The sound of police sirens fills my ears, and I turn around to see the flashing red and blue lights.
“He’s down here,” Drake yells, waving his hands above his head.
Two police officers step out of their car and point a flashlight in our direction. Slowly, they come walking down.
“Damn, son. You really did a number on him,” Frank, my dad’s old friend who’s known us since we were kids, says.
“He attacked me. He was hiding in the barn. When I came down here to check it out, he busted through the doors and tackled me.” I needed to get that out. It looks like I murdered him with all the blood on me.
The other officer, who I don’t know, bends down and checks his pulse before slapping the cuffs on him.
“Unfortunately, we ain’t going to be able to take him to jail right away. He’ll need to be cleared by the hospital.”
I nod. “Let him die for all I care,” I mumble.
Frank puts his arm around my shoulders and walks me away a few paces. “Listen, I’m only telling you this because we’re so close. If I were you, I’d be looking into getting a lawyer. He could press charges.”
I nod. “I already got one in mind,” I tell him, thinking of Celeste.
“Also, after looking into a few things earlier after you called, I discovered that there’s a warrant out for him back in Ohio for suspected murder.”
“Murder?” I ask, feeling like a bucket of ice water has been dumped on my head.
Frank nods. “It’s believed that he had something to do with his neighbor’s death. Turns out, she was helping Autumn in her escape.”
I let out a long breath and shake my head. “Thanks for the help, Frank. I’m going to get cleaned up and go check on my girl.”
He pats me on the back and allows me to step away.
I make it to Lincoln a couple hours later. After showering, I found several cuts that needed to be taken care of. My knuckles are busted and wrapped up. There was a gash on my head that I fixed up with butterfly stitches and a bandage, and I have a swollen, busted lip. But it’s done and over. Glenn will never be a problem again.
I walk into Autumn’s hospital room, which is being kept dim. She’s fast asleep. Afraid of waking her, I pull up a chair next to her bed and take her hand in mine. I lay my head down, feeling sleep tugging at me already.
“Hey,” she whispers, causing my head to pop up.
“Hey,” I say around a smile.
“Where you been? I thought you would’ve been here sooner.” She takes in my face, and alarm paints her features. Her brows draw together as her eyes become misty. “What happened to you?”
“Well, I went by Drake’s and checked on Bryce. He’s fine. He talked Celeste into getting pizza for dinner. Then I went by the house to clean up and grab you some fresh clothes,” I lie, but she doesn’t need to know that I was going out on a man hunt for her ex. “Glenn was there waiting.”
She sucks in a loud breath. “Glenn did this to you?”
I nod. “He attacked me, but I had a handle on the situation. When the police arrived, he was out cold. They said there’s a warrant out for his arrest for murder.”
She nods. “Judith. He did it. He told me,” she says.
I squeeze her hand slightly, careful not to hurt her. “I don’t think we’ll hear any problems from him anytime soon. But I am strongly urged to hire a lawyer in case he wants to press charges for rearranging his face.”
She giggles.
“How you feeling? Did the doctors here find anything?”
“I’m fine. I got some bumps and bruises and cuts, but no concussion. My rib is cracked, but there’s nothing they can do about that. The baby is completely fine. Heartbeat’s stronger than ever.”
I press a kiss to the back of her hand. “You’re finally free. No more fear. No more running.”
She takes a deep breath of relief, and her eyes flutter closed.
I lay my head down beside her, but she scoots over. “Come on. Get in bed with me.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”
She rolls her eyes. “Come on.”
I climb up onto her hospital bed and wrap my arm around her loosely, careful of her side. I place my hand on her flat stomach. I can’t wait for the day when it’s round, when I can feel my baby move inside of her. I press a kiss to the back of her neck, and she lets out a whimper that makes me feel like I’ve been struck by lightning. God, I don’t know what I’d do without her. It’s funny how you can go your whole life without feeling this overwhelming feeling of needing someone. Then one day, bam, everything changes. I’m sure if we’d never met, I would be just fine right now, but I know I’d still be lost. I never knew how lost I was until I felt her against me. Now that I know, I’ll never be able to live without her again.
