Into The Storm

by Melanie Moreland

  “But know this, Brian. I am happy. I’m loved and I’m cared for. I will stay that way because of the man next to me.” Her hand tightened on mine. “This man knows what the meaning of love is, Brian. The goodness in him is beyond description. That’s something you will never understand. Ever.”

  Then she looked at Randy.

  “You’d better hope he is never unhappy with you, Randy. Because once you feel his foot drive into your ribs over and over again, or know how it feels when his fist slams into your skin so hard that the bruises show up before he has finished hitting you, it’s going to be hard to remember that he’s a good man.” Her breath shuddered out roughly. “Because I know how that feels, how that hurts. I’m not only talking physically.”

  I watched Randy stiffen and his hand loosen in Brian’s grip. Brian looked down, tightening his hold as his stance became uncomfortable and he turned to Randy, shaking his head.

  “No, I won’t. I swear.”

  But it was obvious Rabbit’s soft words had resonated with Randy. His hand withdrew from Brian’s tight grip and he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the vehicle away from Brian. I could see Brian panicking at his physical extraction.

  But my attention was immediately back on Rabbit. As quickly as her anger had flared, it disappeared, and beside me, I felt her sag. I scooped her up, her head falling against my chest and I felt her tears soaking into my shirt.

  I looked up at Brian, eyeing him steadily. “If you have caused her or my children harm, I will hunt you down. It doesn’t matter where you run, I will find you. I promise you that.”

  Brian’s face registered surprise at my words. He shook his head. “It wasn’t my intention to bring her any further harm. I swear.”

  I shook my head. “You don’t get it, do you? Coming here was selfish. You wanted to make yourself feel better. It wasn’t for her. It was for you … it’s always about you. You should have practiced your speech better, James. You’re pathetic. You didn’t come here to apologize, you came here for absolution. Well, you’re not getting it. You’re not getting your forgiveness so that you can run away and live happily ever after. The only one getting a happily ever after is her.” I tightened my arms. “She will be loved and safe for the rest of her life. I hope the two of you are fucking miserable. It’s exactly what you deserve.” I looked down at Rabbit’s pale, tear-streaked face, frowning. “You have two minutes to get in the car and go. Leave the country. Don’t ever come back here.”

  Brian’s shoulders drooped. He looked over at Randy, who shook his head and opened the door.

  I watched them leave, and turning, I strode into the house, carrying Rabbit. I watched the car go through the gate from the security camera and immediately switched the gates to lock and carried her to our room.

  After I laid Rabbit on the bed, I grabbed my ringing phone and spoke with Adam, telling him what happened. He hung up, cursing amidst the promises to call back soon. I went to the kitchen on the pretext of getting Rabbit some juice and called Daniel, begging him to come see her. Dr. Sue was out of town and I was desperate for reassurance. Although he assured me she was probably fine, he agreed to come out. I grabbed the juice and went back to Rabbit. She was still lying curled into a ball and I quickly pulled off her shoes and sat her up to remove her jacket. I helped her sip some juice and laid her back down. Immediately, I lay down beside her and pulled her into my arms. She was still shaking and I pulled a blanket up around us. Slowly, I rocked her, one arm wrapped around her as the other hand rubbed soft circles on her gently rounded stomach, which always soothed her. I murmured soft, loving words into her ear and held her as her trembling began to ease off.

  “It wasn’t me,” she whispered.

  “Never, Rabbit. You know this,” I insisted quietly.

  “I always thought maybe I should have done something different, tried harder … something,” she admitted, looking up at me.

  I moved my hand up to her face, cupping her cheek. “No, Rabbit. You were perfect. Nothing you did would have been right. You heard him.”

  “It was all him.”

  I nodded.

  “He is selfish. He used me to cover up the fact that he was gay. He was willing to destroy me totally, just to hide from his father what he was. I was just a good photo op and a cover.”

  I nodded, sadly.

  “It wasn’t me.”

