Southern Comfort: Chandler's Story (The Southern Series Book 1)

by Shelley Stringer

  Beau pushed the door open about five seconds after Banton went downstairs, and plodded to the end of the bed and jumped on the foot to settle down into a nap with me. He was never far from me since the attack. I finally dozed, falling quickly into troubling dreams.

  I was running through the house from room to room, searching for my baby, but I couldn’t find her. I could hear her tiny baby sobs, her quick intakes of breath as she screamed her little baby screams. I ran to the crib in Banton’s room, and it was empty. I ran back out onto the landing, and then hurried down the staircase. I heard a noise, and turned to look back up the stairs. My baby lay just at the top stair, about to tumble over, my stalker standing over her, about to put his foot on her. I tried to scream, but I couldn’t find my voice. He pushed her and she began to topple down the staircase. I flung myself up the stairs and landed with my hands outstretched to catch her…I woke to the sound of Beau’s whimpering and barking in my ear.

  “Chandler!” Banton slid his hands under my shoulders, slowly turning me over. I was lying on the cold, wooden floor, face down, across the room from the bed. “Sweetheart, what happened?” He pulled me to his chest as he rolled me over.

  “I…I don’t know.” I looked at him, confused. I knew I’d been sleeping but I couldn’t remember if I was dreaming.

  “Chandler, I can smell it again,” Banton inhaled, as he searched the room. The rank body smell of my attacker hung in the air. “Is that what you were dreaming about, were you having a nightmare again?” He looked at me, concern knitting his brows together. I nodded, answering him.

  “I didn’t think…I mean, you were just napping, and in daylight…I should have stayed with you. I made you a promise this morning.”

  He pulled me upright, checking me for injuries.

  “I’m fine, I think. He didn’t touch me in this dream. I was diving, trying to catch the baby before she hit the floor. He pushed her down the staircase!” I stared at him in fear. “Banton, if he can physically hurt me, or make me hurt myself in my dreams, what if he can hurt the baby!” My heart raced, feeling the dread every parent feels the first time they are frightened for their child.

  “Shhh.” He rocked me back and forth in his arms. “First of all, I’m going to get to the bottom of this, to find out how we fight this thing. He will never touch our child, not as long as I’m alive.”

  As he said the words, a cold feeling slid over and through my body. I knew Banton meant what he said, and he would die trying to keep us safe. But I was beginning to wonder if there was such a thing as safety for me or anyone I loved.

  Chapter Forty-One

  I silently wished I’d never napped. It seemed my dream had spoiled my picture-perfect Christmas Eve. Banton suggested I take a soak in my new tub and freshen up. I was just finishing up my makeup when he came back upstairs to retrieve me.

  “You are beautiful.” He gazed at me in our reflection in the mirror hanging over the dresser. He leaned over my shoulder and kissed the bare spot where my red sweater draped down my arms.

  “Either you’re going to finish what you start, and tell me Dr. Lane called and gave us an all-clear, or you’ll stop right now, Mister. You’re not getting me all revved up before we have our first big family Christmas dinner!”

  I pretended to glare at him in the mirror.

  He laughed, and kissed the other shoulder. “All right, I’ll be good. Come on, your ride is here.”

  He bent down, and picked me up in his arms to carry me downstairs. When we got to the foyer, the scene that greeted me was out of a dream. Laurilee and Dan stood at the buffet in the dining room, pouring glasses of wine. Claudia came out of the kitchen with Ava Grace, both of them in matching Christmas aprons. She placed the ham I’d been longing for all day in the center of the beautifully decorated table. A large centerpiece of paper whites and red roses adorned the center, and candles flickered all over the room. Everett and Philippe sat on the far side of the table, sampling shrimp and crab claws. Brie and John were putting Christmas CD’s in the stereo in the living room.

  I turned and looked at Banton with wonder. “If I had planned this in my head, it couldn’t have turned out more perfectly. Almost everyone who I love is in the same room tonight.” I smiled at Everett as he rose and came around the table to greet me.

  “You are absolutely glowing tonight, sweet Bebe,” he whispered in my ear, placing a kiss on my cheek.

