Cox, Suzanne - Unexpected Daughter Read online

  “You’re being unfair, Cade.”

  He leaned in closer to her as a nurse hurried past. “You should know everything there is about being unfair. You’ve practiced it so well for the past nine years.”

  “I’m not going to stand in this hall and argue with you. It won’t help Dylan. I’m going to get a cup of coffee.”

  She left and for the first time he noticed her wet clothes. Lately, he had to keep reminding himself that he was still angry at her, that he couldn’t trust her. He had to admit that he’d felt something, a special connection with her, but that was before he’d learned the truth. If he were honest, he’d also admit that he’d found himself in love with Brijette again. Was love like that? Could it go away when he realized she’d done things she shouldn’t have, lied to him? That wasn’t how he’d imagined love would be. At the moment, distrust overrode everything else. If she’d lied and hid this from him, what else could she be hiding? He rubbed his hand across his eyes.

  Hearing footsteps, he looked up to see Dr. Lowe, the emergency-room physician, approaching.

  “Hi, Cade. Is Brijette around?”

  “She went for coffee. Is Dylan okay?”

  The other doctor glanced past Cade’s shoulder. “She’ll be fine. I need to talk to Brijette about what we’re going to do with that arm.”

  “You can talk to me. She’s my daughter and I’ll be seeing that she gets the medical care she needs.”

  Cade had to admit Dr. Lowe did a good job of hiding his shock. It didn’t work, but he tried.

  “Uh, okay.” He paused and appeared relieved as Brijette appeared at Cade’s side. Cade imagined he didn’t want to give the information in front of him even if he did claim to be Dylan’s father. Dr. Lowe barely knew Cade, who was still considered a stranger in Cypress Landing. The whole situation made him crazy. Brijette lied and when everyone found out, they still stood behind her.

  “I’m referring Dylan to an orthopedist in Baton Rouge. He does a lot of work with kids who have broken bones. I don’t think she needs surgery, but I’ve put an air cast on it and I’d like for him to see it and decide on further treatment. The nurse is making the appointment right now, but it should be for first thing in the morning.”

  Beside him, Brijette nodded as Dr. Lowe left.

  She turned to him. “I’ll have to take the day off from the clinic tomorrow to take Dylan to Baton Rouge.”

  Cade gritted his teeth. “I’m taking her.”

  He should’ve known that would spark her anger. Her hands knotted into fists and he thought briefly that she might actually hit him.

  “No matter what you think, I’m still her mother, and as of this second you don’t have a legal claim on her. So, I’ll be taking my daughter to the doctor.”

  “You’d better believe I’m going to change that as soon as possible. I’m talking with a lawyer right now to get custody of my daughter.” That was a lie. His mother had been urging him to do it but he kept putting her off.

  Brijette stared at the floor and pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. “We’re crazy to argue like this. We should both take her. It’s what she would want.”

  “But, how will they function at the clinic?” The question was automatic, though he couldn’t have cared less if they had to close for the day.

  “Doc Arthur can come in and help. He told me the other day he was ready to start seeing patients, and Andy will have to make do. We’ll cancel what appointments we can.”

  He hated to agree with her, but she was right. Dylan would be pleased if they both went. Since the girl had started to forgive her mother for keeping his identity secret, she’d been on track again, trying to get the two of them together. But she was no doubt beginning to realize it wasn’t going to be as easy as it was before.

  CADE RUBBED HIS FINGER along the windowsill, watching the drive. Brijette was due to arrive any minute.

  “I don’t know why you let her keep the girl overnight after what happened. You’re the doctor. She should have been with you.”

  Cade frowned, going to the kitchen table where his mother sat with a cup of coffee. Dylan wasn’t the only one with a mother who’d lied. Finding forgiveness for his mother wasn’t easy and he hadn’t done it completely, but he had invited her to stay at his house again.

  “She was hurt and wanted to stay with her mother. It’s only natural.”

