Magnolia Blossoms (21 page)

“It’s my pleasure. I’m going to take out the IV now, then one more finger stick and you’re good to go. How about you finish that carton of juice for me?” she asks.

I finish the juice, and I’m careful to look away when she pulls the catheter from my arm. No way am I risking another fainting session.

Jace returns just as they are taking the last blood glucose level, and he seems happy that it registers at seventy-eight. I’m allowed to leave the hospital, so after a quick round of thank yous, it’s back into the limo we go.

Lisa the nurse was right. Everyone is none the wiser about our delayed entrance. Sunny, Big Daddy, Honey, and Jerry all rush to me, but I assure them that I’m feeling fine. Jerry tells me to find him if I start to feel bad again, and he encourages me to snack throughout the reception. I promise him I will.

Jace and I are formally introduced to the crowd, and as we gently sway back and forth on the dance floor during our first dance as a married couple, I realize that this day, even with its little hiccup, is the happiest day of my life.

We mingle for a bit, but as often as we can break away, we spend our time wrapped in each others’ arms on the dance floor. “Your coat is vibrating,” I say to Jace as we sway to the beat of the music.

“What?” he asks smiling.

“Your coat. Something is vibrating. I feel it.”

He delves into his pocket and pulls out his phone. His brows furrow as he answers it. “Hello. Yes. Hey. Yeah, she’s right here, hold on.” He passes the phone to me. “It’s Lisa from the hospital. She said you forgot something.”

Immediately, I glance down at my ring finger. It’s there, and the sinking feeling that rushed over me dissipates. “Hi, Lisa. This is Maggie. What did I forget?”

“You forgot to tell us that you’ve missed a period. The doctor ran a pregnancy test, and I just got the results. You’re pregnant, Maggie. Congratulations.”

“What? No,” I stamor with shock and disbelief.

“Yep. You should schedule with an OB doc as soon as possible.”

“Okay, I will. Th-th-thank you,” I say, as I disconnect the call.

“What’s wrong?” Jace asks. “Are you feeling sick again?”

“No,” I say softly as I try to let the information sink in. “Jace, Lisa just told me that I’m pregnant. We’re going to have a baby.”

His face goes slack.

“You’re mad. I’m so sorry, Jace. We’ve never really talked about it, and it’s probably wrong of me to spring it on you this way…”

“Are you kidding me? Mags, we’re going to be parents! This is great news. I’m going to be a dad, and you’re going to be a mom. Oh, I love you so much! Thank you for this gift! We have to tell everyone. This is too good to keep to ourselves,” Jace says, practically carrying me to the stage.

He asks the DJ to stop the music and is handed a microphone. “Can I have everyone’s attention please? No, Big Daddy, it’s not time for the toast yet, so you can put the speech back in your pocket,” Jace jokes. The crowd roars, and Big Daddy gives a hearty laugh while waggling a finger in Jace’s direction. “I’m kidding. The reason I’m up here is because I thought that I’d be the luckiest and happiest man on earth when this woman became my wife. Well, I want you to know that I was wrong.” Gasps flew through the audience, but then it grew so silent you could hear a pin drop.

“Jace,” I scold. He gives me a grin.

“I’m the luckiest and happiest man in the world today, because in addition to being blessed with my new wife, I just found out that my gorgeous Mags is also the mother of my unborn child. I love you so much, baby.” The guests go wild, cheering, laughing, and clapping, while Jace pulls me into his arms for a kiss. We’re yanked apart by a line of excited well-wishers, the first of which is Honey. Sunny and Big Daddy make it onto the stage and seeing their bright, beaming faces makes me smile.

The rest of the night is a blur. We don’t leave for our honeymoon until the next day, so we spend our first night as husband and wife in our apartment. Jace vows that as soon as we get back from our trip, our top priority will be house hunting. I assure him that we have time for that, but he’s got it set in his mind, so I tell him I’m looking forward to it.

He helps me out of my dress, and I help him out of his tux, then we share the hunk of wedding cake Jace brought home with us. I drag my plastic fork across the top of the cake to nab one of the icing roses, but using his fingers, Jace steals it from my fork.

“Hey!” I fuss.

“Community property,” he says, transferring half of the icing to his finger and letting me suck it off of it. His eyes roll back with pleasure. I reach out to do the same, but he jerks his hand back. “Nope, I want to lick my icing off here.” He leaves a trail of icing that starts at the top of my breast and runs all the way underneath it. He’s torturously slowly licking it off, and I find myself writhing with want.

“Jace,” I gasp.

“Oh, Mags. Don’t make me rush. We have the rest of our lives.”

“You’re right. By all means, take your time, Mr. Taylor.”

“That’s exactly what I want to hear, Mrs. Taylor,” Jace says with a grin as he reloads his finger with cake icing.

As I sit in a patio chair taking in the sights around me, I realize just how many lives my transformation has affected. Big Daddy, trading in his seersucker suit for a pair of denim bib overalls, is riding four-year old Johnny around his backyard on the tractor. Far as I know, he still doesn’t know that I sank it in the bayou. A gust of wind blows a tuft of smoke from the bar-b-que pit in my direction, and I’m drawn back to the pig leg incident. I smile to myself when I remember the mess of that day. After all these years, Jace is still my saving grace.

