***
Grabbing her purse, she gave Kayden a hug as he walked her through the foyer and to the front door. Outside he opened the car door for her as she climbed into her rental. As much as he loved his mother he couldn’t wait until she was back on a plane heading for New York.
“Drive safe. Love you,” he said and closed the door.
He watched her back out of the drive way and head down the road all the way down the hill. The car made its way to the roundabout and disappeared when she turned on Patterson. He walked into the house and closed the door behind him. He had no idea where Kim was, but as long as she was downstairs and nowhere near him, he'd be fine.
He went into the living room, snuffed the last of the embers in the fireplace and turned the lights off, making the room almost pitch black. The moonlight shined through the glass doors, which and reminded him of the night he and Lana stood on the porch admiring the view. When he turned around, Kim was standing behind him completely naked, a sly grin on her face. He was instantly exhausted with her.
“I’m too tired for this shit,” he said as he tried walking past her. She hopped into his path blocking him, and he dropped his head. Kayden grabbed the couch throw blanket and tossed it to her, but she let it hit the floor and slid it out of her path with her foot.
“This is something we both need,” she replied and walked towards him slowly.
He was getting really pissed now.
“You can’t tell me you don’t miss this,” she said, as she ran her fingers down her stomach. He grabbed her by the shoulders as she smiled.
“Kim. I need you to listen to me. This is never going to happen. Ever. Do you get it now?”
He let her go and took the stairs two at a time leaving her standing in the darkened room alone. Mortified, she picked up the throw blanket and erupted in tears. She couldn’t believe that just happened. Dragging the blanket behind her, she walked to the guest room and closed the door behind her. She fell onto the bed, covered in wedding magazines and started ripping them to shreds.
Everything she wanted with him was falling apart. How long would he stay married to her if he couldn't stand to look at her? Maybe, she thought, it would be an open marriage. People did those all the time. Strictly business and she could get what she needed elsewhere. With that thought, she calmed herself. But it still hurt. It hurt like hell.
***
Kayden locked the room door behind him and began taking his clothes off. Kim was losing her mind he was certain. Walking around naked didn’t mean anything to him—the old Kayden vacated a long time ago. He always knew she was a little unstable at times, but even that was out of character for her. Brushing the thought of her out of his mind, he climbed into bed and laid back with his arm under his head. He knew it wouldn’t be long before he would see Lana’s face again, and for the first time in a month he drifted off and slept soundly.
19
Lana opened her eyes when Paula touched her arm. She slept through the whole flight with the help of an over the counter p.m. medication, and couldn’t believe they were there already. The flight attendant walked up to them and handed Lana a bottle of water.
“Welcome to Georgia!” She beamed, grinning ear to ear.
It must be painted on, Lana thought as she opened the bottle and took a sip. Paula leaned close to her and rubbed her forearm.
“You ready?” she asked.
Lana nodded. It was a total lie, she wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready to see Maureen or deal with the drama that would be in high gear. The only person she was ready to see was Kayden and she was unsure of how that would turn out. The airplane door opened, allowing the frigid air to ooze into the jet cabin. It was almost midnight now so the temperature was about five degrees. Closing up the leather jacket she took from Kayden a month before, she and Paula stood and started down the stairs of the plane.
A car was waiting on the tarmac of the private airport, the driver holding the doors open for them. Paula climbed in first and Lana took a look around the scenery. The snow was still on the ground a few feet, but plowed this time. It looked the same now as it did when she was driving out of town. As if the snow froze everything in time until she returned. She stepped into the toasty car next to Paula who was removing her scarf.
“I’m scared,” Lana said looking her friend in the face.
She still couldn’t believe everything Paula was doing for her and Kayden, and didn’t know how she would ever repay her for it.
“I know baby doll,” she said, “You shouldn’t be. Kim and my mother on the other hand should.”
“Where are we going to stay tonight?” Lana asked as the car pulled forward.
“Spence Hotel.”
“We can’t! Your mothers there,” Lana replied panicked, sitting up with her eyes as big as saucers.
“It’s ok, we’ll check out by morning and keep a low profile. I still have to bring Kayden up to speed on everything if we’re going to do this right.”
“How are you going to tell him?” Lana asked relaxing in the seat a little more.
“Oh I have a plan. Don’t you worry.”
They rode in silence as the warm interior of the luxury car made its way towards Hamby. The drive wasn’t more than ten minutes before they were turning at the familiar roundabout. The streets were deserted and quiet, a light snow covering the roofs and treetops, with warm glowing streetlamps. It looked as if they were driving through a computer screensaver. As they prepared to turn left onto Patterson, Lana caught a glimpse of Aunt Mae’s, still partially covered by tarps. I guess not to give too much away before the big ceremony, she thought. The car continued down Patterson and a few minutes later, stopped in front of the hotel. Lana felt the anxiety building in her chest, like heart burn.
The driver exited the vehicle to open her door and Lana couldn’t help staring at the jewelry store across the street. Only a month and a half ago Kayden practically dragged her in there to buy that gorgeous engagement ring.
