CHAPTER TWO
Julia
After applying the finishing touches to my hair and make-up, I move into my closet and slip on my white knee-length skirt, baby blue tank top, and white lace flats. A couple squirts of my favorite perfume and I’m ready for my day.
I make my way downstairs into the kitchen, finding the two people I love most in the world at the table. Annabelle sits perched on Jaxson’s lap, her small arm wrapped around his neck as she eats her breakfast with him. I bite back a chuckle when I notice her big pink bow is upside down in her curly brown hair.
“Then I told mean ol’ Toby to take a hike or I’d give him a what for,” she says, shaking her fist as she relays the altercation that took place yesterday on the playground with Toby McDonald. A boy who is never very nice to the other kids.
“Did he listen?” Jaxson asks, a furious bite to his tone.
“No. He laughed at me.”
“Laughed at you?” he repeats, outraged.
“Yeah, laughed at me. So that did it. I was gonna show him who he was messin’ with, but then Beck and Parker showed up and he ran off.”
Jaxson grunts. “He wasn’t so tough anymore, was he?”
“No, sir. He’s such a meanie.”
“He sounds like a real asshole.”
I gasp, my mouth dropping.
Jaxson’s head snaps left, his eyes connecting with mine.
“Uh-oh,” Annabelle whispers, her tiny voice laced with amusement.
“Uhh… I meant, what a jerk.”
I stalk over to him, ignoring the hum within my body as his eyes sweep from head to toe. Not even an hour ago this man was inside of me, and already, I want more.
“Pay up, now,” I demand, holding my hand out.
He drops a kiss on my palm, making Annabelle giggle and me smile.
“Nice try but I don’t think so. Five bucks for the swear jar, mister.”
“Pay up, Daddy.”
Jaxson looks back at Annabelle. “I thought you were on my side.”
“Usually I am but Hope, Mia, Ella, and I are saving up for a clubhouse. Between all of our swear jars we almost have enough money.”
It takes everything in me not to burst out laughing.
Grunting, Jaxson shifts in his chair and pulls out his wallet. After placing the money in my hand, he lifts Annabelle over his head, making her squeal and laugh, her dress flipping up in the process.
“You want a clubhouse, baby girl. I’ll build you one. A far better one than money can buy.”
“You mean it, Daddy?”
“Yeah but on one condition.”
“What?”
“You must give me a kiss.”
Her smile brightens. “Easiest deal I ever made.” She squishes his face between her hands and gives him a loud, smacking kiss. “Thanks, Daddy. You’re the best.”
Jaxson brings her against his chest, holding her close while she gives him a big hug. “Anything for you, Belle. Always.”
Love explodes through my chest, dancing to the tips of my fingers. I’m almost tempted to give him back his money…almost. Instead, I slip it in my skirt pocket.
“You ready to go, sweet girl?” I ask, hating to break up their moment.
“Ready!”
Reaching down, I lift her into my arms. Jaxson’s fingers slip into the waistband of my skirt, pulling me in close. A smile steals my lips, knowing exactly what he wants.
Bending down, I lay a long, drawn-out kiss on his mouth like I do every morning before walking out of this house.
“Bye,” I whisper, keeping my lips close.
“Be safe.”
“Always.” Straightening, I turn to leave the room but not before Jaxson’s hand lands on my ass, delivering a parting smack.
I swear the man lives to torture me.
“Bye, Daddy. See you after school.” Annabelle waves to him over my shoulder.
“Bye, baby girl. Remember, take no shiii…crap from anyone.”
“Don’t worry, I got this,” she assures him.
I shake my head but can’t contain another smile.
Once we step out onto the porch, I place Annabelle to her feet and fix her bow so it’s the right way.
She looks up at me sheepishly, her eyes the same ice blue color as Jaxson’s. “I knew it was the wrong way but I didn’t want to hurt Daddy’s feelings. He tries so hard but this is just one thing he can never get right.”
I chuckle, warmth filling my heart at the love she has for her father and his pride. “You’re right, he does try hard. We don’t have to tell him when it’s wrong. We’ll just fix it ourselves.”
“Good idea.”
I drop a kiss on her cheek then take her hand and walk to the Denali. The fresh air and warm sun on my skin adds to the already beautiful morning.
Our first stop is the house next door. Parker and Hope wait on the porch with their backpacks on. Grace kisses and hugs them both then Parker takes his sister’s hand, walking her down the steps. He boosts her up into the SUV, something he insists on doing because he doesn’t need my help getting in.
Like father, like son.
“Hello, darlings,” I greet them.
“Hi, Auntie Julia.”
