Wylie vowed to be the best father he could be and do for his child all the things that his dad had never done for him.He only wished the one time that his mother could have been around, but she wouldn’t have been too happy.She’d always told them that she didn’t want to be a grandma ever, and that was the end of it.He couldn’t understand why someone wouldn’t want to see their children have their own family.Wylie thought that it would be the best thing in the world to see their children having little ones about.
Going to sleep, he was nearly there when he thought of something else.They’d have to get the nursery ready now so that it would be ready when they needed it.It was just off the master suite, and he’d never done anything to it other than to have it painted before they moved in.He’d actually been thinking of changing it to a media room for the two of them so they could have their bed close when it was bedtime.He had plenty of time, he thought to himself.Just about eight months to get it ready.
Drifting off to sleep, he couldn’t keep himself from smiling all the time.He was giddy about being a father and was having a hard time sleeping when he wanted to get up and shout out to the world what was going on.Holding Rosie tighter, he finally felt himself falling asleep.
Waking in the middle of the night when there was a cold spot next to him on the bed, he sat up looking for Rosie.She said that she’d had to use the bathroom and that was all.If he was going to be this worried about her in the middle of the night, he was never going to survive her going to work every day.Deciding that he was just going to have to, he decided to make sure that she knew he loved her every time she left the house.
When she got back into bed, he held her.She was chilled and shaking a bit, so he rubbed her arms with his hands to warm her up.As soon as she fell asleep again, he knew that he was going to be up for a while and got up to go to the office.If he kept this up, he was going to have to get himself a closer office.Or maybe he’d just stop getting up in the middle of the night so that he could sleep better.Laughing to himself, he was in his office in no time, looking up how far along Rosie would be by her due date, and was thrilled there was so much information on the internet that he could find.
By one thirty, he’d had enough and made his way to bed.He had a better understanding of the things that Rosie was going through and was happy for that.He was happy that he’d not found much in the way of bad news when he’d been looking things up and was satisfied when he got into bed.Falling asleep right away felt good, and he was going to sleep better because he had a bit more information.
Waking before his alarm went off, he was happy to see that Rosie was already up.She’d been sleeping in most mornings, and he’d have to call her several times to get her going in the morning for work.When she got out of the shower, she looked like she was rested, and he told her so.
“Just knowing that there isnt anything wrong with me makes me feel so much better.I wasn’t going to admit this to anyone, but I was afraid of what the doctor might have found.You can imagine my surprise when he found a baby.”She hugged him as she got ready for work.“I’ve decided to give my notice today.I’ve got a rough draft of my resignation in my head right now, and I think it’ll be all right.I’m not mentioning the baby, but I am saying that I have other obligations that are keeping me from doing my job as well as I wish I could.I think it’ll be something the mayor will be all right with.As I said, I might have to work a little bit more until he finds me a replacement, but I won’t know until I talk to him.”
“I hope he tells you that he’s been looking all along since you got married.That would be something if he had someone in mind already.”She said she’d not count on that.“No, I won’t.I wasjust doing some wishful thinking out loud.”
After she left for work, running slightly behind because he wanted to hold her, he got himself ready to go to his new work.He had to order supplies, not having any idea what that might entail, but he was going to set up his computer and desk so that when he needed it, it would be ready for him.He didn’t see her needing him all that much and figured that in a few months, she’d decide that it wasn’t worth having him on her payroll, so he’d take it while he had it.He did find him a map to hang up of the area so that he could be prepared for something local that might go on.It was noon when Rosie called him.
“The mayor said he was going to miss me but understood.He said that he’d put it out there that he needed a new police chief today and see how soon he could get someone to take over.I told him that I’d work until he did, and he was pleased with that.”She mentioned that she had some more vacation time that he was going to allow her to turn in for hours so that she could use them up.“That’ll be an extra paycheck that I wasn’t expecting, so we can put it toward the nursery.I don’t want to start on that right away because of the horror stories I heard from people who would lose their baby early on.I’m not too worried about that.I feel great, other than being tired all the time, and I want to be healthy when the baby arrives.You understand, don’t you?”
“I do.I have to tell you that I was thinking the same thing.That we’d get the nursery ready now so we’d not have to do it at the last minute.But I like your way much better.It gives us a chance to see what sort of things we’re going to need and want.I want it all, but I’ve read there is no reason for buying some of the things they advertise for babies.We’ll just have to do our research on them.”She agreed and told him that she had to do.“I do as well.I’m getting my office set up the way that I want.I love you, Rosie Pennington.”
“And I love you, Wylie Pennington.”She was giggling when she hung up the phone, and it made him smile.He hoped that there would be other reasons to make her giggle.It sounded so good to him that he wanted to make her do it all the time.
Chapter 7
Knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel for her job, Rosie decided that working wasn’t so bad.She didn’t want to work, not at all right now, especially not as a cop, but she thought that she was handling things a lot better than before she gave her notice.The mayor was being extra nice to her, too, which she enjoyed.Being the chief and the mayor of such a small town, they’d butted heads quite often.Now it seemed like they were best of friends.
