Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Charlie was alone when the pain started. It began with pressure in her back and slowly moved down to her abdomen, the pain radiating from back to front. The nausea had come on so fast that she hadn’t even realized it was happening until she had a heavy urge to vomit.

At first she tried to ignore the symptoms, telling herself it was probably more Braxton-Hicks contractions. But she could no longer deny the reality of the situation. She was experiencing preterm labor.

She should’ve called Jace, but lately it felt like there were three people in their marriage and the delivery room wasn’t large enough for Mary Ann too. So instead she dialed Aubrey.

Fifteen minutes later Aubrey was at the house, packing Charlie a bag.

“I should’ve done that already, but I hoped I still had at least another five weeks,” Charlie said.

“It’ll be fine.” It was the seventh time Aubrey had said that. Charlie got the sense that Aubrey thought if she said it enough times it would be true.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m scared,” Charlie said.

“It’ll be—” Aubrey stopped herself. “Let’s get you to the hospital. While I drive, you call your doc. Can you do that?”

Charlie nodded and immediately dialed Dr. Orville.

“Until today I had tons of energy. No pain, no nausea, no nothing,” Charlie told Dr. Orville. “Could it be Braxton-Hicks?”

“Has your water broken?” she asked.

“Not yet.”

“That’s a good sign. We’ll see what’s going on when you get here.”

“Should you call Jace?” Aubrey asked when Charlie signed off with Orville.

“Not yet. He’ll freak out, and there’s a good chance this is a false alarm. Why pull him away from work for nothing?”

“Gotcha.” Aubrey pulled off at the hospital exit and drove to the turnout at the entrance doors. “Can you walk in while I park? Or should I go get a wheelchair?”

Charlie had paced the floor until Aubrey had gotten to the house and it had actually eased some of the pain. “No, I’m good to walk.”

“I’ll be right behind you. Promise.”

As soon as Charlie got inside, she was escorted to a room where a nurse gave her a gown to change into.

“I’m here.” Aubrey rushed in, out of breath. Charlie suspected she ran all the way from the parking lot.

Dr. Orville knocked, came in, and glanced around the room. “No Jace today?”

“He’s at work,” Charlie said. “I’m waiting to call him until we know more.” She introduced the doctor to Aubrey.

Dr. Orville washed her hands, slipped on a pair of gloves, and pulled a stool up to the foot of the bed. “Okie doke. Let’s take a look at your cervix. How often are the contractions?”

“I don’t know. Maybe every five or six minutes. They feel more like cramps, like I’m having my period. So maybe this is a false alarm, right?”

“Could be. Let’s have a look.”

In the middle of the doctor’s exam another cramp ripped through Charlie. She grabbed her abdomen and let out a groan.

Dr. Orville checked her watch and went back to business. “You’re dilated and I see the mucus plug.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means this baby is coming.”

“But it’s too soon,” Charlie cried.

* * *

“I’m on my way.” Jace raced out of his office so fast he nearly forgot his hat.

“Let Tobin know he’s in charge while I’m gone,” he called to Annabeth as he flew past her desk on the way to his truck.

“Don’t drive like a madman.”

“Yes, Mom.”

If it wasn’t a violation of policy, Jace would’ve put his light bar on the roof of his truck and turned the siren on. But Charlie said there was no rush. She was still in early labor and it could take hours, even days before the baby came. Still, he didn’t want to miss a second of it.

He hung a right and merged onto the on-ramp for the highway when his phone rang. One glance at caller ID told him it was Marta Martinez from the high school. Either Grady was in trouble or she needed law enforcement assistance with a student.

I don’t have time for this.

“Hey, Marta, what’s up?” He got into the fast lane and punched the gas pedal.

“Grady didn’t show up to his first-period class this morning. According to the driver and his cousin Ellie, he was on the bus. But no one has seen him since.”

“Are you sure he’s not on campus and just skipping class?”

“We’ve looked for him, but he’s not in all the usual places.”

Goddamn Mary Ann.

