Lost and Found

by Jennifer Bryan Yarbrough

  "Oh, I wouldn't say it was all me, Mrs. Kingston, but it is such a beautiful picture I must say."

  "Honey, don't sell yourself so short and please call me Amelia. We are family now, because I know that you are in love with my son, and don't deny it! I can also tell that he is in love with you as well. I didn't miss the exchange between you and my boys. I thought Cash was going to kill Caleb right there on the spot and you handled it quite gracefully I must say. Thank you for that." She has the same deep blue eyes as Cash, but an extra twinkle in them, as she's smiling back at me.

  "They do have some things that they need to work through privately and hopefully it will be a calm conversation for the both of them." My comment has Amelia chuckling.

  "Oh, if I know my boys it won't start out calm. They used to be the best of friends, until Vanessa died and Cash went invisible on us. Did you know I hadn't physically seen him for almost a year, until the day I met you? The only reason I knew he was alive was because he would call me back occasionally. I was praying he was going to be home after the kids told me about you and that wretched nanny getting kicked out BY YOU!" Wow! I knew he had shut out the world, but his own mother as well?

  "That needed to happen! She was an evil woman and every time I picture what she was about to do to Gideon, I want to find her and punch her lights out! I'm sorry. I'm really not a violent person, but when it comes to defenseless children, I just lose it!"

  "Oh honey, I'm not violent either, until you mess with my family! Don't you ever apologize for defending my precious grandbabies. I am so happy you came into their lives, because they needed someone to love them and I can tell that you truly do. How long have you been a nanny, if you don't mind my asking? Tell me everything about you; I want to get to know you better."

  She is such a sweetheart, but this is one reason why I hate getting to know new people and sharing my story. She's not just anyone, though. She is Cash's mother and he and the kids mean the world to me, as they do her.

  "I've been a nanny since the day I started watching Gideon and Eden, believe it or not." She looks shocked at my answer. "But I have lots of experience with kids, because I have... I mean had....three of my own. I am also a widow like Cash. It will be two years in March since the car accident that killed my husband and kids. I was driving and was the only survivor."

  I'm shocked at how I told her all of that so fast without falling apart. It has gotten easier to talk about, thank God.

  "Oh, Honey! I had no idea. I just... I couldn't imagine how you've managed to get to where you are now. I so admire your strength. I want to give you a hug. Do you mind?"

  I see genuine concern in her misty eyes, which has my eyes misting up and I nod and she leans towards me, cradles me in her arms, and hugs me tight as if I were a child. She pulls away and pats me on the cheek.

  "Is everything okay here?" Cash. I should have known. I look up at him and he has a worried look on his face and is arching his eyebrows at me, silently asking if I'm okay and I nod that I'm fine.

  "Oh everything is fine here, Cash. Olivia and I were just getting to know each other better." She leans up on her tippy toes and kisses him on the cheek. "You better treat her right and don't mess things up with her, because she's a keeper." Cash looks at me and his mom.

  "Mother, she's a wonderful nanny to the kids, so don't worry. She's not going anywhere." Nanny? He better just be pretending that there's nothing going on between us. I wanted to keep the kids from knowing, not his family!

  "Oh, don't pull that crap with me, Gideon Cash! I can see with my own eyes what's going on between you two and don't you dare refer to her as just the nanny again, she doesn't deserve that! At least be honest with your own mother!" He drops his head like a small child that has been chastised.

  "I'm sorry Mother, you too Olivia. You're right, I'm madly in love with her, but we haven't told the kids yet and we don't want to get them too excited, because everything has happened so fast. I've got a lot of making up to do as their parent and I’m working on that before we go public." She starts to say something, but she's interrupted by Caleb.

  "Go public? That's funny. All anybody has to do is spend five minutes with you two and know that you two are banging, do you think we're all..." Caleb didn't get to finish what he was about to say, because Cash punched him right there in front of his mother, which got everyone's attention.

