by Smith, Wendy
“Well, you don’t live here anymore.” I raise my hand to my face where he hit me. It’s tender and sore, and I can’t let him get away with it.
We both start at the clap of the door closing.
James walks into the kitchen, looking around before fixing his gaze on Garrett. “What the fuck happened here?” He shifts his focus to me, his eyes narrowing. “Mia? What the hell. He hit you?”
“Yes,” I whisper.
Anger flashes across his face, and he storms toward Garrett. Before he can get to him, I grab hold of James’s arm. “He’s not worth it.”
“He hurt you.” He runs his thumb down my cheek with all his gentleness. His eyes are full of hurt. This is what love is. Not the twisted mess that I had with Garrett.
“Mia.” Drew Campbell’s right behind his brother. “Let me take a look. James, call the police.”
“We don’t need the police,” Garrett says.
“Yeah, we do.” Drew seems to be taking over the situation while James pulls his phone out of his pocket.
Garrett’s mouth opens and closes like a fish. He’s not used to people ignoring his wishes.
“You’re lucky I’m here.” Drew says, flashing me a smile that I’m sure charms his patients. I’m so glad he’s here too as he examines my aching face. He studies me intently for a few moments, his fingers brushing over the skin. “That’s gonna hurt for a while.”
“The cops are on their way,” James says.
Garrett just stands there, staring.
“Good.” Drew catches my gaze. “Ready to press charges? That’s going to be an impressive bruise. He hit you with some real force.”
“It wasn’t like that,” Garrett says. His voice is so quiet.
James takes my hand, and I’m pulled into his arms.
“Just be careful of her face,” Drew says.
“Are you okay?” James brushes my cheek with his lips, and I close my eyes, breathing in the earthy smell of him.
“I am now.”
“I can’t imagine ever thinking it’s okay to hit a woman.” Drew glares at Garrett.
Garrett swallows hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing, but he says nothing. For the first time in, well, ever, he doesn’t look confident.
It’s almost like time stands still. I don’t even notice what’s going on around me until a police officer appears at the door.
James shows him through to the dining room. The man I love takes one look at me, and his chest moves like he’s taking a deep breath. “This is Mia.”
“Hi, Mia. I’m Constable Jenkins, and my partner is Constable Peters. We got a call about a man assaulting a woman.”
Garrett snorts.
Drew’s eyebrows rise. “That’s right.” He points at Garrett. “He punched her.”
“That’s not what happened,” Garrett says.
“Her bruises are gonna say otherwise, buddy.”
“Thank you.” Officer Jenkins addresses me, “Are you okay?”
I shake my head. “I came home to find Garrett, my ex-husband, here. We argued. He hit me.”
“We should get you assessed by a doctor. Make sure you’re okay.”
“I am a doctor,” Drew says. I bite down a laugh. Drew is the sweetest guy, but clearly he feels slighted.
“Oh, sorry, sir.” The officer nods.
“She’ll need an X-ray. I think her cheekbone is broken.”
Garrett’s eyes widen. “I didn’t hit her that hard.”
“So you admit to hitting her?” the officer says.
Drew moves his gaze to me. “I’d say it was more like a punch than a slap. But on second thoughts, I don’t think anything’s broken.”
A flash of anger appears in Garrett’s eyes. Drew’s just got him to confess in front of a cop, and there’s no going back from that.
“I’m going to have to take you down to the station for questioning,” the constable says.
“I want a lawyer.”
“You’ll need one,” Drew says.
I wind up telling my story to the female officer. She’s patient, and even though I just want to cry and crawl away, I get my version of events out.
Garrett scowls as he’s led away by the cop, and I figure he’s just lucky he’s not in handcuffs.
“Right. That’s him taken care of. Let’s call a locksmith and then go to dinner,” Drew says.
“I’m not supposed to change the locks according to our agreement,” I whisper the words before realising just how silly they sound right now.
“Then you won’t. I will.”
James wraps his arms around me. “Let us take care of everything. Go sit in the living room.”
I look up at him, my eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry that you have to deal with this.”
“Mia, as long as you’re safe, I don’t care what I have to do. And I can tell you now he’ll never get the chance to get close enough to hit you again.” He kisses me gently before letting me go.
The living room is the same as the kitchen. The whole place is a mess. But I clear a spot on the couch and sit down. I knew today seemed too good to be true, but I never thought it would come to this.
“Shit.” James walks into the room and looks around. He pulls the ornaments that have been dumped off the couch and places a cushion down. “Here. Lie down. The locksmith is on their way.”
I lie on the couch. “Can you check the rest of the house?”
He nods, stroking my hair and giving me a tender kiss. “I’ll go and do that now. I’m sorry you came home to that. If I hadn’t gone for a beer with Drew, I would have been here.”
“It’s not your fault.”
When he disappears up the hall, Drew takes his place. “Let me take another look at you.”
I don’t think I’ve ever felt so cared for.
* * *
When the locksmith’s changed the locks, I sit up again and survey the damage.
The few ornaments I had in here are shattered. There’s glass on the carpet, and some of the cushions have been torn.
I guess at least now James and I get to start fresh.
