by Ali Parker
That didn’t bode well for me. His note made it obvious he had something up his sleeve and that scared the crap out of me.
Beth kept chatting as I cut her hair, oblivious to the distracting thoughts running laps in my mind. After I was done with her, I had a thirty-minute break before my next client. I rang Beth up, walking with her to the door.
“I’ll see you soon, Marie. Thanks again,” she said, smiling as she flipped her newly cut hair and slid her sunglasses over her eyes.
A man I didn’t recognize stood off to the side, allowing her to pass as his gaze zeroed in on mine. He was tall, easily as tall as Jeremy, with a shaved head and a tattoo that peeked out over the collar of his black shirt. He radiated menace and danger. I couldn’t wait to get back inside.
“Marie? As in Marie Nix,” he asked in a gravelly voice. He must’ve overheard Beth saying my name. Swallowing past a lump that jumped into my throat, I managed a small nod.
Lips curling into a tight smile, he reached into his jacket and handed me a manila envelope he pulled out of it. “Then this is for you. You’ve been served.”
Nausea slammed into my stomach, my mouth suddenly tasting vaguely of bile. My fingertips went ice cold as I clutched the envelope, suppressing the urge to throw it at the man’s retreating back and run away as fast as I could.
With my feet as leaden as they’d gone as soon as he’d spoken, I wouldn’t get too far if I tried running. I also knew there was no use. He’d given me the envelope in my hands, if I chose to chuck it at him and not read whatever was inside that was on me.
Turning slowly, I marched myself to the backroom, my stomach churning every step of the way. I made sure I was hidden behind the corner before opening the envelope. I was shaking so much I dropped it once, but eventually I managed to get the papers out.
Reading over them slowly, a sob rose and I didn’t bother trying to hold it back. This was a nightmare. Rubbing at my eyes, hoping that would change the words on the papers, a tear leaked out when the words didn’t change.
A court order was attached to a stack of documents Wesley must’ve submitted in Savannah. In one of the documents, Wesley stated that I’d moved from Savannah to Cypress Creek after he’d filed for custody in an attempt to avoid jurisdiction. He claimed that I hoped having the case heard in my hometown would provide an advantage to me.
Lying sonofabitch! Rage bubbled in my veins, blurring my vision as I stared down at what I quickly realized was an entire bundle of lies. Based on those lies without even giving me the opportunity to defend myself, the court had issued the attached order.
It was short and to the point despite the devastating, heartbreaking consequences it held for me. I was to move back to Savannah until the custody issue was resolved. Within ten days from the date of the order, or else I’d be held in contempt.
The order had been issued on Friday, which meant that I had to be back in Savannah by next week or possibly face jail time. The threat of time in a jail being imminent, time during which Austin would most certainly be placed with his father, broke through the shock and the outrage of Wesley’s blatant lies.
Without those two emotions to shield me from the utter helplessness and devastation I was feeling, I broke down crying. Sarah rushed in, and I only realized then that the pitching, crying sound I’d started faintly hearing a minute ago must’ve been coming from me.
Glancing at the court order I was holding, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight, holding me to her chest as I cried. “It’s okay, sweetheart. It’ll all work out one way or the other.”
“How? I’m just not as malicious or as shrewd as he is,” I hiccupped. “How am I supposed to win against him when I can’t lie and manipulate the way he does?”
“Easy sugar,” Sarah told me in a soothing tone, stroking my hair as she tried to comfort me. “Exactly because you don’t lie the way he does. The truth is on your side, sweetheart. Have you called your lawyer?”
“Not yet.”
Sarah let go of me, walking to the basin and pouring some water into a glass for me now that I’d stopped crying enough to stand on my own again. “Drink this. It ain’t scotch, but it’ll have to do for now. I’ll be back with your purse in a sec. Call your lawyer, she’ll know what to do.”
“I hope so,” I mumbled, though it might have been part prayer. Sarah was back in no time, holding my purse out to me.
“Call her, then take the rest of the afternoon off to do what you have to do. Keep me in the loop, honey.”
“I will. Thank you.” I’d composed myself enough to realize that I had the best, most understanding boss ever and gave her a big hug, thanking her again.
She smiled. “You’re a good kid. Don’t let that man get you down. You’ll get through this.”
Cherry red dress spinning as she turned toward the door, she paused and gave a thumbs up. “You’ve got this.”
Repeating her words in my head, I pulled my phone from my purse and called Savannah. Just as I was about to hang up and try her office, she answered. “Ms. Nix. What can I do for you?”
You’ve got this, I repeated once more. “It’s Wesley. He lied and got a court order stating that I had to move back to Savannah basically immediately.”
Savannah cursed softly. “Can you bring the court order and whatever other paperwork you have by this afternoon?”
“I can be right there,” I told her, already heading to the small mirror we had in the backroom to wipe my stained eyes and brush my fingers through my hair.
“I’ll be waiting,” she said, barking an order at her secretary to cancel her next appointment.
True to her word, Savannah was waiting in the fancy lobby when I got there. Pacing until she saw me push through the door, she walked right up to me and held out her hand. I handed the envelope to her, and she ripped it open, reading already as she led me up the stairs to her office.
