“How long have you been here?” he asked, with hurt in his eyes.
“I'll tell you everything tomorrow,” I said.
“Not waiting that long, Cassie,” he said, as he looked back at the kids. “I will know today. I'll give you until after dinner, but once the kids are asleep, we will talk.”
I nodded, happy that he was at least giving me that.
“Bring me my grandson, Woman,” he said to my mom, as he walked over to the couch in the living room and sat down with both kids still firmly in his hold.
My mom walked over to where he was sitting. She handed him the baby, sat down, and pulled the other two in close to her.
I stood there, looking over at my grandma, and felt horrible for not telling them. I'd made the wrong choice.
“I hope you can forgive me,” I said.
“You?” she asked, as she shook her head.
“All of us,” I said. “It's not their fault. They didn't want to keep it a secret, especially from you. This has been hard on all of them. It's me you should be disappointed in.”
“I could never be disappointed in you, Cassie,” she said, as she reached out to hug me again. “No matter what, I love you. I just want to see my family happy. You're the last one.”
“I was happy,” I said. “At least I thought I was.”
“No you weren't,” she said, as she pulled back from our hug but kept her hands on my arms. “Now, I need to see my grandson.”
We both laughed, as I pulled her in close to me and walked us over to the couch so she could hold the newest addition to her family.
Chapter 2
Cassie
“Everyone is here,” Jackson said, as he walked up to Sammie with an impatient look on his face. “Can we finally open our presents?”
“Yes,” Sammie said. “We can open them now.”
I looked down at Jenny and Jeff, as they both snuggled in between my mom and dad. I couldn't let them sit there while the other kids opened presents. It was bad enough I hadn't been able to buy them anything. There was no way I was going to let them be reminded of how different things were for them.
“We're just going to go upstairs for a bit,” I said, as I leaned in to pick Jeff up.
“No,” Sammie said, and I looked at her, trying to get her to realize why I was doing it. “Sit down. I think the first present is for Jeff.”
James grabbed a present from the pile and handed it to Jeff. He scooted down from my mom's lap and sat next to Jackson. Jenny followed him down, making sure to sit right next to Jillian.
I sat down next to my grandma. She was holding Jake and looking down to watch the other kids opening their gifts. I leaned in close and put my head on her shoulder. She turned to me, kissed me on the forehead, and then turned back with a smile on her face.
By the time the kids were done opening everything, there was paper everywhere, and loud noises were filling the room. Even the babies had things to play with. I looked down at Jenny and Jeff. They were both so happy, laughing and playing as if it was the best Christmas ever. It honestly was. Their dad never would have put up with the mess and noise that was happening around us. In that moment, I promised myself that my kids would never have a boring, quiet Christmas again. I would give them a perfect Christmas every year, no matter what it took.
When I looked up, I had tears sliding down my cheeks. Between Sammie, James, Lauren, both Lances, and Lucy, they'd made sure my kids had just as much as the rest, and for that, I would be forever grateful. My eyes connected with Sammie's, and she had tears in hers as well. When I looked over at my mom, she gave me a questioning look. I quickly turned away from her to find a huge smile covering my grandma's face. That woman didn't miss a thing.
While the kids played, the guys watched television and played with them. The ladies headed to the kitchen to work on dinner and talk about the guys. I stayed stuck to my grandma's side the entire time. I'd missed her, but it wasn't until she was there that I realized just how much.
Once everything was ready, we sat down at the dining room table to eat. Dishes of food were passed around. Between the kids and adults, we hadn't made a dent in the bowls. The kids ate, as they laughed and talked to each other. The adults watched the kids.
Parker popped into my mind so many times throughout the day. I'd hoped he'd gotten a good meal and not some restaurant food. Was he home, I wondered? Was he at his parents? Was he with his kids? Part of me felt bad that I hadn't invited him to dinner. Sammie would have loved having him there. She adored the man. Lauren did too. A pang of jealousy hit me, and I shook my head. There was nothing to be jealous of. They were both very happy in their relationships. Was I jealous because of him, or was I jealous that they liked him more than they did me? It was all nonsense. They like me just fine, and I didn't care if they liked him. He wasn't mine, and I didn't want him to be.
“You okay?” I heard my grandma whisper from beside me.
“I'm fine,” I said. “Dinners almost over. Today has flown right by. I don't want to talk tonight.”
“Is that all it is?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said.
She shook her head before smiling. Shit!
“We all love you, Cassie,” she said. “It'll be okay.”
I grabbed her hand under the table and squeezed it tight.
“I sure hope so,” I said. “I just hope they forgive me for giving them up for him.”
“They're your parents,” she said. “There's nothing to forgive.”
The rest of the day flew by at lightening speed. Before I knew it, Lance and Lucy were leaving. He whispered good luck on his way out. Lauren and Lance followed behind them with Jackson.
“I'm here if you need me,” she said. “I know you're still mad at me, but I did it because I care. Call if you need anything.”
“Thank you,” I said, as I hugged her and then rubbed her belly with a laugh.
