Irene chuckled. “Somehow, Beckett, I think maybe you are adding to that stress.”
“Thank you,” Laney said. “That’s the truth.”
He pulled a sheepish look. “Aww, well…maybe. Can you stay with her until I get back? I have to go with Jude.”
“Certainly.”
“Not necessary,” Laney said at the same moment. “I’m here to help Herm start breakfast just like every day. I don’t need a babysitter, and Irene has a medical practice to attend to.”
Irene grinned. “Well, Herm is walking slow today, his arthritis, I expect, so how about I help you crack some eggs while you’re waiting for him? I can scoot out when he gets here and the meal is under control. My first appointment isn’t until ten. You and I need a chance to chat anyway. Is that scenario agreeable to all parties?”
“Perfect,” Beckett said. “Thanks.”
Jude looked more resigned than pleased as he turned to Beckett. “If Kenny shows, you’re not to be involved, understand me, Beck?”
“Yes.”
Irene gaped. “Kenny? Isn’t that the name of…?”
Beckett nodded. “Pauline’s brother. He’s made threats against Laney. I think he’s behind the rock throwing.”
Her eyes rounded in shock. “He’s close? I read in the paper that he was paroled before Pauline was murdered, but I didn’t imagine he would settle here.”
“Like I said, he’s promised payback for what he thinks I did to his sister, and he’s not the type to shrug off a vow like that.”
“But I thought…” She blushed. “Well, I mean, since you were released from jail, I figured the whole thing was over.”
Beckett didn’t answer. With one final glance at Laney, he followed Jude out.
Irene’s face was still suffused with pink. “That was tactless of me.”
Laney filled the coffee machine with fresh grounds and added water before she pushed the brew button. “It’s okay. You walked into a mess, for sure.”
Irene washed her hands and fetched her favorite pink mug from the cupboard where Laney left it for her. “Are you okay? Truly? I can’t imagine how it feels to have Beckett reappear in your life after he’d asked you for a divorce.”
Laney watched morosely as the coffee began to drip into the carafe. “I haven’t had time to get used to it. He showed up yesterday, out of the blue. First I find a rattlesnake in the van, and then there he is, telling me Kenny is out for revenge. My head is spinning.”
Irene put a palm on her shoulder. “And…does he know about the baby?”
Tears pricked her eyes. “Yes, I had to tell him. I guess he has a right to know, but he promised to leave after this threat is dealt with.”
“Is that what you want?”
Laney’s chin went up. “Absolutely. The bond we had is broken. He’s not my husband any longer, except on paper.”
Irene hesitated before filling her cup with coffee. “People make mistakes, Laney, terrible mistakes. This could be a second chance for you. Why don’t you wrestle with it awhile and see if you change your mind?”
“I won’t.”
Irene sipped her coffee. “All right. I’m a doctor, not a counselor. The most important thing right now is taking care of you and the baby. Is the Monday checkup time still okay for you?”
Laney nodded. The same terror flooded in before every appointment, the worry that her baby might not make it, like the other tiny life she’d lost. At nineteen, she’d made terrible choices, desperate for love and protection, which had resulted in a pregnancy with a young man who’d dumped her as soon as he found out. Even though she’d been horrified to learn she was expecting, the miscarriage a month later left her with a bone-deep ache to be followed by the blow of discovering a uterine malformation would preclude any future pregnancies. And here she was…pregnant again. Though she would not breathe her fear into words, the surge of terror that she might lose this baby too was ever present.
Irene seemed to read her thoughts. “Everything is right as rain with the pregnancy.”
Laney nodded. Right as rain. The tension in her chest eased a bit. “Yes. I’ve been eating well, hydrating and taking my vitamins, just like my doctor recommends.”
Irene smiled. “Well, you do have an amazing doctor, but you have dark circles under your eyes. Expectant mommies need lots of rest.”
“Maybe expectant mommies who don’t run hotels.” Laney shook her head. “Don’t start fussing like Beckett.”
“Things must be strange for him too.” She paused. “When I heard he was back, I thought your situation might change. I figured he could start fresh now that he’s been released, and maybe you could too.”
The lemonade suddenly turned sickly sweet in Laney’s mouth and she set the glass down. Would it ever be over now? With Pauline’s killer free and her brother Kenny out for revenge? She had the disturbing feeling that a monstrous desert storm was about to bear down upon them again.
Over? Not by a long shot.
CHAPTER SIX
Beckett was careful not to crowd the back of Jude’s police vehicle as they headed east on Highway 374 to Beatty. He kept the window open, breathing in as deeply as he could. After being caged like an animal, he didn’t suppose he’d ever be able to get enough of wide-open spaces and clean desert air, the smell of freedom. He tried not to remember the raucous jail noises, the nauseating scent of sweat and industrial cleaner, the taste of cafeteria food he had to force himself to swallow.
That’s behind me now. But was it really? Was there some other enemy waiting to drop the next bombshell in addition to Kenny? Again he wondered if he would always be looking over his shoulder, waiting for the next explosion. It was not what Laney deserved, not that it mattered. Nothing had changed in that regard. He would forever be seen as a murderer, and he could not trap her in that same net.
He rolled the window farther down, hoping the rush of air would blow away his pain.
Beatty