“The good news,” she said as she sank into the same couch she’d been seated at during our first meeting. “Is that once we get to court, we can disprove these lies pretty quickly. We’ll get statements from your landlord, your boss, and your friends. They can attest to the fact of how long you’ve been here and the date he filed for custody is evident from the suit itself. It’ll show you moved well before there was any court case pending.”
I breathed out a sigh of relief, then I noticed the grim set of her jaw and the sympathy in her eyes. “What’s the bad news?”
Setting the papers down on the table, she looked me right in the eye and delivered the blow I knew was coming. “You’re going to need to adhere to the court order until I can file for a modification.”
A ringing, buzzing sound filled my ears as her words sank in. It felt like something was chipping away at my heart, little pieces breaking off. This couldn’t be happening, and yet it was.
I was headed right back into the hellhole I’d left behind months ago, walking straight back into a situation where Wesley was always around, knew the same people I did and refused to stay away. I was moving away from Jeremy and Sarah and Belle and my dad, the people I counted on for support and to keep me sane.
Every effort I’d made to carve out a normal life for me and for Austin had been for nothing. Sure, Savannah seemed confident she could win this in court, but not before I had to pack up and move. Again.
For however brief a time, Wesley had won this round, and he was never going to let me forget it. If anything, this victory was only going to spur him on, encourage his lies and deplorable behavior.
* * *
Hours later, once I could breathe and felt like I would make it through the conversation without sobbing every word, I made the phone call I’d been dreading most. Jeremy answered almost immediately, his voice warm and caring, loving even. “Hey babe, what’s up?”
“Jeremy, I...” I trailed off, wondering how best to break the news. There wasn’t an easy way to say it, so I decided to do the kindest thing I could and just rip the band aid right off. “I’m m
oving back to Savannah.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jeremy
“Jeremy!” Austin called out as soon as Marie opened the door, running and making a flying leap into my arms. I caught him, hugging him to my chest.
“Hey little man. Have a good day?”
He nodded enthusiastically. “I did.”
Throughout dinner, Austin regaled us with tales about his day. He was getting better at math, predicted correctly what was coming next in the story they were reading and learned he didn’t enjoy what he termed ‘girl-jokes’.
Apparently the girl he was seated next to thought she was hilarious. Austin didn’t agree.
While he talked, Marie and I both listened, but I was distracted. Marie’s phone call had rocked me to the core, and I desperately needed to talk to her. After dropping her bomb, she’d haltingly explained Wesley had lied in court documents with the result a devastating court order that she had to return to Savannah for the duration of the custody case. I still hadn’t quite absorbed it and had insisted she talk to her attorney, only to have my frustration amp up further when she told me she already had.
Mingling with my fury at Wesley was the sharp ache at the idea of Marie moving away from Cypress Creek. It wasn’t as if Savannah was too far away, but I wanted her close. I’d immediately considered asking Doc to cover for me for a bit to buy me some time to help Marie deal with this mess. Yet, before I’d even had a chance to call him, I’d gotten call from Sonny who let me know Doc was in the hospital after a heart attack. Sonny got the news straight from the police dispatcher. My afternoon had gone from bad to worse.
Grappling with Marie’s news, I’d raced over to the hospital to check on Doc. By the time I arrived, they’d stabilized him. I’d gotten a chance for a brief visit. He’d waved me off and insisted he’d be fine. Sarah was hot on my heels to visit him, so that had eased my mind. I didn’t like thinking of him alone in the hospital. I’d left with worry for him heavy in my heart and known asking him for any help right now was out of the question.
I had no clue how long Marie would have to be in Savannah, but every single day was too damn long for me.
Austin’s voice brought me back to the moment. We needed to put up a good front for him though, so as tempted as I’d been, I hadn’t walked in and insisted we talk right away.
Mercifully, either math, reading or the not-funny girl must’ve exhausted him—my money was on the girl—Austin was sound asleep on the couch soon after dinner. I carried him to his room, returning to find Marie at her dining room table with papers spread out in front of her.
“This is the court order I told you about.” She pushed the paper almost violently across the table to me, as if having it further away from her meant it didn’t exist anymore. She showed me the rest of the papers and told me what Savannah said, my heart sinking deeper and deeper as she spoke.
When she told me she’d have to start planning her move back to Savannah as early as tomorrow, a tear rolled down her face. Leaning over to brush it off with the pad of my thumb, I cupped her cheek in my hand.
“Hey. This isn’t over, you hear me? It will be okay,” I promised. “You’ll get through this. We’ll get through this. I’ll be with you every step of the way, this doesn’t change that.”
“It doesn’t,” she whispered, raising her hand to cup it over mine. “I know that, but it feels like it changes everything. It feels like I’m moving backward.”
Lowering my mouth to hers, I kissed her, pouring my feelings into her mouth—a slow, fiery kiss that said everything I couldn’t. That this wasn’t the end. My tongue swept into her mouth, tangling with hers as I held her to me possessively.
She was mine, regardless of what was happening. Her arms wound their way around my neck, holding me as tightly as I was holding her. Fingers winding into my hair, she let out a soft moan and crawled from her chair onto my lap.
