Last Chance Texas, page 13
“Asthma?” After Nathan said it, Sarah realized it was really a rhetorical question; one they both knew the answer to. Will had suffered from it since birth. Although having an asthmatic child hadn’t initially seemed to be much of an issue, the frequent trips to the hospital and expensive meds had nearly depleted Sarah’s savings account.
She motioned her brother over to a nearby chair. “Sit. You must be exhausted from the long drive.”
He flopped down onto the recliner and let out a huge sigh. When she chuckled, he looked over Will once again. The expression on his face was one of tenderness. “Maura and Caitlyn send their love. So does Mom.”
“Can I get you something to eat?” When he didn’t respond, Sarah added, “There’s some brats and beans in the fridge. Leftovers, of course.”
“No, no. I’m fine.” Leaning forward in the chair, he got right to the point. “I came because I wanted to see how Will is doing. And, well, there’s something else.” He stared out the window, a far-away look in his eyes.
“You look tired, Nathan, really tired. Is everything all right?” When he didn’t answer, she struggled to understand what had possessed him to drive all this way just to sit and stare out her living room window. Something was on his mind. But she knew her big brother well. He’d tell her in his own time. He never was one to be backed into a corner. For that reason, she decided to keep their conversation light. “Mom said Maura is so excited about going to A & M she can hardly stand it.”
He dipped his head for a few seconds, and when he glanced back over at her, she noticed how dark the circles under his eyes looked. She hadn’t noticed it when he’d walked in, but she did now. Something was upsetting him.
“I . . . I’m not sure that’s going to happen.” When she gave Nathan a stupefied look, he added, “I haven’t told this to anyone, Sarah, but if I don’t tell someone, I’m going to burst.”
And then it all came tumbling out. How Nathan had kept up Mimi’s land all these years, only to have a niece of hers show up after nearly five years to take it away from him. By the time he finished speaking, Sarah had read between the lines. Nathan was not only losing the piece of property he’d cared for, but was probably terrified that trucking firm would get ahold of it.
And then she asked the inevitable. She didn’t want to, not really. But she had to ask. “If you don’t sell Mimi’s property, how in the world are you going to pay Maura’s tuition?”
Nathan’s jaw dropped and he began clenching and unclenching his fists, like a boxer preparing for the fight. He rose from the chair and walked over to the window. His deep, baritone voice was measured as he answered her question. “I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know that I wish I’d never laid eyes on Kelsey Malone because she’s making my life a living hell.”
~ ~ ~
As Nathan glanced back over at his kid sister, his heart swelled with love. Initially he’d had no intention of burdening Sarah with his problems, but in some ways, he was glad he’d shared all that had happened. It felt good to talk to someone. She’d said the usual things a sister would say when discovering her brother’s in trouble: ‘We’ll go to court and fight this Kelsey woman.’ And, ‘Tell me what you need, Nathan. I’m here for you. I’ve got your back.’
Of course, Sarah had her own set of problems. Her decision to stay home and care for her infant son full-time was taking a toll on her. And yet, through it all, she always seemed to keep a stiff upper lip. He’d cautioned her, of course, before she underwent the in vitro, warning her that being a single parent would prove difficult. But Sarah generally did things her own way, just as all the Wainwrights did.
“I shouldn’t have burdened you with this, Sarah. You’ve got problems of your own.” After he said it, he reached into his pocket and pulled out some cash. “You must be strapped for cash. It’s only a couple hundred, but it’ll help out a little.”
“No, Nathan. Keep your money. I’m getting by.”
“I don’t want you to just get by.”
Reluctantly, she finally reached over and took the money from him. As she slid it in the pocket of her jeans, she suddenly sat up straighter, her blue eyes widening. “When I talked to Maura a few weeks back, she said you were seeing someone. Any truth to that rumor?”
He felt himself flush and quickly looked away. “I was seeing someone, but I’m not anymore.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be.”
When his sister frowned, Nathan realized his tone was too harsh. “I mean, well, it just wasn’t meant to be.”
“I wish you’d find someone, Nathan.”
Here we go again.
“I could say the same for you.”
He’d initially thought the comment would throw her off. Stop her from badgering him about Kelsey. But that wasn’t the case.
“Nathan. I’m in a bad place right now. I’ve got my hands full caring for Will. But at some point, when the time is right, I’ll fall in love. Just as I know you will. Of course, we’ll have to take my son and his breathing machine on our honeymoon.”
He marveled at how motherhood had changed his sister. There was a quiet confidence about her, and he knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that being a parent had matured her significantly.
“Sarah, I don’t know a mother alive that could do what you do.”
He’d made the remark to express his deep admiration for Sarah, but when her blue eyes clouded, he realized he hadn’t accomplished his mission.
She glared at Nathan for several seconds. And then she kissed the top of her son’s head.
As she turned to face Nathan, the stern expression on her face told him she resented his attempt to hold her on a pedestal. Sarah never liked that; never liked being gushed over, or being told how good a person she was. It was a Wainwright family trait. They could never run for political office.
