Eternal Bliss

by Bonni Sansom

  "You know its Kyle's and he deserves to know."

  "Why? So she can ruin his life? Why hasn't she told him? He's been out of the hospital for a while now."

  Steve placed his hands on his hips. "For the same stupid reason you and Melanie aren't talking and because you ran her away from Kyle. He said he didn't want her when she went in his room, but he didn't know what he was saying. You know that just as well as I do."

  "You know what, if he said he didn't want her, then who am I to tell him otherwise. I'm not going to tell him shit and you better not either. If she wants him to know about the baby, then she can call him." He picked up his bag, hefted it over his shoulder and left.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  "My back is killing me, Jules. Will you come in here and adjust my chair again?" Laine said over the intercom.

  Julie came in and twisted the adjustment handle on the lower back of the chair until it became impossible to turn. "Laine, you need a new chair. This one has had it. The screw is practically bare."

  "I'll order a new one today, I promise."

  "When are you supposed to meet Melanie? Isn't your ultrasound today?"

  "Yeah, it is. I get to find out what the sex is today. Mel is going to meet me there, and then we're going to have lunch." Laine sat back down. "Oh yeah, that's much better. Thanks, Jules. What would I do without you?"

  "You would be miserable and have to deal with neurotic brides all by yourself. It would be a tragedy of epic proportions. All of Atlanta would be forced to elope."

  Laine rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jules, I would go out of business and starve to death without you." Of course, she probably wasn't too far off. Julie seemed to have the magic touch when it came to frantic brides, and most were.

  "Laine, I know it's none of my business, but have you considered letting him know? I'm sure Kyle would want to be there for the ultrasound. I could get him on the phone for you, I could even tell him if you would like." Julie hugged her clipboard to her chest and sat down across from Laine.

  Well, she wasn't expecting that. Julie hadn't ever pushed her on this issue before. She had thought about calling him, had even picked up the phone a few times, but couldn't ever follow through. His words played over and over in her mind, stealing her breath more than a few times. Sometimes she felt her heart break all over again, but blamed it on the pregnancy hormones. She couldn't have him in her life only for the baby. She had to have all or nothing.

  "Laine? Do you want me to call him?" Julie sat forward in the chair, concern clearly on her face.

  "No. I'll do it when I'm ready. If I'm ever ready, which I doubt I'll ever be. He doesn't want me, remember? Besides, it might be a bit much to tell him and expect him to just show up at an ultrasound, don't you think? Kyle, I'm pregnant and, oh, why don't you show up to see what sex it is?" Laine said sarcastically.

  Julie shook her head. "I know you can be stubborn, but this is one thing we're going to have to disagree on. I think the man has a right to know he's got a child in the world." Julie snapped.

  "Wow, Jules, I've seen you get snappy with other people, but not once with me."

  Julie's face turned red and she looked at her clipboard. "My apology, Ms. Peyton, I have clients to tend to. Excuse me." She stood and left Laine's office.

  "Dammit, what is it with everyone?" She asked an empty room. She tapped her pen on her desk, while staring at the phone. "Fine. Screw it, I'll call the man." She snatched up the phone, punched in his cell number, and swallowed around the knot that suddenly appeared in her throat.

  "Hello, Kyle's phone?" A sweet female voice answered.

  Laine gasped and quickly hung up, tears once again appeared. She swore she was going to dehydrate from all the crying. She cried watching television commercials now, but a woman answering Kyle's phone devastated her. What should be one of the happiest days in her life was now one of the worst.

  "He replaced me already." She dropped her head in her hands, letting the tears fall.

  Twenty minutes later, she collected herself enough to drive to her appointment. Melanie was parked and waiting out in front of the doctor's office. She pulled in next to her and smiled, truly glad to see her best friend.

  "What's wrong?" Melanie asked, rushing over to her.

  "What isn't wrong? I have so many people telling me to call Kyle, even Julie is on the call him bandwagon." She headed for the door to the doctor's office. She didn't feel as excited as she should. She didn't even feel like going at all now.

  "What did Julie say?" Mel asked, holding the door for Laine.

