Rachel Laine (The Women of Merryton Book 3) (27 page)

Dr.
Cole worked his physician magic and we were ushered right back in the ER. Easton
was sure it was appendicitis. He had done a physical exam on my bathroom floor
and said it was consistent with an infected appendix. He ordered an ultrasound
to be sure.

I
sat there and held Drew’s hands while we waited for the ultrasound tech to
arrive. I hated seeing him like this. He had never been so sick. He was still
shivering and he looked so small all of a sudden.

“I
wish Andrew was here,” he said into the quiet.

Me
too. I could use a hand to hold.
I had never been so
frightened. I texted Andrew as I held onto my son.
Please call me as soon as
you see this
. So far all my other texts and calls had been unanswered.

The
ultrasound confirmed Easton’s prognosis. They wasted no time prepping my baby
for surgery in a sudden flurry of activity. I was a little overwhelmed by it
all. I watched as the nurse poked and prodded my son and placed an IV in his
arm. He took it like a champ; either that, or the abdominal pain overshadowed
the needle.

The
surgeon came in next to explain the ninety-minute laparoscopic procedure and
what I could expect. It all sounded routine, but when it’s your baby, nothing
is ordinary.

The
anesthesiologist followed the surgeon. He administered some sort of happy drug that
made Drew sleepy before they wheeled him away from me. Drew started to giggle
uncontrollably before his tired eyes shut. It was just what I needed to hear as
they took my baby away.

Though
Easton wasn’t performing the surgery, he went back with him. It made me feel
better—I trusted Easton.

I
sat there in the waiting room feeling very alone. I’m not sure I had ever felt
so alone. My parents were still in Tucson, and the one man I wanted to have
there with me was out of reach in more ways than one. I prayed silently as the
tears streamed down my face. I prayed for Drew’s health and safety, and for the
surgeon that was operating on him. I prayed for strength to withstand the
firestorm I started, and I prayed for guidance on what I should do with the man
in the center of it all.

Thirty
minutes into Drew’s surgery, my phone buzzed. I was annoyed it was Bryant’s
number and not Andrew’s, but regardless, I needed to hear his voice. I needed
him to come and hold my hand.

“Rachel,
what’s up with all the phone calls and messages? Is everything okay? And why
didn’t you use Bryant’s phone?”

I
would deal with his insensitivity later. “Drew’s in surgery.”

“What
happened? Is he going to be all right?” That was the reaction I needed from
him.

“He’s
having his appendix removed. Will you please come up here? He wants to see you and
I … I need you here with me.”

His
silence was more than deafening.

“Andrew,
please.”

“Rachel
Laine, don’t you think I want to? We are so close to the finish line. I promise
you, he will be okay. I had my appendix out when I was his age. It was no big
deal. I’ll call him as soon as he comes out of surgery.”

I
sat stunned. My tears ceased, but my heart tore. “Don’t bother.”

“Rachel,
come on. Four more weeks. We can do this.”

“No,
we can’t. I should have never agreed to this in the first place.” I placed my
arm across my stomach for comfort as I sat there alone in the sterile waiting
room.

“What
are you saying?”

“I’m
saying this is over. We’re over. I want you to stay away from us.”

“I
have rights. You can’t keep me away from my son.” I had never heard him speak
with such force.

“Then
I guess I’ll see you in court.” That sounded a lot braver than I felt. My heart
had come up to my throat.

“Rachel,
I’m sorry. I don’t want to take you to court.” His tone had softened
significantly. “Can you please just be patient with me? You and Drew mean the
world to me.”

“If
that were true, we wouldn’t be having this conversation. Goodbye, Andrew.”

I
heard him calling my name before I hung up on him. I dropped my phone, brought
my knees up to my chest, and sobbed into my flannel pajamas. I cursed the day
that Andrew walked into my life and the day Sydney wrote him that stupid
letter. I hated myself for falling for him, and not being bolder when I should
have been. I thought I was frightened before, but I was mistaken. I was
terrified by what I had just set into motion, but if Andrew wanted a fight, he
better gear up, because no one was going to come between me and my son.

