Chapter Nineteen
Clove
“Clove.”
I hear Turner calling my name. I can’t move, can’t think of about anything else right now except hearing those words on repeat over and over in my head. She’s out. How in the hell did this happen? I don’t understand.
Turner flings open my car door and pulls me out.
“Baby come on, let’s get inside the house,” he states calmly.
I nod, the sound of Journey’s wails has me reaching out to take her from his arms. My muscles tense when I think about Tina being out. She wants revenge, I know she does, and the only way she will ever be satisfied is by hurting me the only way she knows how to, the only way she can. By taking my daughter.
“Come on.”
Turner grabs my hand, pulling the two of us behind him into the house.
“She’s going to come after us, you know that, right?” I say angrily.
“She won’t find us here, babe, and there is no way in hell she would be dumb enough to even try.”
I’m furious, not at him but at this whole situation. He doesn’t know her. None of them do. She will weasel her way through the woodwork if she can find a way to get to me.
“You don’t know her, Turner. You don’t know the things she is capable of. Look at what she has accomplished already. She’s the one to blame for all of this. She orchestrated the entire thing, manipulated Trent and Caleb to go along with her, and now that she has nothing, she will come after me and she’s going to want the baby. She knows that’s the only way she can ever hurt me. She’ll kill anyone who tries to stand in her way. She’s…”
“Stop it right now. Do you honestly think that I would ever let her take our baby?”
I don’t say anything. He sighs and watches as Journey tries to stuff a handful of my hair into her mouth.
“You know what? I’m not going to let her ruin this moment. I want to see what our family has done to this house. I want you to see why I chose this one.”
My heart starts to thump in excitement. I do want to see where we will be living. I want to enjoy it all. I need to stay calm, to try not to panic so I don’t do something crazy, like tell Turner to jump in the car and drive off to God knows where.
“By the way, quit hogging my kid. Let me have her.”
He plucks her right out of my arms. Her hand goes straight into her mouth as he moves farther into the house.
“Now this is the kitchen,” Turner says, posing Vanna White style, forcing a small laugh to break out of me.
“Do you like it?” he asks.
I step in even farther. The room is bright and airy, surrounded by nothing but windows. My fingertips slide over the unique color of the granite countertop on the island, a distinctive slate gray.
“This is, wow. It’s gorgeous,” I say in amazement.
I check out the white appliances and the gray and white tile. A perfectly centered silver chandelier hangs above the island, another one above the small white dining room table, which sits a few feet back from the kitchen. I walk that way and gasp at the beauty around me.
“This is something else. Look at this room!”
It’s a sunroom, directly off of the kitchen/dining area. The view is remarkable. I stand there in awe overlooking a brilliant turquoise pool. Flashes of the three of us swimming, grilling, and having family fun surge through me.
“Whoever picked out this furniture, remind me to thank them. I couldn’t have picked out anything better,” I beam as I drape my body over the long, black leather couch and stare out the window.
“I’m not sure who did. I love it, though. What do you think, Miss Journey? You like your new home?” Turner asks her in a baby talk voice. She looks around, taking in her surroundings as if she understands what he is saying.
“I love how bright it is in here.”
I stand and walk back into the dining room, around the wall and into the living room.
“Holy shit!” I exclaim.
The matching furniture set carries a teal and white floral design. A rocking chair sits in front of the window and a brick fireplace takes up one side wall.
“Damn. This looks good,” Turner says from directly behind me.
“My favorite colors. This has to be the work of either Krista or your mom,” I say shaking my head.
“Ah, check out this television!” I do the same pose he did in the kitchen.
He smiles and nods his head, admiring the giant flat screen above the fireplace.
“Kick ass, huh?”
“It is. What a great place to watch all those Disney movies you will be watching instead of baseball.”
He scoffs.
“Nah. My little princess here will be watching those baseball games with me, won’t you, sunshine?” he asks, smiling down at Journey. “And I did this, not my mother or Krista,” he informs me.
“You did this? But how?”
“When I told you in the hospital we would talk about things later, this was part of it. Things happened and we didn’t get around to it. I had a lot of time on my hands. I wasn’t able to leave my mother’s house, and I was going out of my mind with worry for you. Zack and several guys from his department packed up all of our old stuff and sold it, with the exception of all of our personal items and special mementos and stuff. I started searching on line for a new place, and I found this. After I saw it, I fell in love with the floor plan. Since everyone thought I was dead, I couldn’t put it in my name, so my mom put it in hers. I picked out this room and our bedroom on line, and your dad went and purchased it all for me and brought it here. I… I hoped you would be back one day so I could see the look of joy and love on your face just like I do now.”
