Vada Faith (19 page)

“Okay, I gotta run.” She set down the gold framed picture she’d been holding of the girls. “I promised Midgy I’d make some phone calls. She needs another $500 for resetting those tombstones. She said getting that cemetery cleaned up and those tombstones restored is the hardest thing she’s ever done.”

I followed her into the kitchen where she helped herself to a cookie from my new apple cookie jar. “I guess I should do something to help out too,” I said.

“Right now you need to take it easy.” She hugged me suddenly. “I wish you’d watch out for those people. Roy and Dottie are weird.”

“Stop worrying so much.” I pulled away and tied my robe tighter around my waist. “Really.”

After she left I sipped the lukewarm tea. She was right. I needed to take it easy for a few days.

However, taking it easy wouldn’t fix my problems. Not by a long shot and now I had a vision in my head of Roy Kilgore being hauled off by the county sheriff. It wasn’t the least bit reassuring.

The next Saturday evening, I opened the door to find Bruiser standing on the front porch.

“Hey, you,” he said, looking sheepish.

“What do you want?” I had things to do that evening and I didn’t have time for a chat with him. Besides we were due at the Kilgores’ for a dinner party in a short while.

“I’ve come to apologize to you and to John Wasper.”

“Your brother will be down in a minute.” I went into the kitchen with him following. I glanced at the clock on the wall. My husband was still upstairs dressing. Dragging his feet really. He’d spent several hours that afternoon repairing part of the front porch. A waste of energy since we’d be moving soon.

He’d ignored me when I told him that. He wasn’t at all thrilled to be going to this dinner party. He’d agreed because my sister would be there and a few others we knew. I figured it didn’t make any difference who was invited. It was their party and they wanted us there. I wasn’t sure why. I did feel better than I had the week before and I was curious about their new house and the much talked about nursery. Although if they were moving to California I wasn’t sure why they were spending money on a nursery here but money was no issue with them.

Mr. Kilgore had gone to the sheriff’s office and evidently set everyone straight. The news media had quit hounding him and the scandal about his business was dying down. At least that’s what his wife said when she called to see how I was feeling and to make sure we were coming to the party.

“Coffee?” I turned to my brother-in-law who took up half my kitchen.

“Sure.” He suddenly got this little boy look so familiar to me. His brother had the same look. Both men knew when to use it too. “You still mad at me, Vada Faith?” He smiled shyly.

“Afraid so.” I placed a cup of coffee in front of him.

“I’m sorry about that hateful letter you got.”

“What letter?”

“The one saying mean things about you. That you shouldn’t be a surrogate mother and all that stuff. I swear I didn’t write that letter. If I had I’d tell you. I would have signed it too.”

“How’d you know about that letter?”

“Your sister.” He took a drink of coffee.

“Who sent it then?” I persisted. “You must know.”

“Nope, I don’t. I’ll try to find out for you.”

“Have you changed your mind about my surrogacy, then?”

“No, ma’m. I still don’t believe in women giving away their babies.”

He pulled at the tie around his neck and for the first time I noticed he wore dress pants and a white shirt. His usual attire was jeans and a western shirt. A smile crept over his face when he saw me eyeing his clothes. He was up to something.

“You’re all dressed up. You going somewhere?”

“Yes,” he said, blushing. “On a date.”

“Anyone I know?”

“I come to tell you how sorry I am.” He was ignoring my question. “Everything got out of hand. The men got carried away with excitement that day at your shop. Then I had too much to drink that night I hit John Wasper.” He ran his finger around his tight collar. “Mom said if I don’t work things out with you and him I have to move out.”

“That’s too bad. You should be out on your own anyway. A big boy like you.” I was being mean but I couldn’t help myself.

“I am moving forward,” he said, “and making some changes in my life.” A smile covered his big broad face. He was certainly happy about something. “Soon I’ll have a down payment on a house,” he added.

I really didn’t care about his finances or his life changes. I had enough changes in my own life to worry about. Like, what was taking my husband so long anyway? He had the whole upstairs to himself with the girls already at a birthday party.

“Hey,” he whistled, looking at the kitchen clock, “it’s six. I’m late. Tell John Wasper I was here.” He stood up. “Thanks, too, for the coffee. Tell Joy Ruth when you see her, would you, that I apologized?”

