Us After You

by Claudia Burgoa

Once he’s done tending to my feet, we go downstairs for breakfast.

  “Dark coffee,” he says, setting the mug in front of me. “Is there anything in particular that you’d like to eat?”

  I look at his glass and ask, “What are you drinking today?”

  “Lime, ginger, carrots, and orange juice. We ran out of strawberries,” he says, and sounds bummed about it.

  “Why juices?” I ask, intrigued.

  “I don’t like to eat vegetables, but I can drink juices,” he informs me. “Mom found a way to make me eat them, and I just … it’s like my comfort food. It doesn’t make sense, but I guess that and Dr. Pepper are what make me feel—better.”

  “Do you have a comfort food, other than chocolate donuts?”

  My phone buzzes, it says unknown number. I don’t answer it, letting the call go to voicemail. A text comes in right after. I pick it up to see who texted and drop it after I read it.

  Unknown: Answer your phone, Sage. We need to talk. Your parents need help, and I will help them under the condition that you come back home.

  “Who is it?” Tucker asks, grabbing the phone from the table. He frowns and stares at me. “Sage?”

  Anger and fear flow into my veins, making my heart beat fast. I can’t believe he has the nerve to contact me. Mae is the first person who pops into my head. If he almost killed me, he could—. Not my little girl.

  How can my parents be so careless?

  The terror that captured me and kept me near him is gone. I’m afraid for Mae. I will survive him—I already did.

  It wasn’t easy. I had to learn how to love myself. How to love all my freckles, my curves, and all my flaws. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. But it was worth it. If only I could keep everyone who Douglas touches safe.

  “Sage,” Tucker calls out my name, grabbing my hand. “Babe, I need you to breathe. Who sent you this message?”

  “Douglas,” I answer, chewing on my fingernail. “How did he get my number?”

  “Fucker!” he grunts.

  “Mae,” I whisper.

  “She’ll be fine,” he promises. “So will you. Okay?” He traces the words on my wrist. “What’s the story behind this?”

  “A reminder that he can’t hurt me again,” I mumble. “It’s Mae who worries me. She can’t defend herself, and what if I can’t stop him? I didn’t stop him when …”

  “Hey,” he says, cupping my face with both hands. “It was another time. You were alone and his victim. This time, you’re a different woman who has a family who’ll support you no matter what. You have Mae and me. My family is here for you. Also, there’s Nana and the guys.”

  Out of instinct, I wrap my arms around his neck and hug him, resting my head on his shoulder. Breathing his scent. The smell that reassures me that he’s with me—I’m not on my own.

  “Thank you for being my friend,” I say, grateful that he’s with me, that even when there’s uncertainty about tomorrow—we have each other for now.

  “Always, that’ll never change,” he answers and gives me that mischievous smirk I’m starting to love. “We could be more, but …”

  He places a lingering kiss on my cheek, before moving away from me. “How’s nice, safe Corbin doing?”

  I shrug. “Who knows? I haven’t spoken to him since I left Baker’s Creek.”

  His eyes narrow, and he asks, “Are you two still together?”

  “No, we broke up before I moved out. I just didn’t tell you because I hate it when you try to boss me around.”

  He shakes his head and says, “I need to make a few calls. That call and the text violate the restraining order. If you don’t mind, we have to change your number.”

  “Is it necessary?”

  “Afraid so,” he declares. “It’ll be fine. I won’t let him get near Mae or you. We have security details, and I’m here for you—always.”

  Always, such a simple word with a powerful meaning. Will he stick to that promise or …? I choose not to think any further and concentrate on what matters right now: Mae and her safety.

  49

  Sage

  “What does it mean when you say, I have people?” I ask Tucker, when he gives me my new phone number an hour after Douglas called. “Do you lock them in the basement and set them free when you need a favor, like pigeons?”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “That sounds creepy. You’re twisted, Sage Heywood. No wonder you and Nana get along so well.”

