Rhett by Margaret McHeyzer
Crying, I drive away from Rhett.
Not only are there tears streaming down my cheeks, but my heart and soul were both destroyed by Rhett’s reaction. I knew he was going to lose his shit. But to say I’ve been cheating on him? That’s a major douche move.
I have no plans, no money, and nowhere to go. I’m afraid to close my eyes, and I’m afraid to leave them opened. I’m not even twenty-three, working two jobs, and only barely making it. Now, I’m fucking pregnant too.
What am I going to do?
If I have this baby, all I’ll be able to give it is a life of hardship because I can’t afford to give it what it deserves. But I’m not sure I can live with the alternative either. I don’t know what to do. And the one person I was hoping would be there to help me through this has essentially told me our relationship was built on conditions.
I pull up in front of Elle’s Café, and take a deep breath. This is just one big mess.
I get out of my car, and walk to the front so I can unlock and prepare for the day, albeit earlier than normal.
I open the door, and notice the alarm has already been turned off. “Hello?” I call, not expecting a reply.
“Dani, what are you doing here so early?” Elle calls from the large storeroom.
I take a few seconds to compose myself, and walk out to find Elle standing in the storeroom with her tablet, looking at what we have. “Morning, Dani. Whoa, what the hell?” she says when she turns to see me. She ushers me out of the storeroom and wraps me in her arms. “Are you okay?” I shake my head, unable to speak. Elle steps back, and turns to prepare a coffee for each of us.
“Thank you.” I pick up the coffee and sip on it. “I’m fine,” I finally reply.
She raises her brows, and purses her lips together. “What’s going on?”
“Why are you here? Where’s Ezra?”
“Jake’s taking care of him so I could come here and see what’s happening and if we need anything.” She looks around. “I’ve put in an order for more mugs, and more cutlery.”
“Okay,” I say as I sip on my coffee. Elle hasn’t taken her eyes off me. “I’m fine, really.”
“Now tell me the truth. What’s happening? Are you and Rhett okay?”
I place my mug on the counter, and burst into tears again. “It’s such a mess.” I reach across and grab a napkin to wipe at my eyes. “A total disaster.”
“Did he hurt you?” she asks in a protective tone.
“Rhett? God no. Well, yes, but not how you think. He’d never hurt me like that.”
“Then what is it?”
I stare at my coffee mug, blinking rapidly trying to find the courage. “I’m pregnant.”
“How wonderful!” Elle cheers. My lack of enthusiasm dulls her happiness. “Oh, I see. He doesn’t want the baby?”
“He accused me of cheating on him. He said, it couldn’t be his because we’ve been using protection.”
She sucks in an audible deep breath. “Shit. What happened?”
I cover my face with my hand so she can’t see, and sob. “I left.”
“Dani, my God!” She grabs me and hugs me tightly. “Is that why you’re here early?” I nod. “Take today off. I’ll stay. You go home and talk to that boy.”
I step away from her, shaking my head. “No. He accused me of trying to trap him, Elle. I can’t go back there. Besides, it’s not my home anymore.”
Elle lets her head roll back as she sighs. “Jesus, what a mess.”
“Yep,” I agree.
Elle straightens her shoulders, and pulls her phone out of pocket. She dials a number, and holds it to her ear. Instantly, she smiles. “Yes, I know it’s early.” She listens for a moment. “We’re all fine.” She listens some more. “Ezra is probably giving his daddy grief.” Elle smiles. “I’m calling for a favor.” She looks at me and winks. “I’m sending Dani over to you, she needs the stable.” She smiles while she’s looking at me. “Nothing like that, I’ll let her explain when she arrives.” Elle holds a finger up to me. “She’ll be there soon. Thank you.”
“The stable?” I ask when Elle places the phone on the counter.
“You have a place to stay at May’s.”
Of course. May. The matriarch of Hope River. The woman who has lived here all her life, and knows nearly everything about nearly everyone, but never dares to speak about other people’s business. “I didn’t even think to call her.”