My heart goes out to him. I am truly thankful he didn’t give up on me.
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
He shrugs.
“I’m not amazing, Clove. I’m in love with my wife, who I would do anything for as long as she’s happy and loves me back.”
I blink several times, fighting back the tears that want to fall. Tears of joy. I lean up and place a soft kiss on his lips. I grab his free hand and tug him down the hallway while walking backwards.
“Oh my!” I squeal as I look into the first bedroom.
“More like, oh, holy pink!” Turner exclaims as we step into Journey’s room.
“Jesus, did they buy out the whole damn store?”
We both snicker as we look around the room. The walls are still white but covered in photos of pink and brown teddy bears. A white crib with a pink and white polka dot comforter sits up against one wall and in the corner sits a large, deep cushioned chair and matching ottoman in a brown and white polka dot print.
“This is amazing!”
I spin to look at Turner who is standing over the crib where he has now placed Journey, his eyes firmly fixed on the wall in front of him. I gasp, my hand going over my heart. I was so busy taking in the entirety of the room that I totally missed seeing it before.
A brown tree is pasted on the wall with our three names on it and a saying above it that fits this small family like no other words possibly could.
‘One day a princess was born. Her name is Journey. She was made out of love.’
“She really was made out of love, you know?”
I give him a coy smile.
His arms wrap tightly around my waist, peeking his head over as we watch the baby try and reach a mobile hung with yet more pink bears.
“Yes, she was.” I say, admiring her.
“When I walked into your hospital room for the first time, you were dreaming. I heard you talking in your sleep.”
“I was dreaming about that night.”
“I know you were,” he says, giving me a squeeze. “I’ve thought about that night a lot when you were missing, and many other nights we shared, too. You know none of those nights even come close to the way I feel right now. With you, with her. I just want you to know that boy or girl, she’s ours, and I will be damned if anyone will take my family from me.”
Letting me go, he sticks his hand inside of the crib and pulls out a baby monitor.
“Now, let's go see our room.”
My vivid imagination runs a little wild leaving her in her room by herself. Turner picks up quickly on my fear, escorting me out with a small shove.
“She’s fine. We will be right down the hall. The house is locked up and we have this,” he reassures me, twirling the monitor around on his finger.
“Do you even know how to use one of those?”
“Yes, I do, smart ass. I told you, I got this shit down pat. Nolan and I are best buddies. His go to guy, his full time babysitter.”
He opens the closed door at the end of the hall.
“You ready?” he queries with an arched brow.
Simultaneously we puff out a sharp breath as we make our way into the room. I don’t think I ever want to leave. It’s the most beautiful room I have ever seen.
“Holy fuck, this room is huge! A hell of a lot bigger than the pictures I have seen. And check out this bathroom,” he calls out from a door to the side.
I haven’t noticed anything else except the giant king sized bed with the tan and white striped comforter.
“Coming.”
I pull my thoughts away from that bed, the one we will most likely be sleeping in tonight. Whether alone or with Journey is still up for debate. I swallow the big ball of nerves that creeps up my throat and walk into the bathroom, then gawk with my mouth hanging open.
“Can I just stay in these two rooms forever, and never leave? This tub! It’s big enough for the three of us.”
His eyes brighten at the idea. I blush and turn away, admiring the silver light fixtures above both of the sinks and the tan and black countertops with the smallest flecks of white sprinkled throughout. And then the shower catches my eye and the tears I was holding in before start to fall.
It’s a replica of the shower from our old house. All of a sudden a euphoric rush of happiness runs through me. It’s happening. I can feel my life getting back on track, going in the direction it’s supposed to go. It’s indescribable and I take the few steps towards my husband and literally leap into his arms, sending him flying backwards up against the glass of the shower.
“Shower with me?” I ask, while peppering kisses all over his face and neck.
Not romantic and sexy like they should be, but hopeful and longing, like I have missed my best friend and I want nothing but to jump in that shower and have him make love to me.
“We can’t.”