  "You aren't going to believe this, but she actually snapped at me. I'm her boss and she snapped at me. Can you believe that?"

  "No, I can't. She's usually so docile and sweet. You know you have to watch out for the quiet ones."

  "She said the same thing Steve said, that he had a right to know. I have the right not to say a damn word is how I feel about it. The man made it perfectly clear how he felt, and I'm not going to push my way back in his life. Especially when he doesn't want me there." Laine signed the clipboard and they both sat down.

  "So are you? Are you going to call him? I've known you for many years and you wouldn't be this flustered if you hadn't thought of doing it."

  Laine cringed. "I called his cell and some woman answered."

  Melanie gasped. "Are you sure it was his cell? Maybe you just dialed a wrong number."

  "Nope, I dialed the right one. When she answered she said "Kyle's phone", I panicked and hung up. I didn't know what else to do. She's probably his new girlfriend. He's replaced me already."

  Melanie rubbed Laine's shoulder. "Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I know you must be crushed. He doesn't deserve you, if he thinks there is a better woman out there. And you deserve a better man."

  "Thanks, Mel. I appreciate the support, but he was it. I loved him. What's wrong with me? Why is it I fall for a guy and he's either gay or unavailable?"

  Melanie laughed. "I'm sorry, hon. I didn't mean to laugh, but I can't get over David being a hotdog lovin' kind of guy."

  "Laine Peyton." The nurse called.

  "Alright, here we go." She cradled her baby bump in her hands. "It's time to find out what you are. Boy or girl, I'll love you either way." She walked through the door, stepped on the scale, saw her weight and cringed, then headed for the ultrasound room. As she lay back on the crinkly paper, her baby kicked for the first time, giving her chills all over her body. She grabbed Melanie's hand, pulling it to her womb.

  "What? Did the baby kick?" Melanie asked.

  "Yeah, keep your hand there and see if he'll do it again." Her hand covered Melanie's and pushed down. Another tiny bump hit their hands. "See, did you feel it?"

  "I did. Ohmigod, that's so awesome. I'm in love with this baby already." Melanie leaned down to her belly. "You are going to be one spoiled little baby. Auntie Melanie will make sure of it."

  Happy tears filled Laine's eyes. She was in love with her baby too. She hadn't wanted to have it initially, but now she couldn't imagine harming him. He would be a little piece of the love that she and Kyle shared. Of course she would never tell him about the glow-in-the-dark condom pop. That would be her little secret.

  * * * *

  "Was that Jeff again?" Kyle asked Lissa as he worked out.

  "No, it was probably a wrong number because they hung up." She put his phone down, approached him, repositioned the weights, and stepped back.

  "Oh, yeah, hand me my phone would you?" He lifted the weights with his leg and grunted.

  "Here you go." She handed him his phone.

  "I don't recognize the number." Just out of pure curiosity he called the number.

  "Bliss, how may I help you?" A melodic voice answered.

  "I'm sorry. I must have the wrong number." He furrowed his brow, that sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Maybe Lissa would know what kind of business Bliss was, since he forgot to ask. "Have you ever heard of Bliss?"

  She nodded. "Of course, it's A
tlanta's best wedding boutique. Every woman around here knows about it."

  "Wedding boutique." He cringed at the thought. It had to be a wrong number. He sure as hell wasn't getting married. Or, at least he didn't think he was, but then why did it feel so familiar? He needed to talk to Jeff. He would be the only one with answers.

  "Kyle, is everything okay?" Lissa touched his knee, concern clear on her face.

  "I don't know. I don't remember something, but I think it's important. Can we call it a day? I need to go talk to Jeff." He let the weights drop and stood. It didn't matter if she wanted to keep going or not, he was done. He was headed for the firehouse.

  "Sure, we'll just add another twenty minutes onto your next session. Tell Jeff I said hello." She winked as she said Jeff. Damn, he was glad he hadn't asked her out.

  He grabbed his keys and wallet from the wall cubby and headed for the door. Something urgent was pushing him. He just didn't know what it was.

