Marrying mr wright, p.40
Marrying Mr. Wright, page 40
part #3 of Mysterious Ways Series
“No. I’m calling to check on Amber.”
“She seemed a hair better when she left.”
“Left? Where’d she go?”
“Jackson, she said.”
“When?”
“Not long after you headed out. She told me not to worry because she wasn’t going alone.”
“Did Will or one of the other guys go with her?”
“No, they’re all here, so I figure she must’ve meant Miss Carrie. Didn’t she say anything to you about it?”
“No.” Now I’m worried and confused. Had she been the one driving the truck he’d seen headed for the Walkers’ that morning? Why hadn’t she told him she needed to go to Jackson? He’d have taken her, regardless of the consequences it might’ve brought for a horse. “Did she say when to expect her back?”
“No, boss. Are you gonna turn around and come home?”
Ben considered it then sighed. “I’m not sure.” Lord, what am I supposed to do?
Trust Me, son.
Alright, Lord. I’ll leave her in Your hands. Just… please settle my heart about it.
“Boss?”
“Um… I’m going on. I’m more than halfway there. I’ll call later to make sure she made it back.”
“Sure thing.”
He tossed the cellphone on the seat. Why had Amber gone to Jackson, and why stop at the Walkers’ on the way? Better question, why didn’t she tell me she wanted to go? Why wait until I’d left to do it?
No answers came. Ben sighed. Might as well get something to eat while I’m here. Otherwise I’ll have to stop again down the road.
~ ~ ~
“Mrs. Wright?” That nice doctor’s voice penetrated sleep.
Amber opened her eyes and peered up at him. Heather would faint over those eyes. She loves blue eyes. I’m partial to darker eyes, like Ben’s. She frowned. I should’ve talked to him this morning, like a sane, rational person. Instead, I sent him away, and I didn’t even ask exactly where he was going! I have no idea what part of the state he’s in, or even if he’s in the state. What was I thinking?
Dr. Carmack smiled. “You look more alert.”
“Not so… groggy.” She grimaced. “Does dehydration make you stupid?”
“It can impair judgment and muddy a person’s ability to think clearly, but I don’t think it’ll make someone stupid.”
She groaned and glanced at Ashley, who had stood up and moved to her side. “I should’ve talked to Ben this morning. I’m such an idiot.”
The doctor chuckled. “I can’t speak to that. However, I changed the bag of Ringer’s Lactate Solution. I want to keep those going until I’m confident you’re sufficiently hydrated. I also drew blood for the tests I need to run.”
“You did? I didn’t feel a thing.” She’d never had someone come at her with needles without her wanting to run from them.
“I’m gifted.” He grinned.
“Are you married?”
His brows shot skyward. “No. Why do you ask?”
“I have a friend who’d think you’re wonderful.” She clamped her mouth shut and flicked her gaze to Ashley, who appeared to be trying valiantly not to laugh. “Did I actually say that out loud?”
Ashley nodded.
Amber groaned. “I told Ben to let me die. He should’ve listened.” She met the doctor’s sparkling eyes. “I’m sorry. I think dehydration has released my inner Carrie. She tends to say what’s on her mind without filtering it.”
“Is that the friend you were talking about?”
She shook her head. “Heather lives in Chicago. She’d never move here. She thrives on city life.” Am I rambling?
“I understand.” Dr. Carmack nodded. “I attended med school in Chicago. My family’s there, too. I came to Wyoming because I wanted less rat-race and more one-on-one with a smaller pool of patients.”
“Do you expect a woman to be a mindless doormat without an opinion or a life of her own so she can focus fully on supporting you and your career?”
“Heavens, no. I’d go crazy.” He scowled. “Who’d want that?”
“You’d be surprised.” My father. Spencer. Colin. Victor. Bruce. The list could go on and on. Heather has no idea what she’s missing in Wyoming. Maybe I should tell her.
“Not your husband, I hope.”
