Montana Homecoming (The Wildes of Birch Bay Book 6) Read online

  She’d spoken to Erica about it again at the school the day before. The other woman had yet to take off for maternity leave, so they still saw each other every day. And Arsula had called Sunday afternoon once she’d learned what was going on.

  “Cord suggested I stay here to save money thanks to the fact that I’ll now have a car repair bill coming. And since Nate and Megan agreed . . .” Maggie finished with a shrug before cramming the bite of rice between her lips. She hated that she’d never felt she could confide in her friends about that weekend. She would love to unload her worries on them.

  “You should stay with us,” Arsula determined. “I know you don’t want to be underfoot at Erica’s, so stay with me.”

  Maggie pulled a face. “And then what? Have to worry about walking in on you and Jaden doing the nasty every time I turn around?” She shook her head. “No, thanks.”

  “We could keep it to a minimum.”

  Maggie snorted before asking, “How?” She reached for one of the remaining chips. “By doing it in the garage all week?”

  Erica giggled, and Arsula fired a look her way. “You’re not helping.”

  “I can’t help it. She makes a valid point.”

  Maggie nibbled on her chip.

  “But seriously, Mags.” Erica tugged the bag of chips around so she could eat from it, too. “You staying out here with him . . . this doesn’t feel right. It doesn’t feel ‘safe’ for your mental health.” She’d said similar things over the last two days.

  “I’m not staying with him,” Maggie reminded them. She looked around the cabin, making it a point to peer into each corner. “Do you see the man hiding in here anywhere?”

  “Don’t be a smart aleck,” Arsula retorted. “You know what we mean. You’re stuck out here without a car. You’re relying on him to take you wherever you need to go.”

  “So what? He’s a good guy, right? Haven’t I heard both of you say that before?”

  She’d definitely heard Erica say those words. And though Maggie knew that Arsula did think Cord was a decent guy, Arsula was also aware of the baggage he carried. She’d determined some time ago—the night she’d first heard Maggie mention how yummy she’d always thought him to be—that Cord “wasn’t for her.” She said her ability to know such information went along with her intuitive side. And possibly she was right. Which would matter if Maggie were trying to “be” with Cord long term. But she wasn’t. She was just having his baby.

  “He is a good guy,” Erica agreed. “But he also loves ‘spending time with women.’” She air-quoted the last part.

  “And he’s also a guy you’ve spent years crushing on,” Arsula added.

  Maggie glared at both of them. “He’s also a guy who I don’t have a crush on anymore.” Dang it, she’d told them her ill-advised infatuation was gone. Why wouldn’t they believe her? “And anyway,” she went on. “I have other things to think about now. In case you haven’t noticed. But also”—she pointed to her belly—“there’s this. Do you really think someone looking like I do right now would be the type of girl to turn on someone like Cord?”

  “While bored in a cabin in the snow and with you accessible right next door?” Arsula drolled out.

  “Arsula!” Erica hissed, her brow furrowing. But it was too late. The words had already hit Maggie the wrong way. Tears spilled down her face.

  “Oh, crap.” Arsula was up and out of her chair in an instant, and she had Maggie wrapped up in her arms. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered into Maggie’s hair. “That wasn’t a slam against you. I promise. You’re beautiful, Mags.” She pulled back and looked down at her. “I only hope to be half as gorgeous as you if Jaden and I ever have a kid.”

  That made Maggie cry even more. Arsula was a freaking bombshell. Long wavy hair, curves in all the right places—and none of them even an inch too big. Of course she would be more gorgeous than Maggie as a pregnant woman. Even if she were to carry triplets and need a shopping cart positioned underneath her belly simply to have the ability to walk around.

  Everyone looked better as a pregnant woman than her.

  “Mags,” Erica pleaded when Maggie didn’t even try to rein in her tears. She reached over and captured Maggie’s hand. “She didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “I know,” Maggie assured her, but her tears didn’t let up. And truth be told, she didn’t want to do anything to stop them. She needed a good cry. “And I’m not mad. I promise.”

