Twice Loved

by Mari Brown

“Get out of this house and like Tate said don’t ever come back you crazy fucking bitch!” I spit with as much venom as she has been spewing.

  Tate moves toward our little group and he takes hold of LuAnn while Jake hangs on to her other side. Haley moves to stand beside me as we watch the two men pull LuAnn kicking and screaming out of the house. I’m sure the neighbors will be happy she won’t be around anymore.

  “You okay?” Haley asks her hand rest on my forearm. It’s a comforting gesture but I’m sure she has to notice the tremble. I’m shaking from anger. LuAnn is a nasty piece of work. I’m just hoping that this is the last we see of her.

  Jake and Tate come back into the kitchen laughing with one another. Tate takes one look at me and immediately is at my side “Are you okay Princess?”

  I can’t answer him. I don’t know what to say. It’s as if I’m in some type of shock.

  “Princess… seriously what the fuck?” his eyes cut tot Haley. She shrugs at him

  “She’s been quiet since y’all walked out with LuAnn.”

  Tate pulls me from Haley’s grasp. “Princess please talk to me.”

  “Is she really gone?” I ask my voice quivers “Was that the last of her?”

  I get no answer right away. I tilt my head up my eyes searching for an answer to my question.

  “Yea I think we have seen the last of her. She may try a few things but ultimately she has no card left to play with me.” He smiles at me “The pregnant card was the last thing she could’ve pulled that would have kept me tied to her.”

  My head falls to his shoulder, my whole body sagging against him. Tate tightens his grip on me. He holds me. It’s enough to reassure me I’m who he wants. Peace descends on me. Finally Tate and I are free of the obstacles we’ve had in front of us.

  Steve’s mother has thankfully decided to stay away. One day I hope she will forgive me. I know Oliva and Noah are over there with her once a week. I certainly would never stop them but I won’t let her dictate my future happiness especially now. Tate and I had a child on the way. There was no separating us from one another.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Haley is coming over today. It’s been two months since she moved out of my house and into the cottage. She even managed to talk to Jake and find some kind of closure. It wasn’t comfortable and easy to be around him but she could do it. She told me that it was easier every time we had a gathering. Fall is turning into winter. Christmas is just around the corner. It will be our first one without Steve. I wonder what it will be like. Tate being in my life puts me in a quandary. I’m happy because it’s a time of firsts for us yet it’s also the kids and mine first without their father.

  “Mom.” Noah’s voice calls out as the front door opens. I walk around the kitchen doorway to see what my son is yelling for.

  “What is it?” I ask concern lacing my voice.

  “Wow when did you start showing?” Noah ask surprise clear on his face.

  I snicker at my son’s face. “Son it was bound to happen. I’m four months along now.” I ruffle the hair on his head “Now what had you rushing in the house like that?”

  “Oh yea… um Grandma Mae.” he says looking slightly uncomfortable. “Um she’s ...”

  A knock sounds on the door before he can finish his sentence. Apprehension fills me.

  “Noah, what’s going on?”

  He looks distressed. His eyes flit back and forth between me and the door. A door where someone is now knocking with eagerness.

  “Grandma Mae found out you were pregnant finally. She followed me home.”

  “Noah move out of the way. Go to your room.” I tell him completely annoyed. I open the door. Mae stands there. She stares at me her eyes drop to my stomach. Instinctively my hand cups my small baby bump. It’s natural to want to protect my unborn child even from the mother in law I still love.

  “It’s true.” her eyes tear up. Her lip begins tremble.

  “Oh Mae come in please.” I usher my former mother in law into the house. Guiding her into my living room. “Please sit down. Can I get you something?”

  Mae shakes her head. “I just couldn’t believe it when I heard Noah and Olivia talking today at lunch.”

  “It wasn’t exactly planned.” I tell her wryly as a mother I can only imagine how hard this must be for her.

  She tentatively reaches a hand out for me. She pats me on my knee. “No dear I’m sure it wasn’t.”

  I place a hand on top of hers and we sit there in silence. It’s not altogether uncomfortable.

  “I miss him every day still.” I tell Mae.

  “Do you?” I don’t miss the hopefulness in her eyes. “I wasn’t sure. I felt like you forgot about my son.”

