Welcome to Blissville

by Walker, Aimee Nicole

  “Are you sure?” Gabe asked. I could tell he wasn’t comfortable just going on with his morning like nothing happened.

  “I’m positive. I’ll let you guys know if it’s worse than I thought,” Kyle told us. He turned to look at me again. “I’m sorry.”

  Although I hated the circumstances, I thought it was best for me to have some time and space apart from Kyle so I could get my head on straight. He was the temptation that I couldn’t resist, and I wouldn’t allow myself to fall harder than I already had for a man who wouldn’t want me once he learned the truth.

  “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’ll get a ride home with Mere and Harley.”

  I could tell that Kyle wanted to reach for me, but wasn’t sure how I would react. Instead, he offered me a crooked smile and said, “Okay then; I’ll call you later.”

  Even though I wanted space to clear my head, I missed him like crazy once he left. Instead of thinking of ways to distance myself from him or tell him the truth, I wondered how much damage there was to the animal hospital. The morning was duller once Kyle was gone and I quietly sat back and watched everyone else interact. I could tell I wasn’t the only one thinking about Kyle. The lighthearted banter that occurred before Kyle got the phone call was replaced with a more somber dialogue about the sad changes happening to our small town. Murders, drug busts, and robberies were becoming too common in a town where people didn’t use to lock their doors at night. Gabe excused himself to make a few calls and I knew it was about Kyle and the vandalism.

  I was happy when it was time to check out and leave so I could do what I did best when I was conflicted. Meredith noticed my withdrawal, but she didn’t say anything about it in the restaurant or during the ride home. Instead, we talked about things happening at the salon and our best friend’s upcoming wedding the following week.

  “Twenty bucks says that Josh is holed up in the supply closet taking inventory tomorrow,” Meredith said when Harley pulled into my driveway. Josh was a control freak to his core and transferred his energy to the things he could control when he was overwhelmed. Everything sounded like it was on track for the wedding, but it was a sure bet that Josh would fall back on his old routines and habits before the week was up.

  “I’m not taking that bet because I’d lose,” I told her. I blew her a kiss and unlocked the front door. “Harry,” I called. “Where’s my boy?” I heard him jump down off my bed followed by the sound of his nails clicking against the hardwood floor as he headed toward my voice. “I’ve missed my baby.” I squatted down when he rounded the corner, and he made a mad dash for me. I picked him up and cuddled him against my chest.

  Meow. It sounded like there was a whole lot of judgment in his greeting.

  “I did miss you, Harry. I hardly slept at all last night.” It wasn’t a lie, but he didn’t need to know the real reasons why I was up all night. Harry flattened his ears and narrowed his eyes as if he could read my mind. “I know how I can make it up to you.”

  Harry was purring madly by the time I set him down by his food dish. He watched me eagerly to see if I pulled out a can of soft food or his bag of dry kibble. The purring increased and he wove in and out of my legs shamelessly when I opened the can of chicken and gravy. The shit smelled nasty, but my little guy loved it madly.

  I spent a good half hour kissing up to Harry with belly rubs and ear scratches before I opened my laptop to my latest chapter for Gideon and Jamie. My writing had felt a little stilted the previous weeks, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to exhaustion from trying to do too much or dread for the scene I needed to write. My weekend away must’ve been just what I needed because the ideas started flowing when I opened my document.

  I typed until I couldn’t feel my fingers, unsure of where the hell the chapter was taking me but loving the journey. Sometimes the hardest part was finding the perfect ending for a chapter. You wanted it to wrap up the current chapter and entice the reader to want to turn the page. Who the hell cared about laundry, cleaning, or mowing the grass when the story was getting good? And Jamie and Gideon were getting sooo good.

  Guilt clawed at my insides while I watched Jamie sleeping beside me. How did I arrive at this moment in my life? Jamie McManus was innocent, not a monster like his father. I deceived him, took his innocence, and used him to further my plan for revenge. Didn’t that make me a monster also?