“You’re not working today. I’m giving you the day to get your head together, alright?”
“I need the money, Elle. Especially if I’m going to have this baby. I’m going to need to buy everything. And considering Rhett doesn’t want anything to do with us, he’s not going to help. I have to stay and work.”
Elle places her hands on my shoulders and smiles widely. “Don’t worry about the money. As far as buying everything for the baby, I have nearly everything you need. Ezra’s growing so fast that he’s certainly not going to need the crib for too much longer.” She drapes me in another much-needed hug. “Everything will work out. But, for today, head over to May’s.”
I take a deep breath, and slowly nod. “Thank you. I need to get my head straight, and figure out what I have to do.”
“Rhett’s reaction wasn’t very kind. I’m not trying to justify it, but maybe he’s scared too. If you decide to do this on your own, just remember, you’ve always got me.”
“I don’t know what I’m going to do, Elle. I might not even have this baby.” I place my hand to my stomach, as if I’m already protecting it.
“You have big decisions to make, and no matter what, I’m here for you.”
“Thank you.” I give Elle another hug, before leaving the café and heading just outside Hope River where May lives.
As I drive out to May’s property, my phone hasn’t stopped ringing. The constant sound isn’t giving me any chance to even think about anything that’s happened since Rhett arrived home this morning.
All I know is I’m twenty-two, now homeless, and pregnant with very little money to my name. What a fucked-up mess.
I pull into the long dirt driveway, and head up to May’s house. She’s sitting out on the porch, sipping her morning coffee. She sees me, and waves me up to where she is. Leaving my suitcase in the car, I get out and walk up. “Hello, Dani. I haven’t seen you for a while.”
“Hi, May.” She purses her lips together, and clicks her tongue to the roof of her mouth. “Gran,” I quickly correct. May’s not my gran, but nearly everyone calls her Gran. It’s her way of telling people she cares about them.
She gestures for me to sit beside her. “Got yourself in some kind of trouble, have you?”
“Not exactly,” I start. “Do you know Rhett Morgan?”
“The youngest of the three Morgan brothers over at Mulberry Point? All three are firefighters.” Of course, she knows them. She knows nearly everyone.
“Yeah, him.”
“Uh-huh. Go on.” She sits sipping her coffee, just waiting for me to tell her what brings me here.
“We’re dating. Um, we were dating. Are...were. I don’t know.”
“Yes, I know all of this. His brother Alec bought a house with Serena, and now you and Rhett are living in Alec’s house.”
“Yeah, we were.”
A chicken appears from the side of the house, and struts over to us. May shoos it away. “Damn chicken,” she scolds. “I’ll pluck you and make chicken soup.” The chicken bak-baks and keeps cruising the porch. She returns her attention to me. “Keep going.”
A part of me doesn’t want to tell May until I’ve made a decision of what I should do about this pregnancy. But, she also deserves to know the truth as to why I’m here. “Long story short, I’m pregnant.”
May doesn’t react. No happiness, no sadness, nothing. “I take it the boy didn’t react positively?”
“That’s putting it mildly.” I look out over her sprawling land feeling more at peace here. “He basically accused me of sleeping around.”
“Oh!” Gran sucks in a sharp breath.
“Said I was trying to trap him.”
“Shit.”
“And kept denying the baby is his.”
“Men can be total assholes, my sweet girl. Total assholes.” May brings her mug to her lips, and sighs before taking another sip. “When did you find out you’re pregnant?”
“Yesterday.”
“When did you and Rhett fight?”
“This morning.”
“I take it you’re unsure about what to do?” I look at May and bring my shoulders up, uncertain of my future. “The way I see it, you have only three choices. You can have the baby and bring it up, you can abort, or you can put it up for adoption. Whichever decision you choose isn’t going to be an easy one.”
“I have very little money, nowhere to live, and Rhett doesn’t believe the baby is his. Not only that, but Rhett’s hurt me badly. I don’t want anything from him.”