  “Well, it’s perfect now that I’m here.” Will came around the corner, having just entered through the front door.

  “Daddy Will!” Ava jumped down from her chair and flew to his outstretched arms.

  “Will, why didn’t you call when your plane got here? You’re early.” Claudia hurried across the room, and they kissed, quite passionately. I smiled, remembering her comment about almost attacking him after they’d been apart.

  I turned to Everett. “Have you met Dan and Laurilee?”

  “Oh, yes. We’ve been visiting for about an hour now. You’re behind as usual, Bebe. And I love your friends, but I knew I would. You seem to surround yourself with the most interesting people!” He leaned over and kissed my cheek.

  “You can say that again, Fruit Loop.” John came back in the room, and punched Everett in the arm.

  “I have to say, this is the most eclectic group of people I think I’ve ever seen celebrating Christmas together!” Mr. Philippe exclaimed, popping another crab claw. “Let’s see, we have a school teacher attending Texas Tech, her professional bull rider boyfriend, a housewife, a princess (he bent to kiss Ava on her cheek) two Navy SEALs, one who is independently wealthy but chooses to serve uncle Sam as a hobby,” he beamed at Banton, and then continued, “an antiques dealer, a dress-shop owner, a budding writer and photographer, and…” he glanced at Brie, who just joined John in the doorway. Obviously, he didn’t know her major, so he ended “a beautiful redhead.”

  “And a partridge in a pear tree!” John announced, downing his glass of wine. Everyone exploded with laughter.

  After a beautiful Christmas prayer delivered by Will, we dined on the wonderful food Claudia, Brie, and Ava had prepared for us. I felt so guilty that I hadn’t helped with any of it.

  “You have worked so hard, I feel guilty.” I leaned over and hugged Claudia.

  “Okay, Christmas at my house next year. You do all the cooking.”

  “Deal,” I replied as she raised her wineglass in a mock toast.

  “Everett, won’t you be in trouble with your mother and Grandmother Wellington for not spending Christmas Eve with them?

  “Oh, we’ll exchange our gifts later. Mother and Grandmother are in Monte Carlo for the holidays with friends.”

  “What about you, Brie?” I asked, forking my fourth slice of ham and laying it on my plate. Banton raised an eyebrow at me, seemingly pleased with my appetite.

  “My family does the Christmas morning thing with a huge breakfast. John and I will go over there to sleep tonight.” She gazed at him lovingly.

  “Ava Grace, guess what? I checked our house before I left Mobile, and Santa had already been there. There is a huge box in our backyard with your name on it! I wonder what it could be?” Will grinned at her.

  “Wets go see! Wets go wight now!” She jumped from her chair, and ran over to him.

  “Boy, you’ve done it now.” Claudia glared at him across the table.

  “Ava, what about all your presents here? We have to open those tonight, and then Mimi and Pop are bringing more presents tomorrow. We have to stay here and open all of those…” I didn’t finish, because she was already running around the table to the tree, to check for the hundredth time.

  “Good save, An Andler!” Everett raised his glass to me. I raised my glass of milk back at him.

  “Well, let’s go into the living room, and let John and Banton play Santa and pass out the gifts.” I stood and pushed my chair back. Without warning, a sharp pain shot through my abdomen and I doubled over.

  “Chandler! Banton jumped up
, and put his arm around me. “What’s wrong?”

  I took a deep breath, and the pain seemed to ease, and then disappear. I straightened, and then looked at him apologetically. “I don’t know, a muscle spasm, I guess. I’m fine.” I smiled at him, but he didn’t seem convinced.

  “Is that the first time that has happened?” Laurilee asked, rounding the table.

  “Yes, that has never happened before. I’m fine. Let’s go open presents.” I assured them.

  Banton hovered close behind me as I took a seat on the loveseat. After he was sure I was fine, he returned to the dining room, and he and John brought in several extra chairs. We had gifts for all present, setting aside the gifts for Banton’s parents, Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon for in the morning. Everett and Philippe had slipped a few in as well, so we had quite a pile of presents in front of everyone.

  “How do we do this?” Banton asked as he put the last present in front of me.

  “At our house, we go around in a circle and open one at a time, so everyone can see what everyone else got,” Claudia explained.

