Absolute Valor (Southern Justice #3)

by Cayce Poponea

  “Audrey?” Claire’s soft voice calls from my side. I feel her warm and gentle hand on my shoulder, her clean smelling feminine scent, reminding me I can once again wear perfume whenever I want. I can do so many things whenever I want. “Honey, I just want to have a quick look at her, make sure she is okay.”

  Placing her free hand on Grace’s back and rubbing tiny circles, she introduces herself to my daughter. Carefully turning Grace around, I notice Carson and Dean standing against the wall. I have to find a way to thank them for bringing her to me. A quick scan of the room shows no sign of the rest of the Morgan clan, not that his absence surprises me in the least.

  Grace has calmed down considerably as she plays with Claire’s fingers. “She looks just like you, except for her eyes.” Lucas had said the same thing when he first laid eyes on her, claiming no one in his family had blue eyes like her, and questioning who the father really was. I found no point fussing with him, I had better odds of winning against a brick wall.

  The door opened once again, this time revealing an excited Priscilla bouncing as she locks eyes with the tiny ball of beautiful on my lap. I’d expected her to show up with a few items, it’s the way she is. But I take in the Wal-Mart shopping bags so plentiful, you can’t see her waist.

  Claire looks over her shoulder, chuckling softly as she, too, sees the overindulgence. “Priscilla, did y’all leave anything in the store?” Miss Georgia bounded into the room, her arms filled as well.

  “Well, it ain’t every day we get a baby in the family. And this one has the same eyes as my boys.” I chose to ignore her comparison, allowing her to have her daydreams of one big happy family.

  “Mr. Carson, I want to thank you.” I start; Claire has pulled Grace from my lap, my baby finding the sparkly necklace around her neck too tempting. “You have no idea what this means to me, having her back, if only until Lucas gets antsy.” Carson looks over to his left, Dean sharing the thickness which is building in the air. Studying their faces, I’m not certain if I want to know the reason for the concerned looks.

  “Cilla, why don’t you take Grace into the bathroom, get her a nice bath and we’ll make her a bottle.”

  Claire rises to her feet, my bundle of joy blabbering happily with the necklace in her hands. I stand as well, as I watch the women leave the room, taking the bags, and my baby, with them.

  “Audrey, have you not been watching the news?” Shifting my eyes back to Dean, he looks like a man about to hand out bad news to a death row inmate. “Here,” he offers, taking the remote from the coffee table, pointing it at the screen above the fireplace, and then waiting for it to click to life.

  A special report banner is covering the bottom half of the television, with a helicopter view of a house on fire. The street in front of the house is covered with fire trucks, police cars, and even an ambulance. Squinting my eyes, I look closely at the house, recognizing the truck, or what’s left of it, parked in the front lawn. Lucas had brought me to that house the third time I went out with him. He wanted me to meet his family, introduce them to the girl he wanted to spend forever with.

  “Investigators will be arriving as soon as the sun comes up if the fire has cooled to a temperature where it’s safe to approach. Earlier, we reported Charleston fire officials refusing to allow their men to battle the blaze, as the temperatures were far too dangerous. Neighbors say they saw nothing suspicious before hearing, what they described as, several explosions. It should also be noted; this is the same address where the girlfriend of bank president, Frank Benson, was reportedly assaulted. It is believed the two males, a father and son who lived here, were in the house at the time of the explosions.”

  I had to sit down, feeling as if I were stuck in some crazy dream. Blinking several times, I looked back at the burning house on the screen. Lucas and his father, after all they had put me through, were dead, and would never be able to hurt Grace or me again. I watched the reporter go back and forth, interviewing a few people I recognized and some I didn’t. The truck Lucas wanted so badly had become a victim to the intense heat, the gas in the tank causing another explosion. I was free to smile at the thought of how he would react if he could see his precious Yankee Stomper reduced to a bonfire.

  I didn’t hear the door open, too lost in the reality that I was finally free. Dylan wrapped his massive arms around me, kissing my temple as he asked if I was okay. “I’m fine. I have to thank you—for this and for bringing Grace back to me.”