“What’s she got to do with this?”

“Nothing. She just said I should keep my feelings about surrogacy to myself. That’s all. So will you tell her, please?”

“I will. You can tell her something for me. Tell her to follow her own advice and keep her opinions to herself.”

He mumbled good bye and left.

My sister was a good one to give advice. She criticized me and then she did stupid things, too.

From the window I watched Bruiser’s Jeep drive out of sight.

“Hey,” I called up the stairs, “do you want me to go to the party without you?” I almost wished he’d say yes. I wasn’t sure how he’d act since he thought the party was a dumb idea anyway.

“I’m coming,” he called, impatiently. “Just a minute.”

I’d tried to get out of going to the party but Dottie insisted. “Roy said you have to come,” she said, “or he’ll cancel it. I don’t want to cancel. Besides my sister is coming to town. I want her to see this house and hear about the baby.”

So that’s how it was as I watched John Wasper take the stairs two at a time and dab at the small cut on his face with a piece of tissue. “I’m ready,” he said grumpily. As he opened the front door for me, I could see his hand shake. He was nervous but then so was I.

There was already a crowd when we arrived. Dottie had said only a few close friends but this was no intimate dinner party. There were business associates of theirs from all over the country. Some from as far away as Texas and California.

“Our little birth mother is here.” Dottie clapped her hands gently to keep from spilling the drink she carried. “Everybody! Come on now. Welcome Vada Faith!”

Roy Kilgore leaned over and kissed my cheek when John Wasper’s head was turned. Then Dottie put her arm around me and drew me into the room, leaving John Wasper to trail behind.

This was done with care as she still had the drink in her hand.

“This is John Wasper.” She turned to my husband who’d worked his way to my side. “Isn’t he handsome?” His face turned crimson as Dottie smiled up at him.

Several men came up and shook my husband’s hand. Then they turned and slapped a smiling Roy on the back. “You sly old dog,” one of the men said.

“Oh, I’ve been dying to meet you, honey.” A woman grabbed my hand up in hers. She was an older version of Dottie. “Well, aren’t you just the cutest little thing.” She leaned close and I could smell the Chanel. “What a beautiful baby you will make. You and that big old handsome Roy Kilgore. I’m a big fan of his.”

“Vada Faith,” Dottie said, “this is my sister, Fannie.”

“Pleased to meet you.” I smiled and shook the woman’s hand. Dottie frowned as the woman kept patting my arm. Just as quickly, her mood changed and she smiled when she spotted someone new joining the party and she rushed off to greet them. I couldn’t worry about her moods. I was searching the crowd for my sister. She was supposed to be here to support me.

“I have something to tell you later, honey,” Fannie whispered in my ear as I scanned the room for Joy Ruth, “in private.”

I looked at her for some clue but she shook her head and strode off across the room. Was she going to tell me that Roy and Dottie weren’t your average couple? I knew that already. Did I have STUPID written on my forehead? I just wasn’t as convinced as my husband that they were scoundrels. In his book anyone that was hauled off by the sheriff on the evening news was BAD. I couldn’t count on their material wealth to impress him. He frowned up now at the large oil painting on the wall.

“Umm,” was all he said as he stared up at the angelic mother and baby in the gold gilded frame. Then he made his way over to the bar. I followed.

“Would you get me a ginger ale?” I asked, watching a woman in a black sequined dress smiling at Roy across the room.

“Hey there!” From behind us, Bruiser slipped his big arms around my husband’s waist and lifted him off the floor.

“Hey yourself!” John Wasper grinned as though his brother hadn’t recently whipped his butt, like a halfhearted apology was enough for all the trouble he’d caused. The big guy set his brother back on the floor and grinned.

“What’re you doing here?” My husband asked, and handed his brother a drink.

“I was invited.” Bruiser smiled broadly.

“He’s my guest, surprise.” My sister popped out from behind him.

I sighed. That was all I needed. Those two thinking of rekindling something.

“Dottie said to bring a guest.” Joy Ruth beamed up at the big man beside her.

They’d gone out a few times and hadn’t hit it off. Now here they were holding hands and smiling.