~*~

I
was exhausted, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off Drew. He came through surgery
like an all-star, but now he slept. He felt a little pain afterwards, so they
gave him some medication in his IV to take care of it. I wished they could give
me something for my pain. Any courage I’d had earlier had gone out the window.
I’d had to turn my phone off. Andrew had called at least ten times. I let each
call go to voicemail.

I
held the hand of the most precious thing in my life and begged God not to take
him away and give him to his father. Despite all my shortcomings and mistakes,
I had tried my best to be a good mother. Even these last several months, I had
only tried to protect him. But in the end, it seemed like it was the wrong
course of action. One he and I might pay dearly for. I worried, though, that
maybe Drew would be okay living with his dad. I thought of his school
assignment I had in my purse. It stung more now than ever to know he chose his
dad over me. His dad, who cared more about himself than anyone else.

I
knew this was going to end badly. Sometimes I hated being right.

I
drifted off to sleep sitting on Drew’s bedside chair with my head on his
hospital bed. I was woken up around seven in the morning by a knock on the
door. I barely had time to raise my head before the intruder walked in, wearing
his tuxedo, no less.

I
sat straight up and ran my fingers through my hair. I looked down at my gray
flannel pajamas and the wet spot on Drew’s bed from all of my tears. I imagined
my eyes and face looked like a puffy, red mess. “What are you doing here?” My
voice sounded more like a croak.

He
froze in place from the icy reception. He may have been dressed to the nines,
but he looked disheveled and worn. I guess I wasn’t the only one who hadn’t
gotten any real sleep during the long night.

He
didn’t answer me. Drew stirred, and when he caught a glimpse of Andrew, my
wishes for him to be gone were thrown out the window.

“Andrew.”
Normally Drew would have shouted that, but he still sounded a little groggy.

Andrew
moved forward. In a swift move, he was sitting on the other side of Drew and
rubbing his arm, being careful not to disturb the IV. “I heard you aren’t
feeling too well.”

Drew’s
smile definitely said he was still drugged. If the circumstances had been
different, I would have laughed, but there was nothing comical about this
situation. “I feel better now. I’m going to have some new scars.”

I
don’t know why scars were so cool to him. He liked the small one on his face
from his football injury. These new additions were going to be a little bigger,
which made them that much cooler to him.

Andrew
chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. “I’m glad you’re all right.” I
could hear the emotion in his voice.

“Does
this mean I can tell people about you now?”

Andrew
looked my way before answering. I saw the pleading in his eyes. “Yes.”

His
answer shocked me. What about his campaign?

He
turned back to our son, who was sporting a huge grin. Andrew tried to return
it, but he remained melancholy. “Hey, buddy, I can’t stay long right now, but
I’ll be back as soon as possible. I have some things I want to tell you.”

I
guess the truth was finally going to come out.

Andrew
got up and kissed Drew on the forehead. He lingered and breathed him in. “I’ll
see you soon.” He looked my way. “Can I please speak to you in the hall?”

I
reluctantly left Drew’s side and followed Andrew out. My heart was ready to
beat out of my chest. I worried about the damage he could inflict on my small
family of two. And I hated him for making me feel like three was ever a good
number.

We
were met by a bright spot—Evelyn waited outside the door.

“I
had no idea you were here,” I said as she hugged me.

I
don’t know why, but that made me lose it again. I felt like I was being hugged
by my mother, and now more than ever I needed her, but Evelyn would do for now.
She held on tighter and I buried my head against her and let it all out. I
didn’t worry that I was in a hospital hallway in my pajamas, no less, or that
my ex—or whatever he was—looked on. I needed the comfort only a mom could give
at that moment.

“It
will all be okay.” She tried her best to soothe me.

After
my last shudder, I stood upright and looked into her watery blue eyes. Even at
seven in the morning, she looked elegant. At least she was dressed properly.
She placed her hand on my waterlogged cheek. “I’m going to go in and check on
my grandson.”

I
nodded and gave a weak smile.