I put the kids to bed and went back to my room to pull myself together before facing my family. Parker popped into my mind, and I grabbed my phone. Looking down at it, I knew he wasn't there, but it helped me feel a little better. He was the only one that knew any of it. Just holding the phone eased my mind a bit. Anything that helped, I was doing.
When I walked into the living room, James stood up and helped Sammie's pregnant ass up from where she was sitting on the floor.
“We're going to head up to our room,” Sammie said.
“No,” I said. “You two should stay.”
“I'm not so sure about that,” James said, as he narrowed his eyes at me.
“I need you to stay,” I said, as I gave him a pleading look. “There are things I haven't told you yet.”
“Cassie,” he snapped.
“Please,” I said.
Sammie grabbed James' hand, walked over, sat down in a chair, and pulled James down next to her.
I started at the beginning so my parents and grandma knew what had happened that got me there in the first place. My dad was barely holding it together, as I told them about opening my front door to find my husband's assistant standing in my robe. When I went on to tell them that I'd gone straight to Sammie and James, my dad shook his head, but he continued to hold it together. Just when I opened my mouth to move on, he stopped me.
“How long?” he asked.
When I gave him a questioning look, he spoke again.
“When did you come here?” he asked sternly.
“The end of October,” I said.
“Thanksgiving,” he said. “Where were you at on Thanksgiving?”
“I was here,” I said.
The sad look that crossed his face had guilt filling my entire being. I didn't want my dad to be sad or disappointed in me.
“So you drove right by us and continued on for hours to come here,” he said.
“I had to get away, far away,” I said. “I know it doesn't make sense. I'm so sorry. You don't like him, none of you do. I'd pulled away from my family for him. I needed to think
before I let you see what a failure I was.”
“A failure,” my dad said, his anger instantly gone. “You're not the failure. He is.”
“He's a loser,” Sammie interrupted. “That's what he is. He reported her credit cards stolen.”
“What?” my dad snapped out, as he got to his feet.
“Sit down,” grandma snapped. “Let Cassie finish. Just sit your asses still and listen to what she has to say. Then you can talk like civilized adults.”
“Talk,” my dad said. “That asshole is going to be sorry.”
“Sit,” grandma snapped out even louder, and my dad sat back down.
I looked down at my grandma, and she nodded for me to continue, so I told them about the credit cards, glaring at Sammie the whole time.
When I stopped, nobody said a word. I took a deep breath and took a step back. What I was about to say, Sammie and James didn't even know. I needed to be able to see all of them when I said it.
“Jeff called me after Thanksgiving. He was here,” I said, watching for their reactions. “He asked me to meet him, and I did.”
Sammie got to her feet immediately, but James nudged her arm to pull her back down.
“He acted like he wanted me back, so I met him at a hotel to hear him out. Things weren't going well here. I wasn't the person I needed to be. He gave me a choice, either come back or deal with the consequences. He hadn't professed his love or told me how much he loved me. He pretty much told me to come back, and I'd have the life I'd been used to, or don't, and lose everything.”
My dad's hands balled into tight fists on one side of the room, and James and Sammie were both holding each other down on the other side.
“I didn't go back,” I said. “I knew something was coming, but I didn't know what.”
“And?” Sammie asked.
“He served me with divorce papers,” I said.
“What?” she snapped out, getting back to her feet. “How? When?”
“You took the kids to the park. I stayed here. There was a knock at the door, and I thought you'd forgotten your key. It wasn't you. The guy asked for me and then handed me the papers,” I said, as I looked at Sammie.
“That was weeks ago,” she said, as she looked toward James.
“Don't freak out,” I said. “I already sent in the papers to let them know I was disputing the divorce.”
“You are?” Sammie asked roughly, as she looked back at me.
“Not the divorce,” I said, “just the terms of it.”
“The terms,” my dad cut in. “What exactly are those?”
“Hold on,” I said, as I turned and took off to my room.
I thought about shutting my door and locking them all out, but I knew I'd have to face them eventually. I reached into my purse, got the papers, and headed back down to the living room. Then I handed them to my dad.
He began reading them and then let out a growl before handing them over to my mom. After she was done, she handed them to Sammie. Then she looked up at me.
“Cassie,” she said. “He can't do that.”
“I know,” I said.
I heard Sammie gasp as she read them. James had been reading them from over her shoulder and got to his feet immediately.
“Bullshit!” he snapped. “Not going to happen. I'll take that fucker out with my bare hands before he ever gets the kids.”
“Wait a second,” Sammie said, as she got up, hurried to the other room, and came back with my broken phone in her hand. “Did you get the papers before or after this?”
“Just before,” I said.
“Can I see that for a second?” James asked calmly.
He took the pieces from Sammie and put them back together. When he hit the button, the phone turned on and then went right back off.
“Shit!” I snapped, as I moved fast to snatch the phone from him.
He pulled his hand back and shook his head.
“James,” I whispered, as the tears began to slide down my cheeks.
“What is it you don't want me to see, Cassie?” he asked.
“Please,” I begged.
