It's Only Make Believe (17 page)

He looked at Michele sitting across from him. When had he fallen in love with her? They hardly spent any time together. Hell, maybe he’d always loved her. Maybe that’s why he agreed to the marriage so quickly. Why hadn’t he courted her properly? Why let his parents set it up. Maybe because he was afraid she wouldn’t go out with him otherwise. Never had a woman affected him this way. He’d never been afraid to ask them out. Of course many of them his parents set up. It even earned him the title of being a ladies’ man. Not that he cared much. He wasn’t look for anything permanent. At least he wasn’t until he got together with Michele.

***

“Pass the rice, please.” Michele’s voice broke into his thoughts.

“Brad, I... uh...”

Brad set his fork down. Something was going on. Michele hadn’t touched a bite of her food, and she said she was starved. He waited for her to go on. Something was on her mind, bothering her. He looked at her, waited. It wasn’t like Michele to stutter, hold back. She always spoke her mind, ever since he could remember. Even as a kid tagging along after him. So why now?

“Brad, someone kidnapped Makayla.”

“Kidnapped! When, what happened? Poor Louise. Does Mark know?” My God, no wonder Michele was upset. She had grown quite attached to Louise. “Did she call the police?”

“This morning, she was taking her shower and someone came in and took the baby right out of her crib. Louise is beside herself of course. They left a note saying to follow the instructions, but they didn’t leave any instructions. Of course they said no police. Louise came here, and I called Joe Kirby, who in turn called his friend Detective Williams. They’re being very discreet.” Michele paused to take a breath.

“Do they have any suspects? Any ideas at all, poor Louise. Did she call Mark?”

“Louise thought Patrick O’Neil had something to do with it. But I’m sure he didn’t. I had an appointment with Jane today, she’s beside herself too. She’s been meeting Mark and Louise once a week for lunch, and she’s been trying to change Patrick’s mind. He came home while I was there. Apparently Mark called and accused him. He went crazy. I think deep down he wants to know his grandchild, but his pride won’t let him. I have a feeling once they find her, he’ll relent. Jane gave it to him good this afternoon.”

“I can only imagine how they must feel. Poor Mikayla, I hope she’s okay.” This was tearing Michele apart. Her face went from concern and compassion to something filled with terror, almost as if it were here child missing. She felt Louise’s pain. They had never discussed having children, why would they? Their marriage was only supposed to last for a year. They didn’t have the normal discussions most engaged couples had where they discussed important issues such as when to have children or how many. They had never even discussed birth control. He had no idea if Michele was taking anything. He just assumed she was.

Suddenly it hit him. That day at the Kirby’s when she got so sick. Even now she looked pale and green around the edges. And she picked at her food, even though she said she was starved. Could she be? Surely she’d tell him, wouldn’t she?  Nah, he must be reading something that wasn’t there. Heck they’d only made love a handful of times. He didn’t even sleep with her half the time when he was home. Not because he didn’t want to, that first time he came in so late and so drunk, he didn’t want her to see him that way so he slept in the guest room. She didn’t seem to mind. In fact she seemed fine with it. Besides, if he went to her bed he’d wake her. He couldn’t just lie down beside her and not touch her. Still, she’d never refused his advances, never turned him away. Maybe it was a practice he should stop.

Michele wasn’t the type to invite him into her bed even though she wasn’t shy about most things. Funny, his outgoing wife seemed a bit shy about their lovemaking.

He loved the way her curls framed her face, loved the dimple in her chin. He even loved the way her brow furrowed when she was deep in thought like now, but he especially loved the way she responded to his touch and the way her eyes glistened when she looked at him. In fact, he loved everything about her. “Would you like something to drink? Wine? Coffee? More ice for your foot?”

“Ice water.”

“Coming right up.” Ice water, Michele didn’t usually drink ice water. Maybe she was pregnant. Her hurried to the kitchen.

