by Dana Mason
Ali closed her eyes and tried not to lose it. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “He put something in my coffee . . .” She let out a shaky exhale. “What was it?”
“He gave you a Rophy, that’s why you don’t remember anything.”
She dropped her hands and opened her eyes. “A Rophy—oh God!” She crossed her arms over her chest, overcome with the feeling of filth. Johnny rested a hand on her shoulder. “Oh my God . . .” Her voice pitched and she couldn’t breathe, gasping in and out, fighting for air and fighting hyperventilation.
“No—no, sweetheart.” He cupped her face and forced her to focus on him. “We got there in time. We stopped him.”
“A . . . are you sure?” She stuttered, throwing her hands over her mouth to help control her breathing. “How—how do you know?”
“Baby, he still had his pants on when Brian and I got there. You’ve been completely check out, you’re fine, he didn’t . . .” Johnny closed his eyes. “He didn’t rape you.”
“But he planned too, didn’t he? Where did you find me?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does!”
He held out a hand in an attempt to calm her. “He had your clothes off . . . sweetheart, but we got there in time.”
“Ew God!” Ali covered her face with her hands again. “That spineless disgusting pig,” she sobbed. “I didn’t have a chance at fighting him while drugged.”
Johnny leaned over her and held her against his chest. “And that’s what he wanted. You without the fight. Typical for a creep like him, but it didn’t happen. I promise you’re okay, and he can’t hurt you again.” He rested his cheek on the top of her head. “I’m sorry we didn’t get there sooner.”
Ali gasped, her entire body aching as she sobbed. “But if you would have been a minute later . . .”
“Don’t think about that,” he whispered. “It didn’t happen and now he can’t hurt you or Micah ever again.”
“He cornered me in the parking lot after lunch,” she said through trembling lips.
“Sweetheart, try to calm down. You’re just going to make your head hurt worse.”
Ali took a deep breath and clung to him tighter, inhaling his scent and closing her eyes, letting his calmness settle in. After several deep breaths, she leaned back against her pillow and wiped her face of tears.
“Melissa and your code talk—Dr. North and the alarm code—you were brilliant.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “And calling us . . . that was so smart.”
“And Carl is so stupid,” she said. “He reached over to hit me then swerved the car. I grabbed the phone when he looked back at the road. I didn’t know if you could hear or not, but I tried to keep him talking anyway.”
“We heard almost everything,” he said, stroking her hair. “Maybe you should think about being a cop instead of a lawyer.”
“No thanks,” she said. “That was enough of an adventure to last me a lifetime.”
“Before Melissa called us . . . we received an update from Peters.” Johnny said, then he propped himself up on the bed next to her.
“And?”
“They caught the woman who snatched Micah, and the driver.”
“They did?” She scooted over to make room for him.
“Yeah, and she talked. Told us who planned the entire thing.”
She closed her eyes and said, “It was Carl.”
“Did he tell you?”
“Not in so many words, but I could tell by the way he was talking.”
“I’m sorry . . . I know you didn’t want to believe he would do something like that.”
“Don’t be, you were right about him all along.”
“I’m not happy about being right, but I am happy he can’t touch either of you again.”
“I can’t believe he thought he could have me by selling our baby on the black market.”
“He’s a fool, but I can’t blame him for being in love with you.”
Carl was crazy. For too long she’d blamed herself for driving him to extremes . . . but not any longer. She wasn’t responsible for his craziness. She’d done everything she could to be a good wife to Carl, and getting pregnant wasn’t something she’d done wrong. If Carl couldn’t see that Micah was a gift then he didn’t deserve to be his father.
Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at her new love. She inhaled slowly, refusing to let those tears fall. She looked into Johnny’s beautiful blue eyes and knew he was everything she didn’t know she needed and she’d almost blown it. “You were right about everything, about Carl, about me . . . I hurt you while trying to do the right thing for him. I am so sorry.”
“You’re a good person, trying to do the right thing. You had no reason to believe Carl would do something like this.” He laid his hand on her cheek and she leaned into his warmth. “I don’t know why you’re always complaining about having a man take care of you, you’ve proven you don’t need one, you protected yourself just fine.”
“How?” She scoffed. “By nearly getting myself raped?”
“No, by staying clear headed when you were in danger. You saved yourself . . . the code talk with your sister and calling us so we could follow you and find you.” His bright eyes were so clear and so tender when he looked at her. “That was smart.”
Ali lay there for a long time and thought about what he’d said and thought about how stupid she’d been, letting Carl spend time with Micah, and lying about it to Johnny.
She lifted her head off his shoulder to make eye contact with him. “If I file for an involuntary release of parental rights against Carl, do you still want to adopt Micah?” Johnny’s eyes flickered in surprise and she thought maybe he’d had second thoughts about it. “Do you still want to?”
He exhaled slowly and closed his eyes. “More than anything.”
As if Micah sensed they were talking about him, he let out a loud gurgle. They both sat up and looked over at the portable crib.