She smiled, remembering how happy he looked when he slid it on her finger. The driver opened the door and she and Paula hustled out in the cold and entered the hotel. Paula stalked straight to the elevators and Lana followed suit.
“Don’t we need to check in?” she asked confused.
“I told you, I’ve been planning this for a while. I booked this room and got the key in advance two weeks ago. We’re good.”
Lana couldn’t help but smile. She had to give it to them, there was never a dull moment when it came to the Capshaw family.
***
Lana lay in the queen sized bed of her hotel room, unable to sleep for the last three hours. The uncertainty of the status of Kim living under the same roof as Kayden for weeks on end unnerved her. Even though Paula reassured her the whole way to Hamby that there was nothing to worry about, the Page Six announcement photo still haunted her every thought. Every fiber of Lana wanted to leave the hotel and trek up the hill to the house, but Paula already had a plan in place that required her to wait and she had to respect it. The last few weeks had been a series of extreme ups and downs and she wanted off the rollercoaster, and for that to happen she had to be patient a little while longer.
Turning onto her side, Kayden’s jacket lay on the pillow next to her and for a moment, she closed her eyes and tried to imagine him lying there. Finally, she grabbed it and held it to her face breathing in the now fading cologne, as she’d done every night since she left him behind. As she squeezed her eyes closed, she prayed that he could forgive her for what she did and eventually drifted off to sleep.
***
It was five a.m. and Kayden had risen early to get a jumpstart on work. He sat at his office desk and stared down at the piles of pictures laying before him. They were of various stages of the new house being built, all exterior and foundation work. The shell of the entire house was completed, but it was far from finished. He thought about how beautiful it would eventually be, but couldn’t focus on the house without thinking of Lana
.
In times of quiet and solitude like this, he would reflect on the changes he’d made as a person, because of her influence. Being intertwined with her was sudden and something he never saw coming but he never felt luckier in his entire life. He thought of the words that Aunt Mae told him before: “She was exactly what you needed, when you needed it,” or something to that affect. There was only one thing he didn’t like about that saying—the phrase “needed.” Because he very much still needed her in every way.
Kayden stood from the table, his lower back beginning to feel the past three hours of working, and made his way through his sisters darkened living room. He leaned onto the cold glass patio doors and peered over the garden, and the town before him. The snow was still clinging to life, but the view wasn’t as magical as he’d remembered it a few weeks back. As soon as Aunt Mae’s diner release happened later that night, he was boarding a plane to Florida to bring his woman home and he’d be damned if his mother or anyone for that matter got in his way.
***
It was already after eight a.m. as Lana sipped her coffee in her hotel room. Looking out the window she could see the farmer’s market couple, the Powell’s, getting ready to set up shop. They would usually do this much earlier but the temperatures had been unusually cold this winter. During the blizzard they stayed away like everyone else, but the snow had stopped falling now and everyone was taking full advantage of that, even if it was a little later than usual. Looking down at them and seeing how they worked together, carefully and thoughtfully like a well-oiled machine, she knew that came with familiarity. Maybe that could be her and Kayden in the future. Happy, finally.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts and she walked over and peered through the peephole of the hotel room. It was Paula, dressed to kill in an all-black leather ensemble. As she opened the door, Paula sauntered in and sat on the bed while Lana closed and locked the door behind her.
“We ready?” Lana asked exhausted. She only got a few hours of sleep and could realistically sleep another ten.
“I think you should stay at the hotel until I get back,” Paula replied, removing her sunglasses.
“But your mother is here,” Lana affirmed, annoyed. She walked over and sat next to Paula, cradling the coffee mug.
“I know, but there's nowhere for me to stash you yet. I just need to assess the situation before we blow the lid off this thing.”
“Are you changing your mind?” Lana’s head began to spin. What happened that made her want to leave me here all of a sudden?
“No way. I need to go throw Kim out. I don’t want her in my house a second longer and if she sees you, she'll run to my mom and ruin everything. Once she’s gone, I’ll have the chance to talk to Kayden in private,” she replied.
Lana nodded her head realizing it made sense—although she did not want to spend all day hiding in the hotel. She could try to get more sleep, but knew it would be impossible. She’d be a mess of anxiety until she heard from Paula again.
“After you have your chat with him, what’s next?” Lana muttered.
“Then I come and get you and bring you back to the house,” she beamed.
“I know this is supposed to fix everything, but I can't shake this awful feeling I have,” Lana admitted, placing the mug down on the bed side table. Paula put her hand over Lana’s and squeezed.
“After tonight, you won't have a thing to worry about,” she said, and stood from the bed. She put her sunglasses back on and draped her large Fendi bag over her shoulder.
“Tonight after the re-opening, I’m going to throw Kayden a congratulatory dinner. Where on the big screen, I’ll hit play and let my mother’s actions speak for themselves.”
“Got it,” Lana replied and stood up from the bed.
“Just try to relax. I’ll be back before you know it,” Paula gave her two air kisses on the cheek turned and walked out of the room.
