“Are you kidding? He tossed the condoms two months ago. He’d have ten kids if I agreed to it. I could be pregnant right this second.”
“I envy you. It must be nice to fall in love and marry and then plan to have a baby—one you were excited about from day one.” I sit on the bench and sulk. “We’ve done everything completely out of order.”
“Aaron would marry you tomorrow if you’d let him.”
“I know. He tells me every day. I just want to make sure Casey isn’t the only reason.”
“Devyn, you’re blind if you don’t think he’s crazy in love with you.”
“I feel the same way about him.” I strap one of the pads on. “But this in a wedding dress? No, thank you.”
“We’ll plan it for a few months after Casey comes. You’ll have your rockin’ body back then. We can do it in the indoor arena, like Maddox and I did. We’ll hang lights and order flooring to cover the dirt. It’ll be amazing.”
I catch her eyes in the mirror. “You’ll be my maid of honor?”
“Matron,” she says. “Yes, I’d be honored.”
“Don’t be,” I joke. “You’re kind of my only friend.”
We share a laugh.
“Before long, you’ll have lots of friends. Remind me later, and I’ll give you the name of the yoga place I go to. They have great pregnancy classes. You’ll meet a ton of women there.”
I check the time. “I should hurry. We have a full house at the lodge this week.”
She exits the room and stands outside. “When are you going to let Aaron hire another housekeeper?”
“As soon as Mickey hires me as an assistant trainer. I’m not going to be dead weight around the ranch.” I try on a shirt and am amused at the way it fits over the pregnancy pad. I open the door and show Andie.
Hands steeple over her nose and mouth. “You’re glowing.”
“Andie, please don’t tell anyone what we talked about as far as the wedding and matron of honor stuff, okay?”
“It’ll be our secret. You’ll do it when the time is right.”
“Devyn?”
I turn and see Jill Benson staring at my belly. “Uh, this isn’t… It’s a pillow… I mean, I am, but not this big.” I’m not sure why I fumble my words. She was one of the few people at the jail who didn’t intimidate me.
“My word, look at you.” She comes closer and takes my hands, holding them out as she appraises me.
I pull a hand free and reach under the shirt to unstrap the pillow. “I’m not this big yet.”
“You’re having a baby? You look positively amazing.”
I run a hand down my shirt so it outlines my small bump. “It’s a boy.” I turn to Andie. “Jill, this is my friend, Andie. Andie, this is Jill Benson. She was my caseworker.”
Jill’s eyes go wide. She’s surprised I revealed our relationship.
“Nice to meet you, Jill.”
“And you. I’m trying to find something for my granddaughter. She’s expecting my first great-grandchild.”
I’m surprised. “No way are you old enough to have a pregnant granddaughter.”
“I’m flattered you would say so, but I’m seventy-one.”
I admire her rich brown skin that shows signs of aging, but I’d have guessed she was pushing sixty. “Well, you’re beautiful.”
She brings my left hand up to examine it. “No ring. It may be none of my business, but I hope your little one’s father isn’t hanging you out to dry.”
“He isn’t. He wants to marry me.”
Her eyes water. “Oh, sweet Lord above. I’ve thought about you a lot these past months. Of all my cases, yours hit me square in the pit of my stomach. You were so young when you were assigned to me, and what happened to you—simply heartbreaking. I thought you might self-destruct after leaving. Even after your call, I would lay awake some nights, wondering what became of you. The Lord is at work today, bringing me peace of mind by showing me that you’re okay.”
“I’m more than okay, Jill. How about you? How are you doing? Is there anyone special in your life?”
“When you’re my age, you’re lucky to get a spam caller to keep you company.” She laughs. “Don’t you worry about me. I got plenty of memories of my Gregory.”
During one of our first meetings, she told me how hard it was after her husband passed away ten years prior. She was trying to make me feel better, and she was the only person who ever did. Not about what I’d done, or what I deserved, but she didn’t treat me like a criminal.
“I can see you’re busy,” Jill says. “I’ll go about my business. You still have my number?”
“I do.”
“Please call me after the baby comes. I’d be most grateful to know how you and the little one are doing.”
“Of course.”
“And you’ll come to the wedding?” Andie says. I elbow her.
“With bells on,” Jill says. “Just tell me when.” She kisses my cheek and goes on her way.
I smile. She was the first friend I made after I’d lost everything else. She was my only friend for two years. She made me feel something nobody else in jail ever did: human.
When we pull up to the cabin, there are two police cars parked to the side of the lodge.
“Oh, gosh. I hope one of the guests didn’t have an accident.”
“Let’s go inside and see,” Andie says, parking her truck. “Then I’ll help you take your bags to the cabin.”
We enter through the back door. Three police officers and Lora are standing by the kitchen table.
“Devyn DeMaggio?” one asks.
Lora points at me. “That’s her.”
An officer steps toward me. “Ms. DeMaggio, you’re under arrest for grand larceny. Turn around, please.”
My heart sinks. Larceny—that’s stealing. I’m finally being punished for living in the attic and stealing food.
“What’s going on here?” Andie says, clearly shaken. “You can’t arrest her. She didn’t do anything.”
Another officer strides over and stands between Andie and me. “Miss, step back and let us do our job.”
“I’m calling Aaron,” she says. “This is all one big misunderstanding. We’ll figure it out.”
I shake my head. “I did it. He knows I did. There’s nothing he can do.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lora’s jaw drop. “She admitted it. Did you hear her?”
“Ma’am, I need to read your rights. If I were you, I wouldn’t say anything until you hear them. You have the right to remain silent…”
Those are the same words I heard three years ago, spoken by a man wearing the same uniform. I want to fight, tell them I’m different now, but my mother’s words keep echoing through my mind: We only get as much as we deserve.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Aaron
The past few weeks have been the best we’ve had. Living with Devyn is more rewarding than I imagined. Waking up to her every day is something I never knew I wanted and something I never again want to go without. Seeing her smile, watching her become the woman I knew she could be—it’s wonderful.