Vivian

by Marie, Bernadette

  The vibrant noise of children’s laughter came from behind the house. But there were more giggles and laughs than her daughters.

  She grabbed a suitcase in each hand and walked up the front walk and steps into the house.

  Penelope fussed in the toddler room. It seemed to be something that calmed her, Vivian thought.

  “Are the girls out back?”

  Penelope nodded with a delightful smile. “With Stephanie and Charlotte.”

  She could feel the blood drain from her head. “Clayton is here?”

  Penelope shook her head and blonde curls bounced around her rosy cheeks. “He went with Brock to get some supplies to work on the bedroom.”

  “Why? I thought we had a guy doing that.”

  “It fell through. Brock and Clayton are going to do it.”

  Vivian tried to control her breath, her anger, her sadness—her lust.

  Why did this man just keep coming back around? She didn’t need his meddling into her life.

  She carried the cases to the bedroom upstairs and set them down. Her mind cleared. Clayton North was a decent man that was all. Had she forgotten that they existed?

  He was entrusting his angels in their care. She understood that he’d want to know they were taken care of. What better way to do that than to get to know the people taking care of them—personally?

  As she set the cases on the bed, her mind wandered back to their conversation the night before. She’d been prepared for him to take his daughters and leave. Instead, his daughters were there, running with her daughters, and he wasn’t there—at the moment.

  Vivian sat down on the bed and let the air in her lungs whoosh out of her. He trusted them. Forget what Adam Monroe had done to all of them or what his mother threatened to do. Forget that someone had broken into the house a few weeks ago. He trusted.

  Dear Lord, what could she accomplish if she had just a little bit of that trust?

  Voices echoed up the stairs. Vivian rose from the bed, wiped her eyes, and sucked in some courage. In that moment of clarity, she knew she needed a friend like Clayton North in her life. Married or not, the man was opening her eyes to the world around her. It was time she took life by storm. No more hiding in rundown houses and bowing down to evil mother-in-laws. No more feeling bad that her husband thought so little of her. It was time for Vivian Monroe to take charge of her life and she owed that to the man who now stood outside the bedroom door smiling at her.

  “Good morning,” he said in a tone that brought fresh air into her lungs. “Did you sleep well last night?”

  Vivian smiled—genuinely smiled. “No. I tossed and turned all night long. I couldn’t sleep at all.”

  Clayton gave her a slow nod of consideration. “You seem very chipper for not getting any sleep.”

  She did, didn’t she? “Just had an ah-ha moment. I guess I’m feeling good.”

  “Want to share?”

  Vivian thought she just might want to until she saw Brock moving about in the bedroom across the hall. “I do. Maybe later.”

  Clayton flashed that sexy grin that usually made her insides turn to goo. Today, however, it filled her with warmth. She liked that.

  “Maybe you can share with me over dinner. You did say you’d go with us for pizza tonight.”

  Vivian sucked in more of that courageous air. “You’re right. I did. You offered up a family night. I look forward to spending time with your family,” she said and then walked out of the room and down the stairs to gather more of her belongings.

  Clayton watched her disappear. She was a mystery, this one.

  When he turned back into the other bedroom, Brock was sizing up the room. His hands were on his hips and his head nodded as though he were having a conversation in his head.

  “What are you thinking?” Clayton set down the bag from the hardware store.

  “That closet goes right up into the attic. What if we opened it up? It could almost be like a loft. Their own living room.”

  “Why not just use the steps in the hallway?”

  “Well, because they’re dangerous. They hit Sam in the chest and missed me by inches. Besides, it’s closed up that way. If we open this up it would be roomy. Airy.”

  “And cold.”

  Brock smiled and held up a finger. “It needs insulation. Probably a new window too. I think I’ll talk to Vivian and see what she thinks.”

  “You can do all that?”

  Brock shrugged. “I don’t know if I can do it all, but my dad and my brother sure can.”

  “They’d do that for her?”

  “Of course,” his brows narrowed. “That’s what family does. They’ll be here in a few weeks when the baby is born. I’ll call him tonight and see what he thinks.”

  “They seemed to have really taken to Penelope. Your family that is.”

  Brock smiled. “Yeah, what’s not to like about her though? She’s perfect.”

  It was evident that this man standing in front of him was smitten and one hundred percent in love. It was nice to see. A man who came from a solid background and could show love. That in itself was a gift.

  Clayton heard steps coming back up the stairs and when he looked out Vivian had her hands loaded down with more boxes and suitcases. He hurried out to take some of the load.

  “I got this one,” he said trying to relieve her arms of one of the boxes.

  “I had it.”

  “I can help.”

  She dropped the items on the bed. “Why is that? Why are you always around to help?”

  “I think I said yesterday, that’s what friends do.”

  “Right. You said that. But it’s a little freaky how you’re always right where I need you.”

  “Freaky? I’d say it’s lucky.”

  “Hmmm,” she let out a grunt as her cell phone buzzed in her pocket. She quickly pulled it out and looked down at the text message that had arrived.

  Clayton watched her read it, assumingly over and over again. Her cheeks had grown red and her jaw twitched, she was clenching it so tightly.