  I shook my head. “You are so much more than a photo op, Rabbit.” My voice was gentle, my hand stroking her cheek. “You are everything to me. You are my entire world. He is just a self- centered, selfish asshole who isn’t even worthy of your time.”

  “And, today was all about him, wasn’t it?”

  “Yes, it was. It will always be about him, Rabbit.”

  She looked at me. “He’s gone. And he’s not coming back, right?” Her voice was shaky and I could see she needed reassurance.

  “Never, Rabbit. He will never come near you again. I won’t let him touch you. I promise.”

  She burrowed her head in my chest and we stayed silent for a minute.

  “I love you, Rabbit.”

  Her arms tightened around me. I stroked her back softly, keeping her close, letting her feel that I was right there with her and for her.

  After a while, her shaking finally ceased. She looked up at me shyly. I caressed her cheek, wondering why she was looking at me so timidly. “I’m divorced now,” she whispered.

  “Yes, you are.”

  She hesitated, biting her lip. Then she stared at me intently. “Will you marry me, Joshua?”

  I blinked at her, shocked. Then I felt the thrill of her words as they settled into my brain. I grinned at her playfully, pretending to be stunned. “Rather forward of you, Rabbit. I’ll have to think about that.” I pursed my lips teasingly, as my hand caressed her stomach. “Is this a package deal?”

  She nodded; a small smile on her face.

  I leaned forward and kissed her soundly. “Then name the date, Rabbit. I’m so ready to marry you.”

  I heard the intercom buzz in the kitchen. Rabbit stiffened. “Who is that?”

  “Um, Daniel.”

  “Oh, Joshua, you didn’t.”

  “I wanted to make sure you were all okay, Rabbit. You were so upset,” I pleaded with her to understand. “I can’t risk anything happening to you.” I paused. “Or our babies.”

  She sighed. “Well, it’s too late now anyway. Go let Daniel in, Joshua.”

  “I love you, Rabbit. We’re now officially engaged. You can’t back out.”

  She smiled. “Good to know, Joshua.”

  Daniel stood up and spoke to Rabbit gently. “Okay, your pulse is rather fast and your blood pressure is slightly elevated.” He held up his hand to stop me from interrupting. “But given what just occurred, it’s not surprising.”

  “The babies?” I asked quietly.

  “They are fine. Lizzy is fine, Joshua.” He clapped his hand on my shoulder. “Your family is fine. Relax.”

  I let out a deep breath.

  Daniel turned back to Rabbit. “Just rest for the day, Lizzy. Let Joshua look after you. If you need me, just call.”

  She nodded and I went over and tucked the blanket around her, my hand lingering on her stomach. I kissed her forehead softly. “You heard him. Rest. I’ll be back soon.”

  “You’re not leaving?” Her voice was anxious and I hastened to reassure her.

  “No, Rabbit. I’ll just be in the kitchen with Daniel for a bit and then I’ll be back, okay?”

  She nodded and I patted the end of the bed and Bear jumped up. I scratched his head. “Good boy, Bear. Looking after our girl. Good job.”

  He chuffed and laid his head down on her feet, watching her closely. My phone rang and I heard Adam growling and barking orders on the other end as I answered.

  “Joshua. I can have the police waiting for James on this end. He’ll be arrested for breaking the restraining order. His jackass assistant as well. They were already in the air whe
n the cops got there on your end.”

  “He said he was leaving the country. Is that true?” I asked quietly, my hand stroking Rabbit’s head as I stood there.

  “Yeah. His lawyer is fucking freaking out about this stunt. He is due to leave in a couple days. His plans will be put on hold thanks to his stupidity.”

  “He’s running, isn’t he?”

  “Of course he is. He’s a coward. The story is that he is going on an extended tour of Europe, but he is trying to stay ahead of the investigation of Dr. Hammond We can stop him, Joshua.”

  I knelt down beside Rabbit. “What do you want me to do?” I asked her quietly.

  She shook her head, her exhaustion evident. “I want him gone. I don’t want to deal with this, Joshua. It doesn’t matter. It just doesn’t matter. Get him as far away as possible.”