Straddling me, she kissed me back hungrily. My hands fell to her hips, splayed out over her lower back. Her breasts pressed into my chest as she arched into me, tugging at my hair and digging her fingers into my shoulders.
“We should probably move this to your bedroom,” I murmured, sucking her earlobe into my mouth.
Shivering as another moan escaped, she nodded. “Let’s get there quick.”
We stumbled our way there. After closing the door, we stood facing each other at the foot of her bed. Our gazes were locked, our bodies only a few inches apart. Without breaking eye contact, Marie started slowly undressing me.
I let her, even though I was itching to take over. She seemed to need this, so I held back. My skin pebbled as she traced her fingers over my chest once she’d gotten me down to my briefs. I groaned when she cupped her palm over my cock, stroking over the cotton. On a sigh, she did away with my briefs, leaning down to trail her fingers over my thighs, her palm teasing my cock again.
As much as I was aching to sink into her, I felt what was happening between us in more than my cock. When she rose again, looping her arms around my neck to draw me in for another kiss, I indulged her and kissed her as if my life fucking depended on it. But then, kissing her was torture and paradise at the same time.
My restraint only lasted so long when she arched into me. I stepped back and made quick work of her clothes, keeping my eyes on hers. Mostly. Once she was naked, I let my gaze roam the length of beautiful body once before lifting them back to hers.
Not much later, when I finally surged into her slick channel, still looking into her eyes, I reached for her hands and held them as I thrust into her. There was sex and then there was this—a fusing of us.
Something had happened between us, something more was happening between us. I didn’t have the words to label it. The air around us hummed, shimmering with the intensity. We were both panting and covered in a fine sheen of sweat by the time her channel throbbed around me, milking my release free. She cried out, my name coming in ragged gasps, when I went taut before collapsing against her.
“Good night, Jeremy,” Marie whispered in the darkness, taking my hand and lacing her fingers through mine where it rested on my stomach. Her head was on my chest, right over my heart and it seemed to be reaching for her, beating for her.
“Good night, love,” I whispered back, the word slipping out without thought. She hadn’t heard it, I didn’t think. Already fast asleep as her chest rose and fell rhythmically at my side.
It was for the best, probably.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Marie
A few days later, I leaned my head against the steering wheel in my car and blinked back the hot tears pressing against my eyelids. I’d just dropped Austin off for his last day of pre-school here in Cypress Creek. I kept telling myself this move was only short-term. Savannah had promised me she was already preparing a modification, yet she’d cautioned me to expect Wesley to dispute it and to be patient. I still didn’t quite know how to explain any of this to Austin. I preferred to tell him the truth. But the thing was, I didn’t want to tell him his father was an asshole. Because that was the plain truth.
Wesley was pulling this shit just to get back at me for trying to move on. As much as I hated Wesley, as much as Wesley had already terrorized Austin, I didn’t want to poison Austin against his father any more. So when Austin’s wide eyes met mine when I explained we’d be going back to Savannah, I’d told him a version of the truth. We needed to stay for a little bit to help a friend of Sarah’s.
Sarah had a friend who needed some temporary help in her salon in Savannah because one of the regular hairdressers there had just had a baby. Sarah had connected me with her friend who’d assured me I could work for as little as a few weeks or a few months. She needed whatever help she could get since she hadn’t had any luck finding good help to fill in short-term. The other part of the truth Austin didn’t need to know was it was a plain godsend that Sarah’s friend had offered me this work. Money was tight as it was and finding a temp job was no easy feat.
&nbs
p; On the heels of several shuddering breaths, I lifted my head and glanced around my car. The street was quiet and peaceful. A few other parents were dropping off their kids. The distant sound of children’s voices ringing out was muted. The sun wasn’t too hot yet, and the moss swayed on the trees.
With a shake, I started my car and drove to Daisy’s Coffee & Go. I’d already gotten fond of being back in a small town where I could count on people knowing me. When I stepped through the door, Waylon glanced up from the counter and waved. He was so goofy and sweet. He was busy flirting with another girl, but he got my coffee ready in a flash. As I turned away, I glanced up to see Jeremy walking through the door.
My heart clenched at the sight of him—a flash of joy rose only to be snuffed out the second the anticipatory ache of missing him jolted me. He walked straight to me, dipping his head for a kiss. It was quick, but my pulse still lunged at the brief feel of his warm, firm lips against mine.
“You have a few minutes?” he asked, his hazel eyes scanning my face. At my nod, he continued, “Grab a table. I’ll be right there.”
Snagging one in the corner, I slipped into the chair, considering that every time I’d seen Jeremy in the last few days, it had felt as if he was gauging how I was doing. I wasn’t quite used to someone caring about me like that. It sucked that I couldn’t even savor it. Because I wasn’t doing well, not at all. I was miserable about leaving. I’d have been miserable whether or not Jeremy was in my life, but that only made it worse.
To have Wesley fighting me to get custody of Austin was my worst nightmare. To have him lying and manipulating from a distance was par for the course, yet I’d hoped I’d put enough distance between us to make it stop. No such luck.