Smiling, Amber shook her head. “Ben’s wonderful. He wants me to be me, no matter what anyone else thinks.”
“Glad to hear it. I’ll be right back. I’m going to check the bloodwork and grab a couple of things for you.”
The moment the door closed, Amber looked at Ashley. “I am so stupid. Why did I get so upset? Ben isn’t Spencer.” She shuddered. “They’re nothing alike, thank God, and he’s not like the guy I knew in college. Erik avoided marriage altogether, not just children. Ben obviously doesn’t have that problem.”
“Have you two used protection?”
“I never gave it a thought.” Wasn’t that something responsible adults discussed with their spouses? “I’m a total sex-ed failure.”
“Ben, too, from the sound of things.” Ashley grinned.
“What about you and Trevor?”
The woman shook her head. “We’re letting things fall where they may.” She half-grinned. “Travis will have a field day with this, you know.”
“Why?”
“Ben got his wife pregnant before Trevor did.”
“Getting married and having children isn’t a competition.”
“Honestly, I think Travis treats it that way to annoy Trevor and Ben.”
The door opened, and the doctor returned. “Alright. Blood tests look pretty good. The off values should correct with full rehydration. Your white blood cell count is elevated, which is normal when you’ve been fighting an illness. I want to see you in a couple of weeks to run bloodwork again.”
Amber nodded. “Can I sit up now?”
“Don’t move too fast. We don’t need you to get dizzy and hit the floor.” He stayed close, as though she might do that.
She sat up and lowered her legs over the side of the exam table.
“Any dizziness, lightheadedness, or blurred vision?”
“No.”
“Good.” Dr. Carmack flipped a little tab near the top of the plastic line on the IV. The bag attached to it was empty. “I think we can dispense with this, but I need you to continue taking fluids orally. I’m afraid you’re stuck here until I know your kidneys are working as they should, so drink lots. Let me know if the nausea starts again; I can give you something for it.” He carefully removed the needle from the back of her left hand then reached for a bottle of water and a stack of brochures he’d brought. “For you. Drink up. One of the brochures includes a list of websites and books you might want to check out.”
She riffled through them, focusing on one containing information about what to expect the next several weeks. “So morning sickness….”
“I’m afraid it won’t go away for at least a few weeks. I won’t lie to you though. Some women experience it through most or all of their pregnancies.” He dropped onto the stool and wheeled it over.
“Yay….”
“Be sure to drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration makes the symptoms worse.” He pointed to the spot on her forehead. “You may have acne for a while, too.”
“Ick.” She grimaced. “I didn’t even have it as a teenager. Why do I have to get it now?”
Dr. Carmack grinned. “On behalf of all of us who battled it as teens, I’d say it’s justice. Now start on that bottle of water. If you’d like, before you leave, we can do an ultrasound.”
Amber nodded, cracked the seal on the bottle, and took a big swallow. She continued to drink as she read the pamphlet. Her gaze locked on one sentence. Heat crawled into her face. “Um… is this true?” She rotated the paper and pointed.
Glancing at it, he grinned. “Yep. A lot of women experience a dramatic increase in libido as they head into the second trimester. It’s perfectly normal. You should prepare your husband.”
Amber bit back a grin. Ben certainly hadn’t balked so far when she’d been the one to start things. “Do men actually have a problem with their wives wanting more sex?”
Dr. Carmack crossed his arms loosely over his chest and scooted the stool back and forth a few inches. “Some of them fear hurting their wives or the babies. Unless there’s a problem with the pregnancy, it’s not an issue. If necessary, I can talk to your husband, allay any concerns.”
Amber nodded.
“Any other questions?”
She shook her head. “I’ll read through all of this tonight.”