  I grimaced but nodded. “Let him leave, Adam.”

  I held the phone away from my ear as he exploded in anger. He ranted on for a few minutes and then suddenly became silent. “Sorry, Joshua. This fucker just keeps catching all the breaks.”

  “I know. We need him to be gone, Adam.”

  He sighed heavily.

  “Rabbit needs this, Adam.”

  “Then it’s done.”

  Suddenly, he chuckled darkly. “No charges, eh? Well, nothing saying I can’t go meet his plane and let him know what I think of his visit. In fact, his own lawyer is so riled up maybe the two of us will form a little welcoming committee for James and the Jackass. There is a lot I want to say to him. And, I will personally make sure he’s on that plane out of the country. Maybe I can’t press charges, but I can certainly stir up enough questions so I make sure his name comes up in the investigation with Dr. Hammond. Enough to ensure he will never return to this area for fear of actual charges filed. Once he is out of the country he won’t try coming back.”

  I laughed bitterly. “I like the sound of that. Say it for all of us, Adam. Do whatever you have to do.”

  “Oh, I intend to, Joshua. Tell Lizzy he will never even consider coming near her again after I am done. I guarantee that. If he tries, I will happily forget I’m an officer of the court.”

  The image of Adam staring down at James, his dark eyes threatening and angry, made me chuckle. When livid, he was fucking terrifying. Coward that he was, James most likely would shit his pants when he stepped onto the tarmac and saw what was waiting for him.

  “Have a good time, Adam,” I said mildly. “I expect a full report.”

  I hung up and looked down at Rabbit. “Is Adam going to take care of it?” she asked sleepily.

  I leaned down, kissing her again. “Most definitely.”

  “Joshua?”

  “Yes, my pretty girl?”

  “Where’s my ice cream?”

  Fuck.

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Joshua

  Two weeks later, the sun shone high in the late afternoon sky, its beams warming the inside of the new SUV we were sitting in. I grinned as I watched Rabbit checking out the interior of the vehicle. We both smiled at the car seats already installed in the back, just waiting for their passengers. I knew it was early to have put them in, but seeing them just helped make all this more real for me. Rabbit knew exactly what I was thinking when she first saw them and had simply kissed me with a smile on her face. “You like it, Rabbit?”

  She looked at me. “Joshua, I swear this is more luxurious than most people’s homes. I think you went overboard.”

  I shook my head. “It’s the safest SUV out there. The rest is just packaging. The safety rating was what decided it for me. For the babies.”

  She snorted. “Uh huh. I know about boys and their toys, Joshua. I highly doubt the babies will care about a navigation system or a built-in cooler.”

  I laughed. “Okay … maybe a few things were not totally necessary. But really … rather cool.”

  She smiled. “Yes, Joshua, very cool.”

  We were quiet for a moment, both looking at the building in front of us.

  I looked over at Rabbit, smiling. “You ready to do this?”

  Her answering smile was brilliant, but she only nodded in reply. I could see her hands beginning to fidget with the material of her soft yellow dress as her nerves got to her. I got out of the SUV and went around to her side and opened the door. “It’s just us, Rabbit, and the people we know. The only thing that changes today is your last name. And the fact I can happily tell the world you belong to me. Forever.”

  She looked at up me, with the sweetest smile as her hands adjusted my tie.

  “You like that, don’t you?”

  I grinned. “More than I can say. Now, are you ready to come inside and marry me?”

  She held out her hand. “I am.”

  I grinned and helped her out of the truck. I tucked her under my arm as we walked up the steps to the tiny chapel where a small group was waiting for our arrival.

  “Close, Rabbit. It’s ‘I do.’ Keep practicing. You have about ten minutes to get it down pat.” I leaned down and kissed her head. “But I’ll be right beside you if you need a reminder.”

  She laughed softly. “As long as you’re beside me, Joshua, I’m good.”

  I squeezed her gently.

  “Always, Rabbit.”

