Beginnings

by Bernadette Marie

  Phillip checked in with the nurses and turned toward the boys. "She says you can have five minutes. His dad is in there now so you can go home with Mr. Walker after that."

  She saw the fear in the boys' eyes now. They didn't know what to expect, and they loved the man they knew was just beyond the door. Maybe it wasn't a good thing for them to see him. What if he was worse than Phillip had said? Perhaps it was she that wasn't prepared, she thought as her knees threatened to buckle under her.

  Phillip pushed open the door, and the two hands that Nichole held in hers squeezed hard when they saw Ben on the bed.

  His face was cut up, and there was a bandage that covered his right eye.

  Nichole sucked in the pain from seeing him. She willed herself to be brave, but she wasn't sure she had it in her.

  Ben turned his head cautiously. "Hey there," he said, his voice raspy and weak. "It's my best guys."

  The boys stopped their forward motion into the room as they both stood and stared at him.

  "I look bad, huh?" he asked.

  "Did you really wreck your truck?" Wyatt asked.

  "I guess I did. I got a little beat up, but I'm okay. Actually, I'm better now that you guys are here," he said as he looked up at Nichole.

  He studied her as if he were trying to read her, but she couldn't even imagine how she looked at him in that bed. He looked like that because of her—because her past followed her where she thought no one knew where she was.

  "Are you boys hungry? I've heard that Susan and Mrs. Walker have been cooking dinner. And you know what that means?" Everett asked.

  Zane smiled wide. "Dessert."

  Everett laughed. "Mostly. But it means we eat like kings tonight. Are you both ready to head home?"

  The words he chose squeezed at Nichole's heart. She couldn't deny that home was with the Walkers, no matter where that was.

  The boys both agreed and took Everett's hands as they walked out of the room.

  Phillip rested his hand on Nichole's shoulder. "I'll let you two have some time. I'll be back in shortly."

  She kept her eyes on Ben as Phillip left the room and shut the door.

  "You can come over here and touch me. I'm not that fragile," Ben offered holding his hand upward for her to take it.

  She hesitated before taking the next step toward him. He looked horrible, but he was so brave, and she only wished she could be brave too. But the tears came, and they wouldn't stop.

  How could she break down in front of him now? How childish and simple minded was it of her to be thinking of herself and not of him?

  Nichole sat in the chair next to the bed and laid her head against him, and he placed his hand on her head. She sobbed until she thought the tears would run out, but they continued.

  "This isn't your fault," he said. "I know that's what you're thinking."

  Nichole lifted her head and wiped at her cheeks. "It is my fault. That woman was after me, and here she is hurting you."

  "You didn't make her do this. You did nothing to provoke any of this. She's not right in the head, Nichole. Did you see what she did to her appearance? I think the reason she stole your identity is that she thinks she is you."

  "She hurt you. She shot another person. Even Jerome is in jail because of her, but okay, he deserves that," she said and then let the small chuckle escape that followed. "I'm afraid she'll come after my babies and me next."

  "No one, and I mean no one, will let her do that."

  She knew that to be true. She'd let Everett Walker take her boys and leave, and her heart said it was the right thing to do.

  "What did she do to you?" Nichole asked lifting her fingers to the bandage on his head and then retracting.

  "I was giving her a ride to Jake's so he could go out and fix her car. She had big sunglasses on, and her hair pulled back. She didn't look like the woman in the picture Phillip had, nor did she look like you. But when she opened her purse, and I saw the glasses like yours, I knew who she was. I just knew. Then she started talking about being the woman I slept with at night and then she hit me with something. I think it was a gun." He winced. "Did you say she shot someone?"

  "She robbed a liquor store and shot the clerk in the stomach. Witnesses thought it was me."

  "No doubt."

  "Ben, I didn't expect anything like this to happen. If I would have thought it was possible I wouldn't have gotten involved…"

  "With me? Nichole, there were so many forces pushing us together, there was no way we wouldn't have ended up together. And let's add in there that fate played a big role in that. Why else would you have ended up at my cousin's?"

