Geri Krotow - The Pregnant Colton Witness

“Make sure you report it if you change your mind.” Layla never seemed to realize that Patience had her DVM and was fully capable of deciding when and why on the calls into the RRPD. Not to mention her K9 certification.

“What are you up to now, Layla?” She heard the hard edge in her voice but it couldn’t be helped. It rarely could with Layla.

“Since my sister can’t meet me for a drink at the only decent bar in town, I think I’ll spend more time here in the office. There’s always more to do, and I’ll need to have things in order for when we have our cash flow back in the black.”

Patience gritted her teeth. Layla was goading her. When it came to the subject of Layla’s secret engagement with the smarmy Hamlin, silence was the best approach.

“Patience?”

“I’m here.” She rolled her eyes and popped a grape into her mouth. Good thing they were on speakerphone and not doing their usual video call.

“You know your judgment is stinking over the line, don’t you?” Layla’s tone was pure corporate executive with a dollop of big sister.

“I haven’t said a thing!” Either the grape had been sour or she was reacting to Layla’s tone, for her stomach began to roil. She’d felt fine for the most part, until she realized she was pregnant. And thought back to how shaky her stomach had been the last couple months. Another reason to put off meeting Layla. Her sister would connect the dots in an instant if Patience turned her nose up at food and, of course, alcohol. Gourmet meals paired with fine wine were the one luxury Patience indulged in, and only with Layla, on occasion.

“You don’t have to say anything, dear sister. I do think Hamlin cares about me, by the way. Dad’s putting pressure on us to make it legal ASAP, but with the Groom Killer around, Hamlin’s rightfully nervous. I know you don’t approve of us or how we’re handling our engagement. But it is what it is, little sis. I’m doing what you always say you believe in and putting family first.”

“By keeping it secret?” Stung by Layla’s accurate assessment, she couldn’t help but to strike back.

“From the public. There’s a serial killer on the loose, or have you forgotten?”

Patience remembered she was alone in the K9 clinic, and saw the darkening October sky through her office window. The early sunset was a sign of the winter to come, not a harbinger of more killings. Her body thought otherwise as shivers ran down her spine.

“Of course I haven’t forgotten. But Hamlin’s just like our father. His priority is always business and that means Colton Energy. Above all else, Layla, even your marriage.” She almost choked on the word marriage , and yet guilt tugged at her. How could she judge anyone, even Hamlin, for postponing the nuptials? A psycho intent on killing grooms remained at large. Even if Hamlin had the resources to provide himself with the best security on the planet. And she had to admit, if only to herself, that she was a hypocrite. She’d been relieved that the wedding was called off for now. The thought of Layla on Hamlin’s arm made her sick, and it had nothing to do with baby hormones.

“Tell that to Bo Gage, Michael Hayden, Jack Parkowski, Joey McBurn or Thad Randall.” Layla’s sharp reply sounded as if she was a woman sure of her place in life, but Patience saw through her sister’s smoke screen. Red Ridge wasn’t a tiny town, but it was small enough that they’d both known all five victims, at least as acquaintances. “And the RRPD still hasn’t caught our cousin Demi—if she’s the killer, of course.”

Layla referred to Demi Colton, a bounty hunter whose relation to the murders was circumstantial at best. Patience didn’t know Demi well as they hadn’t spent a lot of time together growing up, or now as adults. But she didn’t believe the gossip one bit, not since Demi brought in an injured dog to the clinic shortly before she’d fled. Demi cared . Killers didn’t.

“She’s not. She’s only a suspect.”

Demi had left town right after Bo Gage, the first victim, had been found. Because Demi and Bo Gage had been engaged for a week, until he’d dumped her for Haley Patton, there was circumstantial evidence, as well as motive, for Demi’s guilt. It made no sense to Patience, though, because Demi had zero relationship to the other victims. But community opinion named Demi as the killer. Fortunately, the RRPD worked with facts, as did Patience.

Patience had to stand up for the truth, even if they flew in direct opposition to popular opinion. She put her trust in the RRPD’s investigative capabilities over fear-fueled town scuttlebutt.

Layla’s silence grew long and Patience wondered for the umpteenth time if her sister needed her to talk her out of the Hamlin Harrington agreement.

“Layla, you know I admire your loyalty to Colton Energy and our father, even though he doesn’t deserve it. And we haven’t talked about it since the fund-raiser, for obvious reasons, but are you sure you still want to marry Hamlin?”

“Of course I do.” Her prompt reply was too quick, too reactionary. “Look, I’m not the one who went off the Colton straight and narrow. I’m holding up my part of the family business.” Nice dig at Patience, who’d eschewed accepting the family legacy of becoming a financial wizard, like her father and sister. Finances had never appealed to her; serving others had.

“That doesn’t mean you have to marry a man you don’t love.”

“Who says I don’t love him?” Didn’t Layla hear the lack of conviction in her own reply?

“Please. We can agree to disagree about your engagement, but we need to drop the pretense that you care for Hamlin if we’re going to remain sisters.” Patience would never have been so direct even a day ago. Was the baby giving her some kind of relationship superpower? Where she was realizing the preciousness of life and wanted to protect her bond with her sister?

“I wish I could tell you more, Patience, but you’re going to have to trust me. I know what I’m doing.”

“I’m here if you need me, Layla. Let’s meet sometime next week, after I get through this weekend.”

Layla’s sigh sounded over the phone’s speaker, and Patience felt sorry for her sister—almost. It was her decision to become involved with Hamlin, a man their father’s age and just as disagreeable and greedy when it came to business. They weren’t wealthy by accident. Although Fenwick’s recent investment blunders were bleeding the company funds to near bankruptcy. From a pure economic standpoint, Colton Energy was desperate for what Hamlin Harrington offered.

Gabby’s screech reached through the walls. Layla gasped. “What was that ?”

“Our resident parrot. She’s ready to come out of her cage again and stretch her wings. I’ll give you a call later tomorrow, when I’m off duty, okay?”

“Maybe we can meet for a meal, then? With a nice bottle of red. My treat.” Layla’s infectious optimism made Patience laugh. It’d be soda water for her from here on out, but Layla didn’t need to know that yet.

“We’ll see.”

Patience managed to get all the animals taken care of by eleven o’clock that night. Her legs thanked her as she lay down and stretched out on the folding bed assigned specifically to the overnight watch. She rotated the duty with another local veterinarian, who worked for the clinic on a contract basis, and the vet assistants. She’d thought that finding out she wasn’t just bloated or had gained a few pounds, but was in fact pregnant, would keep her up all night. What did she know about being a mother? And what was she going to say to Nash? How was she going to tell him? How could she make sure he completely understood that she wanted nothing from him, needed nothing?