  “Her mother’s the reason she got hurt in the first place. I can’t believe you’d let her go off in that boat to the middle of nowhere. It’s obviously a haven for criminals. But we already knew that because that’s where she’s from.”

  “That’s enough.” Cade wasn’t sure why he was coming to Brijette’s defense. “I especially don’t want to hear you talking like that around Dylan. Brijette is still her mother.”

  “I hope you’ll have sense enough now to sue for custody. I’m sure when a judge hears about this incident he’ll give it to you.”

  He played with his cup on the table without speaking.

  “Well, what are you thinking?”

  His fingers tightened around the warm ceramic. “It’s strange to me that you’re so determined I should get custody of a child you originally thought shouldn’t be born. And don’t say it’s a lie and that Brijette fabricated the whole thing. I talked to the lawyer who arranged the paperwork. Would it have been so wrong for us to marry and have a child?”

  His mother had the decency to look ashamed before she spoke. “You know what happened to my mother, how she got involved with that terrible man when I was young. It was a sick kind of love that killed her in the end.”

  “That has nothing to do with Brijette and me.”

  “Doesn’t it? You were crazy about her. There she was sitting in jail, arrested for drug possession, but you still claimed to love her and wanted to be with her. At least my telling you she asked for money to stay away from you brought you to your senses. At the time I had to think of you first, not the child she was carrying. For all I knew, it wasn’t even yours.”

  “Is that how you justify your lie? By saying that it brought me to my senses? You do realize that, in reality, you used a lie to get me to do what you wanted. Now that it’s clear Dylan is mine, I’ve got to do what’s right for the two of us.”

  “I agree, and you need to do whatever it takes to get full custody and bring her to Dallas with us.”

  Cade shook his head. “What’s so great about Dallas? After everything that’s happened, I can’t believe you’d want to stay there. Those people you call friends don’t even speak to you now.”

  “That’s not true. They’re busy. Besides, it’s the only life I know. I’m comfortable there.”

  Cade sighed. He didn’t know what was best for Dylan or for him, but he didn’t think dragging her hours away from her mother would make the child happy. He wasn’t sure it would make him happy.

  He could see the Tahoe approaching. He only knew that today the three of them would be going to the doctor. They’d be like a real family. He felt good, and he almost hated to admit the fact.

  “I’ll see you later.” He could feel his mother’s gaze boring into him.

  “Don’t let her trick you into falling in love again.”

  He glared at her. “I think you have my life confused with yours. My relationship with Brijette is nothing like the one your mother had with your stepfather. You’re so involved in the lifestyle you and your so-called friends lead. Why can’t you see there are a whole lot of people in Cypress Landing enjoying life and friends, and it has absolutely nothing to do with money?” His footsteps on the wood floor carried the sound of finality, even to him. He could have said more, but what was the point? She wasn’t likely to listen and he had more important things on his mind.

  DYLAN JUMPED FROM the car the minute it stopped rolling. Behind her, Mrs. Wheeler shouted for her to wait. She couldn’t yet call her dad’s mother grandmother, though Mrs. Wheeler had asked her to. Her dad said she didn’t have to until she felt like
it, and if she never felt like it that was okay, too. She was all right for a grandmother and she liked to buy her stuff. Today, she’d picked Dylan up at Norma’s and wanted to take her to town. It was early and Dylan hadn’t had breakfast, so she’d insisted they stop at Haney’s. As she waited for Mrs. Wheeler at the top of the steps, she giggled. The woman slowly picked her way across the rocky parking lot, staring at the ancient gas tanks sitting out front. Cade’s mom was used to the city, and life in Cypress Landing seemed to be like life on another planet to her. She had a hunch the woman would be upset when she realized the real reason Dylan had insisted they have breakfast here.

  Mrs. Wheeler finally made it to the top step and the young girl pushed open the door to the store.

  “Dylan!” Four different voices called her name. She ran to the small table and made her way around, giving her best grandpa hugs to the four old men playing dominoes. She might not have grown up with a real grandparent before now but that didn’t mean she didn’t have any.

