Resting his head back on the pillow, he shut his eyes.
“I can’t believe I did that to you. I’m so sorry, Maddie.
” Then he looked at her again. “When Taylor said you’d be here today, I planned a whole speech that went something like, ‘If you want to bail on me now, I understand. I’ll support the baby, I’ll sign my life away to you—and her, or him.
But please, let me be in the baby’s life. ’” He tightened his grip. “Corny, huh?”
And in that moment, Maddie knew she’d never, ever, want another man but Rex for a life partner, however they wound up figuring that part out.
“I love it when you’re corny,” she said.
“And I love you that you do. And I promise never to keep a secret from you again. Okay?”
She nodded. “And I’ll keep none from you.”
“And we won’t keep any from our baby.”
“Well,” she said, “not unless it’s for his or her good.”
“Her,” Rex said. “I really don’t care if it’s a boy or girl, but for now, let’s think of our baby as a her. And that she’ll be as sweet and amazing as her mother. And make no doubt about it, she will be my one and only. Unless you think we should have more.”
Maddie was about to burst out laughing, when another thought leaped into her mind. “Hey!” She sat up straight, her eyes grew wide. “Do you want to hear her heartbeat? Do you want to see her dancing inside me?”
Rex jerked back a little, which made both of them wince.
“Ouch!” she said.
After a short pause, he grimaced but said, “Are you talking about an ultrasound?”
She grinned and nodded simultaneously. “The doctor asked me, but I said I wanted to wait until the baby’s father could be with me. Only if you want, of course.”
“Can we do it today? Like now?”
Maddie laughed again, which felt so good she hardly heard the knock on the door. Then it opened a few inches.
“Rex? Are you in there?”
It was a man, who sounded casual—more like a friend than a medical professional.
“Yeah? Come on in, whoever you are.”
He was a tall man like Rex; he looked sort of familiar in his blue shirt and navy tie, dark pants, and … Oh, no! Maddie thought. It was Ken Lawrence, Chilmark’s police chief, aka constable.
Chief Lawrence, of course, was only one of four people—including Brandon, Officer Lindstrom, and, naturally, Maddie—who knew about the notes.
Five people, if Taylor had put two and two together when she’d handed back the note Maddie had given the guy in the ICU.
Six, including the despicable person responsible for having written them.
Thankfully, the chief was looking at Rex and not at her.
“Hey, man, how’re you doing?”
“Geez, Ken, haven’t seen you for a while. What’s happening?”
“Not as much with me as I guess with you.” At that point he looked at Maddie and smiled a pleasant smile, but didn’t seem as if he recognized her. “I brought someone to the ER and thought I’d stop in and say hi. And make sure they’re treating you right.”
“Everyone here’s terrific, no complaints,” Rex said as he nodded. “It’s been a long haul, but I’m through the worst. The best medicine is that I’m home.”
Chief Lawrence nodded. “Happy to hear that.” Then he turned to Maddie again.
She sucked in her breath.
“And it’s good to see you, Maddie. How’s the bookstore coming along?”
She nodded, because everyone else had. Then she said, “It’s good. Opening in a few weeks.”
“No more threatening notes?”
The temperature in the room felt like it plummeted. She was looking at Chief Lawrence, but could feel Rex’s eyes suddenly bore into her.
She shook her head. “Nope,” she said. “All is well.” Even she wouldn’t have believed her, thanks to the way her voice was quaking.
After some uncomfortable seconds, Rex broke the proverbial ice and said, “Hey, Ken. Pull up a chair. This sounds like something I should know about.”