A Justified Murder Read online

  With her shoulders back, a smile plastered on her face, Tayla went back to Charlene and the baby. She’d finished nursing and was burping her daughter. “Where’s the nursery?”

  Charlene kissed her baby. “I guess this is it.”

  Tayla hadn’t looked about the room. There was an open packet of diapers on the floor. In the corner was a sort of bed made out of blankets and throw pillows. “Your parents made no preparations for the baby?”

  Charlene gave an I’m-sorry look. “It’s not their fault. I changed my mind about the adoption.”

  “Ahhh.” Tayla had to work to control the anger that raged through her.

  Just as her mother and sister had bullied her, they’d done it to this sweet girl. She’d had sex in high school. Heaven knows Tayla and Walter had done it often then. And Sara and Cal. And everyone.

  But Charlene had been caught. Got pregnant. It was Tayla’s guess that Charlene waited to tell of her condition until there couldn’t be a termination. Diane and their mother had handled it by declaring that Charlene would, of course, put the child up for adoption.

  Charlene had destroyed their plans by refusing to give her child up. From the way she was holding her baby, it was Tayla’s guess that she took one look at her infant and refused to part with her. Love in its finest moment.

  So what had Diane and their mother done about this? Dumped it all onto Tayla. “Tayla will fix it. Tayla will know what to do.” She’d heard it all her life.

  Well, she did know what to do. “Charlene, honey, tell me where I can buy a car seat. When I get back with it, you and I and Rowena are going shopping. We’re going to set up a beautiful nursery. While I’m gone, you can pick out a room to use in this monster-sized house.”

  There were tears in Charlene’s eyes as she looked up at her tall aunt. She was too overcome with emotion to speak, but she managed to form “thank you.”

  “My pleasure,” Tayla said, and she meant it.

  Surprisingly, shopping with her niece for all the baby things, including furniture, was a joy. Charlene’s happiness about her baby was infectious. Setting up the nursery gave Tayla a feeling that she’d never had before. It was almost like little Rowena was the grandchild she was never going to have.

  For two days, she and Charlene lived in a world of soft blankets, warm baths, and waking at all hours. Taking care of the baby ruled them. Every minute was controlled by the infant’s soft, sweet needs.

  Tayla was shocked at how much love could develop in such a short time. Love for her niece who devoted herself to her baby and love for the helpless being who ruled their hearts.

  She didn’t call her mother or her sister. At first her silence was out of anger, but by the evening of the first day, she didn’t care. Maybe Diane had run away from taking on the responsibility of a newborn, but Tayla loved it.

  On the second day, she forced herself to talk to Charlene about what she was going to do with her life. How was she going to support herself and her child? As she spoke, she thought how she would make Diane pay. And her mother. And the baby’s father. And Walter.

  Charlene’s reply had been a cheerful “I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

  Tayla opened her mouth to tell her niece that she had a baby to take care of so she needed to think about the future. But when Tayla held the baby and looked into her eyes, she began to ask herself what she was going to do with her own life.

  It was so peaceful to not be around the constant chaos that surrounded Walter. He ruled everyone around him. He fired people who stood up to him. She knew that they’d have a fight about all she’d charged for the baby things and she needed to prepare herself for that. Over the years, Tayla had learned that it was easier to give in to him. She had no heart for arguments, whereas Walter thrived on them. This time, she had to stand her ground. For Charlene. For Rowena.

  When she started to talk to her niece about her future and supporting herself, Tayla began to realize that, in a way, she was in the same situation. She didn’t get a paycheck, didn’t own stock in her own name. She had no real job title. If she made a résumé it would read Did whatever Walter told me to do.

  She didn’t know when her life had changed to that. In high school she had been... She didn’t want to think back to how she’d been then. So alive and full of hope and plans. Sara Medlar had been her best friend and they had...

  She made herself stop thinking of that time. They were in Diane’s bland living room—lack of color seemed to imply sophistication—and she looked at Charlene, her baby at her breast. “How about if you go home with me?”

  Charlene smiled. “I’d like that. I think Mother is fed up with me.”

  “And me. We’ll be two misfits together.”

  “Three.”

  “Oh yes. Can’t forget Rowena. If we make coconut shrimp for dinner, do you think she’ll like the flavor?”

  “I’m sure she’ll love it.”

  It was the night of the third day that Diane called and woke Tayla.

  Diane gave no greeting, just “I guess you’re still mad at me.”

  “You played a rotten trick on me. You should have told me when Charlene was pregnant.”

  “I didn’t know until she was six months along. Mother called me in hysterics. Garett was wonderful. He told his dad he had to go back to the US and why. My dear father-in-law set up the job in Atlanta so we could be with our daughter.”

  “You told your father-in-law but not me?”

  Diane sighed. “Tayla, be fair. You know what you’re like.”

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  “You manage people like those stores your husband owns. You would have been talking lawsuits and college for Charlene. We had a scared teenager on our hands and she needed love, not lawyers.”

  Tayla had to swallow at that. It was too close to her first thoughts. “What about the baby?”

  “Mother took care of the poor thing.” Diane’s voice caught. “It broke my heart seeing Charlene holding that little boy. No one knew what caused him to be stillborn.”

  “What?” Tayla whispered.

  “I know. It’s too horrible to think about. After we got home, I wanted to stay with my daughter but...” Diane’s voice began to rise. “But Garett and I had been through so much with her while she was pregnant. Nights of nothing but tears. Damn Randal Medlar! And Mother said you’d be there only hours after we left and that you’d know how to take care of everything. Besides, Charlene said she needed time alone to grieve.”

  But I was a day late, Tayla thought. Charlene was alone for one whole day. Tayla’s body was beginning to shake. “Yes. Time to grieve.” Her voice was raw.

  “Are you all right? You should call Mother and ask about the funeral arrangements. Maybe you can help with the headstone.” There was no answer. “Tayla? Is something going on? Is Charlene okay?”

  “Everything is fine. I’m going to take her home with me.”

  “I don’t think I can allow that. I’d miss her too much. I can’t—”

  “Charlene needs a challenge. She needs something to occupy her mind.” Tayla was squeezing her eyes shut as she said the clichés. She had to get her niece away from...from whatever she’d done. “And you need a rest after what you’ve been through in the last months.”

  “I could use some time to myself,” Diane said. “These past months have been stressful. With Garett’s job and Charlene’s pregnancy, I—”

  “Six months,” Tayla said. “We’ll try it and if she’s unhappy I’ll return her.” She could almost hear Diane thinking.

  “Walter won’t like sharing you.”

  “Walter can go to hell. I have to go now. I have to do...uh, some things.” She hung up.

  She went into Charlene’s room. She was asleep, snuggled in bed beside Rowena. The baby opened her eyes and looked up at Tayla. Witho