by Kaylee Ryan
After cleaning us both up, I toss the washcloth into the hamper and crawl back into bed. I open my arms for her and she comes willingly, resting her head on my chest. My hand traces her spine as we enjoy this moment.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You. Us. Kendrix. I meant what I said, Laney. I never want to be away from either of you ever again. So, you need to tell me what we’re going to do.”
“What do you mean?”
Here goes nothing.
I’m putting it all out there on the line. No holding back. “Where do you want to live, Laney? Here or California?”
“This is your home.”
“And California is yours.”
She’s quiet, and I don’t push her for more. I know she’s processing something; she used to do it then as well. She’s still my Laney—just forgetful. “California has never felt like home as much as Tennessee has since I’ve been here.”
“I go where you go. You and Kendrix, that’s what I need to make my life complete, and you know, maybe a brother or sister, possibly both, for Kendrix.” There’s hope in my voice, and it’s real. I would love to have more babies with her. To get to experience it every step of the way. To watch her body grow and change with our baby. I never thought of pregnancy as sexy until I pictured Laney pregnant with our baby.
“What does that mean? For us, I mean?”
I roll out from under her so we’re both lying on our sides. I need her to see me face-to-face when I say this. “To me, that means that you are the love of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life loving you. That means I want you and Kendrix to have my last name. That means that nothing and no one will ever keep you from me again.”
“What if I told you I didn’t want us to be together? What then?”
My heart stalls in my chest. It’s not really an option for me, but I have to consider that’s what could happen. “I’d never stop trying to make you fall in love with me. However, if that were the case, I’d still follow you wherever you go. Our little girl deserves both of us in her life. I won’t settle for anything less for her.”
Her eyes well with tears. “Can I tell you a secret?” she asks softly.
“You can tell me anything.”
“I could fall in love with you.”
My heart that was just stalled kicks into overdrive, and I feel as though it could beat right out of my chest. I know it’s not a confession, but it’s the next best thing in our situation. “Can I tell you a secret?” I ask once I can breathe right again.
“Anything.”
“I won’t stop until you do.”
The smile that crosses her face is pure joy. Not just an “I’m happy to be here or good to see you” smile. It lights up her face. Her blue eyes sparkle, and I feel her happiness in my soul.
“We should probably go get our girl.”
It’s the first time she’s referred to her as ours, and it sounds like she means it. “Shower, then Kendrix. Why don’t we swing by the house and get some more of your stuff? I want you all to stay with me. There’s no point in living in a construction zone. You can hang out here during the day, or stop by the house, whatever works, but I want you both with me.”
“Okay.”
“Just like that?”
“Just like that. How else are you supposed to have a chance to make me fall in love with you?”
“Good point.” I kiss her hard and climb out of bed, offering her my hand. With her hand in mine, I lead her to the bathroom. Once the water is hot, we step under the spray, and her soft hands begin to roam over my body. A man can only take so much. Climbing out of the shower, dripping water all over the floor, I rustle around in the drawers for a condom. Ripping it open, I cover my hard cock and step back in the shower. Without warning, I lift her in my arms. She yelps in surprise but wraps her body around mine. Pushing her back against the wall, I slide home and fuck her against the shower wall. It’s fast and dirty and even though it’s a complete contrast to earlier in my bed, it’s no less intimate.
It’s us, and it’s perfect.
Chapter 19
Delaney
Today has been perfect. I’ve never felt this undeniable happiness than when I’m with Kent. Something told me that I needed to come here. That it needed to be me who oversaw the renovations of the house, but never in my wildest dreams did I imagine how much it would change my life. The odds of us finding our way back to each other, without my memory, was slim, but fate was on our side.
Not just fate, but my father. He left the house to me. He wanted me to come back here. It’s almost as if he knew that I would defy my mother and visit the estate before selling it. In fact, I would bet he knew the thought of selling it hurt my heart. Almost as much as me not being able to remember it.
My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I dig it out of my purse. “Hello.”
“Ms. Nottingham, Harold Garcia. How are you?”
“Hi, Mr. Garcia. I’m doing well. The remodel is moving along smoothly.”
“That’s why I was calling. I have something for you. It was in your father’s will that I not give it to you until you’d had experienced Tennessee for yourself. I just got a call from your mother, and the conversation led me to believe that you have indeed experienced our great state.”
“I have, in a sense, but it’s more the people.” I glance over at Kent, and he smiles from his seat behind the wheel of his truck. “We’re actually on our way to the estate now. Do you need to meet up with me today?” I find it odd he’s calling on a Saturday afternoon. Whatever my mother said to him must have him feeling as though he needs to act promptly.
“I can meet you there. An hour?”
“Sure. We’re on our way there now. We’ll wait for you.”
“See you soon.” He ends the call.
“That’s weird.” I explain the conversation to Kent.
“Something from your dad’s will? Maybe it’s the deed?”
