Consequences

Chick visited with Betty and Angel for a few days before he left for parts unknown. He watched his sister covertly, easily seeing signs of the deep pain she was in.

He knew he had to do something to fix the mess he made of things. Maybe it would have been better if Sissy went away and Reggie didn’t know about the baby.

His gamble paid off: Mantle fell for his sister, but he underestimated the Lodges. He believed Reggie when he told him how Veronica set him up. He hated to admit

he really screwed up this time. But I’m going to set things right if it kills me, he vowed. He just didn’t have any ideas yet, but he knew he had to fix things before it

was too late. Cole Grant was hungry for his sister, and in the vulnerable state, he knew she’d marry him.

****

After her brother left Betty was free to mourn and cry all she wanted. She held her baby close and allowed the tears of grief fall from her. She sobbed and moaned

for so long, the baby joined in, sensing her sorrow. That’s when Betty stopped. “I’m sorry baby. I just miss him so much. It’s so hard to believe he was pretending to

love me, when he was planning to leave us.” She patted Angel’s back and went to sit in the plush rocking chair Reggie bought after they arrived back in Texas after

Angel was born.

“It’s big enough so I can hold both of my girls at the same time,” he’d say. They spent many hours there: talking, kissing, loving....Betty gave herself a shake; I have

to get it together! It’s not good for the baby.

Betty began to croon lullabies to sooth her child and it worked.  Angel’s eyelids flutter close while she grasped her mother’s neck. Betty held her for a few moments

more before kissing her and taking her to her bedroom. She placed the sleeping child in the crib on her back and watched her breathing for several minutes before

covering her up and turning on the baby monitor, she slowly went back to her room with thoughts of Reggie racing through her mind. She went into her top bureau

on her swollen belly proudly, telling the world she carried his baby, him kissing her: Polly took that one when she was busy kissing and holding him and hadn’t

been aware of it, then the one that caused her to break down again: Reggie bare chested, asleep in the rocker with an equally bare chested baby Angel in his

arms. The baby had hold of his finger while she slept, and he had such a boyishly innocent look of contentment on his face, hat she knew the pain of losing his

daughter was causing him.

God, I know it’s wrong to take his child from him, but I can’t risk her being hurt by the Lodges. He'll have other children. Please tell me I’m doing the right thing, she prayed.

At that moment her cell rang.

“Hi darling’ girl. How are you? Can I come over?"

“Sure Cole. I’m feeling a little blue and could use some cheering up." Understatement of the century. I want Reggie so bad if I didn't have my baby I'd die.

I really have to stop this. She closed the photo book, unable to destroy the pictures, with full intent on doing so, but not today.

Cole loves me and I have to move on. I’ll never love him as much as I love Reggie, but I know he’ll be a good husband and father to Angel.

She was determined to close this chapter of her life. She knew she came out first for once over Veronica Lodge: she married Reggie first and had his child first.

Ronnie could never take that from her, though she took the man from her. She went into the bathroom to freshen up for her date with Cole. She would try very hard

to love him the way he deserved.

***

Veronica was having breakfast with her father the following morning after Reggie signed the divorce papers, lamenting to her father about the changes she noted

in Reggie.

“Daddy, do you think he’ll get over Betty and that child?’ she asked, worried to her heart.

“Of course baby. Who could love anyone else over you?” Her father reassured her she was being silly. “Give him time. By the time his divorce is final, he’ll be back

to his old self. I know he loves you. He’s just angry you took matters into your own hands. A man hates to feel as if he was pushed. Give him time. And leave him

alone about it!” Hiram did not want his stubborn daughter to drive his wonder boy away again. He hated to admit to Veronica that he was very afraid. He knew

Reggie was drinking a lot, and he had a few affairs. He hoped he was right about Reggie getting over losing his family. He didn’t know how his daughter would take

it if she lost young Mantle, for good, this time. Hiram would do whatever it took to keep Reggie from leaving his daughter.