The
nerves came back in full force after she disappeared behind the closed door. I
did my best to muster up some courage and face the man that not only broke my
heart, but had the ability to shatter it if he chose to sue me for custody. I
wiped the moisture off my face, and met Andrew’s red and tired eyes.

He
stepped closer, but didn’t touch me.

I
used the wall as my support.

“I’m
sorry, Rachel.”

I
didn’t respond other than to keep looking into his amber eyes.

“I
have some things I need to take care of, but I’ll be back as soon as I can, if
you will allow me to. The press may follow me.”

“He
needs to know the truth, and you should be the one to tell him.”

He
nodded his agreement.

“Should
I be hiring an attorney?” My voice cracked. I felt like my life was hanging in
the balance and he could tip the scale.

“I
wouldn’t do that to you.” He closed the distance and kissed my cheek. I pulled
away from him. His shoulders dropped in response. “Watch the five o’clock news.
I’ll see you later.” He turned and headed toward the elevator.

I
watched him enter and the automatic doors closed. Wrapped up in my relief was a
different kind of pain. It was a kind of hurt that I had never felt before. Andrew
and I were over.

I
sank into my tub and tried to forget, for a few minutes, that my life was on
display. Merryton loved a good scandal and I’d handed them one. My phone was
ringing non-stop, and I had to make the hospital staff swear not to say a word
to Drew. Unfortunately, this town was too perceptive. The moment Andrew walked
into that hospital to visit Drew, coupled with my revelation from the day
before, the pieces of the puzzle fell together all too easily. The worst part
was, it had nothing on the exposure coming my way. Evelyn, who sent me home to
get cleaned up and changed while she stayed with Drew, informed me that Andrew
was dropping out of the race. I supposed that was why he wanted me to watch the
news later.

According
to Evelyn, she was more than disappointed in her son’s reaction when I’d first
called, and apparently he was, too. But all of that didn’t matter, as long as
he made things right with Drew, and kept the courts out of it. I would do my best
to endure the onslaught from the truth. More than anything, I needed the truth
to be known.

On
the way back to the hospital, I talked to my parents and Taylor. Both were
sympathetic, and maybe some other feelings—like livid. My parents offered to
come home early, but I asked them not to. I didn’t want them wrapped up in this
mess I had made. And knowing Andrew had to be in our lives because of Drew, I
figured it best to keep the parties separated for the time being.

I
walked into Drew’s room to find him sleeping again. Easton said he would be
pretty sleepy today, but that was normal. Evelyn sat silently watching over
him. She was ready for the truth to come out, too. She wanted all the perks of
being a grandma.

“How
are you feeling?” she asked.

I
sat down next to her. “Better now that I’m clean and not running around in my
pajamas. Thank you for staying with him.”

“My
pleasure.” She looked over her grandson. Her eyes screamed adoration. “Are you
ready for all of this?”

“Not
even a little.”

She
turned my way and touched my cheek with all the gentleness of a mother. “It may
not seem like it, but it will be short-lived. The next big news item won’t be
far behind, and this will be a thing of the past. Just remember two little
words.”

“And
what are those?”

“No
comment.” She smiled.

I
blew out a big breath. “I’ll remember.”

Her
hand dropped and she turned her attention back to Drew. “I wonder how he’s
going to take the news.”

I
thought back to the essay he wrote. “I think he’ll take it better than any of
us.”

“I
better get going. I’m headed to Denver to be with Andrew.”

Pain
swept through my heart at just the mention of his name. “Drive safe.”

“He
is sorry, Rachel.”

“As
long as he makes things right with Drew, that’s all that matters to me.”

“Is
it really?”

I
stared into her all-knowing eyes and tried to keep the tears at bay. “We were
foolish.”

“He
was a fool, I’ll give you that. He knows he threw away the best thing that has
ever happened to him.”

“Drew
is the best thing to ever happen to him.”

“That
one I won’t give you. Don’t get me wrong, children are wonderful, but to have a
partner—to share a child with a partner—there’s nothing better than that.”

