The Weekday Brides 04 - Single by Saturday (29 page)

Karen watched the joy on Becky’s face when the doctor told her when she wanted to see her again, and how in a couple of months they could determine the sex of the baby if they wanted.

Karen attached the ultrasound picture to a text to Zach with a message.

Tell Nolan mom and baby are fine.

Karen stepped out of the room with the doctor so Becky could dress.

“She’s lucky to have a good friend,” Dr. Grayem said.

“She’s a good kid. Gonna be a great mom.”

“Where did she get the black eye?”

Karen had no problem relaying what she’d been told. “Her parents weren’t happy with the news of the baby. And they won’t be involved from here on out.”

Dr. Grayem shook her head and cussed under her breath. “If Rebecca needs a statement from me, call.”

Dr. Grayem fished a business card from her pocket and handed it to Karen.

“Thank you.”

Karen paid for their visit in cash, added a donation for those who couldn’t pay along with it, and walked with Becky to the rental car. Once there, her phone buzzed.

Zach’s reply to her text was,
Wow. Didn’t think I’d see a grown man cry. Call when you get a minute alone
.

I will.

“You made Nolan’s day,” Karen told Becky.

Becky just stared at the picture of her baby. “I’m really having a baby.”

“Yep. You’re really having a baby.”

“I’m going to be a mom.”

Karen laughed at the wonder in her voice. “Well let’s get you and the baby fed. You have to be hungry.”

“Starving. And the doctor wants me to gain weight.”

Karen giggled and drove away from the clinic.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Karen convinced Becky that staying in St. George was safer than driving back to Bell. Not to mention the hotel options were much better.

Karen booked a couple of rooms, knowing that Becky and Nolan would probably like their privacy. She no longer thought Becky wanted to run away…not from Karen and Zach anyway.

With a full stomach and having had a busy emotion-filled day, Becky crawled into bed for a late-afternoon nap.

Karen slipped into her own room to make some much-needed phone calls. She started with Gwen, in hopes of pushing a few mommy buttons to get some help.

“Hey baby mama,” Karen teased when Gwen picked up the phone.

“Well it’s about time you called. We were starting to think you’re never coming back,” Gwen scolded.

“I’d have made it back already but I got hung up.” Karen told her about Becky and the entire messed-up situation.

“Oh, the poor thing.”

“She’s sleeping now. Much happier since she saw the baby.”

“It’s a wonderful moment. Neil cried.”

“No way!” Neil was the poster child for stoic.

“He’d deny it if you called him on it. But he teared up and spent the rest of the night with his head in my lap as if he could hear the baby’s heartbeat through my stomach.”

Karen couldn’t imagine it. Neil was simply too fierce and big to do something so gentle.

“Becky’s more at peace now that she’s seen the doctor and the baby. But we need to get her parents to back off. She’s still considered a runaway, and I have no doubt they’d bring Nolan up on charges for God knows what if given the chance.”

“What can I do?”

“I need some facts checked. I don’t know how the laws are different here than in California. Becky still won’t be eighteen when the baby is born, but close to it. She could just stay hidden until she’s eighteen, but that’s no way to live.”

“If Neil and I were there, I’d have my husband knock on her parents’ door and tell them to leave her alone or go to jail.”

“I thought about that, actually. We should look into the resources for abused kids who want to escape their parents.”

“Is Becky willing to go to the police?”

Karen cradled her head in her hands. “Not yet. But I think if it was that or risk the health of her baby…she’d rat her parents out. And rightfully so.”

“It would still be hard on her.”

“I’d like to find a way to keep Zach and Michael’s family out of the drama as much as possible. Hilton is a freakin’ small town. So if it comes down to it, I might ask for some help here.”

“We’re here for you. Or I can ask Rick to go.”

Rick was a good friend of Neil’s, a fellow retired Marine and nearly as big as Mr. Stoic himself.

“I might take you up on that.”

Gwen sighed. “So how is everything else? I saw that Michael came home long enough to pack and leave again.”

Neil and his security team, including Rick, monitored the house and probably knew more about the two of them than was necessary.

It was Karen’s turn to sigh. “Michael’s sister figured out what we’ve been up to…and why.”

“Oh, my.”

“She called Michael on it. But he’s not ready for the rest of his family to know what’s going on.”

“Oh…and what about Zach?”

“He doesn’t know.”

“That’s not what I’m asking, Karen. What about
you
and Zach?”

“I don’t want to have feelings for him.”

“But you do.”

Karen nodded though no one could see the gesture. “I do. He’s kind and thoughtful. He makes me laugh…makes me feel safe.”

Gwen hesitated. “Have you…?”

“No. Well, we’ve kissed. The guilt was so awful I couldn’t do more than that. But the guilt is fading, Gwen. It’s like the more time we spend together the harder it is to see why we’re trying to stay apart. And he knows that Michael and I are getting divorced.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I didn’t see keeping the lie. Not when the sister already knows, and Michael and I weren’t planning on visiting again. Not together anyway.”

“Does Michael know about Zach?”

