Chapter Twenty-One
Archer
I shoved my paperwork aside and stared down at my phone. I had a guard at Zoe’s Bakery, but it wasn’t enough. I had to be certain. I was like a new father, never completely sure that she was safe.
I dialed Zoe’s number.
“Hello?” she answered, sounding exhausted.
“I’m sorry. I know you’re working.”
“I don’t care. Chloe’s driving me up the wall. I needed a moment.”
“What’s she on about?”
“She wants me to get a restraining order against Mr. Beetle. I told her there’s no way I could possibly do that. We don’t even know his real name, and I doubt he has an address.”
“It won’t work anyway. Those things are a joke. A piece of paper isn’t going to stop that crazy fuck from going after you.”
“I know, right?”
“I want to see you. Can you come over tonight?”
“I should just bring all my things over,” she said. “I’ve spent the night at your place every night this week.”
“Is it too much?”
“No, God, no. I love it.”
“Even with the shrieking?” I needed that validation.
“Especially with the shrieking. I love walking in and seeing those little guys. It’s so cute the way they punch the air.”
“They’re little fighters, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, they are. By the way, I’m getting you back for that surprise.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. I’m commandeering your kitchen, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
“I’m allergic to water.”
She hung up. I shook my head and grabbed my things. Rick was waiting in the office for me when I walked out. “What’s up?”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I want to show you something.”
“What?”
“It’s back at the warehouse. Come on.”
I followed him outside and down the narrow path toward the warehouse. Bessie was sitting in the center of the space. “What do you think?”
He’d painted the body black and drew on a pair of baby blue girl eyes with felt eye lashes above them. “Is this it?” I asked.
“Nah, man. It’s what’s inside that counts.” He lifted the back hood. Sitting in the center of the compartment was a black sphere with a fiery orange eye painted on the center. “What is that?”
“The Palantir,” he said proudly.
“You mean like one of those orbs from that old fantasy book, the kind that can see everything?”
“Exactly. It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
“I think you should get another bonus.”
“Keep ‘em coming. I don’t mind.” He closed the hood.
“Are they all going to be painted like that?”
“No, it messes up the optics, but it’s good for marketing.”
“I love it.”
“So, how’s it going with the little lady?” He pulled out a cigarette and we went outside. “Is she freaking out about the twins yet?”
“She doesn’t care. The twins could scream all night, and she doesn’t mind, at all. She loves it. I’ve had her staying at my place all week. The twins blew up three times last night, and she didn’t say a thing.”
“Are you sure she’s not an alien or a robot?”
“I don’t care if she is.”
“I’ll bet you don’t.” He nudged me.
“I won’t lie.”
“Be careful, though. Women can be sneaky. She’s probably latching on because she knows you got money.”
“No, you’re wrong. I won’t even hear that. This woman is completely genuine.”
“Be careful.” He lit his cigarette and took a puff. “That’s all I’m saying.”
I didn’t like his insinuation. It felt wrong to let him talk that way about Zoe, but I wasn’t about to start trouble with Rick over one little comment. I let it go.
I said my goodbyes to Rick and called my driver to take me home. When I got back to my place, Mona was in the living room, watching a soap opera.
She jumped up to meet me. “How are you?”
“Fantastic. I’ve got a wonderful woman falling asleep next to me every night. It’s all your fault, you know.”
She turned the TV off. “The boys are sleeping. I hope you don’t mind me watching my stories.”
“So long as you’re here, I feel safe.”
“Is she coming again tonight?”
“She should be here any minute. I guess she’s making dinner for me.”
“Ooh, you lucky dog you. You’ll be eating well tonight.”
We were interrupted by a knock on the door. When I answered it, Zoe was standing outside, carrying two paper bags filled with groceries.
I reached out for one of the bags. “Here, let me help you with that.”
She slapped my hand away. “It’s a surprise.”
“I’ll help.” Mona walked past me to grab a bag and glared at me playfully.
“Mona.” I followed them into the kitchen. “If you tell me what’s inside the bags, you can stay for dinner tonight.”
“Oh, no you don’t.” Zoe stepped in front of me to block me from going any further. “Just for that, she can stay for dinner no matter what.”