He clears his throat, as my mood instantly deflates. His strong hands still hold me up with his palms placed firmly on my ass.
“Well, not right now, anyway,” he recovers quickly.
His fingers dig firmly into my ass as he gently guides me down him, his thick erection visible as I slide over it. It’s been too long, and I want him. I need to have him make love to me in the way only he can. I just want to feel, not think. For day, weeks, months, even, all I have done is think.
“You’re over-thinking things again. Stop. Trust me when I say there is nothing more I would rather do than to take a shower with you, love you, tease and then please you. But for one, the baby is up,” he explains, withdrawing his hands from around me and running them up and down his face vigorously. “And two, Zack is on his way over.”
“I guess we’d better get ready, then,” I sigh, trying to hide my disappointment.
Turner isn’t fooled.
“I love you, Clove,” he says forcefully, looking into my eyes.
“I love you, too.”
************
“Do you guys want a beer? The fridge is fully stocked, thanks to you, and you, and you,” I smile, nodding to Krista, my dad, and Melody.
Early evening is upon us. Everyone came over the minute they all heard about Tina’s release, which no one has spoken about yet. Both she and Caleb are out on bail. Caleb apparently had enough money to bail himself out, while Tina put up her big, extravagant home as collateral. She is supposedly there right now under round the clock surveillance.
Melody brought over several boxes containing all of our clothes. The idea of stepping back into my favorite pair of jeans, or wearing the highest heels I can find just so that later I can ask my husband for a foot rub because they are killing me sends a frisson of delight all the way to my toes.
“Shall we go start putting these clothes away?” Melody pipes up. “Maybe someone will share that new little girl with me so I can make sure all of these clothes I bought her today fit.”
She stands and takes the baby from my dad, who has hogged both her and Nolan since he walked in the door.
“All right. Take her.”
Melody plucks Journey’s tiny little body out of his lap and starts singing to her as she makes her way down the hallway.
“What?” I say to my dad, who now has a scowl on his face after I pick up Nolan.
“Nothing. Just remember what you just did by stealing my grandson from me when your daughter is older and I spoil her rotten. I’m sending her back home to you in a sugar coma bouncing off the walls.”
I poke my tongue at him and nuzzle into Nolan, who keeps repeating, ‘Papa. Papa.’ I pooh-pooh Papa and take him with me.
“What a way to spend your anniversary!” I say to the girls when I walk into Journey’s room.
Clothes are sprawled all over the floor and my kid is lying half-naked beside them.
“I appreciate everything you all have done, just in case I forgot to tell you,” I tell them both. I’ve only said it a few hundred times in the couple of hours they have been here.
“You seem to be holding up okay with the news about your mother and Caleb getting out,” Krista observes as I sit down next to them.
Nolan hops off my lap, going right for his mother.
“Not much I can do, really. I will say this, though. She isn’t going to go down completely without a fight, and she’ll find a way to come after me even if she is confined to her own home. I’m ready for her this time.”
The smile slips off of my face, replaced with outrage and hatred toward that bitch.
“You ladies want to come out and talk a minute?” Dad questions from the doorway.
“Be right there,” we say in unison, finally choosing the perfect outfit for Journey to wear.
“Turner will love this one,” I smile, pulling the simple pink t-shirt over her belly.
“Come on little one, let’s go show daddy this shirt grandma picked out.”
Melody snatches her right out of my arms. I’m not used to sharing her, so you would think I would be jealous, but I’m not. I’m enjoying how this small family is throwing themselves right back into the swing of things and acting as if nothing has happened. Whether it’s for my benefit and peace of mind or not, it still feels good.
“I missed you,” Krista says when we are left alone in the room.
I toss a dirty diaper in the little diaper disposal and turn around, meeting her sincere gaze.
“Me too,” I say.
“You know I’m here for you for anything, and I mean anything. Day, night, it doesn’t matter. You forget I know you too well. Even though I can never even begin to know what it’s like for you, I can see behind your eyes that you’re struggling with this news about your mother.”
Her words are spot on. I am scared to fucking death of her, of the inhuman things she has done.
“I’m extremely scared, but she can’t hurt me unless I let her, and I will be damned if I will let that fucking cunt rule my life. I may be nothing like my mother in the way she only thinks and cares about herself, but I am everything like her when it comes to getting what I want. And what I want is for that bitch to fucking die for what she has done to me.”