I
didn’t know what to say to her. For a while, I had thought I might get to
experience that, but now I wasn’t sure.

She
stood up and stretched. “Can I come by tomorrow?”

“Anytime.
You’re always welcome. They should release Drew by then, so we’ll be home.”

“I’ll
bring dinner.”

“Perfect.
Thank you.”

“We
are still going to be the best of friends.”

“I
look forward to it.”

She
walked elegantly out the door.

I
yawned. I needed a nap, but I still wasn’t sure if sleep would come. I had
never been so studied as when I walked back into the hospital.
Oh, Sydney,
you have no idea what you’ve done.

I
tried to rest my eyes, but nurses, as well as Easton, were in and out to check
on Drew. He was doing great, but as evening approached, he was getting restless
and wanted to be out of bed. Not even the video games I’d brought were keeping
his attention. I was hoping to preoccupy him while I watched Andrew’s
announcement on my tablet with earbuds. I wasn’t sure what to expect, and
wanted to play it safe.

I
was saved by a visit from Taylor and Gage. While Drew showed off his scars and
told his harrowing tale, Taylor and I sat on the small couch in the room. Our
heads were close together and we each had one earbud in our ear. She was as
curious as me. The livestream came up just as the newscast began.

“The
big news today is that Andrew Turner, candidate for District 43’s state representative
seat, is dropping out of the race.”

Taylor
and I looked at each other with surprise. Who knew that would be their top
story?

“We
have a team, live, at his press conference.” They switched over to the reporter
on the ground. Andrew was in front of a podium with his mom standing close by.
The backdrop was the municipal building in Highlands Ranch. There were several
news teams there, as well as supporters. I saw several
Andrew Turner for
State Representative
signs. I wondered if that helped him feel better or
worse. The camera zoomed in on Andrew. He was no longer wearing the tux, but he
looked as downtrodden in his dark suit and tie.

“He
really is attractive,” Taylor whispered.

I
ignored her comment, but it was true.

“Thank
you all for coming today. I realize that this announcement comes as a shock and
a disappointment to many of you. I want you to know that it wasn’t a decision
that I came to lightly.” He took a breath. It looked like he needed to reign
back his emotions. “For as long as I can remember, I wanted to follow in my
dad’s footsteps, I wanted to be the kind of man that he was. I thought filling
his old seat would bring me a step closer to that goal, but in the process I
failed to remember what was truly my dad’s legacy, and that was being a loyal
husband and the best father a man could ask for, a man who always put his
family first. I’ve stated that nothing would have made Oliver Turner prouder
than to see me fill his old seat, but that wasn’t true. There is one role I
need to fill, the one that would have no doubt brought him more joy and pride
than any other if he were still here with us today. I apologize to those in my
party and all the good people of District 43 for not being able to see this through
to the end. It would have been an honor and a privilege to serve you, but the
greatest honor and privilege awaits me. I’m sorry I lost sight of that and hurt
the people I care about the most. I only hope I can regain their confidence in
me. I ask now that you support, Jim Hutchinson …”

The
camera turned from Andrew to the male reporter on the scene. “Well there you
have it. The question on everyone’s mind here is what, or should I say, who, is
Mr. Turner talking about? His language suggests that he is alluding to a bigger
announcement. But one thing is for sure, with a move like this, his career in
politics is finished before it ever got started.”

I
turned it off. I knew what the bigger announcement was, and by the way the
reporter was salivating, I knew they would pursue this story relentlessly,
meaning Drew and myself. I also felt guilty. He would probably be blacklisted
forever by his own party. Their chances of winning now weren’t very likely. I’m
sure they would not be forgiving Andrew for that anytime soon, if ever.

Taylor
offered her assessment of the news conference. “It sounded heartfelt.”

I
shrugged my shoulders. “I suppose so.”

“Charming
men are the worst to break up with.” She had experience with that.

“I
could think of some other adjectives for him, too.”

She
laughed. “Have fun with that. I better get home before Tessa needs to nurse.”

“Thanks
for coming by, and tell Easton thank you again for everything. He was a life
saver last night.”