“Really? Thank you. Thank you.”
“But Archer has to leave the kitchen and leave the women to women’s work.”
“I resent that remark. You’re a lot more than a cook.”
“That doesn’t mean you get to see what she’s making.” Mona somehow found the bag of chocolate chips I’d hidden in the back of the wine chiller. She lifted the bag and tilted the whole thing in her mouth, then threw it away.
“I wanted those,” I said.
“You have four more hidden around the kitchen, and I haven’t touched a single one of them.”
Zoe laughed. “Let’s go, mister,” she said as she hustled me out of the kitchen.
I walked upstairs to see the boys. Andrew was standing up in his crib, holding on to the railing, and he stared right at me as he moved along the side of the crib, almost walking. I rushed in and grabbed him up so I could swing him through air. “My dear boy, you are a brute.” He giggled. “Come on. Show me what you can do.” I set him down in the crib. He fell flat on his butt and looked up at me. “Do it again.” I pulled on his wrist. “Come on. You can do it.” He squirmed away. “Aw, you’re no fun.”
Abel was sitting in his crib staring at me. “Oh, no. It’s the boogeyman.” I reached out to pull him up into the air and swing him around just like his brother, but he shrank back, his mouth opened, he reached up to wipe his face. “No, no, no. Don’t you dare.”
A tear fell down his cheek, but he didn’t scream. I took a chance and pulled him out of his crib so I could comfort him. I was still trying to perfect the gentle touch that I knew the boy needed. I pulled him out into the hall and rocked him back and forth. “Hush little soldier, don’t you cry.”
“How does the rest go?” Zoe walked up behind me.
“I haven’t decided yet. I just thought it up.”
“This is probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen.” Zoe came closer and waved at Abel. “Hi.”
He grabbed her finger and held it.
“He likes you.”
“You think so?”
“He never does that with me.”
“It’s because they need a woman’s touch.” Mona came up behind me. Abel’s eyes followed her. When she got close enough to touch him, he reached out to her.
“He wants you to hold him.” I transferred Abel into her arms. His eyes started drooping after a moment, so Mona took him into his room where his brother was already fast asleep. Zoe disappeared downstairs, leaving me with Mona.
“What is she making?” I asked.
Mona chuckled. Then she turned around walked back downstairs without saying a word. I didn’t know what to do. The boys were asleep, and the girls were cooking. I ended up sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the feed from the boy’s nursery.
“Ahem,” Zoe cleared her throat from behind me.
“Yes?”
“Dinner is ready.”
“What is it?”
“Go sit down.” She walked back into the kitchen to make me a plate. Mona was already sitting, holding her knife and fork upright when I walked into the dining room.
“What is it?” I sat down at the head of the table.
“Nope.” She took out her phone and started tapping away while we waited.
I was starting to get impatient. I was hungry and anxious, and there was nothing I could do about it. After what seemed like a year, Zoe finally emerged carrying two covered platters. She glared at me, set the first platter down in front of Mona, who looked like she was ready to eat the platter itself. Then, finally, she set mine down and lifted the lid off it.
It was a Caesar salad. “You’re going to keep me waiting, aren’t you?”
“Yep.” Zoe walked back into the kitchen to make herself a plate.
Mona was already done with her salad. “She made the dressing herself. I took notes.” She showed me the recipe on her phone.
“I had no idea you could even do that.”
“It’s easy.” Zoe walked in with her salad on one arm and two platters on the other. She set Mona’s down first, then mine. Inside was a bowl of what looked like some sort of cream soup.
“Oh-hoh.” Mona clapped her hands together once and dug in.
I took a spoonful. Flavor exploded in my mouth. The thick, creamy broth had a tangy aftertaste. “You’re a goddess. What’s in this?”
Zoe smiled. “The secret is beer and bacon grease.”
“Keep going.” Mona snatched up a bay scallop and plopped it into her mouth, then took out her phone to write the recipe down.
“Nope, this one’s a secret.” Zoe took a bite of lettuce.