  "Don't you EVER disrespect my Mother like that again by talking like that in front of her and don't you EVER disrespect the woman I love AGAIN! Do you hear me, Caleb? Are we clear?" Amelia is absolutely enraged and by now Claudia has joined us, while Cash's father has rushed the kids into the house.

  "I've just about had it with you two boys! If you were still Gideon's age, I'd make you guys hug and kiss each other until you both couldn't stand it! Forget the past and forgive each other and MOVE ON! You two used to be best friends and you BOTH better fix this relationship!

  I will never ever upset this woman. I thought Cash was scary when he was mad. I see where he gets his temper from. Amelia's face softens and she puts a hand on each shoulder of her two sons.

  "Listen, both of you." She looks at Cash first and pats him on the cheek. "My heart has been just as broken as yours Cash since Vanessa died. I loved her as if she were my own daughter." I see both Cash and Amelia tearing up and Claudia comes closer to me and grabs my hand. I feel like we are intruding on a very private moment.

  "Everyone loved her, all of us. But not only did we lose Vanessa, but we lost you, too." He is very solemn now and lowers his head with tears in his eyes. "We didn't have time to grieve like you did, Son. Someone had to take care of the children and show them some sort of a semblance of a family." Cash is offended by this and I know it's just because he feels like she has shamed him in front of everyone.

  "I'm not trying to throw it in your face like your brother has." This is when my tears fall, because Amelia is bawling now. "As a mother, when my babies hurt, no matter how old you boys are? I hurt for you as well, which is why I have spent so much time with the kids, because I knew you didn't know how to deal with your grief." All of us are crying now. "As for you Caleb. You have always worshipped your brother and the last thing he needed was for you to kick him while he was down." Caleb starts to say something, but she shakes her head at him and continues.

  "I know that you went to your brother's house last year out of genuine love and concern and not hate and animosity, which is how your conversation ended up going." She's standing closer in front of both of them and patting them on the cheek. "I also know that you were trying to wake your brother up, because he was running from everyone and wouldn't stop let us all grieve as a family. You BOTH need to tell each other that you are sorry and please get back to where you were before everything happened, because I want my family back!" Both brothers look at each other, as if they were wondering if they can go back.

  "So, both of you go do something fun, go get some drinks. I don't care what you do, as long as you get out and do it tonight! Keep your hands off of each other as well! I will be asking Olivia tomorrow when I drop the kids off if you boys were on your best behavior!" Cash immediately panics.

  "But Mother, I was taking Olivia out tonight for our first..."

  "I hope you're not going to say your first date, Gideon Cash, because I thought I raised you better than that! It looks to me as if you started backwards in this relationship!" She looks over at me.

  "Olivia, do you mind changing your plans for an old frustrated mother?" How could I say no to her?

  "Of course I don't mind, Cash and I can go out anytime." I get a big grin from her and I look at Cash and Caleb and neither one of them seem very excited. Claudia interrupts.

  "It looks like you three have a date tonight. Mrs. Kingston, it was such a lovely party and I really enjoyed myself, but I have tons of paperwork I need to get started on tonight for work." She hugs Amelia and turns around to hug me.

  "Oh no you don't, Cruella. If I have to go, then you're goi
ng as well. Let’s make it a double date! I DARE you to last two hours with all of us."

  I look at Caleb and he's smirking and I would have to say that he definitely knows Claudia very well, because she never passes up a dare. I look at her and she's fuming and has her fists on each side of her.

  I walk over to Cash to get away from her wrath and he pulls me closer to him in a way of protection. Amelia has a confused look on her face and doesn't have a clue about what's going on.

  "Alright, Caleb! Game on buddy. On one condition." He arches his eyebrows at her wondering what her condition is.

  "What would that be, Cruella?"

  "That you NEVER call me CRUELLA again, you arrogant ASS!" Her scream made us all jump and I swear I saw Caleb wince, but he tried to appear strong.

  "If that's the condition, then I'm going to up the dare to three hours, so you'll have a long enough time to convince me that you don't act like a self-centered...." I wasn't about to let him finish whatever he was going to say, so I interrupted him.

