“I didn’t with Ted,” she said.

Corinne sighed. “Anyone could see you stayed much longer than you wanted to. You stayed for those children. Not because you loved them but because you feared for them. And with good reason, it seems. The next time you find yourself willing to accept a lie, be prepared to be disappointed. Paco can drive me crazy, but underneath everything, he is good. When I’m angry, I break his yolks. When he’s angry, he grunts at his food and gives me his back in bed. When we fight, we keep score—he yields half the time and I yield almost half the time—it’s a proven system.”

“Mama.” She laughed.

“He’s stronger than I am. It’s fitting he should carry a little more of the burden.”

“Does he know this?”

“There is no question. Everything is going to be all right with your young doctor. He loves you. He looks at you in a way I haven’t see a man look at you before. And he has a gentle strength. He enjoys people in an honest way. He’s not afraid to give. He’s not Basque, but otherwise he’s acceptable.” And then she grinned.

“He’s been a little cranky lately,” Peyton said.

“Oh? Then perhaps he has a mighty big problem. And so do you— Now, get yourself ready and get to the fancy doctor’s house and get that behind you. I wish you good luck with that.” She shook her head and tsked. “Such a terrible ordeal for that child. For everyone.”

* * *

Peyton made it to Ted’s house by just after nine in the morning. She called Ted’s cell phone to announce her arrival, and the first thing he did was bitch about not being able to reach her because his number was blocked. She told him she was sorry, but she had no idea how to unblock it and told him he could call Krissy’s number and ask to speak to Peyton if he needed something.

The next order of business was talking to Krissy. She was up, still in her pajamas, but already crying. For a little while it was just Krissy and Peyton, going over all the details again. Krissy said she knew right away that she was pregnant and had been terrified to tell her parents, which any girl would be.

After an hour listening to Krissy, Peyton made an appointment with a crisis counselor, who had been recommended by her sister-in-law Lori. She told Krissy to get cleaned up for an appointment in a couple of hours. Then she called Ted.

“Krissy has an appointment with a counselor at noon, Ted. You should take her.”

“Listen, Peyton, I’m booked solid. Can you please take her?”

“It’s the lunch hour, Ted! Someone can cover you.”

“I can’t, Peyton. But I’ll come home early and get the details from you and Krissy then. Thanks for doing this.”

“I should walk right out of here and leave you with whatever mess there is to clean up!”

“Please, Peyton. I won’t ask anything more, I swear!”

“You’re damn right, you won’t!”

When she told Krissy, the girl just said, “I’d rather it be you, anyway.”

“You understand this is private between you and the counselor, right? You can tell her anything and everything, and it’s totally confidential.”

“I know,” she said.

“Have you been in counseling before?”

She shrugged. “Just at school. When I was younger. I don’t think it was the same kind. We were sent to the counselor’s office when we didn’t behave.”

“I bet that happened a lot,” Peyton said. “Well, this kind is perfect for now—you’re in a crisis. If you just open up a little, the counselor might have some ideas for you. She won’t tell you what you have to do, but she might be able to help you cope with a very difficult situation.”

Although she’d threatened not to, of course Peyton took Krissy to her appointment. She then sat in the waiting room. When Krissy finally came out, looking as if she’d been through the wringer all over again, the counselor asked Peyton to come into the office.

“You’re a friend of the family, do I have that right?” the therapist, Margaret Kazerus, asked.

“Yes. I lived with Dr. Ramsdale for a couple of years and got to know the kids very well. Krissy called me, and I was surprised. I didn’t think she liked or trusted me. We didn’t get along that well.”

“She tells me you said you could stay a couple of days, is that correct?”

“Right, again,” she said.

“All right, then. I’m going to call Dr. Ramsdale. Unless you’re planning to be responsible for Krissy in the long term, it’s time to turn it over to the girl’s parents. Do you know where the mother is?”

Peyton shook her head. “It’s a joint custody situation. Ted and I had the kids three to four days a week. I left a couple of months ago. I work in a small town down the coast now, and I really can’t stay any longer.”

“That’s fine... Is it Peyton?”

“Yes, Peyton Lacoumette. Is she going to be all right?”

“With the right support system and tools,” she said, scribbling on a notepad. “I think it was very good of you to step in, Peyton. I understand you came a long way?”

“I was visiting my sister in San Francisco. It was a very long drive.”

“Well, that was over and above. Whenever you feel comfortable leaving this in my hands, you can get back to your sister or your job. It’s up to Krissy and her family now. I explained that to her.”

“Thank you for seeing her. She scared me.”

“I don’t doubt it,” the counselor said. “She’s pretty unsteady right now.” She stood behind her desk and extended her hand. “Thanks for finding her counseling, Peyton. It was a very good first step.”

“Sure. Thank you.”

Peyton took Krissy for a hamburger and listened to the story of her counseling experience. Then the poor exhausted thing went to her room for a nap. “Will you be here when I get up?” Krissy asked.

“I think I’ll leave tomorrow. Are you going to school tomorrow?”

She shook her head. “Miss Kazerus wants another appointment tomorrow.”

“Well, if your dad can’t take you, I will, and then I have to leave. Once you’re feeling a little better. I have to get back to work, honey.”

“I know.”

“You’re going to be all right, you know.”

Peyton rummaged around in the cupboards and refrigerator, looking for something for dinner. Typical of Ted, he hadn’t mentioned dinner and was likely expecting her to round up something. She grabbed a pound of frozen ground turkey, fried it up and prepared to add beans, tomatoes and chili seasoning. She found biscuits in the refrigerator and got them out. While she was cooking, Pam and Nicholas came in from school.

“You’re here,” Pam said. “You came.”

“Krissy asked me to come. I’m glad I did. How are you guys?”

“Okay,” Nicholas said. “Is she real sick?”

“No, she’s not sick, kiddo. Just upset. Hasn’t anyone talked to you about what’s making her upset?”

He shook his head, but Pam said, “She’s pregnant.”

“She can’t be,” her brother said.