  I ran the back of my hand over his cheekbone and couldn’t keep the smile off my face when he whimpered and leaned into my touch. He was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen and resisting him had been futile. I couldn’t undo the damage I’d done by having sex with him, but I could make sure it never happened again. I could break his heart now so that he could begin to heal and find someone who deserved him.

  I rose from the bed and quietly dressed so that I wouldn’t wake Jamie. I needn’t have worried though, because he was exhausted from the night of passion we shared and didn’t move a muscle. I stood over him, memorizing every inch of his body and curve of his face. When I started my journey, I didn’t expect to fall for Jamie, but then again I didn’t think I was capable of love anymore. I hated myself, the world, and everyone in it. Somehow, Jamie McManus showed me that good existed in the world and I repaid him by destroying his trust and shattering his illusions that good men existed. It was bad enough that he would learn who I was and the real reasons I sought him out at the fundraiser, but learning the truth about his father had the potential to destroy him.

  The urge to take Jamie and run from it all came on swift and strong. No! Running wasn’t the answer and since when did I let a good lay interfere with my plans?I turned from the bed suddenly and pushed all thoughts of Jamie aside to focus on the single goal I’d had for the last twelve years: Take down Connor McManus and to hell with the casualties.

  I sat back and stared at what I’d written, amazed that it flowed so naturally. Gideon’s mind was often in a dark place, and I struggled at times to write his chapters. Maybe I felt like I could relate to him more after the deceptive night I shared with Kyle. To be fair, I never intended to hurt anyone, but Gideon sought Jamie out so that he could get closer to his father. Even I wasn’t that big of an asshole, but I wasn’t sure Kyle was going to feel the same way once he found out.

  I was startled out of my revelry by a knock on my door. My heart pounded with hope that Kyle might be waiting for me on the other side of the door, but I knew better. I heard the Matrons of Maple Lane chattering and could smell the familiar aroma of my mama’s spaghetti and meatballs. Comfort food at its finest. The long shadows on the floor told me that the sun was setting and my growling stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten since breakfast. Even so, I would’ve preferred to heat up a microwave dinner and wallow around in my misery by my lonesome. Instead, I plastered a smile on my face and whipped open my door.

  “Evening, my ladies.”

  The bad thing about small towns is that everyone knows your business. The good thing about them is that also means they show up and pitch in when it’s needed. Word had spread faster than a wildfire that someone vandalized the animal hospital, and my employees were on hand to help me pick up the shattered pieces. Gabe had called me once and Officer Wen twice before I arrived on the scene to make sure I hadn’t been downplaying the damage. Apparently, Wen must’ve appeased him because Gabe and the others honored my request to enjoy their morning.

  “Anything missing?” Officer Wen asked after I’d gone from room to room.

  The sound of broken glass crunching beneath my feet had the same effect on my nerves as someone scraping their nails down a chalkboard. “Not that I can tell,” I told Wen. “They were most likely looking to score drugs.”

  “Animal drugs?” Wen asked.

  “I have to keep some pretty potent pain pills and tranquilizers on hand for large farm animals. People who are desperate to get high will use anything they can get their hands on. Sadly, it kills them more often than not. They take things meant for animals four times their weight, and it
stops their hearts,” I explained. “One of the first things I did when I took over this practice was to install the large safe in the back that houses the heavy-duty narcotics.” I saw the scratches and gouges where someone tried to pry the door open with something like a crowbar. “The only things the vandals had access to were topical solutions used to clean and treat wounds plus flea and heartworm medicine.” I gestured to where the items remained in the cabinets even though the vandals smashed the glass doors to hell.

  “It doesn’t look like it, but we will do an inventory count and check it against our software to see what it says. Is it okay if I call you with that information tomorrow?” I asked the officer. “I’d like to get this put back in order the best I can before we reopen.”

  “Absolutely,” he said agreeably. “I think I have everything I need. I took pictures for your insurance agent to go with the incident report. I’ll call you if something else pops up.”

  “Thanks,” I said, shaking his hand. “Will you let my staff know it’s okay to come in?”

  “You bet.”