  From the front counter, Janie waved at her. “What do you mean going to hug those old farts before you give me one?”

  Dylan laughed and squeezed past the potato-chip rack to get to Janie. “I had to make sure who’s winning so I can sit by the right one.”

  The gray-haired woman winked at her. Finally, her grandmother appeared in front of the counter with a not-so-happy look on her face. She frowned even more as she watched Janie pile eggs and grits onto the plate she passed to Dylan.

  “This is Cade’s mother,” Dylan said. “He’s my dad, you know, so that makes her my grandmother.”

  “I’m Janie.” The store clerk reached across the counter and Dylan thought for a second her grandmother would refuse Janie’s slightly greasy hand, but finally, she gave it a shake.

  “Aren’t you going to tell her your name?” she asked.

  “Well, you told her I was Cade’s mother, so I’m sure she can figure out that I’m Mrs. Wheeler.”

  “No, I mean your first name.”

  Janie squeezed her shoulder. “Dylan, not everybody likes to go by first names when they meet.”

  “Ellen. Ellen Wheeler,” her grandmother replied, though Dylan thought she didn’t seem pleased at being forced to share that information.

  Dylan smiled at her as she trotted around the counter to the domino table. Grady Redding had a chair positioned next to his.

  She watched her grandmother, who was still waiting in front of the counter, as if Dylan might actually be ready to go. Was she in for a surprise. “Get breakfast and sit there.” She pointed to the table across from where she and the men were playing. Her grandmother didn’t get food, but took a seat at the table Dylan had pointed to.

  “This is Ellen Wheeler. She’s Cade’s mother,” Dylan announced. She’d decided not to waste time waiting for her grandmother to introduce herself. She wondered if everybody in the city was this unfriendly with strangers.

  “You’ve got yourself a mighty fine granddaughter, here,” the man sitting nearest her grandmother informed her.

  The woman nodded her agreement. As Dylan helped Grady play his turn, the four gentlemen pelted her grandmother with questions. Two of the men weren’t married, and Dylan nearly snickered as she imagined they might be flirting with her grandmother. If she realized it, the woman would die. Dylan could tell Ellen Wheeler didn’t really like Cypress Landing or the people who lived here. But Dylan was determined to make her get to know them. Most adults thought kids were deaf and dumb and couldn’t see what was going on. But Dylan knew her grandmother wanted Cade to go live in Dallas, and she wanted Dylan to go with them. But where did that leave her mom? Besides, she liked Cypress Landing, even though the city might be fun for a while.

  After they left Haney’s, Dylan let her grandmother think they were going to wander around and shop, but she had one more destination in mind. Dragging the woman into the children’s clothing store, she didn’t stop until they were standing next to a group of women gathered around a quilting frame.

  “Hey, y’all, this is my grandmother.”

  She didn’t miss the pleased glance her grandmother gave her, and she felt a bit guilty for purposely saying it like that. But she had to do whatever she could to try to get the woman to see this town wasn’t so bad.

  Her grandmother hesitantly started asking questions about the quilt. One of the ladies pointed to a chair, telling her to pull it up to the table and join them.

  Her grandmother sat down in the chair.

  “I’m going next door to Mrs. Cecile’s to paint.” Dylan plunged through the clothing racks, escaping before her grandmother had a chance to stop her. She heard the ladies laughing as she pushed through the door and onto the sidewalk. Her grandmother hadn’t been nearly as difficult as she’d expected. Her mother and Cade were going to take much more work.

  CADE STARED at his mother as she went into great detail about the intricate workings of quilt-making. He glanced at his uncle, who wore an interested expression, but Cade didn’t miss the glint of amusement in his eye. He took a bite of his jambalaya and chewed to hide his own smile. Whatever had gotten into his mother had her suddenly excited about something that in her regular circle of friends would have been completely foreign. Dylan had a hand in this, no doubt. He was amazed that a nine-year-old could figure out exactly what would get his mother to connect with small-town life when he hadn’t been able to figure it out himself.