  Is he surprised about it or just stating a fact?

  I confess that Hannah isn’t what I expected. She’s not some celebrity brat trying to hog everyone’s attention. If anything, she hates to be in the spotlight. I love it when either Alex or she send a text saying, we cooked come over.

  In Baker’s Creek, I made friends, but we hung out when they dropped by the bookstore or when we went for drinks to the bar. But never just for the sake of getting together.

  “Who are these people?” I ask. “Invisible pixies?”

  “Why do you want to know?”

  “You always say ‘I’ll have my people do that,’” I explain. “Who are they?”

  He shrugs. “There’s Clint. My uncle assigned him to be our bodyguard since we started the band. We all use him. If he’s not with Z, he’s with Ethan or me.”

  “Hannah?”

  “She hates having security details. The only time she lets us assign her someone is when she’s out of the country,” he explains. “Look, I have staff to take care of these things. My uncle, my parents, and my grandparents taught me to hire the right people for almost everything. If I don’t have someone—they do.”

  “Sounds like a big operation,” I tell him. “But I guess it makes sense when your family owns a security company, a production company, or all the companies that they have. Thank you for the phone.”

  The doorbell rings a few moments later. Clint, his bodyguard, enters and hands him a phone. “It’s already activated. Let me know which phone is which.” He turns his attention to me. “Ms. Heywood, it’s nice to see you.”

  “Same. Thank you for your help.”

  “It’s my pleasure. Would you need anything else?” he asks, checking his watch.

  “No. Where are you going? Ethan was too evasive about it when I asked.”

  Clint chuckles. “Well, I guess he doesn’t want to tell anyone, Tucker.” He tilts his head. “See you around, Ms. Heywood.”

  When Clint leaves, Tucker sets the box on the table. “I talked to Hunter about this ordeal. When I mentioned we’re changing your number and we’d have to keep it private, he told me that’s impossible. We have to include your contact number in all the legal documents.”

  “Which means it’s going to be public no matter how many times we change it,” I conclude, and he nods. “So why two phones?”

  “One will be your private number. The other is the one we’re sharing with everyone. Plus, we’re adding a landline to the house. Any calls that we receive on either phone will be monitored by the security team.”

  “Is this absolutely necessary?” I ask, because it feels like a lot.

  He nods. “Yes. If Douglas continues calling or dropping by, we need to document it.”

  “I’ll keep the new phone as my private number,” I say, opening the box.

  “Good, we were hoping you’d choose that one.” He smiles. “It’ll be okay. Don’t stress out.”

  “I’m not. I trust you.” And after I say those words, I realize that I really mean them.

  It hasn’t been long since we began to walk this path together, but as I said before, I couldn’t choose anyone better to be my … companion.

  Tucker stayed with me the rest of the week. He worked from home and even helped me build a website for a new client. I had no idea he had a master’s degree in computer science. We have a lot more in common than I imagined.

  The next Monday, he asks me to come with him to the office. Mae, who usually sleeps at that time, is wide awake, fascinated
by everything around her. The elevator, the lights, the plants, and even the lithography hanging on the walls.

  “Let’s go to Aunt Nana’s office first,” Tucker suggests and then looks at me. “How are your feet?”

  “I’m fine, I swear,” I respond, but actually, they hurt with every step I take. Why did I wear heels?

  New idea, throw away all your shoes. The new thing is bare feet, isn’t it?

  “This is her idea,” he explains, as we reach the top floor and the elevator doors slide open. “It’s good—unless it’s not, and remember what I said, it’s her idea not mine.”

  I laugh. He knocks on a door and wiggles the handle open. “Hey, Nana,” he greets her and grunts. “Fuck! This is an office, not your house.”

  Tucker shuts the door and shakes his head. “I swear those two need to stop having so much sex.” He glances at me and adds, “We can wait in my office and try what they’re doing?”