Grace waves to me from the front door, getting ready to head out herself for the day. Ever since she donated her kidney to her younger sister, Sawyer won’t let her be the one to open the bakery or work long hours. It miffed Grace at first but she understands he’s worried and wants her to take it easy. Thankfully, she has her sisters and Mac to help her.
Next, we head to pick up Mia. She too is waiting on the porch, wearing a white sundress and pink cowgirl boots. If hats were allowed at school, I have no doubt she’d be wearing one to complete her outfit.
Faith walks her to the SUV and helps her up into the booster seat since she’s the youngest and still requires one.
“Good morning, everyone,” Faith greets us with a smile.
“Hey. You headed to the music school?” I ask.
“No, my first appointment isn’t until this afternoon. Alissa and I are going out this morning to do some shopping for the baby’s room.” Her smile brightens, excitement palpable.
“How fun. Text me pictures of your findings.”
“I definitely will.” After giving Mia a kiss, she wishes us a good day and heads back inside.
Last, but not least, we drive to pick up Beckett. Which, again, is one house over, all of us spread out across eighty acres on the land we subdivided. We are the perfect example that you can be a family without sharing the same blood.
Beckett walks out of the house just as I pull up, looking as handsome as always in his khaki pants and trendy plaid shirt that’s been left unbuttoned, revealing a plain white shirt underneath.
That boy is the spitting image of his father.
Kayla comes barreling out of the house with Ella in her arms, yanking Beckett back for a kiss. Clearly, he tried slipping off without one.
The thought has me chuckling.
Both she and Ella wave at me from the door. One more year and that darling little girl will be with us. She’s one year younger than Mia and will be in kindergarten next year.
“Hello, handsome,” I greet Beckett as he climbs in.
“Hi, Aunt Julia.”
“Is everyone ready to go?”
“Ready!” they all shout at the same time.
I do a quick run through of names like I do every morning, more for fun than anything else. “Parker and Hope?”
“Your favorite twins are in the house,” Parker belts out, making everyone laugh.
“Mia?”
“Here.”
“Beckett?”
“Check.”
I’m about to call the last name but Annabelle speaks first. “Right behind ya, Mama.”
Smiling, I slip my sunglasses back on. “All right. Let’s go.”
The kids talk amongst themselves on the short drive to school, making plans on where to meet at recess. It warms my heart knowing how close they all are, just like us parents.
If someone would have told me ten years ago I would be married to the man I’ve loved since I was a teenager, have a beautiful daughter with him, and work as a school counselor, I would have never believed them.
But I am.
I’m living the dream. A life I will always be thankful for.
I pull up to Foothills Elementary, parking in my usual spot, then climb out and open the back door. Annabelle gets out first, using my hand as a crutch to jump down.
I kiss each child’s cheek, wishing them a good day, and make sure to give Parker two because I know how much he loves it…not!
“Aw, man, come on, Auntie,” he complains, wiping his cheek, but there’s no hiding his smile.
Unlike Parker, Beckett accepts the affection but is just as uncomfortable with it.
Sheesh, these boys. It’s not like I do it in front of the entire school.
Most of them run to play at the park for a few minutes before the bell rings while I take Mia’s hand and walk her over to her kindergarten door, which is on the other side of the school.
“I love your boots, are they new?” I ask.
“Yes, ma’am. Kistipher bought them to go with the hat he got me at the market.”
“Well that was awfully nice of him.”
“Yeah, he loves me.”
Her response makes me chuckle.
This sweet little girl is loved by many.
My attention draws to the drop-off zone where I see Connor Daniels climbing out of his mother’s car. He moved here only a few months ago. He’s a quiet child but very kind.
His mother came to see me when he first transferred here, letting me know he has some social anxiety due to all the moving around they do. She didn’t elaborate why they’ve had to move around so much but I’ve made sure to do my best to make him feel welcome.
He’s in grade two like Annabelle and she has also gone out of her way to include him.
My smile is bright as I greet him. “Good morning, Connor.”
“Hi, Mrs. Reid,” he mumbles, head down.
“Annabelle is over on the playground if you want to join her.”
He nods and heads that way.
The bell rings as I make it to Mia’s door so I walk her right inside and into her classroom, waving to her teacher, Leslie Foster.
“Hey, Julia, do you have a quick minute?”
“Sure.” Giving Mia a hug good-bye, I hang back and wait for Leslie.
She dodges all the little bodies as they pile into the classroom before stepping out into the hall with me. “I’d like to come by your office at lunch, if that’s okay. I’m concerned about one of my students and think things at home need to be looked into.”
“Of course. Do you want me to bring Doug in on this meeting?” I ask, talking about the principal.
“Sure, that’s fine.”
“Okay. We’ll meet you in my office at lunch.”
“Thanks.”
“You bet.”
Once she disappears back into the classroom, I start toward the office and see Annabelle walking into her class.
