The Creek Series: Complete Set: Parts I, II, & III Read online

  “I want to know why you came here, Wrenn. Why now?”

  I turned to face him. I lost my balance and had to hold onto one of the cars for stability. “I saw your car, and it hit me that I needed to do the right thing.”

  “Oh yeah, and what is that exactly?”

  “To tell you I’m pregnant, and I don’t want anything from you. At first, I planned to keep the baby a secret from you, but I thought about how you felt all those years without your father, and I’m not that kind of monster. I couldn’t do that to you or to our child.”

  He raised his ball cap and ran his fingers through his hair, then replaced it, backwards as usual.

  “Come in and sit down with me. I want you to meet someone.”

  “That’s okay. I’d rather not.”

  “We have to talk. You’re right. I want to be a father.”

  “As you can see, I’m not feeling well. Tomorrow perhaps. I’m no longer working, so I can meet you for coffee or something?”

  “I’d rather we discuss things without an audience. I’ll pick you up at ten tomorrow morning.”

  “Okay.” I started walking toward my car.

  Dane raced to me and pulled at my hand to stop. “And just so you know, sick or not, you’re still the most beautiful girl to me.”

  He quickly leaned in and kissed my cheek. The smile on his face should’ve lit up the world, but my world, dark from all the madness, needed an intervention.

  I sat in the driver’s seat, unable to process everything.

  “What on earth?”

  “We’re going to talk tomorrow. He’s picking me up at ten.”

  “Good. The sooner you get the shit settled, the healthier it will be for you and the baby. Don’t think I didn’t see your blood pressure today at Dr. Bledsoe’s office.”

  “Shit. Yeah, you’re right.”

  I tossed and turned and finally gave in to sleep about four in the morning. By then, I’d made a gazillion lists in my brain of what I should say to Dane. I hoped he didn’t get me flustered to the point I couldn’t remember all of it.

  When the alarm went off, I was sleeping soundly. I was grateful for the few hours of sleep and even more excited I’d slept without being woken up by morning sickness. The doctor had assured me it would soon go away.

  Dane arrived right on time, and I walked out to his car. He jumped out quickly. He was dressed nicely in a pair of shorts and a golf shirt. No baseball cap turned backwards. He opened the door for me.

  “Where do you want to go?” I asked, my hands twisting with nerves in my lap.

  “I thought we could ride out to my ranch. I’ve got stuff for a picnic in the back.”

  We drove in silence out on the east side of Interstate 35 and turned off onto a county road that was lined with black steel fencing. He pulled up to a gate and punched in a code.

  Wealth has such a presence.

  He pulled the car up to a large, sprawling ranch style home. There were cattle and horses out on the green pasture surrounding the house. It was perfectly manicured. He opened the car door for me and pointed to a gazebo at the end of a pier.

  “I thought we could go down there and be alone, if that’s okay with you.”

  “It’s fine.” I didn’t need all of the pomp and circumstance to say what I had to say. I wasn’t sure what his intentions were or what he was trying to accomplish.

  There was a table and chairs and a couple of padded benches in the gazebo. I took a seat on one of the benches, and a large goldfish caught my eye. “Wow, look at the size of that fish.”

  “Koi. They weren’t supposed to live in this spring water, but they do. There are some that probably weigh twenty pounds. The food is in that bucket over in the corner if you want to toss them some. They will give you a show, for sure.”

  I picked up the scoop and got a cup of what resembled small pieces of dried dog food and tossed it in the water. It was a great deal of action in a split second, just as Dane had promised. Orange and white fish were going everywhere, making a big splash like an applause.

  “Why are we here, Dane?”

  “I thought you wanted to talk.”

  “I didn’t need all this just to tell you I was pregnant and didn’t expect anything from you.”

