Beautiful Bounty (The Bounty Hunters: The Marino Bros. Book 1) (18 page)

“I think you should just go, and be there when they open,” Ronnie suggested. Her mother looked pale.

“Yeah, that might actually be a good idea. Jay is so worried, and I hate for him to worry when he has so much going on at work today. They open at nine. I’ll go get ready, but unless my stomach settles, I don’t think I should drive myself,” she informed her daughter, silently asking her to take her.

“I’ll drive you, Mom. We’ve got time. I can always do the things I need to take care of after I bring you back, and see you settled down and resting.” Ronnie was relieved her mom was agreeing so easily. She wasn’t one to miss work, or go to the doctor. She hoped it was a simple flu bug like her mom thought. But, she had a niggling suspicion this, whatever it was, wasn’t a simple flu bug.

***

With her mom getting ready in her room, Ronnie retreated to her own bedroom to make herself look more presentable. She needed to go to the bank, and take care of some things her attorney asked her to do. She also needed some money, and had a bit left in her savings account. She didn’t want to ask her mom for money for personal items, and didn’t expect Nikko to always treat her. Then, she wanted to do a bit of shopping since her luggage still had not been returned to her from evidence.

Within an hour the women were off. Lou suggested Ronnie complete one of her errands so as not to waste her day while her mom waited at the doctor’s office to be seen. Leery of leaving her mom, who still looked unwell, she eventually agreed when she saw how agitated her mom was becoming, and because she was insistent.  Reluctantly she agreed to drop her off at her doctors, but promised to be back within the hour, only going to Walgreens on the corner to shop for some essentials with what little cash she had.  She would need to go to the bank for more, but thought that would take longer, and wanted to be done by the time her mom was ready to go home.

At Walgreens, she purchased a bit of make-up to replace her own that had yet to be returned, some feminine hygiene products, a hair brush, and curling iron, and her own toiletries. Her mom was waiting outside on a bench when she returned and to her relief looked much better.

Her mom walked to the car just as she pulled into a parking spot. “What did she say, Mom?” Ronnie asked with concern.

Her mom gave her a bright smile.  “Everything is fine. She did blood work here in the office, and all looked well. And she gave me something for the nausea.”

“But what’s causing it?” Ronnie asked not convinced. There was something her mom was not telling her.

“It could have been flu, my nerves,” she shrugged. “But she gave me some tablets to take until it passes.” Lou didn’t mention the prescription for pre-natal vitamins she had given her. She was further along then she had thought. The doctor did an ultrasound to calculate how far along she might be, and that’s why the nausea was so bad.  Four months.  Even with Ronnie she hadn’t started showing much until her fifth month. She’d fill her prescription tonight after she told Jay, have him get some ginger snaps, not wanting to take the tablets unless absolutely necessary. The morning, noon, and night sickness would soon pass. She stopped being sick with Ronnie when she started her second trimester, and according to the doctor she was there now.

Ronnie gave her mom, a suspicious look, out of the corner of her eye, hoping her mom wouldn’t keep something from her just because of her own circumstances. Her mom didn’t notice though as she seemed lost in her own thoughts.

The ride home didn’t take long and Lou, feeling even more revived, encouraged Ronnie to go finish her errands.  Even though Ronnie felt weird about it and still felt strange leaving her, she really needed to take care of some things. She did promise to hurry.

Lou promised to settle in on the sofa, and rest, enjoying her day off. She would text her if she needed anything. Ronnie wasted no time. She wanted to return as quickly as she could.

***

Unfortunately, as quick as she could took much longer than Ronnie hoped.  The bank took hours, but she had her eight thousand bond cashed, and for good measure she took five hundred out of her savings knowing she might not get a second trip to the bank soon. Plus, she needed to turn the eight grand over to her attorney, Mr. Stimson.

After the bank, was Wal-Mart for under garments, and the mall for a couple of outfits that fit her a bit better than those she borrowed from her mother.  She also made a quick detour into Victoria Secret. She wanted to treat herself and Nikko to something new.

Then, on her way out of the mall, she ran into Margaret, her one and only friend in the area, and also her hairstylist when she was in town. She and Brad, one of her employees, hung out a few times last summer and had hit it off.

The pretty young blonde, just twenty-three, had started her own salon, called Mavericks, on the four corners in Spring Hill, and catered to people who wanted a unique style, blending new with the classic.  The name of the salon was just one indication this woman went her own way. She liked her, a lot, and had always managed to spend a couple of days with her whenever she was in town. They had a cup of coffee and caught up. Margaret, was a sweet woman, professed her faith in Ronnie’s innocence, and told her to come hang out at the shop if she was bored, or just needed to vent. She even went so far as to offer to be a character witness for her.

By the time she returned home, it was four, and she was surprised to find Jay was home early. He never arrived home from work before six. Figuring he had probably come home to check on Lou she didn’t think anything of it at first, but then fear set in. Perhaps her mom had gotten ill again, and called him instead of her. She rushed to the door, but stopped dead in her tracks, when she heard a strange sound coming from inside.  It sounded like a pained animal crying out, but somehow she knew it was not Missy making that sound.

Tentatively, Ronnie turned the handle on the front door and it gave way.  The sight she was met with was even more frightening to her than anything she could have expected. Her mom was still seated on the sofa, Jay perched on the end, and tears were streaming down his face.  That sound was coming from him as a look of pure pain crossed his face, and his sobs were gut wrenching. Staying absolutely still, the door only slightly open, she heard Jay croak out after several more fearful moans, in a guttural whisper.  “The doctor told you that. Really?”

“Yes, my love.” Lou stroked his arm, giving him encouragement, strength. Ronnie remembered all the times her mother had done that for her when she was upset, trying to instill the courage in her to get through a difficult time.

