“Is Frank going back with you?” Rabbit asked as we made our way down the hall, my arm wrapped around her, holding her close.
Adam looked at her. “Does Brian wear the overcoat he had on yesterday a lot?”
Rabbit looked confused but nodded. “Usually, most days. Why?”
Adam smiled. “I think it’s safe to say Mr. James is safely back in Toronto and will remain there. His overcoat will come in very handy to make sure. I spoke with Frank. He is willing to stay here if you want or come back with me to help out with some, ah, checking I want done.”
“Take him back with you, I’ll have the security cameras on and the gate closed. If anything comes up, I’ll call the police.”
Adam nodded. “I actually spoke with the local precinct already. They know there is a situation, so if you call them, they’ll respond.”
We stopped by the truck. Adam regarded us briefly. “Lizzy, there is a restraining order on Brian being processed now. He can’t come near you. Nor can anyone associated with him.” Beside me, she nodded. “Joshua, I’m sure he won’t do anything. He is not going to risk bad press right now. Just be diligent, okay? And, stay in touch.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “I’m on it, Joshua. I promise both of you that Brian James is history.”
I lifted my eyebrow at him questioningly.
He smiled calmly at me. “Let’s go. I have an important meeting with a colleague this afternoon. It’s going to be very revealing.”
I relaxed. He was meeting with the asshole’s lawyer today. He was indeed on it and I smiled in understanding.
He grinned back. “You look after your family and let me handle this.”
I nodded. Nothing was more important than Rabbit’s safety or the wellbeing of her and my child. The gun and the phone were staying close and the gates shut.
I looked up from the laptop, smiling. Rabbit was sound asleep again, but her toes were starting to move, indicating she would wake up soon. She looked so peaceful when she slept now, and the only sounds escaping from her mouth were tiny little snuffles that made me grin. Beside her, Bear snored away loudly on the floor. Since Adam and Frank had left three days ago, our routine had pretty much been the same. Wherever one of us was so was the other. Rabbit was calmest when I was close and my touch soothed her. Simply having her close brought me a contentment I had never experienced before, so the intimacy was welcome. Rabbit slept a lot, with Bear a constant companion by her side. He seemed to sense something was different and had taken on an even more protective stance when it came to her, rarely leaving her side even when she slept.
Yesterday, when I had suddenly felt the need to paint, Rabbit joined me up in the studio once I had the loft warmed up with the heaters and had brought over some extra blankets. As usual, within ten minutes of her sitting down, she drifted into sleep, Bear at her feet, and I found myself sketching and shading, completely absorbed in my work. It wasn’t until she stirred a few hours later that I even moved from the easel. Crouched in front of her, I was pleased to see her looking more rested. She had gotten up and gasped in pleasure over the watercolor I had been working on. “It’s so full of light, Joshua,” she whispered. “Can we put it in our baby’s room?” My already full heart swelled and, wordlessly, I had taken her in my arms, only able to nod.
Our baby.
Our baby’s room.
There just wasn’t anything I could say to express the joy those small words brought me.
Her soft sigh drew me back to the present. She was waking up slowly. Her eyes opened and met mine and I smiled at her. “Hey,” I said smiling, rubbing her feet that were resting in my lap.
She blinked sleepily at me. “I did it again.”
I laughed. “You’re following doctor’s orders. Wanna smoothie?”
It was her turn to laugh. “I’m going to turn into one, Joshua, if you keep making them for me to drink.”
My face turned serious and I placed my hand on her stomach gently. “They’re good for you and besides, I think she likes them. You sleep very well after you have one.”
“She?” Her voice was soft as she looked down and placed her hand on top of mine.
I nodded. “A little girl rabbit. My bunny girl. BG.”
Her eyes filled with tears.
“What if it’s a boy?”
I grinned. “My Jack Rabbit then. Either way, Rabbit, I will love our child fiercely. Just like I do their mother.” I watched a tear slip down her cheek. “Don’t cry, Rabbit, please.”