“No. I already have the deed. Much to my mother’s dismay. Apparently, she called him. I didn’t ask him what she wanted. Looks like we’re going to find out soon enough. Should we call your parents? Check on Kendrix?”
“Nah, she’s fine… unless you want to?”
“Do you mind?”
“Of course not. Here.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket and hands it to me, rattling off the access code.
“Just like that?”
“Just like what?”
“You give me your code?”
“Laney, you own me, heart and soul. The password to my cell phone is nothing compared to what I’ve already given you.” Reaching over, he rests his hand on my thigh.
Unlocking the screen, I scroll through his recent calls. “Should I call your mom or your dad?”
“Either.”
Knowing he called his mom earlier, I hit her contact and place the phone to my ear. It rings twice before she answers.
“Hello.”
“Hi, Georgia, it’s Delaney.”
“Oh, hi, sweetheart.”
“How’s Kendrix?”
“She’s perfect. We just built a fort in the living room.”
“I bet she loves that.”
“She’s having a ball. We are too. She’s something else.”
“Thank you for watching her. Can I speak to her?”
“Oh, don’t thank us for watching our granddaughter. That’s an honor. Just a sec.”
I hear her call out to Kendrix, and then her little feet and her voice as she grows closer. “Hi, Mommy.”
“Hi, sweetie. Are you having a good time?”
“Yes.” She rattles on about cookies, and movies, and forts and popcorn and if it were possible, my heart would be smiling. I love seeing her so excited. My mom never plays with her, and my dad, well, he was too busy working all the time. She’s loving the attention, love, and affection they are showering her with.
“Daddy and I are going to go to the big house and grab some clothe
s. We’re going to stay at his house again tonight.”
“I wanna stay here and sleep in my fort.”
“You do?”
“Yep.”
“Okay, let me talk to Daddy, and we can decide when we get there.”
“Okay, Mommy, bye. Love you. Mamaw hewear.” The phone clatters to the table, causing me to pull it away from my ear, and then Georgia is back on the line.
“Sorry about that. You kids take your time. We’re enjoying our day.”
“Thank you. We’re going to run by my house. We have a few things to pick up, and then we’ll be there to get her.”
“She’s welcome to spend the night.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to Kent. Either way, we’ll be there.”
“Sounds good, sweetheart. Talk to you soon,” she says, and the line goes dead.
“She having fun?” Kent asks.
“Yes. Apparently, they built a fort.”
He nods. “Yeah, we used to do that all the time when I was a kid.”
“She wants to spend the night.”
“How do you feel about that?”
“I don’t know. She’s only ever stayed with my mom without me, and that was just recently when I came here.”
“Don’t worry about offending them. You decide what you feel is best for you and Kendrix.”
“And you?”
“I’m going with whatever makes you the most comfortable. Baby steps and all that.”
“We’re hardly taking baby steps.”
“Not us, Laney. I meant you and Kendrix with my parents. There are no baby steps where we’re concerned. It’s more of a sprint. No steps.” He laughs.
“Who’s that?” I ask, my attention pulled from our conversation to the car sitting in front of my house.
Kent stops the truck, and the front door of the house opens, and low and behold, there stands my mother. “Shit,” Kent mumbles.
“What is she doing here?”
“Only one way to find out.” He reaches for his door, but my hand on his arm stops him.
“You don’t have to deal with her. I know you said she treated you badly in the past. I don’t want you to have to deal with that.”
“Laney, we’re a team, and I can handle anything she throws my way. I have my girls, and that’s what matters to me. She can spew her hatred for me. Besides, she’s the one who lied to you. My guess is she’s here to grovel.”
“You don’t know my mother.”
“Then she’s trespassing. We call the cops if she refuses to give us the key that she obviously has, and leave.”
“This is going to get ugly.”
“She brought this on herself, Delaney. Not you. You are innocent in all of this.”
I nod. I know he’s right, but I just don’t want to deal with her. Today has been amazing, one of the best I can ever remember, and now she’s here to ruin it. With a heavy sigh, I reach for the handle and climb out of his truck. Kent is waiting for me, his hand stretched out for mine, and I don’t hesitate to take it. Hand in hand, we make our way onto the porch to face my mother.
“Well, don’t the two of you look cozy,” she sneers.
“What are you doing here, Mother?”
“This is my house.”
“No, it’s not. This is my house. I have the deed in my name. Dad left it to me.”
She mumbles something under her breath about how she can’t believe he did that. “Semantics. I’m contacting an attorney. This place should have been mine. You are my daughter, I fought for you, and you will listen to me.”
“What are you doing here?” I ask her again. She’s lost her damn mind. What does she mean she fought for me? I’ve never seen her fight for anything in her entire life. She manipulates and bosses, never fights.
“I never left. I’ve been staying in town. I wanted to give you a few days to cool down and come to your senses, but now I see I was wrong in doing that. You let this man get his hooks in you. You always were so naïve, Delaney. You can’t believe everything you’re told.”