  I stared at the mess around me, feeling overwhelmed. In the grand scheme of things, I was looking at minor damage that a few hours of sweeping, mopping, and cleaning would erase. It wasn’t like they tagged my walls with spray paint or ruined the computer equipment. It could’ve been so much worse than it was, but it still felt like a violation.

  “Oh my,” Alyssa exclaimed when she saw the mess.

  “Alyssa, watch where you step,” I said, pointing to her open-toed heels. “I don’t want you to cut yourself on this glass.” I could tell she’d just come from church since she was in her Sunday finest.

  “Honey, I have a change of clothes and a pair of sneakers in the car. Let me grab them and change so we can clean up this mess.”

  Molly and Terry stood in the middle of the reception area and looked around in shock. It looked like the vandal went berzerk when they couldn’t get the drugs. The furniture was upended, the flower and plant pots that Molly lovingly tended lay busted, spilling soil, flowers, and plants all over the tile floor.

  “I think I can save them all,” Molly said tearfully. “Don’t know why the punk had to take out his anger on innocent plants and flowers.”

  “Are you okay?” Terry asked, stepping up to me. “This had to be a huge shock.”

  “Yeah, but I’ll be okay. I appreciate you gals running to my aid, but if you have better—”

  “There’s no way we’re leaving you here to clean up this mess on your own,” Terry said emphatically. “Jake is with my mom, so I have all day to help you.”

  “Okay,” I replied. Only a fool would refuse that kind of help when offered. With any luck, we’d have it done in a few hours and could get on with our day.

  An hour into the cleanup, my mom and dad showed up with sandwiches and chips. They didn’t hesitate to pick up a broom and clean either. It still took the six of us more than two hours to clean up the mess and take inventory. By the time we finished, I was jonesing for an Oreo Blizzard really bad, but I wouldn’t let myself eat one. I had low-fat ice cream in my freezer at home, and it would just have to do. I would allow myself a rare treat on occasion, but not as a reward. I also never gave into emotional eating urges, which was the case after I drove away from my animal hospital.

  My oldest sister, Jenna, and her husband, Brett, dog sat for me while I was away. My mood improved greatly when I saw how excited Sadie was to see me when I arrived to pick her up. Of course, Jenna and Brett wanted to hear about what happened at the animal hospital. They’d heard bits and pieces through the rumor mill, of course.

  “I heard they stole all of your narcotics,” Jenna said.

  “All of your computer equipment too,” Brett added.

  “The vandals didn’t take anything,” I told them. “It appears that they just trashed the place when they couldn’t access the drugs in the safe. They didn’t mess with any of the expensive equipment either. It was strange.”

  “Sounds like teenagers looking for a quick score,” Brett said.

  “Could be,” I agreed. “I’m going to invest in a security system that sounds an alarm at the hosptial and also dials directly to the police and fire departments. This time I got lucky, but I might not be next time.”

  “I hope there won’t be a next time,” Jenna said softly. She let out a big yawn then nestled her head against Brett’s shoulder.

  “Sadie keep you up late?” I asked. It wasn’t like my firecracker of a sister to be ready for bed so early.

  A sheepish smile spread slowly across her face. “Sadie was a perfect angel, Ky. Can I tell you a secret?”

  “Of course. You know that you can tell me anything,” I told her.

  “We just found out that we’re pregnant,” Jenna said. She and Brett looked at each other and smiled happily. “We are waiting until my second trimester before we tell everyone.”

  “Oh, Jenn,” I said. “That’s so amazing. I’m going to be an uncle?”

  “You’re going to be an amazing uncle,” she amended tearfully.

  I hugged both my sister and brother-in-law. Sadie sensed the excitement and bounced around between the three of us. “How will you keep something like this from Mom?” I asked.

  “We probably won’t,” Brett said with a rueful smile. “It’s going to be too hard to keep it a secret much longer.”

  “Mom and Dad are going to be over the moon about their first grandbaby,” I told them. “I can’t wait either.”

  “You look as tired as I feel,” Jenna said. “Why don’t you and Sadie stay for dinner. We’ll grill some chicken and veggies.”

