by Various
“I love you too, Chelsea. I always have.”
Tears gushed from Chelsea’s eyes. “Thank you, Muriel. Please keep in touch. We want you to continue to be part of our family.”
For a minute, she really believed they would all go home with their happy ending. They would be a happy family, just the three of them. But it wasn’t like that, she reminded herself. There would be no happy ending for her.
“Mom?” Elizabeth asked as she turned toward her. “Are you ready to go?”
“Yes.”
“Aunt Muriel, please don’t forget to send the stuff I want from my room. You can keep all of my pictures and drawings. I want the stuff on the list.”
“Okay, honey. Call me when you get to Arizona.” Muriel didn’t walk with them past the front door. Since she had a heart of gold, she was probably more upset about all of this than she was showing. Chelsea glanced back to watch Muriel drop her head down as she walked into the house.
“Let’s hit the road.” Jordan’s voice rang out with joy as soon as all of the doors were shut, with the three of them fastened into seatbelts. Elizabeth sat in the backseat and Jordan kept glancing back, probably to reaffirm she was really with them, that it wasn’t a dream.
“Can we go through a drive-thru?” Her sweet voice rang out from the backseat. “I’m totally starving.”
“Um, sure,” said Jordan, mouthing ‘gross’ to Chelsea, which made her giggle.
“Can I listen to my MP3 player?”
“Whatever you want.”
“Cool. Thanks,” she said, dropping back against the seat and plugging the earphones into her ears.
She winked at Jordan. “We’re parents now.”
The words lit a new spark in Jordan’s eyes but then they quickly clouded over. He sighed and focused on the road once more.
* * * *
If Elizabeth hadn’t pointed the place out, they would have driven right on past. Hidden behind a brick wall in a distinguished neighborhood was the cemetery where Muriel had buried the Markales. They barely realized it was there.
“This place is eerie,” whispered Chelsea even though Elizabeth had her music playing so loud they could hear it.
“Yes, it is. It’s so run down even though it’s in a nice neighborhood,” commented Jordan as he pulled up along side the road.
There wasn’t even a parking lot. A dirt patch led to an iron
gate propped open by large boulders on each side. The dark sky helped cast shadows across the graveyard.
Elizabeth got out of the car and shut the door behind her. She had decided it would be best if they waited at the gate and let her pay her respects alone. They followed her to the entrance and put their arms around her, as if they could protect her from all of the hurt she had had in her short life so far. She seemed hesitant to break the connection with them.
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, Mom. I can do this alone.” She sighed, but pulled her head up straight as she moved away from their embrace. They watched her walk into the graveyard and go clear to the back.
Instead of being flat, like in most cemeteries, graves here were done with large humps, as if the bodies were stacked on top of each other. Elizabeth knelt at the end of one large hump. A sniffle echoed off the cement walls.
“She’s crying,” Chelsea whispered as she slid her arm around Jordan’s waist. He pulled her to him and she laid her face against his chest, but kept Elizabeth in her line of vision.
“I just met her, Chels, and I love her already.”
“You’re supposed to. She’s your daughter.” She could feel his hand stroke her back.
“She’s the most beautiful girl in the world.”
Elizabeth stood up and put her hands in her coat pockets. The rain plastered her curls against her face, but she didn’t seem to notice. Her eyes were on the ground as she walked toward them.
She didn’t say anything until they were all seated in the car.
“Do you think I’m weird? Because I wanted to say goodbye to people who really weren’t my parents?” Elizabeth asked.
“No, Elizabeth, you’re not weird at all. They took care of you for half of your life.”
She looked out the window at the mounds in the cemetery. Muriel really did get her revenge. Zack and Monique were probably spinning in their graves.
“Do you want to know something that is weird?”
“What?” asked Jordan, watching her through the rearview mirror.
“Let me drive and you can talk with her,” she suggested.
“No chance. We can talk just fine while I’m driving. Right, Elizabeth?”
They both giggled while Chelsea rolled her eyes and let out a fake huff.
“I didn’t know they weren’t my parents until they were already dead. Aunt Muriel told me as soon as I went to live with her,” she paused, “but the weird thing is I always felt different.”
“What do you mean?” asked Chelsea.
She shook her head. “Something was missing. I didn’t belong.”
* * * *
Chelsea packed her clothes into her suitcases. She glanced at the furnishings. The room had become her sanctuary when things got rough in Wilson, but things were changing now.
Now it would be Elizabeth’s room until they were done decorating the other for her. She smiled. No longer a fantasy in her imagination, Elizabeth was really here and she no longer had to guess what her daughter’s favorite color was, what pictures she liked, or her favorite television show. Chelsea knew now. She knew the color of her daughter’s eyes, the way her cheeks dimpled
when she smiled, and the way one eyebrow spiked when Elizabeth was curious about something.
Chelsea smiled as she walked to the door. The next time she saw the room, it would be littered with her daughter’s belongings.
The suitcases were dropped onto the floor. She turned backward and pulled them both down the hallway. A large hand grabbed her butt. “Hey,” she yelped, standing straight up.
Jordan’s grin broadened. “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.”
“Yeah, sure.” She giggled.