  His optimism had her smiling. "She's not gone yet, Ben. I don't know what to do."

  "Go on and live as normally as you possibly can."

  She let out a snort. "Have you seen yourself? This isn't normal, Ben. Some man got shot today, and he thinks I did it."

  "The world is a little crazy, Nichole. Trust me. My family has seen crazy in all forms. This is not something to stop us from living. In fact, it's only more proof that we need to keep on living and loving."

  "She's still out there."

  "But she won't be for long. She's already risked too much. And now she has all of these other charges to go with her embezzlement charges. Once Phillip gets his hands on her, she's not going to be a problem ever again."

  Nichole rested her head against Ben again, and he stroked her hair. "When do you get out of here?"

  "Maybe tomorrow. They said my wife could stay with me," he told her, and she lifted her head. "I'm just telling you what they told me. I didn't correct them. What they don't know won't hurt them."

  "The kids…"

  "Are fine with my parents. I'd really like you to stay."

  Nichole contemplated the offer for only a moment and then rose to press a gentle kiss on Ben's lips. "I want to stay too."

  41

  The phone call from Audrey filled Nichole with a million different emotions. She was angry, hurt, spiteful, gracious, thrilled. It all stirred in her belly until she was nearly sick.

  Audrey laid it out and told her that until Justine Meyers was behind bars, Nichole was to stay away from the salon. She'd even make sure she was paid in advance if she needed it. But she wanted her to stay clear.

  And the sentiment hadn't only come from Audrey. She'd received texts from Pearl, Bethany, Gia, and Lydia too. She realized she could be angry that everyone was pushing her out of her own life, or she could be grateful that everyone loved her enough to have her back.

  Ben sat on the couch with Laura tucked up against him and the boys seated in the floor watching the Cars movie. Nichole had decided that there was no need for them to finish out the last week of school if it meant they had to be away from her.

  Susan had stocked the refrigerator, and even though she claimed it was leftovers from a catering she'd done, Nichole was sure she'd cooked just for them. Either way she was grateful.

  Phillip had sent word that the liquor store clerk was fine. He'd be released from the hospital soon. Unfortunately, when shown two photos, one of Nichole and one of Justine, he couldn't differentiate which one was the woman who had robbed him and shot him.

  For the rest of the week, Nichole bided her time as a housewife, Ben had joked. She'd cleaned every inch of the house and weeded his garden. She and the kids had gone over to Glenda's every morning and gathered eggs and fed the chickens. There was plenty to keep her busy, but she could feel the need to be around people buzzing through her veins and it was driving her mad. How much longer did they expect her hide from that crazy woman? She'd go berserk first.

  Luckily Ben had a doctor's appointment. It would be an excuse to go into town, maybe stop by the Bridal Mecca and say hello. Lucas was supposed to spend the day with his grandparents, so naturally they invited Nichole's kids to join them.

  She wasn't sure how she'd ever repay Ben's entire family for everything they did for her.

  Once the kids were dropped off at his pa
rents' house, Nichole and Ben stared toward town. She'd been in her own world the entire morning. She hadn't realized she hadn't spoken at all until Ben took her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers.

  "You're in off somewhere else," he said, and she glanced at him before looking back toward the road.

  "I guess I am. I'm a little out of my element just hanging out at the ranch."

  "I could tell."

  His voice carried a disappointment that knotted in her gut. "I'm not belittling it, I'm just…"

  "Bored. I know. You need to be around the general public is much different need than mine. But I get it."

  Nichole let her shoulders ease. "I thought I'd like to stop in and say hello to everyone if that's okay."

  “I thought they told you to keep away.”

  “I’m not going to work. I just want to say hello. I feel isolated, Ben.”

  He gave her hand a squeeze. "Then we will stop. I told Phillip we'd stop in there as well."

