The Doctor and the War Widow (20 page)

“I’m not fit to help anyone.” He nibbled along her breast and ribcage.

Harley reached for the phone and put it to her ear. “Hello.” No one replied. “Hello? Is anyone there?” No one replied. With a shrug, Harley hung up.

“So no one had an emergency.” Abisi settled against her breast.

“Yeah, I guess it was a wrong number.” Harley stroked his hair as he lay against her breast. She stared at the phone and felt a vague uneasiness enter her being. Her husband slept against her, obviously unperturbed and hearing nothing. Harley didn’t really believe the mysterious call was a wrong number. Kimberly Cheramie was still on the loose. Harley shivered but eventually relaxed as she listened to her husband’s steady breathing. Yes, it was a wrong number, she convinced herself. It had to be.

Chapter 19

Abisi worried about Harley. He wanted the child, but he couldn’t lose the woman who’d brought so much happiness to his life. When she was typing at her computer, Abisi would kiss the nape of her neck and gently blow on her fine hair. Abisi knew he undoubtedly was making her somewhat crazy when he insisted she take naps and prop up her feet. Harley jaunted about town as if nothing in her life had changed, but as a doctor, Abisi was aware of the risks his wife faced. Neither of them was in their prime, but Harley would suffer the physical strain of the birth. He would take care of her, but ultimately, she would carry this burden on her own. Sometimes, his fear abandoned him, and he was overwhelmed with tenderness for her and the child that would be theirs. He’d loved Maureen, but she’d lacked Harley’s depth and humor. Although Harley was at times cynical and sharp, he’d seen her change since her pregnancy and their marriage. Much of her cynical edge had disappeared, but he also knew that she brushed off any sign of illness as a sign of weakness.

One day in mid-November, Abisi phoned home and received no answer. He tried Harley’s cell phone and received her voice mail. “Where in God’s name are you, Harley?” He paced in his office until he had another patient. At lunch, he excused himself and hurried home.

Abisi pulled up to the curb at the same moment that Harley was entering the driveway in the blue Mustang. She had a bag of groceries in her arms and gave him a puzzled smile. He clasped her arms and studied her. “Are you all right?”

“Yeah, why?” She looked totally puzzled.

“You didn’t answer your cell phone.” Abisi tried to soften his tone. He knew his words sounded like an accusation.

She frowned, thinking, and then said lightly. “Oh, old teaching habit, I guess. I always switched it off when I taught. I still do that without thinking.” She grew serious. “Honey, you need to stop worrying.”

Abisi sighed heavily. His heart was still pounding in his ears. “Look, we don’t know where Kimberly is. You’re not always feeling well. You can’t be incommunicado like this.” He took the bag from her. “This is heavy. You shouldn’t be lifting these kinds of things.”

Harley rolled her eyes and laughed lightly. “You’re such a worrier. I’m fine.” She nestled under his arm and grinned. “I am willing to let you do the heavy lifting, though.”

“I can’t stay upset with you for long.” He slipped an arm around her waist and stared into her eyes. She gazed at him with love, and his heart swelled as he lost himself in those eyes. “I am coming to the doctor with you tomorrow. I want to hear what he has to say.”

“That’s not necessary.” Harley opened the door. Nico bounded up to them, wagging his tail furiously. Harley leaned down and petted him. “How’s Mama’s boy?” The dog put a paw in her hand.

Abisi strode into the kitchen, putting the groceries away. “It is necessary, and I want to come.” He turned at the sound of her footfall on the kitchen floor. “I’m concerned that you’ve stopped gaining weight. I’m worried about your headaches and dizziness. You weren’t having these problems in the beginning.”

Harley winced as if struck and began searching the bag for groceries. She put some cleanser and bottles in a cabinet. Her voice was controlled, but he heard the smoldering anger underneath the calm. “Who told you about that?”

“Judy’s worried about you.” Abisi grasped her shoulders and turned her to him. “When were you going to tell me?”

“I was going to tell Dr. Solomon when I see him tomorrow. I wasn’t going to alarm you until I’d spoken to him.” Harley pulled away from him and folded the grocery bag.

“I love you. If something’s wrong, I want to know about it.” He tore the bag from her hands and tossed it on the ground. He then clasped her shoulders and forced her to face him. The sensation of her skin against his hands warmed his blood.

“Judy’s a traitor.” She shook her head and sighed. “Look, I didn’t exactly tell her, either.”

