by Kahlen Aymes
Dylan grabbed the glass with both hands and took a drink, leaving a milk mustache on his face. “I sure would! Who is it?”
I walked into the kitchen and smiled at my hostess, hoping she could see gratitude in my expression.
“Chase Forrester. Ever heard of him?” she asked.
He paused for a second as he considered her question, picking up what was left of his cookie. “I’m not sure, but maybe my Uncle Ben would. Do ya think so, Mom?”
I was sure Ben had because I’d recognized the picture in Jensen’s office, and I’d only be able to do that if I’d been present when Ben was watching soccer on TV “I do!”
“Have a seat, Missy,” Teagan said, indicating the empty barstool next to Dylan. “Can I get you anything? Since you don’t want milk and cookies?” She waggled her eyebrows and rested a hand on her swollen belly. “A glass of wine? Just because I can’t imbibe, doesn’t mean you can’t. It might help you unwind after the drive. I have some merlot and chardonnay.”
I shook my head. I was tired, but I had to get Dylan situated before I could relax for the night. “Thank you for the lovely offer, but maybe after he goes to sleep.” I nodded at my son who was shoving the last quarter of the cookie into his mouth. “But, I’d love some water.”
“Of course!” Teagan turned and took a glass from the cupboard behind her and filled it with ice and filtered water from the refrigerator door, then handed it to me.
The water felt cool on my throat as I took a long drink. “Thank you. I didn’t realize how thirsty I was.”
“Well, it’s a long trip.” Teagan was putting the cookies in a soccer shaped cookie jar and then shoving it back against the backsplash. “I’m sure you just want to rest. I’ve got you in two of the guestrooms upstairs, right next to each other. I should have asked Jensen to carry your bags up when he took Remi to bed.”
When Jensen had left, and I’d walked through the entryway with him, I hadn’t noticed any of our bags. “I think he did. At least, they’ve disappeared from the landing.”
“He’s kind of awesome like that.” Teagan studied me for a second and then sprang into action. “Come on, sweet pea,” she held her hand out to Dylan. “I’ll show you your room.”
As I followed the two of them up the winding staircase to the second floor, I couldn’t help but admire the rest of the house. It was lavish but comfortable, and the bedrooms were each filled with heavy furniture and decorated nicely, but it wasn’t like something out of Better Homes && Garden or Interior Design magazines. You could tell a real person, and not an interior design firm, decorated this house.
She showed us into two bedrooms joined by a bathroom in the middle, and miraculously, our suitcases were sitting inside the door of the first one.
“This is so nice, Teagan. Thank you.”
She smiled. “My pleasure. I’ll leave you to get settled, and if you’d like to talk after Dylan goes to sleep, the offer of wine is still open.”
“Thank you.”
Dylan was tugging on the bottom of my shirt. “What, honey?”
“All my books are packed in the trailer. We always read a book.” I was about to say that I’d have to tell one from memory when Teagan interjected.
“Oh! I can get you a few of Remi’s to read. What do you like? She has a lot of Clifford books, or what about Goodnight, Moon, some Sesame Street books, or Ferdinand the Bull?”
Dylan’s eyes lit up in delight. That was a book I’d read to him since he was a baby. “Ferdinand!”
“Okay! I’ll be right back.”
Teagan hurried from the room, and I went to gather up Dylan’s small roller bag and placed it on the bed, intent on gathering out the pajamas that he’d worn the night before at the hotel in Omaha.
Dylan climbed up on the bed and threw himself back on the plush pillows. “I like this place, Mom,” he said matter-of-factly.
“I bet you do,” I said, reaching over and pulling his T-shirt up and over his head and pulling the pajama top on instead. “But we have to be respectful and careful not to make a mess or break anything.”
“They got a kid, Mom,” he said unabashedly as if that explained everything.
I couldn’t help but smile. “I know, but let’s just be a little careful, okay?”
I pulled off his sneakers and socks, shoving the socks into the shoes and setting them on the floor of the closet. “Hurry up, Mom! I gotta get dressed before Miss Teagan comes back!” Dylan said, shimmying out of his jeans and pulling on his Spidey bottoms. “She can’t see my unders!” he whispered tiredly.