  “That sounds so much better than the frozen dinner I have waiting for me at home, but I should get back to Otis,” I told them. “I’m sure he’s missing Sadie really bad by now.” My two pets were inseparable, and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. If it wasn’t for Brett’s allergy to cats, Jenna would’ve kept them both.

  “You of all people should know how independent cats are, big brother,” Jenna replied.

  “I know, but I still feel guilty,” I admitted.

  Brett rose up from the couch and said, “I’ll get dinner started while you tell your sister all about your bachelor weekend.”

  There were several parts that I had no intention of sharing with anyone, let alone my sister. Instead of delving too deep into my personal activities, I told her about the group outing I went on. She laughed at the funny stories I shared, but I could tell she wasn’t happy with my stinginess.

  “I assume Chaz Hamilton was there also,” she said, steering me toward the topic she wanted to discuss all along.

  “Of course, he was there. Chaz is Josh’s best friend and wouldn’t miss his bachelor weekend for the world.” Go ahead, Jenna. Ask me what you really want to know.

  She didn’t disappoint me either. “Did you make any progress with Chaz?”

  I laughed because she sounded like she was addressing one of her students. “Progress? He’s not a book report, Mrs. Davis.”

  Jenna leaned forward, put her elbow on her knee, and rested her chin on top of her fist. She narrowed her shrewd eyes and looked at me suspiciously. “I expected you to be more stressed than you appear.”

  “The bed was extremely comfortable,” I replied. “I slept hard.” The bed had been comfortable, and I had slept hard for a few hours. She didn’t need to know the activities that led up to that moment.

  “Uh huh,” Jenna said. Laughter glinted in her eyes, which meant she didn’t buy my story for a second. “You’re entitled to your privacy, big brother.”

  I didn’t know if there was anything to tell her even if I was inclined to do so. What I shared with Chaz felt like the beginning of something amazing, but I couldn’t be sure. He was still hesitant around me, and I couldn’t figure out why. He was battling something strong enough that he felt guilty for not telling me about it before we had sex. Maybe that should’ve bothered me, but it didn’t. I knew that Chaz was a good guy
with a big heart and a lot of love for his friends and family. He didn’t strike me as someone who lived a nefarious double life or anything else that would turn me away from him. I didn’t see manipulation or scheming in his light blue eyes; I saw yearning. Damn, I wanted to give him everything he wanted.

  “Kyle,” Jenna said, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Huh?”

  “Where’d you go? I called your name three times.” She was practically standing over me, and I hadn’t realized that she got up from the couch, let alone spoke to me. The smug smile on her face said she knew exactly where my mind had gone. “Dinner is ready.”

  I stood up and stretched. “Smells delicious,” I said.

  “Pregnant ladies go to the front of the line,” Jenna told me.

  “Oh, I can see how this is going to play out for the rest of your pregnancy,” I remarked, looping my arm around her neck and pulled her to me for a hug. “I’m so damn happy for you, Jenn.”

  “I can’t wait for you to find this kind of happiness, Kyle,” she told me. “In fact, I think you’re already halfway there.”

  Is Chaz the missing piece to my puzzle? Only time would tell.

  My mom always said it was rude to eat and run, but I did need to get home, so I didn’t stay long after we finished dinner. I stuck around to help Brett clean the kitchen while Jenna rested on the couch with Sadie. Dogs instinctively knew when something physically or emotionally was going on inside our bodies. Sadie looked like she was protecting Jenna from potential threats while Jenn stroked Sadie’s velvety ears. My dog looked so happy that I worried she wouldn’t want to come home with me.

  I let out a short, sharp whistle and she came to my side immediately. “Time to go home, girl.” Sadie acted like she understood what I said because she walked to Jenna and Brett for goodbye hugs.

  Another benefit of small-town living is the short drive home from almost everywhere. Sadie seemed to enjoy the wind on her face when she stuck her head out the passenger side window. She danced excitedly on the front porch while she waited for me to unlock the door because she knew her best friend was on the other side.