“Everything’s gone exactly as intended, so you can rest easy.”
Beth cleared her throat. “Not exactly everything.”
“Is there a problem?” Mackie asked. “Something you haven’t told me? I’m aware of Gordon’s settlement offer. Is it that?”
Beth’s eyes seemed to become shuttered. “No, not that.” She slid into a chair, Ashley on her lap. “I’m almost afraid to tell you.”
Mackie patted her arm comfortingly. “Don’t be silly—there’s nothing you can’t share with me. And whatever it is, we can handle it.” Mackie held her breath. Despite her encouraging words, she had a feeling she didn’t want to hear this.
“I was hoping you’d say that, but I’m in your debt so much already. I owe you big time, Mackie. Your support, your—”
Mackie signaled whoa. “We can’t start handling it until I know what’s wrong.”
“I need you to watch Ashley for me.”
“What!”
“I have to go back to the restaurant. You know I’m not supposed to work weekends...but there’s a big party scheduled...then Tammy called in sick...so there’s no one to act as hostess, manning the reservations desk, greeting people and seeing them to their tables. Rick told me I have to be there. If not, he’ll fire me. It’s just for a few hours. I’ll be off by ten or ten-thirty. But I can’t lose this job.”
Mackie panicked. Just a few hours?—might as well be a few years. She knew next to nothing about babies. Why, up until ten minutes ago, she’d never even held one. She wasn’t antikids—they just weren’t part of her life. Years ago she’d decided on career over motherhood.
“I don’t do children,” she said to Beth. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier so we could have postponed—”
“Postponed?” Beth’s voice took on a strident note. “Gordon would have loved that, now wouldn’t he? Just prove everything he’s been saying about me is true. You know I don’t have anyone else—no girlfriends, no family here—so please, please, please, can you look after Ashley this evening?” Beth reached out and grasped Mackie’s hand.
Mackie sighed. She’d promised to go the distance with Beth. What could she do but agree?
Ashley was cute to look at, but about as easy to control as a young chimpanzee. From the second Mackie had arrived at her town house with the toddler in tow, the latter had been expressing her displeasure with the arrangement. She’d turned up her nose at dinner, rebelled at having her diaper changed and refused to stay in the playpen Mackie had borrowed from a neighbor, preferring to roam around the unfamiliar territory.
Pricey art books, marble fruit and crystal obelisks now cluttered the mantel, secure from Ashley’s reach. Although by now Mackie would willingly sacrifice any one of them to Ashley’s mayhem if that would keep the baby from sobbing and pitifully begging for her “Da Da” the way she was doing.
“Don’t cry. Please stop crying.” Mackie cast her eyes upward in supplication. Where are you, Beth?
Pacing the floor with the fussy baby in her arms, Mackie noticed the warmth of her skin. She leaned her head back for a better view of the child’s face. It was flushed and tearstained. “Is it too hot in here? Or do you have a fever?” Don’t you dare have a fever.
At eleven-thirty, every shred of patience and energy exhausted, Mackie called the restaurant. “Beth Galloway, please.”
“Sorry, ma’am. Beth’s gone.”
Mackie hung up the phone. Hallelujah! Beth’s on her way.
For thirty more minutes Mackie circled the room and watched the time crawl by. Where was Beth? What could she possibly be doing? An accident perhaps. Or maybe she’d forgotten and gone home. She dialed Beth’s apartment. No answer. Of course Beth hadn’t forgotten—something was definitely wrong.
The waiting was getting intolerable. Ashley crying... Mackie worrying now about both Ashley and Beth.
Finally deciding she could no longer put off the inevitable, Mackie placed a weepy Ashley in the playpen with a bottle of milk to distract her, then fished out Gordon Galloway’s card from her briefcase and dialed his number.
“Mr. Galloway, this is Mackie Smith, Beth’s attorney. I know it’s late, but—”
“Has something happened to Ashley?”
“I don’t think it’s anything serious but she may be running a fever. If you’ll give me directions to your home, I’ll bring her there right away.”
“Did you take her temperature?”
“Uh, no. Not yet.”
“Did you even think about it?”
“No, frankly I didn’t. I’ve been too busy walking the floor with her the last four hours.”
“Give me the address. It’ll be quicker for me to come there.”
Mackie rattled off her street name and number.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” He hung up before Mackie had a chance to say another word.
When the phone rang seconds later, Mackie guessed it was Galloway asking for directions. But it was Beth.
“Mackie, it’s me.”
“Beth, where are you? I’ve been frantic.”
“I’m fine...it’s a long story.”
Mackie, frazzled and not mollified by Beth’s non-answer, snapped, “Then give me the condensed version.”
“Uh-oh, I was afraid you’d be upset.”
“Upset? You might say that. First you spring the news you have to work, then you don’t come when you say you will—”
“My car stalled on the freeway, Mackie. I’ve been stranded for over an hour praying for someone to stop and help. A policeman’s here now and we’re waiting for a tow truck.”
“Jeez...that’s scary.” The thought of what could have happened when Beth’s clunker of a car gave out sent a chill through Mackie.
“Tell me about it,” Beth groaned. “But you all are OK, aren’t you?”
“Ashley’s restless. I think she may be running a fever.”
“Probably just a minor thing,” Beth replied. “Listen, I don’t know how long this will take and it’s late already. I think it’d be best for you to keep Ashley until morning. Oh, the wrecker’s here, gotta go.”
“Don’t hang up!” But the plea was too late. For the second time in less than ten minutes, Mackie heard only a dial tone at the end of a telephone line.
Gordon had grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter and raced out to the garage within seconds of ringing off from Mackie Smith. He hoped he could drive, unnerved as he was by this turn of events. He’d wanted Ashley back, but not this way. What was going on with his baby? He had heard her whimpers in the background.
At least luck was partially on his side. It was late, but he was still dressed, so he hadn’t been delayed throwing on clothes. And Mackie’s place wasn’t that far away.
Mackie opened the front door of her town house just as Gordon’s finger started to hit the bell. “Where’s Ashley?” he demanded, rushing inside.
“Shh.” Mackie put a finger to her lips. Together she and Gordon tiptoed toward the middle of her living room where Ashley