“I do whatever any red-blooded mother would do. Don’t go telling me what a great mother I am. It’s instinctual. Most women would have done the same thing.” She gazed up at Nathan, a look of utter strength on her face, and asked him a question that totally caught him off guard. “You still think I was wrong, don’t you, about the in vitro?”
The question caught him off guard, and for a minute, he wasn’t sure how to answer it. Had Sarah asked him that question a month ago, his answer would have been ‘Yes, Sarah. I think you’re wrong to do it.’ But now, as he stood near his nephew’s crib, realizing many two-parent families couldn’t do what Sarah was doing, Nathan suddenly saw the issue as gray, rather than just black and white.
“I think it’s wrong for some people, Sarah. But in your case, I think it was probably the right thing to do. And honestly, I can’t imagine what your life would be like without Will.”
She broke into a smile and he suspected the admission had stunned her. “Wow. I didn’t see that coming.”
But he felt his mood darken as he realized that he could hardly criticize Kelsey for wanting to undergo in vitro when his own sister had done it. And by all accounts, Sarah had no regrets.
She reached up, touching his shoulder. “You’re welcome to pick Will up now.”
“Are you sure?” When she broke into a smile and nodded, Nathan bent over and reached into the cradle, scooping the child into his arms. At first it was awkward; he didn’t know quite where to place his arms, but within a second or two, little Will have snuggled up against the crook of his arm, and Nathan laughed. When the baby stared up at him, those bright blue eyes glistening, he literally melted.
“Looks like Will’s got a soft spot for his Uncle Nathan.” When he didn’t respond to his sister’s comment, she continued. “You’re a natural, Big Brother. You should get married again and start another family.”
“I barely managed one, Sarah. I doubt I have what it takes.”
“You did well with Maura. Make no mistake. She went through a rough patch, but that wasn’t your doing, Nathan. Besides, you didn’t become her dad until she was nearly seven. Taking on someone else’s child is a big undertaking. Considering Michele’s illness and all, I think you should cut yourself some slack. You’re too hard on yourself.”
He looked down, noticing that the baby had fallen asleep. Holding the child against his chest, he leaned down and kissed the top of Will’s head. “I love you buddy. You get better, ya hear?”
As he gently placed the baby back in his bed, Sarah let out a loud sigh. “Our lives sure didn’t turn out like we thought, huh?”
He couldn’t help but laugh at the way she was scrunching up her face.
“No, I guess they didn’t at that.” His mood changed abruptly, and he began worrying about the problem at hand; Mimi’s land.
But Sarah wasn’t on the same wave length. She gazed down at her son and placed a hand on his tiny shoulder. “I’m glad I chose the path I did, you know, getting the in vitro. The only thing I’d change is which clinic I chose to do the procedure. I wasn’t diligent about that. If I could change anything, it would be to thoroughly investigate the medical facility. But as far as the decision to do whatever it took to get my baby—well, I’d do it again in a heartbeat.”
“I should have supported you from the beginning, Sarah. I’m hoping we can put this all behind us now. For the record, I was wrong to judge you and I sincerely apologize for that. From now on, when I start spewing off that holier than thou crap, deck me, okay?”
“Seriously, Nathan, that would be a full-time job.” He thought she’d just leave it at that. The two of them typically joked their way out of an awkward situation. It was another Wainwright family trait; trying to downplay emotion. But her face suddenly softened. “I don’t know what to say, Nathan. I’ve been waiting months to hear you say those words.”
When she dabbed at her eyes, he reached in his pocket and handed her a handkerchief.
“I haven’t been the best brother to you, Sarah. I can be pigheaded at times.” When she rolled her eyes at him and laughed, he added, “Okay, no need to run this into the ground.”
“Hey, Nathan.”
“Hey, what?” He laughed at the way they greeted one another; just like they’d done as children.
“This woman Maura talked about. What happened between the two of you?” Sarah looked up at him, her blue eyes clouding. Suddenly she said something to lighten up what could become an awkward situation. “If you don’t find yourself a woman, Mom, Maura, and I are going to help you out.”
He rolled his eyes, visualizing his mother introducing him to every available woman within a hundred-mile radius. “I need to hit the road, Sis. And tell Mom if I ever find the right woman, she’ll be the first to know.”
By the time he climbed into his truck, Nathan’s mood had lightened considerably. He glanced up at the visor and studied the dream catcher hanging from it. Reaching over, he grabbed it, tossed it into the back seat, and started the engine.
Obviously, the Navajo legend didn’t work. That web the spider built certainly wasn’t trapping any of the bad dreams. In fact, the nightmare was only beginning. Once he told Maura there was no way he could pay for her college, she’d be devastated.
As the problems, he was facing began closing in on him, Nathan realized there was only one thing to do. Fight like hell to keep Mimi’s property. By right it belonged to him. He’d taken care of it for nearly five years, and during all that time never once had Kelsey bothered to even come out and look at it. And now she planned to sell it off-probably to that damn trucking company that would tear up the place. If that happened, his own land would be worthless.
~ ~ ~
Kelsey had only been back in town for a few weeks, and had scoured the apartment nearly half a dozen times since returning to Dallas. Somehow, cleaning always relieved her stress. She detested that about herself because it seemed so backward-so utterly ridiculous. As she glanced over at the pristine countertops, the smell of lemon permeated her nostrils.