Twenty-Five
Autumn
The next morning, I’m discharged and free to go. I pull on the clothes that Clay brought from home and toss the others into the trash. They’re all dirty, covered in dirt and blood, and ripped from when I crawled through the ditch filled with gravel and sticks. Clay has asked me time and time again what happened, but I’m not ready to talk about it. I’m not sure I ever will be.
This time wasn’t any worse than any other time Glenn has come after me. But I know that Clay will only blame himself. He will say he should’ve checked the barn, he should’ve done this or that. I know the events that unfolded yesterday are bad, but I wouldn’t change them for anything because now it’s over. I’m fine, the baby is unharmed, and Bryce never knew anything was going on. Glenn is gone and out of our lives for good.
Guilt is still eating at me when I think of poor Judith though. She didn’t deserve the mess I brought to her door. She should’ve had many more years to enjoy her daughter and grandchildren. Every time I close my eyes, I can see her smiling face and shimmering blue-gray eyes. She was such a kind, sweet old lady. I wish I knew where Lidia was. I’d like to thank her and apologize for anything that Glenn may have done. I hope that wherever she is out there, she’s happy and can forgive me one day.
“You ready?” Clay asks, standing from his seat.
I nod. “Yep. Let’s go home.” I hold out my hand and he takes it with a smile. He opens the door as he brings my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to my skin.
I’m so ready to see Bryce that the hour drive home seems twice as long. Clay fills me in that he received word back that they’re extraditing Glenn to Ohio and he’s been formally charged with murder. If convicted, he could face life. I’m filled with excitement and anxiety, my leg bouncing until the moment we pull into Drake’s driveway. We both climb out of the truck and watch as Bryce rides the horse all by himself with Drake and Celeste standing close by.
We walk over and Celeste pulls me in for a hug. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”
“Thank you for taking care of him.” Tears sting my eyes. I knew this family was good people, but seeing how much they care for me and Bryce, people they don’t even really know, makes my heart swell with love.
“Of course,” she says, pulling away.
“Mommy! Look at me!” Bryce yells, waving vigorously.
I laugh and wave back. “Good job, buddy!”
Clay places his hand on my lower back and holds me close. Since we woke up this morning, it’s like he never wants to let me out of his sight again, like he never wants his hands to leave my body. He’s taken every chance he gets to hold my hand, kiss me, or touch me in some way.
“I fixed up the backdoor and swept up the glass,” Drake says. “I didn’t want you to have to come home and clean up all of that. Plus, I didn’t want to leave the house open to the elements. We got a pretty good storm last night.”
I offer him a smile. “Thank you. For everything.”
Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about the door. Deep down in my stomach, I’m worried that all of this will ruin my home for me now. When I walk into that laundry room, will I have flashbacks of being
dragged out that door? Will I ever feel safe there again, or will it always be tainted? I guess there’s only one way to find out.
“Thank you, guys, for taking care of him. I seriously can’t thank you enough. I don’t mean to rush off, but I’m still feeling a little sore and would really like to get home to sit down and put all of this behind me.”
“Of course, you need your rest,” Celeste says before turning for Bryce. “Bryce, come on. It’s time to go home.”
Bryce steers the horse our way and Celeste helps him down. He comes running over to us and Clay bends down, picking him up.
“You ready to go home?” he asks him.
Bryce nods. “Yeah, but I’m really going to miss that horse.” He gives it one last, longing look.
Clay laughs. “Well, the barn is done now. We might just be able to get a horse of our own.”
“Yeah!” he cheers, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.
The three of us load up in the truck and drive back to the house with Bryce talking the whole way about how much fun he had with Celeste and Drake and riding their horse. As we’re approaching the house, a sense of dread washes over me. My heart begins to pound and sweat prickles my skin. Clay must sense it because he reaches over and takes my hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. I glance his way and smile, a secret thank-you.