  “Oh, to heck with that. Just rip ‘em open. Ava Grace, what do you think?” Dan asked her. She was sitting in the floor in front of Dan and Laurilee, having taken to them as fast as she had the rest of us.

  “Whip ‘em open!” she exclaimed, grabbing the first box. There was a flurry of excitement as everyone opened their presents. It was so surreal. I just sat motionless, watching all the special people in my life exchange gifts.

  The first to get a box open was Laurilee, a gift from Everett and Philippe. They’d given her a crystal and onyx necklace and earrings that were to be worn with her bridesmaid dress. She was amazed that someone who she had just met would give her a present. I smiled, knowing it was typical of Philippe and Everett to be so thoughtful. I laughed out loud, then, when Claudia and Brie started digging for the same box to open.

  Ava Grace squealed with excitement when she opened her Disney princess collection, and to my delight, went straight for the Jasmine doll. As he watched Ava, Will placed Claudia’s necklace from Everett carefully over her head and kissed the back of her neck as he closed the clasp.

  “Aren’t you going to open any of yours?” Banton asked softly, as he ran his thumb up and down my neck.

  “Oh, sure. I was just enjoying the moment,” I explained, as I turned to gaze up at his amused expression.

  I opened a pair of beautiful pearl earrings, also a gift from Everett and Philippe to go with my dress. A piece of Texas Indian Pottery was next, a housewarming gift from Dan and Laurilee. Some pwetty wotion came next, a gift from Ava Grace. We had to stop, then, and lather our arms up with it like we did every night.

  Philippe and Everett opened their boxes from me, containing more of the photographic artwork made from pictures I’d taken in New Orleans.

  “Sweet Bebe, I just love it! Did you take these yourself?” Everett asked, skeptical.

  “Don’t act so surprised. You aren’t the only artsy one in the family, you know,” I flipped back at him with a smile.

  “Okay, Banton, where’s the rock?” Claudia exclaimed, as I was almost out of presents.

  “What rock?” he asked innocently.

  “The one I know you must have bought her. You are just like dad. You have to buy something bigger and better for every occasion, just to one-up yourself.”

  “Well, that’s how much you know. Chandler’s not that kind of girl, she’s not impressed with the over the top stuff. So I’ve got to be creative.” He leaned over the couch, and pulled a large, flat box out and handed it to me.

  “Banton, you already gave me the clothes for the party tomorrow night, and the fur coat.” I thought he’d already given me all my Christmas presents.

  “A fur coat? That’s pretty over the top, if you ask me!” Laurilee interjected as I tore the paper from the present. I gasped, and turned to Banton, the tears flowing right on cue to embarrass me. He smiled sweetly at me and wiped them away with his thumbs, holding my face in his hands.

  “Well, what is it? We’re dying over here!” Everett exclaimed, his hands on his hips, classic Everett.

  I turned the oil painting on canvas around, so that everyone in the room could see. It was a picture that had been taken when I was about six years old. My parents had brought me to Louisiana that summer to visit Aunt Sue and Uncle Lon. We’d toured some historic homes in Baton Rouge, and Uncle Lon had snapped a picture of us on a front porch. I sat on the steps, my knees drawn up under my chin. My mother sat on the top step behind me, her arm around me. My father stood behind us, leaning against a massive column, his arm draped lovingly around my mother’s shoulders, looking down at us. The house in the picture looked exactly like my house.

  “Banton, where on earth did you get that!” Laurilee came across the room to get another look. She was the one person in the room who knew my mother and father and me at that age. She had tears in her eyes too.

  “I called Mrs. Sue, and she knew exactly the picture I needed. I have a friend who is an artist and can paint anything. I got him to paint this portrait for me, from the picture I got from Mrs. Sue.” He smiled down at me as I looked up at him in wonder. “I wanted to give you a gift that would seem like it was from your parents too. It seemed appropriate to have their picture above one of the mantels in the house.”

  “And you had him paint them in front of your house? That was creative, Banton-Babe,” Everett commented, as he examined the portrait.