“Give it to her, James,” grandma snapped. “If she wants you to see what has her acting that way, she'll show you.”
He let out a loud puff of air and handed me the phone, but there was no way I could miss the tension oozing off of him. My brother was pissed. Sammie handed me back the papers and then pulled James back to sit down with her.
“I've sent in papers,” I said. “The ones saying that I was disputing the terms. I've also been in touch with several lawyers, and I found one that I really like.”
“When were you doing that?” Sammie asked.
“For the last couple of weeks. James got me a phone and computer. I've been researching and making calls from my room.”
“Why didn't you say something?” Sammie asked.
“You've been dealing with enough when it comes to me and the kids. I wanted to have everything I needed ready when I came to you two to ask you for money,” I answered. “I wanted you to see that I was taking care of things.”
“Why would you need to ask for money?” my dad asked. “You and that fucker have a ton of it.”
“He locked her out of their bank accounts too,” James growled out.
“When?” my dad asked.
“When he reported the cards stolen,” I answered.
My dad was more pissed than I'd ever seen him, and my mom was whispering in his ear. I knew she was the only one that could calm him down, so I didn't say a thing.
“I can't believe you didn't call me,” my dad said, as he narrowed his eyes at James after a few moments.
“Don't,” I said. “This has been so damn hard on both of them and on the others.”
“That's right,” he said. “My damn friend didn't call me either.”
“Dad,” I said, “I had to beg them all. They wanted to call all of you. I wanted to get myself together before I told the three of you. It's bad enough that I had to have my brother take care of me. There was no way I wanted all of you to see the shambles my life had become.”
My dad looked up at me from his spot on the couch.
“I'm going to pay you back for everything,” I said, as I turned toward James. “The phone, the laptop, and everything else you've had to give me. The lawyer I found is pretty reasonable, and he was very honest with me. I swear I'll pay you back if you help me.”
“I'll pay for the lawyer,” my dad snapped out.
“No,” I said. “I won't let you. I need to take care of this, and I know James will let me pay him back. This is my problem.”
“This is our problem,” both my dad and James said at the same time, before my dad continued. “We are a family. We stick together.”
“What are you going to do?” my grandma asked. “Are you coming back to Michigan?”
“She's going to work for me,” James said, before I could answer. “She'll start the day after you guys go home.”
“James,” I said.
“You are,” he said. “That asshole can lock this shit up for a long time, Cassie. Not to mention how good it will look if you have a job. They'll see you doing whatever it takes to keep your kids taken care of.”
“He has a point,” my dad said. “As much as I want you home with us, I think your brother is right. That way, you're already here. Jeff will try to lock you down in Michigan. If you're already here, that won't be so easy. We can come visit often. You have the others here too. Not to mention, you'll have family watching the kids while you work.”
“No way!” I said. “I will pay for their care while I'm at work.
“Yes way!” Sammie snapped out. “I didn't know. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said the things I did to you.”
“You had every right,” I replied. “I gave you so many reasons for you to react that way.”
“No,” Sammie said. “I never should have made that comment about giving him the kids. I didn't mean it. I never would have let that shi
t happen. I just said it to light a fire under your ass. I had no idea that you already had one burning.”
“He's not getting the kids,” my dad snapped out. “I don't know what the hell you two are talking about, but that fucker isn't getting an inch here. I don't care what we have to do.”
“Why don't we all go to bed,” grandma said. “It's been a long day. We can talk some more tomorrow.”
“That sounds good,” Sammie said.
“I guess,” my dad said, just after my mom whispered in his ear.
She hadn't said much, but I knew she had my back. It was her keeping him from losing his mind even more than he already was that mattered.
“I'm sorry,” I said. “I'm so sorry for everything I've done to all of you. Not just lately, but since the day I met Jeff. I wouldn't change having the kids. They're my life. I just regret ever losing all of you because of him. That was my fault, and I am so sorry.”
Without another word, hug, or anything, I walked through the room, up the stairs, and into my room. I shoved my broken phone and the papers into my purse. I set my new phone on my nightstand, got changed, and then got under the covers.
I looked over at my phone and said a silent thank you to Parker for helping me, even though he had no idea he'd done it. Then I began thinking. What if he hadn't talked to his kids? What if he hadn't seen his parents? What if he was alone? I reached for my phone, brought it to life, and sent a text before I had time to talk myself out of it.
Me: Merry Christmas! I hope you had a good day.
I didn't expect a response, not after I hadn't answered any of his messages, but I couldn't help the happy feeling I got when I heard the ding that signaled his reply.
Wannabe: It was fine. How was yours?
Me: You know that shit storm I told you about? Well, it blew in full force. I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas. Goodnight, wannabe.
I put the phone down, and the clerk from the store popped into my mind, the one from the whole stolen credit card debacle. She said I was lucky, that she'd had to do it all herself. She was right, I was lucky. Every single person in my huge family was going to help and support me, whether I wanted it or not. How could I have doubted any of them, I wondered?
Out of My League: Complete Box Set Page 19