  The drive only took twenty minutes, but seemed like a lifetime. As he pulled up to the station, he had a flashback. He remembered a smartass woman, in a car, with gold-brown hair. Her name was on the tip of his tongue, but still out of reach. He rushed into the house, only to find the trucks gone. Jeff was out on a call.

  He heard voices upstairs and made his way to the kitchen. "Well, look who's here. Damn, if it isn't Mr. Miracle himself. How the hell have you been man?" Steve asked as he clapped him on the back.

  "Are you about ready to come back to work?" Captain Craig asked.

  "I've been making it day by day. I'd love to be back at work Cappy, but I'm still trying to get all my memories back. Speaking of memories, I need to talk to Jeff. Any idea when he might get back?"

  "Don't know. He's out on an accident call, might take a bit to clear it up. Is there anything I can help you with?" Steve offered.

  "It's good to see you Kyle. Your job is right here when you're ready to come back, buddy. I've got to get some paperwork done, so if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to it." Cappy tipped his hat to Kyle and left.

  "Maybe you can, Steve. I feel like you've helped me before. I'm having flashes of a woman with gold-brown hair and I can't get her out of my mind. Do you know anything about her?"

  "I do know about her." The alarm sounded for an ambulance to respond and Steve had to run. He was at the pole, when he yelled, "Talk to Jeff when he gets back. You need to push Jeff." Then he was gone.

  Kyle stood alone in the kitchen, wondering what the hell "push Jeff" meant. But, now he knew one thing, she did exist. Steve had verified it.

  Kyle went to his locker, thought he remembered the combination, tried it and it opened. Things were coming back, slowly but surely. Every day he would remember something new. There would be a tidbit here and a tidbit there, just enough to keep him seeking more. Just enough to drive him mad. One thing he knew for sure, this woman was important, she had to be. She was the key to the whole thing. He felt positive about that.

  He searched through his things for any clue about who she was. There was nothing suggesting anything about her. Frustrated, he slammed the locker door.

  He snapped his phone off his belt, about to call Jeff, when he heard the sound of diesel engines and the beep, beep, beep of them backing up. Thankfully, the crew was back. The engine backed in right next to him, he could hardly wait for it to stop, before he went after Jeff. He held the answers, Kyle so desperately needed.

  He snapped his phone back on his belt, walked to the engine, and waited, shifting from foot to foot, for Jeff to get out.

  "Hey, what are you doing here?" Jeff asked as he stepped down from the engine. "Are you chomping at the bit to get back to work already?"

  "Yes, but that's not why I'm here. I need to know about the woman I keep dreaming about. Steve said you knew about her."

  "Is she hot in your dreams?" Jeff slipped out of his turnout gear, leaving it ready for the next call.

  "Yes, but that's not the point. You told me I didn't have a girlfriend, but I feel like I did."

  "You did, but you broke it off with her in the hospital." Jeff snapped.

  "Why did I break it off?" He huffed out a breath, getting irritated with Jeff's cryptic answers.

  "You did it because she almost got you killed. It was her fault you got hurt. I had her ass banned from seeing you, but she snuck in anyway. But then you told her you didn't want her anymore, so, no, you don't have a girlfriend. And good riddance, she was the ultimate Minivan. Jeff shook his head. "You really dodged a bullet there."

  "What is her name?" Kyle threw his hands up in the air.

  "What does it matter? You've moved on and so has she, I imagine. Rich chicks like her never stay single long." Jeff opened his locker.

  Kyle slammed it shut. "Tell me everything you know about her." The possessiveness that ran through him at the thought she might have another man touch her, surprised him.

  "You don't need to know anything about her. She doesn't matter. All you need to know is she's history."

  "Dammit, Jeff, I need to know. Tell me now." Kyle balled up his fists. Jeff had better start talking.

  "She will ruin your life, Kyle. I'm not gonna stand by and let that happen. You've made so much progress and she'd just set you back." Jeff snatched his locker back open.

  "Don't you think it should be my choice?"

  "No, I don't. You don't remember how she manipulated you. How she tricked you." Jeff shook his head and propped himself on his locker.

  "What did she manipulate me about? What did she do to trick me? Give me some answers here, before I go mad." Kyle wanted to smack him. He felt so strong about this woman, he had to know more.