“If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call.” The doctor pushed to his feet then shoved the stool under the counter. “I’m at your beck-and-call.” He grabbed a business card off the counter and handed it to her. “The number in the lower corner will reach me even nights and weekends. Just, please, use it only if you really need it.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t forget to make a follow-up appointment. If you want, bring your husband, and we can discuss your options more in-depth.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
~ ~ ~
The sun rested just above the peaks at Grand Teton to the west by the time Amber and Ashley left Dr. Carmack’s office.
“I’m so sorry, Ashley. I had no idea it had gotten so late. We’ve been here all day.” Amber slipped into the passenger seat without hesitation. Ashley hadn’t offered the keys, and truth be told, Amber was content to let someone else take the wheel. She’d never been overly fond of driving.
“It’s okay. I called Trevor while you slept not long after we got here, to let him know we could be a while, so he wouldn’t worry.”
“Did you tell him why we were here?”
“Only that you were sick.” Ashley smiled softly.
Surprise flitted through her. “You didn’t tell him I might be pregnant?”
“No. I wasn’t sure you wanted me to say anything about that yet.”
“Thanks,” Amber mumbled, pulling the ultrasound photo from her purse to study it. “How do I tell Ben?”
“Seems to me, honesty is the best option.” Ashley shrugged. “Works for me and Trevor, anyway.”
“Ben and I did promise to be honest with each other.” Amber stared out the windshield as Ashley eased the truck out of the parking space and into light traffic. “I really blew that.”
Silence descended, lingering for several long minutes, until they left Jackson behind.
Ashley sighed. “I don’t know if you know this or not, but I lost my mom to cancer when I was eleven.”
“I hadn’t heard.” Amber shook her head. “I’m sorry. Were you close?”
“Very much so.” She cast a quick smile sideways then refocused on the road. “At one point, she got really sick from the treatments. Ended up badly dehydrated. Pretty much everything she said and did defied logic and reason. Once they rehydrated her, everything returned to normal, but it was kinda scary there for a day or so.” She reached over to lightly squeeze Amber’s left hand. “Even as a child, I understood when the doctors explained what had happened. Ben’ll certainly understand, if you explain it to him.”
“He won’t be home until tomorrow afternoon.” Amber scowled. “I really don’t want to tell him this over the phone.”
“I don’t blame you.” Ashley smiled. “I won’t tell a soul until you tell me otherwise.”
“I appreciate that.”
~ ~ ~
To Ben’s surprise, it was almost dark before he remembered to check on Amber. He’d meant to do it much sooner. How’d I forget? He stretched out on the bed in his hotel room after supper and dialed the ranch.
“Wright Ranch. This is Ted.” Laughter in the background almost drowned him out.
“Am I missing a party?”
Ted chuckled. “They finished raising the outside walls of the bunkhouse today.”
That’d certainly do it. A big step closer to the men being “home” again. The construction crew must’ve stayed for the celebration. “I see. Did Amber get back?”
“Sure did.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Why don’t you ask her yourself? Hang on a sec.”
“Hey.” Amber’s soft voice washed over him.
“Hey, yourself. How’re you feeling?”
“Much better. Not entirely myself yet, but I’m getting there finally.”
A man’s voice piped up in the background. Not clearly enough for Ben to make out words but talking over the others enough to be recognizable. Travis.
“You still coming home tomorrow?”
“As planned. I should be there early afternoon.”
“Good. How’d the evaluation go?”
“The mare needs a good bit of work, but I think she’s salvageable. I couldn’t promise the extreme turnaround the owner demanded, though, so he decided to destroy her. I bought her and advised him on how to find a replacement better suited to him and his family. She’s had rough treatment, so I’m not sure how much of her behavior is genetic and how much is learned. Time will tell. She reminds me of Castor, in that regard.”
“Suppose they’ll hate each other on sight?”
He snorted. “With my luck, they’ll fall in love, and any foal they have will be pure evil.”
Silence.
“Amber, are you still there?”
“Yeah. Just tired.”
Is she lying? Did I say something wrong?
“It’s been a long day. I better run everyone out and get some rest.”
“Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Goodnight.”