***

Michele didn’t feel the least bit like eating, but since she pretended to be starved she had to make an effort. She had to get the conversation around to the baby. Darn this wasn’t how she wanted to tell him. She wanted him back in her bed first. She put a spoonful of rice on her plate and picked at her dinner. If only he hadn’t brought Ruby home. What was he thinking? Couldn’t he bear to be away from the woman? Michele moved her dinner around on her plate, her appetite gone.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be. She had planned a romantic evening, wanted to make love, wanted to feel loved. Oh Lord, what a mess she got herself into this time. Brad had eaten ravenously, apparently nothing wrong with his appetite. She’d tried to bring up the baby, but told him about Mikayla instead.

Funny, how quiet little Jane had reamed Patrick out. Obviously the woman had more brains than Patrick, and as only a mother can protect her children, she’d had enough. Michele couldn’t imagine sneaking around meeting her son or daughter behind her husband’s back. But she also knew nothing, including her husband, could get in the way of her child’s happiness. If Brad acted like that, she swore she’d leave him. But would Brad even be around to see their child grow up?

What was he thinking? The stranger who sat across from her. His concern when she told him about Mikayla didn’t surprise her. But the extent of his concern did. He didn’t really know Louise or Mark and had only seen Mikayla a couple of times. It touched something deep inside her. Should she tell him when he came back? She put her hand on her stomach. The thought of a new life growing inside her brought tears to her eyes. Their baby, hers and Brad’s, she loved it already. Would he suggest they stay married? Michele wanted that, but not because of the baby. She wanted him to love her, for herself.

And what about Ruby? Would that woman always interfere in their life? Could Michele really believe nothing was going on between them? Could she trust Brad to keep his word about remaining faithful? She wanted to, but every time she saw them together doubts intervened. Ruby’s words haunted her. And the looks Ruby threw her. No, as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t tell Brad, at least not yet.

He came in and set her water down just as his cell phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

“Hello...what now? I can’t Ruby, I told you I’d meet you in the morning. We’ll go over them in my office. What? Yes, I’ll be there early”

Michele heard Ruby’s voice but couldn’t make out what she was saying. Brad seemed agitated. Had she ruined their evening?

“No, we didn’t go to the hospital yet. We’re going after dinner. What?  Goodnight, Ruby.”  He flipped down the lid and tossed it on the table and looked at her. “Sometimes that woman drives me straight up the wall.”

Sometimes, ha, she drove Michele up the wall all the time. Her phone calls came at the most inconvenient times. Should she go to the hospital?

Her stomach cramped as if in answer. She couldn’t take the chance not to, her baby was at stake. But that meant she had to tell Brad, or did she? Could she tell the doctors about the baby when he wasn’t there? No, he was bound to find out. “Brad, I...uh... Oh God, this is so hard.”

Brad got up and went to her. He knelt down next to her and turned her head toward him with his thumb. “What’s wrong, Michele?”

“I’m pregnant.” Best just to say it, get it over with. There was no way to sugar coat it, no romantic gesture, just tell him.

“Pregnant?” Brad stood up pushed his hands through his hair and turned in a circle. “Pregnant!” 

Michele wasn’t sure what to make of his reaction. Dear God, please don’t let him be upset, don’t let him tell me to get an abortion. She couldn’t handle that. Suddenly he laughed.

“That’s fantastic.” He knelt down next to her again, took her face between his hands. “Isn’t it?”  He stood, looked at her and turned in a circle again. “How...I mean... when are you due? Are you okay? Is that why you were so sick at Joe and Linda’s? When did you find out? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tears stung her eyes, and she couldn’t hold them back. Thank God, he liked the idea. In fact he seemed ecstatic.

“I just found out. I’m due in March. Yes, I’m okay and yes that’s why I was so sick. I planned to tell you tonight after...” She caught herself. She couldn’t tell him she wanted to make love. At least not yet, their relationship was still too new. She was too unsure. But at least he wasn’t angry about the baby.