Clay parks the truck and we go inside. Bryce runs straight to his room. I look to my left and find my broken phone. Clay walks over and picks up the pieces.
“We’ll get you a new one,” he says, taking the pieces into the kitchen and tossing them in the trash. I follow along behind him, in need of a drink. When I walk in, he’s already taking down two glasses, so I have a seat at the table knowing he will provide for me.
He sits down across from me and slides over my glass of tea. “Want to talk about it?” His thumb lightly traces over the skin of my hand.
I pick up my glass and take a drink. “I fell asleep on the couch and woke up to a noise.” I take a deep, calming breath. I know I need to tell him, to purge this from my memory. I don’t want there to be anything between us.
“I realized it was coming from the back of the house, so I went to check it out. Glenn was at the door, and he had somehow managed to get it unlocked. Just as he was opening it, I jumped for it, slamming it and locking it back. We fought for a while, but finally, he rammed his shoulder into it over and over until the door gave in. I took off running for my phone that fell out of my pocket during my nap, but he caught me. He threw me on the floor.” I swallow down the emotion growing thick in my throat.
“When my phone rang, he stomped on it and was going to take me right then, but you pulled up so he dragged me out the backdoor. I heard you walk in and yell my name. I was just on the back porch then. But you must have gone upstairs or something because by the time you made it outside, we were already hidden away in the barn. That’s where we stayed until everyone left.”
I can see the anger marring his face. His brows begin pulling together when he realizes that we were here at the same time. His blue eyes focus on the table between us like he’s afraid to meet my eyes. His hands, which are resting on top of the table, turns to fists and his back straightens.
“I didn’t know you were here. I thought he’d already taken you.” He shakes his head, sadness falling over him like a heavy blanket.
I nod. “I know.”
He stands up and starts pacing, his hands fisting in his hair. “If I had just looked in the barn, I would’ve found you. You never would’ve gotten hurt.”
I stand and close the distance between us. “It wasn’t your fault, Clay.” I place my hands on his face, directing his eyes to mine. “I’m fine. Everything worked out just as it was supposed to. He’s gone. He won’t be a problem again. I’m free, thanks to you.”
“Drake and Colton had to pull me off of him. I would’ve killed him. I just…” He shakes his head and leans against the island, his hands moving to my hips and pulling me against his chest. “I lost it. When I finally got my hands on him, I blacked out. I couldn’t think of anything other than how he’s hurt you. I wanted him dead. I wanted him to pay for what he’d done.”
I rest my head against his chest, listening as his heart pounds. “He will,” I assure him. I lift my head and our eyes lock. His tongue comes out, running across his bottom lip, wetting it.
“I don’t know what I would do if I lost you,” he breathes out, stepping toward me and forcing me to step back.
“You won’t,” I promise.
He takes another step, pressing my back to the fridge, the coldness almost shocks me. “I don’t know how I’ve lived this long without you, because I know I won’t be able to live that way again.”
I cup his cheeks in my hands. “Clay, I’m here. You’ll never lose me.” I get up on my tiptoes and press my lips to his. For a moment, he doesn’t move. He just stands there, allowing me to kiss him. Slowly, I feel him begin to relax. His body softens, his lips begin to move with mine, and finally, his hands find my body. His right hand cups my jaw, keeping me from pulling away. His left hand holds firm on the small of my back. He has me trapped. I couldn’t pull away if I wanted to, but I don’t want to. I’d be perfectly happy staying right here for the rest of my life. When his lips part and his tongue demands entrance, I allow it, need it. I want to taste him and burn this feeling into my memory while praying that things between us never change or fizzle away.
“Mom, I’m hungry,” Bryce says, coming into the kitchen, causing Clay and I to quickly pull away from one another.
