If Only You Knew Page 20

  "Don't leave, it's still early," Janet said.

  "No, I'm really not good company and I want to go home."

  Each of them hugged her and walked her to her car. When Anna May had driven out of view, Janet turned to Marianne. "I ought to beat your butt from now until Sunday. What were you thinking?"

  Marianne held up her hands. "I wasn't thinking. I knew he was going to hurt her. We should have stopped her."

  "Like we stopped you from marrying a jerk?" Raina replied.

  "She doesn't look good. She's lost so much weight. I'm afraid for her," Janet said.

  "I think we all are," Marianne said softly.

  Evan Wilson unfolded the newspaper clipping. He scanned the article though he could recite it word for word. The paper said Anna May Justice was his son's partner, but he knew better. Ric Justice was behind the partnership. He touched the photo of Anna May Justice. She would be the first to pay, then him. Evan grinned and for the first time in a long time, he felt in control.

  Ric stared out of the window of his office as the pale winter sun shone weakly through the clouds. The view of the Atlanta skyline went unnoticed.

  He was thinking of Anna May. It seemed that's all he'd done over the last few weeks. In the beginning when he'd thought of her, he felt rage and betrayal. How could she have chosen Adam over him? When she'd partnered with his brother, he'd felt she'd chosen Adam. Like his mother had chosen Adam.

  He'd left. He'd left before she could leave him, and he felt justified. But now as his anger cooled, he began to doubt his decision. The last thing she'd said to him when he walked out the door was "I love you." He had walked out on her as she cried, like his mother had walked out on him. Ric felt his heart break. The anger he'd used these few weeks to guard his heart fell away. The love that he'd refused to acknowledge burst free. He loved Anna May. That wasn't going to change, no matter what.

  Did she still love him? he wondered. Could she love a man who'd turned his back on her love? A cold finger of fear rippled down his spine as he imagined living without her. There was only one way to know for sure.

  Ric grabbed his coat and walked out of his office. "Mrs. Jones, cancel my appointments for the rest of the day. I'm going home."

  Anna May read the instructions on the home pregnancy kit twice. The indicator was blue. Wonderfully, unmistakably blue. According to the instructions, there was a ninety-eight percent chance she was pregnant. She pressed her hand against her stomach. A child. Ric's baby was growing inside of her. It was a miracle. She said a prayer of thanksgiving. Something wonderful had come out of her ruined marriage.

  She missed him so much. Not only had she lost a husband, but she'd lost her best friend. At times during the day she would reach for the telephone to call him. But what would she say to him?

  It hurt so much to think that he hadn't loved her at all. How could you love someone and just turn your back on them totally? Not once had he called her. He'd come to the house to get clothes only when he knew she was at work. She'd stood in the closet and cried when she saw his suits were gone.

  Maybe one day she wouldn't feel the overwhelming pain when she thought of him. Maybe the baby would give her some comfort. She walked out of the master bathroom and into the bedroom. She was pregnant. No wonder she was tired all the time. Initially, she thought she was tired because she hadn't been sleeping well. Now she could barely keep her eyes open. Anna May lay on the bed and fell into a deep sleep. She didn't hear the smoke detector buzzing downstairs.

  Ric turned into the driveway of his home, his heart filled with fear. Would she forgive him? Did she still love him like he loved her?

  A dark sedan raced around the curve, nearly hitting him head on. Ric swerved to avoid a collision. As the car went past, he recognized his stepfather. What was he doing here? His scalp tingled. Something felt wrong.

  He pressed down the accelerator, the Jaguar responded instantly. As he rounded the last curve, the house came into view. Yellow-orange flames danced out of the windows in the den.

  Anna May.

  He cut through the front lawn and came to a stop at the front door. Don't let me be too late. Please don't let her be in the den. His hands shook as he put the key into the front door and turned the knob. The heat had melted the candles on the table.

  "Anna May!" he screamed then realized the smoke detectors drowned out his voice. He ran to the kitchen and opened the garage door. Her car was parked inside. Frantically he ran down the hall and up the stairs, the smoke burning his eyes. He could see flames through the thick smoke in the bedroom above the den when he reached the landing.

