Blue Bloods of Bois D’Arc (26 page)

Chapter 60

Business back to normal

In the months following the fire, there were ongoing damage control efforts for RJ Systems and their Dallas team of defense lawyers. The final wrap-up of the investigation and negotiations with the Saudi representatives had been tedious. Rod and a company team of lawyers, negotiators, and engineers spent two weeks in Saudi Arabia to make the final adjustments to the revised contract. Rod bore a heavy responsibility as he monitored the technical language of the revised contract. But just as important was his role in the public relations effort to soothe the frayed tempers of the Saudi government officials, their biggest and most important customer.

Rod was a favorite with the Saudi acquisition team in the original contract negotiations because of his easy charm, fluent Arabic, and technical skills. But it took all of his diplomatic skills to close the negotiations satisfactorily on a positive note. He explained that the culprit died in his act of sabotage. They had no way of knowing his motive for the fire and the other incidents of vandalism to the aircraft. He assured them the program was under stricter security and on good footing again. And most important to the Saudis, their deadline would be met. But the Saudis drove a hard bargain, demanding a new aircraft to replace the damaged one. Rod had no choice. He agreed and saved the contract. Their profit was dealt a severe blow, but the company would survive.

Over morning coffee in their office after Rod and the team returned home, he briefed Jack on the negotiations. “I wasn’t sure we were going to come away from there still the contractor for the program. The only condition they would accept was we had to replace the aircraft. They’re accustomed to getting whatever they want and they wanted a new aircraft. Jack, I’m sorry . . .” Rod’s head dropped and he avoided Jack’s eyes. He sighed deeply, raised his eyes back on Jack, and said, “I know I let you down, but there just wasn’t any other way to keep the program. I know it will hurt our profit, but if we finish the contract on time, and I believe we can, it will be worth it in the long run.”

Jack shook his head. “You didn’t let me down. I sent you over there to negotiate with them because I trusted you. You kept the contract. That was the mission.” Jack reached down, opened his bottom desk drawer, and pulled up a bottle of Jim Beam. He slowly unscrewed the top, held it up, and motioned to Rod. “Want a shot?” Rod declined. Jack filled his half-empty coffee mug with his favorite bourbon, sloshed the cup around a few times, and took a hefty swig.

“Look at the bright side,” he said after digesting the coffee-flavored bourbon. “We still have one of the biggest contracts in the industry. That’s what’s important. We paid thirty-nine million each for those big boys. With insurance payoff and a little money I’ve got put back, we’ll be okay. We can fix that bird up and sell it to a private company to recover our losses. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You did exactly what I expected you to do. Let’s take a walk through the hangar and see how things are going down there.”

Chapter 61

Problems at home

Cass had an appointment with Dr. McCombs. She parked her T-Bird in front of his office and sat alone arguing with herself. Was she being foolish in coming to the doctor’s office? The last few months had really been stressful between her and Rod. Work still seemed to take priority in their marriage since the fire, even after he promised to spend more time with her. It affected their sex life and infuriated her. Then his two-week absence in Saudi Arabia was especially stressful, to the point that her menstrual period had stopped and she was having difficulty having sex with Rod now that he was back home.

She’d suffered the same stress and depression when she and Rod broke up after their terrible fight on prom night. It lasted for months with no menstrual cycle and lingering depression. Margaret was concerned enough to take her to Dr. McCombs. But she was too concerned about the family reputation to take her to a psychologist in Dallas. Dr. McCombs gave her a grandfatherly talking to and a prescription for an antidepressant. He followed the same routine procedure after Roger’s assault. He again prescribed an antidepressant.

“That’s all I need
,” she thought. But that didn’t explain her irrational behavior while Rod was gone and the problems in the bedroom when he returned. She could handle this by herself. She’d never shared problems in her marriage with her mother and intended to keep it that way. Cass picked up her saddlebag-sized purse, opened the car door, and marched into the doctor’s office. Her appointment was at nine o’clock and they took her straight in.

“Good morning. How’s my favorite member of the Worthington family?” Dr. McCombs greeted Cass just as he had since she was a little girl.

“Not so well, doctor.”

“You look a little tired, and Debbie says you have gained weight when she weighed you in. Why don’t you tell me what’s bothering you?”

