Tears fill my eyes as the pictures progress through the labor. Her mom is there wiping sweat off her forehead, Grandma’s in the picture holding her hand through a contraction. I stop flipping through the book and bring it closer to my face.
“Is that our prom picture?”
“Yep, you were my focal point during the contractions. It was the next best thing to having you there with me.”
“How did it happen?”
“Well, my due date had come and gone and the doctors were considering inducing labor if it didn’t happen soon. Grandma and Mom spent every free minute walking me around the neighborhood and the park. Some days I felt like a work horse, they were relentless in their pace and kept making me go. After five days of this I was ready to give up, nothing was happening. Finally, that fifth night I was in the bathroom brushing my teeth when I suddenly felt liquid running down my legs. At first I thought it was pee and didn’t really think anything of it till the pain started.”
She laughed at the memory and her whole face lit up. The sight took my breath away.
“I had imagined the pain would start small and build up but it felt like I was being stabbed in the lower back from the get go. Everyone came running and they actually laughed at me when the next scream came. Apparently my pain was their pleasure. Mom called the doctor who said he wanted me to come in when the contractions were steadily ten minutes apart. Since I was so young, he didn’t want to take any chances of complications developing before I got there. The first couple of hours I spent mostly kneeling backwards on the couch while they took turns massaging my back. Finally, just after two a.m. we decided it was time to go in. Once I was admitted, they hooked me up and as soon as I could I got the epidural. It became easier for a while and I was actually able to snooze for a couple of hours. I think they had the epidural too high because when they finally turned it down and told me to push, a lot of pain came back.”
“Oh god, what is that?” My gag reflex was in full working order.
“Oh I’m sorry, I forgot that was in there. I told you Grandma insisted on documenting everything. That’s Kacee’s head coming out.”
“I didn’t know it was such a bloody process.”
“I don’t know what a normal amount is but the doctors didn’t seem to be worried,” she flipped the page and I couldn’t hold back the gagging noise, “and that is the placenta. Why she felt the need to take a picture of that coming out I will never know.”
“I could have gone my whole life without needing to see that. Thank god I don’t eat my steak rare or I probably would be abstaining for a while.”
She laughs and flips the page again. “And here is where your perfect seven-pound, three-ounce daughter came wailing into the world at 6:53 a.m.”
“Holy cow, look at that cone head!”
“Yeah, that scared me at first but they assured me it would fix itself.”
My finger strokes the picture of a sweaty Brittany smiling as she hugs our baby. Words are robbed from me; I’ve missed so much. Her hand gently rests on my shoulder, it takes a minute before I can look up at her.
“You made a beautiful baby, I was so thankful she came out looking like you.”
The book slid from our laps when I grab her into a bone crushing hug, forgetting for a minute that we haven’t seen each other in fifteen years. I am completely overwhelmed by my awe for everything she has been through. I want more than anything to open my eyes and be sixteen again. We deserve a do over to that weekend. I want to be a scared kid worrying what we were going to do with a newborn baby.
I open one eye then the other, disappointment clearly written on my face to see my wish hadn’t come true. I clear my throat and pull away awkwardly.
“Do you have any more books?”
She picks up the album from the floor and chuckles. “I have shelves full of albums and quite a few VHS tapes if you still happen to have a VCR packed away?”
“Oh my god, a VCR, I haven’t thought of one of those in a while. I’ll have to see what I can find.” I couldn’t help chuckling at the idea of asking my assistant to hunt one down for me.
“Tomorrow after work I’ll stop at the apartment and get everything.”
“I’ll go with you to make sure nobody’s sitting outside again. Now, let’s finish this book.”
Three hours later, our eyes are blurry and we can’t hold back the yawns any longer. It’s almost three a.m. and we have to get Kacee up in a couple of hours. The book finished after Kacee’s first birthday. We laughed, we cried, and my anger melted a little bit each hour.
Chapter Twelve
Brittany
The smell of bacon wakes me up first then the sound of Austin’s giggles brings me fully awake.
“You were right, waving the bacon by her face did the trick! I think she’s coming to.”
I peek out from one eye to see Casey and Austin standing over me with stupid grins on their faces. What must I look like? I definitely feel drool on my chin. You know what, who cares. He kept me up that late, he can see the harsh reality of what I look like in the mornings.
“You’re lucky you brought food or I wouldn’t be so nice about being woken up.”
“Come on, Mommy, we also got you crappies and hot tea.”
“I appreciate the offer but I don’t want any crap for breakfast.”
“Don’t worry, you’re safe. We ordered crepes. I let him pick the food off the menu.”
I grab Austin and snuggle him against me, “Should I be worried you picked crappies for me?”
His infectious giggles had everyone laughing.
“Casey, help me, she’s attacking me!”
I hold on long enough to let Austin feel like he’s being rescued before letting go.
“I promise there was a picture and he was not intentionally picking poop.”
“Okay, I’ll believe you this time. Is Kacee ready to go?”
