Hothouse Flower (Sound of Silence Series, Book Three)

by Taylor Dean

  “Do you think we’ll have an almost honeymoon baby like Spencer and Stony or an actual honeymoon baby like Mia and Grayson?” Jace asks.

  “Either one suits me. Are you okay with that?”

  “I think that question is a little late, my dear.” Jace smiles at me wickedly and I playfully punch him in the arm. Then I kiss his arm several times to make up for it. Then he adds, “Absolutely. I’d love that, Shay.”

  Jace’s phone dings on the bedside table and he reaches for it. “The photographer just sent us a preview of our wedding pictures. I just have to click on this link.”

  “Let’s look at them,” I say excitedly. I’ve been dying to see them. Of course, Jace and I have been a little distracted with each other, so wedding pictures have certainly not been at the forefront of my mind.

  We prop up our pillows and Jace wraps an arm around me as he holds up his phone. He begins to scroll through the myriad of pictures. We ooh and ahh over Brit’s pictures, we laugh at the images of our wedding cake, and we giggle at a few impromptu shots of the guests during the reception. The wedding party pictures crack us up because all we see is Brit’s bandaged and bloody knees. It was certainly a day to remember. We pause on one particular picture of us. We’re both silent as we look upon it.

  “That one’s my favorite. Hands down,” Jace says.

  “Mine too.”

  It’s the shot that was taken at the exact moment Jace and I were facing each other in the gazebo right after Mia fainted—and we knew she was okay. We are both laughing, with huge smiles on our faces. We look ecstatically happy and I have to admit, it really captures the emotions of the day in so many ways.

  “That’s the one,” Jace says. “The one we should frame for our house.”

  “I love it.”

  We scroll through the rest of the pictures and find several others we love, but the gazebo picture is still the winner. Then Jace puts his phone away and we snuggle up with each other again.

  I sigh contentedly. “I can’t believe our trip is almost over. Tomorrow we dock in Seattle. Then we fly home to Texas.” But I’m ready to start our new life together. This isn’t the end, it’s the beginning.

  Jace turns on his side, propping his head on the pillow, and faces me. I do the same.

  He cups my cheek. “This entire trip has been perfect.”

  “Yes, I have no regrets.” It’s true. After all of the setbacks on our wedding day, I expected everything to go wrong on our travels as well. Instead, there hasn’t been a hitch. Not one single flight was late, not one piece of luggage was lost, and we have had smooth as glass sailing from the start of our cruise to the present day. Our honeymoon has been absolute perfection.

  “When it comes to us, I have one regret,” he whispers.

  “You do? What is it?”

  “I wish we could’ve had a couple of years in New York City, just the two of us. I feel like that was stolen from us.”

  My heart spasms. “I feel the same.”

  “There were so many things I wanted to show you, so many things I wanted to do with you. You would’ve loved living there.”

  “I used to dream about being there with you. It felt so real. Waking up was always a disappointment.”

  He leans in and kisses me gently. “What if we make that dream come true?”

  I raise my eyebrows. “What do you mean?”

  Jace turns and fiddles with his nightstand again. Then he resumes his former position. I love our long mornings together. We never hurry out of bed. We linger, talking and cuddling. It’s my favorite time of day.

  Jace holds up a piece of paper and unfolds it. It’s an itinerary. I study it and immediately notice it says our flight tomorrow is not from Seattle to Texas. It’s from Seattle to New York.

  I gasp. “You changed our flight?”

  “I did.” He smiles sheepishly. “I extended our trip for another four days.” Before I can protest, he goes on, “Don’t worry about Brit. I checked with Spencer and she’s fine with it. She said Brit plays with Sophie and keeps her entertained. And she follows Stony around the property helping him take care of the yard. She’s having a great time. Your mom’s all moved in at the farmhouse and Stony is starting renovations on our house tomorrow. Brit will be heartbroken that her buddy’s gone.”

