Healing

by Kennington, Belinda

  Trent wrapped his arms around her bringing her into his strength. “I guess that answers our question.”

  “She’s watching us. How long has she been doing that?”

  “It will be fine but don’t delete that message. It might be useful.”

  “Will you stay tonight?”

  “Sure.” He kissed the top of her head.

  She hoped she wasn’t leading him on. “Sorry, I’m a bit rattled.” She didn’t want to be alone but wasn’t ready to consummate the new relationship. It was too soon.

  “No, I understand. I don’t want to leave you alone. I’ll sleep on the couch.”

  She smiled up to him, always the gentleman. But a part of her did want him in her bed. She scolded herself for thinking that way.

  The front door opened. “Mom. We’re home.”

  “In the kitchen.” Allison kept her arm around Trent and his rested on her shoulder. There was no reason to push away from Trent. They were the ones that helped move things in the right direction. If they were telling the truth, they’d be fine. When Liz spotted them she smiled. Even Stephen’s expression was calm.

  Liz walked up to Allison and put a hand on her arm. “You ok?”

  “Yes, why?”

  “I ran into Emily earlier and she told me some crazy lady was mad at you.”

  Argh, Emily. I’m going to have a word with her. She doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut.

  Trent answered for her. “There’s a small issue. Come here you two.” He led them into the living room and motioned for them to sit. Liz sat next to Trent on the couch and Stephen in the chair opposite.

  “My ex-wife, Ruth, who disappeared nine years ago, has decided to come back. I haven’t heard a word from her in all those years and crazy enough, she thinks we’ll pick up like nothing happened. I told her it was over a long time ago.”

  “Where’s she been?” Liz asked.

  Allison looked at all of them sitting together. It felt like a family meeting to her. Even with the topic at hand, it felt right. She went over to the couch and sat on the arm next to Trent. He grabbed her hand and held it. Both of her kids smiled at them.

  “I don’t know. The bad part is she’s threating your mom.”

  Their smiles fell.

  “We filed a report, but there’s nothing they can do for now. If it’s ok with you two, I would like to stay here.”

  Liz giggled and Stephen gave Liz a funny look.

  “I’ll stay on the couch. I don’t want to leave you here all alone. I don’t think she’s violent, but I’d feel better if I’m close to keep an eye on everything.”

  Everyone nodded. The rest of the evening went well. Allison made dinner and they all ate as she had planned. Trent was able to talk with Liz and Stephen with ease.

  When it was time to sleep, Allison got a sheet and blanket out of the linen closet along with a pillow then made the couch. “I know this won’t be as comfortable as your hotel but thanks for staying.”

  “Don’t mention it. This will be fine.”

  She smiled at him. He stepped up to her and put his hands on the side of her face. He leaned down and kissed her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. You’re my second chance. I’ve been waiting a long time for this.” He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers.

  She couldn’t believe how good it felt to be held by this man. She wouldn’t let go of this. She knew she had to fight back. She wasn’t going to let Ruth, who for some insane reason gave this man up, win.

  Twenty-Seven

  The next morning, Allison woke early, threw on a robe and made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast. She rubbed her eyes as she went through the doorway.

  “Good morning.”

  She stifled a scream and put her hand to her chest. “Oh my heavens, you about gave me a heart attack.”

  “Oh, sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, giving her a quick kiss. “I made coffee.”

  “You’re a lifesaver.”

  “Let me.” He got a mug and filled it. “Cream, sugar?”

  “Yes, please.” She went to the fridge and pulled out her hazelnut creamer. Trent put their mugs on the table and took a seat. Allison brought her creamer and sat next to him. She offered the creamer.

  He shook his head. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Surprisingly, I did.” It was surprising. She figured she would have tossed and turned all night. “You?”

  “Better than I have in years.”

  “Really?” She leaned into him, resting her head on his arm. He moved his arm around her, hugging her from the side.

  “I better get breakfast made.”

  “Already done. I made pancakes and bacon. They’re in the oven staying warm.”

  “Wow. Early riser, I’m guessing.”

  “Yeah, I’m normally up by five.”

  They sat at the table silently sipping their coffee until Liz walked in with her usual zombie like trance. She stood in front of the empty stove top for a moment. “No breakfast?”

  “Trent cooked. It’s in the oven.”

  She turned and looked at them. Blinked a couple times and a smile crept across her face. She turned away from them and pulled the food out of the oven, split it between four, and brought the plates to the table.

  “I’ll get drinks.”

  Liz held up her hand. “No, stay put. You two are so cute.” She poured the orange juice as Stephen walked in, yawning.

  Trent laughed. “I take it ya’ll aren’t morning people.”

  Allison laughed too. “No, we’ve never been early risers. Weekends, the house is quiet most of the morning.”

  Trent helped Allison cleanup when they were done eating. Drying her hands, Allison asked. “Will you be back tonight?”

  “Of course. I’ll be here as long as you want me. I’ll stop by the motel and grab some clothes.

  She snuggled up to him. “If you’d like, you could check out and stay here. There’s no reason to pay for a motel if you’ll be here.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Logically, having him stay at her house made sense. But really, she wanted to keep him close.

