He shrugs. “I’m sure he does, but I don’t know where he keeps them.”
He seems uncomfortable. Jade does too. Why are they acting this way? Did something happen to the photos?
Abigail squirms on my lap, turning and pointing at Garret. “Dada.”
I kiss her cheek. “You want to go back to your daddy?”
Jade smiles. “She always does that. You have to distract her or she’ll keep asking to go back to Garret.”
“You used to do the same thing when you were her age,” I tell him. “If your father was around, it was like I wasn’t even there. You wanted to be with your dad. But he was always at work, so I think you just missed him and wanted to be with him when he was home.”
“I didn’t know Dad worked so much back then,” Garret says.
That was a bad year for Pearce and me. I probably shouldn’t have brought it up, but I said it without thinking.
“A few months after you were born, your father had to take over the company for Holton. It was when your grandfather was going through cancer treatments.”
“Yeah, that’s right,” he says. “So Dad wasn’t around much my first year?”
I don’t want Garret thinking poorly of his father, so I say, “He tried to make it home for dinner, then he’d go back to the office after you went to bed. And once Holton came back to work, your father returned to working more normal hours.”
Abigail’s now leaning forward on my lap, reaching for Garret. “Dada!”
He laughs and gets up and takes her from me. “Okay, but you need to spend time with Grandma later.”
“I could hold her all day,” I say. “She’s so sweet.”
“I’m already teaching her how to swim.” Garret sits down with her and she puts her head on his shoulder, gripping his shirt. It’s so cute. I wish I had a camera to take a photo of them. “She’s already able to swim on her own.”
“That’s great, honey,” I say, smiling at the two of them.
Just as I’m about to ask him about his swimming, his phone rings. He reaches in his pocket to get it. Abigail won’t let him go, gripping his shirt even tighter. It reminds me so much of when Garret was that age, the way he’d hold on to Pearce.
Garret answers the phone. “Yeah, Dad…okay…what time?…yeah, we’ll be here…”
A nervous flutter ignites in my stomach as I listen to Garret talking to his dad. Pearce is right there, on the other end of the line. I still can’t believe this is happening. That it’s real. That I’m actually here. Back with my son. And will soon be reunited with Pearce.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
17
RACHEL
“Is he still coming?” Jade asks Garret as he sets his phone down.
“Yeah, but it’s getting late out there so he’s going to fly out in the morning. He should be here around noon.”
Jade checks her watch. “It’s almost dinner time. Are you hungry?” she asks me.
“I am, but we can eat whenever you normally eat. There’s no rush.”
“Why don’t we order something?” Garret says to Jade. “I don’t want to waste time making dinner.”
She gets up. “I’ll go get the take-out menus.”
She leaves and I gaze over at Garret holding his daughter.
“I know I said this before,” I tell him, “but I’m so happy for you. You have that beautiful little girl. And you and Jade seem so in love. It reminds me of the type of love your father and I used to have.”
“Mom, you can have that again. Dad’s not seeing anyone.” He rubs Abigail’s back as she lies against his chest.
“I know you’d like your father and me to be together, but we can’t just go back to how things were. I’m not even sure if I’m stay—” I stop¸ not wanting to say it. More than anything I want to remain with my family, but now that I’m here, I’m panicking, thinking I’m putting them in danger. I don’t want the organization finding out I’m alive and then punishing Pearce or harming Garret or his family.
“Mom, you’re not leaving us again. You can’t do that to me. Or to Dad.”
I go over and sit next to him on the couch. “Honey, believe me, it’s not what I want, but I can’t have people see me and find out who I am. Your father is well-known. Having me appear after people assumed I was dead could cause an investigation. And if reporters dug deep enough, they might find out about the organization. If they did, the members would blame me for that. And then they’d kill me, or do something to you or your father, and all those years of us being apart would’ve been for nothing.”
“It will have been for nothing if you leave again. You went away so that someday we could all be a family again. And now that you’re back, you can’t go.”