  He pulled me tighter, wrapping me in a warm hug which conveyed all the compassion I knew lived deep inside him. “You need me to stay here with you? Make sure you don’t have any bad dreams?” He questioned as he pulled out of the hug, his blue eyes pleading for me to be honest with him. Austin came up behind me from the opposite end of the couch, placing his hand in the center of my back. I didn’t have to look around to know Chase hadn’t come, confirming my earlier assumptions to be true—mission complete, time to move on.

  The small cries of my baby helped to file away the hurt of Chase’s decision. “This little girl is missing her mommy.” Priscilla looked so natural holding my Grace. But like every good story, it must come to an end. Once Chase found a new mission, my days at the shop would be numbered.

  “Hey, sweet girl.” Grace rubbed her tired eyes, a pacifier secured tightly in her mouth. Lavender and vanilla surround me as I took her into my arms. Grace has always been a cuddler, content to nuzzle her face into the crevice of my neck and play with a strand of my hair. Tonight is no different—the weeks since I saw her last have not taken this comfort away from her.

  “There are clean bottles in the dish drainer and a few jars of baby food. We couldn’t fit a crib in the car, but Claire assures me she will make the bed baby safe until we can rearrange the living situation.”

  “Thank you, Priscilla. Your kindness is appreciated and won’t be forgotten.” My purse is still on the bar stool, the strap dangling from the edge of the wrought iron. Before I left the shop, I’d grabbed my money stash just in case. When Priscilla first walked in, I had never been so grateful for the lateness of the evening, guaranteeing her normal shopping choices were closed. Wal-mart was definitely in my price range and now that Lucas was no longer a bill, I could afford to take care of myself. Reaching inside the envelope, I pulled out a few hundred dollars. “If this isn’t enough to cover everything, let me know and we can settle up later.”

  Priscilla looked at the money in my hand as if it were a dirty diaper or something just as repulsive. “Please, Priscilla, I need you to take this money.” I whispered, my pleas meant for her ears only.

  She hesitated for a moment, then wrapped her hands around the bills in my hand. “As you wish, Darlin’.” She pulled me and my sleeping baby into a tight embrace. She left with no encouraging words or reassurances that everything would be fine. Carson made sure I knew how to use the alarm and made me promise to call him if I needed anything.

  When Grace was first born, I spent days watching everything she did. From the tiny flick of her fingers to the long stretches where she curled her tiny legs close to her bottom. Over a year later, not much had changed. I’ve been laying in the bed beside her, watching every breath she took, filing every move she made to memory.

  The early rays of a new day tried desperately to break into the room, crawling like dust particles into the tiniest space it could find. Grace remained lost in her dreams, oblivious to the events of last night. Her father was dead, and while the news brought with it an absolution of her staying where she needed to be, it also gave my heart a pull of sadness. Growing up poor was one thing, growing up with no male influence was another.

  Soft touches of tiny fingers against my face were a welcomed sign my baby was awake. I opened my eyes to see the electric blue ones of my baby looking back at me. “Good morning, Sweet Girl.” Her toothy grin greeted me as the pacifier slips from her mouth and falls to the pillow. I can’t resist as I rise off the mattress and take her in my arms. “Let’s get you a c
lean diaper and some breakfast.”

  Priscilla and Georgia had done more than stock the shelves with a few jars of baby food. As I cut up pieces of banana for Grace, I wondered if she would ever be able to consume the hundreds of jars in the pantry.

  “So, Sweet Girl, today we have to find a place to live. A real place, not a dirty old closet or a friends couch, but a place we can call home.” Grace insisted on taking the fruit from my fingers and not the plate I had set out for her. “Everyone wants us to move in here, but that will not be happening. Your mother is an overpaid secretary, working for one of the nicest families on the planet. But you will learn as you get older, charity has an expiration date.”

  Grace had mastered the ability to hold her own bottle months ago, but this morning she wanted Mommy to hold it for her as she leaned over the edge of her seat with her mouth open like a baby bird. “After we get you fed and cleaned up again, we’re going to go talk with the lady who owns this building, and make sure no one has made any arrangements on our behalf.”