Lana locked the door behind her, walked back over to the window where the Powell's were, and gazed out at them. They were sitting and sipping something hot from thermos’s, having a casual conversation. As much as Lana appreciated Paula trying to reassure her, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread—and she said a silent prayer that everything would work itself out.
***
Maureen cradled Kim on the couch as she cried uncontrollably. She was starting to tire of her whining, but tried her best to comfort her anyway. Her actions as of late had become erratic and she didn’t want to make matters worse by chastising her right this moment.
“I just don’t get it, Mrs. Capshaw. I’ve done everything you said,” Kim sobbed, sitting up to blow her nose.
Maureen handed her another tissue and she dried her eyes.
“There, there,” she said exasperated, “I spoke with Kayden and he understands full well, why I chose you to marry him. It’s going to be OK.”
Kim looked eagerly at her now, and hope crept into her face. It was like watching someone with a lottery ticket right before they read the numbers aloud.
“What you did last night—although ambitious, was all wrong. I asked you to play it safe and be cautious and you did the complete opposite.”
“I’m sorry. I thought if I were more assertive, he’d buckle. Nothing else worked before,” she whined.
“My son isn’t the same boy you knew three years ago Kim. He isn’t the same man you knew a month ago. He’s changed.”
“I know. That bitch must have brainwashed him,” Kim jibed blowing her nose on the napkin.
“As I was saying—he’s changed and the advice I gave you was to help facilitate the new Kayden. Not the old one. Listen to me and do exactly what I tell you from now on, and you won’t have these issues again.”
Maureen’s face was stone cold and emotionless. Kim picked up on it quick and nodded her head in compliance.
“I promise,” she replied.
A door closed and the clicking of high heels was growing louder coming from the foyer. Paula breezed into the house, removed her gloves and placed them on the kitchen counter. Maureen stood up and so did Kim.
“Paula, what a wonderful surprise!” Maureen exclaimed waking over to her, arms extended. Paula gave her an air kiss, removed her shades, and place them on the counter.
“Hello mother,” Paula replied, faking the best smile she could.
“How come you’re back so soon? Where’s Garrett?”
“He had business in California. How’s everything with the diner?” Paula asked, pretending to be none the wiser.
“Hi,” Kim beamed, as she wiped the last of the tears from her face. Her eyes were bloodshot and she looked like Rudolph with her nose the cherry red color it was.
“Well everything is going great dear! I’m so happy you’ll be here for the grand reveal tonight!” Maureen exclaimed, clapping her hands together.
Paula walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Maureen sat next to her, a huge smile on her face, waiting for Paula to say something. Kim slowly sat back down on the couch keeping her eyes on Maureen.
“That’s really good news mom. Where is Kayden?”
“Oh, he’s still upstairs I think. He hasn’t come down yet,” Kim interjected.
“And why are you still here Kim?” Paula quizzed.
Kim tried her best to put on a smile and brighten up her face.
“Kayden and I are getting married, remember?” she exclaimed and hopped off the couch, her arms opened for a hug. Paula politely put her hand in the air and stopped her from getting any closer.
“Please don’t,” she protested.
“Pauline Capshaw—,” Maureen started.
“Mother please,” Paula interrupted, as Kim’s face turned the color of beet red.
Paula stood up and walked over to the fireplace.
“I don’t understand your behavior. This is your brother’s fiancé, your soon to be sister in law, Paula.” Maureen replied, perplexed.
Paula started the fireplace and tu
rned slowly around to face them both. She took a slow deep breath and tried to calm the rage bubbling in her chest.
“Mom, this is the same girl who was sleeping with every guy with a trust fund in New York, so excuse me for not feigning happiness for my brother,” Paula replied and placed the fire poker back into its holder as Kim burst into more tears.
Paula walked over to her and sat next to her. She picked up her hand and looked her in the face.
“I’m sorry, but I’m also going to need you to collect your belongings and leave my house,” Paula cooed. That felt good, she thought.
Maureen stood up, her mouth hung open in shock.
“Paula!” She managed to squeeze out.
“Mother, this is my home and I choose who I want in it. She isn’t someone I’d associate myself with and I don’t want her here.”
Maureen looked at her daughter and couldn’t find any words to say. Kim stood, waiting and watching Maureen for a rebuttal. After a few more seconds she ran out of the living room down the hall, the door slamming behind her.
“I suppose I should leave too, if that’s how you feel,” Maureen said smoothing her dress down.
“I never said you weren’t welcomed here, but if you want to leave mom—I’ll see you later.”
Maureen stood frozen, her face now flush, confused. Kim came out from the hallway, dragging her suitcase, crying hysterically.
“Wait a minute, sweetheart. I’ll be joining you,” Maureen called out to Kim.
She stalked down the foyer and out of the house with Kim slamming the front door behind them. Paula took a breath, stood up from the couch and walked into her kitchen. Two down, one to go, she thought and leaned onto the kitchen counter.
Kayden trotted down the stairs, his eyes barely opened and his hair a wreck.
“What’s going on?” He grumbled, rubbing his eyes. When he opened them he froze.
Crashing Into Me (Crashing Into Me #1) Page 18