“With Rod working such long hours and that trip to Saudi Arabia, I’ve just really been stressed out. When he was gone, I worried, then calmed my nerves by eating and watching TV until all hours of the night because I hated sleeping in an empty bed. Some days I lost my appetite, other days I wanted to eat everything in sight and then got sick afterward and threw it all up. I don’t understand how I keep gaining weight when I’m throwing up all the time. And it seems like I have to go to the bathroom every five minutes. I thought I might have a urinary infection or some kind of virus. I’m just a misfit and tired all the time and tired of feeling this way.” She blushed as she hesitated to continue.

“Was there something else?”

“I’m sorry, I’m embarrassed to talk about our physical relations.”

Doctor McCombs chuckled and said, “Cass, I delivered you. There’s nothing you can tell me I haven’t heard before. You can be perfectly at ease with telling me anything, it will stay in this room. But if you feel uncomfortable, I’ll leave the room and you can talk to Debbie. It’s up to you.”

“Now I really am embarrassed.” She looked away from the doctor and took several deep breaths. “I’d feel better talking to Debbie. I’m sorry, I know you have examined me many times before, but I’m just really nervous and not feeling like myself lately.”

“Not a problem, my dear. Debbie is a nurse practitioner and she is qualified to examine you if she thinks it is necessary, with your permission of course. She will notify me when she is finished.” Doctor McCombs stepped to the door of the examining room and out into the hall. He already had his suspicions of what her problem was, but would run a full workup on her previous emotional problems.

Five minutes passed. Cass cracked her knuckles, as she always did when she was nervous. She hummed Rod Stewart’s
Tonight’s the Night,
a song that played on an endless tape in her mind. She heard a soft tap on the door. “Come in.”

“Hi, Cass. Doc says you’re a little nervous today about some intimacy problems you might be having. He always lets me handle these issues. Men don’t understand the first thing about a woman’s feelings. Take your time and tell me what’s going on.”

“You know the problems I’ve had with my period, the miscarriage, and my physical history. You have two kids and . . . you’ve been through a lot in your marriage, right? I’ve never been such a wreck before.”

“What do you mean, is Rod impotent or cold toward you?”

“No, it’s not Rod. He’s always satisfied me and we’ve always had a very active sex life when he’s home. But lately I’ve been the one . . . well, I haven’t been as responsive. When he was gone for two weeks to Saudi Arabia, I almost went out of my mind. I got so horny I watched porn on TV, binged on junk food, and then threw it up the next morning.”

“Did the porn relieve your sexual tension?”

“No, it just made it worse. When he got home, I just wanted to jump his bones. But when he touched my breasts, it hurt, and when we had sex, I felt like I had to pee and neither of us were satisfied. It just seems to be getting worse and I’m so stressed about it my period stopped months ago. I’ve never weighed this much or lost control of my eating habits like this. Am I losing it, Debbie?”

“No, you aren’t losing it. Remove your clothes and put this gown on.” She handed Cass one of those hospital gowns that flashes the world from behind. “Let’s see if we can find anything. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.”

Cass removed her clothes as instructed and sat on the side of the examination table. Debbie did the usual checks: listened to her breathing and heartbeat through her stethoscope, and checked her pulse rate and blood pressure. She shined her flashlight into Cass’s eyes and looked at the back of her eyeballs. She had her say “ahh” and looked at her throat. The thermometer showed her temperature was a normal 98.5.

“Now lie back on the table.” Debbie lifted the gown and examined her breasts. “Does that hurt?”

“A little, they’re really tender.”

“How about here?” Debbie pressed on her abdomen.

“It doesn’t hurt, but it makes me want to pee when you press on it. Maybe I have a bladder infection.”

Ignoring Cass’s comment, the nurse said, “I notice you’re having some discharge. How long has that been going on and how heavy is it?”

“I haven’t had a regular period in months, just this dark spotting. Could I have some kind of infection? Is there something really wrong with me?”

Debbie continued to ignore Cass’s questions. Like Dr. McCombs, she had her thoughts on the problem, but wanted to be sure before diagnosing it. “I think we need to run some tests,” she said and opened the drawer in the cabinet next to the examination table and picked up a syringe and two little tubes and a large rubber band for a tourniquet. “Just a little sting. We’ve done this lots of times.” She withdrew the necessary blood samples and told Cass she could get dressed. She handed Cass a little cup. “I need a urine sample. Just leave it on the shelf in the bathroom,” and left the room.

A few minutes later, someone knocked on the door. Dr. McCombs asked if she was dressed before he entered. “Debbie briefed me on her examination and I don’t think we’re looking at anything serious, so I won’t prescribe anything until after we get the lab results. I want to see you back here next Thursday and we will go over the test results. Meanwhile, you stop worrying and try to get some rest. Give your mother and father my best,” he said.

