It's Only Make Believe (20 page)

Michele raised her eyes from the computer, questioning. “Build our own? Um...That would take a while wouldn’t it? I mean, the baby’s due in March. Even if they started it now it probably wouldn’t be done in time, and we still have to find some property.”

“So we live here until then. We could fix up one of the rooms as a nursery. Better yet, let our mother’s do it. You know they’re going to jump in and insist anyway. Make them feel like they’re doing something.” He grinned at her. Surely she had already thought how their mother’s were going to react. No way they’d keep this from them much longer. Already too many people knew about it. Anna, the Kirby’s. He talked to Joe earlier, and it surprised him when Joe congratulated him. He had no idea Michele told them. Then Joe told him how Linda knew.

Michele laughed. “Yeah I thought about them earlier. I know they’re going to take over. So what? We let them take control and don’t tell them about our plans on building? When do we tell them about the new house, when we move? Better yet, let’s not tell them.”

“You know, that’s not a half bad idea.”

“Can you imagine what the nursery is going to look like? I mean look at this house.” Michele shuddered. “How long do you think before we have to tell them about the baby?”

He knew it bothered Michele that their mothers tried to take over their lives. Heck it bothered him too, but this one thing they’d have to let them do. He had an idea for their baby’s room in the new house. He wanted a whimsical nursery, like a fantasyland. He hesitated broaching it to Michele. She could pull it off if she liked the idea. “Huh?  Oh I guess we should invite them to dinner or something and tell them. It’s bound to come out soon. Too many people know.”

“Yeah you’re right. How about Sunday?”

“Sunday’s good.” 

“Dinner is ready.” Anna stood in the doorway.

Brad picked Michele up and carried her to the table. Today the normal, everyday dishes set on the table. But Anna had lit the candles. Sly little thing, Brad thought. Was she conspiring with Michele, or doing their parent’s bidding? Whatever it was at least their parents had made good choices in Anna and Louise. He followed her into the kitchen to help.

*** 

Michele liked that Brad looked concerned when he first came in, liked the way he kissed her hello. Almost like a normal married couple. She could get real used to this.

Was he serious about building a house? What did that mean? It would probably be past the year before it was finished. Did that mean he wanted to forget the deal? Make the marriage work? Or was it because of the baby? She should have come outright and asked him, instead of putting the ball back in his court.

She hadn’t meant to sound so horrible about their parents, but she could just imagine how their mothers’ would try to take over the baby. Especially it being their first grandchild. They’d compete with each other for the baby’s attention. Sometimes, she wished she could move away. But for all that her mother annoyed her, Michele loved her and knew Brad felt the same about his mother. So they’d have to learn to put up with them. What else could they do? Maybe they could reach a compromise.

A picture of her own room came to mind - Walls with the barest hint of pink, white eyelet bedspread that would have been beautiful with the proper accessories. White furniture and white on white flowered wall paper border, and of course the white carpeting. Feminine but cold, colorless. She had a feeling they’d do the baby’s room all in white too. Sterile white walls, white crib and dresser, already they had the white carpeting. And she had no doubt they’d buy white crib blankets or quilts. Well they’d take care of that when they moved.

“What’s going on with Louise?” Brad interrupted her thoughts when he sat down next to her.

“Still no ransom note, no instructions. They know now that Patrick didn’t take her, had nothing to do with the kidnapping. Anna told me earlier that Patrick went to see Louise and apologized. He gave them his blessings to marry as soon as they find Mikayla. The police are doing everything they can. They even put out a reward for information leading to Mikayla’s whereabouts. But so far no leads.” Michele wiped a tear from her eyes. Every time she thought about Louise and the baby she couldn’t help but cry.

“I can only imagine how I’d feel if someone kidnapped our baby.”

Our baby, he said our baby, not mine or yours, but ours. Michele smiled. That definitely sounded promising. Unfortunately the phone rang. Brad got up to answer it. “Why do I have a feeling I know who that is? I swear I’m about ready to chuck this whole deal with Edgehurst.” 