  Gasping for breath he ran to the master bedroom. She lay on the bed, nearly covered in a cloud of smoke. He rushed to the bed and shook her shoulders. "Anna May! Wake up!" She didn't respond to his touch. What was wrong? Fear tore at him. She had to be all right. He couldn't lose her now.

  The heat began to build inside the room. He swept her into his arms. The only way out was the way he'd come in. Flames licked the walls of the hallway. He prayed then he ran.

  Anna May didn't want to wake up, but the noise wouldn't go away. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Hospital. She was in the hospital. She didn't remember being sick ... the last thing she remembered …

  The baby. Had she lost the baby? Please, God, no.

  Again she heard the noise. She turned her head.

  Ric sat in a chair beside the bed. His hands covered his face, and his shoulders shook. White gauze covered his shoulders, and large bandages covered his hands.

  "Ric?" She tried to speak, but her throat burned like fire.

  She tried to lift her hand to touch him, but it seemed to be weighted down. The noise grew louder and she realized Ric was crying.

  "Ric ..." she said his name weakly.

  He lifted his head. Tears streamed down his face. "I love you, Anna May. I love you."

  Epilogue

  "Look, Ricky. It's a router. Wouldn't that be nice to have?" Ric said cradling his son in his arms as he slowly walked down the aisle of Home Depot.

  Anna May shook her head. Who would have thought her husband would turn into the tooltime maniac—and what was worse, he was trying his best to start their six-month-old son, Garrick Trevor Jr., along the same path. While other fathers took their sons to football games, Ric took Ricky to Home Depot.

  She stepped aside as another customer walked down the aisle of the do-it-yourself store and said with a smile, "He's not old enough to operate heavy machinery."

  He turned and smiled sheepishly. "I know, but I want him to know what it is. Oh, look at that, Ricky—a drill press. When you're older we'll get you one like that."

  Anna May laughed as she pushed the nearly full shopping cart and followed her husband and son. The two most important people in her life.

  God had truly blessed her. She had a husband who loved her and a healthy, happy son. Ricky would be the only child she'd ever give birth to. A few weeks after she gave birth to Ricky, she had surgery that made it impossible for her to have other children. But they'd decided to adopt two other children in a few years.

  Sometimes she had to pinch herself. Her happiness seemed to overflow. Evan Wilson was sentenced to five years in a minimum security prison on arson charges. Ric and Adam were getting to know each other and developing what she hoped was a solid, loving relationship. The Stewards were honorary grandparents to Ricky, and their relationship with Ric was rock solid. Her family thought the world of Ric. When her father called, half of the time it was to talk to Ric.

  And Ric showered her with so much love, she would never doubt he loved her. Her heart filled with joy as she watched the two men in her life, her family. Ric looked up as if she'd spoken his name aloud. Their gaze met. Tenderness and love shone in his brown eyes.

  Holding Ricky with one arm, he caressed her cheek with the other. "Have I told you I love you today?"

  "At least four times," she said.

  "Make it five. I love you, Anna May."

 
"I love you, too, Ric."

  "Come on," he said. "Let's go home."

  Click HERE to get my free novella Matchmaker and to sign up for my monthly newsletter. Thank you for reading If Only You Knew. I hope you will enjoy Matchmaker and my newsletter. You can go to carlafredd.com/only to get them both.

  Books By Carla Fredd

  Fire and Ice

  If Only You Knew

  The Perfect Man

  About the Author

  Carla Fredd is a Southern girl and tries her best to avoid locations where the local weather forecasters use words like snow, sleet and freezing. She never considered becoming a writer while going to college to become an engineer. Instead, she devoured romance novels between calculus classes. Years later, she tried her hand at writing romances and learned she loved it.

  In her spare time, Carla can be found reading or buying books, buying way too much yarn, playing on her computers, eating a lot of chocolate, collecting more office supplies than she really needs, sitting at her sewing machines and drooling over jewelry that costs more than her car.

  To date, Carla has written three books and one novella. Her first book, Fire and Ice, was made into a television movie. Carla currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia where she is working on her next project.

  Find Carla at:

  Wesite: carlafredd.com

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carla.fredd