“I have to touch a nice ass if I see one. You, darling, have one gorgeous ass.” He raised his eyebrows as if he was still checking her out. He must’ve remembered the photo storage box tucked under his arm, since he glanced down at it in surprise.
She crossed her arms over her chest in a fake huff. “Can you please refrain from fondling until after I move these to your room?”
“Let me put this away and I’ll take them upstairs.”
“Oh, vacation pictures?” She stepped toward him and put her hand on the lid. “I want to see. I love pictures.”
He jerked the box from her grasp. “Maybe later. Stay here. I’ll be out in a minute.” Some rustling went on in the office before he sauntered back out, flexing his muscles in the tight t-shirt.
“You’re silly. I should do it myself.” She giggled.
“Move out of the way, darlin’,” he said in a horrible western accent. His knees stayed bent, like he was bowlegged, as he walked toward the suitcases. “Let the man do the dirty work.”
“Ohmygod.” She laughed so hard tears rolled down her cheeks.
“See ya later, darlin’.” He pretended to lift a cowboy hat off his head, then gave a wave.
She walked into the kitchen to grab her briefcase off the table. Elizabeth had decided to go down to the orchard to read on the marble bench, so it was a great time for Chelsea to correct the papers from the literature class she taught. They needed to be done before she went back to work.
While filling a glass with iced tea, Jordan came by dressed in swim shorts.
“Want some?” she asked.
“No thanks. I put your suitcases on the bed.” He took a pair of black Ray Bans off the counter and slipped them on.
“I’ll take care of them after I correct these papers.” She jiggled the briefcase in the air. “And I’m moving back into the guest room once we get her a bed.” T
he idea of not sleeping with him
sucked the air out of her lungs.
They had decided she would help decorate the bedroom with Jordan and Elizabeth. Elizabeth would get to pick out whatever she wanted for her room and they were making it the weekend project.
She would be leaving Monday, something she wasn’t looking forward to. After spending so much time with her daughter and sisters, she knew she needed to keep in contact. No matter what Jordan had said.
Jordan sighed, but nodded. He walked over to the patio door but stopped. His hand stayed on the handle. “You can use my office to correct those papers if you want. I’m going out for a swim.”
He looked back at her. “Is Elizabeth still in the orchard?”
She nodded. “She loves it there.”
His hand dropped from the door handle and he walked over to her. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her against his body. Shivers shot through her. Every time she touched him felt
like magic.
“Thank you so much, Chelsea,” he whispered against her ear. His breath was hot, enticing. “For what?”
She was able to set her tea on the counter behind Jordan but held the briefcase in her other hand. She slid her fingers up his bare back, the muscles tensing under her touch. His hot breath made its way down to her neck, letting his lips follow. Her knees grew week,
making her lean against him. He lifted her up in his arms, then set her on the counter. Her legs wrapped around his hips. Heat radiated from the point where his erection ground against the crotch of her jeans and spread each way through her body. Her face flushed and her thighs tingled.
“Jordan, but Elizabeth is outside.”
“She’s in the orchard. Don’t worry. Just enjoy this.” His kisses continued across her neck and down the front of her chest to the neckline of her tank top. She leaned back against the cupboards.
He nuzzled the fabric lower, revealing the lacy fabric of her bra.
“We have to—”
His lips crushed her words off. He slipped his hands up the front of her shirt, pushing her bra up for him to explore her breasts with his mouth. Which he did. Her nipple grew hard under his tongue. His mouth was hot. Wet. Delicious. She had never experienced anything as glorious as this time with Jordan.
Elizabeth’s dress shoes clacked against the stone of the patio.
Jordan jerked away as she pushed her breasts back into her bra and yanked her shirt back down. She swiped at her lips as if she could wipe the feeling of his kiss away. That would never leave.
The door opened and Elizabeth came in wearing a grin while carrying her book. “It’s beautiful here. I sure love Arizona.”
Jordan’s cheeks were still flushed from the make-out session. “I’m glad. Want to go for a swim?” His words were rushed. “I’m heading out for one.”
“I’ll be in the office grading papers,” she mumbled as she rushed out of the kitchen and down the hall. She shut the office door and flopped into the leather office chair. She took a deep breath and let her eyes drift shut. She needed to relax, to clear her head. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on these papers or keep her hands off Jordan.
She took another deep breath before opening her eyes. The stack
of papers sat on the desk. Where’s my red pen, she wondered as
she shuffled through the contents of her briefcase. Grading papers required a red pen. It would drive her crazy if she couldn’t find one.
She flung the lid down in frustration. It would figure. Maybe Jordan had one. She opened the top drawer, rummaged around, but pens? None. After searching another drawer, she still came up empty handed. Okay, she’d settle for any color of pen. It wouldn’t matter anymore if the pen held blue ink. Who didn’t keep pens in their desk? Jordan, that’s who.
One last drawer. It was the biggest one designed for files. Please
let there be a pen, she thought as she yanked the door open. The photo storage box sat in the bottom of the drawer. “Oh, his pictures.”
She pulled the box out of the drawer. He had said she could look at them later. Well it was later. She leaned back in the chair. A smile slowly spread across her lips. Pictures were wonderful and it delighted her to be able to see his life from the last ten years. With excitement, she lifted the lid off the box.
