Renewed (The Fractured Series Book 3) (3 page)

Chapter
Five

“Hurry up, Bryan,” Mom yelled up the stairs. “I don’t want to be late. We shouldn’t make a bad impression.”

Dad was in the car, no doubt thinking of a million excuses just in case the extra-marital activities of him and Mrs. Sutton became an added topic during the day’s meeting. From the living room window, I could see him sitting in the car, his fingers tapping the steering wheel with desperation.
Good, he deserves to be uncomfortable. I hope Mr. Sutton wipes the floor with him.

Bryan came down the stairs wearing a light blue button-down shirt, a striped tie
, and navy Dockers. Shoes replaced his usual sneakers. Even his hair was combed neatly back on his head.
Oh my God, what’s happening to my brother?

“You look very nice,” I said trying to boost his confidence. He responded with a nervous smile.

Dillon brought a few of his metal airplanes to keep him occupied while the adults talked.

Although I had seen Jennifer’s house a hundred times before, it always gave me a feeling of awe when I approached the façade of the mini-mansion. The huge cypress trees stood like sentries along the frontcourt. Tall windows on the main level sparkled in the sun.

Grace, the housekeeper, opened the oversized wooden door and allowed us entry. We were shown into the elaborately decorated living room. Expensive pieces of artwork were scattered throughout the room, some on shelves by themselves, some resting on pedestals on the floor. There was a piece on the glass and chrome coffee table, and even a crystal orb on the edge of the grand piano in the corner.

The female Suttons – Jennifer, her sister Michelle, and their mother, Arlene
– were already seated on the long, white couch. Mr. Sutton was standing near the tall windows that looked out to the front of the house. I flashed a glance at my mother, who was eyeing the glass of alcohol in his hand.

“Dina, Mark
... please come in,” Mrs. Sutton said, getting up from the couch.

I looked at her, then at my father, whose face seemed to get brighter and more worried the moment he saw her. Disgusted by this, I shifted my glance to Jennifer. Her eyes were puffy
, and her nose was red. Bryan raced to be by her side. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big kiss. It improved her sad appearance, but only a little.

“Won’t you sit down?” Mrs. Sutton offered.

Mom sat on the chair across from the couch. Dad stood behind her. I whispered to Dillon to sit on the floor and play. He crossed his legs and sat Indian-style right where he stood. A handful of planes emerged from his pocket. Silently, he “flew” them in the airspace around him. I didn’t know where I should be, so I stood where I was.

Mr. Sutton began. “Can I get either of you a drink?” Bryan, Dad and I looked at Mom.

“No. Thank you,” she said gracefully. I was very proud of her at that moment. With all that was going on, I was sure she’d fold. I’m glad she proved me wrong.

“Okay, on to business,” Mr. Sutton continued. “I’m not going to sugarcoat this, Mark. Jennifer is pregnant, and despite listening to reason, she has decided she wants to keep the child.”

“
We
decided,” Jennifer corrected squeezing Bryan’s hand. He kissed the top of her head. It was nice to see my brother so sweet.

“What do you mean, ‘despite listening to reason’?” my mother asked.

Mr. Sutton’s dark brown eyes focused on my mother. “Jennifer was supposed to start Harvard in the fall. Arlene and I suggested for her not to have this baby so she can follow through with her plan.”

Mom’s mouth fell open when she realized what Mr. Sutton’s solution would have meant in order for Jennifer to keep her arrangements for going to Harvard.

He continued, “Ultimately, it’s Jennifer’s choice – one I hope she never regrets.” Mr. Sutton flashed Jennifer a disappointed look and then turned his attention back to my parents. “Your son has done the honorable thing and proposed marriage to Jenny.” Mr. Sutton’s shoes clomped against the bamboo floors as he paced up and back between all of us. “Arlene and I would rather Jennifer not go through with the pregnancy, but she’s committed to her decision. That being said, I’m prepared to accept your son’s proposal to my daughter, provided a few things get set straight from this point forward.”

I looked at my parents. They were stiff with fear.

“Bryan will interview with a friend of mine who works in commodities, and he will consider hiring him based upon my recommendation. Arlene and I will fix up our guest house for them to live in once they’re married.” Mr. Sutton hesitated. The air was thick with anticipation. Several breathless moments passed. Then Dad’s chest heaved under his dress shirt.