I tried to hide my soft chuckle. “Oh, okay,” I smiled, agreeing with an answering whisper. I helped my son put on his pants and then pulled down the covers on the queen size bed, patting the mattress. “Hop up, babe.”
Teagan came in with the book and handed it to me. “Here you are. I’ll be downstairs, Missy. Sleep tight, Dylan.”
“Will Remi’s dad come over tomorrow? He promised to play some football with me.”
“He has to work, sweetheart,” I said, tucking the covers around my son and fluffing his pillow, wondering how I’d explain Remi’s two fathers to my son.
Teagan’s expression filled with pleasure. “Um… maybe we can coax him over for Sunday brunch. My husband, Chase, will also be home in the morning. Maybe you can all kick it around, hmm?”
“Awesome!” Dylan exclaimed, suddenly awake.
“There are extra towels in the tall cupboard in the bathroom but let me know if you need anything else.”
She was pregnant, so surely, she needed rest. “We’ll be fine, Teagan. Thank you for everything.”
“Of course. Come down for a bit, if you want. I’ll be up for a while. I’m working on a project.”
I settled in and read Dylan the story of Ferdinand the Bull, and he fell asleep before I was half finished with the book. I switched off the bedside lamp, leaving the bathroom light on for Dylan, in case he woke up and became disoriented by the new surroundings. I then proceeded to find my way back downstairs in search of Jensen’s ex-wife.
I was amazed at the easy friendship between them, and how Jensen knew his way around Teagan and Chase’s house. I couldn’t imagine having such a cordial and open relationship with Derrick. Obviously, our circumstances were different, and I was curious as hell about more details. It was one thing to hear it from Jensen, and another to get Teagan’s side of the story. I didn’t want to pry, but I did want to know what it was like from her perspective. After sacrificing so much for her, how could Teagan give Jensen up? What were her real feelings?
She was sitting in a big chair in the great room off the entry to the magnificent house, with her feet perched on the matching ottoman. She had her head down working on what looked like a blanket, though the television was on low in the background.
She looked up as I entered. “Wow, that was fast!” She had an embroidery hoop and was working on what looked like a square for a baby quilt.
I entered tentatively. Nothing about this woman made me feel uneasy, but she was opening up her home to me, and I was extremely attracted to her ex-husband. It could get weird, and I couldn’t help my apprehension. “Yes. He went out like a light. He’s had a big couple of days.”
“Yes. I checked on Remi before I came downstairs and she didn’t even whimper when I took off her clothes and put on a nightgown. Take a seat.” Teagan used her hand to indicate I should sit down on the matching olive-green sofa, as she set aside her embroidery and started to rise. “Wine, right? Red or white? I found some chardonnay.”
“White, please,” I answered, settling down on the couch. It was plush, and I sank into its deep comfortable cushions as she left to pour my wine and was soon back and handing me a large wine glass, filled about a third of the way with the sweet-smelling chardonnay. The glass was lightweight and made of fine crystal, though the style of it was simple. “Thank you.” I took a sip of cool wine. It was dry, with a light green apple essence and a buttery aroma. “This is del
icious. Thank you.”
“So?” Teagan’s expression was inquisitive and gracious. “Tell me about the trip? Did Remi behave?”
I curled my legs up underneath me on the couch having removed my shoes and left them in my room. Teagan didn’t resume her work but seemed keen on our conversation. I couldn’t help but huff out a soft laugh.
“Oh my gosh! Was she too precocious?” Teagan asked
“No, she was great. She’s quite a little girl.”
Teagan’s face shone with pride. “I agree, but I’m her mother, so I have to think so. She’s been through so much; I’m afraid we might spoil her just a tad.”
“She was perfect,” I said, remembering what Remi said during our bathroom visit at the hotel that morning. “She’s a princess.”
“Oh my God! Everything is princess around here. Chase calls her his little princess. Her room is decorated like the inside of a castle tower and looks like her fairy godmother threw up! Her grandmother spoils her with dress-up gowns and tiaras. Chase and I even got married at Disney World for her.”