Get a life already.
The deep rumble of the door chimes interrupted the lecture she’d given herself. That would be the girls.
“Door’s unlocked,” she hollered from the kitchen and slowly made her way to the foyer to greet them.
Kelsey realized Rachel would be annoyed with her for not locking the door, but the neighborhood was a safe one. Kelsey prided herself on trusting people, believing deep down, they were good. Of course, that philosophy didn’t work all the time. There were some people who seemed trustworthy but weren’t. Like Nathan Wainwright, for starters.
“Are you insane leaving your door unlocked like this?” As Rachel glided across the kitchen, wagging an accusatory finger at Kelsey, Meredith rolled her eyes.
Here it comes.
Rachel harrumphed and tossed her head back, her dark hair cascading down her shoulders. “You’re asking for trouble, Kelsey. You didn’t even ask who it was.”
Without waiting for an invite, both women padded into the kitchen and flopped down on the oak chairs surrounding the kitchen table. The sapphire blue, cashmere sweater Meredith wore looked new. But then, Meredith seldom wore the same outfit twice. Compliments of the successful businessman-husband she married. Of course, it all came with a price. When Kelsey studied the worry lines around Meredith’s eyes, she suspected there was trouble in paradise.
They were quite the crew-the three of them. Meredith with her millionaire, self-absorbed husband, Rachel who’d never moved on after being traded in for a young version of herself, and of course, yours truly, Kelsey Malone. Now, Kelsey couldn’t think of an appropriate term which could describe her present state.
Meredith sprang to her feet and helped herself to the coffee. “Anyone else want some?” When no one responded, she poured herself a cup, slammed the pot back onto the burner, and wandered back to the chair. The force with which she’d set down the pot meant she and Blake were fighting again. But by the time Mere got around to taking a swig of coffee, there was that look of eternal optimism again.
“Blake’s promised to cut back on the outrageous hours he’s putting in at the office. I think if just spend more time together, things will work themselves out.” She smiled weakly, fingering the seams of the floral napkins as she spoke.
Fascinating the way their conversations always centered around Meredith.
“Well, that’ll be good if he can do that.” Kelsey couldn’t think of anything else to say, so she left it at that. But apparently, her silence frustrated Meredith even more.
Cupping the mug of steaming coffee in both hands, Meredith bit her lower lip and glared at both Kelsey and Rachel. “I find it interesting that neither of you feels the need to remarry. Of course, marriage isn’t for everyone. It’s a huge commitment.”
Kelsey was smart enough to leave the comment alone.
Unfortunately, Rachel was what psychologists called a ‘right fighter.’ She couldn’t leave this alone, couldn’t resist defending her choice to remain single. Her green eyes blazed and when she spoke, there was an edge to her tone. “We’re not the ones living in a nine hundred-thousand-dollar house with a walk in closet the size of a studio apartment. Kelsey and I might not be married to millionaires, but at least we can hold our heads up.”
“And I can’t? Is that what you’re saying?” Meredith stared at both women, leaving Kelsey very uncomfortable.
Rachel continued the argument, “Meredith, when you think about it, we’ve had this conversation dozens of times. I think we’ve covered every possible aspect of your marriage to Blake. You complain about Blake, he whisks you off to some exotic island for a week, bangs the hell out of you, buys you a slew of designer clothes, and wham. You’re back together again.”
Kelsey quickly interrupted an argument that was escalating rapidly. “Rachel—stop it! You have no right to judge Meredith like this—enough already!”
Reaching for Meredith’s hand, Kelsey squeezed it and said, “It’s not our place to judge you. I’m sure Rachel didn’t mean a word of what she just said.”
When Rachel opened her mouth, Kelsey shook her head and stared her down.
Kelsey quickly interrupted an argument that was escalating rapidly.
Meredith dabbed at her eyes, looked at both and spoke, her voice faltering. “I’m not stupid. I know that both of you were in terrible marriages and had the good sense to get out. But before you judge me, please know that I entered this marriage with nothing. Blake’s worked hard to give us financial stability. If we divorce, I suspect I’ll go full circle and end up with squat. I can’t let that happen.”
Rachel jumped all over the comment. “Happiness is a big price to pay, Meredith. Are you really willing to put up with your husband’s philandering just for financial security?”
Kelsey hated that Rachel brought it up. Blake had cheated on Meredith more times than she could count, but Meredith always gave him another chance. Despite being frustrated with Mere, she did her best to stop Rachel from attacking Meredith again.
Rachel leaned forward in her chair and stared straight at Meredith before speaking. “Texas laws have changed considerably during the past decade. You’ll get half of everything.”
“Half wouldn’t be as much as you think.” Meredith looked away before continuing. “Right now, I just feel like we’re in over our heads. We’re too far in debt to separate, so we just tell ourselves we’re staying in the marriage for the sake of the children. We’re both lying through our teeth, pretending our marriage is great. I’ve gotten pretty good at lying to myself, but then, I’ve learned from the master.”