Clay squats down so he’s eye level with him. “Why don’t the two of us make lunch and let Mom take a nap? She needs lots of rest now that she has a baby growing inside her.”
“Can we make pizza?” Bryce asks, eyes wide with excitement.
Clay chuckles. “Didn’t you just have pizza last night?”
He nods. “Pizza is my favorite!” He flashes me a silly grin.
Clay stands up and presses a kiss to my lips quickly. “Go upstairs and get cleaned up. Rest. I’ll watch little man here.”
I smile. “Thank you,” I tell him, ruffling Bryce’s hair as I walk past.
The first thing I do is sink into a hot bath. The warm water helps to soothe my sore, tired muscles and the ache in my side. I rest my head back against the tub and close my eyes. For the first time in a long time, Glenn isn’t there waiting for me. This time, it’s Clay. His blue eyes are shining, and he’s giving me that boyish smile of his. My heart starts to flutter in my chest, and a warmth spreads throughout my entire body.
Months ago, I never would have pictured myself here, in my own beautiful home with the best man I could dream up and a baby on the way. When I packed up and left home that day, I thought I’d be alone and afraid forever. I thought that I didn’t deserve happiness after everything I’d been through.
But then I met Clay, and he changed everything. He made me believe that I do deserve love and happiness. He took things slow and didn’t push, he let things between us bloom naturally. At first, all I wanted was his friendship, his understanding. But over time, that friendship turned into something else: trust, faith, and understanding. It’s love on a level I’ve never felt before. It’s like he’s made for me, like we’re made for each other. This is just the journey we had to take to find one another.
When my body is completely relaxed, I stand up and dry off. Instead of digging through my dresser to find pajamas, I pull on my robe that hangs on the back of the bathroom door. The soft silk feels amazing against my naked skin as I crawl into bed. The moment my head hits the pillow, I drift into a deep sleep.
I wake when Clay joins me in bed. I open my eyes and the room is dark, only a little light sneaking out of the small crack in the bathroom door.
“What time is it?” I ask, rolling from my back to my left side to face him. Pain shoots through my ribs, but I hold back the groan that wants to escape.
“It’s going on ten. You’ve been asleep al
l day.” He pulls the blanket up over the both of us, and warmth spreads through my body again.
I crack my neck. “It feels like it. I’m sore.”
“I made sure Bryce got dinner and a bath before I put him in bed. We’re all alone for the night. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He presses a kiss to my shoulder, his hand finding its way beneath my robe to my bare breast where he lightly squeezes.
“Mmmm, you can wake me like this anytime,” I tease.
Even in the darkness of the room, I can see his grin form. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he whispers, getting himself up on his elbow as he leans over and closes his lips around my nipple.
My back arches into him. The action causes a strain on my rib, but even that doesn’t compare to the pleasure he’s making me feel. As he flicks his tongue across the hardened peak, his hand massages my breast. My hormones are running rampant through my system. The only thing I can think of is feeling him inside of me.
“Clay, I need you,” I nearly whine, lacing my fingers through his hair and pulling gently.
He pulls his mouth away from me and pushes my robe to my sides, completely baring all of me to him.
“I’ll give you everything you need,” he whispers as he kisses his way down my stomach. When his tongue runs between my folds, a jolt hits me. A shiver races up my spine and my lips part, a soft moan slipping out. His hands on my hips tighten like he’s holding himself back.
“Fuck, Autumn. You taste so good,” he whispers against my skin, his mouth going back to its work.
I fist the sheet beneath me, needing something to hold onto as my release rises. The moment he slides his finger inside of me and his tongue flicks against my clit, I explode. My orgasm washes over me, drowning me in pleasure. My hips buck upward until he has to hold them down. My cries are loud, echoing around the room. In my mind, I remind myself to keep it down, but I have no control over myself. I can’t do anything but ride out every last wave. Shock waves rock through my body, causing my toes to curl and my knees to shake.
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