  “Everything okay?”

  Her eyes moved back to his. They’d grown dark—and angry.

  “Everything is fine. I don’t need you to pick up the pieces of everything. You can’t fix everything. I don’t even know you.”

  She shoved her phone back in her pocket and walked out of the room.

  Clayton tucked his hands in his pockets and took a moment to relax. She really did need some help to get through all of this.

  Vivian’s hands shook. She was hiding in the bathroom downstairs just watching them shake.

  She looked down at the text message one more time. I haven’t forgotten about you.

  Sweat beaded on her brow. With the back of her hand, she wiped it off and looked into the mirror. Maybe they weren’t safe there anymore.

  The text had come from Adam’s mother’s phone. Just as the text had the night someone had broken into the old house.

  She was going to have to tell Amelia about this. Penelope was too fragile right now. But, damn, she thought. She was going to need to tell Clayton too and he was going to have to pull the girls’ enrollment.

  There was a knock at the door. “I have to go potty,” a small voice called.

  Vivian pulled herself together and opened the door. Emma rushed past her and into the bathroom. She let her have her privacy, but she stood just beyond the door. What about the girls? Her girls weren’t safe anymore.

  Chapter Four

  Could they fit more video games into a small pizza parlor? Clayton was happy, though, to see that there was an old Ms PacMan game in the corner.

  He sat at a table for six, but so far only he and his girls had arrived. He was beginning to wonder if Vivian had changed her mind.

  “I’m hungry. Do we have to wait?” Stephanie whined.

  “Go ahead. If we don’t eat, it’s going to get cold.” He dished out a slice of cheese pizza to each of the girls and then watched the door, just as he’d
been doing for a half hour already.

  After forty-five minutes, Clayton finally had a slice of cold cheese pizza.

  It was obvious that things weren’t going the way he’d hoped they would with Vivian. It was quite obvious she was blind to the fact that he was interested. Okay, he could handle that. He hadn’t come to Parson’s Gulch to find a woman. In fact, that had never crossed his mind. He didn’t want another woman—ever. Or that’s what he’d kept telling himself. But then he’d met her.

  Vivian Monroe, the woman with the dark mesmerizing eyes and silky chocolate hair—and a chip on her shoulder the size of a boulder.

  It would forever be obvious they both needed their healing space. He wasn’t healed yet, and, he figured that’s why he was tossing his heart around.

  He rubbed at the back of his neck. If he wasn’t healed yet then why try to heal someone else? Wasn’t that just a bad combination?

  Clayton knew he certainly didn’t need any more drama in his life. His girls didn’t need it either. Maybe it was good they hadn’t shown up. This gave him a clear view of what he was doing and it wasn’t in the best interest of everyone.

  Vivian Monroe was a strong woman who didn’t want anyone’s help. She wanted to keep everything hidden away and let it stew—let it burn. Fine. There was always the rec center. Clayton didn’t have to leave the girls with them next week, though he liked their set-up. He liked Penelope’s gentle touch with Charlotte. Damn—he was simply too far into it now. He didn’t want to give up on Vivian.

  “Daddy, look!” Charlotte nearly bounced out of her booster seat to point toward the door.

  When he turned back around, he saw two grinning faces running toward them. Emma and Ava scooted into the booth and instantly began making young conversation with their friends.

  “Where’s your mommy?” he asked, having never seen her.

  “She told us to sit here. She’s ordering a pizza.”

  That wasn’t the plan. He stood from his seat but could only see the top of her head over the small wall. He certainly couldn’t leave four talkative toddlers sitting at the table alone.

  A moment later she came around the wall. A weight was on her shoulders. And though she was smiling at him, he could see something was wrong.

  “I’m very sorry we were late. I was in Sam’s office and…” she closed her eyes and let out a breath before opening them again. “I’m sorry.”

  “No need. I have pizza.” He pointed down to the pieces of congealed cheese.

  “I knew I’d ruined your plans. A hot one is coming. You can heat that up for lunch tomorrow. School lunches are never very good.”

  He laughed. “You’re right. They aren’t. Have a seat.”

  She sat on the edge of the circular booth and he on the other end. Four chatty little girls sat between them talking Disney Princesses and My Little Ponies. Vivian, on the other hand, watched the door.

  How was he going to get this woman alone so they could talk? They needed to talk. She needed to talk.

  “Ball pit, Daddy. We want to go in the ball pit,” Stephanie took over the planning of the evening.

  “Why don’t you take all of them? I’ll wait for the pizza.”

  It wasn’t quite what he wanted to do, but he would. However, he’d be watching her very closely.

  Clayton nodded and followed four little girls to the small ball pit in the corner, which he was sure was filled with nothing but germs that would have to be bathed off of them.

  Vivian glanced at the door and then toward the kitchen where she knew there was a back door. She’d been at Sam’s office all afternoon, just as she’d told Clayton she had been. They’d pulled in Darby, the officer who had been called when the house had been broken into a few weeks before.

  The break-in had been written off as a string of vandalism crimes that had happened that night. But Vivian had always known better. Someone had been in that attic looking for the money Adam’s grandmother had hid in all the vintage books. But now—now the text had her frightened. She was sincerely considering a bigger move than one to the house on Main and Pine. Maybe it was time to just disappear off the map.