Jace—my lover, my provider, my soul mate—is on a scavenger hunt with our two-year old princess, Violet. They were picking blades of grass, but now she’s lured him to the azalea bushes where she loads up her tiny purse with blooms.

Sunny and Honey, both muumuu clad, are facing the bayou with easels set in front of each of them. Sunny’s nude painting class enrollment has tripled since Honey’s joined the roster. Her contribution? Nude yoga as a warm up before class. I used to get grossed out when I passed by and saw all of the students sitting at their easels. That’s nothing compared to the horror of witnessing downward dog being performed by a class full of naked senior citizens.

Despite her initial hesitation, Honey finally took the plunge and married Jerry. They had a quickie Vegas wedding, which Jace and I attended. She looks younger and happier since leaving the bad side of town, and I’m grateful that my friend, who has struggled and fought her way through life, gets to be carefree and happy now. Jerry is a perfect match for her. He’s outspoken, funny, friendly, and couldn’t care less about her past. Honey told me that he even went as far as to say he enjoys what her life experience brings to their bedroom. Evidently, his last wife was straight up missionary only, while with Honey, the sky’s the limit. It was more than I cared to know, but Honey has no qualms about sharing every detail of her sex life.

Jace and Violet share a secret, and the next thing I know, she’s racing towards me with a smile that melts my heart. Her dark hair and crystal blue eyes combined with her delicate porcelain skin make her look like a cross between a cherub and a baby doll. “I brought this for you, Mommy,” she says, gently placing one of her blooms in the palm of my hand.

“Thank you, my sweet girl. Come see,” I tell her, and after plucking a flower from her dainty little purse, I tuck it behind her ear. “Beautiful,” I say, gently tapping the dark pink bloom to make sure it’s in place. Violet smiles a huge toothy grin before dashing off towards Jace. How that girl loves her daddy!

“Look, Daddy! Mommy made me beautiful!”

He scoops Violet into his arms and gives her a steady stream of kisses before putting her back on the ground. She runs off to Sunny and Honey, opening her purse so each can see her treasures.

“How are you feeling?” Jace asks, sliding a chair close to me. He lifts my feet into his lap then starts to rub them.

“Great,” I say enjoying the pampering. Just as I start to relax, whimpering comes from the basinet beside me. Reluctantly, I pull my feet from Jace’s hands.

“I’ve got him,” Jace says, scooping our two-month old, Carter, into his arms. I prepare a bottle for the baby, and once it’s ready to go, Jace reclines back in his seat to feed him. Jace is an amazing husband and an even better dad. The love he has for his family is apparent, so much so that it’s often commented on by others.

Big Daddy parks the tractor near the patio, and Johnny comes rushing to me. “Mommy! Did you see me? I drove the tractor!”

“I did! You did a great job.”

“You sure did, champ. Better than your mom,” Jace teases. Big Daddy, looking confused, shakes his head as he dismounts.

“Come on, Johnny boy. You can help Big Daddy check the chicken. No touching the grill though; it’s very hot,” he says. Big Daddy might not have been much in the father department, but he rocks as a grandpa. Johnny has been his shadow since he started toddling, and Big Daddy loves every bit of it. He spends less time in court and more time finding projects to do with his grandson. Today’s is slated to be a pine cone bird feeder after dinner. He always includes Violet in the activities, but more often than not, she loses interest within the first few seconds.

Big Daddy announces that dinner is ready, and we all help ourselves to the feast. We run out of lemonade, so I excuse myself to make a fresh pitcher. Jace follows me inside. “Need some help?” he asks, washing his hands in the sink.

“I need a kiss,” I answer.

“I can do that,” he says with a smile. He tosses the dishtowel he’s drying his hands with to the side, and with an almost catlike gait, he pins me against the counter with the weight of his body. After all of these years, he still makes me weak in the knees. “You want to make an excuse to check something out in the apartment while the others watch the kids?” he breathes in my ear.

“That’s how we got the last kid, Jace,” I say, laughing as I push him away.

“I’m all about the risk, baby,” he teases.

“I’m not. Give me a couple more months, and we’ll talk,” I say, passing the refilled pitcher to him.

“Fine,” he answers with a fake pout. “I’ll meet you outside?”

“Yep, I’ll be there in a second.”

While he brings the lemonade outside, I hastily clean the counter. Instead of going right outside the door, I hesitate for a moment. Looking at my beautiful family sends a warmth through me that is virtually indescribable. It’s hard to believe that
my harebrained scheme to become a serial killer has led to this. I’ve made my mark on the world, and it had nothing to do with infamy, just blossoming.

The End.

Also by Rhonda R. Dennis:

Going Home: A Green Bayou Novel Book One

Awakenings: A Green Bayou Novel Book Two

Déjà Vu: A Green Bayou Novel Book Three

Unforeseen: A Green Bayou Novel Book Four

Between Four and Five: A Green Bayou Extra

Deceived: A Green Bayou Novel Book Five

Green Bayou After Five: Connie’s Wild Night

Between Five and Six: A Green Bayou Extra

Vengeance: A Green Bayou Novel Book Six