  “Regardless of your expectations, you’ve gone to great lengths to make sure I stayed away. Now, you want to talk to me? I called for weeks. I tried every way in the world to track you down, and no one was talking. I’ve searched high and low, and so has my team, trying to find a place called Forgiveness Creek, and I came up empty. Do you want to start at the beginning and bring me up to date? Because I’m totally clueless about what happened.” He wasn’t angry. He was running his hands through his hair in frustration, but his eyes were warm.

  As I watched, his gaze went down to my stomach and back up to my face several times. He was looking for a baby bump.

  “I’m only a couple of months. No bump yet.”

  “You said you were on the pill.”

  “I was. I didn’t do this on purpose. The meds I took when I had the flu knocked out the effectiveness of my pills.”

  “Don’t yell. I’m not blaming you. In fact, I’m thrilled.”

  I looked away and then back toward him in astonishment. “You’re thrilled?” He sure as hell didn’t look thrilled to me.

  “I’m thrilled about the baby. I’m not thrilled about what occurred between us, and I want to know how it happened and what I can do to fix it.”

  “How ’bout not being a cheater.”

  “I didn’t cheat. What are you talking about?”

  “You didn’t call the entire time you were in China. Your grandfather told me you were coming home, yet I didn’t hear from you, and we were supposed to be leaving to go back together, as in ‘couple’. Then I tried to call you and kept leaving messages. It’s not like I’m needy. I was just worried something was wrong. I used the information in your grandfather’s file to find other phone numbers. When I called and got that woman and heard you in the background, it was the end of the road for me. Magically, that is when you started dialing the hell out of my number, until I finally threw the damn phone in the creek.”

  “I’m so sorry about your mom. I wish I could’ve been there for you.” He got up from the chair and approached me, leaving a couple of feet between us. When he opened his arms, I walked in to them. I remembered what he’d said on our first date, “Sometimes hugs are better than words.”

  The tears started. Sad tears, angry tears, get the fuck out of my life tears. Confusion and hurt rippled through me. My heart was tugged to one side and then the other.

  “I’m glad I didn’t go to China. It meant I spent the last minute with my mom.”

  He moved us to the bench and continued to keep his arms around me after we sat down. “I’d been back in China for only a day when my backpack was stolen. My passport, phone, wallet, everything was in there. I had to work with the consulate to even get out of the country, but the worst part was that within a few hours, the identity thieves had struck. It was a disaster. I’m truly sorry I didn’t call. The corporate office let Grandfather know, and I assumed he was going to pass on the message that our trip would be delayed, but he got sick and missed his appointments. Apparently, when he did show, he didn’t tell you the story because I’m just realizing now why you were so pissed off. The woman you heard is an ex-fling, but she’s also a longtime employee. She comes here often and likes to think she owns the place. That’s why I had to punch in the code at the gate when we got here. She took my remote. Look, I know it sounds cheesy and you won’t believe me, but it’s the truth. I was in the shower, and she let herself in. I haven’t been with her in over a year. The girl you saw me with at the restaurant is the daughter of an old friend and like a little sister to me.”

  He let go of me and fidgeted with his hands between his parted knees. He was looking at the ground when he started talking. “But, this doesn’t fix us.” He found my eyes and drilled deep int
o them with his own. “Trust is the core of a relationship, Wrenn. I love you with all of my heart, and when I got that email, I was hurt beyond measure. That little ‘legal stamp-of-approval’ you placed on it sent a message loud and clear.”

  “I thought you and your family would think I got pregnant on purpose to tie myself to your fortune. I’m not rich with billions, but Stephan did leave with me some money. I can take care of the baby. I don’t need financial support from you, and I’ll sign papers saying that.”

  “What about love, Wrenn? Don’t you need that? Didn’t you hear me when I said I love you?”

  I swallowed hard. I had to face what I feared most in life. “Everyone I love ends up leaving me before their time. Don’t you get it? I’m jinxed.” I stood up and walked to the rail again.

  “That’s not true, honey. I know it looks that way with your dad, Stephan, and now your mom, but seriously, it’s simply not true.”