  "OKAY! Claud, would you like to stop by Cash's house, so that we can find something for you and I to wear?" She looks at me and the look on her face makes me realize that she forgot I was even there.

  "Sure, O, and you're riding with me. Let the brothers’ ride to Cash's together. Maybe they'll kill each other on their way there and we can just have a girl’s night."

  She nods at Amelia and heads through the house to go to her car. I hug Amelia and thank her for the lovely day. I'm sure she's wondering if she was right in suggesting us all going out now. I walk over to Cash for a hug and a kiss, in case I never see him again.

  "Honey, I think you should drive and maybe turn the radio up, so you don't have to listen to her scream all the way to the house. I love you, please be careful. We will be there as soon as I say goodbye to the kids." I lean my head against his chest and breathe in and out a few times to psyche myself up for the car ride.

  "I love you too, but I might push her into the trunk!" I look over at Caleb and he's still smirking and smiling at me. I just shake my head and walk into the house to say goodbye to Gideon Sr. and the kids. I wonder to myself how I keep getting into situations like this. Tonight will probably be very eventful and not in a good way either.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Cash knocks on my bedroom door and comes into the room, after I yelled that it was open, to see if Claudia and I were ready and I'm so thankful to see him. Claudia screamed and cursed all the way to the house and continued doing so while we were getting ready.

  I run into his arms for a warm embrace, because my nerves are so shot from listening to her go on and on about Caleb and how did she end up stuck into going to dinner with all of us.

  I mentioned that it was her own fault and that if she would quit feeling the need to act like a child when someone dares her to do something, she wouldn't be stuck in this predicament. After the evil I wish you were dead look she gave me, I didn't say another word.

  "I know this wasn't how our night was supposed to have gone, Liv. I really had special plans for us and was going to show you how much you mean to me." He genuinely looks upset and it makes me wonder what all he had planned for us.

  "I feel it every day how much you care about me, and every night you continue to show me how much you love me. As long as I'm with you, I don't care what we do. Can't we get our own table in a corner somewhere and leave them to fight amongst themselves?" We both chuckle at that, because that wasn't what Amelia had planned for us.

  "If I wasn't being forced to mend fences with my brother and sit through a meal with him, then we would be doing just that! Has Claudia calmed down any?" I shake my head no.

  He lowers down and gives me a light slow kiss, pushes my hair back, and kisses me on my neck behind my ear, while I breathe in his intoxicating scent that has me moaning.

  "Can we just stay in and cuddle on the couch in front of the fire? Doesn't that sound like a great idea? Why exactly do we have to go out tonight with these two?" He moans at that idea, but Claudia ruins the moment.

  "Because your boyfriend couldn't keep his hands to himself, that's why! Cash! You realize this is your fault, don't you? If you wouldn't have punched Caleb, we

  wouldn't have to be doing this!" She's standing with her hands on her hips and staring him down.

  "Honestly Claudia, if you knew how to turn down a dare. You weren't even included in the punishment Mother gave us, so that's on you, my dear." The truth hurt obviously, because she growled like a bear and picked up her clutch and stormed out of the room, which had both of us giggling.

  "Oh Lord, please help us tonight! Please tell me we are taking separate cars at least?" He grabs my hand and leads me out of the room to head downstairs.

  "I called my driver that I use for work and he should be here any minute to pick us up. I suspect there will be drinking, considering no one is happy about how our evening has turned out." I agreed. I might actually drink if it gets too bad.

  We walk into the living room and I hadn't even noticed how gorgeous Claudia had looked when she stormed out of my bedroom. We had argued over my dresses. I had wanted the blue mini dress, because Cash loved it when I wore blue to match my eyes. She even tried to take it from me, but I refused to let her bully me, so I left her a bunch of dresses to choose from.

  She opted for the red mini and on her; it looks more like a long shirt. I can't help but hide my grin, because of the way that Caleb is looking at her from across the room, as she's trying to pretend that he's invisible.