  Unless he had more news, Nichole wasn't sure why they needed to do that, but he was going to humor her by stopping at the Bridal Mecca. She could take time to stop by the police station too.

  * * *

  At least the bitch hadn't left any permanent marks on Ben, he thought gratefully as he walked out of the doctor's office. The lump on his head from where she'd hit him would take a while to go down, but he could deal with that. He wasn't dead on the side of the road, and that was what mattered.

  Their next stop had been by the reception hall to see Lydia who had nearly broken into tears when she saw him. Then they said hello to everyone else before walking into the salon.

  Audrey's glare in his direction was understood, but it had softened when she wrapped her arms around each of them and held them tightly.

  "You guys are a sight for sore eyes." She turned to Ben. "How are you feeling?"

  "I'm fine. I have a good nurse, and no lasting harm was done."

  "Your truck is totaled. Jake told me."

  "It is. But that's immaterial."

  As they walked back to Nichole's car, Ben thought about the conversation they'd had with Audrey. His truck didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Nichole and her kids, and his family. It had broken his heart when he'd seen the boys walk into the hospital room and stop, afraid of what had happened to him. Laura, on the other hand, took one look at his cuts and bandages and took his hand to sit with him on the couch. They loved him too, he realized at that moment.

  Nichole pushed the button on her keys and unlocked the doors. He felt her fingers begin to pull from his so that she could walk around to the driver's side and climb in, but he pulled her back.

  Eyes wide, Nichole smiled, but it quickly slid away. "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. In fact, everything is right in the world." He said gazing at her, her dark hair catching the sunlight. "I just wanted to look at you for a moment."

  Now she laughed. "You can look at me all you want when we get home," she said pulling back, but he tugged against her.

  "We are home."

  She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you feeling okay?"

  "Home is where you are. I just realized everything else is material. I'm home with you and the kids." He pulled her closer. "I know you're an in-town kind of girl and I'm a country kind of guy, but none of that matters. What matters is waking up each morning with you next to me and having breakfast with the kids."

  "What are you getting at?"

  "Marry me." The words flew from his mouth. "No, wait. Don't say anything to that."

  She burst into laughter as she wrapped her arms around him. "Did they give you something at the doctor's office."

  "Nothing. But I can't just blurt that out. I have some other people to talk about before I say that again." He rested his hands on her hips. "I love you. Let's leave it at that."

  Nichole brushed a kiss to his lips. "I love you, too." She pulled back and headed back around to the other side of the car. "I want to stop by my house and grab a few things."

  "Sure." Ben opened his door and slid inside. "I can say, I'd love to have you all stay with me at my house. Permanently."

  "I still have five more months on my lease."

  "Right. Offer stands. I don't want you moving back until Justine is locked up, but honestly, I don't want you to move out. Any of you."

  Nichole started the car and pulled into traffic as she headed toward her house. "I suppose I could sublet it."

  He watched her lips curl into a beautiful smile, but her eyes stayed on the road.

  He wasn't going to say another word. For the moment, he felt as if he had his answer. Now he needed to talk to her boys. He'd promised them he'd ask first, even if they'd given their permission.

  But he absolutely knew he wanted to marry her. He'd never been more sure about anything in his life.

  42

  Nichole had chosen that neighborhood specifically for the homey feel it gave her when she drove down the street. Luck had been on her side when the house, as cute as it was, had been available for rent.

  It tugged at her heart when she thought about not living there anymore, but warmth and joy filled the rest of her when she thought of living out in the country with Ben.

  She tucked her lips between her teeth to keep the growing smile from surfacing. He'd asked her to marry him. God, she hadn't wanted him to do that, but at the moment that he had she'd nearly jumped into his arms and screamed yes. What had given her such a change of heart? She loved him, but jumping into marriage, that just had seemed counterproductive to the life she'd been building. But now, it was exactly what she wanted.