“I don’t know if I’ll have a choice. I would never do anything that would put you or your father in any kind of danger. And seeing your beautiful wife and daughter, I’m panicking even more. I don’t want anything to happen to them.”
“Nothing’s going to happen. I told you, William will protect us. He’s at the highest level you can go. He’s changed how things are run there. Yes, they still do bad things, but they’re not nearly as bad as they used to be. The older members are dying off and the younger members are doing things differently. And they aren’t allowed to hurt a member’s family. It’s against the rules.”
“Technically I’m no longer married to your father, so I’m not family. I’m not protected.”
“Dad will protect you. If the members threatened to hurt you, Dad would go after them. And William would destroy them. William is very protective of our family. He’d never let anything happen to us.”
“But that doesn’t mean he’d do the same for me. I’ve only met him a few times, but I’m sure he’s not going to put himself at risk to protect me.”
“He’s not putting himself at risk. He’s at the top. Nobody can hurt him. He has power. A lot of power. And if he says you’re not to be harmed, you will not be harmed. I promise you.”
I gaze down at the table.
“Mom.” He nudges my arm and I look back at him. “Promise me you won’t leave again.”
“I can’t promise you that, honey. But if I have to hide out somewhere, this time you’ll know where I am. You can come visit me.”
“That’s not good enough. I want to see you more than a few times a year. I want you back in my life and I want my kids to grow up around their grandmother.”
“I know you do. I want that too. Let’s just wait and see how things go with your father. We’ll figure this out. I want more than anything to be back in your life.” I put my hand on Abigail’s head, which is still on Garret’s shoulder. “I want to be around to see this precious little baby grow up. She’s so beautiful, Garret. And so is your wife.”
He smiles. “So you like Jade?”
“I do. I know I just met her, but she’s exactly the type of girl I wanted for you. I never wanted you to marry one of those wealthy girls you grew up around. I knew they’d never love you for you. I saw the women Pearce’s friends married. Women like Victoria, Royce’s wife. Those women didn’t even like their husbands. They married for money and the right last name. I hoped you wouldn’t end up with someone like that. And thank goodness you didn’t. Jade seems like the perfect girl for you.”
“She is. I love her more than anything.”
“I know you do. And I can tell she loves you just as much.”
Jade returns with a stack of take-out menus and we pick out what we want for dinner.
This is so strange. Last night at this time, I was on a plane, heading to the U.S., not sure when, or if, I’d see my son. And now, I’m here with him and his family at his house.
We have dinner outside on their back patio that overlooks the ocean and the pool. They have a large in-ground pool. Next to the house is a smaller house, which is where Grace lives. They said they built her that house so she could live right next door. It’s nice that they look after her the way they do. Garret was always ver
y caring and concerned about others, and Jade is the same way.
They used Jade’s money to build this house. Apparently Grace set up a very large trust fund for Jade when she found out Jade was her granddaughter. Garret’s trust fund was taken from him. He said it was part of the deal when he was released from his obligation to be a member of the organization. He didn’t want to tell me the whole story about that.
During dinner, Jade and Garret tell me they own a sporting goods company. Garret runs it and Pearce is a silent partner and part owner. Garret always loved sports so it’s the perfect job for him. Jade also has a business, giving speeches to young women who are struggling in life, like she used to be. I’m amazed that both Jade and Garret have accomplished so much at such a young age.
Then they tell me about the colleges they went to. They started out at Moorhurst in Connecticut, and finished their last three years at Camsburg, which is just an hour north of here. Garret didn’t give me the whole story, but he did say that he switched colleges to get far away from the members of the organization, who mostly live on the East Coast.
For dessert, Garret makes everyone a sundae with ice cream and crushed cookies. He knows it’s my favorite dessert. I’m sharing mine with Abigail. She’s sitting on my lap and picking the cookies out of the ice cream with her fingers. She’s now a sticky mess, but so adorable. I love her to pieces.
