“What did you say sweetheart?” he asked quietly as he suppressed a slight grin. It was obvious he was smitten by the tiny female.
GG slowly pulled her thumb out, eyes still closed and whispered, “Good night, Sam. I love you.”
Sam looked over at Casey with raised eyebrows. She nodded back at him, her heart about to burst.
“I love you too sweet girl. Good night.” He turned off the lamp on the nightstand in between the twin beds and made his way to Casey. “She loves me,” he whispered proudly.
Interlocking her arm through his, she shut the bedroom door. “What’s not to love?”
Several minutes later, they both stood in front of the two sinks in the master bathroom getting ready for bed. Smearing night cream underneath her eyes, Casey watched Sam as he brushed his teeth. He winked at her and spat in the sink before wiping his mouth with a hand towel.
“Have you ever thought about having a family of your own someday?” he asked, folding the towel back over a large round hook attached to the wall.
“Not really,” she replied honestly. “I guess it’s never been on my radar because I’ve never been in love before.” She paused, Gwyneth on the forefront of her mind. “I think children deserve to be in a home where two people love and support each other.”
He nodded, leaning his butt and hands against the vanity.
“Have you ever thought about it?” she curiously asked.
“All the time,” he admitted. “I love kids. Love working with them and spending time with them. It’s only natural to want to have a few of my own someday.”
Casey put the lid on her night cream and shut it in the vanity drawer. “How many were you thinking?”
“How many kids do I want?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
“Yeah, how many?”
Squinting his eyes in thought, he looked up at the ceiling. “Hmmm. Maybe two or three?”
Casey nodded and watched him look her up and down as a faint smile blossomed across his face. She raised her eyebrows and wondered what he was thinking. “What’s that look for?”
He approached and immediately cupped her face in his hands. “We’d make beautiful babies together, darlin’.”
“Oh, really?” She blushed as he leaned in and pressed his lips on her mouth.
“Mmmhumm,” he mumbled. When he pulled back, the look of pleasure on his face was evident. “Just something to think about.” He placed a chaste kiss on her forehead and exited the bathroom before she could reply.
Casey turned and looked in the mirror at her flushed face and softly said to herself, “Babies with Sam Wildner. I like the sound of that.”
*
Thunder rattled the windows at three o’clock in the morning waking Casey up with a start. Sam was sound asleep with his arms around her, oblivious to the storm coming through. Moving one of his limp arms to the side, she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Flashes of lightning streaked across the sky outside the bay window, illuminating the red barn like a flash bulb going off. A huge bolt of lightning hit nearby, followed by a deafening crack of thunder, startling her.
She suddenly remembered GG and Dylan in the other bedroom and quickly went to check on them. When she opened the door, she could see a dim light under the comforter and heard whispers of children counting, “One, two, three….” She stood for a moment wondering what in the world was going on. Lightning flashed and she heard the voices counting again, “One, two, three, four….” and then boom went the thunder rumbling in the distance, followed by GG squealing, “Four!”
Casey flipped on the light switch. GG, Dylan, and Bleu immediately scurried out from under the comforter, the two children giggling. “What in the world?” she said.
Dylan quickly found his way back to his bed, carrying a cell phone and tried to explain. “GG was scared of the storm. I showed her how to count once the lightning flashes until you hear the thunder. That’s how many miles away the actual lightning is.”
Casey rubbed her eyes trying to understand what he was saying and watched him turn the flashlight app off.
“I don’t think she understands miles, but she likes to count,” he smiled. It seemed like he wasn’t so upset to be hanging out with a “baby” anymore. Dylan was a thoughtful young boy and Casey was growing fonder of him every moment.
Bleu hopped off the bed and shook his entire body, making GG laugh. “What are you doing silly girl?” Casey asked, sitting on the edge of the bed beside her. She knew her niece was wound up and it would take some time to get her to go back to sleep.