“Okay, I have an idea where he is. I’ll let you know as soon as I find him. In the meantime can you call me if he shows up?”

“Absolutely. And Jace, it’s the end of the year. It’s not unusual for a group of kids to ditch their classes and go to SB over at the state park.”

“Are any of his friends missing?”

She let a long sigh. “So far they’re all accounted for, but we’re still checking.”

As soon as he hung up with Marta, he hit automatic dial for Cash.

“Hey, Aubrey says Charlie’s in labor,” Cash said by way of a greeting.

“Yeah, I’m on my way to the hospital now. But I need a favor. Mary Ann nabbed Grady as he got off the school bus. She wanted a visitation with him today, but I told her it wasn’t in the schedule. Apparently she took matters into her own hands. Can you go over to the Stoddard cottage to see if they’re there? I can’t believe she freaking did this. I’m going to nail her for it, but I don’t have time right now.”

“I’m on my way,” Cash said. “And Jace, take it easy until we’ve got all the facts. Focus on Charlie and the baby. I’ll take care of this and call you as soon as I find Grady.”

Jace found parking at the hospital and followed the information desk volunteer’s directions to Charlie’s room. He found her in the maternity wing’s hallway in a johnny gown, pacing the floor.

“You’re here.” She fell into his arms.

“Why aren’t you in bed?”

“It feels good to walk.”

He pulled away to take a closer look at her. “Are you in a great deal of pain?”

“Not too bad.” Just as she said it she grabbed on to him and shuddered. “That was another one. They’re getting closer.”

“Let’s get you inside your room.” He took her arm and let her lead the way.

“Aubrey went to the cafeteria to get us drinks. Call her if you want something.”

“I’m good,” Jace said, but he was freaking out a little. Besides the baby being early, he couldn’t stand seeing Charlie in pain.

“The doctor said this could take a while,” Charlie said.

“That’s good, right? The longer the better.”

“I think at this point we’re only talking hours. A day maybe. The baby will still be born premature.”

“But we’re still okay, right?”

“She’ll be late preterm, which is better than early preterm but it’s still not ideal.”

He rubbed her back. “She’ll be strong like her mother and stubborn like her father, so we’re all good.”

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket. “I’ve got to take this.” He stepped out into the hallway. “Cash?”

“They’re not here.”

“Is there a white Toyota parked in the driveway?”

“Jace, believe me, I checked for her car. There’s no one here. I peeked inside the windows and saw plenty of her stuff, so I don’t think she took off with him. You have her phone number? I’ll call her.”

“Yeah. I’m sending it to you now. Call me as soon as you hear something.”

He could’ve called Mary Ann himself, but he didn’t want to lose it with her in the hospital with Charlie in the next room. Things between them had been tenuous these last few days where Mary Ann was concerned and Charlie didn’t need the extra stress.

“What’s going on?” she asked him when he got in the room. Aubrey was sitting in the corner with a cup of coffee. “Aubrey heard you talking to Cash.”

Jace hadn’t even seen Aubrey come in.

“It’s nothing. Just something work-related.”

Charlie cocked her brows and Jace could tell she wasn’t buying it.

Aubrey, knowing when to beat a hasty retreat, got to her feet. “My work here is done. Call me if you need anything.” She kissed Charlie on the cheek. “Break a leg. We’re all rooting for you.”

“Jace what’s going on?” Charlie asked as soon as Aubrey closed the door behind her.

“Grady didn’t show up at school today. Mary Ann’s got him, even though I told her not today.”

Charlie grimaced and wrapped her arms around herself. “Oh boy, the pressure is starting to bear down on me.”

“Should we call Dr. Orville?”

“Not yet. She’s close by when we need her, but my water hasn’t even broken yet.” She started to ask more about Grady when Jace’s phone vibrated again.

It was Cash. This time he took the call in the room. “Did you get her?”

“She drove up right after I got off the phone with you. Grady’s not with her, Jace. She’s right here and swears she hasn’t seen Grady all morning.”

“Put her on the phone!”