“Actually, I took her to school a while ago. I got Austin ready and as soon as you are dressed, we’ll drop him off then get you to work.”
I grab my phone and see it’s eight o’clock and my alarms were shut off.
“I wanted to let you sleep in as long as you could. Kacee shut them off so you wouldn’t be disturbed.”
“That was very sweet of you, I appreciate the gesture.”
“Plus I remember how grumpy you used to be when you didn’t get much sleep.”
“Gesture ruined.” I chuck my pillow at him, trying to hide my smile. “Now get out and let me get ready.”
Once they are gone, I flop back on my pillow with a deep sigh. Is Casey Sanders really here? How many years did I dream this wasn’t real and I had stayed with him? I pinch myself to make sure I really am awake. Yep, that hurt, this is real. Austin’s giggles from the living room remind me I need to get moving and with one last big stretch, I shuffle off to the bathroom.
The fluorescent lighting blinds me momentarily till I find my reflection. Ugh, he really did wake the dragon this morning, didn’t he? It’s been years since I’ve stayed up that late, so much for looking like Sleeping Beauty. The bags under my eyes remind me I’m no spring chicken anymore and he has a gorgeous fiancée back home who probably has a perfect body like he does. I throw the washcloth at myself in the mirror and turn to the shower. I need to stop caring; he’ll be back in his world as soon as my case is closed.
After a quick shower where I desperately try to forget his tan stomach and muscled shoulders when he hugged me last night, it took a lot of effort not to try out the extendable shower head. I need to keep thinking of the beauty waiting for him back home to cool me down.
Getting dressed between bites of breakfast, I refuse to acknowledge to myself that I’m spending more time on my hair and makeup than I have done in years. It’s easier to lie and say I need to put on a good show around town while I’m waiting on my trial.
“Mom, come on, I’m going to be late.”
With one last look in the mirror, I give myself a confident
nod and head out to the living room separating our bedrooms.
“Okay, okay, hold your horses, I’m ready.” I pause to glare at them, they are sprawled across the couches pretending to be asleep. “Really, guys? I didn’t take that long.”
With a loud snore from Casey, he pretends to jerk awake and shake Austin awake, too.
“Hurry, Austin, to the bat mobile before she starts doing something else. Lucky for us I called ahead to have the valet pull the car up.”
In an impressively manly gesture, he grabs Austin and throws him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, grabs his backpack and stands up effortlessly. I may need to change my underwear already.
Realizing my mouth is open and I’m staring, I clear my throat and head for the door quickly. This arrangement is going to be torture. To make matters worse, I’m sharing a room with my kids so I can’t even get a little me time with Casey starring in my fantasy.
Casey sits Austin down when the elevator comes and lets him push the buttons.
“Austin mentioned he buys school lunch so I didn’t need to worry about packing anything for him. I’m not sure what you normally do for lunch but if you would like, I can swing by and we can grab something near your work?”
“That should be fine. Oh crap, Kacee is going to need a ride, too. Normally she buses to the apartment.”
“Don’t worry, it’s all covered. I told her I would pick her up from school. I thought it would give us a chance to hang out more, then we’ll pick up Austin and you later.”
“You are efficient, aren’t you?”
“My secretary would disagree. She will tell you I couldn’t survive a day without her and she’s right. I guess she has rubbed off on me a little. Don’t tell her though, it will make her smug.”
I chuckle and smile at the doorman who holds the car door open.
After a short drive, we drop Austin at school and within another few minutes, we’re at my building.
“So if you’ll text me when you are on your way, I’ll be ready down here then we can go to the cafe down the street.”
“Sounds like a plan, have a good day at work.”
With an awkward smile, I jump out and head into work. My dreams are finally a reality, even though they will be short lived, and to think, it only took getting arrested for it to happen.
Chapter Thirteen
Casey
I need to focus on Brittany’s case but that album threw me for a loop. It’s not that I haven’t thought about having kids. I think deep down I knew Monica wasn’t right for me and that’s what’s been holding me back from setting a wedding date and starting our family. Seeing Brittany like I remember her but holding our baby was possibly the most overwhelming experience of my life. How can I go back to my old life now?
I open the precinct door and feel a hand slap me on the back.
“Earth to Casey, I called your name five times. You are seriously in your own head, aren’t you?”
“Oh sorry, Carter, I was thinking about the case.”
“More like thinking about the woman involved in the case. You guys seem to have some serious history.”
I hear the curiosity in his voice as much as the concern. We’re all taught not to handle cases that are personal to us. I’m only allowed to help as long as he lets me, he can’t know how close I am to all of this.
“I haven’t seen Brittany in a long time so it was a bit of a shock to catch up. Now how about we start looking through those witness statements?”
I walk on before he can say anything further. We head back to the arresting officer’s desk, so far everyone has been very polite. If there are any cops who are friendly with the Montgomery’s, they have really good poker faces.
“Hey, Steve, do you have the rest of the statements ready for us to read over?”
