Saving Us

by Jennifer Foor

  Conner’s mother was so sweet. Her voice was always so gentle. From the first time I met her, I knew why Conner and Miranda loved her so much. She was the kind of mother that anyone would want. The kind of mother that would never abandon her children.

  I sat down at the table. “Yes, that would be perfect.”

  Miss Karen got up and opened the microwave to reveal a large stack of pancakes. I could feel my mouth watering when I thought about just how good they were going to taste. He handed me a plate with a fork and a knife. “I added bananas and nuts. Conner said you would like them.”

  I smiled and started spreading the butter and syrup on them. “Oh, I will. Who doesn’t love pancakes?”

  They let me take a couple bites of heaven before they started talking about our problems.

  “So, Conner told me all about what was going on. How are you dealing with things?”

  I shrugged and swallowed my food before answering. “I don’t even know. Conner’s being great.” I looked over at him and smiled. “It’s just that I hate how I’ve dragged him into this mess. All I wanted to do was get out of my marriage and now I am being hunted down by some crazy person that I lived with for years. How could I have not known that he was like that?”

  She reached her hand across the table and grabbed mine. “Here’s the thing. We never know when someone is going to lose their mind. After what Conner told me, that man has had a screw loose for a long time. No one blames you for wanting to leave a man that enjoys hurting women. I can’t imagine how petrified you were, Amy.”

  I hated thinking about it anymore. The details were still so familiar. I remember the way he smelled, the way his hands felt when they touched me and the way he looked at me like I was a piece of property. “If he wasn’t in control, he wasn’t happy. There were times when I feared for my life, but I never thought that he would ever try to hunt me down and intentionally commit murder. I think he’s capable of it. I know it sounds horrible, but I really do.”

  She squeezed my hand again. “Conner did the right thing bringing you here. Not only does the main house have an excellent security system, but this house is tucked back behind everything else. A stranger would never be able to find this place. Even Conner’s friends could never find it on their own. That man won’t find you here.”

  I smiled, but felt horrible. What kind of parent wants their only son hooked up with someone with this much baggage? “I’m so sorry about all of this.”

  “Amy, I don’t blame you one bit. Listen, if it makes you feel any better, John and I are spending more time at his house. He keeps begging me to move in with him anyway. If I did that, then you two could stay here and have the house all to yourselves. I don’t know how long you are planning on staying, but feel free to make Miranda’s old room a nursery for the baby. I’d love to help you do it.”

  Conner had a big smile on face when I looked over at him. “Is this what you talked about while I was asleep?”

  “Maybe.”

  I looked back at his mother. “I would never want you to leave your home for us.”

  “Are you kidding. John is going to be so happy. Hell, he will probably do anything that you ask him. That man has been begging me for this for too long.”

  Conner stood up from the table and cleared their two plates. He knew not to touch mine since I was devouring the pancakes. “I was thinkin’ that when you were done eatin’ we could take the golf cart over to Colt’s and let him know we’re back. He’s goin’ to have to rearrange some duties for me to be able to work full time here again. Van would probably enjoy seein’ you.”

  “Sounds like a plan. I’m just warning you, I maybe a while. I’m thinking of getting seconds.”

  He leaned over and kissed the side of my head. “You go on with your bad yourself. My boy needs to eat. I want his Momma to be fat and happy.”

  I ended up eating five pancakes with extra butter and syrup. They tasted so delicious. Conner’s mother left shortly after breakfast, but not before hugging me and letting me know that she was glad Conner and I were there.

  After getting cleaned up, we hopped on the golf cart and made our ways to Colt and Van’s place. Noah was outside playing with the dog. He ran toward us as we approached. “Hey. What are you guys doin’ here?”

  I climbed off and gave him a hug. “Didn’t you miss us?”

  He shrugged. “Is Bella here, too?”

  Conner leaned down and slapped the little guy five. “Not this time. Where’s your parents, bud? I need to talk to your dad.”

  “They are in the house.”

  After having to explain the whole situation again to Colt, we sat there waiting for his response. “So you think this guy is goin’ to come here?”

  “No. Even if he does come looking, he won’t find this place. He would search for Conner’s last name, not yours. Besides, he is in a lot of trouble. Rick isn’t an idiot. He will lay low for a while. The last thing he wants is to get caught.”

  Colt looked over to Van. I could tell he wasn’t happy. “Here is the thing. A couple years back we doubted what someone was capable of. Savanna and I lost a child because of it. Now I know you’re pregnant and that you need to be safe. I’d never turn my back on my family, but I can’t have my wife and kids in any kind of danger.”

  “I would never want that either. Would you rather us go somewhere else?” Conner gave me a dirty look. He wasn’t going to be happy if Colt said yes.

  “No, I don’t want you to leave. You and that baby are family now. Get yourselves settled. We can talk more about things later.”

  Conner and Colt went outside to talk about work, while I stayed behind with Van. “I’m so sorry we had to come here. I feel like Colt hates me.”

  Van picked up Christian and carried her away from the front door. She had followed the guys to the door when they walked outside. “He doesn’t hate you. This all just reminds us of a time that we don’t like to think about. I’m sure you know the story about Bella’s birth father.”