  “She still has Sophie.” I love hearing that she’s enjoying herself.

  We’re both quiet for a moment, simply looking upon each other. “Are you serious? We’re really going to New York?” I ask.

  “Yes, ma’am. I want to show you around New York and make new memories, memories of me and you, the way it should have been.”

  This time I lean forward and kiss him. “I would love to go to New York with you.” On the inside, I’m jumping up and down with excitement. But there’s a tiny thread of fear that holds me back from expressing my excitement outwardly. “What if . . .”

  I don’t need to explain. He knows what I mean. “We won’t run into her. It’s a big city. The odds of it happening are a million to one.”

  A part of me wonders what’s really going through his mind. Does he hope we run into her? Does he want to confront her? Surely the thought has crossed his mind.

  I set those considerations aside. Jace wants to extend our honeymoon and take me to New York City and I’m over the moon. It’s high time we had our own stint in New York as we’d always planned to do. I grant him my biggest smile as satisfaction runs through my veins. “Thank you. Best surprise ever.”

  He kisses me and we forget everything except each other.

  I’M EVEN MORE surprised when I see our hotel. It’s on 42nd street right in the heart of Times Square. Our room is a spacious suite on the 39th floor and we have a spectacular view of the lower Manhattan skyline. Jace spared no expense to give me an amazing New York City experience.

  “I’m going to take you to every single touristy spot I always dreamed of taking you to,” Jace tells me.

  We can’t go back in time, but we can sure as heck make up for what we’ve missed. I can tell Jace is determined to do just that.

  In the morning, the first thing we do is enjoy breakfast at one of Jace’s old haunts, his favorite coffee shop.

  “I used to imagine we’d breakfast here together on the weekends.”

  I admit, my eyes well with tears. But I don’t let sadness take over. This is a happy trip. I know this is gratifying to Jace in so many ways and the holes in both of our hearts are being healed.

  What follows is a whirlwind. We visit the Empire State Building, we take a ferry out to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, we see the 9/11 Memorial, and we take the walking tour of Wall Street. We take a midnight stroll through the streets of Manhattan and witness the city that never sleeps at night. The next day, we see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and we shop in Soho and Greenwich Village. He takes me to Broadway and we see Wicked, followed by a romantic horse and carriage ride through Central Park. Every second of every day is exhilarating. Jace’s enthusiasm alone is enough to make me deliriously happy.

  By the third day, we are exhausted and we sleep in. We eat lunch at a charming sidewalk café and Jace tells me this is another one of the spots he’d always dreamed of taking me to. We share a smile and hold hands across the table because his dream has come true. Not exactly in the way he had always thought, but it has still come true all the same. It’s all very bittersweet.

  Next, we leisurely walk through the streets, hand in hand. We’re taking life slow today.

  I can’t begin to imagine what it would’ve been like to be newlyweds here, living in Jace’s shoebox apartment. But I know we would’ve loved it. I don’t let my mind dwell on regrets though. We’re together now and we’re satisfied with life. The future is bright and we still have so much to look forward to. I refuse to spend my time mourning those six lost years. Instead, I’m looking ahead and the outlook is pretty darn amazing.

  Suddenly, Jace comes to an abrupt halt and stares at a building. I follow his
gaze and see a sign announcing Browning, Nelson, Whitaker & Associates, Attorneys at Law.

  I look from the building, then back to him. His eyebrows are furrowed as he stares contemplatively. I feel as though I just lost him and he’s miles away, in another time, another place.

  A scowl creeps into his expression. “I want to go in there and confront her so much, it’s killing me.”

  “Then, let’s do it.” I have a few things I’d like to say to her as well.

  I figured this moment would present itself at some point on this trip. It was inevitable. I’m following his lead on this one. Whatever he wants to do, I’ll do. He deserves the opportunity to counteract. In whatever way he chooses.

  “Quit trying to be a spitfire. You can’t fool me, Shay Faraday. I know you’re a softie.”