“Men can be idiots, sweet girl. Especially when they’re not thinking clearly.” She reaches across and gently pats my hand. “I don’t envy your position. However, you don’t have to worry about one thing.”
“What’s that?”
She pointedly looks over toward the stable. “That is your home for as long you want to stay here. Unless you want to move in with your parents.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Yeah, that’s not even an option.”
“What do you mean?” Gran tilts her head to the side.
“My parents left seven years ago. Left me a hundred dollars and took off.”
“What? How did I never know this?”
“I’m pretty good at hiding things. I didn’t want anyone to know, so I never told anyone.”
“Where were you living?”
“Over at the trailer park.” May’s brows rise. “They looked after me there. Helped me when my parents first left me, but, now...” I run my hand across the tension of my forehead. “My trailer has probably been rented out already. So, it looks like you’re stuck with me.” A humorless chuckle bursts out of me.
“The stable is small, but it’s clean and efficient. It’s enough for you and the baby—if you choose to keep it—for as long as you want.”
“How much will the rent be?” I brace myself, because I know it’s bigger than my trailer, so it has to be more expensive than it too.
“Didn’t Elle tell you? First three months are rent free, then it’s one hundred a month due on the first of every month,” she says.
One hundred a month? Is she kidding? Not to mention, three months free rent. What? “No, Elle didn’t say anything. And a hundred a month? And three months free rent? I’m...” I can’t bring myself to say the words. I keep shaking my head, doubtful of this phenomenal price.
“Too much? I’m afraid that’s to cover utilities.”
“Too much?!” I protest. “Gran, that’s not enough. I have to pay you more.”
She flicks her hand dismissively in the air. “Ask Hope how much I charged her while she was staying here. And her brother, Charlie. Do you want me to call them for you to check?” She produces her phone from beside her and waves it to me.
“No, please. Sorry, I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. It’s just, your offer is incredibly generous, and I’m grateful for it. I guess I’m...” I sigh as tears prickle my eyes. “My parents never wanted me, Gran. Then the trailer community came together to help me, then Rhett and his family, and now you. I guess, I never really felt worthy of so much help.”
“We all deserve to feel wanted, cherished, and loved. What your parents did.” She shakes her head and waggles her crinkly old finger. “That’s not love.”
“I guess, a big thing for me is if I have this child, will I do to him or her, what my parents did to me?”
“No chance in hell you’d turn into your parents. I’d kick your ass,” she says, sure of herself.
I look down to my feet with an overwhelming feeling of fear. What if I am like my parents? In the quieter space between May and me, my thoughts are jumbled. “Do you mind if I go lay down?”
May turns and scoops up a keyring with two keys on it. “This one is for the sliding door. And this one here is for bathroom door. I have no idea why I put a lock on the bathroom door to start with, but anyway.” She offers me the keys.
I take them and hold them tight in my hand. “Thank you for helping me.”
“Dani, you may feel like you’re drowning right now, but rest assured, it’s not as bad as you think. You’re surrounded by amazing people who will all help you. You’re not in this alone.”
Standing, I give May a hug. I know she thinks I’m not alone. But I’m the one who’s living in a stable with nothing of value to her name. Hell, even my car is on its last legs. It’s only a matter of time before it breaks down and I can’t afford to fix it. I know May is trying to be optimistic, but let’s face it, I don’t have a lot to be hopeful about.
I grab my suitcase from the car, and head into the converted stable. Opening the glass sliding door, I struggle to hold in the heaviness of my breath. I look around the small kitchen, dining and living room combined, and sigh. My shoulders flatten as I stand looking at my new home.
It’s nice, warm, and clean. What more do I need?
My phone rings and I slide it out of my pocket. Dozens and dozens of missed calls from Rhett, followed by even more text messages from him. I turn off my phone, and take a deep breath. Collapsing to a boneless heap on the ground, my body trembles as the tears rip through me. This morning has been a clusterfuck.
I wish I never fell in love with Rhett Morgan.
I wish I was brave enough to believe that.