“What’s going on in here?” Sam said leaning his forearm against the door jam. He was shirtless and his hair was sticking straight up in the air. Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the bedroom and a loud crash was heard within a second. GG screamed and Bleu barked as the power went out leaving them all in a blanket of darkness. Dylan flicked on his flashlight app again.
GG crawled into Casey’s arms and Sam made his way over to Dylan’s bed. “Well, I guess y’all are sleeping with the big kids tonight.”
The young boy aimed his light at the floor and they all followed the beam into the master bedroom. The bed was big enough for all four of them with a little leftover for Bleu to join at the end. The lightning flashes became fewer and farther between and the thunder rumbled low in the distance. The steady sound of rain pelted the gutters, falling into a steady rhythm. There were a few giggles and sips of water while they relaxed and snuggled in together, GG in the crook of Sam’s arm and Dylan smack dab in the middle. Soon, the rain ended and the only sound was the steady breathing of children and an occasional thumb smack, the rain washing away all their fears.
When the morning light seeped through the antique glass covered in lingering drops of water, Casey quietly crept to the bathroom to relieve herself. When she returned, she stood for a moment and looked at the sleeping scene before her. The boys were on either side of GG, as if protecting the little girl. Sam’s arm was draped across her chest and Dylan was snuggled so close to her head, his nose was in one of her pigtails as if he were smelling a tiny flower. Bleu was even stretched out across her small feet. Tears welled in Casey’s eyes and she bit her lip so she wouldn’t cry. She wanted so badly for GG to be safe and loved, especially around men. She was innocent and helpless with her whole life ahead of her. She deserved a father to protect her; an entire family enveloping her in love. Weren’t all children worthy of that? GG took to them like a fish to water. Sam was just being Sam and unbeknownst to him, he’d opened a door to a world she’d never known before—and she thrived. It was obvious she trusted him, which was a huge accomplishment because she never trusted any male figure before.
Overcome with emotion, Casey could feel her own love for him surge through her bloodstream. She was incredibly grateful in that moment and quietly crawled back under the warm sheets, the steady rhythm of their love song vibrating loudly in her ears.
Chapter Fourteen
Laura sighed, dropping her purse on the entry table. Her apartment was pretty much how she’d left it the week before when she and Gwyneth fled to the Roberts’ house. Donny hadn’t tracked them down and after a week of hiding out, she was ready to go back to her home to trade out some toys and clothes for another week until she could figure out a long-range plan. A meeting was scheduled with a well-known domestic violence and family law attorney, and Laura was determined to get the legal help she needed to end Donny’s stalking once and for all.
Beth had driven her to the apartment complex and walked her to the door to make sure she got in safe and sound, promising to return within the hour after she went on a few errands. Laura smiled, grateful for her friend and coworker who had gone out of her way to help in their time of crisis. With the deadbolt snug, she made her way into the kitchen to throw out some leftovers she knew had gone bad in the fridge. She was just tying up a bag of garbage by its yellow tabs and was about to put a replacement bag into the can when she heard soft knocking on the doo
r. Every muscle in her body tensed and she held her breath, hoping it would stop. A familiar voice could be heard outside.
“Laura? It’s Mrs. Donovan from across the breezeway.”
Rolling her eyes, she looked through the peephole. Mrs. Donovan had always been a very good neighbor, informing her of the latest comings and goings of people around them. She was friendly enough, just a little bit nosey which always made her sister Casey crazy.
Holding the knob of the door, she turned the large deadbolt with a click. “Hello, Mrs. Donovan. How are you?” She said through a small crack in the door.
The old lady held her little dog in her arms. A tiny, bright pink bow was tied in between its ears, which matched the woman’s blouse. Mrs. Donovan was a widower and Laura couldn’t help but feel sorry for the lonely woman who often color-coordinated outfits to match her dog’s bows.
“How was your vacation, dear?” She smiled pleasantly.
Laura thought for a moment before it dawned on her that perhaps her sister had told a small fib to account for their absence. “Oh…. It was nice. I’m just trying to get back into the swing of things. I’m actually waiting on my friend to pick me up and she’ll be here soon….”
