A Woman In Love: Book Four (The Woman I Love Series 4)

by G S Binkley

  Gage prayed that Lacy would scream out a deafening ‘you can’t stay and David has to leave, too’ but in her heart she knew her partner would be congenial and agree to another unwelcome visitor in their home.

  “Of course.” Lacy said before offering a guilty looking Stella reassurance that her innocent question did not cause a problem.

  It took a reassuring touch from Gage to make her mom allow her remorse regarding the question to ease fully. In support of her partner, Gage added her agreement. “Absolutely, no problem. The more the merrier.” The blonde was surprised to see that David had not warmed up to the idea.

  Hayston saddled up next to David, purring. “Looks like you have a roommate.”

  Seeing that his dad wasn’t too keen with the idea of Hayston’s arrival, Derek protested. “Why don’t you stay at a hotel?”

  My thoughts exactly. The blonde nodded her head slightly.

  Lacy was about to correct her son’s outburst but his dad laughed it off. “Now, now Derek. I’m sure Hayston won’t scream as loud as she did when you scared her back in L.A.”

  “David!” Glaring dark eyes warned her boyfriend. She wanted desperately to forget that incident and went about fluffing her hair and straightened her pristine white top.

  David played innocent, ignoring the dark daggers sent his way. “Well, it was funny dear.”

  Hearing his dad laugh, Derek burst out in laughter. That started a chain reaction as Sammy and Hayley joined in. Remembering the incident, Stella, to her credit, stifled a small giggle while both Lacy and Gage turned their heads hoping to stay out of the fray.

  Realizing that she was the butt of the joke, uncharacteristically Hayston allowed her anger to dissolve and joined in with a small smile of her own. “Yes, I guess it was quite funny.” She refused to allow anyone to know the anger she felt.

  When she squeezed David’s arm, he tensed. Seeing the evil glint in his girlfriend’s eyes, the man knew that he would never hear the end of it but for now he was safe. Changing the subject, he complimented Stella on the dinner. “Your grilled cheese was great… really. But this…” David nodded toward the remaining food on the table. “…was spectacular. I don’t think I could eat another bite.”

  Standing to clear the table, Stella thanked him. “Now let me just get this while all of you go in the other room.”

  Lacy stopped Stella from proceeding with her offer. “No, you go. I’ve got it. Gage can help me.”

  “Me… I get to help, too.” Sammy offered happily. He jumped down off his chair and looked at Gage. “Give me a little help, will ya?”

  Gage winked at the cute five year old. “I’m at your command.”

  “Here you go.” Hayley held up her small plate. “Take it.”

  Derek grabbed his father’s arm. “Come on, dad. Let’s let the women clean up.”

  When Lacy turned toward her son, David intervened again. “I already know what you’re thinking, Lacy. I’ll take care of it.” Much to Derek’s dismay, Hayston followed them out of the kitchen.

  “Well, that was interesting.” Stella said to break the tension. “Are you sure you don’t want me to help?”

  “No, thanks. Gage and the kids will take care of it.” Lacy assured her mother-in-law before seeing if her partner agreed. “If that’s alright with you, sweetheart?”

  “Oh, let’s see.” Gage picked up Hayley from her highchair and put her down. “Washing dishes with you and two of my favorite people.” Gage winked at Hayley and Sammy. “Or entertaining David and Hayston.” Shaking her head, Gage teased. “Hard choice.” The blonde leaned over and kissed Lacy on the cheek. “I’ll always choose you.”

  Smiling, Lacy tossed the dishtowel at her partner. “Good decision.” As Lacy happily cleaned the kitchen with her helpers, she temporarily forgot her worries regarding what Dani was doing about now.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Earlier in the evening Nathan had watched his niece enter the movie theater along with her friends and now stood near the mall waiting for the group to come out of the theater. From what his sister had told him and the little he found out about Drake, the protective uncle’s gut feeling was demanding this extra bit of precaution. Nathan noticed now for the second time the same dark van passed slowly through the parking lot.

