Second Chances

Chapter 3

"I’m NOT Mrs. Jacks. My name is Casey, but I’m not YOUR Casey."

Casey watched as Carter’s face paled and he inhaled as though he had been sucker-punched. She went on before he could stop her. "I saw YOUR Casey yesterday, Carter. I saw her in heaven." Casey took a shaky breath. "YOUR Casey died, and I took her place."

"Would you care to repeat that?" Carter’s words were spoken in a whisper.

"I’m not the Casey you married, Carter," she repeated, glancing down at the sleeping infant in her arms. "When your Casey flat-lined yesterday, my soul got a second chance in her body."

Carter waited a few seconds before he straightened up, and then exploded into derisive laughter. Casey fumed and bounced the baby in her arms so that Carter’s loud reaction wouldn’t wake him. "You think it’s *funny*?" she hissed.

"I’m sorry, Casey," he finally managed to reply, wiping tears from his eyes. Then he leaned over her again and those same eyes shot fire. "I just never thought you would sink this low to get my money."
"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on, Casey. Do you really think I’m gullible enough to believe some cr*p about you dying and coming back to life?" He leaned closer and she felt his breath ruffle the hair around her face. "Was this *your* idea or lover boy’s?"

"I have *no* idea what you’re talking about, Carter." Tears threatened to form in her eyes at his sarcasm but she fought them valiantly.

Carter shook his head in disdain. "It was probably *his* idea. Put on this whole "I’ve-come-back-to-life-and-I’m-a-different-person" thing." He braced his weight by placing his clenched fists on the bed on both sides of her body. "Did you *really* think I would fall for it, Casey? Did you think that this wo
uld somehow get you more of a settlement than what you agreed to in the prenup?"

Casey frowned as the tears formed of their own accord. "Carter, I’m serious!" She bounced the baby in her arms as he started to stir and whimper softly.

"Ohhhh, you’re serious, are you?" Carter raised his eyebrows in mock understanding. "Well then, madam, you should know that *I’m* serious, too."
"Serious about what?" Casey felt a cold dread in the pit of her stomach.

Carter’s face was a mask of cruelty. "If you insist on sticking to this charade, I’ll have you committed."
"What?" Casey could barely form the word.

"That’s right, Casey dear." He glanced down at the baby, who was beginning to flail his arms in protest at his mother’s alarm. "We’ll just see what the courts and the doctors have to say about this. Do you honestly think there’s any judge in the state of California who’ll believe that fairy tale you’re spinning? They’ll declare you an unfit mother and remand you to the Wilmington Sanitarium so fast it’ll make your head swim."

"You wouldn’t." Casey tried to caress the baby’s forehead as he began to cry but her fingers were shaking so badly that she was afraid she would poke him in the eye.

"If it keeps you from taking my money and running off to South America with that Don Juan of yours -- you bet your sweet @ss I would!"

The baby was crying now in earnest and Casey couldn’t do anything to soothe him. Carter straightened up and ran his fingers through his hair as he exhaled loudly. He hadn’t meant for this to turn into a scene, but Casey’s preposterous scheme had sent him over the edge. Fortunately, Robin chose that moment to re-enter the room.
"What’s going on?" She immediately came to Casey’s bed and took the screaming infant from her.

Casey could barely speak. "Carter doesn’t believe me…..he thinks I’m insane and he wants to take the baby away from me and have me committed!" Sobs racked her body.