“He was sleeping,” Johnny said as he stood and went over to pick up Micah. He cradled Micah close and lay back down next to Ali. “I love you . . . both of you.”
Chapter Forty-One
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come with you?” Johnny asked, watching as she finished her makeup in the bathroom mirror.
“I’ll be fine. I need to do this alone, although, I appreciate the offer, again.”
He bit back the retort and decided on something simpler to express his displeasure. “I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“There will be a guard on duty . . . and don’t you try sneaking down there to spy.”
“If you don’t want me there then I won’t push it,” Johnny said. “We’re still on for our date tonight, right?”
“Yes, of course. I arranged for Mark and Sarah to baby-sit. It’ll just be the two of us.” Ali shot him a teasing smile as she walked passed him into the bedroom to finish dressing.
“God damn I love you in those business suits,” he drawled. “How does it feel to be a working stiff again?”
“Great—it’s nice to earn a paycheck.”
Johnny snickered. “And you’re getting along with the DA alright?”
She gave him a sideways grin. “Yes, he’s a pleasant man.”
“Good, I’d hate to have to . . .” Johnny went silent when she pulled on a silk blouse. He couldn’t resist sliding his hands up her sides, rubbing the fabric against her skin.
“No, don’t even think about it. You have to wait until tonight.”
Johnny lifted his hands in surrender. “All right . . .” His eyes traveled up and down her body. “I reckon I can wait provided I get to take that off you later.”
At three o’clock the guard led Ali down the long corridor to a locked door. She waited, then entered when he waved her by. When she walked in, the stench of urine and cigarettes assaulted her nose and forced her to take small shallow breathes.
She looked directly into Carl’s eyes and he
ld back her shock at his deterioration. It amazed her how much someone could change in one month’s time. His sunken cheeks and dull eyes were hard to ignore, but it didn’t soften her. She had a reason for coming and it wasn’t to feel sorry for him.
“Good afternoon, Carl,” she said, taking the chair across from him. He looked down and nodded at her without a word. “How are you?”
“Fine,” he said, keeping his eyes on the table.
“I’ll get right down to business, but first I want to thank you for trusting me enough to see me without your attorney present. I think it’s the least you could do . . . but I realize you didn’t have too and I do appreciate it.” He nodded but didn’t say anything so she continued. “In one month our divorce will be final. I’ve made some changes . . . I’m sure your attorney made you aware. I’ve cancelled the order for child support and in turn you’ve given up your right to the house.”
“Yes, I understand.”
“Good.” She took a deep breath before continuing. “I have some other documents for you to sign.” She opened her briefcase and removed the contract. “You’ll never have to worry about ‘this problem’ again.” Her fingers moved into quotation marks, and as she thought over the past few months, anxiety rose up and heated her cheeks.
“Please don’t . . . this is hard enough.”
“Hard for you?” Her eyebrows shot up and she stared at him in disbelief. “Hard for you?”
“I meant—“
“I know what you meant! But you brought this all on yourself.”
“I know,” he said, and to her surprise he deflated even more. “I screwed everything up.”
Ali leaned forward and forced him to meet her eyes. “Carl, do you care about me at all?”
“Of course, you’re the reason I did all this.”
“Do you realize . . .” She cleared her throat, trying to focus on maintaining a sense of calm. “Do you realize losing Micah would have completely destroyed me?”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “I realize now.”
“He could have been hurt or killed.”
“I’m so sorry—God, Alison, if I could take everything back. If I can do anything . . .”
“You can.” She laid the contract down in front of him. “You can sign these papers and give me your blessing.”
“What exactly am I signing?” he asked, pulling the contract closer.
“It’s a release of parental rights for Micah. This removes your rights as his father . . . it also states that you agree to let Jonathan Rhay Bennett adopt him.”
“Alison, is this what you want?”
“Yes, this is exactly what I want.”
“Are you sure he’s the right one?”
“Absolutely—without a doubt—I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” She laced her fingers together and leaned in a little to emphasize how important this was to her. “This isn’t about me—it’s not even about me and Johnny. It’s about Micah, and this man loves Micah more than anything. He would die for him—kill for him if he had to. I believe even if Johnny and I never marry—if we break up tomorrow he’ll still be a wonderful father to Micah.”
“He’d be an idiot to let you get away,” Carl muttered.
“I need your signature and your blessing, Carl. This is the one thing you can give Micah nobody else can.” Carl nodded and picked up the pen.
Johnny sat on the bench staring at the fire and couldn’t help but fidget. “Late . . .” he breathed. “Why is she late?” He looked at his watch and at the same time, his phone rang.
“I’m sorry!” she bellowed before he said hello. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
He took a breath in relief. “I’ll meet you out front.”
“Where are we having dinner?” she asked.
“We’ll talk about that when you get here.”
“Okay—ten minutes,” she said again and Johnny heard the smile in her voice.
When her car pulled into the driveway his heart fluttered with nervous energy. Ali climbed out of the car with her brief case and Johnny snatched her up as soon as the car door closed. He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her long and hard. The briefcase hit the ground at his feet then her hands were in his hair pulling him closer. When they broke the kiss he had to take several deep breaths.