  “I’m graduating in two weeks and will be staying in town until I take the boards in June. You’re more than welcome to go to the doctor’s appointments with me, but after June, I’m moving back to Arkansas and will raise our daughter there in the quiet life of country living.”

  “It’s a girl?” He jumped to his feet with excitement and approached me.

  “Oh, sorry, no. I don’t know the sex yet. It’s too early. In fact, I told them I don’t think I want to know. But, I think it’s a girl. Either way, I’ve nicknamed him or her Peanut. Do you want to see the picture?”

  “Yes!”

  I picked up my purse from the chair, pulled out the photo, and handed it to him. “You can keep that one. I have another one at home.”

  He stared at the photo, and then he wiped at the tear streaming down his cheek. “I’ll swim through fire if it means I can be a father. I may never win you back, but I will be a good daddy, you’ll see.”

  “I know. That’s why I turned around last night when I saw your car. I couldn’t keep this amazing gift from you. Look, I’m really tired. I’d like to go home.”

  “You don’t want to eat?”

  “No. I want to go.”

  He left the food where it was and drove me home. We were both quiet. When he pulled the car into my drive, I was surprised to see him stay put in the driver’s seat.

  “Can I ask one thing?” His hand trembled as he moved tendrils of my hair away from my face.

  “Sure.”

  “Can I have a number? If you call, I want to know it’s you, and I’m here for you whenever you want to talk.”

  “I won’t call, Dane. Don’t hold on to something that’s not there.”

  “You’re wrong. I don’t understand what happened to make you so angry that you couldn’t forgive the breakdown in communication, but I’m gonna win you back, you’ll see.”

  I got out of the car and walked toward the house.

  That’s when he followed me. “Your number?”

  Chapter 25

  Dane

  Sometimes his mind was very sharp, and other times he was missing a few gears. I never knew which man I was going to meet. Every day I worried it would be my last with Grandfather, the man who mattered most to me.

  He had stepped up to the plate and raised me when I lost my mother, and he always called me “son”. He allowed me to find out who I was in the hardest of ways. Seeing me behind bars had to be extremely difficult, yet he’d persevered. However, for me, it was the most shameful moment of my life. Tough love, something I never wanted to have to use with my own children.

  Was he going to be thrilled with the news of a baby?

  Was he going to hit me over the head for screwing things up with Wrenn?

  I turned the handle slowly and hoped he wasn’t sleeping. I peeped through the crack and saw him sitting up in bed, reading a magazine.

  “Come on in, son.”

  “I have a big problem, and I need your help.”

  “You don’t say,” he said smugly, while flipping the page in the magazine.

  “Wrenn hates my guts. There’s a whole story about miscommunication while I was in China on the last trip, but the end result is that during that time, her Mom passed away, and she found out we are having a baby.”

  He closed the magazine in his lap. “That’s wonderful news. A baby.” He removed his glasses and patted the bed.

  I took a seat on edge.

  “I couldn’t be happier. Wrenn is going to give me a great grand baby. So, why does she hate you? What stupid move did you do now?”

  “When I returned from China, Stella let herself in and answered my phone while I was in the shower. It happened to be Wrenn on the other end of the line. So, she thought I was cheating.”

  “Are you fucking that woman again?” Grandfather never minced words.

  “Really? You’re seriously going there?”

  “I told you about that woman. You should’ve fired her a long time ago. She’s trouble.”

  “And set us up for a sexual harassment suit? No. Hell no.”

  “She set you up, son, and we’ve been paying for it ever since. Pay the bitch off and get rid of her. I hope you’ve learned your lesson.”

  “Can we talk about something else, like Wrenn? I need to help her understand that Stella is only an employee and no longer part of my life.”

  “Well, then, simple answers should fix the issue with Wrenn. Am I missing something, son?”

  “Wrenn doesn’t trust herself to love. It isn’t really about me. It’s about herself. She’s looking for any excuse to withdraw—perhaps out of fear. She says that everyone she loves, dies. I can understand why she thinks that, but I love her. What do I have to do to convince her that I love her and our baby, and I’m not going anywhere?”