  The thought of taking his name and being part of the Walker family thrilled her nearly as much as being Ben's wife. And when she thought of the kids, she no longer worried that a decision like marriage would confuse them. She knew they wanted it as much as she did. And she did want it.

  Pulling up in front of the little house she'd shared with her children, she realized it no longer held the appeal it had even a few weeks earlier. Now it was just a house. A house with good memories, but only a house.

  She pulled into the driveway and put the car in park. "I'm going to walk down to Mr. Cowell's house and see what he thinks about me subletting the house."

  "I'll walk down with you," Ben offered as he opened his door.

  "You go inside and sit down. You're still in recovery," she demanded in a sweet, but direct tone. "I'll be five minutes."

  "Fine, Mother. I'll go inside and wait," he joked as he shut the door and started up the steps. "I need a key."

  Nichole laughed as she tossed him her keys and then headed down the street toward Mr. Cowell's house.

  * * *

  Ben walked up the front steps and put the key in the lock, but the door pushed open.

  "What the hell?" he whispered to himself. Pushing the door open, he carefully walked inside.

  The TV was on the Disney Channel, just as it had been when he'd last sat there with Laura. He could smell something cooking, and someone was humming in the kitchen.

  Wasn't it his luck Mr. Cowell rented out the house and hadn't told Nichole. But, Ben had paid the rent for that month, and her things were still in the house.

  Pictures of her and the kids still hung on the walls, and her furniture still sat in the same places it had when they'd rushed Nichole out of there.

  He took a breath to call out to whoever was in the house but stopped when he caught a glimpse of the redhead in the kitchen.

  Contemplating on whether he should turn around or say something, he decided to retreat, but not before the woman turned to see him standing there.

  When he saw her, he froze.

  "Lover, you've arrived just in time. The kids are at their grandparents' house, and it's just you and me. I cooked supper for you, too."

  Justine's look had changed, but no doubt it was her. He'd remember that voice anywhere.

  "You cooked supper?" he asked noting that it was only lunchtime. "That was nice of you.
"

  He thought if he bided his time he could come up with a plan.

  Concern worried Justine's face as she walked across the room toward him. "What happened to you? You're all cut up. Were you in an accident?"

  Ben studied her, but it was clear that she didn't know why he looked like he did. The woman wasn't right in her mind at all. How could someone so gone have masterminded the takeover of Nichole's identity? Perhaps that was how she'd done it, she thought she was Nichole. It hadn't been malicious—not really.

  Ben set his jaw and watched the woman near him, raising her hand to caress cuts and bruises on his face. A tear rolled down her cheek.

  "Who did this to you? Why? Why would they do this?" She asked, her voice wavering.

  Ben gripped her wrist and held it before she could touch him. "You don't remember this? You and I were in a car accident."

  Justine took a step back. "You're lying. I wasn't in an accident."

  He tugged on her arm and looked down at it. "What are those cuts from?"

  She looked down at them as if it were the first time she'd seen them. Her skin went pale, and her breathing became labored. "What did you do to me?"

  When her eyes met his, they were no longer sad but crazy with anger.

  "Let's go in the kitchen and sit down a moment. Let's talk."

  "You hurt me!" She pulled from him and lashed out with her nails as he stepped back.

  "Stop! Justine, stop!" His own voice was filled with anger now.

  "Don't call me that! You know my name. You know my body. Never call me that name again!" Her cheeks had gone bright red with anger, and she left at him knocking him back to the wall as she raked her nails across his face.

  As he went to push her back, she rammed her shoulder into his throat causing him to drop to his knees.

  "You can't come into my house and attack me. That low-life husband of mine did the same thing, and now he's locked away. You stay away from me, she screamed as she moved toward the wall and took down a picture of Nichole and the kids. She held it up over her head as if she planned to bring it down over his. "I'm going to leave here and get my kids and run. Just as I did before. I'll run from you now. Don't follow us."