  It’s been a while since I’ve heard those words he always used to say to me. I love the reminder of our past. “Guilty.”

  He squeezes my hand. “No, let’s not go in. That’s not why we’re here.”

  “Isn’t it?”

  He lets out a disgusted breath. “I don’t want it to be the reason why we are here.”

  “But it can be part of the reason. I’m okay with that, Jace. Really, I am.”

  He takes both of my hands in his. “This is our honeymoon, it’s our time. I don’t want to ruin it.”

  “Jace, we’re in this together, remember? In many ways, what happened to you happened to us. I mean . . .”

  “I know what you mean.”

  “I was there. I saw her in the midst of committing a crime. She thought it was funny, as if it was all just a joke to her. It haunts me and I have the same desires for revenge as you do. Like I said, this is a me and you thing. It’s not my issue, or your issue, it’s our issue.”

  Jace stares off into the distance for a moment. “It’s taken me awhile, but I’m on the same page as you. I’m ready to hire the private investigator. I want to see this through.”

  I see the unyielding determination in his eyes and I love it. I believe fighting back will be highly therapeutic for him. “I do too.”

  “Going in there probably isn’t wise. I think our best option is to let the investigation take its course.”

  “Yes, I suppose it is.”

  Still, he looks at the building a little yearningly, like he’s ready to break into a run and break down the doors. I have the same feelings, but again, I’m going to follow his lead.

  Hand in hand, we begin to walk. We stroll down several streets, simply enjoying the day. I love being married to Jace. I love the intimacy between us, I love waking up in his arms every morning, and I love knowing we will always be there for each other.

  Me and Jace, we’re a team now, ready to face life together. It feels so good to not be alone anymore.

  It doesn’t surprise me when we end up in front of the law office once again. It’s not by accident and I know it.

  “I have to do it,” he tells me. “I can’t live with myself if I don’t.”

  “Keep in mind, you don’t have to do anything.”

  He raises his chin with purpose. “You’re right. I don’t have to. I want to.”

  “I’m with you. One hundred percent.”

  “You know,” he clicks his tongue thoughtfully, “I’d love to introduce you to the people I worked with. I know they’d love to meet my beautiful new wife.” He tilts his head to one side. “How would you like to go flaunt our happiness for a bit? I want her to know she didn’t destroy us. I know it doesn’t change anything, but there’s satisfaction in that for me.”

  He looks over at me and at first his expression is severe and resolute. Then he softens, and compresses his lips as though he’s holding back a mischievous smile.

  “I can’t wait to go in there,” I tell him.

  “I thought that might be the case.”

  “Just be prepared for some serious gloating on my part.”

  “Oh, I’m counting on it.”

  We walk briskly across the street, both eager to throw the truth in Miss Blair’s deceitful face. As he opens the door, I say, “Have fun with this.”

  “Oh, I plan to, my dear.”

  Jace wraps an arm around my waist and I do the same to him. We move through a long corridor as though we are Siamese twins attached at the hip.

  When we enter the law office, a gush of icy air hits us. It seems too early in the year for air conditioning and I shiver.

  Jace whispers in my ear, “Proven fact. Cold air keeps you mentally awake.”

  “Proven fact. Cold air gives you frostbite.”

  Jace chuckles under his breath. Before he can say a word, a ripple of excitement flows through the workplace as people notice him. The office is one huge room with several doors leading off of it. The décor is decidedly old world and masculine with wood paneling covering the walls along with framed prints of maps and mallard ducks. Mahogany desks, leather office chairs, and lamps with green glass shades dot the area. A fireplace sits in one corner flanked by wingback chairs. I fully expect someone to pull out a pipe and start reading to me from a leather bound book.

  “Jace! How ya doin’, buddy?”

  Several people hop to their feet to say hello and several more exit the private offices when they hear the commotion. Soon we’re surrounded by ten or fifteen smiling faces as Jace proudly introduces me as Mrs. Faraday.