“Happy tears, Joshua. I’m just so full of happy tears.”
I smiled and wrapped my hand around hers. “That’s all I want you to have, Rabbit. Happy tears. Now BG needs a smoothie.” I grinned as I stood up. “When I get back I want to show you all the cool things I found online. Did you know how much stuff a baby needs? It’s incredible.”
Rabbit laughed. “We have lots of time, Joshua. Um, BG won’t be here for a while yet.”
I grinned. “I know. Still, we have lots to do before she arrives.”
Rabbit laughed. “Okay, Joshua. Go make me another smoothie and then show me what you’ve found. Then I’m going to go and putter.”
“Putter? You need to rest.”
She groaned. “Exactly. Daniel said rest, not sit on my ass all day and sleep.”
I knelt down beside her. “You’re sleeping so much because you need it, Rabbit. Don’t push yourself. There is nothing you have to do. Let me look after you, please.”
She smiled and cupped my face. “I love how you want to take care of me, Joshua. But I feel like doing something. I was thinking of maybe making a pie for after dinner, and maybe that I’d cook tonight. Pasta?”
I wasn’t going to argue with that. I stood up, holding out my hands and grinning. ”Well, that activity I can fully support. I’ll help after I make your snack. Come to the kitchen with me, okay?”
Rabbit laughed, placing her hands in mine. “Okay.”
Adam called the next day. He thought we should know that Brian James’s father had passed away of a sudden heart attack. He also let me know that the follow-up meeting he had with Brian and his lawyer would be postponed until the following week. We spoke briefly, and after I hung up, I hesitated before letting Rabbit know what Adam had said. I wasn’t sure how she would take the news or if she would even care. She was quiet for a moment and then shrugged her shoulders. “I suppose I should feel bad for him; or Brian even. But nothing he did ever pleased his father. And, Douglas James never seemed to like me.” She suddenly laughed bitterly. “I was never good enough for either of them. That was the one thing they seemed to have in common.” She looked up at me and I was surprised to see a look of anger in her eyes. “I still don’t understand why, Joshua. Why did Brian insist on staying married to me? Why did he do all those awful things to me? Why didn’t he just let me go? I wasn’t what he wanted—he made that very obvious!” Tears began to pour down her cheeks and I pulled her into my arms, trying to soothe her. I had no answers for her.
“I’m not sorry he is gone. He was an awful man. He knew what Brian did to me; I know he did … but he did nothing to stop it!” Her voice was becoming hysterical and I regretted telling her. Daniel said to keep stress to a minimum. I held her tighter and felt her body shaking hard with sobs as I rocked her. “Hush, Rabbit. Please calm down. Please, sweetheart.”
I pulled back and held her wet face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. “Listen to me. He is a fucking stupid, self-centered, narcissistic ass. I can’t tell you why he did what he did and I can’t understand how he could have done such terrible things. Especially to you, Rabbit.” I stared at her, not allowing her to break my gaze, my thumbs drawing circles on her damp skin. “He is the one that is not enough. He doesn’t even deserve to share this planet with you. He is a cruel, thoughtless, heartless bastard. He deserves to be alone the rest of his life. I hope his entire life is filled with regret. I hope he’s alone the rest of his miserable, lonely, pathetic, unimportant existence.” I drew in a
breath. “I hope his company fails, his hair falls out and his dick shrivels up and drops off,” I added for good measure.
Rabbit’s eyes widened at the last statement. But apparently my childish outburst had stopped her building hysteria. When I stopped to take a breath, she lifted a finger to my mouth. “Are you done?”
I shrugged and kissed her finger. “He doesn’t deserve to be a part of any of your thoughts,” I mumbled against her skin.
She regarded me sadly. “I try not to think about him, Joshua. Sometimes it just … overwhelms me.”
I observed her for a moment.
“I don’t want you overwhelmed, Rabbit. Maybe … you need someone to talk to? Someone who won’t go crazy at the mention of the bastard’s name?”