“I don’t know where he is.” Mary Ann sounded as panicked as Jace was starting to feel. “I would never have gone against your wishes, Jace. I would never have taken him out of school.”

He didn’t have time for this. “Put Cash back on.”

“Could you check the SB? Maybe talk to Ellie to see if she knows something. Hang on a second, I’ve got another call coming in. Hopefully it’s Grady.” He switched over. “Grady!”

“No, it’s Mitch.”

“I don’t have time for you right now.” Jace switched back to Cash. “It wasn’t him.”

“Take it easy. I’ll find him. If he’s not at the state beach, I’ll call in for reinforcements. Between all of us, we’ll find him. Just hang tight with Charlie.” Cash signed off.

Charlie was shaking her head, “Go, Jace. Just go find him.”

His phone vibrated again. “Jesus, Mitch is calling me again.” He was just about to let it go to voice mail when he thought better of it. “What!”

“I’ve got Grady.”

The world seemed to turn on its axis. Charlie had heard it too because she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

“He’s in the truck with me. I was on my way to a job site and saw him walking toward the park on Juniper. He said he was on his way to his mother’s to, and I quote, ‘see her and give her a piece of my mind.’ Poor kid is a mini you. Hopefully there’s help for that. Do you want to talk to him?”

Charlie pulled the phone out of Jace’s hand. “Mitch, it’s Charlotte. Please take Grady to Mary Ann’s and tell her to drop him off at the ranch when they’re done having their day together, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And Mitch, Jace has something to tell you.”

She handed the phone back to Jace, who held up his arms in the air and shrugged.

“Tell him ‘thank you,’ you idiot.”

“Mitch, my wife says I should tell you ‘thank you.’ And that you’re an idiot.”

“Yep, don’t mention it,” Mitch said and Jace could hear the laughter in his voice.

He dashed off a text to Cash to call off the cavalry and left a message with Marta that Grady had been found safe.

“If you weren’t so obsessed with your ex-wife, you would’ve seen what Grady wanted. What he needed.” Charlie turned away from him and winced. It was another contraction.

“You’re right,” he said and sat in the bed next to her. “We’re focusing on you now and our baby.” He put his finger to his lips.

“So you admit that you’re obsessed with your ex-wife?”

“The only woman I’m obsessed with is you, Charlie. From the day I met you, you were the one. The only one.”

“But you realize that Mary Ann is also part of our family?”

He started to say she wasn’t, that she would never be, when Charlie interrupted him. “She’ll always be Grady and Travis’s mother. And if she wants a place in their hearts, it’s our job to accept it. Can you do that, Jace?”

“I don’t know,” he said truthfully.

“Why? Because she hurt you so badly?”

“Yes. But not in the way you think. When your children hurt, you hurt. And she hurt them, Charlie. She tore them apart.”

“Do you still love her?”

He did a double take. “What? I stopped loving her a long time ago. And when I fell in love with you, I started to wonder if what I had with her was even love at all. I mean, I loved her. Of course I did. But it wasn’t an enduring love, it wasn’t the kind that sticks. I think she understood that right from the start. And when it was over between us the truth was I was relieved. Not that she left the boys but that she’d left me.

“Do you know how much I love you?” He cupped her chin in his hand. “If you don’t, I’m doing something wrong because there’s no one but you. You, this baby”—he touched his hand to her belly—“Travis and Grady are my everything. Nothing is ever going to change that.”

She reached for him and he wrapped his arms around her. “You just seemed so . . . I don’t know . . . consumed with her. It felt too passionate to me.”

He remembered what Cash had said about the thin line between love and hate. He didn’t even hate Mary Ann, let alone love her.

“Remember how consumed I was with your ex coming back to hurt you?” he said. “Do you think I had the hots for Corbin? No one is ever going to hurt my family. If you call that consumed or passionate, so be it.” He held her gaze to see if she understood, to see if she comprehended how much he loved her.

She grimaced.

“Come on, Charlie. You don’t believe me?”

“I believe you,” she said. “And I love you so much. But my water just broke.”