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE

“This probably won’t come as a surprise to you, but I have to leave again. Do me a favor while I’m gone. Check out some property at least 30 acres and...uh, I have this idea for a nursery. Tell me what you think.” He rubbed her cheek as he spoke. How would she take this? He hadn’t suggested anything like this before but the idea had hit him suddenly. How about something whimsical, like a fantasyland?”

“A fantasyland. I like that idea.” Michele shook her head. “I’ll work on it.”

“I’ll try not to be late. I can’t wait until this campaign is finished.” Brad helped her get settled on the couch then leaned down and kissed her goodbye.

Somehow it eased that he had to leave. Just the fact that he came up with an idea for the nursery made her smile. Already a picture formed in her mind.

After he left, Michele began designing the nursery. She saw it clearly in her mind. Everything evolved around the crib to represent royalty. She colored the ceiling blue with white puffy clouds and covered it with a gauzy material. Twinkle lights interspersed throughout the fabric represented starlight. A round mahogany crib stood in the center of flowing fabric draped around it from the ceiling. Light green walls with hand-painted fairies, unicorns, wizards, and sprites, some of them in 3-D. The magical room featured a built-in dresser made to look like a drawbridge. A child’s table and chair set sat in a castle that extended out from the wall in one corner of the room. She put down her colored pencils. It surprised her how quickly the room came together. This was by far the most complex design she’d created. Now if only Brad liked it. But did it look too feminine? The gauzy material and the castle? She could hardly wait to get started on it, but she knew it’d be a while before they found a lot. She picked up her laptop, surprised to see it was almost eleven o’clock. What time was late? Probably one or two, knowing Brad.

She looked at some properties and copied some information about a couple of them. She wished she could hook up to her printer and print them out. But this worked for now. One of these days, she’d get a wireless printer. She leaned back, tired. What a strange day. The phone rang and she dreaded answering it. Anna had left after dinner so she was left with little choice. Hopefully, it wasn’t Brad telling her he was leaving again. She pressed the talk button. “Hello.”

“Miss...Michele,” Louise’s voice choked through the line. “They...they found Mikayla.”

Michele let out the breath she hadn’t realized she held. “Where? When? Is she okay?” She almost hated to ask that last part, but if she wasn’t she knew Louise would have told her that right off.

“She’s fine. We’re at the hospital. They just finished checking her over. She’s fine...” Then another voice came on the line. “Michele, this is Patrick O’Neil. Thank you for standing behind Louise and Mark, for uh...helping them. I owe you an apology. I...”

“It’s okay, Patrick, you don’t owe me anything.” Michele cut him off. As long as he saw the light he didn’t owe her anything. “The main thing is Mikayla is safe. Where did they find her?”

“Here, in the hospital. A woman brought her in, said she was sick. When they took her back to the room, the woman made an excuse to go to the washroom and left. The police are getting a sketch now.” Patrick said. “Hold on a minute.”

“Mrs. Lawson, this is Mark, I just wanted to thank you. For what you did for Louise and Mikayla. Letting her bring the baby to work and putting her in touch with Joe Kirby and everything. We won’t need him anymore by the way. We’re getting married right away. Anyway, thanks again.”

“I’m glad I could help. Does that mean I lose my maid?” Tears slid down Michele’s cheeks. Thank God it all worked out and Mikayla was safe.

Mark laughed. “Yeah I think that’s what it means. She’s going to stay home and take care of our home. Who knows I might just get her a maid. Maybe we’ll even steal Anna from you.”

“Not Anna, no way, you can’t have her. She’s off limits. You find your own cook. Bye now.” Michele laughed and hung up.

A key turned in the lock and Brad came in. “I’m surprised you’re still awake. Who was on the phone?” He leaned down and kissed her and Michele caught a hint of Ruby’s strong perfume.

“It was Louise, they found Mikayla. Someone left her at the hospital. She’s safe and sound.”

“Thank God! Do you want something to drink? I’m too wound up for bed. I want to talk to you.”