*** 

Brad went to the kitchen. This called for a toast. He pulled a bottle of wine from the cooler. Stupid, she couldn’t have wine. He looked around the kitchen for something else. The heck with it. She said after… After what? He went back to the dining room.

“March that’s still almost...” he counted his fingers. “Almost seven months away that’s like forever. Are you sure you’re okay? Have you been to the doctor?” Of course she has. How else would she know when the baby was due? He was babbling but he couldn’t help it. How long had she known, why hadn’t she told him before now?

A baby, his. He was going to be a father. He hadn’t planned on it, hadn’t even thought about it. But he liked the idea. He always wanted kids, had envied his friends who had kids. But he had never found the woman he wanted to share them with. At least not until now. The idea appealed to him and he couldn’t think of a better mother for his children than Michele.

Maybe their parents had been right. A shiver ran through him. Did their parents know them better than they knew themselves?  They only wanted what was best for them. He just wished they were a little less controlling. Let him make his own decisions. He probably would have proposed to Michele eventually, once they threw them together, if they hadn’t pushed him into it. He would have liked to plan their wedding together and picked out their own house and furniture. And these ugly dishes had to go. He hoped Michele agreed. Funny this was the first time they ate on the good dishes. He wondered whose idea it was Michele’s or Anna’s.

Had Michele planned the romantic dinner so she could tell him after? After dinner, after they made love? What was her plan? Had his wife planned a romantic evening, and he messed it up by bringing Ruby home? What a jerk. But Ruby had insisted on working, and he wanted to get home to see Michele. So he brought his assistant home with him. What kind of a fool was he? Brad shrugged off the voice inside his head and looked at Michele. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Was she happy about the baby? Please don’t let her say she wanted an abortion. He couldn’t handle that.

“Are you sure you’re okay? We better have you checked out.” He stood and helped her up from the chair. She cringed when she tried to stand.

“I can’t put any weight on it, but I’m sure it’s just a sprain.” Another cramp hit her. She put her hand over on her stomach. Not the baby, please don’t let anything be wrong with the baby. She doubled over.

“Michele, what’s wrong?” A worried look creased his eyebrows.

“My stomach, a cramp, I don’t know.” Not the baby, please God not the baby.

Brad lifted her in his arms and carried her out to the car. “I’m going to set you down, but I’ll hold you. Just stand on one foot and ease yourself into the car, okay?” He opened the door and swiveled her around so she could sit on the seat.

Her ankle throbbed, but the pain in her stomach concerned her more. She should have gone to the hospital right away, shouldn’t have waited. She could have told Brad about the baby on the way.

Brad hurried around to the driver’s side. “Are you okay?” He started the car and backed out of the drive.

Michele didn’t answer, just took a deep breath. The cramps worsened. They came with some regularity. Were these labor pains? Was she losing her baby? She prayed not.

CHAPTER THIRTY ONE

Brad stepped on the gas. He didn’t care if he got a ticket. They had to get to the hospital. Maybe he should call the doctor. Heck, he didn’t even know who her doctor was. “Michele, do you think you should call your doctor?”

She shook her head. “I hadn’t thought about that. We should have called him right after I fell, asked his advice. I don’t know his number, I can’t call him now.”

“It doesn’t matter – the hospital will get a hold of him,” Brad hoped he sounded reassuring. Michele held her hand on her stomach as if trying to protect her baby, their baby.

He pulled into the emergency parking lot and threw the car in park, and hurried to the entrance. A security guard met him half way with a wheel chair. “My wife....” He grabbed the chair and raced back to the car, opened the door for Michele, and helped her into the wheel chair. Her pale face scared him. He pushed her inside to the admitting window. The receptionist looked up at him.

“She’s pregnant and having cramps. She fell down the steps and sprained her ankle, but the baby...”

The woman stood and motioned him to bring Michele around. “I’ll take her back, and you can fill out the paper work while they get her settled, okay, Mr.?”