  “Well, that’s the eerie part. That is the house that was in the original picture. Mrs. Sue couldn’t believe it when she found it, and it was all I could do to keep her from calling you when she discovered it.” He caressed my cheek, and I laid my head over, capturing his hand between my cheek and my shoulder. I still couldn’t say a word.

  “I say we hang it right now.” Philippe walked across the room and picked the picture up, carefully walking it over to the fireplace as Everett took the mirror down and placed it in the floor. The painting looked like it had always been in the house.

  “Ok, now I’ve got goose bumps!” Dan commented, shivering for effect.

  “Wook, now I’m Pwincess Yamin, wook! Ava exclaimed, modeling the outfit I’d bought for her. She had the crown on, but upside down. Her arm poked through the hole her head was supposed to go through, and with her shoulders jacked she looked kind of like a Picasso painting.

  “Here, I think you need some help from Uncle Philippe. Come here, Bebe!” He picked her up, and started helping her right everything into its proper place.

  “Well, can I play the one-up game?” John asked as everyone giggled with Ava.

  “Go ahead, brother!” Banton exclaimed, a sparkle in his eye. I shot him a questioning look, and he winked at me, obviously knowing what John was up to. John rose, and walked to the middle of the room, and then turned to Brie, dropping to one knee.

  “Oh, sweet Jesus, another one! Philippe, they’re going to kill us!” Everett exclaimed. John pulled a ring box from his pocket.

  “Yes!” Brie exclaimed, diving at John. They both tumbled backwards and she landed on top of him in the floor.

  “Darlin’, he didn’t even show you the rock yet. You might take it back.” Everett teased, as they stayed locked together on the floor.

  “Well, at least let the rest of us see it!” Laurilee exclaimed.

  Brie was the first to pull away, and John sat up slowly and flipped the ring box open in front of her. It was a simple, round cut diamond in a silver setting. And it was classically Brie. John slipped it from the box, and slid it on her hand. She threw her arms around his neck as everyone applauded.

  “Well, shut the damn barn door!” Dan exclaimed across the room. He sounded like such a hick, everyone laughed.

  “What’s wrong, Dan?” Banton asked.

  “Now I don’t know what to do, he went and messed everything up!” Dan muttered, throwing his hand out. Fishing his hand down in his jeans pocket, he then dropped a small box over Laurilee’s sho
ulder into her lap.

  “Dan!” Laurilee turned abruptly and looked up at him.

  “You knew you were going to get it, you go through all my receipts already! And I knew I had to do this while we were with Chirpy-Chandler or she’d be mad at me. So here goes…Laurilee, will you marry me and make me the happiest man that you say I’m gonna be?”

  Laurilee flipped the box open and exclaimed “It better be the one I picked out!” She pulled it out of the box, and jammed it on her finger herself. Everyone roared with laughter, as Banton walked over and slapped Dan on the back.

  “Claudia, I hope you got all that on film, because those have to be two of the funniest proposals I’ve ever seen,” Will stated, helping Ava put a tiny charm bracelet on, a gift from Everett and Philippe.

  “I got every moment, Darlin’.” She smiled from behind the video camera.

  “Chandler, what did you get Banton?” Brie asked curiously.

  “Well, I was going to give it to him in front of his parents in the morning, but I feel bad. He’s given me three presents today already, so…” I looked up at him, trying to decide if it was the right time.

  “You are my gift. I don’t need anything else.” Then he bent down and whispered in my ear, “And our precious baby. That’s your gift to me.”

  I smiled back at him. He made my mind up for me. I rose and crossed to the tree, digging around the bottom until I located his small present. I sat back down on the loveseat beside him, and placed the small jeweler’s box in his hands. He looked at me questioningly, and then unwrapped the box and popped the lid open. He smiled and looked back at me with a twinkle in his eye, as he pulled the watch from its perch, and opened the clasp to slide it on his arm.

  “Read the inscription,” I urged softly.

  Banton turned the watch so he could see the back. “My entire life, My love forever - Chandler” He spoke the words, and then raised his eyes to stare into mine. “Chandler, I…” He stopped, and seemed confused.

  “It’s the inscription I made the rubbing of in New Orleans, remember?” I asked him, thinking he didn’t remember.