  “Forget Steve? How could I?” I scoot back and rest my back on the couch. “He was my first love. My best friend. The father of my two children. We spent nineteen years together. There is no way I could forget him.” Mae is silently crying.

  I sigh quietly. “We have felt every major event harder this year than any other. Tate has been there for all of us. Supporting us in our grief. Encouraging the children to think about their father and what he would have them do.”

  “He does?” she sniffles. “I just don’t understand. Steve told me he gave you permission to have a relationship with Tate but it just…. It was never… “

  “Oh Mae it wasn’t and still isn’t easy for any of us. That was an unusual thing. Steve loved me enough to put my happiness above his own” I slide closer to her wrapping arms around her. Thankful she doesn’t pull away. “Even in my happiness there’s sadness.”

  A knock on my front door interrupts us.

  “Go answer that dear.”

  “It’s probably Haley. We had plans.” I glance at Mae “I will send her home.”

  “Nonsense dear. She can join us she’s supported you and been an excellent friend to you through everything. Maybe I could learn something from her.” I give Mae a tentative smile as I walk out of the room.

  Haley comes in the living room all smiles. She’s been irritated with the way Mae treated me the last few months. I’m hoping she will keep her mouth shut.

  “Mae…” Haley stops for a moment before continuing into the room. “What a lovely surprise.”

  “Girl I know you’re upset with me.” Mae cross his arms. “I’m here making amends you’ll be happy to know.”

  Haley looks at me. I nod my head in confirmation. “Well then…”

  “The kids told me she’s pregnant. As upset as I was with things. I felt worry immediately for her being pregnant at her age.”

  “Gee thanks.” sniggering I face Mae “I love you too.”

  “OH pooh you know what I mean.” she waves a hand at me in dismissal.

  The three of laugh and relax and with one statement the last year of tension melts away with the ease of years of knowing each other. We settle in and over the next few hours we share laughter, tears and so much more as we reunite with the ease we all once had with one another.

  Tate comes in from work and doesn’t even bat an eye that Mae is sitting in the living room. He just comes in says hello to everyone kisses me on the cheek and says “I’m going out back to fire up the grill.” Then he walks off toward the kitchen.

  “I’m going to have to figure out how to be his friend.” Mae speaks softly a hint of sadness in her tone.

  “He’ll understand if it takes you some time to get used to being around him.” I pat Mae on the leg.

  She stands up and gathers her purse, “I just barged in unannounced I should get back home.”

  “I’m glad you came by.” I enfold her in a hug. Her arms tighten around me.

  “I’m glad I came. And I’ll be in touch maybe we can schedule lunch next weekend.” She steps back arms still around me.

  “I’d like that.”

  I see Mae to the front door. Haley is standing behind me.

  “That was interesting.” She quips.

  “Yea… it was. Who knew
my pregnancy would unite so many people together.”

  We walk into the kitchen together. Tate is standing at the counter preparing what looks like steaks for the grill. In addition to the steaks I see some chicken prepared as well.

  “Um Tate are we having a party?”

  “Oh yea I invited the guys over for dinner… kind of a thank you.” He picks up a shaker and begins sprinkling the steaks down “This week has been insane at work. I’m going to have to look at expanding. Adding mechanics and work space soon.”

  “Honey that’s great!” I say moving up beside him, planting a kiss on his cheek. “How can Haley and I help? Olivia and Noah can help too.”

  “Can you and Haley throw together some baked potatoes and salad? Let’s ask Olivia to help set up paper products.” He beams as he turns around “But Noah doesn’t have to work this time he’s part of my crew that I want to relax tonight.”

  Tate finishes preparing the meat and heads outside with it. Haley scrubs potatoes while I begin chopping vegetables and lettuce for the salad. We turn on some music while we work. Olivia comes down from her room where she has been working on an English paper. She sits down at the kitchen counter.

  “So what happened with Grandma Mae?” Olivia gazes back and forth. First looking at Haley then me.

  “It went really well. We were able to work things out.”

  She moves to the pantry and begins pulling out plates, napkins, and other things we will need tonight. “Good Grandma Mae needed to get over it already.” I snort. “What she did?”

  “I know baby but your attitude is so different from what it was a few months ago.”

  Shrugging her shoulders she heads out the back door with the tableware.

  Noah rejoins us in the kitchen after cleaning up from work. “Tate is awesome!”