He stands and shakes our hands firmly.
“I’ve got everything in the conference room over there.” He walks into the room and waves us in, then looks out in the hall before speaking again, “I really don’t want that douche bag getting away with this so if you guys need anything, let me know. I can help on my time off, too, if you think I can be of any use.”
He hands us his card; his cell number is circled in the bottom corner.
“I’ll leave you guys to it then, oh and there’s fresh coffee in the break room if you need some.”
“Thanks, Steve, and I’m sure we’ll be in touch.”
I wait till the door is closed before turning back to Carter.
“So is he someone we can trust or is he staying close to keep tabs?”
“I don’t know exactly who we can trust but as far as I know, he’s always been a good guy. How about we be careful what we share with him?”
With a quick nod, I sit down and grab the first file off the stack.
Two hours later, I can’t control my frustration any longer and slap down the file in my hand.
“Are you kidding me? These statements are ridiculous. Everyone has the exact same story and they all claim Kacee was never there and Brittany was unprovoked in her attack.”
“All the ones I’ve read say the same thing. I told you this wasn’t going to be easy.”
“Do we know if there were any surveillance cameras in there? And why the hell did they let a minor in that place anyway?”
He grabs another file and flips through for a minute.
“Says here the cameras were off that night so they didn’t get any of this on tape. We can’t get the owner on the minor thing either because they do teen night once a week, anyone fourteen to twenty can be in there.”
“There has to be someone who is willing to tell the truth.” I can’t hide the slight edge of desperation in my voice.
“Why don’t you go get some lunch then we’ll work on the paperwork to get a change of venue. If we can get it moved out of the area, she has a good shot at a fair trial.”
“Maybe I can make some calls and see if anyone has a connection out here. We have to get that venue change approved. I won’t lose this case.”
Chapter Fourteen
Brittany
“Spill the beans, what haven’t you been telling me?”
I look up from my computer and stare wide eyed at Sharon. I wasn’t ready to tell everyone about the case yet but apparently my best friend of five years knows.
“I was going to tell you, I swear.”
“Seriously, how can you keep such a delicious secret from me?”
Um, now I’m confused. I raise my eyebrow and wait for her to go on, no reason to spill more than I need to.
“The guy...in the reception area asking for you? He said you are expecting him?”
I look at the clock and see it’s quarter to twelve. He’s early and he was supposed to text me to come down. So much for keeping things to myself for a while.
“Oh, you mean Mr. Sanders, well he’s actually here on business but we’re going to discuss it over lunch.”
I can see the skepticism in her eyes. After all, I’m an office assistant, what kind of business do I need to attend to? No reason to tell her it’s personal yet.
“If he’s available, you better turn that business into pleasure soon. It’s been a while for you and you could use the release.”
I give her a mocking shocked face before giggling and walking out to reception. She catches up easily and follows me out. She’s determined to embarrass me, I know it.
Coming around the corner, I see him standing by the window staring out at the city. God he is gorgeous, when will this punch to the gut feeling stop?
“Casey, all set?”
I hear Sharon clear her throat, of course she wants an introduction.
“This is my friend, Sharon; Sharon this is Casey Sanders.”
“How funny, you have the same first name as her daughter.”
My eyes bulge and his baby blues flicker to my face and back to hers.
“That is an interesting coincidence, isn’t it?”
“Well, I onl
y get forty-five minutes for lunch so we best get going.”
“Have fun, I’ll be here when you get back.”
I glare at her over my shoulder as I follow him out the door. I can expect an interrogation when I get back.
Being the perfect gentleman, he opens all the doors for me, pulls my chair out and lets me order first. It’s refreshing to be with someone who has manners. Joey, my ex, was not such a catch after all.
I’m pulled from my musings when the waiter returns with our salads.
“So how’s everything going with Mr. Carter so far. Have you guys made much progress?”
“I’ll be honest, we have an uphill battle ahead of us but he’s a sharp guy and knows the locals so we should be able to get this taken care of quickly. If I can get proof against Dirk, I think we can pressure him to drop the case.”
“But being who he is, I’m guessing you aren’t finding any one to speak up against him?”
The worry in my stomach returns. As much as I want to believe Casey is my knight in shining armor and can rescue me, I am a realist and know who we’re dealing with.
“We’re still combing through everything, but let’s talk about something else. How about telling me about what happened to you after your GED. Have you been at this job the entire time?”
I can’t help the smile at seeing his genuine curiosity.
“Actually, I was able to stay home with Kacee until she was two but then mom wanted to move out of Grandma’s place so I got a part-time job at the same restaurant mom was working at. The owners were cool, they made sure to never schedule us at the same time. I still pick up shifts there when I can. That’s where I was when Kacee called the other night. After Austin’s dad left, the kids and I had to move in with Mom for a while. She would have been happy if we had stayed forever, but I wanted my own place. So I got this assistant job and after a year, I was able to give the kids an apartment with their own rooms.”
Forever Yours, Casey Page 5