Abisi fought the anger that rose suddenly in the depths of his chest. “No, of course not. You can handle anything, but she found you yesterday morning in bed at noon with a damp towel on your forehead. She said you could barely stand.”

“Judy says too much.” Harley’s eyes narrowed, but her lips slowly curved into a smile.

“She’s worried about you. So am I.” His heart pounded. “Harley, you know I wanted this baby, but not if you’re in danger.”

“I’m tough as a horse. You need to stop worrying about Hrothgar.” Harley arched her eyebrows. Wry amusement covered her face.

“Hrothgar? You can’t call our child
Hrothgar
. Besides, Hrothgar is going to be a girl.” He smiled at her and cupped her face in his hands. Her lightheartedness was infectious, but he couldn’t put the vague sensation of dread completely out of his mind.

After lunch, Harley kissed him goodbye and watched him pull away from the curb. No sooner had Abisi’s car vanished at the corner than Mary Ann’s black van screeched into the driveway. When she emerged from the vehicle, her eyes were red. “I’ve been looking for you.”

Harley winced and turned to go. The woman’s speech was slurred as if she had been drinking. More Saltaformaggio family drama! Harley wondered how in hell had she been drawn into this circle of viciousness. Mary Ann, her slimy husband, and their dysfunctional children made the Gotti clan look like the household immortalized in
Leave it to Beaver
.

“Aren’t you going to answer me?” Mary Ann’s shrill voice echoed in the still air. Harley saw Mary, Carville’s grandmother, peek from behind lace curtains.

Most of Harley’s neighbors were at work, and Harley prayed the scene would cause her a minimum of embarrassment. She strode down the porch steps and came within inches of Mary Ann’s face. The other woman leaned heavily against her car door. Harley shook her head, smiling ruefully at her old classmate. “What do you want?”

“Why do you have to get everything you want? Everything always works out for you. Did you need to take my husband and now my daughter?” Mary Ann’s shoulders shook with her sobs.

Harley gaped at her, slack-jawed. She was honestly clueless to the cause of Mary Ann’s distress. “What in hell do you mean?”

“David always had the hots for you, and now, Melissa prefers you to me.” Her voice was a deadly hiss.

Harley rolled her eyes. The whole situation was laughable. “Your husband flirts with anyone in a skirt, for Chris’ sakes! He’s after anyone who has a pulse, and he’s been like that since high school. He doesn’t want me, Mary Ann.” Harley laughed softly, shaking her head. “Your daughters are two lost kids. They’re just kids trying to get attention, and neither you nor David ever gave it to them unless making them the focus of your lives provided a means to hurt each other. You’ve become a pathetic family. You want David’s love, and the kids want both of you. To that end, the girls engage in one reckless kind of behavior after another. Mallory got pregnant—”

“How did you know that?” Mary Ann cast a startled glance at her.

“The whole school knew. What happened? She aborted it, didn’t she?” Harley heard the cruelty of her own words and almost bit her tongue, hating herself. She was never cruel, but her old hatred for Mary Ann raced through her bones. She remembered the teenaged Mary Ann and her snooty acquaintances all too well. “Little Melissa can see the situation between you and her father, and the poor kid’s trying to spy and tattle to you so she can actually be noticed by you. Your kids are out of control, and you’re the reason for it.”

“How dare you?” The woman made for Harley but stumbled, almost falling on Harley before she caught her balance. She tried to stand fully erect but clasped the car door handle as she swayed. She wailed as tears cascaded down her face. “How dare you say my kids are out of control?”

Mary hobbled onto her front porch. “Are you okay, honey?”

“Yes, ma’am, everything’s fine.” Harley waved at her. The older woman remained on the porch and sat on her swing. She hummed a spiritual and occasionally looked in their direction.

Harley met Mary Ann’s gaze, her own eyes narrowed. “Is he really so important that you sacrificed everything, even your pride and your kids, for him?”

“Don’t you remember what it was to love a real man?” Mary held herself ramrod straight, seemingly recovered. Her lips curved into a malicious smile.

Harley’s blood raced. She stared at Mary Ann, suddenly no longer regretting her earlier attack. “What in hell do you mean?”

“Well, I guess you couldn’t get any real man since John, so you had to settle for a rag head murderer.” Mary Ann’s evil grin deepened.