Mr. Sutton stopped pacing and looked at Bryan. “And, no one is to know of this pregnancy before the vows are exchanged.” He stared long and hard at Bryan, who said nothing. Wise choice.

The room was quiet for what seemed like an eternity. Then my father spoke. “What about college?”

Mr. Sutton look
ed up at him. “What about it?”

“Bryan has been offered a football scholarship to go to Notre Dame. He can’t just give that up.” Dad was adamant.

“Well, he should have thought about that before he knocked up my daughter.” Mr. Sutton was one decibel lower than yelling. His face was pink. My father moved one-step forward. His blond eyebrows plunged on his head. The alpha dogs had their haunches up, and their teeth seethed with drool.

Bryan stood up, but never let go of Jennifer’s hand. “I want to do this, Dad.” He looked at Jennifer. She smiled at him. “I love her. Jennifer and I discussed this. We want to get married and have this baby. I’m prepared to do what I have to for them.”

Dad ran his hand through the mess of strawberry curls. Despite using a scrub brush on his hands, he couldn’t eliminate all of the grease from under his nails. “Bryan, think of what you’ll be giving up.” He tried to reason with his son.

“Dad, college can wait. If I’m meant to go, then I’ll go after the baby is born.”

“Bryan, this is a football scholarship… to Notre Dame. Do you know how many people would give their right arm for this opportunity?”

“Dad, this is what I want. I love her.” Bryan’s brown eyes were soft
, and I could tell he meant every word he was saying. I had a new respect for my brother.

Mom jumped up out of her seat. Mrs. Sutton flinched backward. Mom moved quickly
, pulled Jennifer up out of her seat, and hugged her tightly. “I’m so looking forward to you being my daughter-in-law, although being a grandma might take some getting used to.” Jennifer’s face changed from worried to happy.

Mom held one arm out to incorporate Bryan in the hug.

Mrs. Sutton stood up and joined them. Then she grabbed Mom and Jennifer by the hands and pulled them toward the kitchen. “Come, we have so much to plan. We only have a short time and there’s so much to do.” Michelle, Jennifer’s older sister, followed them.

Dad fell into the chair that Mom had occupied only minutes before, devastated. Mr. Sutton shuffled over to the bar and refilled his glass with scotch. He poured one for my father, too. Dad took it and gulped it down without question.

“I just hope you’re man enough for this challenge, Bryan,” Mr. Sutton said.

Bryan was speechless.

During the car ride home, Mom talked about all of the plans the ladies discussed for the wedding - everything from appetizers, to flowers, to color schemes. Dad was quiet as he stared out the front windshield and drove as if on automatic pilot back to our house.

I looked at Bryan in the back seat next to me. “You okay?” I whispered.

“Yeah,” he said, but I wasn’t convinced.

“You can talk to me, you know.”

“I know.” But he was quiet the rest of the way home.

I closed the door to my room and called Rob to fill him in on everything that happened. “Hospital visitations aren’t necessary.”

“How’s Bryan?” he asked.

“Quiet. He’s got a lot going on in his head right now.”

“And your mom?”

“She’s great. She’s excited about the wedding and the baby. I thought she’d want to climb into a bottle, but she’s been handling this really well.”

“And… your dad?”

“I think he might need therapy.”

Rob laughed. I did too, but I was serious about the therapy.

Chapter Six

Over the next couple weeks, we tried to act as if everything was normal, but nothing was normal. Mom became just as obsessed as Mrs. Sutton about the wedding. In a way, it was a good thing; it kept Mom’s thoughts on something positive instead of drinking. I thought it was nice that Mrs. Sutton included Mom in every decision made. Of course
, Jennifer had the final say; it was her wedding. And it was weird to see Mom so chummy with the woman who was sleeping with her husband, but then again, she didn’t know about that; only I did.

Jennifer called.

“Bryan’s working, Jen,” I said.

“I know. Will you come with me to the mall, Mandy? I have to have some alone time. My mother is driving me crazy with choosing napkins and tablecloths.”

“Sure, Jennifer.”

“Great, I’ll pick you up in twenty.”

**
*

“Let’s go in here,” I said, aiming Jennifer for the lingerie store.

