They walked through the store pausing at the women’s better casual wear where Lane selected three pairs of leggings and three long sweaters. They wandered to the maternity wear. “It’s just to browse.” Lane told Jess.
Since Lane still wore suits to the office, she was pleased that there were some dresses and skirts with maternity panels. She hated to try things on in the store, but knew from experience that even though they said you should buy your “normal” size that maternity wear didn’t fit quite the same. She selected a dress and a black skirt and walked toward the dressing room.
“You want me to come with you or stay out here?” Jess said as Lane turned toward the dressing room.
“Come with, I could use another set of eyes.”
When the men got back to the house, Jamie took Gabe outside to play hoops on the basketball court and Ben excused himself and went to his office to continue working on his trial strategy. Rosella Garcia had indeed killed her ex-boyfriend. That was a fact that no one disputed. Jury selection was set to begin on Monday and Ben intended to convince the jury, that even though it appeared Juan Rameriz had been shot in the back, Rosella had acted in self-defense. He was reviewing the independent medical examiner’s report when his cell phone rang.
“Bellini.”
“It’s Tanner. I just left Freddy. Seems there’s some serious money being laid down on Rockhurst. The odds changed last night after news of Coach Ferguson’s death hit the streets. I’m stopping at the hospital next. I want to check on the Harper kid again, see when he’s going to be released. His hospitalization still isn’t public knowledge. You follow the games. How much will Harper be missed if he can’t play?”
Ben had been watching the football team play together since Jamie was a freshman. “The backup quarterback is good. In truth, there probably won’t be much difference.” Ben rubbed the back of his neck. “The whole thing makes no sense. It may be the state championship, but it’s still high school football for God’s sake.”
Ben heard boisterous voices coming from the kitchen. Jamie and Gabe hadn’t stayed outside long. “Call me after you finish at the hospital.”
Ben ambled into the kitchen to find Jamie rummaging in the freezer and coming out with a bag of frozen peas. He looked over to the table to see Gabe was sitting there, listing to one side.
Jamie looked up to see Ben leaning against the doorjamb and gave a half grin. “Apparently we play a rougher game of round ball in Kansas than they do in Hollywood.”
Jamie handed the bag of frozen peas to Gabe who took it and held it against his left side. “I’m pretty sure nothing’s broken. Give me a couple of hours and I’ll be ready for a rematch.”
Jamie looked at Gabe. “I’m really sorry.” He looked at Ben. “We both went up for the rebound. I got the ball and caught him in the ribs with my elbow coming down with it.”
Ben shook his head. “You might want to take the rest of the day for recovery time. The game tomorrow with Jake and the Bellini brothers will make Jamie’s game look tame.” Besides, he thought, no one here wants to explain Gabe getting hurt to Jess.
Gabe had gone to his room to take a hot shower and Ben was sitting at the table with Jamie when Lane and Jess came home. Ben stood to take the bags from Jess and followed Lane into the master suite. They needed to talk and there was no time like the present.
Chapter 15
Ben placed the shopping bags on the bed and put his arms around his wife. He knew the phrase, we need to talk, always made her anxious, yet how else was he supposed to initiate this conversation? He wanted to soften her angst as much as possible.
He kissed her. “I love you. Did you have a good day shopping?” He said as he sat on the chair near the bed and pulled her onto his lap.
She nestled her head against his shoulder. “Yes, I got a couple of things to tide me over. Of course, I’ll need serious maternity wear before we know it.”
He stroked her hair as he kissed her forehead. “There’s something I want to talk with you about.”
“Is it Jamie? Has something else happened?” She was unable to mask the worry from her voice.
“Everyone is fine. It’s a sort of story that I want to tell you.” He kissed her cheek. “Just listen. Eighteen years ago, while I was a student at Creighton, I used a fake ID to go out with friends and one night I met a woman. We spent the night in a hotel room at one of the casinos in Council Bluffs. The next morning, while she was sleeping, I got up and went to find some aspirin and breakfast. When I got back to the room, she was gone. I waited in the room until checkout time thinking that maybe she’d had the same idea, but she never returned. I spent the better part of the next week in a failed attempt to find her.”
Lane sat quietly on his lap as he talked; her head still nestled on his shoulder. He stroked her hair and kissed her head as he told his story. When he began talking, she first wondered why he was dredging up stories of old girlfriends. After all, when they first became engaged, she’d told him she didn’t need to know about any of them. As he continued, though, the pieces began to fall into place and she realized the story was about her, about them. She leaned back to look at his face.
“That’s an interesting story. I have a similar one. Shortly after Philip left me, I was out with friends at a bar in one of the casinos in Council Bluffs. There was a group of guys there. We drank and danced. I got very drunk, and the next morning, I woke up naked and alone in a hotel room. I felt abandoned and ashamed. I quickly got dressed, took my embarrassment and shame, and went home.”
He kissed her. “I’m so sorry. I should have left a note, but I didn’t want to disturb her. You, I didn’t want to disturb you. You were sleeping so soundly, and it seemed like you really needed the rest.”
She looked at him. Knowing both sides of the story explained so much, but she had no idea what bearing it had on anything today. “Ben, why are you telling me this?”
He shifted her and stood. Holding her hand, he walked toward his closet and the safe that held the paternity results. “I have something I need to show you.” He entered the combination into the safe, pulled out the test results, and handed the paper to her.
She read the words on the page, read them again slowly, and then, looked at Ben. “You’re Jamie’s father?” She whispered in bewilderment.
After the confessions they’d both made, she knew that he was the man she’d spent that one night with all of those years ago. He was the man who had helped her forget about Philip and feel desirable again before leaving her alone to deal with her embarrassment. She’d chosen to believe she hadn’t had wild and crazy sex with a stranger all night, but the proof was in her hand.
Ben pulled her into a loving embrace, and kissed the top of her head. “So it seems, and now, we need to figure out how we’re going to tell him.”
They stood in Ben’s closet, Lane with her head against her husband’s chest, as the gravity of this new reality sank in. Apparently, this man had the most potent sperm on the planet. Twice now, she’d gotten pregnant from one instance of unprotected sex with him. And, the instance eighteen years ago meant that Jamie was not Philip’s son, but Ben’s. She often worried about Jamie. He was such an easy child to raise with his pleasant, happy, agreeable temperament; but she worried that beneath the surface there was an ember of anger just waiting for something to cause it to erupt. Learning that his whole life had been a lie just might be the match that would light the fire.
“I’m open to suggestions.” She finally said as she gave the report a shake. “Tell me, when and why you had this test run.”