Noah put a large, thick book on the chair and began to scale his self-made mountain. Baylor rushed up behind him to hold him steady.
“Thanks,” Noah said. “Here it is!” He scrambled back down and laid a brown folder on his mother’s desk. He pulled out an envelope and removed its contents, then smoothed the paper as if it were a map to some long-buried treasure.
“Mom showed me it once and said this was my dad. She doesn’t know I figured out where she keeps it. You won’t tell, will ya?”
Baylor looked down at the paper and smiled. In fact, her smile couldn’t get much bigger or brighter or happier. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
They looked down at the faded page. In the center, someone had taped a white appointment reminder card. On the card, two dates had been handwritten under the headings “first insemination” and “second insemination.” Lastly, there was the number that Noah had so dutifully memorized: Sperm Donor #965-2338.
As they put away the document, Baylor began thinking about Noah and how this affected him. Did he understand that his mom didn’t know who his dad was?
“Hey, Bubba, you don’t mind, do you? I mean, not really having a dad around?”
“Nah. Mom told me when I was real little, like last year. She said I was more special ’cause she went out looking for me. She wanted me so bad, but she said some families have two moms or two dads instead of a mom and dad. Leroy is in my class at school and he only has a dad. His mom went away when he was a baby.”
Once more Baylor was amazed by the way Noah seemed to take everything in stride. She knew that was Hobie’s influence.
A knock on the door brought them both into the living room just as Theresa opened the front door.
“Goodness, Baylor. I’m sorry I’m late. Thanks so much for watching Noah until I could get back. Hobie doesn’t know how lucky she is to have you around.”
“Yeah, I think the same thing some days,” Baylor teased. “Hey, Bubba, you mind staying with your grandma for the rest of the night? I just thought of something really important I need to do. I’ll make it up to you, okay?”
“’Kay, Baylor.” The youngster held out his arms and Baylor scooped him up. She gave him a big kiss on the cheek and tickled him until he squirmed and giggled, then deposited him on the couch.
“You know, Baylor,” Theresa Allen began as Baylor said goodbye, “it’s a shame Hobie can’t see what she has in you.” She smiled and Baylor responded in kind.
“I’m gonna try to do something about that, Mrs. Allen. Wish me luck.”
“Good luck, Baylor,” Theresa shouted. “With Hobie Lynn, you’ll need it,” she whispered under her breath.
Chapter 20
“Okay, think things through. Don’t go off half-assed here.” Baylor drove along in the Jag, talking to herself all the while.
It wasn’t easy to drive with the cast on, but with the lighter walking cast, at least she could operate the pedals.
Baylor turned left down Oceanside Road. The seafood restaurant there was the best on the island and Baylor, in an unusually benevolent moment, had given Juliana that information.
“Okay, when I see her, what do I say? No, don’t get hung up on the words. Just remember, don’t lie, don’t panic, don’t forget to breathe, and whatever you do, don’t throw up on her.”
Baylor saw Hobie’s pickup from a block away. It was parked on the street in front of the restaurant.
“This is it. I don’t even care if she laughs in my face, but I’m going to say my piece and pray. There’s nothing that’s going to stop me this time.”
Baylor pulled over in the shadows about five car lengths behind Hobie’s truck. She watched as Hobie and Juliana left the building laughing, joking, and worst of all, hand in hand. Baylor’s heart sank onto the floor of the Jag. She went from elation to heartbreak in a matter of seconds. Juliana opened the driver’s door for Hobie, bowed, and kissed her hand. The two looked so...happy.
As she looked upon the scene, Baylor’s mood changed. She was tempted to wallow in self-pity. For nearly a full minute, she sat there feeling sorry for herself. Then other emotions kicked in—first jealousy, then anger. The anger was a feeling she could really wrap her teeth around.
Those bitches. They’re acting like I’m not even alive. I don’t believe I ever thought Hobie was such a sweet girl. That tramp’s letting
Jules put her paws wherever she wants. Unbelievable... and I thought Jules was my best friend. Shit! She knew how I felt and she’s still all over Hobie! Some friends...they’re both sluts!
A plan formulated in Baylor’s head at that instant. Later that evening, she looked back and realized that perhaps the plan hadn’t been the best of ideas. However, sitting there in her car, she could think of only one thing to appease her jealous nature. She would follow the two women. She would listen to their conversations, watch their behavior, and confront them. She would confront the Jezebels and throw their own actions into their faces. Baylor would see that, like Hester Prynne, both women ended up with a scarlet A on their chests.
“Treat me like a fucking idiot. We’ll see about that!” Baylor roughly shoved the gearshift and followed the white pickup. “Careful...no need to hurry or lose control,” she said aloud.
If she could have seen herself, Baylor would have stopped the car and turned around or laughed hysterically at her own ludicrous behavior. Instead, like a character in a poorly written spy novel, she followed a short distance behind Hobie’s truck, intent on catching the two women at something.
“Okay, let me get this straight,” Juliana said as she rolled up the sleeves of her blouse. “Up the ramp, bank into the clown’s mouth, then it will roll right down the giraffe’s neck?”
“Exactly!” Hobie clapped. “Give it a shot, come on.”
“Hey, just you try and keep up, hotshot. Three iron,” Juliana ordered as she held out one hand.
“Three iron.” Hobie slapped the handle of a golf club into the other woman’s hand.
Juliana bent her knees and tested the club’s swing before actually hitting the bright orange golf ball.
What in the holy hell are they doing here? Baylor asked herself as she slipped into the brightly lit park. She passed under the sign that said “Ana Lia’s Fantasy Island: Putt-Putt Golf.” Either they’re trying to make this look innocent, or they’ve both slipped a gear or two.
“Like this, right?” Juliana asked.
Hobie smiled at the blonde. Tall and muscular, Juliana had a look of concentration as intense as any Nancy Lopez might have conjured up.
“Wait a minute. Make sure you line it up with the clown’s right eyeball. Here...” Hobie put one arm around Juliana’s waist and ran her right hand along Juliana’s arm and down to her wrist. She didn’t even realize how closely she had her body pressed against Juliana’s back. “Aim right along there.”
Oh, yeah. Tramps on parade. Baylor slipped behind a ten-foot ice cream cone and watched. One date. One fucking date and she’s all over her!
Juliana felt the other woman’s body against her, but even if she had wanted something to happen between them, even if she hadn’t thought of Hobie as Baylor’s girl, she was having too much fun to spoil it with sex or innuendo. She couldn’t resist one little tease, however. “You know, I can’t ever remember having this much fun with my clothes still on.”
Hobie’s laughter rang out. “Absolutely incorrigible. Come on, sexy, let’s see if you’re all hot air.” She smacked Juliana across the backside and stepped away.
“Oh, baby, now you’ve got me fired up.” Juliana pulled her arms back and swung the golf club with a gentle force.