  I glare at him because I’m not walking to his office and then back.

  “Definitely not a morning person,” he states. “Remind me to bring you coffee the next time I drag you out of your bed before seven.”

  Why does he think I drink black coffee? Just for the fun of it?

  Alex comes out of the office and looks at his watch. “It’s not even seven in the morning. Everyone knows not to open the door early mornings or at noon.”

  “Try locking the door next time,” Tucker urges.

  He leaves almost immediately, but not before giving Tucker a death glare.

  “You’re here early,” Hannah complains but smiles when she sees Mae. “Snuggle Bug came to visit Aunt Nana.”

  Hannah takes the baby from Tucker’s arms and walks away with her. Then comes to a halt and turns slightly toward us. “Are you guys coming over?”

  I follow her a couple of doors down and we enter another office. The room is big. It has a glass desk, a black leather couch, and bookcases. It’s sterile but classy.

  “This is how we have it for now,” she explains, looking at me. “You can decorate it any way you want it, though. Tucker’s office has the baby furniture, but if you guys want, we can move it here. Or just set a porta crib in this one.”

  She looks at Tucker. “Did you get the papers from the doctor?”

  He nods. “They faxed them over to Lamb Tails Center. By the way, that’s a ridiculous name for a childcare.”

  “Childcare?” I frown, not understanding what’s happening.

  “Perfect. Let me introduce you to the director of the center,” she says, walking too quickly for my taste. I can barely keep up with her. “We have the childcare on the floor below.”

  “How’s security?” Tucker asks.

  Hannah punches a code on the keypad beside the elevator panel and then the floor where she wants to go.

  “Each employee who has a kid in childcare has a unique code to access the floor,” she explains.

  We enter the center, where the director takes over. She introduces herself as Sharon. She guides us through the corridor, stopping by every room. The nurseries are clean.

  The ratio per kid is almost 1:1 for all ages, but they only have children up to the age of three. After that, they can go to an academy that’s only a few blocks from here.

  “We cook the food from scratch. The produce is one hundred percent organic. It comes from Mackenzie’s Farm. It’s just outside Seattle, one of the best places to find produce.”

  The place isn’t exactly a daycare. It’s more like a second home where the babies are cared for. They have a couple of parents’ rooms, so the parents can visit during their breaks. The eating area is not only set up with highchairs and little tables, but there’s space for adults to eat there too.

  “What happens if they give the code to someone else?” I question Hannah, as we leave the place.

  She points at the camera in the elevator. “Security verifies that you’re allowed to access the floor. If not, they stop the elevator.”

  “What if there’s an emergency and one of your employees sends someone?” I’m asking these questions because I’m afraid that Mom might just try to pick her up claiming she’s her grandmother.

  “If it’s another employee, they need verification from the parent. If it’s a family member, they check in downstairs and security escorts them in and out of the building.”

  “So, she’d be safe,” Tucker says, and I protest because I don’t want her to be in childcare. “No, she has me. I can take care of her—from home.”

  Hannah nods in agreement. “Look, we’re just giving you another option. Not imposing anything. We want to offer you an office space, so you have more human/adult contact. Tucker’s office is set up with a nursery. But if you want an hour break, you can take her to the childcare center.”

  She whispers something to Mae, who I swear smiles back at her. Then Hannah turns around and says, “Think about it, this lady and I are going to visit Uncle Ethan.”

  50

  Sage

  As we walk into Tucker’s office, I’m in awe. Half of the space is occupied by baby furniture. There’s even a rocking chair next to the crib. Light lilac and teal colors dominate the space, just like with Mae’s nursery.

  “You want to bring her to work, don’t you?”

  He shrugs timidly. “I miss you guys when I’m at work. Having you next door and her around … I’d like that. We could help each other more.”

  “This is unexpected,” I confess. “Everything is perfect, and maybe getting out of the house a few times a week would be a good idea.”