Garrett never made it up the hallway. The bedrooms at least are fine, and we can sleep in our own bed tonight.
“Shall we go to dinner?” Drew smiles.
I shrug. “I’m not sure if it’s a good idea.”
“We’re not going out to a restaurant, if you’re worried about people seeing the bruising. Sonya’s got some chef working for her tonight as a treat for us. It’s just a dinner, but what rich families do.”
I laugh. “I’d still like to come if the invitation is there, then. Sounds amazing.”
“It will be. Besides, Hayley will want to mother-hen you.”
“She’s like that.” James laughs.
Drew nods. “James is one of her chicks.”
“I like Hayley. I’d love to see her again.”
“Well, you might see her more often now you’re part of the family,” Drew says.
I grin. Part of a family. Despite our weekend away, I didn’t completely feel it before. I do now.
And it’s pretty damn good.
35
Mia
“He did what?” Hayley’s mouth falls open as we walk into the house behind Drew. She shifts her focus to me. “Oh, Mia. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”
“Thanks to James and Drew, I’m fine.”
Drew straightens. “It was me who got Garrett to confess to what he’d done.”
I nod. “Yes, it was.”
“Want a medal or something?” James asks, slipping an arm around my waist.
“No, he’s just trying to impress his wife.” Hayley snuggles into Drew’s chest. “Not that he needs to.”
“I’m already impressive?”
“Sometimes.” She laughs.
He dips his head and kisses her, and it’s so warm and affectionate. I love how much they clearly love each other. That kind of relationship’s what I always wanted. It’s what I have with James.
“Anyway, come through. Mum’s got this chef cooking dinner, and there’s going to be a ridiculous amount of food. I’m so glad you two could join us,” Hayley says.
“It sounds amazing,” I say.
“I’m so glad I have you to hang out with. Mum can be a bit out of touch, and it’s so good to have a woman closer to my age around. Oh! I hope you guys can come and see us in Hamilton more often.”
Grinning, I nod. “I’d love to. I haven’t been to Hamilton in forever.”
“Come up for the weekend. We’ll leave the twins with the boys and go shopping.”
“That sounds great.”
Logan and Amelia walk into the entranceway, hand in hand with an older woman who I assume is Hayley’s mother.
“Here are my babies.” Drew squats and holds his arms open. They both run toward him, and I smile at those little legs running.
“Dad!” Logan yells.
“Dad!” Amelia follows suit.
Drew picks them up, balancing one on each hip. “I’m not sure how I’ll cope when I can’t hold both you guys like this.” He laughs, planting kisses on the top of their heads. “Did you miss me?”
Amelia nods, resting her head in Drew’s neck.
He leans his chin to rest on her head. “Oh, I love you two.”
My heart swells watching them. I wanted children early on, but Garrett wanted to wait. And wait. By the time I’d had enough and walked, I knew I wouldn’t have any of my own. But at the same time, I was glad I hadn’t had any with him. It would have made everything so much harder.
Now I have the right man, but it’s too late for me to start trying. I’ve known that for a while. Apart from the potential medical issues for me, there’s a much higher chance that something could go wrong for my child. I can’t risk that.
“Come on, guys. Let’s all go through here,” Drew says and walks through a doorway to the right.
We follow him through to the living room. I can’t get over how massive this house is. James had told me Hayley’s parents were rich. It’s breathtaking.
There are photos and ornaments everywhere. I sigh. My poor broken house.
“You okay?” James asks.
I nod. “I’m fine.”
“Mia, this is my mother, Sonya,” Hayley says. I turn to smile at the woman who’d appeared with the children a minute ago. An older man walks in behind her. “And this is my father, David.”
“It’s so good to meet you. Hayley was just filling us in on what happened. Are you alright? Do you need anything?” David asks.
I shake my head. “Thank you so much, but I’ll be fine. I think I’d just like to forget about it for the night.”
Sonya smiles. “That we can hopefully do.” Her gaze moves to the side of my face. I’m sure it’s swollen and probably bruised. I must look a sight. “I’ve got a cold pack if that would help.”
“It might be a good idea, Sonya,” Drew says. “Mia had a rest before we left, but we didn’t put anything on it.”
“And you call yourself a doctor.” Sonya taps him on his arm before disappearing through a door.
I laugh.
“She loves me, really,” Drew says.
All I can do is smile.
* * *
Dinner is amazing. It’s supposed to be five courses, but we struggle after three. There are a lot of leftovers.
“You’re welcome to take whatever you want home,” Sonya says. “Then you won’t have to worry about cooking.”
“I’d love that. Thank you,” I say. “We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do.”
She frowns. “Let me know if you need any help. I’m so angry on your behalf.”
“I appreciate it.”
“Why don’t you go and get some fresh air before dessert?”
“There’s dessert?” Drew asks.
Sonya laughs. “We’ll skip the last two courses and take a break, and then there’s dessert. Trust me, you won’t want to miss it.”
“Are you trying to fatten me up, Mum?” Drew asks.
Hayley slaps him on the arm, and he shrugs.
