“Right.” I grabbed it from her and we left. “This will be something to give us a good laugh over when we get old.”
English let out a loud snort and cackled as we hurried away from the chapel. “Oh, God. My aching sides. That woman! Those boobs. When her eyelash fell I thought I’d die! Do you think she had on a wig?”
“Does a bear poop in the woods? Hell, yes, that was a wig. No one can possibly get their hair to do that.”
She snorted again and I suggested we get a drink somewhere to celebrate. I ushered her into one of the hotels and we went to the lounge, where I ordered a bottle of champagne.
We looked at each other and cracked up all over again. “I just can’t. She was like nothing I’d ever seen,” English said.
“Wait. What about him? Singing to us?”
“Oh, God, stop. I’m dying here.” She held her sides as she howled. “They were the best. I bet they get a lot of business just for the theatrics.”
“Can’t say but we need to leave them a great review.”
After our laughter died down, English looked at her wedding ring. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t even have a chance to appreciate this earlier. It’s gorgeous and looks perfect with the diamond.”
I’d bought an eternity ring that had diamonds all around it, but they were set in a staggered pattern to make it look unusual and different. “I’m happy you like it. I was thinking you should have one on either side.”
“You think? I kind of like it this way.”
“English, it’s yours so you can have it any way you want. I just thought two would balance it out.”
“Let me think on it.”
We finished our champagne and I took her to a casino to let her gamble. She won at blackjack and roulette, but lost at craps. We had a good time, but we were both eager to get back to the hotel.
Our room was inviting with chocolates on the pillow and a gift basket to celebrate our wedding. We had strawberries dipped in chocolate, some other sweets, and a charcuterie board. I was about to order dinner from room service when English’s phone rang.
“Hmm, it’s Rey calling.”
“You’d better answer it.”
She got up and moved away, but I heard her say, “Rey, what’s up?” A minute or two later, she was back near me saying, “Rey, hang up and call 911, and then call Geepa. Call me back after.”
Her eyes drilled holes into me after she hung up. “Rey said an old man in a big black car was there threatening Mom and Easton. Easton was hiding, but Mom looked scared.”
“Shit. Stuart?”
“His father.”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.”
“Only the police can step in now. He’s trying to throw his weight around and it’s not going to work. But I’m sad Mom is there alone.”
“Your grandfather will know what to do.”
English’s phone rang.
“Rey! What’s going on?”
I stared at English as she spoke to her sister. Her face paled and then the phone fell out of her hand.
“English, what happened?”
“Rey said Geepa just got there, but Stuart’s dad knocked him down. He’s not getting up, so she doesn’t know what to do.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
English
We were on the first flight back to Atlanta. Tristian had handled all the details as I was on the phone with Mom hearing about the situation back home.
The police had arrived, thanks to Rey, and Bill—Stuart’s father—was still at the house, slinging threats. Easton had hidden in a closet in Mom and Dad’s room, where Rey had told her to go. Mom and Banana had been hovering over Geepa when the police arrived. Finn had slipped out the back door, run around the front and let them in to find Bill McLure shouting threats at the entire family if they didn’t hand over Easton immediately.
Rey, who had brilliantly recorded everything on her phone, was our superhero that day. She’d thought of everything, particularly recording Bill as he unveiled his true self.
An ambulance had taken Geepa to the hospital and I swore if anything happened to him…
“English, the courts will make Bill pay,” Tristian said. “He can’t get away with this.”
“This is terrible. I never imagined he would go to these lengths.”
The police had arrested Bill and carted him off in the back of the car, handcuffed, while he continued to throw threats at them. Rey and Finn said he’d been yelling the entire time.
We called the attorney who was handling my case because we were going to sue this time.
“Enough is enough. It’s one thing for that son of his to threaten you, but for the father to do this to your grandfather is utterly uncalled for,” Tristian said. I agreed. This wouldn’t go unpunished, one way or the other.
The flight was interminable. I asked Tristian a million times if we were almost home. He was more than kind, offering me drinks, rubbing my neck and back, and doing everything he could to calm me down. It wasn’t easy thirty thousand feet in the air. At least we had wi-fi and were able to text. Rey kept us informed. So far, nothing bad had shown up for Geepa on his scans.
By the time we landed, the doctors determined he’d suffered a severe concussion and would spend the night in the hospital. There were no signs of a brain bleed or any other serious effects. He’d injured his shoulder when he fell and they would do an MRI before he left the hospital.
I called Mom on the way in from the airport and told her we were on our way to the hospital.
“Don’t bother. Go straight home. Geepa is sleeping and so is Banana. She’s spending the night in his room and I’ll take them home tomorrow. I’m walking out of the hospital now. I’ll meet you at home.”
She looked like she hadn’t slept for weeks when we got there. Purple crescents sat beneath her eyes and her stooped posture told me how worried she was. We hugged for an hour, it seemed.
“Thank God everyone is okay,” I said, holding back my tears. I wanted to be strong.
“Yes, we all have a lot to be thankful for.”