  Georgia and Carson were having coffee on their veranda when I knocked on the door. You didn’t stay in Charleston long and not know this building was the most sought after address for twenty somethings. Even with my generous salary and lack of other obligations, I would never be able to afford a broom closet in this building. Carson sprang to his feet as I walked in with Grace on my hip, insisting I take his chair while he got me a cup of coffee.

  “Sleep agrees with you, Audrey. Been a few nights since you had a conversation with Mr. Sandman?” Grace reached out for the ceramic coffee pot as Carson returned with another cup. “And this little one got even bigger overnight.” Georgia reaches over to tickle Grace, distracting her from the white pot she’s still insistent on pulling off the table.

  “She’s good at that, growing up while you’re not watching.” Georgia nodded her head as Carson made me a cup of coffee.

  “So, I have a contract ready for you to sign, Claire wants to gift you the deposit and the rent she has already paid for the month.” I’m not surprised by the generosity, I am at who extended it. Chase had not come by last night, or called or texted this morning. His lack of going overboard in taking care of things was the final nail in the closed and secured door.

  “I was actually coming to see if you had any leads on any openings outside of this building. While I appreciate the offer from Claire, it would still be a stretch for me to meet the monthly rent. I have a baby who takes priority on all my spending, and she deserves to have the best I can give.”

  Georgia tilted her head to the side, “Audrey, there are always arrangements we can make. I’m surprised Chase didn’t beat you here this morning to write a check for you.”

  Swallowing hard in an attempt to keep the hurt from showing in my voice, “Georgia I think we both live in the real world most of the time, don’t we?” Reaching out my hand to take hers. “No one missed the fact he didn’t come to Claire’s condo last night and, I’m not ashamed to admit, he hasn’t bothered to call and check on us this morning.”

  Georgia looks away, and then squeezes my hand. “I hear Molly Green has finished remodeling her old photography studio into a rental.”

  “All the utilities are included in the rent, as long as you’re careful with the electricity. My lawn guy comes every Tuesday and the pool man on Fridays.” Molly Green reminded me of an aging hippy. Her silver hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, the ends hitting just above her belt. A large straw hat concealed her face from the bright Charleston sun, and a pair of round sunglasses, she either wore to Woodstock, or found at a consignment shop, rested on the end of her nose.

  “You’re welcome to use the garden and there is a park through that gate.” Molly’s back yard separated the main house from the most adorable cottage I’d ever seen. She told me of owning her own photography business until her eyes began to fail her. “Nobody wants a photo of what they really look like. Even with all the magnification I could download wasn’t enough to get rid of all the wrinkles sometimes.”

  The cottage itself looked to be stolen out of a fairytale book. Soft gray siding surrounded the house, black plantation shutters sat vertical to each side of the windows. A stark white porch ran the length of the front of the house. Matching rattan furniture and a porch swing, brought forth the image of sitting with Grace as she played with her toys, decorating pumpkins, and baking Christmas cookies—all the things we had missed last year.

  “Now the furniture isn’t new, but it’s sturdy. Anything you don’t have a use for, we can put in storage until you decide you’re leaving.” Miss Molly needn’t worry about the condition of the furnishings or needing to remove anything. I was instantly in love with the eclectic feel of every room. The crisp, clean tiny kitchen, with its white cabinets and butcher block counters. Oh, the things I could cook in that kitchen, the lessons I would give Grace as she grows into a young lady.

  With a hug and exchange of money, this tiny slice of heaven is our new home. Rubbing the silver key between my fingers, I stand in the center of my new living room. Molly filled the room as if she was going to be living here, and not in the main house sixty feet away. There would be no late night parties or cops pounding on the door to arrest someone, no hopes of the food I’d bought being gone before I had a chance to enjoy it. As I scooped up Grace, her giggles filling the room, a sound I planned to have daily in this house. First order of business was to get my things from Claire’s, and then get a crib for Grace. For the first time in my life, I wouldn’t be looking over my shoulder, waiting for Lucas or one of his friends to hijack my plans.