“Just a glass of ice water.”  Talk about what? Did she want to hear what he had to say? Part of her wanted to tell him no, she was tired, she wanted to go to bed, but part of her wanted to talk to him, to show him the plans she drew up for the nursery.

“I better call my mother, she was concerned about Louise. Did you hear why they hired her after Patrick fired her? She didn’t agree with Patrick getting rid of her. Our parents knew Patrick didn’t have as much influence as they did. I was wrong when I though she hired Louise so people wouldn’t hire me. I guess I misjudged her. She’s not as much a snob as I thought.” Michele watched Brad’s face as she spoke “What are you grinning about?”

“I guess we both misjudged our parents. No I didn’t know that. Truthfully, I thought they hired Anna and Louise to spy on us.”

Michele picked up the phone and dialed her mother’s number. After a quick conversation she assured her mother that Mikayla was fine. “By the way how would you and Dad like to come to dinner Sunday?”

“Oh dear,” her mother sounded stressed. “Sunday’s not good for us. Jack and Myra are coming here. Why don’t you and Brad join us?”

“Fine, Mother, we’ll come there.” She shrugged and looked at Brad. “Is that okay?” She mouthed.

Brad nodded.

“Okay we’ll see you Sunday. Bye.”

“Well that takes care of that. We’ll tell them about the baby Sunday.”

Brad moved her over on the couch and slid in next to her. “They’re going to be thrilled.” He rubbed her arm and nuzzled her neck sending chills down her spine.

“Hmmmmm.” Michele moaned. This man did things to her insides. “I worked on an idea for the nursery.” She picked up her drawing pad and showed it to him, held her breath.

“This is great. Just what I pictured. I love the drawbridge idea and the castle. So... have you thought about names?”

Names, she hadn’t even given a thought to whether the baby was a boy or girl let alone names. “No have you?”

“Not really, but I think we better come up with some before we tell our parents or they’ll be naming it too.”

Brad blew on her neck. The last thing on her mind was names for a baby. The man absolutely drove her up a wall with desire. “How about Alyssa if it’s a girl? And is anything wrong with Brad Jr. if it’s a boy?”

“I like Alyssa, but I don’t like Jr. You know he’ll get pegged with that or Little Brad, no not Brad. James or maybe Stephen. What do you think?”

“I like Stephen and Stephanie if it’s a girl? I like the sound of that. Stephen Lawson, Stephanie Lawson. What do you think?”

“I like both. Okay Stephen or Stephanie it is.” He leaned down and kissed her. “You look tired. I think it’s time for bed. What time is your appointment with Dr. Haskell tomorrow?”

“Ten o’clock, is that okay?”

“Not a problem, we’ll make it okay. There’s no way you can drive yourself.” He stood and helped her to her feet, then picked her up.

Michele liked the way he carried her with no effort, liked being in his arms.

He set her down next to the bed and helped her undress. “My favorite part of the night.” He kissed her neck, her ear and moved his mouth to her lips, then eased her gently onto the bed.

After they made love, Michelle laid next to him. Her heart ready to burst through her chest. She loved this man more than she thought it possible to love anyone. She snuggled close to him, closed her eyes and went to sleep.

CHAPTER THIRTY SIX

Michele woke to the ringing phone the next morning. She turned to answer it and came face to face with Brad. He lay there staring at her.

“I know who it is, let it ring. I’m tired of Edgehurst and his made up problems.” Brad ran his thumb along her cheek.

Michele snuggled closer to him. “Fine with me.” So he wasn’t leaving her bed to go to Ruby. Michele couldn’t help but smile, she pictured Ruby wondering why Brad didn’t answer the phone. The phone stopped ringing when the machine picked up. Michele heard the hang up, and it rang again. “She’s not going to give up easy.”  No, Ruby wouldn’t ever give up easy. She had her sights set on Brad and nothing or no one was going to get in her way. She had made that very clear more than once. Again when the machine picked up the phone stopped ringing and almost immediately began again.