Chapter 62

Thursday the following week

Anxious to find out the results of her examination and blood tests, Cass arrived fifteen minutes early for her follow-up appointment. She flipped through a magazine without paying much attention. When Debbie opened the door leading to the examination rooms and called her name, she jumped up and hustled toward her.

“Have a seat in Room Three.” Debbie motioned to a chair by the desk tucked away in the corner. “How have you been feeling since we saw you last week?”

“No better. I feel bloated and heavy all the time now. What did the tests say?”

“I’ll let Doc tell you. He’ll come in shortly.” Debbie closed the door behind her.

There she was again, sitting and waiting for the doctor, wondering if she had cancer and trying to push the thought away with Rod Stewart’s
Tonight’s the Night
spinning in her head.

“Good morning to my favorite Worthington.” The doctor’s voice startled Cass. She didn’t hear him knock or open the door.

“Good morning, Dr. McCombs. Well, do I have cancer? It’s okay, you can tell me straight out. I can take it.”

“Okay,” the doctor said, “What you have is going to be long term and there’s nothing I can prescribe for it. You will have to deal with it the rest of your life.”

Her head dropped. “Come on, doctor, just tell me. What’s wrong with me?”

“You’re pregnant,” he said with a broad smile.

Her head popped up and she let out a loud squeal that bounced around the bare walls of the examination room. Next, a flood of tears flowed down her face. “Are you absolutely sure?” She remembered after her miscarriage, the doctor said she may have trouble conceiving when she hemorrhaged after Eddie raped her.

“You’re farther along than my usual patients since you waited so long to come in. But you’re fine and should have a normal pregnancy. Sorry to tease you, but you were so sure something was badly wrong with you I couldn’t resist. Congratulations! I look forward to delivering the next generation of Worthingtons.”

“Thank you, thank you so much,” Cass said through her tears as she hugged her doctor.

“You’re welcome, but you did all the work,” he said as he helped her back into the chair.

“I’ll be seeing a lot more of you in the coming months. Debbie will take you to the front desk and get your schedule worked out. I want to keep a close eye on you just in case after the circumstances of your miscarriage. Don’t worry—it’s just a precaution. I don’t anticipate any problems. Give your mother and father my best regards.” And he was off to another patient.

Cass bounced out of the doctor’s office and into her T-Bird, still in shock over the news of her pregnancy. She fired up the T-Bird, laid rubber out of the parking lot, drove to her mother’s house, and rushed in the front door calling, “Mom, Mom, you won’t believe it.”

Margaret came running to meet her. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying, is something wrong?”

“No, no, everything’s perfect.” Cass threw her arms around Margaret, grasping her in a crushing embrace. “I’m pregnant, I’m pregnant. Can you believe it?”

“Thank the Lord,” Margaret responded. The two women continued to embrace and cry tears of joy.

“What’s all the commotion goin’ on in here?” Essie inquired, coming from the kitchen.

“She’s pregnant, Essie. I’m going to be a grandmother!

Cass gave Essie a hug. “I have to call Rod,” she said and went into the kitchen to use the phone.

“Cass, wait a minute. Why don’t you wait until he gets home from work and surprise him with a romantic dinner by candlelight? Then tell him.”

“Mom, I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You’d be surprised. Your father and I were young once, too,” she said with a smile.

Cass stayed for lunch and announced the good news to Gramps and her father when they came home for lunch. John had lived in Margaret’s shadow as long as Cass could remember. He was seldom vocal nor conversational in family matters but was always there for Cass.

“Essie, break out that bottle of vintage Bordeaux,” John C. Worthington said. “We have a very special occasion to celebrate today.” He surprised the family when he wanted to propose a toast. When everyone was served, the father who seldom expressed himself began his toast.

Beaming with the biggest smile they had ever seen, he said, “Raise your glasses, everyone. A toast to my wonderful daughter. I’ve loved you more than my own life since I first held you as a newborn in my arms. I watched you grow, pushed you in the backyard swing, built sand castles in the sandbox with you, and read you stories, just to name a few things I loved doing with you.

“I’m sorry I never let you know that side of me after you became a teenager, but I never stopped watching you and loving you as you grew into the beautiful woman you are now. I know you will make a wonderful mother because you have so much love to give as you have given to me all these years. Now you are going to present me with a grandson . . . I hope it’s a boy. But I will love a granddaughter just as much as I love you.” He finished his soliloquy to the astonishment of the other family members. “Drink now to my beloved Cass and our expected grandchild.” Everyone lifted their glasses in unison. “Cheers to the new grandchild.”