  Several of the men clap Jace on the back as they offer their congratulations. He introduces me to everyone, but I don’t remember a single name.

  “Married man, huh? What the heck are you doing here then?” one ruddy faced man asks.

  “Honeymooning, of course.” Jace leans in for a quick kiss.

  The same man repeats his question, “What the heck are you doing here then?”

  The crowd laughs and guffaws at the implication.

  Jace puffs his chest out. “Just showing off.”

  Congratulations are offered once again as the excitement dies down. We walk through the office saying quiet hellos to a few more people. Then we turn down another hallway that leads to a main reception area. I think we entered through a back way. Next we enter a small office that leads to more offices and I’m feeling completely turned around.

  And that’s when I see her.

  It’s her. There is not one single doubt in my mind. I stop dead in my tracks and Jace has to propel me forward a bit to get me to move. The strength of the emotions that surge through my body surprise me. Anger, hurt, fear, horror, rage. It’s all there, rushing through my veins along with a healthy dose of adrenaline.

  “Rebecca,” Jace says, sounding thoroughly intimidating and not the least bit friendly. It’s a tone of voice I’ve never heard from him, nor do I ever want to hear it again.

  So much for having fun with this. That idea just went out the window along with every decent thought I own.

  As she looks up from her computer screen, I wrap my other arm around Jace, so that I’m hugging him to me. I am making a statement today, one that she will receive loud and clear.

  Her eyes rest on me for a split second and there’s not a doubt in my mind that I see the instant recognition on her features. She hides it almost immediately and allows a blank look to rest on her face.

  “Jace,” she says with a blinding smile. “What are you doing here? It’s so good to see you.”

  I was right. A smile transforms her. She’s a beautiful woman. I wonder why someone like her would resort to sinister ways to get a man. I’m sure she has issues that a psychiatrist would love to delve into. Sick issues. Deviant issues.

  In my research I learned that most perpetrators of drug-facilitated sexual assault have a stereotype. They tend to be personable, clever, and attractive.

  My initial impression is that she is all of those things. Regardless, underneath her smile there’s a hardness to her features that she can’t quite erase. Oh yes, it’s there and she can’t hide it.

  “Honeymooning.” Jace kisses the top of my head several times.
A little over the top, but that’s what this visit is all about.

  Her smile falters a bit. “Oh?”

  “Thought I’d stop in and introduce my new wife to everyone.”

  I expected him to sound pleasant when speaking to her. He doesn’t. He sounds downright cold.

  She emits a slight sound from the back of her throat, but doesn’t say anything in response.

  “This is Shay, my brand new wife. I believe you met the last time she was here in New York.”

  My heart drops in my chest. I thought this would be a light and flirty show, a tease, an in your face display of our happiness. Or maybe just a little demonstration to prove she didn’t ruin us.

  I’m not exactly sure where this is going now. All bets are off.

  I paste a smile on my face and rest my head on Jace’s chest. His heart is pounding at a steady rate, much louder and harder than usual, but not faster. It matches the slow burning anger building inside of him.

  Rebecca glances at my smiling face and her smile wavers. “I’m sorry, if we did I don’t remember,” she says with forced brightness.

  I run my hand across Jace’s waist and over his chest. Then I reach up and kiss his neck a few times. It’s my display of ownership and I have to say, it feels rotten, yet oh so good. Especially when my gaze returns to her and I see that her eyes have followed my every move.

  “I guess congratulations are in order.” A congratulatory phrase has never felt so fake. While she’s uber pleasant in word, that hardness in her eyes seems easy to detect and I wonder if everyone else sees it or if it’s just me.

  I don’t feel scared of her. I read that the general characteristics of a person who commits the type of crime that she did are opportunistic and non-confrontational. They don’t typically threaten or use force. They don’t carry weapons and rarely have a history of physical violence. They also tend to be invested in their careers. By the looks of it, she fits the bill.