“I
think I’ll keep him around.”

“By
the way, happy anniversary. I can’t believe you came here.” Though I
appreciated it more than she would ever know.

She
waved me off. “We decided to celebrate when I can leave Tessa for more than a
couple of hours, but,” she held out her left hand, “I did get this beauty this
morning.”

I
admired the stunning diamond anniversary band. “He has excellent taste in
diamonds and women.”

“So
does Andrew.” With that, she walked off.

An
hour after the press conference, I received a text from Andrew letting me know
he was on his way up to see Drew. The moment of truth had arrived. It was a
good thing, too; the grapevine in Merryton was on four-alarm fire status. As
relieved as I was that Drew would finally know the truth, I was equally
nervous. I thought he would take the news well, but what if he didn’t, or what
if he wanted to pack his bags and move into his dad’s mansion?

I
think I was going to lose ten pounds over all of this. My stomach was in knots.

As
promised, Andrew arrived about an hour later, dressed casually this time.
Drew’s excitement level was through the roof. And while Andrew looked happy to
see his son, he was anything but. I’m sure he was disappointed that his
political aspirations had gone up in smoke. My guilt level crept up. As upset as
I was with him, I did care about him and his feelings. I knew how much he
wanted to serve others and honor his father.

I
watched on as Andrew held Drew to him like he was his lifeline. I had felt like
that on occasion. The scene had tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’ll leave you
two alone.”

Andrew’s
eyes met mine from across Drew’s bed. “Please stay.”

I
lowered myself back into my chair. I wasn’t expecting a front row seat to the
reveal.

Andrew
reluctantly let Drew go. “How are you feeling?” he asked him.

“Bored.”

Andrew
chuckled at him. “You get to go home tomorrow.” Andrew turned his attention to
me. I wished he wouldn’t. His eyes were begging for forgiveness. “And how are
you?”

That
was a good question. I took a deep breath in and let it out. “I’ve been
better.”

“I’m
sorry, Rachel.”

When
he said it, I believed him.

“Why
are you sorry?” Drew asked. I’m sure this was all confusing to him.

We
both turned our attention back to our son.

Andrew
ruffled his hair. “Drew, I need to tell you something. It’s something I should
have told you a long time ago when we first met, but I was too selfish.”

Was
he talking to Drew or me?

“You
see, I wanted something really bad, but after I met you and your mom, I wanted
something else even more. So I tried to have both.”

Drew’s
scrunched face said he was more confused than ever.

“I
know, buddy; this doesn’t make sense. And it shouldn’t make sense, because I
should have told you that I’m your dad a long time ago.” I was surprised how
casually that came out of his mouth.

I
watched Drew as he let those words sink in. It was as if he wasn’t sure he’d
heard right, but I could see the hope flood his beautiful eyes. “Yes! I knew
you guys were going to get married!”

Andrew
and I looked at each other, not sure what to make of this turn in the
conversation.

“Honey,”
I said, “we’re not getting married. Why would you think that?”

Disappointment
washed over his little face. “Because I saw you two on the couch together on Christmas
and I’ve been praying for it every day because you said God answers prayers.”

So
we hadn’t been fooling anyone, including my eight-year-old son.

I
held his sweet cheek in my hand. “Is that why you wrote that essay for school about
your ‘new dad’?”

He
nodded.

Andrew
looked my way with interest. I would have to show him the essay later. First,
we needed to clear this up with our son.

“Bud,
Andrew and I don’t have to get married for him to be your dad. He already
is
your dad.”

His
response indicated he wasn’t getting it. “But you still could.”

I
shook my head no. Drew wasn’t the only one disappointed by that.

“Drew.”
Andrew took the floor. “I knew your biological mother.”

“You
knew Mom Sydney?” That’s what he called her, if ever we talked about her. I
always thought it was sweet.

Andrew,
for the first time, looked nervous. I was nervous for him. I wasn’t sure how he
was going to explain this.

“I
did know her. And we made you.”

That
made me want to laugh, but I held back. Besides, Drew shocked the heck out of
me. “You had sex?”