Mona lifted her bowl and slurped up the creamy liquid. Then she started on her scallops, potatoes, and what looked like thick chunks of bacon. “You have to tell me,” she said.
“You saw me make it.”
“I was eating the almonds.”
“Almonds?” I asked.
“Mona…” Zoe groaned.
“Sorry.” She focused on her scallops.
With every bite, my mouth tingled, salivating, until desire finally took hold and I slurped up the broth just like Mona did. Zoe and Mona exchanged a look when I set my bowl down. “More,” I demanded playfully.
“Coming right up.”
Mona rubbed her hands together excitedly. “You have no idea what you’re in for. This girl’s a keeper.”
“Thank you.” Zoe walked in and set my platter down first, then Mona’s and said, “Lift your lids.” She was watching to see what my reaction would be.
It didn’t matter how anxious I was before. I wanted to delay the moment as long as I could. It was the first surprise I’d enjoyed in a long time.
“Open it,” Zoe said.
I grabbed the handle and started to crack it open. I smelled the almonds first, then fresh herbs and something savory. There was a pile of yellow rice and a strip of almond encrusted salmon, along with fresh, sautéed green beans. I took my fork and cut a small piece of the salmon off. It had been covered in sea salt and herbs with the perfect, flaky crust.
“Mmm.” I let my head roll back and closed my eyes.
“You like it?” Zoe asked.
“How could he not?” Mona flipped a piece of fish up into the air and caught it with her mouth.
“You’re giving me the recipe,” I declared.
“I’ll think about it.” Zoe disappeared into the kitchen to get her food and brought back a bottle of wine. Mona immediately turned her attention away from her food and focused on putting as much wine as she could into her stomach.
I ate three pieces of fish and only drank half a glass of wine. By the time I was done, I was starting to get tired. I went upstairs and passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow. When I woke up, the blankets on Zoe’s side of the bed were pushed aside, and there was still a dent in her pillow, but she was gone.
I reached up to my cheek mindlessly, as I had done several times before, reminded of what’d happened at the street music festival. I flew out of bed. If she had gone home, she could be in danger. There was no way of knowing what that man would do. I’d done my best to keep her safe and guarded at all times. That was one of the reasons I kept her there all week, but I could never be truly certain that she was safe.
I checked the bathroom. The door was unlocked, and the light was off. “Zoe?” I called out.
There was no response. I pulled my robe off of the hook on the other side of the door and wrapped it around my body. Then I called her phone. It went straight to voicemail. “Shit.” I stomped downstairs. “Zoe?”
There was no answer. I ran into the living room. “Zoe?” She wasn’t in there either. I took a glance at the TV where the feed was playing. Abel wasn’t in his crib. I rushed up to the nursery, taking the steps two at a time and opened the closed door.
“Abel?”
I let out a long sigh of relief. Zoe was lying in the rocking chair holding Abel in his arms. He was sleeping with his little hands clutching the collar of her shirt. I took a moment to drink it in, shocked that she’d taken such initiative. It was one of the most beautiful things I’d ever seen.
I didn’t think those boys had a chance. I didn’t want them to be like me, gruff and mean, too defensive and guarded to offer meaningful affection. I wanted them to have those long days with their mother, running around and sleeping in her arms. When Cara died, I never thought that I would be able to give them that, and it hurt.
The time a boy spends with his mother is sacred. It creates a lifelong bond and memories that would comfort them for the rest of their lives. Those memories would foster their understanding of warmth, love, and compassion. They would take those experiences and use them to be better fathers.
I never had a chance to experience that. My father was an Army man. He never hugged me or played with me. Usually, he only spoke in single word sentences, commanding me to do my chores and my homework. There was no intimacy, no connection. He was uncomfortable with those things. I didn’t want my boys to miss out on that experience. It wasn’t natural. Every boy should have a woman in his life.
Now Zoe was here, and those boys had a chance at that experience, if even for a moment. That was a valuable gift, more than I ever had. Even if all they got was that one night, at least I could say that somebody else cared about them as much as Mona and I did.
I was overwhelmed, humbled, and most of all, filled with desire. I took Abel out of her arms and set him in his crib so I could pick up Zoe and carry her into my room.