“Four months?” he questioned.  His back was to Ronnie now as he had pivoted on the edge of the sofa to fully face Lou.  She saw her mom nod with a sad smile, watching for Jay’s reaction. She didn’t notice Ronnie at all. A lump formed in Ronnie’s throat, and her imagination ran wild with what her mom could possibly mean by four months.

“She’s sure,” Jay croaked out.  The earlier cries of anguish had subsided to soft moans.

“Yes, Jay. Darling. She ran the test twice.” Louisa reached out to cup his face.  He reached out and held hers. “Darling, please tell me what you are thinking.” Lou broached tentatively. Knowing this news shocked him, he had lost his wife and his only child just weeks before birth. He hadn’t ever expressed a desire to have children, even indicated he felt having another one would be disloyal to the baby he lost.

“Oh my God, Lou.  I love you so much.  I don’t know if I can handle this,” she heard him say between his gentle sobs.

Ronnie wanted to cry too, knowing all Jay had been through. Now, this. Her mom, sick. Just four months
to live?
  Panic set in.  She wanted to run to her mother, comfort her, comfort them, but the scene before her was too poignant, too painful for her to watch.  She needed to give them this time alone to figure out how they would cope, and so her first thought was Nikko.

She needed to talk this out with someone, and Nikko would do.  Surely, he would be done at the county clerk’s office, and the sheriff’s department by now.  They talked about possibly meeting up tonight. He would be headed back to Tampa Tuesday or Wednesday, and promised to return on the weekend. Surely, he wouldn’t mind her company a bit early. She needed someone.

Ronnie backed out quietly, and closed the door softly. She picked up the packages she hadn’t realized she’d dropped, and went back to her mom’s car.  Driving up the block, she pulled over to send her mom a quick text.  She didn’t want her to worry about her prolonged absence, and wanted to give Jay and her some privacy. It would be soon enough, and heart breaking enough for her, when Lou had to break the news to her daughter. Let her mom deal with one crisis at a time. She punched in the message.

Ronnie:
  Popping in on Nikko. Hope it’s okay.  Be home in a couple of hours. 

Waiting on the side of the road to try to suppress the tears that were on the verge of making it impossible for her to drive, she heard the tell-tale beep of her mom’s response.

Lou:
  Take your time, sweetie. Jay came home early.  I’m fine, feeling much better. But do come home.  I have some news for you, oh and your lawyer called.

Ronnie dashed at the tears coming down her face. Her mom, always trying to protect her. Her mom, always putting other’s first.  Her mom going through this nightmare, whatever it was, still wanted to protect her. Her lawyer had called too. It mustn’t be good. The tapes must have shown nothing of significance or else she would have mentioned it in the text. She felt her world tilt on its axis.

She cried violently sitting in the car on the side of the road.  Angry at the world, at fate, at herself for trusting Gary.  After her mini-breakdown she fought the tears back. She needed to get off the side of the road.  Traffic was getting heavier at this time of the day, and someone would be bound to stop and check on her. She stopped her tears, and held the breakdown she knew was coming in check. It could wait until she got to Nikko’s hotel. She just had to get there.

Putting the keys back in the ignition, she started the car, and pulled back onto the road repeating the words, don’t cry, don’t cry, not yet.  It became her mantra.  The hotel was just a few miles away. Please be there, Nikko, she whispered. She hoped she could find her solace in him.

But even that was way too much to count on. When the world decided to put Ronnie Sears on its shit list, it held nothing back. As Ronnie pulled into the parking lot, she had her second, no, third shock of the day.  Walking out of the hotel was Nikko, and by his side was the fucking barbecue bimbo, Linda. In a blind rage, and not knowing if up was down, Ronnie hit the gas, and sped out of the parking lot tires spinning.  She had no idea where she was going.  She had no idea what the hell she was going to do.  Her world was crumbling down around her, and she had no one to turn to, nowhere to go. As she drove down the highway, the tears coming, the only thing she knew was she had to get the hell out of here.

Ronnie was just driving. She was too upset to think straight. First this mess with Gary. Then her mom, then Nikko. What more was going to be dumped on her before she would break?

She just drove. She didn’t know for how long. Time just passed and when she realized she was near Mavericks, she stopped. She needed to talk to someone. Anyone. And even though she had just seen her hours earlier, Margaret would have to do. She was her only other friend in this area. And, she also knew she would be on her side.

Pulling into the shopping complex on the corner of Spring Hill Drive and Mariner Blvd., Lou quickly got out of her mother’s car, grabbed her purse, and locked the doors.

She was relieved to see Margaret wasn’t busy when she opened the front door to the small salon. There was only one woman there getting her hair colored by another stylist. Those two, and the girl who worked the counter were the only other people in the place. Brad had the evening off.

“Long time no see,” Margaret teased when she saw her friend walk in. But as soon as she saw Ronnie’s face, saw the fear and pain there, she uttered, “Oh my God, what happened in the last two hours? You look a wreck. Come,” she ordered, leading Ronnie to the back room, where Margaret had a break room for her employees that also served as storage. “Sit.”

Ronnie complied. She felt lost. The tears just came. Margaret was quick to sit next to her to provide her comfort.  She reached for her hand and ordered her to spill. Ronnie did. It all came rushing out.

Margaret’s grasp on her hand got tighter when Ronnie told her about her fears for her mother. Margaret’s look got angry when Ronnie explained where she went after leaving her mom’s and finding Nikko walking barbecue bimbo, Linda, out of the hotel.

“What am I going to do?” Ronnie flatly asked. Her tears had stopped. She was still distraught about her mother, but she was also so extremely disappointed in Nikko. He promised, well somewhat, that he would be additional support for her through this ordeal. He’d also implied he would be monogamous, hadn’t he? Her mind couldn’t wrap around it all.