“That’s rich coming from you. You mean the way I believed my mother when she told me the father of my child didn’t want us?” Kent squeezes my hand. I know my words affect him, but he’s letting me fight this battle on my own. His silent support means everything to me.
“I did what was best for you. Look at him, Delaney. He’s trash. You deserve better.”
“Trash? Are you kidding me right now? He’s the best person I know. And you’re right. I do deserve better. Better than a mother who would lie to me, better than a mother who has manipulated me and taken advantage of my lost memory to mold my life the way you saw fit. You robbed us of time. You robbed Kendrix of her father. You’re the trash, Mother.”
“Where is my granddaughter?”
“With her grandparents.”
“What?” she screeches. “You left her with his family? You don’t even know them. You’re unfit. I didn’t want to have to do this, but you aren’t capable of raising her.”
“The hell I’m not!” I scream. I drop Kent’s hand and take the three remaining steps so we’re face-to-face. “She’s my daughter. I have raised her on my own!” I scream, not giving a shit who hears me. “She doesn’t know her father because of you. Your lies. He’s a good man, and they’re good people. She’s happy, healthy, and safe.” I shake my head, barely controlling my rage. “You’re not welcome here, Mother. Leave.”
“No. I have every right to be here.”
Before I can answer her, a black sedan pulls into the driveway, and Mr. Garcia climbs out. Kent looks at me and motions with his head as he turns to walk back down the steps to greet him. I’m sure he’s trying to prevent him from hearing the argument.
“Look at you. Following him like some lovesick fool. If you continue to see him, I will take you to court. I will take her from you.”
“Excuse me? Do you actually think a judge is going to take a little girl from her parents? We are her parents, not you. You have no case.”
“You’re unfit, leaving her with strangers.”
I can’t help it. I laugh. Not just a “ha ha” laugh, but a deep “throw your head back, deep in your gut” laugh. She’s delusional, and I hate I’m just now seeing this side of her. She manipulated me for years, and now she’s not getting her way, her true colors come out. I remember her being controlling growing up, but I chalked that up to my being a teenager and rebelling. But this, this is another level, and I can’t help but wonder how many fights like this we had about Kenton.
“You’ve lost your damn mind. Go home, Mother. You’re not welcome here.”
“No, I’m not leaving without my granddaughter. If you want to slum it, that’s fine, but you won’t subject her to that.”
“He’s her father!” I roar. I take a step toward her. “You have no rights to our daughter. None. The game is over. You lost. Move on.” I turn on my heel. I can’t look at her, and there is no reasoning with her. She’s lost her mind.
“Delaney!” she screams, and I ignore her until I feel a yank at my hair. The pain is instant, and so is what happens next. I feel my feet slip out from under me, the thin layer of snow frozen over has me slipping. I hear Kenton call out for me. I feel the pain as it radiates in my hip as I go down and then nothing. My world fades to dark.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
The annoying sound pulls me from sleep. Slowly, I force my eyes open and am greeted with soft white lights. Turning my head, I see Kent sitting in a chair. His head is resting on the side of the bed, my hand held tight in his. I take a minute to survey what I’m feeling. My hip hurts, my wrist is wrapped, and other than that, I feel fine. I woke up initially in the ambulance on the way to the ER. Kent was there, by my side, like a pillar of strength.
How could my mother say such awful things about a man like him? He’s selfless and loving, and it’s his honesty that’s helped me see what was really happening. My mother spent years manipulating me. I feel like such a fool. While I know it’s t
he memory loss, I hate that I couldn’t see through her and her lies.
Looking at him sleeping at my bedside, my heart is full. He’s everything I never knew I really wanted. Then again, I guess I did know back then. I like the thought of even then, I knew he was special.
“Kent,” I whisper, wiggling my fingers, trying to get his attention.
His head pops up and his eyes are red. “Laney,” he exhales.
“How long have I been here?”
“Just a few hours.”
“Kendrix?”
“She’s with my parents. I told them not to tell her. I called her and told her she got to have a sleepover. She was excited. When she asked to talk to you, I told her you were sleeping, and that you loved her.” His voice cracks.
“My mother?”
“The waiting room. I told them she wasn’t allowed back. She fought it until Mr. Garcia and I told them how you fell. She’s lucky they don’t haul her ass off to jail.”
“It wasn’t an accident. I don’t think she meant to hurt me, but she meant to grab for me.”
“I know. Fuck, Laney, you could have been hurt so much worse. You need to decide if you want to press charges.”
“No. I just want it to be over. I know she’s beating herself up about this. She’s controlling but she’s not violent. This has never happened before. She felt like she was losing control. She lost control.” I pause, trying to take stock of my injuries. “What’s the verdict?”
“Bruised hip, sprained wrist. You’ll be sore for a few days, but you’re going to be fine.” He stands and kisses my cheek before burying his face in my neck. “I missed you, Laney,” he whispers, and something flashes in my mind. It’s the two of us lying in… a bed? He whispers those same words to me. It’s the same deep timbre of his voice and the warmth his words cause inside.