“No. Which is killing me.”

Gwen clicked her tongue. “This is so easily solved.”

“How can you say that? I’m falling for my husband’s brother. There’s nothing easy about that.”

“Tell Michael.”

“Michael will hate it.”

“Oh, Karen. Michael might have his faults but he does love you. I’m sure he’d want to see you happy. So long as his secret doesn’t get out, he can’t fault you for falling for his gene pool.”

Karen played with the diamond on her finger. “I don’t know.”

“You’ve given up your life for a year to help keep Michael’s secret hidden.”

“And I’m getting paid to do it.”

Gwen snickered. “You know what’s funny about that? I wouldn’t put it past you to sacrifice yourself for a friend without the pay. Look what you’re doing for those kids. You’ve known them less than two weeks and you’re hiding runaways, sleeping in motels…Karen, my dear, you’re a bleeding heart to the highest degree. Yes, Michael came to us, but had you known him, the real him, before meeting through Alliance you might have offered to marry him just to help him out.”

Karen wanted to deny her friend, but couldn’t.

“I have to tell him about Zach.”

“Yes. You do,” Gwen agreed. “Call Michael. I’ll make some calls here and see what we can do for your runaways.”

Thirty minutes later Karen connected with Michael. Her hands shook as she held the phone but Gwen was right. The longer this secret stayed inside her, the harder it was to let out. If she told Michael about her feelings for Zach, and he hated her for it, then at least she was the one to tell him and he wouldn’t find out from someone else.

“Hey? How’s Canada?”

“Cool and wet. Are you still in Utah?”

“Yeah. St. George.” She brought him up to date on the kids, and the progress.

“How’s my brother handling all the drama?”

She thought of the milk and doughnuts. “Really well,” she said with a smile. “You two really are a lot alike.”

“In some ways.”

“Listen, Michael…I told Zach that you and I were getting a divorce.”

Silence hung for a moment. “I guess that was coming. Has he told my parents?”

“No. I don’t think so.”

“I think my mom would have called had she heard.”

“They’re all still up at the cabin.” So Karen thought. By now, who knew?

“We knew the breakup would be hard.” He sounded so at ease with their divorce.

“Uhm, Michael…remember when we were driving to your parents and we were talking about wanting to be with someone?”

Again, there was silence. “Yeah?”

“Well, you told me when you hooked up with Ryder.”

“Yeah? There’s someone you wanna see?” She knew his playful tone would soon change.

“There is…but…”

“Go for it, Karen. Just be discreet. We had an agreement. We’re good.”

“Michael. It’s not that simple.”

He laughed. “Sure it is. Relaxing, too.”

“Michael! Just…oh, God this is hard.”

He stopped laughing. “Karen, sweetheart. I get it. You’re horny. No one gets that more than me.”

“Stop, Michael. It’s not just sex. I mean…it might be, but…” The farther she got into the conversation the harder it was to say his name. “It’s Zach. OK. I have it bad for Zach.”

Complete silence hung over the phone.

The smile Michael wore while he joked with Karen about the need for sex slowly slid from his face while he dropped into the chair of the executive star trailer he lived in while on set.

Fuck. Oh, Fuck.

“I didn’t want it. I’ve tried to deny it.” Karen’s voice wavered as she spoke; her words ran into each other like a freight train piling up cars. “I’m sorry. I’ll just keep ignoring it. Forget I said anything.”

He couldn’t forget this.

Karen started to cry. “I’m sorry, Michael. I’ll call you later.”

“No! Wait. This takes a few minutes to absorb.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “So sorry, Michael.”

“Zach? Really?” Michael ran his free hand over his face and glanced at the ring he’d worn for over a year.

“Yeah.”

“Damn. I think I saw this coming.”

“You did?” She hiccupped into the phone.

“Yeah. I saw him watching you. Noticed the tension between you both.” He understood more than most what it felt like to have feelings for someone he could never have. Not openly in any event. “Has he…have you?”

“No. Well. I kissed him, we’ve kissed, but that’s all. And he doesn’t know about you,” she said quickly.

“You can’t tell him.” Yet Michael knew that it would only be a matter of time before something slipped from Karen. It wouldn’t be
her fault. When two people were intimate, certain truths had a way of revealing themselves. Even Ryder knew that he and Karen only had a paper marriage.

“Of course not. I would never do that to you, Michael. Ever.” She wouldn’t mean to. Damn, he had to figure out a way to tell Zach himself about his sexuality. He owed it to Karen so she didn’t have to lie.

“If he figures it out, you need to tell me.”

“I will.”

He chuckled. “I have a strong desire to kick his ass,” he confessed.

“Being territorial?”

“Yeah. Which is kind of sick. I have no right.” No right at all. Karen was his best friend, not his lover.

“Of course you do. We’re married.”

He sighed. “In name only. I’d be even more upset if he wanted to bang Ryder.”

Karen laughed. “I don’t think Zach plays for that team.”

The thought of Zach and Ryder made him laugh. “No. I’d think I’d have figured it out if he did. Wow.”