“Did you ever reach Dad?” We’d also tried to call but it had gone straight to his voicemail.
“No, I’m afraid not. He’s traveling to a remote area and won’t be back online until tomorrow. I’ve left him a message though.”
“So did we. Mom, I saw the door. We need to get that fixed.”
She rubbed her eyes, then neck. “I know. That horrid man forced his way inside and look what he did.”
“You showed the police, right?”
“I don’t even remember. I was too concerned about your grandfather.”
I pulled my phone out of my purse and took a dozen or more photos of the damaged door. The wood was splintered around the knob where he’d pushed against it.
“Ugh, that man was so awful,” Mom said.
“I’m so sorry I got our family involved with them,” I said. “This is my fault.”
Tristian’s attention snapped to me. “How in the world could you have known? You met Stuart when he was just a high-school kid. How would anyone know then?”
“My dad did. He never liked Stuart.”
“Honey, don’t blame yourself. It’s over and done.” Then Mom brightened a bit. “You know, one thing good will most likely come out of this. His behavior will demonstrate that they are terrible candidates for any type of custody of Easton.”
“I hadn’t thought of that.”
Tristian added, “We’ll make certain the attorneys do.”
Mom said, “Enough about this dreadful subject. How was the wedding ceremony?”
Tristian and I glanced at each other and cracked up. “Oh, God, you should’ve seen the Elvis minister and his wife. They were the best. We were serenaded.” And we told her the story.
“I can’t wait to see the video, but show me that rock you’re wearing.”
I held out my hand and she said, “My, oh, my. Tristian, you sure do have good taste in jewelry.”
“I aimed to please,” Tristian said. “But Easton gave me strict orders too.”
Mom chuckled. “I’m sure she did. She loved the tiara picture and wouldn’t stop talking about it.”
“Then she’ll love my wedding rings,” I said.
“I hate to do it, but I have to get some sleep. This has exhausted me.”
“No, it’s fine. Call me in the morning and I can go with you to the hospital.”
Tristian and I left and went back to my house. The more I thought about Stuart’s dad, the more it angered me. “The nerve of that man. Going to my parents’ home. How rude.”
“English, he doesn’t give a damn about being rude. He just wants to exert his power.”
“You’re right. He’s always been about that. What a creep though. And then to do that to my Geepa.”
“Hey, we’ll get him. I promise.”
We unloaded the car and climbed the steps to my room. Easton was still at my parents’ so it was only us at home.
Tristian asked me if I was hungry.
“I should be, but with all this commotion, my appetite is still in Vegas.” I only had one kind of appetite now, but wasn’t sure if he was game. I reached for him and said, “I’m game for a shower, if you are.”
“Always.” We headed for the bathroom, where we stripped and he cranked up the water. When it was ready, we got in and he soaped me up.
Hands slid over all the areas of my body he told me were extra-dirty and needed more attention. He stole my breath as desire brewed between my thighs. I hissed as his fingers worked their way over my nub and entered me. With the sensations evoked by his hands, mouth, and water, I lost myself completely to him. The orgasm I chased erupted in full force and I sagged against the cool tiled wall afterward. He held me with his palm and then lifted me in his arms, impaling me. I bit down on his shoulder so as not to scream. He drove in and out and I reveled in the pleasure-pain threshold as he slammed me against the wall with each thrust. Oxygen rushed out of me each time as I tried to catch my breath between strokes. When he reached between us, I knew he was close. There wasn’t a chance I would last once his hand touched me.
His skillful fingers set me off like a comet shooting through the sky. My inner muscles squeezed his cock and his deep groan let me know he was getting his too. I knew for sure when his warmth spread inside of me. I was amazed at his strength—there wasn’t a chance I could stand yet. He held me and peppered kisses up and down my neck.
“That was lovely,” he said in my ear in his husky voice.
“Yes, it was. But you forgot the condom again.”
“Shit. I adore sex with you so much, you make me forget. Your body is made for it.”
“As is yours. You weaken me.”
“Weaken you?”
“Yes, you give me pasta legs. They’re like spaghetti now. Not an ounce of strength in them.”
“I’ll take that as a good thing.”
“It’s much better than good. I’ll run by the pharmacy on the way to the hospital in the morning.”
He kissed me, taking possession of my mouth, as though he was seeking secrets that might have been hidden in there. We made out until the water ran cold.
He carefully dried me off and then we went to bed. We both crashed and didn’t move until my phone rang in the morning.
“English, I’m getting ready to go to the hospital. Are you ready? I’m headed over.”
Ugh, it was my mom and I’d forgotten to set the alarm.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Tristian
“Shit!” English hopped out of bed.
“Babe, what’s wrong?”
“My mom is on the way over. I forgot to set the alarm.”
“It’s fine. Calm down and get dressed. I’ll handle her when she gets here.”
She stopped hopping, smiled and went into the bathroom. I opened my suitcase and pulled on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then I ran down the stairs and put some coffee on. I heard the horn honk, so I ran outside and told Sheridan it would be a minute or two.
