Chapter Nineteen
It didn’t take long before the siege began. By Sunday afternoon, there were news crews not only outside the gates of our community, but Peter’s parents’ and siblings’ places as well. Those we were still talking to came seeking refuge behind our gates, though getting them through was no easy task. The security service our community employed was called in to deal with the situation. Which we were told we would personally be paying for. My neighbors were really going to love us. For now, no one was allowed into the community unless they could verify they lived there. If someone was visiting a resident, that resident had to come out and visually identify them before they were allowed in.
Peter took it upon himself to go out and get our relatives.
When Peter entered with Sam’s and Avery’s families, the adults all looked like Linda had the previous night after bringing Mimsy and Giovanni—harried and a tad frightened. My nephews, on the other hand, thought it was the coolest thing ever to be chased by reporters.
Like the rest of the adults, I was scared too, but for other reasons. Were they going to hate me for lying to them all this time and thrusting them into a spotlight as bright as the noonday sun? My worries were quickly put to rest when I saw Reed and James bearing food I was sure their wives made. You didn’t bring food to people you hated unless you were Snow White’s stepmother or my mother-in-law.
As soon as Avery and Sam saw me, they rushed to me squealing and throwing their arms around me. For a minute I thought they might start jumping up and down too, but they refrained. My legs, foot, and dignity would have refused. However, I was so happy they didn’t hate me I might have joined in.
“I can’t believe it.” Avery squeezed me tight with her toned arms. “We thought maybe you were an heiress or even a princess in hiding. We even thought witness protection program and Cat and Ron were your ‘handlers,’ not really your parents. But this is the best secret ever!”
I had to laugh at the first two preposterous guesses. Unfortunately, I could see why they would have thought that about my parents.
Sam leaned away from us and stared at me for a moment. “I can’t believe it’s been you this entire time.”
I swallowed hard and nodded. “Are you still glad Autumn Moone posted your blogs?”
“I’m happy you did,” she choked out.
I fell back into them both. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to.”
“Judging by all the craziness, I can see why you kept it to yourself,” Avery was first to respond.
“My Facebook page and blog have exploded. Everyone wants to know if it’s true and if I knew.”
I knew this would affect Sam the most. “I’ve been too afraid to look yet. And my lawyer told me to stay off social media until things get worked out with my publisher.”
They both stepped back with looks of concern.
Sam’s brows crinkled. “That sounds serious.”
I blew out a large amount of air. “Millions of dollars serious.”
Both sets of eyes popped out.
“Let’s eat,” James interrupted us. “You ladies can chitchat all you want over food.”
“James,” Avery scolded her husband, “Delanie could be sued for millions over this, and all you can think about is your stomach?”
James walked past us with food in one hand, and with the other he smacked Avery’s butt. “You women worry too much. Delanie’s their cash cow, and judging by the circus out there, she’s more valuable to them now than ever. Mark my words,” he grinned directly at me, “you’ve got nothing to worry about. So, let’s eat.”
I wish I had his confidence, though his words made me feel slightly better, and I hadn’t eaten all day due to the stress and the trauma over my masterpiece hitting the floor.
Peter took my hand. “Some food would do you good.”
Reed joined the mix with a devious smile on his face. “No one’s eating until everyone admits I look like Hunter Black.”
Peter and I looked at each other before we both busted out laughing.
“Don’t I?” Reed struck a stately pose.
“Well . . .” I bit my lip, “Hunter is technically based on Peter—”
“You didn’t need to tell us that.” Sam sounded ill. “Hunter will never be my brother. I’m wiping that thought out of my memory now.”
Avery cringed at the thought too.
“This should make you feel better then. You see, Peter always talked about Reed, so when I started writing I looked him up on Facebook—"
“I knew it!” Reed shouted.
Sam playfully smacked his chest. “What did you know? You didn’t know Delanie was Autumn Moone.”
He pulled Sam closer to him. “Didn’t I say the first time I read to you that Hunter looked exactly like me?”
James responded before Sam could. “Men, and I use the term lightly, you can’t keep reading this crap with your wives. No offense, Delanie.” He flashed me a smile. “It’s not natural. We are not metro-males in this family.”
Reed gave Sam a seductive look. “Natural or not, it works.”
Sam pecked Reed’s lips for the thought.
The nephews were sick of the conversation and made retching noises while grabbing the food from their respective parents and darting toward the kitchen.
“Just do me a favor,” Avery pleaded. “Don’t write anymore dedications indicating which page numbers you are acting out with Peter.”
The laughter that filled our home soothed my heart.