  It would mean leaving Penelope and Amelia with all Adam’s crap. But if it meant security for her and the girls—well that’s all she could think about now.

  Vivian looked at the table. There were only three glasses. Hadn’t he said it was a family dinner night? Where was his wife? Certainly she would have come for dinner.

  A young girl delivered the pizza to the table. Vivian thanked her, and though her stomach growled in anticipation of tasting hot food, she walked across the restaurant to the ball pit.

  The familiar giggle and screeches of the four girls was music to her ears. It would devastate her girls if she moved them away from Clayton’s girls.

  “You look preoccupied,” Clayton said.

  She looked up and he was looking down at her with brown eyes that could easily wrap her in the comfort she was craving. “I suppose I am. No worries.”

  He shifted his glance back to the girls. “They are going to need a bath. It makes my skin crawl just thinking about what’s in that ball pit.”

  “Just like life, right? The worst things are the most fun?”

  The comment had made him laugh and he had an easy, sexy laugh. Vivian fisted her hands to her side. She was pathetic. He was her ball pit. Everything about him said it would be a bad thing to keep showing up places with him while he wore that ring on his finger, but he made her feel good.

  “Why don’t we go back to my house?” he offered. “We can get those girls cleaned up, they can watch a movie, and we could eat some pizza without all this noise.”

  Vivian felt it coming on—the desire to go to his home, the aching need to talk to someone who wasn’t married to Adam Monroe or knew him. And yet that stupid gold band—and absence of a wife—was confusing her until her stomach was in such a knot she thought she might get sick right there.

  “Why are you asking me to your house?”

  Clayton dropped his shoulders. “Because this place is giving me a headache. I’d love to sit and actually talk to you.” He turned and faced her, shoving his hands into his pockets. “You don’t trust me do you?”

  “I don’t know you.”

  “Oh, I think we’ve established that quite a few times.”

  She could feel that prickling anger creep up her spine. “Listen, I don’t know what your situation is, but I’m no home wrecker. I married one of those and I don’t need any more of it in my life. So, if you have other plans then I have to tell you I’m not…”

  He held up his hand and closed his eyes as if he were mentally willing her to stop talking—so she did.

  “Whoa.” He opened his eyes and they flared temper. “Who in the world would accuse you of being a home wrecker?”

  “Anyone who saw me having dinner with you and if they see me going home with you. Oh, and then there is the fact that you’ve been at my house all week.”

  Now his eyes narrowed and he took a step toward her. “Friends. Are you telling me people in this town don’t understand friendships?”

  “Sure. Just not between a newly widowed woman and a married man.”

  “Married? And wait, what about Amelia and Penelope? They are both engaged and newly widowed.”

  “And no one knows they were Adam’s wives but you.”

  “Oh, I see since I’m a good enough friend to know all your secrets, but I’m not a good enough friend to have you over?”

  “I just don’t understand why you…”

  Her voice had risen, but she hadn’t noticed until Stephanie and Emma were standing in front of them.

  Emma tugged on her shirt. “Are you mad at Stephanie’s dad?”

  Vivian looked at her and then at Stephanie whose eyes were equally as sad and confused as her own daughter’s.

  Clayton reached his hand to Emma’s shoulder. “Your mom and I just need to talk away from all this noise. I was thinking you all could
come to our house for just a little bit.”

  “Yes!” Both girls answered simultaneously.

  “Go get the others.”

  They ran toward the ball pit.

  Vivian fisted her hands on her hips. “That wasn’t fair.”

  “Looks like it’s the only way I can talk to you. You seem to have some preconceived ideas brewing in your head.”

  She clenched her teeth. “I don’t like to be tricked.”

  “I was pretty open with the invitation.” He watched the girls bring back their sisters. “One hour. I want one hour of your time.”

  He turned and walked the girls back to the table.

  Fine. She’d give him one hour. What did he need her for? Why did she feel the need to follow him?

  She watched him with the four young girls as they gathered jackets and items they’d carried in. He was amazing with them and she assumed he was equally as amazing when he was in a classroom.

  As he joked with them and they giggled, she saw a light in her girls’ eyes she hadn’t seen in awhile. It tugged at her heart.

  When he turned to her and those brown eyes were soft and inviting that goo began to puddle in her belly again. Then the corner of his mouth turned up and her heart lodged in her throat. Only once had a man smiled at her like that and the world stopped. But it was happening again, only this time she was much older and so much wiser.

  However, when he gave a nod toward the door, she couldn’t help it. She followed like the lost puppy she was. There was a deep urge to get to spend this forbidden hour with him at his house. She was going to hell for this.

  Chapter Five

  It wasn’t until the moment they walked in the door that Clayton remembered the sink full of dishes. He winced.

  At least he’d taken a moment during the day to tidy up the living room and the bathroom was clean.

  As Vivian and her girls pulled up, Stephanie and Charlotte began their assault on his ears. But as he watched them jump up and down as Vivian unbuckled Emma and Ava it brought a certain joy to him. They loved those girls and that excitement was contagious.