I fixed English a large cup of coffee to take with her and by that time she was skipping down the steps and hunting for her purse.
“Over there.” I pointed to the sofa. “Here. It’s for the ride.” I handed her the coffee.
A smile reached her eyes. “Thank you.” She kissed me on the lips and ran out the door. What a morning. And the night before. With English gone for a few hours, I’d have some time to process.
First order of business was to email Beck explaining why I’d be late meeting him. Then I contacted the attorney to explain the situation with Stuart’s father.
His reaction was priceless. “You’re joking.”
“Not at all.”
“Let me get this straight. He came to the Bridgeses’, forced his way inside and threatened to take Easton away. When Mrs. Bridges wouldn’t give in, he railed on and on and then her father-in-law showed up and he punched him?”
“That about sums it up.”
“Please hold.” I heard him call for his admin. He asked her to run a search on any press releases from the governor’s office. Then he was back. “I hope they fire him, but I won’t hold my breath.”
“True, but how shall we proceed?”
“We’ll take out another order of protection and this time we’ll extend it to cover the entire Bridges family too.”
“This gets better and better. Is there anything else we can do?”
“You won’t have to. They just buried themselves.”
“That’s what I figured.”
“Don’t worry about a thing. I’ll get everything handled. If you and English are in agreement, I think we should sue.”
“I am, but let me check with her. And thanks.” I finished the call and headed over to see my brother.
My sister greeted me with cold eyes and a pinched mouth.
“Hello, Ravina. How’s the job hunt?” I asked lightly.
She sneered. “I imagine it’s the same as the wife hunt.”
“Is that so? Then congratulations must be in order.”
The sneer turned into a frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m not on any hunt, so I guess that means you’ve found a job.”
“I’ve done no such thing. You know those… people”—she spat the word—“are beneath me.”
“I have one question for you. Whoever died and pronounced you queen?”
“Oh, you think you’re so special now that Dad made you the heir, don’t you?”
“Matter of fact, I wish he hadn’t. Then I wouldn’t have to put up with your surly disposition.” God, she was a pain in the ass. I climbed the stairs without another word.
My brothers were deep in work, the older walking on one crutch and the younger typing away on a computer keyboard.
“Hey, Tris. What brings you here? I thought you were headed to Vietnam?” Stanton asked.
“It was delayed for a number of reasons, one of which was I went to Vegas and got married.”
Both of them stared at me like I was a ghost.
“What?”
“Yep. I’m hitched to a gorgeous woman.”
“Congratulations?” Stanton asked.
“Hell, yeah. I picked the best of the best and can’t wait for you to meet her.”
“Well, damn, bro. Who is she?”
“Her name is English Bridges Baines.”
Stanton reeled. “Whoa. Is she any relation to Beck Bridges, your sort-of-boss?”
“She’s his daughter.”
Landry had been silent until now. “Dude, boning the boss man’s daughter…” He laughed.
My nostrils flared with his comment. “Landry, I don’t appreciate that one bit. It’s not like that at all. Her father gave us his blessing and you will treat her with respect.”
Landry’s hands instantly rose. “Hey, sorry, man. I didn’t know you had feelings for her. Won’t happen again.”
“Better not, or you’ll have m
ore than my voice to answer to.”
“No worries, man. You have my word.”
I dipped my head and heard my older brother’s raspy chuckle. “I can’t believe it. My brother got himself chained to a woman. And from that reaction, it looks like you are actually in love with her.”
“Just for the record, I don’t consider it chained and it was worth it to me. And it sure as hell should be to you.” I avoided the comment about being in love. That wasn’t his business.
Stanton cleared his throat. “Say that in five years and I might believe you. But thanks all the same. I do appreciate you taking one for the team.”
Landry slapped me on the back. “Congrats, bro. I’m happy if you’re happy.”
“So far I am. Her daughter is—”
Stanton pointed his finger at me. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. She has a daughter?” They both stared again, Stanton with brows up.
“Yes, and she’s incredible.”
“Hmm. Now I’m suspicious. Did they drug you or something? You always swore off kids.”
“That was before Easton.”
“Easton is the kid?” Landry asked.
“Yeah, and she’s hilarious. I can’t wait for you to meet her.”
Stanton’s eye roll and tight expression clued me in to what was coming. “Uh, about that. No offense, Tris, but kids aren’t my thing and frankly I’m shocked. How exactly did she wrangle you into this marriage?”
I ground my teeth at this. “That’s enough. I got married to save your asses, but I happen to like, really like the woman, and respect the hell out of her. She didn’t wrangle me into anything. It was my idea, if you recall. You’re the one who put the idea into my head. Now what’s gotten into you?”
Stanton shrugged. “I’m worried, I guess. I didn’t expect the woman you chose to have a kid.”
“Yeah, well, she does. This one’s different. Just give Easton a chance. And English, for that matter, before you jump to conclusions about her.”
Landry was more open-minded. “I will. I’ll teach the kid some computer games. She’ll like that. How old is she anyway?”
For The Love of Easton : A Single Parent Romance and Sequel to For The Love of English Page 18