  “Did you hear me, Cade?”

  “No, sorry. I was thinking about my schedule at the clinic tomorrow.”

  “I’ve decided to stay here another week. The ladies are trying to get some quilts ready for a competition, and they’d like me to help.”

  She glanced at her watch and took a most unlady-like gulp of her tea. “I’ve got to go. Ilene Brinson is going to get me started on some squares so I can have them ready for tomorrow afternoon.”

  She gave them both a huge smile that Cade hadn’t seen in…well, he couldn’t remember. Then, she hurried away.

  He and his uncle sat staring at each other in silence. Slowly, Arthur smiled and soon they were both laughing.

  “I can’t believe my mother is going to help make a quilt. Her friends in Dallas would be horrified.”

  “I told you, Cade. There’s a different side to your mother that hasn’t seen the light of day in a long time.”

  “Well, I hope she keeps that side out for a while. I think I might actually like it.”

  His uncle broke off a piece of bread and nodded. “I think we would all like it, including her.”

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  “THE BOY DOESN’T KNOW anything that’s of much use. He’d been trying to make some quick and easy money.”

  Jackson rested his big frame against the post on the front porch of Haney’s store. Brijette sighed, thinking about the trouble T.J. had gotten himself into. She glanced through the window where she could see Dylan inside playing dominoes with the men the girl always called her grandpas, even though she’d been here last week with her real grandmother. It was Thursday, and although the sheriff’s department had recovered Doc Arthur’s boat, they hadn’t released it yet, so she’d decided to take the day off and spend it with Dylan.

  She turned her attention back to Jackson. “What had T.J. been doing with them? He has a young wife and a baby at home.”

  “Just running packages on the river from different pick-up and drop-off points. He doesn’t know for sure what was in the packages, or if he does, he isn’t saying. He sure doesn’t know who the boss is, or else he should be an actor, but I think he’ll give us the names of the other men on the boat soon enough. He swears he didn’t know they were going to attack you. Are you sure you haven’t noticed something you’re not telling me?”

  She stuck her fists into the pockets of her shorts. “There is one thing. You know how I told you I found that one set of prints at both sites and how the prints looked a bit odd?” She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I only realized
it recently—I had a feeling but couldn’t pin it down. Then I remembered. I’ve seen that track before, but in a different place. It was at Jody Mills’s house the night he died. I saw them before I found him. The shape and the stride were unusual and that’s why I noticed them, but when I found Jody, well, I never thought of it again, until now.”

  The big man crossed his arms in front of his chest. “And you knew this for how long?”

  “A day or two. I would have come to you sooner, but honestly, I wasn’t sure if I was being paranoid or not.”

  “You think this person might have killed Jody?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t know how many other tracks were there or how old they were. I didn’t work the case.”

  Jackson scratched the stubble on his chin. “We might’ve benefited from your help, but you and I both know after you were the first one on the scene and found the body, it was better for you not to have anything to do with the investigation.”

  She nodded, not wanting to recall the time when her friend had died.

  Jackson raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve got to tell you something you won’t like. I’ve already been to the clinic and broken the news to them.”

  Brijette’s stomach tightened. She didn’t like the sound of this.

  “We arrested one of the nurses at your clinic and her son last night. The Carson lady.”

  “What?”

  “We’d been watching the son for a while, and when the time was right for the arrest we got him and his mother.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’d been watching my coworker’s son?”

  Jackson’s face hardened. “You don’t get to know everything, Brijette. But I guess that explains a lot of the prescriptions from your office.”

  She tried to collect her thoughts. “Do you think Mrs. Carson and her son are involved with the people who took the boat?”

  “You’re asking the same questions we’ve been asking, but we don’t have an answer. If I had to guess, I’d say yes, it’s all related. But we don’t have enough information to say for certain, not yet.”