“You mean therapy?”
I nodded and reached over to hold her hand. “To help you deal with this. Move forward.”
She was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “I think I need to, Joshua. I need to put this in the past.” Her hand lifted to her stomach. “I have so much to move forward for.”
I leaned forward and kissed her softly. My brave girl. She was so much stronger than she gave herself credit for. I looked down at her tiny hand holding mine over our child. My gaze drifted to the window. There was a whole world out there that our child would need to be a part of; school, friends, birthday parties, appointments. I thought of memories of my own childhood: parent/teacher nights, school concerts, trips to the zoo, family vacations … I had to be able to be there for our child as well. I wouldn’t be able to do so if I couldn’t walk past the fucking gate. We both had to move forward.
“Then I think we both should go for some counseling, Rabbit. You need someone you can talk to about your past and I need to push forward. Our baby is going to grow up and need a world outside these gates and I want to be at their side when they walk through them.”
She smiled widely. “Oh, Joshua. Yes. You can do this. I know you can.” She wrapped her arms around my neck and held me tight. “I’m so proud of you.”
“Both of us, Rabbit. We both need this. We’ll talk to Trina and you can decide if you want to become her patient as well or if there is someone else you would prefer. Whatever you’re comfortable with.”
She nodded in agreement. “Okay, Joshua. We’ll both go.”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll make the call.”
I pulled her back to me and held her, breathing in her soft scent deeply.
Together we would do this. For ourselves, for each other and for our family.
The change in Lizzy was obvious when Adam visited two weeks later. She was already looking healthier. The smoothies and rest were doing their job and Adam told her so as he kissed her cheek and shook my hand.
His grin was wide as he looked at the fresh pie sitting on the counter. Rabbit knew lemon was his favourite and had made sure to make one before he arrived. He insisted on going through all the legal items first so that he could sit and enjoy his ‘treat’ afterwards.
My brow furrowed as I looked at Adam across the table. “He dropped the adultery charge? Did he finally use his brain for once?”
He nodded. “He has agreed to a quiet divorce. And, surprisingly, the counseling as well as the donation. I have the signed agreement papers. These will go to a judge next. Since neither party is contesting it, things should move along quickly.”
I looked over at Rabbit who was sitting, suddenly pale and quiet, beside me. I knew how worried she had been about the proceedings. When I had told her about the adultery charge a few days ago, I had been surprised at her reaction. She had simply shrugged and said, “Let him.” When she saw my shock, she had smiled. “I don’t care how he is gone from my life as long as he is, Joshua. If it makes him feel like a big man to blame me, let him. I have no plans on seeing any of the people he associated with ever again anyway.” Then she had frowned. “Unless it would reflect badly on you? On your career? That the press would use that?” Her eyes had widened as she spoke and I hastened to alleviate her worries.
“Rabbit, I don’t give a flying fuck what anyone else thinks. All I care about is you. And, I agree getting rid of that bastard is the priority here. I just hate that he gets to have the upper hand here.”
“But he doesn’t,” she had insisted. “I don’t care if people see it as him divorcing me rather than me divorcing him. In the grand scheme of things, it just doesn’t matter, does it? As long as he is gone from our lives?”
I smiled and kissed her. As usual, she was right. If she was happy, safe and free from him, that was all that mattered.
Now hearing the latest development, I slipped my arm around her shoulders, drawing her close to me as I focused back on Adam. “What do you think changed his mind?”
Adam tapped the thick file beside him. “I had a meeting with his lawyer in regards to the contents of this file. I think he sat with his client and persuaded him it was in his best interest not to pursue such a stupid claim. Brian had contacted him the day he left here with instructions on the adultery claim; I think he was angry when he left your property that day and reacted to it. No doubt once his anger subsided he realized just how unwise his claim was. I imagine his lawyer had something to do with the decision once he saw this and convinced him it would be more prudent to take a different approach.” He paused. “I’m pretty sure he also thought hard on what you had to say to him, Joshua. It was rather … direct. Only a total idiot would ignore that sort of warning.”