  An hour later, I was standing off to one side in the warm private room in Rabbit’s favourite little restaurant in Huntsville. For a small town, there were several places to dine, but Rabbit liked the coziness of this place. I found it comfortable as well, and we often ate here when we were in town. I watched, smiling, as my wife moved around talking to people. The guest list for our wedding was small but meaningful.

  Cecilia, Trevor, Daniel, Ellen, Adam, Heather and Frank were all in attendance. As a surprise, I had flown in Tracy, who was thrilled to be there. I felt she had played a significant part in Rabbit’s life, and especially in her escape and wanted her to be there to see Rabbit happy. Rabbit was overjoyed to see her and I noticed Frank seemed rather taken with her as well. He was noticeably close to her at all times, and from the glances she kept sending his way, the attraction seemed mutual. Also in attendance were Dave and his wife, as well as Trina, Anna and Dr. Sue and their respective partners. Rabbit had insisted that our pilot, John, and his wife join us since he was so instrumental in helping her come home.

  I smiled as I looked around at our friends as they talked and laughed. I was still nervous away from the house, but today was an especially good day and I was managing well. I wanted today to be special for Rabbit. She had told me how sterile her wedding day with Brian had been and I wanted today to be nothing like that. I wanted it filled with love and laughter and good memories for her; for us. I had given Cecilia strict instructions that anything Rabbit mentioned or wanted, she was to have today. The only time I had stepped in was when Cecilia told me about a dress Rabbit had seen but bypassed due to the price. I told Cecilia to buy it and Rabbit’s excitement when she saw it overrode the lecture I’d been subjected to for canceling the ‘perfectly acceptable one’ she had decided on and ordering this much more expensive one. I smiled, remembering how her eyes had shone with tears when I told her ‘perfectly acceptable’ wasn’t good enough for her any longer as I kissed her into agreeing to keep the dress. But seeing how beautiful she was in it more than made up for the scolding. Cecilia had outdone herself, keeping things simple just as Rabbit wanted but still evoking a sense of occasion. The candles and flowers that filled the room were perfect. A photographer wandered around snapping pictures and, as per my instructions, made sure Rabbit was in most of the shots.

  Rabbit’s lovely dress flowed and swirled around her, somehow managing to emphasize her baby bump, which I loved. Its soft yellow color reflected the light that shone from her eyes when she looked at me. Carrying the twins made her seem further along in her pregnancy than she actually was. Her glow was beautiful; her happiness evident. Her left hand now glittered with a bezel-set diamond eternity band. She hadn’t wanted a large engagement ri
ng, but I did want her to have something stunning and her reaction to my offering had been nothing short of effusive. My own left hand carried a heavy, wide band of gold. Looking down I smiled as it glinted in the light. The symbolic gesture of our exchanging rings was so simple, yet so meaningful that it had taken my breath away. I looked up to see Trina standing beside me.

  “You are doing very well, Joshua,” she commented quietly.

  I nodded. “I still find it easier when Rabbit is close,” I admitted.

  She smiled. “It will get less stressful as time goes along. I’m proud of your determination. And your success.” She paused for a moment. “Maggie would be as well.”

  The sudden lump in my throat made it impossible for me to answer right away. She leaned forward with a quick but warm hug. “Go and find your lovely wife. Congratulations, Joshua.”

  I nodded silently and sought out Rabbit, needing her close. As I slipped my arm around her waist, I sighed in quiet relief at the feeling of her nestled into my side. My free hand immediately went to her bump, caressing the surface. I loved the feeling of her soft, full curves which changed and grew fuller with each passing week, and I smiled knowing our healthy children were the cause of them. Leaning closer, I checked to make sure she was okay. “Do you need to sit, my pretty wife?” I asked quietly.

  She glanced up me. “I’m fine, Joshua.” Her brow furrowed slightly. “Are you okay, sweetheart?”

  I nodded, leaning down to steal a soft kiss. “Just an emotional day, Rabbit. A good one,” I assured her.

  Her hand cupped my cheek. “A very good one. I love you, Joshua.”

  My lips sought hers again, the kiss deeper this time. “I love you, Rabbit.”