Protecting Her(20)

He nods. “You will. But don’t worry about that right now. Just enjoy being a father. By the way, do your parents know about the baby?”

“Yes. My mother actually came over and helped. My father still isn’t speaking to me.”

“He’ll come around.” Jack opens the door. “I’ll see you later. Get out of here early today and go spend time with your family.”

After he leaves, I get back to work, but I keep getting sidetracked thinking about how to help Shelby. But there’s nothing I can do. Even if there was, I couldn’t do it, because like Jack said, it could get me in trouble and I can’t risk it. I’m a husband. A father. I have a family. And I can’t put them, or myself, at risk.





CHAPTER SIX


Six Weeks Later


RACHEL

“Martha, we’re running out of room,” I say, laughing, as she hauls in more toys for Garret. Stuffed bears, stuffed footballs, stuffed basketballs. She comes over a couple times a week and every time she comes, she brings more stuff.

“Would you just let me spoil him?” she asks as she drops a kiss on his cheek. I’m holding him and standing by the door, watching as she sets down yet another shopping bag. She comes back and smiles at him. “Look at you. You’re getting so big. Tell your mommy that Granny Martha can buy you whatever she wants.”

I reach over and hug her. “Thank you, Martha. It’s very sweet of you to do all this. I’m sure when he’s older, he will love all these toys.”

Garret is now seven weeks old, and those weeks flew by. Everyone told me this time would go fast and they’re completely right. Before I know it, Garret will no longer be a baby. I wish I could slow down time, but it just keeps going and my little boy just keeps getting bigger.

“I don’t know how you do it, Rachel,” she says, looking me up and down.

“Do what?”

“How do you manage to look so good just seven weeks after giving birth? You lost all the weight and you don’t even look tired.”

“Pearce helps out a lot at night so I can sleep, and as for the weight, just taking care of Garret is a workout. Plus, I’ve been swimming every day. Garret sits in his swing and watches. He loves being outside. We’ll be sad when the weather gets cold. But Pearce bought me a membership for the gym in the next town over, so Garret and I will be going there all winter to use the pool.”

“Are you going to teach him how to swim?” She sets her purse down on the couch.

“Definitely. I’ve already had him in the water a few times and he loved it. Who knows? Maybe he’ll be on a swim team someday, like his mom.” I kiss him. “Would you like that, Garret? To be a swimmer?”

The phone rings from the kitchen. “Martha, do you want to hold him while I get the phone?”

“Like you have to ask.” She races over and takes him from me. She really does treat him like he’s her grandson. She spoils him rotten.

I pick up the phone. “Hello?”

“Rachel, this is Eleanor.”

“Hi, Eleanor. Are you coming over tomorrow?”

Eleanor comes over once a week now, usually on Fridays. I keep telling her she can come over more than that, but so far, she’s kept her visits to once a week, which is fine. It’s better than nothing. She’s much nicer to me now. That’s relative, of course. Most people would think she’s rude with some of the comments she makes, but compared to how she used to be, I consider her to be nice.

Holton still won’t talk to us or come see us. I don’t know if Holton and Eleanor are still fighting. They keep going to social functions together so it’s hard to say.

“I won’t be able to make it tomorrow,” she says, “but I was hoping the three of you could come here to the house for dinner on Sunday.”

“Oh. Okay,” I say, but then wonder if I should’ve agreed to it. I probably should’ve talked to Pearce first. He may not want to see his father.

“Cocktails will be at seven-thirty and dinner at eight.”

“Could it maybe be a little earlier? I don’t like to have the baby out that late.”

Actually, we’ve never taken Garret out at night at all. We’ve hardly taken him anywhere. We spend most of our time at home. He’s been to the grocery store and the park and around the neighborhood, but that’s about it.

“What time would work better for you?” She sounds annoyed.