All Dressed in White

63

Just as Meghan expected, Jeff laid into her as soon as they were alone again in their hotel room.

“Why do you keep telling me I need to wait?” he demanded. “Are you trying to buy yourself time to come up with a lie?”

“I would never lie to you. I just can’t talk about it right now. Not like this.”

“Why in the world did you call that lawyer this morning?” Jeff insisted. “After all these years, and just hours before we all learned about Amanda’s body. I can’t get my head around it.”

“I promise, there’s a reason-”

“Then tell me!”

“Stop screaming at me!”

“I’m asking you one simple question, Meghan. I deserve an answer.”

Jeff could not believe his eyes when she stood up, grabbed her purse, and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her and leaving him in silence.

Meghan used the short amount of time in the hotel elevator to wipe the tears from her face and catch her breath. She and Jeff rarely argued, and neither of them had ever walked out on the other when they did, but leaving the room felt like the only way to keep her blood pressure from rising. The doctor had warned her to avoid unnecessary stress.

Good luck with that, she thought, as she placed a hand on her belly. She had no way of knowing whether the baby could feel it, but resting her palm near her unborn child was calming to Meghan, if to no one else. Don’t worry, she thought, everything’s going to be just fine. Once your father calms down, I’ll go back to the room. He’ll believe my side of the story, I’m sure of it.

Meghan had been planning to give Jeff the news once they were back in New York. She wanted a clean break between this place and their baby. She wanted it to be a perfect moment.

But she never should have called that lawyer this morning. Of course it looked terrible, especially in light of the police finding Amanda only hours later. No wonder Jeff was demanding an explanation. She turned back toward the elevator, ready to tell him the truth, even though it wouldn’t be anything like the moment she had imagined.

Her cell phone buzzed with an incoming email message. There’s no way to escape work, she thought. How can I be on twenty-four-hour call once I’m a parent? But the message wasn’t about a client. The subject line said “from Kate.”

She clicked on it. Hey there. I didn’t want to say anything in front of everyone at dinner, but I have something important to tell you about Jeff. I think that TV show is trying to railroad him. Meet me by the pier behind the hotel so we don’t run into anyone from the show?

Perfect, Meghan typed. Jeff could use a few more minutes to cool down before we talk, she thought. Headed there now.