No pictures. Just a hoodie like her old one. She lifted it out of the box. It was her hoodie. “He stole it. He stole it from my mother.” Her breath caught in her throat.
She turned it around so she could look at the other side. A big tear and dirt ruined the fabric. It looked like it had been drug down the road under a car. No wonder they all had thought she’d been abducted or dead in the desert somewhere. She would have thought that too, if the roles were reversed.
The question was, why did Jordan steal the hoodie from her mother? The hoodie dropped down on the desk. She had to confront him, this couldn’t wait.
Jordan continued his laps in the pool as she walked over to the pool’s edge, hands on her hips. “Jordan!” He must not have been able to hear her, since he didn’t stop at first. Once he glanced up at her, he changed directions.
“Want to swim?” He looked up at her, water dripping from the curls lying across his forehead.
“I need to talk to you.” She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at a bird pecking at the grass.
“Okay, so let’s talk.” He made no moves to get out of the pool.
“It’s important you come into the office.” She watched him as he swam over to the pool steps and climbed out. If she wasn’t so mad about this stolen hoodie, she’d be admiring him.
“Let me grab a towel.” He grabbed one from a lounge chair and quickly dried off. The towel tightly hugged his waist. “Ready.”
She followed him into the house, through the kitchen, and down the hall. She had left the office door open. As soon as he walked in there, he’d see the hoodie. He froze as soon as he hit the doorway.
“Care to explain?” Her voice remained flat.
“Oh,” he breathed. He walked over to the sweatshirt, lifting it up from the desk. He clutched it to his chest.
She stayed in the doorway. When he looked up, she could see the pain written across his face. He had to have a good reason to take it. Right? She stepped forward, putting her hand on his forearm.
“Tell me why,” she whispered. “Please.”
“Come with me.” He held the hoodie with one hand and grabbed hers with the other. “It’s time I do the right thing.”
“Okay?” She eyed his swim trunks. “Aren’t you going to change first?”
“Nope. This is more important. Elizabeth,” he called up the stairs. Then he looked at her. “I only want to say this once, so I’m going to tell both of you at the same time.”
She frowned. “Me and Elizabeth? Jordan, I don’t understand what you’re talking about? What does Elizabeth have to do with my hoodie?”
“What, Daddy?” Elizabeth hopped down the stairs, her curls bouncing along with her.
He forced a smile. “We’re going to your grandma’s for a minute. Grab your shoes and get in the truck.”
Elizabeth didn’t catch the tension in the air. “Okay, Daddy,” she said with a big bright smile before running through the kitchen.
“We’re not in a big hurry, Elizabeth.”
“Okay, Daddy,” she yelled from her new bedroom.
They waited for Elizabeth to reappear wearing shoes before they headed out. The idea of Jordan holding her hand gave her butterflies all the way over to her mother’s house. Or maybe it was her jumpy nerves over the situation.
No cars were in the driveway. Allison would be either at work or with Danielle. Jordan pulled the truck in front of the house.
“Are my cousins here?” asked Elizabeth.
“It doesn’t look like it. They are usually outside when they are.” She led the way up the steps, knocked on the door and waited.
A hacking cough sounded through the
patched up window. “Just a minu—” The words were cut off by more coughing.
CHAPTER 21
Jordan waited and waited and waited as he clutched the hoodie in his hand. With each second, one more ounce of anxiety joined the already rippling pool within him. He didn’t like being here but had to make things right.
It seemed like forever before Patty slowly pulled the door open. She stared at them with a pale face and sunken eyes. Her hand flew up to her mouth to stifle back another hack, with no luck.
“Are you okay?” Chelsea stared wide-eyed as her mother’s cough died down but she continued to wheeze.
Patty held up one hand to silence her as she braced herself against the door frame. “I’m okay.”
Elizabeth tugged on Jordan’s t-shirt. He bent down. “Can I sit out here while you guys talk?” she whispered in his ear.
He nodded at her and turned back to Patty. “I came to talk to you about something, Patty.”
“Come in, Jordan.” She motioned for them to come inside. “You’re always welcome here.”
He wasn’t sure she’d be so kind after he told her about the hoodie half hidden underneath his arm. “Thanks,” he mumbled.
He and Chelsea waited for Patty to be seated in the recliner before they took their places on the couch. Chelsea’s hand slid over his thigh but he couldn’t hold her hand. Not right now. Not until after he confessed.
“Mom, I’m really concerned about your health. Have you seen the doctor?” Chelsea sat on the edge of the couch as if she would bolt upright at any moment. She moved her hand off his thigh and picked at one of her finger nails, which she only did when she was nervous. She’d be biting her nails within seconds.
“Psht! It’s the flu.” She coughed again. “No flu shot this year. So what did you need to talk to me about?”
He unfolded the hoodie and held it up. The blue swoosh was faded and dirty and Patty gasped.
“I took it, Patty. I’m sorry.”
She cocked her head sideways. “But why?”
He stared down at his hands. “All I had when she left were the memories, nothing to hold in my hands. I was empty.”