“We have some charities,” Jade says as we’re finishing our sundaes. “One of them is the Taylor Foundation. Taylor was my maiden name so it’s in honor of my mom and her parents. The foundation helps out people who are struggling to pay their bills and just need a little help.”
“That’s very generous of you,” I say.
Jade shrugs. “Garret and I don’t need all that money. We’d rather give it away.”
This girl is so sweet. I’m so glad Garret found her. And to think she grew up with nothing and now finally has money but wants to give it away. It shows what a big heart she has.
She sits back and smiles at Garret. “Tell her about our other charity.”
Garret sets his spoon down. “We started an organization that gives free swim lessons to kids. It’s nationwide.” He smiles. “It’s called Rachel’s Swim Club.”
I tear up for about the hundredth time today. “You really named it that?”
“Yeah,” he says softly. “You always said you wished every kid could learn to swim so we’re trying to make that happen.”
“Thank you.” I reach over and take his hand and squeeze it. “I’m so proud of you, honey.” I look at Jade. “Both of you.”
Abigail yawns and drops her head back on my chest. We all look at her and laugh because she’s covered in ice cream and looks knocked out from all the sugar.
“I’ll go clean her up,” Jade says, rising from her chair. “She needs to get to bed.”
“Could I help?” I ask.
“Sure.” She leans down and kisses Garret’s cheek. “That means you’re in charge of cleaning the dishes.”
“I already assumed that,” he says, kissing her back.
Jade and I take Abigail inside. I talk to Jade as she gives the baby a bath and puts her pajamas on. Then she puts Abigail in her crib and we wait until she falls asleep and then watch her for a few minutes.
As we walk back to the kitchen, Garret is coming toward us down the hall.
“Did you guys stand there and watch her sleep?” he asks Jade.
“We had to. She’s adorable when she sleeps.”
“I used to watch Garret sleep too,” I say to Jade. “But he rarely slept so I didn’t get to watch him very often.”
“He didn’t sleep?”
“No, he didn’t like sleeping. I’d go check on him in the night and he’d be up, not crying, but just staring up at the mobile above his crib or moving around.”
Garret shrugs. “I didn’t need to sleep. I had things to do.”
Jade laughs. “What exactly did you have to do as a baby?”
“I don’t remember, but I know I had better things to do than sleep.” He puts his arm around Jade. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. You don’t have to keep asking me that.”
“You’re pregnant. It’s my job to ask you that. I have to make sure you’re okay. I don’t have much of a role here, Jade, so you’ve gotta give me something.”
I like that Garret worries about her like that, and takes care of her. Pearce was the same way with me, even when we first met. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him.
Jade yawns and Garret notices. “Why don’t you go to bed?” he asks her. “I know how tired you’ve been with the pregnancy.”
“But it’s still early. I want to talk to your mom some more.”
He hugs her to his side and kisses her head. “You can talk to her tomorrow. You need to sleep.”
“Actually, I should probably go to sleep too,” I say. “I haven’t slept much the past couple nights.”
“Then I guess we’ll all go to bed,” Garret says. “It’s been a long day. I’ll go get your suitcase from the car.”
“I’ll show you the guest rooms,” Jade says, walking back down the hall. “You can pick whichever one you want. Pearce always takes the one at the end. You want that one?”
“Sure, that’s fine.” I follow her down there.
“If you open the window,” Jade says, “you can hear the ocean. It’s really relaxing. There are extra blankets in the closet, and the bathroom is just through there.” She points to a door on the side of the room. “Towels are in the cabinet.”
“Thank you.” I give her a hug. “I know my showing up here came as a total surprise and you weren’t expecting to have a guest tonight, so thank you for being so kind to me.”
“You’re not a guest,” she says. “You’re family. You can stay here as long as you want.”