“I have two men on the way to be interviewed.One of them is coming out of retirement to take the job.He said that he could use the extra income and needed to get out of his house before his wife murdered him.I hope he was kidding.”Rosie said she was sure that he had been.“The other interviewee is from Trinway.He’s been out of the academy for a couple of years but works in Columbus as an officer.I don’t know if he can take the small-town-ness of the area, so we’ll have to keep an eye on him.It might be too boring for him to be around this small town.But if he grew up around here, maybe he’ll be all right.”
She’d been given files on both men and was glad that he was going to be making her a part of the hiring process.She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to have much say, but she was glad for the input.Almost as soon as she opened the file on the younger man, she didn’t think he’d be a good fit.Something about the way he looked in his picture turned her off from hiring him.
“Have you done background checks on them?”He told her that he thought that the academy had done that.“Both men haven’t had a recent check.I’d do it just for peace of mind.You never know what’s been going on in their lives since then.”
“I never thought of that, and appreciate you pointing it out.I’ll have them run tomorrow.Unless you can do it now.”She said that she’d get right on it.“Good.Good.That’ll save me some time in getting things set up for you.The town wants to interview them both, and I see no reason for that not to happen.We can have a town meeting and let them ask questions of the men that way.What do you think?”
“I think it could go either way.You might get someone like Mr.Henshaw there who will be asking them questions that have nothing to do with the jobs they’re applying for.Or no one will show up.”He said he was kind of hoping for the second of the two answers.“I would too.It could get out of hand quickly if there are so many people wanting answers.I’d play that by ear if I were you.As I said, it could go either way with them asking questions, so you never know what’s going to be asked.”
“I understand.And it’s funny you should bring up old Howard.He is the one who wanted me to set up the meetings for them.I think he believes that he should have final say in who we hire simply because he’s been around here the longest.”She thought that was funny, but apparently it wasn’t supposed to be.“I’ll get back with you when the background checks come back.Just let me know.”
She said that she would and called them in.Younger man McGee had to be called in twice, as they didn’t have anyone by that name from the police academy.But she’d been spelling it wrong, so that had been the issue.By the time she was off the phone with the company that did them for the city, she was exhausted again.Happy for the reason, she took herself a little power nap and got on with her job.
Wylie came in to have lunch with her again.It was nice because he was getting her to eat instead of her eating through her time.Once she was finished with her burger and fries, she was tired again and thought that she could make it until the end of the day.Things were going well so far, and she was just happy to be able to be quitting sometime soon.
Getting a domestic call always scared her.She knew that they were already volatile about the situation, and when the police showed up, things went twice as bad.Sending two of her men out onthe call, she felt first guilty for sending them out, then relieved that she’d not have to be there if shots were fired.It went as easily as it usually did with this couple, and was happy that they were getting a divorce.They’d been at one another’s throats since she started working for the town.And while it had been close before with them each having a gun, it made her nervous to go there since then.
By the time she was ready to go home, she’d filled out the required paperwork for her retirement.The HR department said that she could keep her insurance policy for personal life, and she decided that, since it was so little each month, she’d keep it.She didn’t know what the future would hold, but knew that insurance was the way to go if you could get it.And she got to keep her group insurance for now, too.
Wylie had insurance through Meggie’s work.She said that it started the day he’d been hired, and she was happy for that.The medical insurance from her job was good, but she was sure that Meggie’s was better.She had a lot more people working for her, and the insurance would be cheaper.When the background checks came back, she called the mayor to tell him.He asked her straight up if McGee’s had come back with anything negative on it.
“I’ve not read it over.I can if you want me to.I thought that the two of us were going over them together.”He said he was on his way but wanted a heads-up.“If you’re thinking that there is something wrong with him, then I’d not hire him.First impressions are what I always go by.”
“There’s a cockiness that he has that I don’t care for.I also think, for some reason, he’s going to want to change a lot of things.I don’t think the people in this town are ready for someone to come in and change things around.Do you?”She said that they did have a lot of older people in their town who might be hurt by some changes.“You’re very good at politics.You should run for my job when I’m up for reelection.Maybe not.I don’t think I want to give up my job so quickly.I’m sort of established myself.”
“I have no desire to have your job, sir.I’m leaving because I want to spend time with Wylie.We just bought a new home, and I’m excited to be able to make it a home.No, I have no desire to have your job.I think I’ll have enough going on in my life to keep me busy.”He asked about babies, and she was too startled to answer.
“They’ll be coming along too someday, and you’ll have your hands full with them.I love being a grandda, and I’m betting your parents will be thrilled with the prospect of bouncing them on their knees as well.”She said that her mother was excited to have grandbabies.“Your daddy, too.He’s a good man, and I’m sure that he’s just busting at the seams until you tell him what you’re having.Well, I’ll be there soon.Look them over before I get there, and tell me something is wrong with McGee.I don’t know why, but I just don’t care for him.”