  She just needed to shed some stress.

  “Please quit crying,” Arsula begged. She pulled her chair over to sit beside Maggie, then she once again reached her arms out for a hug. Maggie leaned into her and appreciated the moment. All three of them had been so busy over the last few months. So focused on the current and upcoming changes in their lives. They hadn’t had moments like this nearly often enough.

  “I’m really not mad,” she said again, the words still coming out between her sniffles. “I know you didn’t mean to say I was ugly or that Cord would be settling if he came on to me.”

  “Mags.” Arsula stroked her hand over Maggie’s hair. “No. Please stop it. I didn’t mean any of that.”

  “I know. But the fact is . . . Cord wouldn’t want me. Why would he? Just like he doesn’t want his—”

  She clamped her mouth shut, her eyes going wide. Oh, crap. She’d almost spilled it.

  “Like he doesn’t want his what?” Arsula questioned. She’d pulled back again and was once more peering down at Maggie.

  “Nothing.” Maggie shook her head. She couldn’t think of a single thing to use as a cover.

  Her heart rate skyrocketed.

  “He doesn’t want . . . what?” Erica joined in. Both of her friends now wore thoroughly confused expressions with just a hint of anger simmering under the surface. It was as if they were ready to be mad on her behalf, if needed. They just didn’t know why they’d need to yet.

  “Nothing,” Maggie said again. She reached for another chip, but Erica tugged the bag away before she could get one. Maggie frowned at her.

  “Has something already happened?” Erica questioned. “During those two nights you did spend at his cabin, perhaps?”

  “What?” Maggie shook her head. “No. Guys, really. Of course not. Cord has been a perfect gentleman.”

  Of course, there had been that moment during the middle of Saturday night when he’d been massaging her feet. Not that he’d been doing it for any reason other than to be nice.

  No matter the reason, though, it hadn’t felt like pure nicety from her point of view.

  She didn’t mention any of that, though. Nor did she bring up the way he kept doing other things for her. Like showing up at her door that morning before she could make it out to the truck herself. He’d relented when she’d insisted on using the stool to get into the truck again, but he’d held her hand the entire time.

  “Okay.” The look now in Arsula’s eyes indicated she was rolling another idea around in her head. “Then, has something happened in the past that we aren’t aware of? Like . . . maybe way back at Erica’s wedding?”

  Maggie shook her head. “I barely even spoke to him at the wedding.” She’d tried to, but he’d avoided her. She’d wanted to do that night what they’d done all weekend in April.

  “Some other time, then?” Erica added, and this time Maggie sighed. She needed them to drop it.

  “Please.” She looked from one to the other. “Can we just stop this? What other time could there possibly have been? I spent the summer being pregnant. Did you forget that? And until now, I haven’t even seen Cord in months.”

  Erica suddenly shifted her gaze so that she looked straight at Arsula. The line of her mouth went hard.

  “What?” Arsula asked. The two of them completely ignored her.

  “I saw her talking to him during the party at The Cherry Basket,” Erica shared.

  “I was not.” The words came out too fast. Maggie tended to do that when she lied. She’d talked to Cord at every opportuni
ty she’d been able to create that day.

  “Right.” Arsula lifted a finger as if it would help her to think. “I think I saw her helping him during cleanup.” She turned to Maggie. “Is that right? You were helping him at the end of the day?”

  Sweat formed between Maggie’s breasts. These two were like a dog with a bone. “Okay, fine,” she relented. Maybe by giving them a few details, they would move on to another subject. “I might have helped him a little bit. I mean, I think we took down a strand of the lights together. But really, that’s all. Then I went off with . . .” Her throat squeezed tight, cutting off her words. “I went . . .” she tried again, but didn’t make it any further, so she gave up.