  When a large crowd crossed the lot, Nathan watched the van slow to a stop near a darken area where they collected the mall’s trash. He then saw his niece and her friends break from the larger crowd and head toward the mall.

  It was then a tall young man slipped from the van, heading toward the small group. The man watched the small group enter the mall while one of them hung back. Swinging his head around a few times to case the surrounding area and finding nothing out of the ordinary, he approached the lone figure. “Hey.”

  With a bit of hesitation in her voice, Katie greeted her friend. “Hi. I was looking for you. Sorry about tonight. My friends insisted on going to the movie.”

  “It’s alright but you owe me.” Drake smiled, wagging his eyebrows and reached for her.

  Being led by her arm, Katie reluctantly followed Drake. “I should get back to my friends. Maybe you could come with me.”

  “Nope.” He yanked at her. “We’ve got a party to hit.”

  “But…” Katie stumbled as he led her along toward the van. “I shouldn’t… maybe next time.”

  Twisting around sharply, Drake glared at the blonde. “You don’t get it, do you?”

  Shaking her head, she was unable to verbalize any response. Katie felt the pressure he was exerting on her arm.

  “You owe me.” Drake demanded.

  Nathan used his cell phone to call the mall’s security before rushing up behind the man. Tapping the man on the shoulder, Nathan asked. “Excuse me. What do you think you’re doing? Let go of her.”

  “Huh?” The dark haired man jerked around. “Who the hell are you?”

  Cruel blue eyes glared at Katie’s evil friend. “I said let go of her.” Nathan inserted himself between Katie and the tall aggressor.

  “Yeah. Says who?” The young man shoved at Nathan, primed for a fight. But when the security vehicle rounded the corner, the angry young man lost interest in an altercation. He sneered at Nathan then Katie before he hurried back to his van. There will be other opportunities.

  Nathan listened to the security officer radio the police, requesting they run the plates on the van. And not to his surprise a certain young man by the name of Drake Henson was listed as the owner. “Mike, thanks for your help.”

  Nodding, the security man said. “No problem. I’ll keep an eye out for the van and pass the word along.”

  Nathan walked back to the mall doors with a shaken Katie by his side, gently holding her arm. Nearing tears, she turned away from Dani’s uncle.

  “Hey, you alright?”

  Katie refused to answer.

  ************************

  Since Dani was preoccupied with saying her goodbyes to Lane and Troy, she hadn’t notice Katie leaving the group. “Where’s Katie?”

  Cindy shrugged her shoulder. “I don’t know. Maybe at your uncle’s store.”

  Sighing, Dani grabbed the redhead’s arm. “Come on.”

  They arrived to see Nathan embrace their upset friend. “Uh oh.” Cindy was worried about Katie.

  Dani touched her friend’s arm. “You okay, Katie?”

  She sniffled a bit before answering. “I guess.”

  ************************

  After settling the kids to sleep, Lacy headed to bed. It had been an exhausting day and she was more than ready to fall into her partner’s arm and find some comforting peace.

  “Come here.” Gage held the cover up so Lacy could slip under them and snuggled up against her.

  Lacy laid her head on the blonde’s shoulder, bending her long leg up and over Gage. She draped her arm across her lover before inhaling a deep breath. “At last.”

  Gage brushed her lips against her dark haired lover just before a
searing scream echoed through the house. “What the…” Gage jumped out of bed with Lacy close behind.

  In the hallway, they met a ranting white powder covered female yelling at the top of her lungs. “You little bastard. Where are you? When I get my hands on…”

  Gage slapped a hand over the upset woman’s mouth. “Hayston, just calm down.”

  Struggling to get away, the heated woman spat in a voice now slightly less than a roar. “That’s the last time that little…”

  Again a hand cupped her foul mouth but this time it was Lacy who stopped her. “Not one word. Do you hear me?”

  The sun-streaked blonde’s glaring brown eyes that were shooting daggers barely controlled her rage. Pursing her lips tightly together, she gestured wildly as her fisted hands sought something to hit.

  Calmly, Lacy spoke. “Tell us what happened.”

