“I, uh, well…”
Twin lines of concern formed between Annette’s perfectly arched eyebrows. “Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Riley straightened her shoulders and laid it right out there. “The truth is, Annette, I’m pregnant.” She managed a wobbly smile. “The baby’s due in early October, and I—”
Annette set down her wine and clapped her hand to her throat.
“Annette, are you okay?”
Annette coughed into her hand and then croaked out, “I… It’s a joke, right?”
“Uh. No, Annette. It’s not a joke. I’ve been seeing Josh Bravo and—”
“Josh Bravo?” Annette shot to her feet. “No, that’s not…”
“Notwhat, Annette?”
“Not…appropriate. Not appropriate in the least. You and Josh arefriends. You can’t just…what? You’ve been having sex with yourfriend?That is… Well, no. I just can’t…”
Was this really happening?
Okay, yes. Riley had been a little nervous about cluing in her mother-in-law. She’d been afraid that Annette would disapprove, maybe even think less of her.
But this, right now?
This was beyond disapproval. Yes, her mother-in-law was a conservative sort of person. But she wasn’t a fanatic.
Was she?
“Annette, please,” Riley coaxed. “Sit back down. Let’s talk about this calmly and see if we can—”
“No!” Annette whisper-shouted the word. “There is nothing more to say, this is not okay. I can’t even begin to…” She slid out from behind the coffee table and made for the front door.
Riley jumped up and followed. “Annette, come on. Don’t go, please? Stay. Let’s talk. Let’s work this out.”
“Work this out?” Annette was already grabbing her coat off the hook and her purse from the entry hall table. “No. Absolutely not. This is not how we do things. You are the daughter of my heart. Love is forever, and when your husband is gone, you…” She seemed to run out of words.
“You what?” Riley demanded as she felt the tears rising. Her vision blurred. And right then, Annette startedcrying, too. They stood there at the door, staring at each other, tears streaming down both their faces.
“Well, I will tell you what you don’t do,” Annette said tightly. “You do not behave like a whore, that’s for sure!” And with that, Annette yanked open the door and fled into the night.
Chapter Five
Riley stood at her front door watching in misery and disbelief as her mother-in-law jumped into her Escalade, gunned the engine and burned rubber down Adams Street.
The curtains in the front window directly across the way parted as sweet old Mrs. Rafferty peered out. Riley raised a hand in a sheepish wave. Mrs. Rafferty waved back before letting the curtains drop shut.
Several minutes went by during which Riley didn’t budge from the open doorway. She wanted to strangle Annette at the same time as she kept imagining the worst, her mother-in-law wrapping her Cadillac around a cottonwood tree or mowing down some poor innocent fellow out walking his dog at eight thirty in the evening.
Eventually, with a heavy sigh, she quietly shut the door and engaged the lock. At least Annette’s angry exit hadn’t brought Dillon running. There was no sound from upstairs.
Just to be sure he wasn’t lying up there sobbing into his pillow because he’d heard the ugly things his beloved Grammy had said to his mom, she tiptoed up the stairs and peered in on him. The hall light cast enough of a glow that she could see him curled up under the covers, sound asleep.
Relieved that at least her child hadn’t been subjected to Annette’s ugly tirade, she retreated back down the stairs,picked up Annette’s nearly full glass of wine from the coffee table and actually considered chugging the whole thing.
But no. Not good for the baby—or for a pregnant mom, either. With a heavy heart, she carried the glass to the kitchen, where she was just about to pour it down the sink when she thought she heard a knock at the front door. A second later, the knock came again, a little louder this time.
What now? Riley set down the glass and headed for the door, where a quick glance through the fanlight window revealed her mother-in-law, red-faced with puffy eyes, smudged mascara and a look of sheer misery on her usually perfectly composed face.