“Hi . . .” she whispered. “It’s nice to see you too.”
“You worried me,” he said, keeping his arms firmly around her.
Her seductive smile almost made him forget about dinner and head straight to the bedroom.
Her smile faded slightly and she said, “Am I too late for dinner?”
Johnny shook his head and grabbed her hand to lead her back to the house.
“Where are you going? You said we were going out to dinner?”
“We are,” he said, and shifted his direction toward the backyard gate.
Ali’s eyes lit like firecrackers when they rested on the backyard. “What? . . . What is this?”
“Dinner out,” he said.
Torch light flickered all around, reflecting off the china and crystal set out on the small dining table he and Susan had placed near the fire pit. Ali’s favorite peach colored roses and her favorite wine decorated the table. Soft music played, complementing the crackling fire. He looked at her and her opened mouth and said, “Say something.”
“I love it, when did you—how?” she asked, breathless still. “It’s beautiful.”
“I wanted you alone.” He turned to face her. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“Mind—” she scoffed. “No, it’s incredible. Who helped you with this?”
He baulked at her and acted offended. “You don’t think I could’ve done this on my own?”
“Oh . . . ah,” she stammered.
Johnny winked and said, “Your mother helped me.”
“Mother, wow, really?” She smiled that light filled smile at him and he thought his heart would explode. “You’ve really grown on her.”
“Yeah . . .” He nodded and smiled a crooked smile at her and said, “I think she might like me.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you seem nervous?”
“I’ve never done this before . . . I want to get it right.”
“What are you talking about? You’ve made dinner for me several times.”
“Not like this.” He led her to the table. “Sit down and I’ll bring your dinner.”
“What’s on the menu?”
As she sat, he leaned over and whispered, “Herb and wine Salmon steaks, roasted potatoes and salad . . . don’t move.”
Heat flooded her cheeks as she waited for him to return. She sipped her wine and rested her cool hand on each cheek in turn, fighting the nervous energy plaguing her. Her nervousness was understandable, but she didn’t understand why he seemed uneasy. She’d been planning this night for a month and wanted to make sure it was perfect . . . she didn’t realize he’d be the one making it perfect. When Johnny returned, he laid a chilled plate of salad down in front of her and a basket of bread in the center of the table.
Johnny sat down across from her and poured himself a glass of wine. “Thank you,” she said, staring across the table at him.
“You’re welcome.” His grinned faltered a little and he said, “So . . . how did it go today?”
The change in mood disappointed her, but Johnny wouldn’t fully relax until she told him about her visit. She ate some salad as she thought about the best way to do what she wanted to do. “It went fine, he was humble and . . . pathetic.” She lowered her eyes and continued eating.
“Did you get the answers you were looking for . . . the closure you wanted?”
“Yes, I did . . . it’s sad to think how much I blamed myself for the way things turned out with Carl . . . but I can’t do that anymore. He needs to take responsibility for what he did to Sarah, Mark, Micah, me . . . and you. I’m not going to carry his guilt.”
“I don’t know why you ever blamed yourself an
yway. He shut you out when you got pregnant. I know—and so do you—that you tried everything you could to get him involved, but he made his own choices.”
“Yes, but I shouldn’t have stuck it out that long. I shouldn’t have lived like that for nine months.”
”Still not your fault, sweetheart,” he said, reaching over the table for her hand. “Maybe seeing him today was a bad idea.”
“No, it turned out good.” She smiled as she set her fork down.
“Hold that thought while I go get dinner.” He stood and took their salad plates back to the kitchen with him.
Butterflies instantly attacked her stomach. She stood up and approached the fire pit so she could walk off the nerves. When Johnny came back outside Ali turned back to the table and sat down.
“Are you okay?” he asked when he looked into her eyes. She nodded then looked down at her plate of Salmon and potatoes.
“Who knew you could cook like this.”
“I hope it tastes as good as it looks.”
Ali picked up her fork and pinched off a piece of salmon.
“Okay, go ahead,” he said, refilling her glass of wine.
“What?” she said, looking up from her plate.
“You were going to finish telling me about your visit with Carl.”
“Oh, right . . .” She laid her fork down and said, “He signed the amendment to the divorce. It’ll be final this time next month. I’m almost completely free of him.”
A broad smile broke out on his face. “That is good news.”
“There’s more . . .” she slipped the papers out of her briefcase. “He willingly signed the release of his parental rights for Micah and agreed to let you adopt him.”
He sat upright and said, “I thought we had to do the involuntary release?”
“Now we don’t need too, it’s faster this way. He gave his blessing . . . I thought it would be better and he’ll be less likely to come back later and fight for Micah . . . so,” she said, leaning over to hand him the paperwork, and trying to find her voice around the lump in her throat. “These are adoption papers—surprise, it’s a boy.”
He reached out for the papers with a shaky hand. “Just like that.”