  Tears once again threatened, and the back of her throat ached. She didn’t want to lie to her friends any longer. It was wrong. And it was so very hard to do. She’d lied to them the first time when she’d shared news of her pregnancy. They’d asked who the father was, and she’d made up a good-looking out-of-towner whom she’d met during the party. She’d claimed to have run into him again right before leaving for the day, and then one thing led to another.

  Of course, neither of them had been able to recall seeing anyone like she’d described.

  She’d then carried her fabrication forward to any other time the subject had come up. Her friends occasionally wondered if she was certain the mystery man didn’t want to be a part of her son’s life. Or if she didn’t want to push for child support, even if he chose to remain an absentee father. But she didn’t want to lie to them anymore.

  She also wanted to be able to talk to them. She wanted to tell her friends that it completely broke her heart for Cord to refuse to have anything to do with his son. Because what if he was right and she wasn’t a good mother?

  What if it turned out that she was like her mother?

  The tears that had threatened, now flowed free. She simply couldn’t do it anymore. But the thing was, she also understood that she didn’t have to do it. Because from the expressions now on her friends’ faces, they’d put two and two together. Mixtures of both shock and wonder stared back at her.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. Her chest felt as if it might rip open with sobs.

  “Why didn’t you tell us?” Arsula reached for her again.

  “Why has he refused to help?” Erica added.

  Maggie shook her head, unable to force out any more words, and when Erica also scooted her chair over and wrapped Maggie in a hug, Maggie let her friends take the burden. They didn’t push for additional details. Not yet. They simply let her cry it out. And when all the tears had finally been shed, when the pressure in her chest eased for the first time in a very long time, Maggie filled her friends in on everything.

  She told them how she’d tried to contact Cord, and how he wouldn’t reach back out to her. She apologized again for lying and explained why she’d made up the story of another man—she hadn’t wanted to put them in an uncomfortable situation with Gabe and Jaden. She also told them about how, now that Cord did know, he wanted nothing whatsoever to do with the baby.

  What she didn’t go into were her own fears. She was too exhausted for that.

  Instead, she relied on the knowledge that her friends would be there for her if, and when, she wanted to talk about anything more.

  “I’m going to be in the delivery room with you,” Arsula announced. And unlike the previous times she’d made that very offer, this time Maggie didn’t argue. She hadn’t wanted to take that moment from Arsula and Jaden. The first time to witness a birth seemed the type of experience couples should share, if at all possible. But she also didn’t want to do this alone.

  She didn’t know if she was strong enough to do it alone.

  She nodded. “Will you also take me to the doctor tomorrow?”

  “Of course,” Arsula answered without hesitation. Whatever Maggie needed, her friends would be there.

  She’d mentioned the appointment to Cord, of course, since her car wouldn’t yet be ready. And Cord had assured her that running her by the medical offices would be no problem. But she didn’t want Cord taking her to her doctor’s appointment. She no longer wanted to be anywhere near the man.

  His driving her to work had proved more difficult than she’d imagined. The time had been spent with small talk and them acting as if there was nothing more between them than being temporary neighbors. He’d been polite and courteous, and she’d hated every minute of it.

  There had also been no additional talk of lawyers. When she’d brought it up that afternoon, he’d replied that he was still considering the best path to take, so he hadn’t yet called his friend. Then he’d changed the subject.

  She scrubbed the drying tears from her cheeks, taking in the expectant expressions on both her friends’ faces, then she made another executive decision. She would call her own lawyer. Screw waiting on Cord.

  She turned to Arsula. “Would you pick me up for work in the morning, as well?”

  Chapter Ten

  “Hey, Doc, thanks so much for seeing me.” Cord held out his hand to Dr. Hamm, the man who’d been their family physician since Cord was a kid.

  “Of course.” Hamm clasped Cord’s hand in a firm shake, then motioned into his office. The two of them entered the room together, Hamm having just come from an exam room, then Hamm continued to the opposite side of the desk. He lowered into his chair, and Cord followed suit. It was Wednesday afternoon, and there were still several patients waiting to be seen, so Cord wouldn’t take up much of the doctor’s time. “I can always spare time for you,” the doc added, his smile genuine. “How are you doing? How’s Billings?”