“Well, it was so nice to meet Sam last week. I’m so happy your sister finally found a man to call her own. Did he go on vacation with you girls too?” It was obvious Mrs. Donovan was crushing on Sam.
“Um, sure. Yes, Sam was with us.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful! Isn’t that wonderful, precious?” She turned to her dog and smiled from ear to ear as she spoke in baby talk.
“Well, I have to get going, Mrs. Donovan. Thanks for checking on me.”
“Alright dear. Say hello to Gwyneth for me… and that handsome Sam too.” She winked.
Laura nodded and slowly closed the door. Shaking her head, she giggled, thinking Sam must have really impressed the old woman for her to be smitten with him. Happy her sister finally had a decent man in her life, she was also relieved GG was enthralled by him. Her little girl needed to learn to trust a man. Not all of them were like Donny. Perhaps Sam was the one who would be the missing father figure her daughter always longed for.
Returning to the kitchen, Laura hand-washed a few dishes and placed them on a towel to dry. She started to carry out the bag of garbage to leave by the door so she wouldn’t forget it when she heard another knock.
“Was there something else Mrs. Donovan?” In that split-second decision to open the door, she immediately realized her mistake—she’d forgotten to lock the deadbolt and look through the peephole. She watched in horror as the door swung open in slow motion revealing her ex, Donny Tanner. Pushing his way into the apartment, he dead-bolted the door himself, trapping her inside. Laura froze, her heart dropping to her stomach. Her cell phone was in her purse next to him on the entry table. She couldn’t think what to do.
“Where you been girl?” Donny grumbled, his upper lip snarling. The butt of a small revolver stuck out of his jeans pocket making her shiver.
“Donny, you need to leave and you need to leave now,” she calmly instructed.
“You and I had a date, remember? You said yourself that you’d let me see my little girl. Can you imagine how surprised I was when I showed up and y’all were gone? I didn’t like that one bit.”
Laura realized her entire body was shaking with fear. In the past, she’d always been able to talk Donny down off the ledge, usually reminding him that their daughter was nearby. She sacrificed so much for the safety of Gwyneth, enduring many nights of unwanted advances and his drunken sex. She was done now. Nothing he could say or do would make her go back to that horrible life. She’d walk through a million punches to keep him away from her daughter. The man lost all rights to her when the protective restraining order was granted. Enough was enough.
She walked purposefully to get to her purse, right past him before he grabbed her by the arm.
“Stop it, Donny!”
“You aren’t going anywhere till you tell me where my girl is.” His hand was a vice grip and she was sure she would end up with perfect bruises where his fingers dug into her skin. With a quick maneuver, she managed to get out of his clutch and started to back up into the galley kitchen.
“You’re going to jail for this Donny, mark my word. This has to stop. You can’t keep coming around and stalking us.” She quickly changed her tone, hoping a softer approach would get him to leave. “Please, Donny, let’s move on. Let’s live our lives in peace,” she pleaded one last time. “Just leave now, okay? I won’t call the police. Just go.”
His eyes were fixated on hers as he sauntered toward her. She kept backing up and spied the butcher-block holder of knives sitting on the countertop. Her softer tone did no good so she grabbed the biggest knife in the holder hoping it might make him back off. “You stay away Donny. I swear to God, I’ll hurt you.”
Leaned against the doorjamb of the tiny kitchen, he blocked her escape. Standing before him with the knife firmly clenched in her hand, her knuckles turned white from her grip. He seemed humored.
“Oh… Now, what are you gonna do? You gonna try to kill me?” he snickered. “I’ve only ever wanted to talk to you nicely. Calmly.” Picking up a tall glass sitting on a dishtowel, he nonchalantly filled it up with tap water. She watched him bring the glass up to his lips and gulp it down, the sound he made as he swallowed making her sick. He filled it up again, slowly, deliberately.
“Now you and I are gonna have a nice, long conversation about our little predicament. You see, you promised me last week I could see my daughter. I like to take people at their word.”