Harley’s reaction was instinctive. The simmering disgust she’d always harbored for Mary Ann rose from her midsection into her chest and threatened to suffocate her. She raised her hand quickly and smacked Mary Ann across the face. Mary Ann burst into hysterical weeping and doubled over. Harley leaned over her. “Don’t ever mention John’s name or Abisi’s name. You and your filthy husband aren’t worthy to touch their shoes. What has your male slut of a husband ever done for anyone except fill his pockets with the ill-gotten gains he’s received from some poor soul who can’t conceive? Does he make them fuck him to get help? Do your kids have a whole bunch of siblings out there they don’t know about?” Harley turned on her heel and strode up the porch steps.

“Harley!” Mary Ann called after her. Harley turned to see the blooming scarlet spot on the woman’s face. “I’ll get you for this.”

“Go home and drink some coffee.” Harley shot her a contemptuous glance and watched as the car pulled from the driveway. So anxious was the woman to get away that she almost ran into the postal carrier as he made his way down the street with his sack of mail. He shook a fist and swore as she sped away.

Carville’s grandmother shot a concerned glance in Harley’s direction. “That’s a mean woman, honey. Now you have two crazies to deal with.”

Harley nodded and sighed. “No kidding.”

Later that night, Abisi stared at Harley in disbelief as she related the day’s events. His features visibly darkened. “I won’t have you harassed. That woman waited for me to leave. Isn’t it bad enough she’s had you fired? Now, she has to stalk you with horrible comments. I’m calling her and her lascivious husband.”

David apologized profusely for the behavior of his soon-to-be former wife but stressed their marriage would soon be terminated. He, too, found Mary Ann erratic since she’d learned of his affair. Abisi related the conversation to Harley. ‘The man’s unbelievable. He even made a joke about the whole thing and said he assumed you wouldn’t be helping her with the upcoming reunion. Apparently, she already had a call from someone offering to help with that event.” Abisi shook his head and stood with his arms folded. “Imagine the stupidity of that man.”

Harley threw her arms around his midsection and beamed at him. “Forget about them. I should have slapped that prim bitch when she hid Mia’s pencil pouch freshman year.”

Abisi kissed her. “I forget I married Jack Dempsey.”

Harley clutched Abisi’s hand as they sat in the doctor’s office together. The day before, she’d feigned a light airiness. She was no doctor, but she could recognize signs of distress and hadn’t wanted to upset her husband. Abisi was looking forward to this child and had begun planning the nursery. Harley laughed when he pointed out cribs and wallpaper patterns. On numerous occasions, he’d returned home with stuffed animals and baby accessories. Harley, despite the early trepidation, had come to accept this new challenge and even embrace it. What if fate played a cruel trick on them both now?

Dr. Jonah Solomon was an earnest man with a bulging Adam’s apple who immediately put his prospective parents at ease. He listened calmly as Harley told him what distress signs she’d been experiencing.

“Any spotting, Mrs. Sharif?” He gazed at her kindly.

Harley and Abisi were sitting in the doctor’s office. She glanced at her husband and then at her feet. Her heart pounded, and her throat went dry. She wondered if she could say the words. “Only in the last day or two.”

Abisi’s hand clamped over hers like a steel trap. Something else she hadn’t told him. Harley took a deep breath before facing him. She hadn’t wanted to worry him, but now, he would be frantic and drive her mad with unnecessary pampering. She winced when she heard the accusation in his voice. “When were you going to tell me?”

Harley snatched her hand from his and hissed. “We were going to see Dr. Solomon today. I didn’t think I needed a headline in the paper.”

“No more lies, Harley, no more—”

She cut him off. “I’m not lying, for God’s sakes. I wanted to protect you. Anyway, you were going to find out today.”

“Dr. and Mrs. Sharif, please.” Dr. Solomon looked from one to the other. He sounded like a teacher disciplining kids. He turned to Abisi. “I’m going to send your wife for an ultrasound. We’ll see what it shows. You can have the results today.”

Abisi took Harley’s hand gently in his and kissed it. She tightened her grip and rested her face against his hand. “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”

Abisi slipped an arm around her shoulders. He met the doctor’s gaze. “Did you find signs of distress in your initial exam?”

Dr. Solomon studied them gravely. “The heartbeat sounded weak. On the last visit, it didn’t sound that way.”

Harley wished she could escape. The walls were closing in on her. She forced herself to breathe, not recognizing her own voice when she spoke. “Have I done something wrong?”