I smiled. “Yes, Remi is certainly all girl and a welcome change from the bevy of boys always surrounding my son.”
“How did they get along?”
“Fine, why?”
Teagan rolled her eyes. “She’s got a boy in Kindergarten who is mean to her, and a couple of her cousins haven’t been the best to her. either.”
“Oh, no!” I felt terrible for Remi. She was such a sweet little girl; it was hard to imagine anyone being cruel to her.
“We’re all trying to talk her through it. The good news is she tells us she has another boy in her class who stands up for her, though we have talked with the teacher.”
“Ah! Her own Prince Charming! How sweet is that?”
“Yes, exactly!” Teagan agreed with a small laugh. “I’m sure she milks it to the max!”
“She told me it’s okay to be a damsel in distress,” I said, sipping on my wine. “She said Jensen wants to help me.”
“I hope that didn’t make you feel bad,” Teagan said apologetically, her face filling up with concern. “I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it. I hope you don’t think that we think you needed help. I just wanted to offer our home so you could bring Dylan right away. I can’t imagine being away from Remi for the month it would take to find a home.”
“Not at all,” I reassured. “I’m extremely grateful. I don’t want Jensen to see me as needy. How much of my story did Jensen share?”
“Just that you didn’t have family here, and that you’d been in Wyoming with your brother since your divorce two years ago.”
“That’s it?”
“Yes.” Teagan’s face took on a concerned expression. “Don’t take it as a negative that Jensen wants to help. He’s a real knight in shining armor. He has a huge heart.”
I shifted uncomfortably. The last thing I wanted to hear was that Jensen behaved with every woman, the way he did with me. “Yes. He is amazing to Dylan and me.”
Teagan was seated back in the big chair and had her elbow resting on the arm of the chair and her chin resting against her hand. “He is an extraordinary man. He was there for me when I needed him, too.”
“Is this weird? Talking about him like this?”
Teagan’s eyebrows arched, and she shook her head. “Not for me,” she waved away my concern. “Didn’t Jensen tell you about us? About Chase and Remi?”
I flushed, knowing I couldn’t hide the truth. “He did, but he only touched on it. He said you all met in college, but you were with Chase…” I let my words drop off, unsure how to continue. How could I tell her that, no matter what her situation was, I thought her reasons for marrying Jensen were selfish and stupid?
“Yes, although I’m sure he didn’t do the story justice.”
I had to confess. “He did enlighten me about Chase and Arsenal, and you and your father.”
Teagan nodded, inhaling deeply. “Look, Missy, I’m just going to cut to it. I was young, stupid, and scared to death, and in hindsight, I would have done everything differently. In fact, I was going to tell my father to go to hell, drop out of Clemson and follow Chase to London. Then, I called him to tell him I was coming, and a strange woman answered his phone. She made me believe Chase was unfaithful to me with her.”
“Oh, my God!” This was the part that Jensen left out. “That’s terrible.”
“Pregnancy made me emotional, and I literally lost it. I couldn’t face him, and or my father. Despite thinking Chase had cheated, I couldn’t let my father ruin his career. I didn’t ask Jensen to marry me, but he was my closest friend. I cried on his shoulder many nights. I guess, deep down, he would have talked to Chase if I’d allowed it, but instead, he went to my dad without telling me. I felt backed up against the wall; as if Jensen was the only person I could trust. At least, that’s what I thought at the time.”
“Wow. He definitely left out the important stuff,” I said trying to tamp down the incredulity in my voice.
“Jensen,” she said, shaking her head. “He didn’t want to make me look bad and, I suppose he’ll always be protective of Remi and me.”
“What happened with the woman on the phone?” Despite the short time we’d known each other, Teagan’s openness seemed to permit me to ask.
“She was Chase’s personal trainer, Bronwyn. She swiped his phone when he was in the hot tub or something. He didn’t know about the call, and I only found out the circumstances when she came with him to Atlanta last year.”