  “If you’re sure, it would be my honor.”

  “I am.” Everyone got ready for school and work. Trent and Allison met back up in the entryway. “You want to meet for lunch?”

  “I can’t. I’ve got a lunch meeting.”

  They stepped out onto the porch holding hands and Trent walked Allison to her vehicle.

  “I’ll see you after work.” He opened her door for her.

  Man, she wished it was the weekend. Allison stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.

  ***

  When Allison got to work she walked into Bob’s office. “Good morning.”

  “Good morning, you look rested today.”

  “Thanks. I slept well last night.” Helped having Trent in the next room.

  “So, is everything sorted out then?”

  “Not really, but calm for now. Here’s a picture of the woman I told you about. That is an old picture but it will give people an idea of what she looks like. She handed it to Bob and he looked at it. “Trent jotted down details of what she looks like now.” She handed over the paper.

  “That will help. How did it go at the station?”

  “We filed a report but no one talked to us. I don’t know if anyone will even look at it.”

  “That’s too bad. At least you made a report. If you have to report anything else there will be a record of repeated offenses. Hopefully they will pay more attention then.”

  “I hope so. Well I’d better get to work. My boss keeps a tight leash on me.”

  “He sounds like a hard ass. Stay out of trouble.” He smiled.

  At lunch, Allison met Emily like usual. “Hey, girl.”

  “Hi” Allison sat. “I’ve got a lot to tell you.”

  “Really.” Her eyebrows rose.

  Allison retold all the deta
ils, after they had met yesterday.

  “So, not one police officer actually talked to you. No one took notes.”

  “No, it’s not high priority.”

  “I don’t like this. You and the kids shouldn’t be alone. How about you stay with us until this blows over.”

  “Well,” Allison’s cheeks flushed. “I asked Trent to stay with us.”

  A grin spread across to her face. “You work fast.”

  “It’s not like that. Trent’s sleeping on the couch.” She looked around the room. Her face felt like it was glowing.

  “I expected that. But good work moving him in already.”

  “All kidding aside, I really want to be able to work this out with Trent. We have known each other for so long and I really like him. I don’t know Ruth’s story but I can’t give up.”

  “The way she sounds, she should be in a hospital. You two will figure it out.”

  “After Rick, I never thought I would be able to let anyone else in. He’s kind, thoughtful and gets along great with Liz and Stephen. Even Stephen likes him.”

  “Have you had any more dreams?” She put air quotes around dreams.

  “Not for a while. The last one I had, we said goodbye.” She looked at Emily through watery eyes. “I had a wonderful life with Rick and now I get a second chance with Trent. How did I get so lucky?”

  “Because you’re an incredible person.”

  ***

  After work Allison went home excited. She couldn’t wait to see Trent. He texted her before she had left the office telling her he was leaving to go check out of the motel. He’d be at the house in half an hour or so.

  She glanced at the dash clock. The kids wouldn’t be home from their school activities for another hour. She could get dinner started and wait for everyone to get home.

  She pulled onto her street and noticed a crowd gathered near her house. She slowed down watching where the commotion was coming from. She gasped, everyone was in front of her home. She rolled down the window. “Hi Roger.” She said to her neighbor as he approached.

  “Hi Allison, I wouldn’t park in your driveway.”

  She pulled over to the side and parked on the street then got out. “What happened?” Looking up at her home she saw what the commotion was about. “Oh my...” She whispered.

  Spray-painted across her front door, in bright red letters, the word Bitch, screamed for her attention.

  “I’m sorry, Allison. The cops are on their way.”

  “Thanks.” She whispered as she took a step onto the curb.

  Roger grabbed her arm. “Maybe you should wait for the cops.”

  “Why?” She looked at him.

  “The door wasn’t the only vandalism.”

  “Huh?” Her brain was becoming fuzzy. She heard his words but nothing clicked. It didn’t make sense. What was the big deal?

  “I’m fine. It’s nothing some paint won’t fix.” She politely removed her arm from his grasp.

  “Allison, you don’t understand.”

  She ignored his plead and kept moving. Stopping suddenly she put her hand over her mouth. A low buzz in her ears drowned out all other noises. The driveway looked like a massacre had occurred. Allison stumbled and Roger grabbed her before she hit the ground. He helped her gently to her knees. Blood flowed down the driveway and chunks of meat lay all over the cement.

  ***

  Trent pulled onto Allison’s street and stopped. He couldn’t get all the way to her house. It seemed like everyone in the neighborhood was outside. He rolled down his window and waved someone over. “What’s going on?”

  “There was some vandalism at the Behr’s house.”

  “What?” His eyes widened and he threw the truck into park. He jumped out and ran down the block. The first thing he saw was the front door. What is it with red? He scanned the yard and spotted Allison kneeling on the ground a few feet from her driveway. His jaw dropped when he caught sight of the mess spewed across the cement.

  He ran up to Allison. A man approached him. “Hi, I’m Roger. Allison’s neighbor.” He offered his hand.

  Trent shook his hand. “Hi. My name is Trent. Do you know what happened?”