Laura shook her head expelling puffs of air through her nostrils. The thought of this crazy bastard anywhere near her daughter was out of the question. “No. I said I would think about it and I did. I decided it wasn’t a good idea because of the restraining order.”
“Hmmm. I see,” he said and leaned against the sink counter. “Well, when were you going to tell me about your decision? You just up and ran out on me. That didn’t sit too well.” When he took a step forward, she instinctively stepped backward into the wall. “Put the knife down baby. I’m not gonna hurt you. I just want to talk.”
Laura knew better than to let him sweet talk her and shook her head. He was acting out the calm before the storm and she was going to be ready this time when it descended. He continued to sip from the glass of water as he took another step forward. With the knife raised abover her head, the tip glistened in the fluorescent lighting. He was only a few feet from her.
“I’m warning you Donny Tanner. You take one more step, and this is going to get ugly.”
His snicker sickened her as he deliberately took another step. Without hesitation, she thrust the knife into his arm.
“Aargh!” he screamed, instinctively raising his hand that held the water glass, violently crushing it against the side of her neck. Big shards pierced her white flesh, plunging into her carotid artery. In an instant, dark blood squirted everywhere showering the white cupboards and walls with splatters. Grabbing at her throat, Laura dropped the knife with a clatter, unable to breathe, choking on the blood that was drowning her.
“Oh, God! Oh, God! Laura! Baby!” Donny grabbed the towel off the counter tumbling dishes everywhere and quickly placed it over her gushing wound. Her legs gave out from under her, slipping on the blood-covered floor. Holding the towel on her neck with pressure, Donny cradled her in his arms as he helplessly watched the very life flow out of her, the wound fatal. Laura choked and gasped trying to fight to stay alive…the look on her face frantic, her eyes pleading for help until they fluttered shut, and she was still.
Donny was in shock and sobbed as he held her, rocking her back and forth for several minutes. Pulling the small revolver from his back pocket, he eyed it as if contemplating blowing his brains out right there with Laura in his arms. He used the gun to push his sweaty hair back from his head as he continued to sob uncontrollably. Passing it over his lips, he fingered
the trigger with shaking hands. Several minutes passed before he put the gun back in his pocket and carefully stood, looking down at Laura’s crumpled, lifeless body. He picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, laying her gently on the bed. Using the tips of his fingers, he tenderly wiped the crimson stains off her beautiful face and kissed her softly on the lips before he pulled the comforter over her dead body.
“I’m so sorry baby. So sorry,” he whispered. “Sleep well, my love.”
In a zombie-like state, he walked out of the room and entered the bathroom. Blood pooled in the sink as he scrubbed his arms and hands to rid himself of the evidence of what he’d done. He found a first aid kit and covered his stab wound with several large bandages. His jeans were soaked through and he couldn’t get the blood out from under his fingernails. Searching through one of Laura’s dresser drawers, he found a clean t-shirt and shrugged it on. With one last glance at the outline of her body on the bed, he turned and left her forever. Everything had gone terribly wrong….
In his desperation, he decided he needed to see his daughter one last time before he joined Laura in eternal sleep; to tell her he was sorry for what he’d done; for what he’d put her through during her young life. And he knew she was with Casey at a fella’s farm in Cumming, Georgia. Shoving open the front door of the apartment, he nearly collided with Mrs. Donovan who was holding a pink leash tethered to her Yorkie.
“Oh!” She was startled and dropped the leash.
Donny took off running, leaving the door wide open as Mrs. Donovan watched with concern, her hand splayed over her heart. Her little dog trotted through the open door, dragging the leash behind her.
“Precious, no, no!” she yelled and went in after her pet. She looked around the apartment and stood in the family room area. “Laura? Casey? It’s me, Mrs. Donovan from across the hall. Is everything alright?” Taking a few steps forward, she cautiously continued to look around. The little bell on her dog’s collar jingled and she looked down as the Yorkie circled her legs, whining and making paw tracks on the off-white carpet with something stuck to her feet.
Love Song: A friends-to-lovers rock & roll romantic suspense Page 11