  I left Claire’s key with Georgia and Carson helped to pack the bags into my car. I would have loved to have been able to live there, but I needed to be on my own. “Don’t you be a stranger, just because you don’t live in the building doesn’t mean you don’t have an invitation to Friday tea.”

  People aren’t always who or what we think, sometime our love, trust, and respect distort the signs that are ever so clear in hindsight.

  —Nishan Pashwar

  “Lainie and Austin will be back this weekend.” Momma explained. It had been two weeks, two very long and miserable weeks. I was the biggest chicken shit to walk the planet as I’ve avoided Audrey as much as I could. Granted, I talked to her at work, but even that was kept to business material only. She had shown up for work, looking well rested and with the occasional new dress and shoes. Just because I was avoiding her, didn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention.

  When I crawled out of bed in the hotel, my head pounding like a goddamn jackhammer, I had twenty messages on my phone. All were some sort of threat as a result of how shitty I was treating Audrey and, by extension, Grace. I avoided everyone except Miss Georgia, who let me know I was a day late and a dollar short as she had already packed her bags and moved six blocks over.

  “You remember Molly Green, owned the studio over on Maple. She did your senior pictures.” Miss Molly was cool as shit. Everyone went to her if they had something they needed a photographer for. Momma used her for everything, including her wedding to daddy. “Well she sold off her business to some lady from Virginia. She tried to make a go of it, but the quality wasn’t the same and she ended up moving back home. Molly couldn’t stand the thought of the building going to waste, so she remodeled it.”

  I even tried talking to Molly, but she was even more stubborn than momma. “Chase Morgan, you didn’t sign a lease with me and I ain’t taking any money from you.”

  So, I was left to sit at momma’s kitchen island as she gave me a solid hour of how her heart was broken when she took the money from Audrey. “Chase, she is a good and decent girl, sure she has some baggage, but Grace is a sweet child. It ain’t her fault what happened with that man, he made his decisions and she and that baby were innocent victims, just like you and your brothers were.” So now I was stuck, going against what my heart and my mind wanted. Letting Kakos, and myself, down as I was damn sure living in regret.

  The
first workday back, I walked into the shop to find Dylan on the floor stacking blocks so Grace could knock them over. My heart clenched as she laughed and clapped her hands as he would fake a groan at her destruction of his Taj Mahal. “Since when did we open a daycare?” I’d snapped, not meaning for the words to ever leave my lips.

  Dylan stood holding Grace, her little hands grasping his face as she placed open mouth, slobbery kisses on his cheek. “We didn’t, but this is the cutest baby on the planet. Besides I thought you’d want her here instead of some daycare center across town.” Audrey turned back to her computer typing a few lines and then asked Dylan if she could take her lunch early. She’d returned a little later, a frown on her face and no Grace. Dylan told me after she left that night, she had placed the baby in daycare, even after he’d insisted she was welcome here.

  “She doesn’t want a three ring circus with people she doesn’t know.” Momma continued while Dylan kept cleaning the same spot on the bike he was working on, he had been biting his tongue since the night we took care of Lucas. “I’ve already spoken with her Momma and your Daddy. As much as I want to throw the reception of the century, I’m gonna make her happy and have a low country boil.”

  Dylan stopped his circles on the polished chrome, his diversion to the tension in the room. Standing straight, he looks to me and then to Momma. “That is one of the better ideas you’ve have ever had.” He claims, tossing the rag on the counter, walking around the lift, he kisses her cheek, and with a loud and exaggerated motion, earning a smack and a laugh from her. He keeps walking toward the front office. “Audrey, I’ll be back later. You can reach me on my cell.”

  I’d considered changing my schedule back to nights, but just because my dumb ass was avoiding her, didn’t mean my dick stopped wanting her. No matter how much cold water I sprayed the fucker with, the second he heard her voice or saw the edge of her ankle, he was up and ready. Being alone in the shop with her, would be pure hell on Earth. Diving into the motor I needed to rebuild, I reached over to turn on the television, adding some white noise into the room. Channel four had started their evening news with a breaking report.