  Chuckling, “Why is that son?” I reach into a cabinet and pull out my large salad bowl. I begin throwing in the lettuce and tomatoes, and other veggies into the bowl. “What makes him so awesome?”

  “Treating us all to a cookout for a bonus for our work week.” He sits down on a stool only to jump up immediately when the doorbell rings. Noah comes back in the kitchen with Pete and Mike clamoring behind him. They are carrying an ice chest which I assume to be loaded down with beer.

  “Why didn’t you guys take it through the back gate would have made more sense?” I look at the guys in disbelief.

  “Oh that would have been smarter.” Mike pipes up. “Hey Lori… Haley.”

  “Hey Mike.” Haley and I say together. We share a smile with each other since we spoke together.

  Noah opens the back door and follows the other two out back. It’s not long before the bell rings again. Haley looks at me.

  “I’ll get it.” I tell her reassuring her that she doesn’t have to be the one to greet Jake which is the only one yet to arrive.

  “Lori.” Jake greets as I open the door.

  “Jake… please behave tonight.” I plead with him. The last two times he’s been around Haley he’s been a little pushier about talking to her. He’s not given up on winning her back. In some ways I’m impressed with his tenacity. Yet I wish he would learn bulldozing his way in is not the way to win Haley back. Not that I’m sure he can win her back.

  “You’re no fun.” Jake mock whines. “I get it tonight isn’t the night to do it.”

  “No it isn’t this is about celebrating the garage not hooking up with Haley.” I close the door as he steps into the foyer. “The guys are all outback in the yard.”

  Jake takes off toward the back door. He pauses momentarily when he spots Haley in the kitchen. She pretends to be busy washing dishes. Too busy to notice him. However, I know my friend well enough to know she’s faking. His face falls a little as he starts moving forward again. He pauses and looks back one last time before walking into the backyard.

  Olivia comes in the door the same time he exits and announces “Everything is set up out there. Tate said the meat would be another twenty minutes or so.”

  “That’s perfect.” I note the time for the potatoes has fifteen minutes left on it. “Can you take stuff for the potatoes and the salad dressing outside for me darling.”

  “Sure mom.” Olivia begins pulling everything out she needs and placing it in one of the baskets I have scattered about the kitchen.

  “Haley.” I call out to my friend who is sitting on a stool looking miserable

  She lifts her head up looking around dazed “Huh?”

  “You okay?” I move to stand by her.

  She scratches her head. “I don’t know. What am I going to do Lori?”

  “Do about what?”

  “Jake.”

  Oh well that is the million dollar question I’ve been asking myself for weeks now. What is Haley going to do? She’s miserable without him but can she be happy with him again?

  “What do you want?”

  “I want things to go back the way they were.” She lays her head down on the counter lifting it again “I know we can’t go back but I’m so fucking miserable without him.”

  “Maybe it’s time for you to give him another chance.” I lean down and wrap an arm around her shoulders. “It may not work but you won’t know for sure if you don’t try. But tonight let’s celebrate there is so much to be happy for.”

  “Yea?” Haley asks a little unsure. Then she straightens and I smile when she smiles “Let’s do it. Tonight is about living and reaching for the future.”

  She heads out the back door. I stop for a moment looking around my cheerful kitchen. I had a loving home here with Steve but now I was doing it with Tate. It’s been a great few months. It’s time that things were happier. We have had so much sadness and heartache the last two years. My hand travels down to my belly. I rub a small slow circle around.

  This baby is my sign. It’s the hope for our future. Tate and I are getting a second chance at life, a second chance at a family, a second chance at love.

  Epilogue

  Sara Elizabeth Jameson

  “Sara Beth”

  June 6th, 2016

  9lbs 10ozs. 21in

  She is welcomed by her parents Tate and Lori Jameson

  Older siblings Olivia and Noah Madison & Brandy Jameson.

  Mari Brown Social Media Links

  Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/maribrownauthor

  Amazon Page: https://amazon.com/author/maribrown

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/MariBrownAuthor

  Web Page: http://maribrownauthor.com/

  Other Works by Mari Brown

  The Knight Series

  On the Edge

  Over the Edge

  Destiny’s Detour

  Destiny’s Detour YA

  Anthologies

  Tempting Scrooge