I snorted. I was pretty sure the asshole was an idiot. In fact, I was certain of it. Adam grinned at me knowing exactly what I was thinking, winked and then sat back. “His lawyer was rather shocked to find out the only requests were for your few personal items, the donation, the signed letter saying no retribution would be sought, and the cost of your legal fees. The no personal settlement thing was a surprise, I think. Especially given the evidence we have of Brian’s abuse.”
Rabbit looked over at him, her eyebrow arched. “My legal fees, Adam?”
He grinned at her. “I’m expensive, Lizzy. I decided that rat bastard should pay for my services, not you. I also decided extra time needed to be spent on your case. I am going to cost Mr. James big time. Besides the seven million I put forth for the donation.”
Rabbit’s head tilted as she regarded him quietly. “Seven million? I requested five.”
Adam shrugged with a grin. “Typo on the draft. He agreed to it. With his father passing, the bastard can certainly afford it. And, the way it is being distributed he gets zero credit for it. None.”
Rabbit smiled gratefully “Thank you, Adam.”
He smiled back at her. “If the only thing I can hurt is his pocketbook, then I am gonna hurt it badly, Lizzy.”
Both Rabbit and I chuckled. Adam’s face turned serious. “I would prefer to go after him for a lot of money, Lizzy. For you. You deserve it. And I could get it. Easily.” His fingers once again tapped the file. “I doubt there would be much pushback if I tried. You could use it as a nest egg for the future.”
Rabbit shook her head. “No, Adam. I want this over. I don’t want his money. Even if I needed it, I wouldn’t touch it. It came at too high a price for me to ever want it. I want no tangible connection left to him. I’m fine with your fees being covered, I hadn’t really thought of that.”
I couldn’t stay quiet. “Neither Lizzy nor my child will ever want for anything—ever. No matter what, Adam. Lizzy doesn’t need his money. What’s mine is hers, and once we’re married, everything will have her name on it. In fact, I want to talk to you about a few legal items while you’re here.”
I felt her stiffen beside me and looked over but her eyes were downcast. Softly, I squeezed her shoulder and felt her relax, but I could feel that she was still tense.
Adam sighed. “I’ll be honest; it just doesn’t sit well with me, Lizzy, but you’re the client and I’ll do what you want.”
“It is,” she insisted. “Just move it along, Adam. Please.”
Something
was off in her voice and I looked back over at her, frowning. But again, she wasn’t meeting my eyes.
I looked at Adam, who sent me back a questioning look before he assured her he would do exactly that.
“So how is therapy going?” he asked, changing the subject as Rabbit got up and began slicing up the pie and pouring coffee.
“It’s been … interesting,” I shrugged. “Trina will be out again today, and tomorrow I’m going to drive us into the hospital for Lizzy’s next ultrasound.”
“Trina comes here?”
I nodded. “She has been here almost every day for the past two weeks. She feels it’s important to start where I’m the most comfortable. She thinks she needs to be with me as I push myself through the act of leaving the property. We have a daily session and she sits with me as I drive, each day going further. The last few days have been good. If all goes according to plan, I will soon be able to drive myself through the gate, and once I can handle that, we’ll expand my comfort zone.” I shrugged rather self-consciously, still feeling the shame of my phobia weighing on me.
Rabbit’s hand reached up and cupped my cheek and I looked down at her. “I’m so proud of you,” she whispered lovingly, her fingers stroking my skin. Capturing her hand with mine, I kissed her palm, smiling. Always so encouraging, and always finding the right words to lift my spirits. That was my Rabbit. She smiled at my gesture, pushing my plate toward me. “Eat your pie, Joshua.”
“That’s great, Joshua. It’s a fucking tough thing to do. Don’t sell yourself short.” Adam clapped me on the shoulder. “And you, Lizzy?” Adam’s voice was gentle as he spoke to her. “Are you finding things better being able to talk to someone?”
Into The Storm Page 30
