AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Those were Vince’s words and they haunted her. But the appellation was appropriate. A crime had been committed.
As Sister Bernice had admonished, Ashley owed it to Cord, their marriage, their baby, to find out the truth once and for all. The nun had given Ashley a lot to think about.
When she looked back on her life at the orphanage, the only truly ugly period that came to mind were the years when Marsha had tormented her. In fact it had been so bad, Ashley had blocked the memory from her mind, not recalling it until Sister Bernice had unearthed it.
Before the advent of Marsha, Ashley hadn’t ever known any devious people, had never been around such a troubled person. With hindsight she could see how the older girl had manipulated every conceivable situation to hurt Ashley.
Worse, Ashley had been so naive she’d completely underestimated Marsha’s ability to make real trouble, never dreaming anyone could be that disturbed. It appeared Ashley had made the same mistake with Sheila.
Cord had sworn that his stepmother had fabricated everything. If so, then Ashley—already plagued by doubts because Cord had seemed so remote since their move back to Salt Lake—had played right into Sheila’s hands by running away eight months ago.
That had been Ashley’s pattern at the orphanage, to flee from the pain, to hide from Marsha so that something awful wouldn’t happen again.
“Ashley? We’re back.”
She blinked, surprised to discover they’d pulled into a stall of the hospital parking terrace.
“What are you thinking about that has put such a fierce expression on your face?” He’d asked the question half-mockingly, but she sensed some anxiety, as well.
“I—I guess I’m a little nervous about being a good mother,” she prevaricated, though in truth she was as worried as any expectant woman about her ability to measure up to the awesome responsibility.
Like always, his quick smile turned her heart over. “You were born for the job. Of that I have no doubts.” So saying, he brushed his lips against hers before levering himself from the car to come around and help her.
Whenever, wherever he touched her, he ignited new fires. It was a good thing the next few days were going to be lived in a controlled environment. With other people about—the hospital staff coming in and out of their room—they wouldn’t be truly alone.
She feared that day, feared making love with him again.
Once back in his bed, in his arms, Ashley would be lost in rapture, vulnerable, open to new hurts.
She couldn’t go through that again. She refused.
Returning home with Cord would be the ultimate experiment to see if their marriage could really work. It would test her mental and emotional fortitude in ways she didn’t even want to think about.
Cord wouldn’t like it, but the issue of Sheila had to be put to rest one way or the other before Ashley could once more consider becoming his wife in the Biblical sense of the word.
Before they left the hospital on Sunday, she would need to make that very clear to him. Otherwise she would have to go her own way, alone.
“Hey you two,” Jerry called out as he passed them in the hall. “Where have you guys been?”
Cord slowed down to talk to him. “At the doctor’s.”
Jerry squinted. “Is everything all right?”
“More than all right,” Cord answered with a satisfied sigh. “We’ve just found out we’re going to have a boy.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear. Wait till I tell my wife! Tonight we’ll have to have a party.”
“Sounds good to us, doesn’t it, darling?”
Oh, Cord. You’re acting and sounding too happy. I’m afraid.
Deep in her tortured thoughts, she was scarcely aware of the rest of their walk. It wasn’t until they passed the nursing station that she realized someone was talking to them.
“Mr. McKnight?”
Cord paused midstride, his hand still around Ashley’s waist keeping her close to him. “Yes?”
“You have a visitor. She’s in the outpatient waiting room downstairs.”