  He reaches for my hand, his thumb caressing the tattoos on my wrist. Fighting to not fall for him is becoming impossible. The contrast of this office, the powerful mogul furniture mixed with the nursery, is so him.

  Who wouldn’t fall for a guy who exudes power, and yet, is so loving to the most beautiful baby in the world?

  I stare at him for one second too long, trying to fight the need to kiss him. Repeat that brush on the lip he gave me last week. It was too fast, too intense, but not enough. Seems like the more layers he sheds, the more I learn about him.

  What I’m learning is not only interesting, but it makes me care for him—even love him.

  He’s wearing a designer suit, with an expensive dress shirt and a Burberry tie. A gift from his sister Piper he said this morning when I playfully mocked him for wearing a brand name tie.

  See right there, I bet he’d wear a paper made tie if someone in his family made it. Because if they give him something with love, he cherishes it.

  “Say yes,” he requests. “It’s a good idea.”

  He points at the small couch pushed toward the wall. “We can always try that if you’re bored.”

  I laugh. “You always have to find a way to offer sexual favors, don’t you?”

  “If I can only figure out how to get a yes,” he jokes. “So?”

  “Maybe,” I answer and then wonder if this is a good time to ask to go to Baker’s Creek. “I was talking to Grandma earlier today, while you were getting Mae ready. Is it okay if I visit them?”

  “Why don’t you invite them here instead?” he proposes. “They can see Mae. I really want her to be in touch with your family.”

  “That sounds like a good idea, as long as you can fly them here,” I request.

  He nods. “I’ll arrange everything and have them land on the roof by five o’clock, just in time to go home.”

  I laugh because he’s ridiculous. I didn’t mean that literally, but I refuse to acknowledge his bad joke.

  I not only agreed to take the office Hannah offered, but we’ve been going to the office every day. On Tuesday and Thursday, we only stayed until noon. Even when it was chilly, the sun was out, and we went out for a walk.

  Today, I’ve been too busy to even pay attention to Tucker or Mae. Another great thing about coming to the office, Ethan and Hannah pitch in with our Snuggle Bug.

  “Hey, are you ready?” Tucker asks, as he enters my office
with Mae in his arms.

  “No, I’m training the employees—” I glare at the phone annoyed. “Again.”

  “It’s been more than a month since we hired them, hasn’t it?”

  Five weeks but who is counting? I stare at him, because we’ve been together—well, not together, but living in the same house—for more than a month.

  “Welcome to my world.” I blow out some air and unmute the phone when Valerie speaks on the other side of the line. “Did you find it?”

  “Yes, it was in the file cabinet,” Valerie answers. “Sorry, I’m trying to figure everything out. If you could be here for just a day or two…”

  “I’ll check my schedule, okay?” I say, not promising anything. “If you need anything else let me know. My grandparents won’t be around this weekend.”

  I hang up and stretch my arms, exhaling all the frustration away with my next breath.

  “Do you need to go there?” Tucker questions.

  Shaking my head, I answer, “I don’t want to leave Mae.” Or you.

  “We’ll be fine,” he assures me, as he moves closer to my chair. “Let’s go. Your grandparents should be landing in just a few minutes.”

  I gasp, distressed because we’re not going to arrive at the airport on time. “Why didn’t you tell me? I don’t want them to wait.”

  “Don’t worry,” he says, as he brushes his big hand on my back gently. Heat races along my spine and up at the base of my skull.

  “Tucker.” The word is meant to sound like a warning but comes out like a moan. “My grandparents.”

  “Ethan is waiting for them—I told you they’d be landing on the roof. We have a helipad. He’ll bring them downstairs,” he answers and presses a kiss on the top of my head. “We’ll try to schedule you a day trip to train your employees.”

  Sounds like a good compromise, but I can’t accept. We’ve been assigned a social worker. She’s coming within the next couple of weeks for an initial interview. “What if we get a surprise visit from the social worker?”