“Sounds good to me. Thanks, Jack. I really appreciate it.”
“You headed to see Duke soon?” he asked.
“I’m headed there now. What’s up?”
“There’ve been some changes I know he wants to talk with you about. He said if I saw you to tell you he wanted to see you.”
“I know about them. I just got back from a meeting with Ellen. Let him know I’m headed his way now.”
“Will do, Bryan. And get me that damn wallpaper!”
“I’m working on it!”
Jack did have a point. I was running the risk that Hailey might be upset with me for doing all of this behind her back. I was trying to leave her enough creative room with decorating while still decorating it so she didn't feel the need to fix up an entire house after having a child. I figured the wallpaper would be a good second choice for the work she had put into the nursery in our current house over the past couple of weeks. Even though I’d tried to convince her not to do it.
But even though I was worried about her being upset, I was ready for this project to be over. I was ready to present to her the gateway that would usher us into our new life together. I was ready to show her the home we would bring our child back to. The home we would fill with memories. The home she would call her art studio and her safe place to fall.
I was ready to give her everything, and I smiled to myself as I got in the car and made my way to see Foreman Duke.
Nothing could bring me down off this cloud.
Nothing could get in my way.
Chapter 4
Hailey
“How are things at the foundation going?” Dorothy asked.
“Good. Ellen St. Claire has been on board for everything I’ve thrown up so far, and the board has approved all the changes I’ve wanted to make in order to bolster efficiency,” Bryan said.
“That sounds lovely. Ellen is a wonderful woman. It’s a shame what happened with her husband, though I hear she’s available now,” Dorothy said.
“I’m sure she’ll find someone special,” Bryan said.
It was time for our monthly dinner with Bryan's parents. Every time we came over to eat, something always blew up in our faces. I had a long first day back at the gallery, Bryan had gone to the foundation to work his first full-time day since they had hired him, and I was already on edge. My rational mind knew Dorothy didn't mean anything by the comment about Ellen being single, but my raging pregnancy hormones started that nagging voice in the back of my head, the voice that told me she was about to start drama that I was going to inevitably finish.
“Who all is on that board?” Michael asked. “I know Kevin Montgomery heads it up.”
“He does. His wife, Charlene, is also on the board. I work closely with her since she aids the treasurer in securing and keeping tabs on our finances. There’s also Daryl Worth, his daughter Chastaine, Lisa and LaDonna Lotchkey, and Bret Cherish,” Bryan said.
“Well, it’s nice to finally hear you establishing connections with good people,” Dorothy said.
“Everyone I make connections with is a good person, Mom,” Bryan said.
“We can all have our opinions, dear,” Dorothy said.
I was growing more annoyed by the second, but I kept my mouth shut. Her eyes kept glancing over at me, trying to get a glimpse of my stomach protruding underneath the table. I knew she was about to turn the conversation toward me. I could see the question brewing behind her eyes. I picked up the food on my plate as I drew deep breaths through my nose, trying to settle myself for the argument I knew would eventually arrive.
“Do the two of you have a name for the child yet?” Dorothy asked.
“Not quite,” I said. “We’re still bouncing between Arianna and Lacy for a girl and Michael or Brendan for a boy,” I said.
I didn’t know how well Dorothy would take if I told her we would name a boy ‘John’, so I kept that to myself.
“Michael is quite a strong name. I’m fond of it,” Michael said.
“I’m sure you are, Mr. McBride,” I said, grinning.
“How many times do I have to tell you to call me Michael? You’re our daughter-in-law and carrying our granddaughter!”
“Oh, it’s a girl! I knew it!” Dorothy said.
“We don’t know that for sure,” I said. “Bryan and his father insist it’s a girl, though.”
“Well, a simple blood test will clear all of this up. Is the child being stubborn for the ultrasounds? Oh, that child is going to get that from you, Hailey.”
“Did you just call me stubborn?” I asked.
“Mom, what did I tell you?” Bryan asked. “We’re still a little confused on the gender of the child. It doesn’t matter to us as long as the child’s healthy.”