  “That… he…” Hayston was losing all control and nearly erupted again when she saw the smirk on David’s face. “You bastard. That stupid son of…”

  When David saw Lacy’s hand cocked and ready to slap his girlfriend, he stepped between them. “Hayston, calm down. It’s just a little powder.”

  “Just a little… oh, you son of a bitch.” Hayston pushed him away. Wiping the white stuff from her face and trying to shake the powdery substance from her hair, she gave David an ultimatum. “If I find out you put him up to this. Oh!” She grunted in anger. “That’s it. I’m leaving. I’m tired of your drinking, feeling sorry for yourself because you can’t get a job and fucking up my life.” The venting woman turned quickly, leaving a dejected David standing behind with Lacy and Gage nearby.

  David jerked when he heard the door slam.

  Gage placed a hand on Lacy’s shoulder. “I’ll check on the kids.”

  Lacy placed her hand on Gage’s before the blonde hurried off. When David turned toward her, Lacy sighed again for what now seemed like the twentieth time that day. “One question, David. Did you?”

  “No!” But David did have to admit his part in what happened. “When Derek was in L.A., he had found a small spider. It wasn’t harmful. At least that’s what he told me and Mason agreed.” David was referring to his butler. “Well, Hayston uses this special face powder. You know the kind that comes in that round case and… well…”

  “You encouraged our son to put it in the case.” Lacy concluded.

  “And we sorta mixed and matched some of her make-up.” Reluctantly he admitted but David couldn’t contain a small chuckle. “It was funny.”

  “Now Derek thinks it’s okay to toy with her because you in effect gave him your approval and…” Lacy sat down at the top of the staircase. “You’re supposed to be a good example instead of using him for your kicks.”

  “Come on, Lacy. She’d been bugging me about my drinking and lack of work. Accusing me of not being able to provide for her. I didn’t mean to use the boy. He found the spider and there was the case and the next thing you know… scared the hell out of her.” He attempted some humor as he plopped down next to her. “Come on.” He nudged Lacy. “She did look funny, didn’t she?”

  With her hair drowned in the white powdery substance and white face, the ever perfectly made up woman was a sight for sore eyes. Lacy found herself laughing even though she knew she should maintain a mature composure.

  “See.” Laughing harder, he bumped the dark haired woman. “I told you it was funny.”

  “David stop. We shouldn’t.” However, Lacy could no longer contain herself. The unnerving stress she had been holding came bellowing out with a hardy laugh.

  “I wonder how he did it.”

  “That’s a good question and you can be the one to find out.” He offered her a questioning look. “And I’ll be there to make sure he knows what he did was wrong.”

  The seriousness of Lacy’s statement hadn’t stifled the small chuckles from them.

  Gage walked up just in time to see Hayston with a small bag march deliberately down the hallway. She glared at the two laughing hyenas sitting at the top of the staircase then she stepped past them. After descending a few steps, Hayston twisted around. “David! When you get your act together, you know where to find me.” Sneering at him, she added. “Or maybe not.”

  Even as his world was crumbling down around him, David couldn’t keep the smile off his face. He watched the woman he truly did care about walk out the front door and maybe out of his life forever. It was then a sudden sadness covered him. The only thing that kept David’s fragile world together was Lacy’s comforting hand, rubbing his back.

  Standing behind Lacy and David, the blonde scratched her neck as she watched her partner comfort the confused man. “Ah… the kids are still asleep… considering. Except Derek. He’s pretending but I know he’s awake.”

  Getting up, Lacy hugged Gage. “I’ll go talk to him.”

  “You want me to go with you?” David asked.

  Shaking her head, Lacy sucked in a deep breath. “No, I’m just going to tell him we’ll talk with him tomorrow.” And that I love him no matter what.

  Left alone with David, Gage wondered what to do next. Finally, she asked. “You want to help me clean up the mess?”

  “Nah.” David stood. Without looking at Gage, he admitted. “It’s my fault. I’ll do it.” He took a few slow steps then turned back around. “Don’t let Lacy be too hard on Derek.”