~*~
The men and boys settled outside with the Italian feast Sam and Avery brought while the three of us took my couch. Once on the couch, Sam and Avery gave me a good look over. They had already made a big deal over my physical state in the kitchen when they noticed my legs. I got to regale them with my tale of making the perfect dish only to have it end up on the floor. While we all laughed, we seemed to understand it was quite the metaphor for how the day had gone and how our lives would be in the coming future. Their once-over now was more of a mental state check.
Sam touched my knee, careful to avoid the burned spots that, thankfully, hadn’t blistered. “So, tell us how you are. Really.”
How was I? I stared down at the lasagna sitting on the coffee table waiting for me. I wanted to eat it, but my stomach twisted, reminding me of how I really was. I held my stomach and faced my sisters-in-law, who were each anxiously waiting for my reply, but also wore the faces of concerned friends I could trust.
“I don’t even know where to begin. Violated, betrayed, scared. That’s a good start.”
Sounds of disgust escaped from both Avery and Sam.
“Ma has done it this time,” Sam lamented. “Dad isn’t coming to her rescue, either. He got so angry, he left.”
My hand slammed against my chest. “He left?” As much as I hated my mother-in-law, I never wanted that.
“Don’t worry,” Sam ripped off a piece of French bread, “he’s only gone for a long drive. He’ll cool off and come home. Well, maybe. He won’t be happy to see the vultures still surrounding their place when he returns.”
“He left her there with all that?” I asked.
“Oh, yeah.” Avery’s grin bordered on evil. “Mom called and begged James to come over. He kindly reminded her that she brought this on herself—and the rest of us. Besides, James was preoccupied. He had to go out to the office because the security alarm went off. A reporter ambushed him there.”
“Nooo.” I couldn’t believe it.
Avery waved me off. “Don’t worry. James handled it in his colorful fashion and our friend at the police department said they would patrol the area and our homes.”
I put my face in my hands. I didn’t even want to ask what James told the reporter. “I’m so sorry about all of this. What a mess.”
“It’s not your fault.” Sam chewed her bread with a vengeance. “Ma and her friends should have minded their own business. I mean, the rest of us were happy thinking you had some huge trust fund that someday you would share with us.” She gave me a sly grin.
Avery gave an appreciative smile as well. “But word is those busy bees are getting theirs,” Avery sing-songed while swirling her glass of spiked lemonade.
“How?” I was more than curious.
“Don’t you know?” Avery looked surprised.
I shook my head, more surprised by her surprise.
“Well.” Avery’s gorgeous blue eyes lit up. “You have a scary lawyer, from the sounds of it.”
“Joan?”
“Is that her name? I like her. We should all be friends.” Avery spoke with anticipation. She loved making new friends. I was sure she hardly met a person she didn’t try to befriend.
“I’ll let her know.” I laughed, knowing how much Joan would find that hilarious and perhaps unwelcome. Joan, like me, didn’t have a lot of girlfriends. She had colleagues, clients, and opponents, just the way she preferred it.
Avery took a sip of her drink. “Make sure you tell her that it’s a good thing Deann wears bladder control underwear. According to the grapevine, she wet herself when Joan called her and ripped her a new one and threatened to sue her.”
Now that, Joan would be happy to hear.
Sam set down her plate. “Are you going to sue them?”
“Joan thinks we should sue them for invasion of privacy, but I’m not sure yet. I need the dust to settle first.”
“All I know is it’s scared her enough to take the pictures down.”
I sank back against the cushions. “Too bad the damage has already been done.”
Sam leaned back next to me and rested her head on mine. “I don’t think those women or Ma had any idea what they were dealing with. Now they are all at each other’s throats.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Ma’s mad because she asked them to delete the photos and the other women are upset because Ma asked them to break into your attic in the first place.”
“No one made them,” Avery commented.
“You know how it goes,” Sam said. “It’s always easier to place the blame on someone else.”
“Like Neil?” I responded.
“Exactly like him. I can’t believe he showed up last night.” Sam was still seething over it.
“The night was full of surprises.” Avery set her glass down and leaned back to join us. “What about Mimsy and her looovver?”
Laughter erupted from us, but it was the kind born of trying not to cry over the entire situation.
“Let’s just hope no one gets Mimsy in front of a camera,” said Sam.
We groaned at the thought. There we were, the three of us sitting head-to-head and heart-to-heart, all wondering what kind of mess I had gotten us into.
Avery giggled. “At least tell us Hunter and Laine end up together.”
“I love you guys.” It felt good to say the sentiment I’d wanted to a hundred times. Even better was how is easy it came out.
“We love you, too,” Sam responded. “But seriously, we need to know about Hunter and Laine.”