“’Night, and Amber?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you.”
A long pause was followed by a mumbled, “I love you, too.” Amber hung up without another word.
Ben dropped the cellphone on the nightstand and shut out the light. Morning will be soon enough for a shower. Then I’m going home to find out what’s wrong with my wife.
~ ~ ~
Amber lay on her back in bed, staring at the ceiling and rehashing the brief conversation with Ben. The comment he’d made about Castor and the mare had been a joke. Nothing more. Still, despite all reason, it had driven a fresh spike of anxiety into her. What if he didn’t want children?
Part of her mocked such unfounded fear. For pity’s sake, he was talking about horses. Not human children.
Fear resisted reason and lingered.
“Stop it! I’m not doing this again. I can’t let worry ruin things.” She rolled onto her side and rested a hand on her husband’s pillow. Ben loves me.
When he’d said as much before they’d hung up, she’d nearly burst into tears and confessed all. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. He deserved a face-to-face discussion, not a bombshell dropped on him when he was hours away.
He’ll be thrilled. Ashley had said so.
Lord, I don’t want to worry. Please, give me peace.
Restlessness subsided.
Chapter 34
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Shortly after noon, Ben pulled into Mystery. Though eager to get home and resolve the uneasiness that had haunted him the past couple of days, he forced himself to stop at Macy’s store as planned. He parked in front rather than go into the lot on the side. He wouldn’t be long, and he’d rather not have to turn around with a horse in tow.
After closing the truck door, he studied the store’s front. Macy had decided to implement the changes Amber had sketched. Amber’s offer of a loan, saying, “Let’s put my trust fund to constructive use.” had been met with refusal until she agreed to let Macy pay interest. Their written agreement (demanded by Macy) included an interest rate so low as to be negligible, so Amber had almost gotten her way.
The work crew wasn’t there, and no supplies lay around. They’d deepened the porch and installed a bank of big windows. From all appearances, only new siding and painting remained. It already looked better than the original small window and narrow porch, which had been dwarfed by the building itself. The renovations had given it a sense of balance.
Ben mounted the steps. The large windows revealed chaos right inside the store. He pushed through a new door with a glass window in the top. A bell clanged above his head, but he ignored it and glanced down. The new deadbolt required a key from both sides. No one can bust in the glass and unlock the door from the outside. I won’t worry as much when she stays late.
“You made it home.” Macy came out of the back room carrying a stack of blue jeans in both arms. “How was the trip?”
“Fine.” Ben shrugged. “How were things here?”
“Same old, same old. Mostly.” Sadness passed over her face.
Uneasiness jabbed him. “Meaning?”
“Mr. Worth died last night. The doctor said that virus had taken too much out of him.”
“I see.” He grimaced and turned away to study the scattered elements of the front window display. As a God-fearing man, shouldn’t I feel sorrow over a man dying? I don’t. Not over Mr. Worth. “How’s Mrs. Worth?”
“She appears to be taking her husband’s death in stride.” Macy skirted Ben, a tight frown on her face. “I don’t think she much cares. They don’t seem to have been very close. I’m not even sure they liked each other.” She shuddered. “I really hope I don’t have such a cold marriage.”
“Don’t settle, and you won’t have to worry about it.” He put an arm around her shoulder and hugged her. “By the way, the new front’s looking great.”
“Amber did a wonderful job on the overall design concept. Travis made it work. They’re quite a team. Put those two to the task, and they’ll improve the whole town in no time flat.” Macy knelt in front of the window to sort through fabrics. Her head popped up. “Oh! You came for the box. I left it sitting on the work table in back.” She started to get up.
He put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll get it.”
She nodded and settled on her knees.
Two big boxes sat on a counter in the work room. Both open. Ben flipped the lids up on one and looked inside. Store stock. A check of the next box had him nodding in satisfaction. He carried it into the outer room then set it on the floor by Macy. “This is the correct one, right?”