  "Are you guys ready to leave or what? I'm ready to get this over with!" Her claws have fully extended and I would love more than anything to meow at her in a bitchy way, but I really don't want to lose any more hair today.

  "Yes, Jason just pulled up. I called my limo driver from work, so that if any of us decided to drink we wouldn't have to worry about who would be the designated driver. In the words of the Black eyed Peas... Let's get this party started!" They look at him as if he has lost his mind and I grab his hand and grin.

  "You guys are a tough crowd!" He shakes his head and leads us all to the limo.

  We pull up to The Plaza and I look over at Cash and he's grinning from ear to ear. I knew immediately that this was where he was planning on taking me on our first date, since it was the place that we first met.

  "Too corny? I know that night didn't go the way you wanted it to, but every time I drive by it, I think about you. If it wouldn't have been for that meeting with Paul that night, we probably wouldn't have met." I lean up and kiss him, which has Claudia and Caleb groaning.

  "No, it's perfect. I'll always love this place for the same reason." It's amazing how things change so quickly. I left that night thinking he was a selfish bastard and here I am falling in love with him more and more every day.

  "Sorry to interrupt the love fest going on here, but can we go in already, or do you two want to just get a room? This is a hotel after all! Geez! I will be SO HAPPY when this night is OVER!" Claudia leans over us and tries to open the door.

  "Why don't you calm down, Cruella? What exactly is your problem?" Good Lord. They're already arguing and we haven't even left the car yet! They didn't say a word all the way here, and here we go!

  "Shut up, Nerd Boy! Go find you a Star Trek convention somewhere, or have you finally outgrown them?" I look at Cash to do something before this gets any worse. I know Claudia well and when she gets mad, the whole world will know it. He opens the door, so that we can get out.

  "By the way Cru, it was Star Wars and I never went to any of the conventions, I just loved watching the movies and don't call me Nerd Boy! It wasn't funny then and it's not funny now!" She stops and turns around and sticks her finger in his face to where he can't get out of the limo.

  "I'll quit calling you Nerd Boy when you quit calling me Cruella! Shortening it to CRU is the same thing, ASSHOLE!" Oh my God. They're acting like kindergarteners and I've had it.

  "Claudia! You're making a scene right here on t
he sidewalk! I want BOTH of you to knock it off and let’s have a calm dinner and try to get to know each other a little better!" They both start to say something.

  "I'm not going to hear anything either of you have to say, so shut up and act like the adults that you are!" I didn't realize I was pointing my finger at both of them, until I see them both drop their heads and nod. As we are walking in, I hear them talking behind us.

  "Come on, Caleb. I wouldn't put it past her to give us the kiddie menu, if they have one and make us write sentences during dinner. Truce? After tonight, we never have to see each other again."

  "Yeah truce. Let's just get through tonight. I didn't realize my brother was with such a ball buster!"

  I make sure Cash didn't just hear what he said and he didn't. He was talking to the waiter, thank God. I find it comical that Caleb thinks I'm the ball buster, considering he's talking to the biggest ball buster of them all. Maybe I should make him write sentences during dinner. Just the idea had me grinning.

  *********************

  Cash managed to get us seated at the exact same table we sat at the night we met.

  "Liv, you're sitting next to me tonight. I don't want to be limping for the next couple of days, if you don't mind."

  He pulls the seat out for me and chuckles under his breath, when he notices me blushing. He leans down and kisses me on the forehead.

  The moment is ruined, when Claudia and Caleb come to the table arguing about which seat they were going to sit in. She won, when she stomped on his foot with the heel of her shoe. Looks like Caleb will be the one walking with a limp this time. She sits down next to me and leans over to whisper in my ear.

  "O, why the hell are we here? Cash and Caleb are how old exactly? Their mother still punishes them? Why couldn't she have just put them in a time out chair instead of this stupid ridiculous idea?" She waves her hand at the table and I just roll my eyes at her. "I know, I know. Don't you dare throw it up in my face that I couldn't back down from a dare."