  “My wife,” He pointed to a woman talking to a police officer. “Was the one who called the cops. Said she saw a woman do this. Backed a van into the driveway, opened the back and pushed over several barrels of whatever that stuff is. Then ran over to the door and spray painted it. She was gone by the time I got home.”

  “Allison?” She slowly looked up at him with a vacant look in her eyes.

  “I’m glad you’re here. She hasn’t said anything since she stopped there.”

  Trent helped her stand and put his hands on each side of her face. “You okay?” She starred at him and smiled. She must be in shock. She touched his lips and he tried to get her to focus on him. When she finally made eye contact she said. “It’s nothing some paint won’t fix.”

  He looked at Roger. He shrugged. “I’ll leave you two alone.”

  “Thanks.” He waited for Roger to reach the other side of the yard then walked with Allison over to her car. Maybe getting her away from everything would help. Trent reached her car on the street and leaned her against it. He felt his pants pockets then realized he’d left his phone in the truck.

  He quickly opened her car door and grabbed her purse. He hoped she didn’t flip out on him, he knew how women could be about their private domain. He stood next to Allison and tucked her under his arm. Opening her purse he found her cell. He searched through her contacts and found the one he wanted.

  “Hey girl. Why you calling me? Aren’t you supposed to be cooking up some tasty eats for your hunk?”

  “Hi, Emily. This is Trent.” He grinned and looked down at the beauty in his arms. She ran her hand along his jaw then wrapped her arms around his waist resting against his chest.

  “Oops. Sorry, thought you were Allison. What’s up?”

  “I’m here with Allison. Her house was vandalized.”

  “Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, it happened before she got here. I was hoping you’d get Liz and Stephen before they get home. There’s quite a mess here.”

  “Sure, I’m already out the door. I’ll call Liz to make sure I catch them.”

  “Thanks. We’ll come to your house when we can.” He ended the call. Looking through her contacts again, he found her work number. He hoped her boss was still there. After the first ring it was answered.

  “Hello.”

  “Bob Wilson, please.”

  “One moment.” Classical music started to play and after a few seconds a male’s voice answered. “This is Bob.”

  “Hi, my name is Trent Urbane. I’m calling because I’m with Allison Behr at her home and it was vandalized. I thought you should know in case she isn’t able to come to work tomorrow.”

  “Wow. Is she okay?”

  “Yeah, physically she’s fine. But she’s a little out of it right now.”

  “Okay, tell her to take whatever time she needs. Thanks for calling.”

  “Thank you. I’ll tell her.”

  He snapped the phone shut and slid the phone back in her purse and put it on the top of her car. A police officer walked up to them. “Are you the homeowner?”

  “No, Allison is but I think she’s in shock.”

  “Does she need to go to the hospital?”

  “Give me a minute, I’ll let you know. Hey could someone contact Detective Jones for me?”

  “He’s already on his way.” The officer said then walked away.

  Allison shifted in his arms. Bringing her hand up, she put her fingers on his lips. “Love that mouth.” He smiled then kissed her forehead. If he could get her to focus maybe he could get her to snap out of it. He held both sides of her face making her look at him. “Allison!”

  “Mmm?”

  “Focus Allison, come back to me.” He pulled her to him and hugged her tight then looked at her again. Her forehead wrinkled and her e
yebrows furrowed. He saw a spark of awareness. He didn’t know what else to do, so he kissed her. Not a quick peck but a kiss with all the passion he could put into it. He put one arm around her waist, pulling her close and the other he tangled into her hair.

  ***

  Trent’s lips were soft and warm. Allison instinctively ran her fingers into his hair and kissed him back with as much passion as he was giving. She didn’t remember how they had gotten to where they were, but seriously, who cared.

  He gently leaned back and looked her in the eyes. He was worried. “Are you okay?”

  She smoothed his brow with her thumb. “Yes. Of course, why?” Then it came back to her. Her hand went to her mouth. The horrible scene that was her yard flooded back to her. She took a deep breath and looked back at her house. She held on to Trent and shook her head. Police now scoured her property, taking pictures and talking to her neighbors. What they must think?

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah, I’m back. Oh no, the kids. Are they here?”

  “No, I called Emily and asked her to pick them up before they got here. She’ll keep them with her till we can go get them.”

  “Thanks.” She went to go back up to house but Trent stopped her and pulled her to him. He pressed his mouth to hers seeking, needing her. She returned the movement with as much need.

  “I was worried about you. I couldn’t seem to get through to you.”

  “Sorry. I think my brain retreated for a minute.”

  “I’m glad you’re back.”

  She looked at her house. People were dispersing and going back to their homes. A police officer headed in their direction.

  “How bad is it?”

  “It’s a mess. But it can be cleaned up.”

  “Mrs. Behr?” The officer asked. “My name is Lt. Welsh. I would like to ask you some questions.”

  “Okay.”

  “Do you know who might have done this?”

  She looked at Trent and he nodded. “We think it’s his…” she pointed to Trent. “Ex-wife, Ruth. We filed a report yesterday about something else she did.”