I look down the table to the two high chairs. Amelia’s picking at her dinner with her fingers. Logan is covered in what looks like the pureed potato we had with the second course.
“Those two are enjoying their food.” I nod toward them.
Hayley laughs. “They’ll be straight in the bath after this.”
“Logan looks like he’s having a lot of fun.”
She sighs. “He’s the one who likes playing with his food. He’ll have eaten plenty too, though.”
I smile. Logan and Amelia are so gorgeous, with their big blue eyes and dark hair like their parents. It does make me wonder what my children would look like if I had them. But I can’t think that way.
It’s too late.
James stands, and takes my hand. “Want to go and get some fresh air?”
“I’d love to. If I can walk.”
He laughs, pulling me to my feet, and we walk out to the back deck.
“This place is beautiful.”
“I’ve never been out here,” James says. He wraps his arms around my waist, and I lean back against him.
“Really?”
He shrugs. “Drew and Hayley usually visit me. I hope tonight wasn’t too stressful after what happened with Garrett.”
I shake my head. “No. Everyone’s been wonderful. And I love how peaceful it is out here.”
“Sonya said we could stay the night if we wanted.” James lets me go as I turn.
“Really? In that mansion?”
He laughs. “They have a spare room or two. I’m not worried. I had a glass of wine earlier, but nothing since so I can drive home.”
“I kinda like the idea of staying. Going back to the house doesn’t feel that good right now.”
James presses a gentle kiss to my lips. “I’m sure. We could always find another place to live for a while if we have to. Now we’re out in the open.”
I grin. “I feel so free.”
“Me too.” He grins. “The next time Cody Johnson says he’d like to fuck you, I can smack him for saying that about my girl.”
My mouth falls open. “He said what?”
“Doctor Scott is so popular with the boys. They all think you’re hot.” James presses a kiss to my temple, and I snuggle into his chest. “But you are mine, and they can all bugger off.”
I laugh, taking a deep breath. This place really is paradise. I’m looking forward to the day when I can escape the city and go somewhere where I can think.
And to having James by my side all of the time.
“I love this house. Do you think if I hide here, they’ll ever find me?” I ask.
James laughs. “I’d have to sneak in to see you.”
I drape my arms over his shoulders. “I like that we don’t need to sneak around anymore.”
James closes in on me, and presses the most gentle kiss on my lips. It leaves me wanting to cry.
This is the man I’m supposed to be with.
“If you two have finished canoodling out here, dessert’s ready.” Drew’s voice is full of amusement.
“If that’s the condition, we might skip dessert.” James laughs.
“Oh, little brother. You do have it bad.” Drew grins. “You’ve got good taste, though, so I’ll forgive you. But seriously, you don’t want to miss this.”
It’s not just one dessert; there’s a selection. Pavlova, chocolate mousse, the richest-looking chocolate cake I think I’ve ever seen, and then there’s fruit and cheese.
I take a breath. I’ve always been the type to find space for dessert, but today, I don’t know where to start.
“It’s a bit overwhelming,” James says.
“Might have to have a bit of everything.” I pick up a plate. After filling it, I return to my seat.
Amelia squeals as she gets a small plate in front of her with some fruit. It doesn’t take much to keep the kids happy.
“I’l
l show you your room after dinner if you’re staying.” Sonya smiles at me.
“What? They get to sleep in the same room? Remember when I first came here and you gave me a separate room to Hayley?” Drew laughs.
“Really?” James asks.
“Sonya tried to set Hayley up with some guy the same day Hayley brought me here to meet her parents.”
Sonya blushes and laughs. “That was a long time ago.” She takes a sip of her drink. “And, for the record, we love Hayley’s choice.”
“I should hope so.” Hayley leans against Drew. “I love my choice too.”
“We even made two beautiful grandbabies for you.” Drew holds his hands up as if exasperated.
James shakes his head, and I laugh softly. “Drew, stop milking the guilt,” James says.
“I’m allowed to make the most of it.”
“He’s always like this.” James directs the comment to me, but out of the corner of my eye, I can see Hayley nodding.
“I’m not sure Drew will ever get over it.” Hayley plants a kiss on Drew’s temple.
“If I get hugs and kisses every time I mention it, I might have to talk about it more often.”
“Don’t you dare.” She grins, pecking him on the lips. “Now let’s get stuck into this food. It looks amazing.”
* * *
The bedroom is beautiful.
There’s what looks like a king-sized bed against the far wall, covered in cushions. To the left is the en suite, and I gasp when I walk in.
A spa bath sits in the corner, more than big enough for the two of us. On the side is a bottle of bubble bath, along with shampoo and conditioner.
“I know I joked about it, but do you think they’d notice if I just moved in?”
James joins me in the bathroom doorway. “Woah. I would have been here a lot earlier if I’d known it was this nice. I’ll ask Sonya if she can adopt me.”
I laugh, burying my face in his chest. “This is exactly what I needed after today.”
“Me too. It’s perfect.” He pauses. “Let’s go back down and have that hot chocolate David said he’d make before having a bath.”
“I like that idea.”
James runs a finger along my jaw and raises my chin so my gaze meets his. “And then I want to go to bed and just hold you.”