When she got home, Cass’s excitement got the best of her— she couldn’t wait any longer to call Rod. He was out of his office, but his secretary transferred his call to the portable cellular telephone he was beta testing for the engineering department.

“Hi, sweetheart, what’s up?”

“I hope you will be home early this evening. I have a surprise for you.”

“Can’t you just tell me now? I might be tied up here for a little while.”

Her back stiffened and her lips pursed as she stood rigid at the kitchen counter with rising anger. She took several deep breaths and calmly responded, “You need to come home early, it’s important. Dinner will be served at six o’clock sharp. No excuses, Mr. Vice President.” With great effort, she placed the phone gently in its cradle. “Dammit! That man is going to drive me crazy yet,” she screamed as loud as she could, then set about preparing a special dinner menu.

Cass was standing just inside the front door ten minutes before six o’clock. She strained for the sound of a car coming in the driveway. Total silence. She peeked through the clear leaded glass panel beside the door. Nothing. She walked back to the dining room for the seventh time to check the perfectly set table, adjusted the rheostat to make sure the lights were soft enough. There were enough plates and silver utensils in the two place settings to feed her entire family. It was her big moment, she had pulled out all the stops and done it completely by herself. She straightened the napkins she had folded into a swan figure like the ones at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Acapulco on their honeymoon. She wasn’t angry yet. He still had five minutes, but she was getting there.

“Hello, anyone home?” Rod called out.

“Oh my God, you’re home early,” she called back as she flew toward the front door.

“It’s so dark in here I wasn’t sure you were home. What’s going on?”

Cass met him with a how-was-your-day greeting just like June and Ward Cleaver on
Leave It to Beaver.
She took his arm, led him into the softly lit dining room, and sat him down at the head of the table. She lit the candles and adjusted the lighting rheostat even lower. The large flower centerpiece was reflected in the highly polished silver chafing dish in front of him—a wedding gift that had belonged to her deceased grandmother. Little wisps of steam escaped from the still simmering steaks being kept just the right temperature by a warming candle. Polished casserole dishes in the same pattern contained Essie’s famous creamed potato recipe and Rod’s favorite green beans, a veritable feast of his lifelong favorite dishes.

“Wow! This looks great, even in the dark,” he kidded. “Now, will you please tell me what this is all about?”

“You have to eat your dinner first then I’ll tell you,” she said with a wicked smile, beaming in the flickering candle light.

He pushed his chair back and stood up, walked over, and put his arms around her. “You’re going to have to tell me what the occasion is before I can enjoy that steak. I know you well enough that you can’t keep a secret.” He softly brushed her lips with his and worked his way across her cheek and slowly down her neck. Her breathing became deeper and more rapid the longer he caressed her neck.

“That’s not fair,” she said almost in a whisper. “You know what that does to me.” She gently took his face in her soft, warm hands and pulled him within an inch of her quivering lips. “I got some really good news today from Dr. McCombs.”

“Why were you at the doctor’s?”

“Just listen and don’t ask questions.”

“I’m listening.”

She couldn’t contain herself any longer. Her grip on him tightened and she blurted out, “I’m pregnant!”

“You’re what? I thought you couldn’t get pregnant.”

“So did I, but the rabbit died and Dr. McCombs says I’m fine and should have a normal pregnancy.”

“Oh my God, I’m going to be a father!”

“I can’t believe it, we’re going to have a baby!” Suddenly, they were laughing and Rod smothered her with kisses.

“That explains the weight gain, all the throwing up, tender breasts, and going to the bathroom all the time. I should have recognized the symptoms, but I really didn’t believe I could get pregnant.”

Rod pulled away from Cass, stepped over, and punched the play button on their stereo loaded with their favorite songs and flooded the house with music. No words were spoken. He took her in his arms and swirled around the dining table, dancing throughout the house and ending up in their bedroom.

“You couldn’t give me anything I would love more. I love you so much.” He kissed her again as they danced. The single lamp projected their silhouette on the wall as they moved slower and slower until they stopped next to their king-size bed. Cass stepped back and slipped off her little black dress exposing her growing baby bump in the soft light.

“What about the steak?” he said with a grin.

“What you’re going to get is better than any steak.”

“This won’t hurt the baby, will it?”

“No, but I’m going to hurt you if you don’t shut up and get out of those clothes. I made a pit stop before you came home, and don’t worry about touching my tender breasts. It’s just growing pains getting ready for our baby.”