“Well, the two of you are not the only ones rejoicing in this venture. There are people who want to know. Myself, included,” Dorothy said.
“It’s their decision, sweetheart,” Michael said. “Why can’t you respect that?”
“And why would you call me stubborn?” I asked.
“Because I’m sure you’re the one holding off on all of this. I know the two of you had the gender checked. Bryan told me. Why won’t you tell anyone?” Dorothy asked.
“Mother, are you serious?” Bryan asked.
“Is that true?” I asked. “Did you tell her we already knew the gender of the baby?”
“Technically, yes. But have I told anyone the gender? No. Do I want to? Who wouldn’t? But it doesn’t matter to me. Not enough to cause a fuss about it.”
“I’m not causing a fuss. I just don’t see what the big deal is,” I said.
“Compromise is something you’ll have to get used to now that you’re married, Hailey,” Dorothy said.
“I’m not sure how compromise works with you, but it doesn’t mean one person gets their way and the other doesn’t,” I said.
“Well, how in the world are you two going to know what types of clothes to buy for the poor child?” Dorothy asked.
“Gender-neutral colors,” I said. “Like yellows and oranges and browns and beiges.”
“Those aren’t gender neutral. That screams boy,” Dorothy said. “For heaven’s sake, those were the colors we had for—”
I saw Michael glance over at Dorothy as Bryan clamped his hand down onto my knee. I knew exactly what she was about to say. Those were the colors they had in John's room. I wasn't sure where to go from here with the conversation, but I was not going to allow her to win it just because she was grieving. This was our child, not hers. And if we didn't want to find out the gender of the child, she was not going to bully me into doing it.
“John would want to know,” Dorothy said.
“That is enough,” Bryan said. “You will not use John as an argument to get your way. His death was hard on all of us. You, in particular. But you will not use him as bait to manipulate my wife and the mother of my child.”
“But he would!” Dorothy said.
“Honey. Back down,” Michael said.
“You aren’t going to tell me what to do. This is an important part of being grandparents, showering the child with gifts and clothes. They wouldn’t even let us buy their nursery.”
“Because I made the damn furniture for it, Mother!” Bryan said.
“What happened to compromise, Mrs. McBride?” I asked.
My hands were shaking underneath the table, but I was not going to allow anyone to see. Her words cut me deep. The mere fact that a mother could use her murdered son to manipulate someone to get her way was beyond me. Instead of grieving the way she needed to and reaching out when she needed help, she was taking her anger out on the people around her. It had been like this for weeks. They hated the fact that I had taken Bryan on my European tour, accusing me of trying to create distance between him and his family. I’d had an argument with Dorothy, claiming that she had orchestrated enough of that herself and that the distance she had with Bryan was her own doing.
Now, we were lucky if we ate with them once a month, and I was ready to cut them out all together.
“You are a stubborn, hardheaded woman, Hailey. You pushed my son away not once but twice. You broke him down, brought him back up, and then squashed him underneath your heel.”
“That is enough,” Michael said.
“Mother, stop it,” Bryan said.
“And if you think for one second that you are going to block me out of my grandchild’s life, you are sorely mistaken. I will be watching you, Hailey. And if you misstep even once, I will intervene on behalf of that child,” Dorothy said.
“Intervene? I’m not an abusive woman like you have turned out to be,” I said. “The distance you’ve created is of your own doing because instead of getting help for your anger, you take it out on those around you. You expect everyone to fall at your feet because you have money, and you’re pissed that I don’t. If there is anyone I don’t want my child growing up around, it’s you. With your anger and your spitefulness and your holier-than-thou attitude, I would rather raise my child in the bowels of hell than have our baby turn out like you.”
I was on my feet and panting in anger. I’d told Bryan this was going to happen. I’d warned Bryan she was going to come for us again. She was getting relentless with what she was doing. And Bryan would try to come to her aid just because she popped by the house a few times to try and help me out ‘when she could.’ She thought that her few good deeds could erase the disgusting and horrible words she spewed whenever we were sitting at her dinner table.