  Ever since Doc Hamm had found out Cord intended to attend medical school, he’d taken a special interest. “It’s good.” Cord gave the perfunctory answer, not letting the fact that he was currently on a pressured leave alter his answer. “The practice is good. Patients are good.”

  Everything was fucking good, he thought. Only, he’d recently killed a patient.

  “Fantastic.” The doc’s voice boomed. “I always knew you’d make a success of yourself.”

  Cord managed a nod. He didn’t exactly feel successful. “Thanks, Doc. And seriously, I won’t keep you long.” Cord glanced behind him to the still-open door before leaning forward in his seat. “I just need to know that Jay Tatum knows his stuff.”

  Cord had taken his father to the new physical therapist earlier that day, and though everything Cord witnessed while there had indicated the man ran a top-notch clinic, he didn’t want to take any chances.

  Doc Hamm nodded. “Yes, sir. Tatum is the real deal. He’s probably who we should have gotten your dad set up to see to begin with. I’d never heard any concerns with the previous PT, or I would have spoken up when Borgmann recommended him.”

  The fringe of white hair sweeping over the doc’s forehead seemed to droop toward his eyebrows as the man’s face furrowed.

  “Max has been through a lot,” he added. “Backsliding because of poor care isn’t an issue he should have to deal with.”

  “I agree. And it’s an issue I’ll make certain doesn’t happen again.” Cord said the words with the assurance he felt. However, what he didn’t know was how he’d manage to be on top of everything while also making up for lost time once he returned to work.

  He’d get it sorted out, though. He wouldn’t let his dad sit here in pain, feeling too guilty to ask for help.

  “And I’ll be sure to check in with him more often, as well,” the doctor replied. Early days after the amputation, Doc had stopped by the house regularly. He’d also been diligent about keeping Cord up to date between visits home.

  “I’d appreciate that, too, Doc. I appreciate everything you do.” Right after the accident, Cord had worked with Hamm to find a neurologist who was the best fit for his dad’s Parkinson’s. At the same time, he’d found out the man had previously been forced to deal with the diagnosis, for the most part, on his own. Cord’s dad hadn’t wanted to worry the family, so h
e’d held on to his secret until the accident no longer made that possible. “I’ll let you get back to it now.”

  Cord rose to leave, and they walked out of the room together, parting ways at the end of the hall. As Doc moved on to his next patient, Cord found himself standing just outside the office, in the main walkway of the medical plaza. On the opposite side of the lobby sat the Women’s Pavilion. Which was where Maggie should be right now.

  Which was not the reason he’d chosen now to stop by Hamm’s office.

  He remained in the hallway, not letting himself move toward the lobby. Maggie hadn’t wanted him to take her to work that morning. Additionally, she’d changed her mind about him bringing her to her appointment today. He’d discovered a text when he’d stepped out of the shower—which had proven that her phone did still receive texts; she’d never replied to the one he’d sent on Monday.

  When he’d hurriedly pulled on clothes and gone next door, he’d found her cabin already empty. So, he’d spent the morning checking in on Harper, instead. Her blood pressure had been up, but she also had an appointment with her OB today. Therefore, he didn’t let himself worry. Her doctor would be on top of things.

  Maggie, though . . . he couldn’t keep from worrying. Why had she suddenly pushed him away? What had her doctor said during her appointment? Was her blood pressure still okay?

  “Cord.”

  His name came from behind him, and when he turned, he found Arsula striding his way.

  He grinned at his brother’s fiancée. “Hey, gorgeous.” Cord had met Arsula several months before his brother had, and they’d become easy friends.

  “Don’t ‘hey, gorgeous,’ me.” She jabbed a finger in his chest.

  “Ow.” He pulled back. “What’s your issue?”

  “My issue?” Her hands went to her hips. “What’s your issue is the better question. Or, more accurately, what kind of a jerk are you?”