“I want you to know that if my being back in Garret’s life puts your family in any kind of danger, I’ll leave. I would never—”
“You’re taking Dad’s room, huh?” Garret walks in with my suitcase.
“Yes.” I smile. “Jade picked it for me.”
“I should get to bed,” she says as she walks to the door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Did she go over where everything is?” Garret asks.
“Yes. I think I’m all set.”
“Then I’ll let you get some sleep. Goodnight.” He turns to leave.
“Garret?”
He turns back. “Yeah?”
“I’m so proud of you. You were always a good son, but now you’re a good husband and a good father. And the fact that you run a business and have charities? I couldn’t be more proud of you and the man you’ve become.”
He smiles. “Thanks, Mom.”
I step up to him and hug him. “I love you, honey.”
“I love you too.”
After he leaves, I change into pajamas and get into bed. The queen bed feels big and luxurious compared to the twin bed with the thin mattress I’m used to sleeping on.
As I lie here, I think about what Jade and Garret said about this being Pearce’s room. This is where he stays when he’s here. In this room. In this same bed. It stirs something in me just knowing that. When I see him, I wonder if I’ll still feel the same way about him as I did before. I love him, and I always will, but will we still be attracted to each other? And if we are, we will allow ourselves to be together that way? Or do we need to get to know each other again before we do?
I’m not sure how I feel about that. I’m still attracted to the Pearce that I remember, but he’s different now. He’s older and he’s been married and divorced and has probably been with more women than just Katherine. Maybe he won’t be attracted to me anymore.
Why am I thinking about this? Sex should be the last thing on my mind. I need to focus on figuring out what to say to Pearce. I’m nervous, but also excited. He’ll be here tomorrow. I’ll see him in just a few short hours.
And with that th
ought, I fall asleep.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
18
GARRET
After I say goodnight to my mom, I go to Abi’s room. She’s sound asleep. There’s a white rocking chair next to her crib and I sit there and watch her and think about all that happened today.
When I woke up this morning, I thought my mom was dead. And hours later, I found out she’s alive. She’s been alive all this time and my dad and I never knew. My life would’ve been so much different if we’d only known about this. If she’d never left, I wouldn’t have been so out of control during my teen years, which means my dad wouldn’t have forced me to go to college close to home. So I wouldn’t have gone to Moorhurst, and if I hadn’t gone to Moorhurst, I wouldn’t have met Jade. And if I hadn’t met Jade, I wouldn’t have Abigail.
It’s strange how one incident can completely change your life and send you down a different path. When my dad and I thought my mom died in that plane crash, we were devastated to the point that it nearly destroyed us. But that horrible tragedy set me on a path to meet Jade. And if my dad had never married Katherine, he wouldn’t have Lilly. Maybe that’s how life works. You have to suffer through the bad to get to the good. I hated losing my mom, but I can’t imagine my life without Jade and Abigail.
I get up and go over to her crib and gently touch her head. “Goodnight, Abi.”
After I leave her room, I go down the hall to the master bedroom. Jade’s in bed and the lights are off. I change into pajamas and slip under the covers. Jade scoots back into my arms.
“I thought you were asleep,” I say, kissing her cheek.
“I heard you come in. Where were you?”
“Checking on Abi.”
“Did she wake up?”
“No, she was sound asleep.”
Jade flips over to face me. “You were watching her sleep, weren’t you?”
“Yeah.” I kiss her. “I needed to. Seeing her asleep in her crib just reminded me how I’d do anything to keep her safe. If I thought I was putting her in any kind of danger, I’d leave, just like my mom did. At first I couldn’t understand why she left like that. But I get it. She had no choice. She had to keep me safe. After she found out about the plane, she could’ve come home and told my dad, but she didn’t because she knew they would still try to kill her. She knew they’d find another way. And what if I was with her when they did it? What if I got in the way or did something stupid and ended up getting hurt? Or killed? She’d never put me at risk like that, just like I wouldn’t put Abi at risk. Or you.”
Only Her Page 17