  Jeff sighed. "Look, why don't we just forget about this and get some grub. I haven't eaten yet and I'm starving." Jeff pulled a fresh shirt out of his locker and changed. He stuffed the dirty one back in his locker and closed the door.

  "You can eat after you tell me her name. Just give me her name. Please?" He'd never begged for information like this, or at least he didn't think he had, but not knowing would make him crazy.

  Jeff growled. "Why the fuck are you being so damn stubborn about this? You broke it off. Obviously, you didn't want the bitch anymore." Jeff yelled.

  "Why the fuck won't you just tell me her name?" Kyle countered.

  Jeff threw his hands in the air "Because, she can't have you, alright? Are you happy now?"

  "Her name is Laine." Wiley said from behind them.

  Kyle swiveled around so fast, it made his head spin. "Thank you, Wi-Fi." Kyle remembered that name. He remembered he hated her for getting him hurt. He remembered Jeff hated her. She had visited him in the hospital. He clearly remembered that, but he still couldn't picture her face. If he hated her, why did he feel so strongly about her? He had to see her to find out. Now he needed to know how to find her. He knew Jeff wouldn't help him, so he figured he'd ask Wiley.

  "Hey, do you know where she lives? Or her last name?"

  No, I've only heard you talk about her, but I did see a picture of her once. It was on your phone. She's seriously hot." He smirked.

  Kyle snapped his phone off his belt, and searched his pictures. No pictures of a woman, Laine or otherwise. He looked at Jeff. "Where is her picture?"

  "I deleted it. She was history and I didn't want you to have to see it when you woke up. I figured if you didn't want her, you didn't need any reminders of her." Jeff shifted from foot to foot.

  "What's her last name?" Kyle snapped.

  Jeff pinched the bridge of his nose. "Peyton. Her last name is Peyton." Jeff walked away with his head down. Obviously, he had nothing left to say.

  Kyle quickly headed for the phonebook. He scanned the P's for her name. Finally he found her, pulled his cell out, and dialed.

  "No one is available to take your call. Please leave a message at the tone," An electronic voice said.

  He growled. Frustration was an understatement. It seemed as if everything and everyone was conspiring against him finding her. He
found a pad and pen, wrote down her address, and headed out.

  The drive wasn't all that long, and he seemed to recognize the road. There was a spot in the road that seemed very familiar. The billboard advertising milk with a mustache reminded him of something. He had spent time here. Maybe this was the scene of the accident.

  He pulled up to an iron gate and stopped. He checked the paper again to make sure this was the right place. The address matched the paper. He shook his head in awe.

  This house, if you could call it a house, was definitely out of his league. The main house was huge, sitting atop a hill with a winding paved driveway. The grounds were immaculately kept with perfectly trimmed bushes, a manicured lawn, and different flowerbeds filled with brilliant colors of reds, yellows, and purples. Even the trees had been trimmed to perfect shapes. No one branch stood out from another. He had no idea how he had managed to date such a woman, but he was even more eager to find out.

  He pushed the call button on the gate keypad. No answer. She must not be home.

  "Shit." He was so close to finding her. He debated sitting and waiting, but decided against it, considering he had no idea when she might be home.

  He backed out of her driveway more determined than ever to find her. He just had to be a little patient. Unfortunately, patience wasn't something he was equipped with.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  After her doctor's appointment, lunch and shopping, Laine was exhausted. She pulled in her drive anticipating a nice bubble bath and a really long nap.

  She forgot to shut the gate, but didn't care. All she wanted was her bath and some fake chocolate. It was only mid-day, but she was ready for bed.

  She pulled into the garage, almost too tired to get out. She hadn't known pregnancy would be this exhausting. Of course, having morning sickness every day, all day, wasn't helping her.

  She patted her growing belly. "You sure are rough on mommy, little one."

  She got out, popped the trunk, grabbed her bags of new blue baby items, and headed in the house. She stepped into the cool air conditioned house, getting a chill sending a path of gooseflesh all over her body. She shivered and pulled her suit jacket closed.