Chapter 6

Heath walked up the stairs to the apartment above Mysti’s shop that she and Lex were living in, while the house his uncle had given them, along with a storefront for the new church, was being renovated. His cousin met him at the top of the stairs and pulled him into a hug. “Oh my Heathcliff, you’ve gone and grown up on me.”

He smiled at the most fun member of his family. He’d always kind of loved his cousin Mysti, for as long as he could remember even before she was Mysti. She was the fun cousin. She did and said things no one else would dare to do or say. And she’d gotten, in his opinion, even more outspoken after she’d changed her name and come back from her three-year trip to find herself. “If I have, it’s your fault, Mysti. After all, you’re the one who told me to let the scales of childhood fall off my eyes.”

Mysti laughed. “Yes, but I didn’t expect you to do it right then. Though I guess I should have, you have always been the one most open to listening to me. Now come in and let me get you that tea for your little lady.”

Heath followed her into the apartment and noticed Lex sitting on the couch, his laptop open on his lap. “Hey Lex, I take it Dad called you earlier?”

His cousin’s new husband and the town’s newest pastor nodded. “He did. I told him I would talk with you and Deborah. I will not do a wedding that is forced on anyone. Marriage is forever, and I won’t set any couple up to fail at it.”

“Sounds good, and I need to talk to you and Mysti, but I need your assurance that this conversation is private. Nothing I tell you two is to get back to my parents, brother, sister, Sam or the Begley’s. If you can’t promise me that, then I’m not talking to anyone. I have to do what is best for me, Deborah, and the baby.”

Lex closed his laptop and set it aside. “Heath, I am bound by what is called the bond of the confessional, even though we aren’t Catholic and don’t have confession. But like a priest or a counselor, I keep all conversations confidential unless you tell me something that poses a threat to yourself or someone else. Mysti treats her business the same as a doctor or counselor as well. You know we don’t talk about what others come to us wanting help or guidance on.”

Heath looked at Mysti who was holding out a small cloth shopping bag to him. “Here, I put some gingersnaps in there, too. She should have the tea first thing in the morning and then anytime she feels nauseated. The gingersnaps are for her to keep a few in her purse or bag in case she’s out and needs something to help soothe her stomach. Now, I promise to not say anything either. So why don’t you tell us how you got stuck claiming someone else’s baby?”

With those words, Heath slumped into the armchair across from where Lex was sitting. Mysti took a seat beside her husband and Heath poured out the entire story: Hal’s phone call, finding Deborah four blocks from her house in totally inappropriate clothes for this time of year. He told them who the baby’s real father was, and about the call the bastard made to Deborah. Heath shared how he held her while she cried. How his heart broke for her, and how that led him to the realization that while they may not have had a great super romantic love story. But he wanted nothing more than to make her his wife, and take care of her and the baby for the rest of their lives.

Lex had listened and allowed Heath to tell the entire story, and then he looked at Mysti. “That’s mostly what we had figured. Well, not who the young man was, but we knew it wasn’t you.”

Heath nodded. “Leanne suspects as well, but I tried to make it plain I’m going to be the baby’s father. Without admitting I wasn’t the one who got her pregnant. My two biggest concerns are these. Reverend Begley, we all know that he’ll say something about her fall from grace in his sermon Sunday. I also know by the call Dad made to me that Begley thinks I’m the one who got her pregnant. I don’t mind that. My concern is with how people will treat Deborah. So, I’m going to be sticking to telling everyone that she and the baby are my responsibility now.”

Lex nodded his head. “I agree, Begley will probably make another big deal about this. I also think you are showing a lot of maturity by trying to protect her and her reputation. But I have to ask, Heath. Are you sure you want to take on this responsibility? I mean, caring for another man’s child, claiming it as your own? That’s a tremendous step for anyone, let alone a nineteen-year-old about to start college.”

Heath waved that off. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, Lex. I know it won’t be easy. However, it will be easier for me than for some other nineteen-year-old about to start college. I’m sure you are well aware that, like the rest of the Gladstone kids, I am financially in a good place. So, I won’t have that worry.”

Lex nodded, but before he could say anything, Mysti spoke up. “What’s the second big concern you have, Heath?”

“Nick. I know he told Deborah that the baby isn’t his, he wants no part of it. Heck, he even offered to pay part of an abortion. My concern is Deborah and I will get married, and then he’ll decide later he wants to be the baby’s father and destroy everything I’m putting in place to claim it. If that happens, it will cause problems with our family, and with some people in town here. Don’t get me wrong, I know people will talk even if I marry her, but it will be worse if it comes out that I’m not the baby’s father. I just don’t know what I can do to ensure Nick doesn’t do that to Deborah.”

Lex put his hand on his chin and stroked it a few times. “I’m not a lawyer, but I know you can have him voluntarily terminate his parental rights. Maybe you should talk to Bernie about it.”

“Yeah, I plan to do that Monday. I don’t like bothering him at home unless I have to. What I really want is to know where Nick is and go have a talk to him man to man.”

Mysti picked up her cell phone and hit a couple of buttons. “Yeah, sis, let me talk to your man. No, nothing is wrong. I just need some information.” There was a moment of silence and then, “Hey Paul, quick question; do you have Nick Nash’s address? Oh, and do you know if he’s there or in Cali this month?”

Mysti picked up a pen and wrote for a few seconds. “Thanks, I appreciate it. Hmm? No, just Heath needs to talk to him about something. No, nothing like that. Yep, okay, bye.”

She put the phone down and handed Heath the paper. “He lives in his mom’s basement. Can you get any more cliché than that? Paul also said he’s in Denver for the rest of the year. He should be at that address, or the team’s Denver office.”

Heath nodded and took the paper. “Thanks, Mysti.” He looked back at Lex. “So tomorrow I plan to talk to Deborah and ask her to marry me. If she agrees, what’s next?”

Lex leaned forward. “I would want to meet with you both. Make sure both of you are on board with this plan. You should know that I’ll offer Deborah a couple of other options besides marrying you. I made some calls today and found her other solutions besides marriage.”