  “You don’t convince her. She has to come to that conclusion on her own. What you can do is be yourself. You won her the first time. Do what you did then.”

  “Well, I was a persistent shit, really stubborn to get my way. But, she’s adamant that I not call and bother her.”

  “Then don’t call. Didn’t say you couldn’t send flowers or send a steak over for dinner, or have coffee and cupcakes delivered by courier, did she? Son, you’re a game-changer in the boardroom. Don’t let a little love-spat derail you.”

  I walked out of his room that day with a new attitude and the beginnings of a plan. I reflected on the day I’d met her and laughed out loud at the chance meeting over a dead battery.

  I picked up a gift bag which had “For Baby” written on the side because I didn’t want her to think I was a perv and providing her with batteries for sex toys or something. I filled the bag with as many different sized batteries as it would hold—AAA, DD, and everything in between.

  On a note card, I wrote:

  The energizer bunny told me babies need lots of batteries. I’m starting to stock up, and I’ve left a message with my stockbroker to invest in Duracell.

  Charging along,

  Dane

  I left the sack on her front door step and went on to my next plan.

  Later, I ordered a special pizza with anchovies and non-alcoholic beer to be delivered as soon as she got home. I waited in one of my ranch trucks at the convenience store across from her street. When she turned at the light, I made the call to my restaurant, and they rushed her delivery. The note written on the inside of the pizza box read:

  The American Pregnancy Association says you can have two, six-ounce servings of certain fish per week. Hope you enjoy my research…and the anchovies.

  Swimming with sharks,

  Dane

  A couple of days later, I had Mansion on Turtle Creek prepare their crème brûlée and fresh fruit. Then I paid a kid at the convenience store a hundred bucks to deliver it with non-alcoholic champagne.

  The note read:

  It was our first, but I’m praying someday it won’t be our last.

  Bubbles for baby,

  Dane

  That following Saturday morning, I pushed Grandfather’s wheelchair
to the table and handed him the newspaper. He had this quirky thing that he wanted to read the paper first. He always fumed when I got to it before he did and “messed” it all up.

  How can you mess up a newspaper?

  We were such opposites at times, him—orderly and society driven, me—carefree and country.

  He was deep into the business section, while I cooked breakfast for us. Out of the blue, he started getting nosy. “How’s the pursuit of love going?”

  “I’m trying, but so far, I haven’t heard from her.”

  “What do you call trying?”

  “You want a special report or something?” I joked.

  “Yes. I got her to marry me in record time with no problem.” He laughed.

  I loved to hear him laugh. He could always find humor in any situation. He was a monster in the boardroom. A business shark with many talents, but people loved and respected him, and I think part of it was because he could always laugh at himself and put others at ease. He did this thing with multiple voices, which always reminded me of the comedian, Robin Williams. Grandfather always knew how to draw a crowd and craved to be the center of attention.

  I gave him the rundown of the week’s events. His favorite was the pizza.

  “Pregnant women have weird cravings. Have you shown up with ice cream yet?”

  “No.”

  “Ask her out for ice cream. She won’t turn you down. I bet you.”

  “Okay, I’m calling your bet right now. What do you want to bet?”

  “Hmmm, five hundred bucks and a day of fishing.”

  “Fine. Deal. I’ll do five hundred bucks, and I get to drive the 65 when she says no.”

  “Well, I don’t have to worry about you sportin’ around in my classic prize possession because she’s gonna say yes.”

  Grandfather started whistling and picked up the paper, while I went back to the bacon on the stove.

  “You chicken shit?”

  “Huh? Why are you calling me names?”

  “You’re chicken to call her.” He laughed and laid the paper down.

  “I am not.”

  “Are too.”

  “Fine.” I picked up my cell from the bar and stared at her number, which she’d finally given to me reluctantly when I’d dogged her for it.