  The near pleading in his gray eyes that matched Derek’s was nearly the blonde’s undoing. She saw sincere remorse in them and a sense of something lost perhaps forever. “Right.”

  When Gage arrived at Derek’s room, Lacy was talking gently to her son. She overheard him admit he had perpetrated the stunt. “I was just having a bit of fun.”

  “What if it had happened to you?” Lacy reasoned with her son. The concerned mother hadn’t intended to discuss the incident tonight, however, Derek knew he was in trouble and didn’t want to wait till the morning.

  Derek shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t mind getting messy.”

  “Okay.” Lacy thought a moment before she continued. “What about your racetrack and cars?”

  “What about it? Did Sammy do something to it?” Derek started to get out of bed, pushing back the covers.

  Gently pushing him down again, Lacy assured him. “No, but what if he did? How would you like that?” He frowned. “You wouldn’t because it’s one of your favorite things and Hayston’s make-up, her personal things are her favorite things.”

  “And she doesn’t like to get messy.” Derek added, remembering the ghastly look on her face all too vividly when she found the spider.

  “No. She doesn’t.” The tired mother confirmed.

  “But you don’t mind, do you mom?” Derek stated assuredly.

  Tapping him on the nose, Lacy smiled. “Most of the time, no.”

  Gage wanted to join Lacy but was reluctant, not knowing if their son would be receptive to her suggestions. The blonde hung just outside the door being as supportive to her partner as she could at the moment.

  Rubbing her temple, the concerned mother advised Derek. “Honey, I know that there’s been a lot going on and I guess you think I haven’t been open to some of the things you want or have done lately but…”

  “It’s okay, mom. I still love you.” Derek assured her, patting her hand.

  Lacy smiled. “Oh, I never doubted that for a moment.”

  “Mom?”

  “Hmmm?”

  “Can I go to sleep now?” His gray eyes drooped.

  Tucking him in, Lacy agreed. “Sure.” Lacy kissed him on the cheek and brushed her fingers through his short brown hair. “Goodnight.”

  Gage met Lacy at the door. “Come on.” The blonde wrapped her arm around her distressed partner. “There’s always tomorrow. Things will be better. I promise.”

  Leaning against her partner, Lacy reluctantly nodded. “I hope.”

  *************************

  The next morning after breakfast Gage drove over to Katie’s house to p
ick up Dani. Hayley and Sammy insisted on riding along in hopes of their blonde buddy stopping by the ice cream place.

  The first thing out of Dani’s mouth was the whole story about Drake and what happened between him and her uncle. After hearing the story, Gage hesitated about telling Lacy since she knew her partner was near an emotional perilous edge with everything else going on. But the blonde reasoned that Lacy would be more upset finding out about it later rather than sooner. I just gotta figure out some way of telling her without adding to her already overtaxed emotional state.

  When Gage drove up to their house, she saw Stella and Lacy’s mom putting a few bags in Lynn’s car. Derek was helping them. Pulling the car to a stop, Gage opened the backseat door to get Hayley out while Dani assisted her younger brother. “Hey, what’s going on?”

  Lynn pulled Gage aside as Stella gathered the children around the car. “Nate told me about last night and I came over to see how Lacy was doing. When I called earlier, she was pretty shaken up.”

  “Why? What happened?” Gage moved toward the house in search of her partner.

  “Hold on a minute.” Lynn stopped the blonde. “When I called, Stella answered and I guess Lacy picked up the phone right when I was telling your mom about last night with what happened.”

  “Where is she? Where’s Lacy?” Gage demanded.

  “David’s inside with her.” Lynn turned the blonde’s head back around. “Stella and I thought it would be a good idea to take the kids over to my house for a few days. Stella will come too. That will give you and Lacy time alone together.”

  Gage stared at Lynn with a puzzled look on her face.

  “Gage. I love you like my own. And you’ve brought so much happiness to Lacy and the kids.” Lynn said sincerely.

  Waiting for the hammer to drop, Gage now looked petrified, fearing Lacy was about to leave her.