  “My God, Van, I am so sorry. I didn’t even think about that.” I felt like such a piece of shit.

  “Amy, it’s fine. This isn’t your fault. You and Conner have a baby on the way. You need to be safe and happy. It will be good that you’re here. I get lonely sometimes.”

  Her words made me feel better. “Really? You are okay with it? Because, I really like it here. It’s so beautiful and quiet.”

  She pulled me in for a hug. “Everything is going to be fine. Worrying is bad for the baby. I guess I have a lot to teach you,” she teased.

  I had been planning on getting all of my advice from Miranda. As much as I was happy to have a friend here, it made me miss my best friend. “That would be nice. I better go back to Conner’s to call Miranda and let her know we’re alright. I left my cell phone there.”

  Van started chasing after Christian again. She was funny when she tried to move fast with her big belly. “I’ll just see you later then.”

  “Yeah, I’ll stop by later.”

  Maybe everything was going to be alright after all.

  Chapter 20

  Conner

  There was something about being back home that made things easier. After talking to Colt, it was clear that he was a little leery about Amy and I bringing our problems to Kentucky. He didn’t tell us we had to leave, not that I was going to take no for an answer. My mother would have gone to his mother and they would have sided with me and Amy.

  After a few days things started to go smoother. Amy kept in touch with Miranda every day. She spent her afternoons with Van, looking for ideas for the nursery. My mother pretty much moved in with John immediately. I think she just needed that push to make her finally do it.

  Every night we would check the internet for news on the police finding Rick, but nothing was ever there.

  It took us about a week, but we were able to get an appointment to see a local doctor. It was the same obstetrician that Van used, so Amy took having to switch doctors better.
It wasn’t like she had a good relationship with the one at home anyway. Aside from her initial appointment, she hadn’t been to her again.

  They decided to do a sonogram right away, which was exactly what we were hoping for. I was dying to learn the sex of the baby and Amy just wanted to make sure that our baby only had five fingers on each hand. I told her it was a joke, but she said after I had told her that story, she dreamed that our child had six fingers.

  I don’t know who was more nervous when the doctor rolled the device over Amy’s belly. She was hooked up to a monitor that let us hear the heartbeat. Just knowing that it was our baby’s heart, almost brought tears to my eyes. I held onto Amy’s hand while we waited for the doctor to tell us what we were seeing on the monitor.

  She pointed to the screen. “This is the head.” She moved the device to another position. “Arms and fingers.”

  While we were watching we could see the baby moving it’s fingers. It was amazing.

  She repositioned again. “Did you all want to know the sex?”

  “Yes,” We both said at the same time. I looked at Amy and laughed with her.

  “Just give me a second. This little one is being secretive. He or she has their leg in the way.”

  The poor woman tried for a good five minutes, but our baby had its legs tucked in a way that made it impossible to see what was between the legs. “I’m sorry folks. This little one doesn’t want me to see.”

  Sure, it was disappointing. Amy really wanted to know so she could start decorating the nursery. I just wanted to know.

  In the next month Amy talked to her father on a day to day basis. She had convinced him to come visit whenever the boys got out of school. Amy’s belly really started to pop out and luckily she was able to wear the maternity clothes that Van had grown out of. Since they were only about a month apart, they spent a lot of time together. Plus, I think Amy used little Christian as her practice baby. She had no real experience with a newborn and seemed to be getting more and more nervous about it.

  It took us both a while to finally feel like we were safe. Amy and I moved into my mother’s old room and started working on the nursery. We picked a neutral set that would be fine for a girl or a boy.

  Colt ordered double the amount of cattle since he had an extra hand. It meant double the work, but the pay would be worth it. Since we were able to live rent free, I was banking every paycheck. I had to put the construction of the North Carolina house on hold and seriously considered backing out of the whole plan. Amy seemed content where we were. She loved to sit outside at night and take walks out to the old willow tree.

  All the ladies had their own card night and they even started reading the same books just to have things to talk about. I loved seeing her smile most of all. When I came home at night, my dinner was on the table, but unlike her past relationship, I paid her with passionate kisses and even washed the dishes.

  We were living like a real couple would and everything felt so right about it. Being with Amy made my life make sense.

  One night, after a long day, I came in and washed my hands for dinner. Amy was just setting the table and I could smell meatloaf through the whole house. I’d no sooner sat down at the table when my phone started ringing. I ignored the first call, but after the third, I had no choice but to see what could be that important.

  The number was unlisted, but I picked it up anyway.

  Hello?

  Conner, it’s Heather.

  What do you want?

  We need to talk.

  I’m listenin’.

  I can’t tell you over the phone. Listen I am in West Virginia. I think there is something here you might want to see.

  Like what?

  More like a who. I found Rick’s ex-wife. I have a feeling that she didn’t leave him like he said.

  Why?

  Can you get here or not?

  I guess. I’m going to need to get Amy on board. Can we come in the mornin’?

  Yeah. I will text you the address of where we can meet.

  Amy came in and sat the meat down on the table. She stood up straight and looked right at me. “What was that about?”