“That’s how I got into this situation,” she said.

“Yeah, but this time we have to pick out something for your honeymoon.” I smiled, hoping she would too, and she did.

We came out of the store with several packages. Most of them were for Jennifer, but I had two of my own. One was a gift I’d be giving during her bridal shower, and one was for me to wear for Rob.

We bought lunch from our favorite stand in the food court
, and found a table for four so our packages would fit, too.

“Mandy, I’d like to ask you something.” Jennifer looked down at her untouched lunch.

“Sure, Jen, shoot.”

“I want to know if you’ll be my maid of honor.”

I didn’t expect that. My head flipped up to look at her. “Don’t you want your sister to be your maid of honor, or Courtney, Tanya, or Liz?”

She shook her head. Her blonde curls jiggled. Her pretty green eyes weren’t overdone with
makeup. They seemed very sincere. “No. You’ve been more of a friend to me than any of them. More like a
best
friend ever since Bryan and I started going out. Every time I’ve needed someone to talk to, you’ve been there. You’ve never judged me, and you’re not superficial like Courtney, Liz, and Tanya. You’ve been a very good friend. I don’t think I could have come through this without your support.”

Her words gave me the warm
fuzzies. I reached over and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I would love to be your maid of honor.” We both smiled.

“Good. Let’s go to the bridal store and pick out a dress for you.”

“Aren’t you going to eat your lunch?” I asked.

“Nah. I’m
nauseous,” she said, placing a hand on her flat stomach.

We tried on dresses – she wedding gowns
, and me, everything else. We finally agreed on a simple pink empire cut dress for me and the other bridesmaids. She told me she was going to wear her mother’s wedding dress after a few alterations. I felt like saying, “Maybe you should go with one that a lying, cheating bimbo has never worn,” but I decided not to ruin any of this for her. I loved my brother too much. I hoped his new bride would turn out differently than her mother. Maybe she could change the luck associated with that dress.

I used the fifty dollars I had left from my shopping excursion to put a deposit on the maid of honor’s dress.

“I’ll tell the other girls to come and do the same by the end of the week,” Jennifer said. “Let’s go home. I’m tired.”

“Me, too.”

“I’ll drive you to Rob’s.”

“Thanks.”

*
**

We spent the first fifteen minutes of our reunion kissing in the kitchen.

“You’re brother asked me to be an usher at the wedding,” Rob said.

“What did you tell him?”

“Of course I said yes. How can I let you get all dressed up and have no one to dance with? I have to look good when I pull you away from all those wedding guests.”

“That was so nice of you to do that.”

“Bryan’s a good guy. I feel bad he has to put college on hold. His football opportunities will fade away.”

“I think my dad is more upset about that than Bryan is,” I said, taking a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

“But he’s worked hard for the consideration. Notre Dame is one of the finest schools in the country. It’s not easy to get in, and on a
partial scholarship no less.”

“Well, he should have taken precautions.” I took another sip from my water bottle.

“I’m sure he didn’t plan this.”

“I know he didn’t,” I said. “Still, he should have been careful.”

“Oh? And you’re not worried something like that might happen with us?” His deep blue eyes stared at me.

“No.” I didn’t look at him.

“And why not?”

Lifting my nose in the air, I said, “Because I’ve been responsible.”

“What do you mean you’ve been responsible?” he asked.

“I’m on the pill.”

His smile faded. “You are?”

“Yes. Why are you so surprised?”

“I guess I never thought about it before. I just thought…”

“What? That we’ve been lucky? Rob, I’m only seventeen. I have to put a four-year college on hold. I may not be able to pursue the career I want to for a few years, but that doesn’t mean having a baby is the answer to fill
ing that void. I want to be able to give my children everything.”

My logic percolated in his head; I could almost smell it brewing.

His shoulders dropped and his face drooped a bit. “You’re right. It’s better to be safe.” It was almost as if he was disappointed. He pulled me close to him. His chest was wide and strong. The faint smell of his cologne had my head swimming. “But you would make a fantastic mother.” He aimed right for the base of my neck. I couldn’t harness my thoughts.

“You’d better stop or you’ll be late for work.”

He pulled back. I could see his pout.

“Now, now. I promise there will be time for all of that. After you get home from work.”

His face morphed into a smile.