“Have a good day, sweetheart.”
“I will, Mama,” she calls over her shoulder.
Smiling, I round the corner, running smack into a brick wall. The impact is so hard that I lose my breath for a moment.
Large hands grab my shoulders, making me realize I ran into someone.
“I am so sorry. I didn’t…” I trail off as I look up into the face of a man I’ve never seen before. An older gentleman with salt and pepper hair. He’s dressed in an expensive black suit with sunglasses shielding his eyes, looking completely out of place here.
Alarm bells bang around inside of me.
“No problem, dear. It was my fault,” he says, flashing me a smile that does nothing to ease my apprehension.
His accent is thick.
Russian? Swedish?
“Can I help you with something?” I ask, wondering why he’d be here.
“No. That’s quite all right. I was just dropping off my grandson.”
“Grandson?”
“That’s right. His babushka and I just got in late last night.”
I guess that’s why I don’t recognize him.
I’m about to ask him who his grandson is but he excuses himself and steps around me, heading out the side entrance. Not the front.
I continue to the main office, my uneasiness lingering.
Janice, the secretary, smiles at my entrance. “Hey, Julia.”
“Hey. Did you notice that man out in the hall?” I ask, jerking my thumb over my shoulder.
“What man?”
“He wore a dark suit and sunglasses. Said he was dropping off his grandson…”
“I didn’t see him but I was just in the backroom making some photocopies for Mr. Thompson.”
I walk around the front desk and look at the security monitors that cover all exits, finding no one in sight.
“Is everything okay?” she asks.
“Yeah, I think so. He just caught me off guard since I’ve never seen him before.”
“I’ll keep an eye out. If I see him again, I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks.”
As I head into my office next door, my phone dings with a text. Digging it out of my purse, my heart leaps when I see it’s from Jaxson.
Jax: Tonight, we’re going to have a repeat of this morning, and I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be screaming my name.
A ridiculous blush heats my cheeks, my thoughts running wild with all the feelings this man evokes in me.
Me: I hope you make good on this promise, Mr. Reid.
Jax: Count on it, baby.
Me: Love you.
Jax: Not as much as I love you.
He’s very wrong about that.
Turning my phone on silent, I slip it into my skirt pocket and open the door to the tall oak cabinet where I hang my purse and store my belongings. I remain standing, my hand over my heart as the Pledge of Allegiance echoes over the intercom.
Afterward, I crack open my windows and take another look around outside, unable to shake my uneasiness from earlier. But again, I see nothing.
Shaking my head, I take a seat at my desk and go through the files I have pulled out for the children I plan to check in on today.
Less than an hour later, there’s a slight knock on my open door.
My head snaps up to see Connor Daniels, his face ghost white. “Connor, what is it? What’s wrong?”
“Mrs. Reid, I-I think I need help,” he says, his voice shaking.
I stand, his fear bringing me to my feet. “Okay. Come in and tell me what’s wrong.”
Before he can speak, all the lights shut off and so does my computer.
“I think they’ve found me,” he whispers.
Before I can decipher what that means, a scream of terror pierces the air, followed by a gunshot.
Panic pounds in my ears, my knees threatening to give out beneath me.
Grabbing Connor, I yank him into the room then slam my door and lock it. I move to the windows next, closing up every single one.
No alarm goes off, no call comes over the intercom. Nothing but chaos sounds behind my door.
“Connor, come here.” Opening up my cabinet, I usher him inside. “I want you to stay in here and don’t come out until I tell you to. Do you understand?”
He nods, his brown eyes wide with fear.
“It’s going to be okay, I promise. Just don’t come out unless I say so. No matter what.”
“Okay.”
After closing the door, I reach for the phone on my desk but get no dial tone. It’s then I realize all the power to the school has been cut.
I dig into my pocket for my cellphone just as another gunshot rings out, this one shooting off the handle on my door.
I jump, a scream ripping from my throat as my door swings open, revealing a man dressed in a black suit and sunglasses, similar to the one I ran into earlier.
He aims his gun right at my chest. “Raise your hands and come out now. Or you die.”
I follow the deep, accented order, praying Connor stays where he is. My steps are slow, too slow, so he reaches in and yanks me out the door.
“Faster, bitch!”
Dread seizes my chest when I see there are at least a dozen of them, ushering all the classes into the gym at gunpoint. The children follow in a single line, tears streaking down their pale faces.
My eyes scan the crowd, frantically searching for Annabelle and the others. As we pass the office, I look in and find Janice’s head down on the desk, lying in a pool of her own blood.
A strangled noise works its way up my throat, my blood running cold as I comprehend how much trouble we are in.
What started out like every other morning has turned into everyone’s worst nightmare, flipping the town of Sunset Bay upside down.