  I took off my hat and sat it down on the floor. My mother never let me eat a meal with a hat on my head. “That was Heather.”

  Amy sat down and looked right at me. “What did she want? Did something happen?”

  I held up my hands. “I don’t really know. She said she found Rick’s second wife and asked if we could get to West Virginia.”

  “Well what did you say?”

  I passed her my plate and watched as she filled it with hot food. “I told her we couldn’t get there until tomorrow.”

  “So, now you want to trust her?” She handed me back my plate and gave me a weird look.

  “I don’t trust her, but if she knows somethin’, I think it is important for us to find out. She wouldn’t call unless it was somethin’ crazy.”

  “What if it’s a setup?”

  “You want me to go alone, Blaze?” I knew she didn’t. Just thinking about me being with Heather made her cringe.

  “No. Look, Heather is running from Rick too. I know she wants to get back to her life. It isn’t like she had a big old ranch to go live at.”

  She had a point, but after not hearing from Heather on the night she literally disappeared, she wasn’t exactly earning our trust the old fashion way. “Here is how I see it. For the past month everything has been great for us. We can either stay here and not go out to meet Heather and never find out or take the chance of figuring out exactly what has this dude so fucking crazy. Wouldn’t you like to never have to deal with him again? I know I would. I don’t want to have to watch my kids back the whole time they are growing up, Amy.”

  “Then I guess we can leave after dinner. The sooner we get this over with, the better.”

  We got on the road about an hour later. We could have just waited until morning, but the anticipation of knowing was killing the both of us. I think Amy just wanted a way out. By law she had to be legally separated for at least a year before filing for divorce. I wasn’t beggin’ her to jump into another marriage, but it would be nice for her to have the same name as me and our child.

  Halfway there, I could tell she was nervous. “I should have left you home.”

  “I wouldn’t have let you. This is too important!” She was going to argue with me every day for the rest of our lives. It was something that I was totally prepared for.

  “We have another two hours to go. Do you need to get out and rest your legs, darlin’?” Amy was always holding her belly. She said the baby moved around all the time and it always made her have to go to the bathroom.

  “Yeah, that would be good. Your child does not like car rides.”

  “He will when he is sixteen. Did I ever tell you about the day I turned sixteen and got my license?” The story was probably going to drive her crazy, but it was my past and it was an awesome experience that I wanted to share with her. We were pretty much past the jealousy, but sometimes, given the right mood, Amy would get all emotional. Still, she needed something to get her mind off of where we were going.

  “No. Am I going to like this story?”

  “Probably not, but I’m goin’ to tell you anyway.” I cleared my throat and grabbed Amy’s hand. I found that when I talked about other girls, she felt more confident when I was reminding her that she ended up with the grand prize. “So, the day I turned sixteen, my uncle Mitch took me out to get my license. We took this old ass beat up Chevy that barely ran. I managed to pass, so after we got my picture taken and waited for my license, my uncle let me drive back to the ranch. When we got back he decided he was going to send me out to pick up a load of hay. I jumped in the truck all excited about havin’ a real license. I’d been drivin’ around illegally since I was fourteen, so it was a big deal. While on the way to pick up the hay, I decided to stop by this girl’s house. She lived like ten miles down the road and her Daddy raised pigs. I remember how b
ad it always smelled when you pulled up to her farm. Anyway, so I pull up in this big ass truck and she comes out. For the first time neither of her parents were home. We snuck up to her room and started getting’ it on.”

  “Conner, I don’t want to know.”

  I laughed. “Just listen. So anyway, we’re messin’ around and we hear this truck startin’ up. I look outside and saw her Daddy walking toward the house. I got my pants pulled up and heard him comin’ inside. He yelled up to me to warn me that I was as dead as the animals mounted on his walls. I climbed out the window and made a runnin’ jump to the back of the truck. I woke up in the ambulance as they were drivin’ me to the hospital. You see, her Daddy knew I would run from him, so he climbed in my truck and moved it. When I jumped, I just assumed I would land in the bed of the truck. Instead, I landed on the hard ground. I broke my leg, knocked myself out and busted both of my elbows wide open. Needless to say, I got my ass punished, my license taken away and I was never allowed to see that girl again.”

  Amy started laughing. “That is hilarious!”

  “So, I am just sayin’, I think our kid will learn to like car rides.”

  “That story had nothing to do with driving a vehicle, Conner.”

  I squeezed her hand and made her look at me. “Maybe not, but it sure as hell was funny.”

  I kept telling Amy stories until we arrived at the little restaurant where Heather told us to meet her. When I turned off the truck, Amy and I just sat there for a minute. “Let me go in and make sure she’s alone. You hang onto that phone. If I don’t come out in ten minutes, you call the cops and keep the doors locked. If it seems okay, I will come out and get you.”

  She nodded and leaned over to kiss me. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too. Stop worryin’, Blaze. I ain’t goin’ to let anything happen to you.”

  When I got out of the truck I waited for her to lock the door before I proceeded into the place to locate Heather. I had no idea what to expect, but I feared the worst, just in case.