“What a bitch,” I said under my breath, and then instantly regretted it. “Oh, I’m sorry. I can’t believe she came here.”
“No, it’s okay. Chase was seeing her when I asked him to help Remi, but I didn’t know until later that she was the one who called me years ago.”
I was horrified. Was Teagan’s husband seeing that other woman for six years? I decided to save my questions for another time. “In that case, she’s worse than I thought.”
“You’re right. She was extremely unkind to me on the phone, but I blame myself. Chase was the love of my life. I should have trusted him. I should have asked him, and not blindly believed her lies. It ended up ruining Chase and Jensen’s friendship and breaking all of our hearts. They were the best of friends, and we were all close, then everything blew up.”
“It seems to have worked out now.” I felt bad for Teagan. It must have been horrible to feel betrayed and then to sacrifice her own happiness for someone she believed cheated on her. “Jensen doesn’t seem to regret anything. He just adores Remi!”
Teagan nodded. “I’m very thankful she has him. I’ve made a ton of mistakes where Jensen and Chase are concerned, but she is the one good thing to come out of it.”
“She’s a beautiful child.”
“She’s literally a miracle.”
“Yes. Jensen told me about her leukemia.”
Teagan’s face took on a wistful and sad expression. “It was hell, and I cursed it for so many years. I thought it punishment for what I did to Chase, but in the end, it brought him back to us. To all of us. We’ve been blessed with two miracles.”
I was speechless. It was an incredible story, and I was feeling emotional. Teagan was able to find the silver lining of such a horrific situation. “You’re all so strong.”
“We’re all doing well now, and it’s time for Jensen to find someone to be happy with. Look, Missy, I’m going to be blunt; he likes you, a lot, and he’s concerned about you. He didn’t tell me why, but he is, and I want to assure you that you won’t meet a better man than Jensen.”
Teagan reached out to squeeze my hand, and emotion started to well up inside me. My throat started to get tight, and tears burned the back of my eyes. “I sense that, and I’m trying to trust my instincts with him.”
Teagan’s express twisted in disbelief, “Why wouldn’t you?”
I hesitated only slightly. I felt I could trust this woman who was quickly becoming a friend. “My ex-husband was abusive. F
inally, I ran away with Dylan two years ago. We had a restraining order in Wyoming, but it’s no good here.”
Her mouth fell open in disbelief. Jensen hadn’t told her, which made me trust him even more. “Holy crap. I’m so sorry! I didn’t know, or I wouldn’t have brought it up.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s okay. You couldn’t have known.”
It was apparent she was sympathetic. “Well, you have a great new job, and new friends, here in Atlanta. Everything will be okay.”
My fingers played with the stem of my wine glass. “I am a bit worried about being on-air. Derrick could find us.”
“This place is like a fortress, and you can stay with us as long as you’d like.”
I knew that to get on with my life, in a healthy way, I had to get my own place and learn to be self-sufficient. “My mother is moving to town soon, and I need to stand on my own two feet. I have to do this, if I’m ever going to truly get over being terrified.”
Teagan got up and moved over to the couch. She hugged me tightly. “I understand, but we’ll be here if you need us. I feel like we’re good friends, already.”
My heart filled up to the point of bursting, gratitude rushing over me. I barely knew these people, and I felt like they were the best friends I had in the world. I hugged her back, fighting the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. This young woman had been through hell, and she was having a baby in a couple of months, yet she was opening her home and her heart to me, and my son.
When I pulled back, I sniffed and met her sincere brown eyes. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”
“It’s late. Why don’t you go on up, take a hot shower and crawl into bed? You’ll feel better in the morning.” Teagan’s voice was comforting. She was so sure everything would work out; I almost believed her.
JENSEN
Teagan says to get your ass over here for brunch before your flight,
or she’ll fry your bacon.
Chase’s text had pinged early in the morning. My flight was just after 1 PM, so I’d rushed around and packed my bag hoping to get over to their house as soon as possible, thankful for the excuse to see Missy, Dylan, and Remi. I couldn’t stay long, but it was better than nothing.