“Your guest. My enemy,” I said, staring at the big guy beside her who gazed down at her as if she hung the moon and stars.

“Oh, come on,” she said, “he apologized.”

The two men turned to the bar.

“Big deal,” I said, in a low voice to keep my husband from hearing. “He made a spectacle out of himself. At our shop and in front of our customers.”

“Customers?” She rolled her eyes. “That old woman who screwed up her own hair so bad, she didn’t care who was making a nuisance of himself out front. I’m over that incident and you should be too.”

“Well, it was my ox that got gored not yours and I’m still hurting.”

“Look who’s on her high horse now.” Joy Ruth frowned. “You might as well get off it. You’ve got more important things to think about. Like having a baby for a couple who isn’t wound too tight.”

“That comment,” I said, watching my husband and his brother laugh over something, “is uncalled for. I’m tired of those remarks of yours.”

“It’s true and you know it but I’ll keep my remarks to myself tonight.”

“Here you go.” John Wasper handed her a soda. “Me and Bruiser will be out on the deck if you need us.”

“We’ll see you in a while,” I said, watching my sister take a handful of pretzels from a silver bowl on the cherry side table.

“Dinner will be served in just a few minutes.” Roy Kilgore came up behind me. He leaned over my shoulder, putting his mouth way too close to my ear, and whispered, “Let’s talk, honey. Before you leave. Just the two of us.”

That man could have sold ice to Eskimos. He was that smooth. He had this knack for making what he had sound so good you wanted some too.

Before I could respond, a man across the room beckoned to him.

“My attorney, girls,” Roy said, “excuse me.”

When they were out of earshot the two men went into a huddle.

I wondered what kind of business was so urgent that it couldn’t wait until after a dinner party.

“Let’s go upstairs.” My sister’s eyes had been taking in everything. She put her drink down on one of the glass topped tables scattered around the room. “I want to see this place while I have the chance.”

“You’ve got to stop making snide comments in front of John Wasper.” I glanced at the wide staircase. “I don’t know about going upstairs.”

“Dottie just told a young couple to tour the house. Besides, she’s busy helping herself to another drink and a pill from that little bottle she carries.”

She was right. The woman was taking another drink from a tray one of the waiters carried. I saw her throw back her head and I knew she was swallowing one of her little pills.

“Come on.” Joy Ruth pulled my arm. “If anyone has a right to look around this place, it’s you. This is your party too.”

“All right.” I glanced out the window. The two guys were settled on the back deck talking. Unless someone interrupted them, they’d stay out there for hours.

As I made my way up the wide staircase behind my sister, I saw Dottie below joining Roy and the attorney. She held a drink in each hand now.

“This must be the master bedroom.” My sister opened the first door we came to. Over her shoulder I could see a spacious room beyond the bedroom. “Look.” She moved inside. “A sitting room.” She disappeared through the other doorway.

“Get back here! Someone might come.” I glanced back at the stairs.

“There’s a powder room and bath in here,” she called.

“Come on!” I hissed from the doorway of the room. There was no sign of her. Sometimes she could be so exasperating.

She appeared and strolled leisurely around the large bedroom checking out the beautiful cherry bedroom suite as if we had all the time in the world to browse.

“I’m going to look for the nursery,” I whispered, turning away. “You can stay here and get caught.”

“Look!” She had picked up something from the dresser. “A fertility goddess it says,” she said, shaking an object at me. “They say if you rub this when you have intercourse you’ll get pregnant.”

“Let’s go!” I went over and grabbed her arm and pulled her out of the room.

“We’re looking for the nursery.”

I opened the door to the room next door, a smaller bedroom just as tastefully decorated. No nursery.

“Here it is!” She had entered the room across the hall. “Welcome to babyland.”

Babyland indeed. I moved into the room on her heels. In one corner sat a cradle stuffed with plush teddy bears. A huge rocking horse rested in front of the lace curtained windows. There was a Victorian doll house, a bassinet draped in tulle. A canopied crib. A bookcase filled with children’s books and encircling it all in the pale cream room was a border of whimsical bears and rabbits.

It felt peculiar to be in the nursery. The room of this child I was carrying and to know that he or she would soon be here and I might not be welcome.